# Laptops



## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

I''m looking at getting one.

Preferably Â£350-Â£400 mark. It's going to be a second PC for use at night in lounge/backup etc.

Seen a couple that looked good. However I luckily found reviews before going for it. A Toshiba I liked apparently struggles on its basic 256mb memory. Gone off Dell after hearing of apalling battery situation.

Anyone got one they can recommend? I want one with wi fi.

Thanks.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Toshiba or a Toshiba or a Toshiba









When I was in electrical engineering I went through a lot of laptops and the most reliable by a long long long way were Toshiba's. Dell not bad, the rest nowhere.

Toshiba have great websites for downloading any info/parts you want and they are usually very easily upgradable. Check to see if the model you have seen can take more memory upgrading the memory will take 30 seconds!


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## JonF (Aug 26, 2005)

I'd echo what MarkF says. I've bought dozens and dozens for various places I've worked, and Tosh are on balance the best for reliability and value. Basically, IMHO, for a desktop buy a Dell, as nothing else touches them for value, but for a laptop Toshiba wins it every time. I bought about a dozen for use in a professional environment out in the field recording results of medical investigations, which is really hard use. I normally only reckoned on nine months use before they died but the Tosh ones were still going strong and on the original batteries after three years. Most of the others are not very reliable, Compaq being the worst of the big names.

I wouldn't worry if one you're looking at only has 256 memory, they're usually really cheap and easy to upgrade. I would look out for at least 1mb, preferably 2mb of cache. That'll make as much difference as doubling the memory.


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

MarkF said:


> Toshiba or a Toshiba or a Toshiba
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Really? I thought you had to be a real techie to change anything on a laptop.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

I used to go through a lot of Satellites and Tecras, changing the memory (and the HD come to think of it) was as easy as changing a DVD on your player, all push fit, great compared to desktops.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

MarkF said:


> I used to go through a lot of Satellites and Tecras, changing the memory (and the HD come to think of it) was as easy as changing a DVD on your player, all push fit, great compared to desktops.


I`ve got one of Mark`s old Tecras which I use for off line secure files eg finances etc, it`s still going great although it did come with some weird photo`s of a dodgy looking geezer and some really weird half frog half man like creature in the memory


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> I`ve got one of Mark`s old Tecras which I use for off line secure files eg finances etc, it`s still going great although it did come with some weird photo`s of a dodgy looking geezer and some really weird half frog half man like creature in the memory


I upgraded that with my own fair hands







That geezer is one good looking boy.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

MarkF said:


> mach 0.0013137 said:
> 
> 
> > I`ve got one of Mark`s old Tecras which I use for off line secure files eg finances etc, it`s still going great although it did come with some weird photo`s of a dodgy looking geezer and some really weird half frog half man like creature in the memory
> ...


Was the half frog half man a self potrait?
















Nice photo`s of cats though, still have one as my main screen


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

I can only go by my own experience.....I bought my daughter a Dell for her Uni course, it was the cheapest they did at the time (about Â£499) got the useful bits like DVD writer etc. She has now been at Agricultural Uni for two years with it......it looks like a bombs been defused with it......just after the bomb went off







......it has been totally faultless with not even a wierd windows screen popping up according to her, and she has been using in class and in the field (literally







) so its been getting the battery charged very regulary (I think she plugs it in the charge almost every night, so I don't know about these stories about limited charge cycles on Dell batteries?).

Wehn we first got it I discovered it didn't come with a mouse as standard, so I rang Dell up and pleaded being dopey and ignorant of thses things, and they sent me/her a IR mouse for free....

Best regards David


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## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Paul, I've had great luck with a Dell laptop (recommended by a mate of mine in the computer game design industry - his company buys dozens of desk- and lap-tops every year and always Dell). I took my Dell on both deployments and it's worked through it all. It's had all kinds of crap spilt on it, to say nothing of the unbelievable dust deposits. It outlasted our Army supplied Panasonic Toughbooks easily. Since last autumn the screen backlight has been off and on, so I use it at home with an external monitor now: 3.5 years on and still banging away!


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

Nalu said:


> Paul, I've had great luck with a Dell laptop (recommended by a mate of mine in the computer game design industry - his company buys dozens of desk- and lap-tops every year and always Dell). I took my Dell on both deployments and it's worked through it all. It's had all kinds of crap spilt on it, to say nothing of the unbelievable dust deposits. It outlasted our Army supplied Panasonic Toughbooks easily. Since last autumn the screen backlight has been off and on, so I use it at home with an external monitor now: 3.5 years on and still banging away!


