I want to buy a new laptop
Posted by Lex
Hi there,
I'm going to Berlin in March next year to study economics for 1 semester (maybe two, if I'm lucky
) and I think I'll be needing a laptop. I checked Dell's website and the XPS 17, with the "Premium" configuration, seems quite interesting. I'm not really into laptops - I know there are Dells, Macs, HPs, Lenovos and Toshibas, but I have no idea which brands are better etc.
To be more specific, this is the Dell XPS 17 that got my attention. It costs USD 1.734,99:
COLORS - Silver Anodized Aluminum 17.3" HD+ (900p) WLED Display
OPERATING SYSTEM - Genuine Windows® Home Premium, 64-Bit, English
PROCESSOR - Intel® Core™ i7-740QM (1.73GHz, 8 threads, turbo boost up to 2.93Ghz, 6M cache)
VIDEO CARD - NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 445M 3GB graphics
BATTERY OPTIONS - 92 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
MEMORY - 8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory
HARD DRIVE - 1.0TB (2 x 500GB 7200 RPM HDD)
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE - Tray Load Blu-ray Disc BD-Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
WIRELESS CARDS - Intel© Centrino© Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250
BLUETOOTH - Dell Bluetooth 3.0
KEYBOARD - Backlit Keyboard - English
I was hoping you could give me some advice so I can make a good choice!
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
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Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
I'm going to Berlin in March next year to study economics for 1 semester (maybe two, if I'm lucky
) and I think I'll be needing a laptop. I checked Dell's website and the XPS 17, with the "Premium" configuration, seems quite interesting. I'm not really into laptops - I know there are Dells, Macs, HPs, Lenovos and Toshibas, but I have no idea which brands are better etc.To be more specific, this is the Dell XPS 17 that got my attention. It costs USD 1.734,99:
COLORS - Silver Anodized Aluminum 17.3" HD+ (900p) WLED Display
OPERATING SYSTEM - Genuine Windows® Home Premium, 64-Bit, English
PROCESSOR - Intel® Core™ i7-740QM (1.73GHz, 8 threads, turbo boost up to 2.93Ghz, 6M cache)
VIDEO CARD - NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 445M 3GB graphics
BATTERY OPTIONS - 92 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
MEMORY - 8GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 Memory
HARD DRIVE - 1.0TB (2 x 500GB 7200 RPM HDD)
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE - Tray Load Blu-ray Disc BD-Combo (Reads BD and Writes to DVD/CD)
WIRELESS CARDS - Intel© Centrino© Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250
BLUETOOTH - Dell Bluetooth 3.0
KEYBOARD - Backlit Keyboard - English
I was hoping you could give me some advice so I can make a good choice!
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Good question, one that I should've answered in the first post.
Now that I think about it, I'm not really sure. I want it to be able to run programs with as little lag as possible, I want it to have a good wireless connectivity (I know the internet speed also depends on the signal I'm getting), I'm an occasional gamer (I never play online, though). Most important thing is: I'm not looking to buy the lastest and most advanced laptop available, but I'd like it to last as long as possible (that is, until I have to buy a new one because this one can't run anything without a huge loading-time). I hope I've made myself clear (my english has been gathering dust lately
).
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Now that I think about it, I'm not really sure. I want it to be able to run programs with as little lag as possible, I want it to have a good wireless connectivity (I know the internet speed also depends on the signal I'm getting), I'm an occasional gamer (I never play online, though). Most important thing is: I'm not looking to buy the lastest and most advanced laptop available, but I'd like it to last as long as possible (that is, until I have to buy a new one because this one can't run anything without a huge loading-time). I hope I've made myself clear (my english has been gathering dust lately
).Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Given the size and weight of these sorts of laptops, I'm guessing you're not after something portable?
Of the brands mentioned, Lenovo are probably the best. They've got an excellent reputation among the higher-end laptops. In the UK, Dell are fine - no idea about the US - the laptops will be the same, but I can't comment about the after-sales support over there. The higher-end HPs are good. Toshiba Satellite Pros (emphasis on the "Pro" over the non-Pro) are to be decent. Don't even a consider a Satellite non-Pro - they're very hit and miss... usually miss in my experience.
If you need any Windows-based software, then check to see if there is an alternative for the Mac, otherwise Macs are out of the question.
