Laptop, help needed buying one
Submitted by Maverick on Sat, 2008-10-04 15:25
G'day everyone, I'm looking for a lappy for my 19yr old Daughter, mainly for chick stuff, songs/ music files, net surfing , watching DVD's wireless so I don't have to run another cable to another bedroom 
got a budget of $800 or there abouts, I'm looking at a Toshiba Satellite L300/ eo2 @ $795 from Hardly Normal either that or go second hand but I would like her to have a warranty for the first year at least.
Can anybody recommend something else or give me a heads up on this computer.
The Toshiba has
Pentium dual core 1.86 Ghz
DVD multi burner
2 gb Ram
15.4 " widescreen
120g HDD
10/100lan and wireless 802G
Vista home premium
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till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
I can give you a few good
I can give you a few good tips on laptops
1) don't buy secondhand and buying extended warranty is usually worthwhile. Most laptops are out of date after 2-3yrs and have few generic replaceable parts in them so any motherboard or screen fault and you have to toss them.
2) Make sure you buy something with an actual mobile proc. Lots of bottom end laptops have desktop procs in them and its like working on akeyboard that is supported on a bar heater on your lap and thy have SH!TE battery life.
3) Don't buy in the cheapest range in ANY brand. I don't care if it has a good brand on it, you can't cobble together anything good for nothing in computers either.
4) Don't buy weird brand laptops
There are a few places out there doing deals, hardley normal gets some ok ones and so does portacom in west perth.
UncutTriggerInWA
Posts: 2692
Date Joined: 05/09/08
Laptops
I think you should look at DELL online as they have some extremely good deals. You should expect to pay at least 1200-1300 dollars and you should look for mobile chips (Centrino etc) dual core. 2Gb RAM is essential and I would look for a bigger hard drive. I know some people here will have a shot at DELL but I am an industry man and I see quality in what they push out. The service component is somewhat lacking and complex but reliability seems to be very good.
Having said all of the above, Toshiba is a very good name. It just may be that you need to look a little higher up the scale.
Cheers, Vince
http://vinceholt.spaces.live.com/
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Work Smart - Fish Often
Vince.
Work smart and fish often.
Member and die-hard supporter of the mighty West Coast Eagles.
Maverick
Posts: 1241
Date Joined: 06/06/06
Thanks
But I don't see her wages stretching to a $1300 laptop just for music and internet chatting and the odd DVD.( she is an apprentice chef ) the Toshiba has 2 gb of RAM so thats good I just have to see if the CPU is good for a notebook.
She was looking at the 400 or 500 buck lappy's so 800 is up scale !!!!
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OFW member 088
Sponsored by no one and I work for myself so my comments are my own.
UncutTriggerInWA
Posts: 2692
Date Joined: 05/09/08
19 year olds.........
Yes. I understand the budget issues. I also understand the needs of GenY. They live and breath on downloads and mega speeds LOL. Forget the extended warranty. She will trade in a year if it doesn't make the grade!!!! Mobiles, internet, and Pizzas rule! I wont bother to mention the human desires at that age.. LOL
Cheers, Vince
http://vinceholt.spaces.live.com/
------------------------------
Work Smart - Fish Often
Vince.
Work smart and fish often.
Member and die-hard supporter of the mighty West Coast Eagles.
mako magic
Posts: 5785
Date Joined: 03/08/05
with my laptop the best
with my laptop the best money i spent was on the extended warranty, and it was a quality lappy too
The Tackle shack, for all your fishing needs
huge range of stock to suit any fisherperson.
PH:9248 3800 unit 3/11 Alexander drive Malaga
Email thetackleshack@bigpond.com
UncutTriggerInWA
Posts: 2692
Date Joined: 05/09/08
Extended warranty
Ok so if the shit is that good why do they ask us to pay for an extended warranty??? Why not back your poduct?? This is all about consumerism. The producers know that consumers have a habit of turning over rapidly in evolving electrical technology and that's the society we live in. Ok, with prize posessions like rods and reals us purists look for longetivity and we deserve it
Cheers, Vince
http://vinceholt.spaces.live.com/
------------------------------
Work Smart - Fish Often
Vince.
