Laptops - Which brand?

Discussion in 'Off Topic Area' started by Bozza Bostik, Sep 24, 2015.

  1. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    I need a new laptop. I've been putting it off due to financial problems but I am about done with working with a bust keyboard and battery/charging problems, especially as I need the stupid thing for work.

    What are good brands to look at? My brother is in IT and recommends Dell...but I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him!

    I was going to buy it locally, easy when/if things go wrong, but they are about an extra 100 - 200 euros here. So I think I'll buy it online.

    Any suggestions where I should pick it up from (EU only)?

    I don't really want to spend more than 800 euros....about 600 quid. Preferably a lot less.
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2015
  2. Mushroom

    Mushroom De-powered to come back better than before.

    You ever look at sites like Groupon or Wowcher?
    They sell fixed up 2nd/3rd/4th/100th hand laptops for about £100 or so. If it's solely for work and literally don't need much more than typing, then its a possible option?

    Also, would big tablets work for you?
     
  3. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    Dunno about tablets.

    When I say I need it for work, basically I mean it's not for gaming. I should have been more clear. The usual stuff...presentations, playing audio files and videos (editing a bit), making worksheets, internet. Everything but gaming. And storing the stuff I make for work.

    Never looked at Groupon or Wowcher. No idea what they are even.
     
  4. Mushroom

    Mushroom De-powered to come back better than before.

    Yeah, have a look. Groupon sell a bunch of 3rd party/off brand items and vouchers for events/restaurants etc.

    Quite a few times they sell phones/laps/tablets, although "refurbished" they can turn out to be OK. I got one for £100 and nothing goes on it except typing.
    For video editing, depending on how in-depth you're going, then maybe not the best place to get one from there, but have a look as you can always then possibly buy separate bits (which may work out cheaper)

    https://www.groupon.co.uk/occasion/goods-lp-tablet-laptop
     
  5. pseudo

    pseudo Padawan

    Depends on budget. I've own several laptops, I'm fairly hard on them too. My first laptop was an HP and lasted almost 7 years, really liked it, ended up killing the graphics card. I had an acer again I liked it but had a few issues in regards to it energy saving functions. Had problems with it turning off on its own. Drivers eventually fixed it. Killed the charging port and battery. Now I have a Lenovo, very happy with it so far, my wife also just picked up a lenovo g50 and she's happy with it as well. Only had it for a few months. Asus makes a good laptop but they tend to be more pricy.

    Hard to give you advice man. I don't have much against dell. The only thing I don't like about dell is they do things differently. Everything is proprietary kinda in a sense
    They don't like it when you try and fix their product yourself. I tinker so I won't buy dell but if your not planning on modifying and taking it apart dell might not be bad.
     
  6. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    for me, there's no question: get a mac.

    end of story. i work on a computer every day. it's by far the best operating system and hardware you can buy in a retail sense, for the every day user and for the power user or engineer. i have a 13" macbook that is 8 years old and is still humming along quite nicely. my wife and i bought a 13" macbook air last year, and i think it's the best computer i've ever purchased in my life, and i've been using computers since the early 80's. i work on a 15" macbook pro at work, solid piece of hardware for all my engineering needs.

    yes, you pay for quality in both the software and hardware. but it's well worth it.
     
  7. David Harrison

    David Harrison MAPper without portfolio

    Yup, I don't know anyone with a Windows laptop that lasted half as long as most Mac laptops (with the exception of those plastic MacBooks that melted the battery cover).

    They've changed their credit providers too, so you can get better deals on that, and it's easier to qualify, if you don't have all the cash to drop o it in one go.
     
  8. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    Oh, listen to you with your piles of cash and....a job! :p

    Seriously - I agree with you. The misses (and her whole family) use them. She's had it years, 7 or 8, and its only now acting up a bit (battery issue). I can claim it off tax and I'll save money in the long run, but I couldn't lay down the cash for it at the moment.
     
  9. Frodocious

    Frodocious She who MUST be obeyed! Moderator Supporter

    The question I would ask yourself is do you really need a more expensive laptop? I paid around £250-300 for mine back in 2009. It's still working (although there are a few issues with it now), it does everything I need it to do, I wrote my PhD on it, have travelling with it for work and never really regretted not spending more. It's not the fastest machine on the planet, but if you only want it for work then, depending on what applications you need to run, it may not be worth spending a chunk of cash on a laptop.
     
  10. pseudo

    pseudo Padawan

    A Pc with a Linux operating system= a better Mac :evil:
     
  11. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    Really depends on your budget what you want frombit and what you do. For general browsing and word processing the best specs you can get for your money would be on something like an Acer and there is nothing wrong with them for general use. Me personally I would get a custom made clevo or sager laptop (same brand different names) depending on your country. You will not find a better brand than Sager/Clevo. For branded stuff in laptops it would be Lenovo, MSI, Gigabyte and Asus. They use the best components and have better cooling systems. Sony, Toshiba, HP all the mainstream brands use the exact same components just different designs.

    For custom made I would look at pcspecialist.co.uk
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2015
  12. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    These days other there is little difference between windows laptop brands. the days when Sony and dell made over engineered indestructible laptops are gone.

    If you want to spend less than £200 google "manufacturer reconditioned" . This means that it has been reconditioned by an engineer accredited by the manufacture.

    I bought a manufacturer reconditioned quad core i5 3.2 hz 4 gig ram - 250 gig hard drive dell laptop two months ago for £170. This is now my disposable work bag laptop.

    I 7's are a little better on battery usage and have a better performance - but for anything short of video editing you are unlikely to tell the difference. Other thing to look out for is an aluminium frame body. this makes it more robust if you lug it around a lot.

    New quad core i7's come in at about £500.
     
  13. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    Thanks for all the replies and ideas.

    Ah, good idea. That's something I forgot to mention. I do lug it around a lot, I'm not based in one place and spend my day moving from company to company, or at least office to office / meeting room to meeting room. I make my own schedule, so try and keep everything tight so I can work a shorter day....I don't get paid for "dead time".

    I am sure my laptop takes a bit of a beating when it's been slung into the back of the car or I am jumping on and off public transport.
     
  14. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    Sager and Clevo laptops are known for being sturdy and rugged.
     
  15. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    Where can you get them from online? Are they all custom made?
     
  16. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    You can get them premade. If you Google them you will see plenty of resellers in your region. Pcspecialist.co.uk is one I have used they have great forums for problems questions and. Advice too I'm regards to specs pcs and laptops.
     
  17. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    God Lord! Where do you think I live? A developed, first world country?!? :confused: :p
     
  18. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    Finland iirc
     
  19. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

  20. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    One of my friends Jabba the Hut recently got his laptop from. PCS and he's from Finland. They deliver worldwide or near enough.
     

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