I can't really recommend anything personally. I've got an old Dell XPS M1530, and that's still excellent now. If the new XPS series are just as good, I'd lean towards one of those.
I think for that sort of money in that size of chassis, you may be able to get a laptop with both an SSD (solid state drive) and a hard drive. A small SSD (60gb maybe) for Windows (they're very quick, so load Windows and your most commonly used programs onto that) and a larger hard drive for other software, documents and data. SSDs are going to be the biggest PC upgrade over the next decade, the only problem is they still command a premium. Have a look at some reviews if you need convincing.
Don't forget to add an external hard drive for backups.
Of the brands mentioned, Lenovo are probably the best. They've got an excellent reputation among the higher-end laptops. In the UK, Dell are fine - no idea about the US - the laptops will be the same, but I can't comment about the after-sales support over there. The higher-end HPs are good. Toshiba Satellite Pros (emphasis on the "Pro" over the non-Pro) are to be decent. Don't even a consider a Satellite non-Pro - they're very hit and miss... usually miss in my experience.
If you need any Windows-based software, then check to see if there is an alternative for the Mac, otherwise Macs are out of the question.
I can't really recommend anything personally. I've got an old Dell XPS M1530, and that's still excellent now. If the new XPS series are just as good, I'd lean towards one of those.
I think for that sort of money in that size of chassis, you may be able to get a laptop with both an SSD (solid state drive) and a hard drive. A small SSD (60gb maybe) for Windows (they're very quick, so load Windows and your most commonly used programs onto that) and a larger hard drive for other software, documents and data. SSDs are going to be the biggest PC upgrade over the next decade, the only problem is they still command a premium. Have a look at some reviews if you need convincing.
Don't forget to add an external hard drive for backups.
Well, since I've never had a laptop, "portable" for me is anything that isn't a desktop. Seriously though, I don't intend to take the notebook everywhere I go. Maybe when I'm at home I'll connect keyboard, mouse and screen to it and use it instead of my desktop. My aunt wanted to buy for me one of those mini laptops, saying how portable and small and light and awesome it was. I used a mini laptop once, and I frankly hated it: screen too small (this may be due to my being used to the 22" screen I have at home ), keyboard too small, doesn't have a cd/dvd drive etc.
About the SSD, I've been thinking about it. A 1 TB HD seems just too big, and if I want good performance, it seems very reasonable to get a SSD. Dell doesn't offer 60GB SSDs - their smallest seems to be 256GB. I could get one of those, and a small external HD. Problem is the price: in the Dell configuration, a 256GB SSD is USD 550 more expensive than a 640 GB HD. USD 1.700 / 1.800 is kind of the upper limit of how much I'd like to spend, and even if I get a 15" instead of a 17", the price goes above USD 2.000 easily.
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Seriously though, I don't intend to take the notebook everywhere I go. Maybe when I'm at home I'll connect keyboard, mouse and screen to it and use it instead of my desktop. My aunt wanted to buy for me one of those mini laptops, saying how portable and small and light and awesome it was. I used a mini laptop once, and I frankly hated it: screen too small (this may be due to my being used to the 22" screen I have at home ), keyboard too small, doesn't have a cd/dvd drive etc.About the SSD, I've been thinking about it. A 1 TB HD seems just too big, and if I want good performance, it seems very reasonable to get a SSD. Dell doesn't offer 60GB SSDs - their smallest seems to be 256GB. I could get one of those, and a small external HD. Problem is the price: in the Dell configuration, a 256GB SSD is USD 550 more expensive than a 640 GB HD. USD 1.700 / 1.800 is kind of the upper limit of how much I'd like to spend, and even if I get a 15" instead of a 17", the price goes above USD 2.000 easily.
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Well, I don't intend to buy the notebook so soon, so maybe the SSD prices will fall when I do buy. Still, they're not likely to fall that much until March 2011, are they? Another thing I can hope for is that the exchange rate continues to fall. Currently USD 1,00 = BRL 1,70...
But... supposing I don't buy the SSD, would 8GB RAM instead of 6GB make a big difference, or almost none at all?
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Currently USD 1,00 = BRL 1,70...But... supposing I don't buy the SSD, would 8GB RAM instead of 6GB make a big difference, or almost none at all?
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
I checked the XPS 15 again and the SSD price has fallen from USD 550 to USD 510!
