Help to buy a New Laptop

[gonggirl2007]

Hi,
Just asking for anyones opinions here, I'm looking at buying a new lap, say anything from $1500 up to $2000, cheaper if its possible....lol
I want a decent one, I mainly use it for office work, watching movies and with lots of Blu Ray movies coming out now I would like at least a Blu Ray Rom if not a burner too. Surfing the web and my kids like to use all the chat sites :-(
Thats about it really.

I did want something that was pretty fast and something that will be fairly fast if I have a few things open at once (Office work). And good picture for my movies, so probably a decent sized screen too.

Just wondering what brands are reliable, I want something that goes and goes and goes. I've heard HP's break down a lot (this was one brand that I thought was ok).

Not sure what other information I need to supply but just post it here and I'll answer, if you could suggest some brands, models etc and probably the best places to purchase as well, NOTE: I'm in Aussie and I'll go have a look at them.

Hoping you can help me
Thanks

 

[etaf]

regarding makes, I think they are all the same really, some have bad models, some have great models and often a real bargin appears - quite frequently ..
I have a number of machines in the family and support for friends, Sony, HP, Toshiba, Dell, Fuji, Acer are the main makes - we have 4 Toshibas and 3 HPs and they are all fine....

For BluRay I purchased a Sony last year - great screen, I like the keyboard layout and with HDMI output connects to HD TV. but there a lots of machines now with that spec.

Are there other things you need - Like Firewire ? connecting video cameras ?
I would choose a model with at least 3GB of memory - most have 4GB these days and running on 32bit Windows7 you will only see just over 3Gb anyway.

These are the model range, I have for Sony, although NOT always value for money
http://www.sony.co.uk/product/vn-f-series/tab/models
NOT sure of the prices in Australia ...

 

[warrior19]

Agree with ETAF. Check out CNET Australia site for Laptop reviews:

ASUS looks good and reasonable $$ http://www.cnet.com.au/asus-ul30a-339300658.htm

PLEASE NOTE: Some of the newer/smaller Laptops do not come with a DVD/CD Drive which can be a pain but not a real issue as USB attached devices/memory sticks can be used in place of discs!!

Or for the future http://www.cnet.com.au/asus-m60j-339298748.htm A bit over budget at $2,599.
(you can never be future proof with Computers but this one is very good with latest Intel processors and Blu Ray options etc,etc)

Check warranty options as different suppliers may extend warranty term longer than 12 months which is extra peace of mind should things go wrong in time.

It is also possible to put computers on home insurance in case of accidental damage maybe?

 

[gonggirl2007]

Thanks, I'll have a look on that CNet site, I have done a little bit of googling on here and people seem to like the Toshiba Quasimo (i think thats how its spelt) and also a lot of people like the Sony Vaio, but I have a feeling the Sony Vaio maybe a bit pricey.
I looked at the Toshiba Quasimo at a shop last week and the other thing I'm a bit confused about are these processors, the Quasimo had a Intel Dual core, but the HP had a i7 quad core, but the sales bloke was trying to tell me that the dual core processed information just as quick as the i7.
Should I be looking at the i7 or will they be a bit too pricey?

I probably will need wifi or something like that, I dont have a video camera yet, but im sure to get one in the next year or two, I would also like to hook it up to the tv, although i do have the ps3 which can play blu ray movies, although my kids maybe playing it when i want to watch a movie on the big screen...lol

I know a little about desktops but not much at all about laptops.

I have a friend with an Asus, he rents it, he has rented it for nearly 3 years now and its been in the warranty shop for 2 years and its still there and in the mean time he must pay rental on it with no other replacement machine offered, anyway I guess this turned me off Asus machines. My bosshas a Toshiba although its only 6 months old it seems to go ok.

Thx

 

[warrior19]

I7 Processor is a Quad Processor so 4 virtual processors in one physical. Dual Core is 2 virtual processors in one Physical. I7 or I5 or I3 are more modern than Dual Core. But for your needs Dual Core based laptops will perform adequately. We sell Toshibas at work to businesses as the cheapest but reliable laptops. Next in line are Dell an then HP and Sony (most expensive). Think salesmen is wrong about dual core being as quick.

I think it is true to say any of these companys (including Asus) can produce real 'turkey' models and some fantastic ones. So it is a bit of a lottery. Maybe best to go by User Reviews online.

All laptops should come with WiFi these days. Depending on your TV........modern laptops have HDMI ports that can connect to the TV (with the right cable...HD cables can be quite expensive...especially longer ones). Older Laptops have VGA ports or S-Video Ports and with a VGA cable or a S-Video cable can connect to the TV. Check what ports you have on your TV also?