Work smart and fish often.
Member and die-hard supporter of the mighty West Coast Eagles.
mako magic
Posts: 5785
Date Joined: 03/08/05
i got mine from harvey
i got mine from harvey norman and they offer extended warranty on practically all electrical items like most stores, just seems like i got a shitty one that has had a few issues unfortuantly, but like all things you can get a bad one mixed in
The Tackle shack, for all your fishing needs
huge range of stock to suit any fisherperson.
PH:9248 3800 unit 3/11 Alexander drive Malaga
Email thetackleshack@bigpond.com
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Vince, be bitter about the
Vince, be bitter about the consumer-non-durability all you want but until people can repair laptops yourself its still a good idea, unless you have cash to upgrade yearly or throw them out. It doesn't sound like Mav's daughter is really that sort of buyer so I'd advise against playing the odds.
BQ544
Posts: 361
Date Joined: 22/10/06
I agree
Yep bought a Dell online for the boy to use for Uni.... Very happy with the quality and price. Also was able to salery sacrifice it, so buying with pretax dollars made it even cheaper.
Kelvin8r
Posts: 475
Date Joined: 12/08/08
Laptop Batterys
When using the laptop with it plugged into the mains power, always remove the battery. its ok if its charging the battery, but its it full, remove it, otherwise over time it fucks the life of the battery big time!!
SHizz
Posts: 1556
Date Joined: 07/08/05
www.dell.com.au makes good
www.dell.com.au makes good laptops, but allow for a week or so to get delivered. Also, for running vista and dvd's 2gb minimum. That toshiba sounds ok.
Watto069
Posts: 427
Date Joined: 15/01/08
I have a toshiba A200. Bit
I have a toshiba A200. Bit more expensive than the 1 you are looking at but toshiba make a geat unit
So many fishing spots. Not enough sickies!!!!!!!
HuggyB
Posts: 2515
Date Joined: 03/08/08
if you are going to stream
DVD's, you should consider 3 or 4gb of ram. Given that most of these budget laptops share ram with the gpu, your 2gb is more like 1.5 gb. And Vista likes it's memory!
But its easy enough to buy another stick or two of ram and install it yourself.
I think there is a Levono Thinkpad within your buget that is similarly spec'ed to the Toshiba (R61 or something like that?). They are a fairly hardy little unit. My sister has one for uni and she loves it - does a lot of the same stuff your daughter does.
The Terrorist - coming to a fishing spot near you.........
dpost80
Posts: 439
Date Joined: 01/08/07
haha
"Lappy" and your "19yr old daughter"... two of my favourite combinations...
Haha jk mate
lol
Neander
Posts: 520
Date Joined: 23/10/07
I would recommend not buying
I would recommend not buying Dell. If anything goes wrong they are a pain can be a huge pain in the but to get repaired.
The budget ranged ACERs are great for the web surfing and playing movies. Just make sure it comes with Windows XP and not Vista as they need bigger CPU and higher amounts of RAM.
ody
Posts: 581
Date Joined: 30/12/06
Hi Ya, Not sure about now,
Hi Ya,
Not sure about now, but for a long time Acer made Dell laptops and desktops so they were prety much the same units.
Cheers.
***** Proud RECFISHWEST member ****
Lockie
Posts: 171
Date Joined: 29/05/08
just PM me maverick if you
just PM me maverick if you need any help with laptops mate i work at a company repairing them all day long im sure i can help yah with it aye mate
Keep On Keeping On
Maverick
Posts: 1241
Date Joined: 06/06/06
got one
http://www.alwaysonsale.com.au/aos/products/15272-compaq-presario-v6807tu-154-inch-notebook-plus-belkin-wireless-mouse/
Not from here and only cost $875.
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OFW Agent 88 , the Scarecrow.
OFW member 088
Sponsored by no one and I work for myself so my comments are my own.