I have to buy a laptop.
It will be for home only, can be plugged in all the time, must have wireless internet access, must have 17 or > screen, must have dolby sound, blu ray and decent internal spec.
Any models to avoid? I was thinking Sony Viao which has 18" screen and alot of what I want but is around 1300.
Yours etc,
GSH.
For around 1k you could get a fully spec’d Dell Studio 17.
2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor
64 Bit Vista
6GB of RAM
17" Screen
Blu Ray etc
The 6GB and 64bit OS is over kill for what you are using it for so you could probably pick up what you are looking for 800 or so. If you hang on a couple of weeks the laptops will be shipping with Windows 7 which is streets ahead of Vista.
Bought a few recently off Laptopsdirect.ie
Seem quite good.
You can get excellent machines for much less than €1000 these days.
6GB is a tiny bit overkill. Certainly get 4 though.
I agree with Runty about waiting for 7.
I’ve been told I can get a free upgrade to windows 7 when it comes out.
I wonder does this mean they will give me a disk or will they take it back, do an install and give it back to me.
Vista is a memory sponge.
Given this free upgrade, would I be better off waiting or would I be in a better position to get more applciaitons/memory etc given the laptop has “only vista” at the moment.
Yours etc,
GSH.
Why do you want a laptop if it will be plugged in all the time? Is it to be plugged in in various rooms?
A good question Rocko.
The rule in GSH house is that we won’t have an office type room that everyone was raving about for years (I have a games room though).
We watch TV on a 50" sony bravia and the laptop is there to check this site or facebook or just hop online and offline without having one of us move from the couch.
This is to avoid the scenario where we spend evenings seperated on different floors of the house.
I want something I can use, bring upstairs if I must, but can just put under the coffee table and bring out when needed, or have it outside on the deck in nice weather to read the free kick and wonder what Flano is up to tomorrow.
The reason I said it was going to be plugged in is that I’m not concerned overly with portability (but it has to be ok to sit on a lap) and I’m not pushed on battery life.
Yours etc,
GSH.
[quote=“Garda Sean Horgan”]I’ve been told I can get a free upgrade to windows 7 when it comes out.
I wonder does this mean they will give me a disk or will they take it back, do an install and give it back to me.
Vista is a memory sponge.
Given this free upgrade, would I be better off waiting or would I be in a better position to get more applciaitons/memory etc given the laptop has “only vista” at the moment.
Yours etc,
GSH.[/quote]
As far as I’m aware the “upgrade” to Windows 7 comes via a disk you have to send away for. I’m pretty sure you also have to do a clean install so if you get it next week, install a few programs, then up grade to window 7 a few weeks later you will have to go back and install all those programs again. For the sake of a week or two you would be better off getting Windows 7 on it first day.
Good advice. I’ll try and not be impulsive and go and buy it.
Yours etc,
GSH.
Got a HP Pavilion DV7 3020sa laptop last night.
Pre-loaded with Windows 7.
I have a question though for those who have bought laptops before. Should I have got the Windows 7 disks/manuals etc also or would they only have been given if I was upgrading from Vista to W7?
I’m suspecting that all the manuals etc are available on-line or from different nerd forums, or just trial and error.
Was doing a little bit of surfing last night. quick as a bunny.
Yours etc,
GSH.
[quote=“Garda Sean Horgan”]Got a HP Pavilion DV7 3020sa laptop last night.
Pre-loaded with Windows 7.
I have a question though for those who have bought laptops before. Should I have got the Windows 7 disks/manuals etc also or would they only have been given if I was upgrading from Vista to W7?
I’m suspecting that all the manuals etc are available on-line or from different nerd forums, or just trial and error.
Was doing a little bit of surfing last night. Quick as a bunny.
Yours etc,
GSH.[/quote]
Got a laptop myself at the weekend with windows 7 pre-installed. Don’t think you need anything else but I could be wrong.
Deadly. We are very cool with our new laptops.
Yours etc,
GSH.
Does the W7 make a big difference
[quote=“Garda Sean Horgan”]Got a HP Pavilion DV7 3020sa laptop last night.
Pre-loaded with Windows 7.
I have a question though for those who have bought laptops before. Should I have got the Windows 7 disks/manuals etc also or would they only have been given if I was upgrading from Vista to W7?
I’m suspecting that all the manuals etc are available on-line or from different nerd forums, or just trial and error.
Was doing a little bit of surfing last night. Quick as a bunny.
Yours etc,
GSH.[/quote]
The disks etc have now been replaced by things called “Recovery Partitions” This is a usually hidden sector of your hard drive that you can access in the event of you needing to reinstall/repair the operating system. I prefer having the old disk myself.
Very noticeable alright.
I think I’ve managed to get a cracked version of it myself. Will test it out this evening to see if it works ok.
Better than vista anyway. Basic functionality is similar enough. I’m sure there’s loads of other shit it can do that I haven’t bothered to find out about.
You’d never use that gimicky shit anyway. Is it significantly faster. Might upgrade but I’d have to wipe everything would I?
Might just wait till the laptop crashes
Heres a word that rhymes with laptop
Bop
JUst got a new Laptop today.Its called an ASUS it has 4 GB of RAM and a big hard drive, or so the fella in IT who ordered it for me said. Its a grand little machine. 499 blips and pre loaded with Windows 7. As some of you know I havent the foggies about IT stuff so I want to know the following please
DO I need to buy MIcrosoft Office to have word excel and stuff or is there a free alternative
Do I need to buy a virus protector, remember someone mentioning a free one you ould download
thsanks
I bought a netbook there a couple of months ago after CLD broke my last laptop, didn’t have mircosoft works but I down loaded this and it works a charm
I have this for the free anti vius http://free.avg.com/ww-en/homepage , although I am told it can be a bit of a resource hog and there are better ones out there but it has worked grand for me so far