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Just for curiosity's sake, are Alienwares worth the price? I mean, is the quality really so much superior to an another brand's similar notebook that justifies it costing much more?
EDIT: I read the reviews at Dell's website and it didn't really help that much. Some say, "this is ultra-reliable, amazing power, highly reccomended!", and others say "it's overheating, not as fast as I had hoped, didn't really like it". I know it's next to impossible for one thing to please everyone, but the reviews are saying completely opposite things about the same laptop. Oh my.
EDIT 2: Notice that I didn't say I'm intending to buy an Alienware.
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2010 11:22PM by Lex.
EDIT: I read the reviews at Dell's website and it didn't really help that much. Some say, "this is ultra-reliable, amazing power, highly reccomended!", and others say "it's overheating, not as fast as I had hoped, didn't really like it". I know it's next to impossible for one thing to please everyone, but the reviews are saying completely opposite things about the same laptop. Oh my.
EDIT 2: Notice that I didn't say I'm intending to buy an Alienware.
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2010 11:22PM by Lex.
1- AlienWare is overprice
2- Don't buy Dell unless it's very specific stuff
I have a Vostro 1700; The Vostro line should work fine for what you want, see if you can configure something like you wrote in the first post.
2- Don't buy Dell unless it's very specific stuff
I have a Vostro 1700; The Vostro line should work fine for what you want, see if you can configure something like you wrote in the first post.
How about a Mac? Game with bootcamp, and a nine-hour battery isn't to be sniffed at.
A badge, shiny lights and having your name on the laptop.
Guimengo schrieb:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But for being on a budget a Mac is just as good as
> Alienware.
Yep. Also, I've used a Mac for some time and tbh I didn't really like it (60% of that may be due to me being used to Windows, though).
Did some more searching, and I found this Toshiba for USD 1,599. As far as I can tell, it seems really good, though I can't put a SSD in it, since it's prebuilt and stuff. It wouldn't be possible to buy an SSD and replace the default HD that the notebook comes with, would it?
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Guimengo schrieb:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But for being on a budget a Mac is just as good as
> Alienware.
Yep. Also, I've used a Mac for some time and tbh I didn't really like it (60% of that may be due to me being used to Windows, though
).Did some more searching, and I found this Toshiba for USD 1,599. As far as I can tell, it seems really good, though I can't put a SSD in it, since it's prebuilt and stuff. It wouldn't be possible to buy an SSD and replace the default HD that the notebook comes with, would it?
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Shitty resolution and if you want a Blu-Ray player, get a PS3 .
.Grrr, 1366x768. Hate all these new laptops with their 16:9 resolution.
Also hate 3D, but that's mainly down to me having a lazy eye, so they don't work for me!
As for the SSD, yeah you should be able to replace the hard drive. You'll probably need a Windows DVD (laptops mainly come with recovery DVDs now, and it may or may not work with the smaller SSD drive, especially if the recovery data is on a hidden partition on the hard drive!). Most laptop makers now allow you to swap out hard drives and memory without voiding the warranty too.
Also hate 3D, but that's mainly down to me having a lazy eye, so they don't work for me!
As for the SSD, yeah you should be able to replace the hard drive. You'll probably need a Windows DVD (laptops mainly come with recovery DVDs now, and it may or may not work with the smaller SSD drive, especially if the recovery data is on a hidden partition on the hard drive!). Most laptop makers now allow you to swap out hard drives and memory without voiding the warranty too.
Good enough to play plenty of recent games on Medium and games you have on High .
.What do you mean, "games you have"?
I've found this other laptop (clicky), and what bugs me about this one is the weight: 20.1 pounds?! Can a notebook even weigh so much?
EDIT: About external hard drives, is there anything special that I should pay attention to, or storage capacity + price will do?
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2010 01:27AM by Lex.
I've found this other laptop (clicky), and what bugs me about this one is the weight: 20.1 pounds?! Can a notebook even weigh so much?
EDIT: About external hard drives, is there anything special that I should pay attention to, or storage capacity + price will do?
Um dois três quatro cinco seis sete oito nove dez
Eins zwei drei vier fünf sechs sieben acht neun zehn
One two three four five six seven eight nine ten
Один два три четыре пять шесть семь восемь девять десять
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2010 01:27AM by Lex.
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