Thanks Colin - interesting............

As you probably guessed I have been scared off by this battery situation.


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

I install and configure shedloads of laptops as part of my job and have to concur with the others that Toshiba are damn good and reliable machines (if you take Windoze out of the equasion, that is!







) Their support is very good too. You might want to have a look at HP as well as these have impressed us.

I can't speak for the battery life of Dell as I don't have first hand experience of them.

I'd avoid Acer, especially the tablet PC's as they seem very flaky.

Andrew.


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## DavidH (Feb 24, 2003)

> Anyone got one they can recommend? I want one with wi fi.


Hi Paul

I recently got a toshiba L20 with its standard 256 memory, it works great for internet , it is a cheap option to add to the memory when you buy if you were worried. I wasn't sure if the 256 would be enough so bought the standard with a view to upgrade if I thought it was necessary but in the end never bothered.

No printer port though.



> I install and configure shedloads of laptops as part of my job


Andrew, you would be the person to ask, can a printer port (25pin) be added to a laptop? If so what do I ask for in the shop?


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

DavidH said:


> Andrew, you would be the person to ask, can a printer port (25pin) be added to a laptop? If so what do I ask for in the shop?


If you need to locally connect to an older printer which doesn't have any USB ports then you need to ask for a USB - Parallel lead.

Andrew.


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

DavidH said:


> > Anyone got one they can recommend? I want one with wi fi.
> 
> 
> Hi Paul
> ...


Not fussed about printer.

Debating whether to stick with 256MB or ask them for quote to upgrade. Its not going to be my main PC after all.


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Mrcrowley said:


> I''m looking at getting one.
> 
> Preferably Â£350-Â£400 mark. It's going to be a second PC for use at night in lounge/backup etc.
> 
> ...


I didn't suggest it before as it was out of your intended price range but the new Apple Mac Books are awesome! The entry level model is superb but that's Â£749. I'd have one over any PC Laptop. You can also install Windows on them now for any apps where there isn't a Mac equivalent.

Just a thought,

Andrew.


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

Running_man said:


> Mrcrowley said:
> 
> 
> > I''m looking at getting one.
> ...


Put Windows on? Interesting.

I sold my Mac cos I was so used to Windows it baffled the hell out of me.


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Mrcrowley said:


> Running_man said:
> 
> 
> > Mrcrowley said:
> ...


It's not as straight forward as it sounds. You have to partition the hard drive using an Apple program named Boot Camp. Then you have to have your own copy of Windows XP. They've recently run a test using photoshop running in a Windows/Mac environment Vs a standard Windows machine running at the same clock speed. The Mac wiped the floor with the PC apparently.

Andrew.


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## mad_librarian (Jan 30, 2005)

Been using a Dell Precision M60 for the past 2 years - flogged to death...daily use >8 hours...battery >2 hours but less if using wireless connection (seems to suck the power)...not a problem with it...


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## Nalu (Nov 28, 2003)

Paul, I'd _at least_ inquire into 512K - you'll really notice the difference with XP and you won't be able to run Vista with 256K IIRC. In fact, I haven't had a laptop or PC with less memory than that for 3.5 years! Adding memory is widely reported as the cheapest hardware upgrade possible.


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## DavidH (Feb 24, 2003)

Running_man said:


> DavidH said:
> 
> 
> > Andrew, you would be the person to ask, can a printer port (25pin) be added to a laptop? If so what do I ask for in the shop?
> ...


Thanks


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## chris l (Aug 5, 2005)

I work with networks in schools and colleges in Devon; over the last three years Dell have won our laptop bid. We've installed literally thousands of the little buggers. (I see them in my sleep).

I'm impressed. Dell allow the extended warranty to cover the battery for our users - if they'll do the same on their domestic user warranty you'd be laughing - 3 years.

The power supplies use a specialist plug on the mains cable tho' - don't lose it...

The new 520(?) has a dual core processor, was playing with, sorry, evaluating one this week - very impressive, tho' there are issues with the dual core chip and power management in XP, apparently.

The 510 is the best bet.

regards


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

I must say, apart from my battery issues this Dell D600 is a great performer....


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Just bought Mel an ACER 2423WXMi from laptops direct. delievered next day even though they said it would be 2-3 days!

Very impressed. Can't believe how fast it is but my desktop is a dinosaur! Obviously I don't have anything to compare it to but it seems really well built.

Also managed to get the wireless up and running and am now on ethernet, watching telly in the living room whilst I type with the laptop on my lap!

Just downloading AVG, will set up her email tomorrow hopefully and then she can stay out of my office forever!


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