Which Laptop?

[Crownie]

Hey,

I am in the process of buying a new Laptop however I am not sure what Brands are the best for quality etc.

My budget is around 3000 Australian Dollars. I am wondering if anyone would be able to point me in the right direction of which laptop to buy.

I am thinking at the moment to stay clear from Pentium 4 based machines and head towards Dothan core based systems. I do not plan on much gaming (nothing like HL2).

Cheers,
Crownie.

[Crownie]

Bump

[hollywood]

Of course people think Dell, Gateway, IBM, HP, Toshiba and Sony.

However I've had experience with AOpen, ASUS and even E-Machines Laptops...all were nice and high quality machines.

I'd recommend a Pentium-M or even a A64 Mobile based laptop. Besides that, it's all about the features you want / need in it.

If you can afford it...try to get a decent onboard graphics module though. As you may eventually want to play a game or two...

[Crownie]

Im thinking of this:
IBM ThinkPad 2373-6YM (IBT4958)

Product Features


Processor: 1.70GHz Intel Pentium M 735 (400MHz FSB)
Memory: 512MB DDR333 SDRAM (expandable to 2GB)
Hard Disk Drive: 40GB
Optical Drive: CD-RW/ DVD-ROM Combo EIDE (24X/24X/24X/8X max)
Display: 15" TFT Active Matrix, max. resolution of 1024 x 768 (XGA)
Graphics/Video: ATI M7-CSP32 AGP 4X w/ 32MB Video RAM (2048 x 1536 max resolution)
Audio: SoundMAX, 2 x 1.0W internal speakers w/ volume control buttons
Networking: Integrated Intel PRO/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN, Intel PRO 802.11b WLAN (Mini PCI)
Fax/Modem: 56K V.92 (14.4Kbps fax)
Infra-red: 4Mbps IrDa
Keyboard: Full-size keys, keyboard light
Pointing Device: IBM ThinkPad UltraNav
Interfaces: Ultrabay Slim
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Software: PC-Doctor, Norton AntiVirus 2004, IBM Rescue and Recovery with Rapid Restore, Adobe Acrobat Reader, IBM Access Connections, IBM Record Now, Intervideo WinDVD, InterVideo WinDVD Creator, Access IBM, IBM Drive Letter Access
Security: Hard disk drive password, Power-on password, Supervisor password, IBM Security Slot, IBM Embedded Security Subsystem 2.0
Power: 6-cell Lithium-Ion (10.8V)
Dimensions: 31.0 x 268 x 329mm (H x D x W)
Weight: 2.6Kg
Warranty: Express Warranty Service 3 years parts and labour (1 year for system battery)


Opinons on this machine?

[notoriousformula]

Asus M6NE or M6BNE-Wide
Dothan 1.6Ghz or higher

[STEvil]

Can get an Acer with 1.6ghz dothan and 9200 mobile for $2000cdn here.

EDIT

That 1.7 looks ok but i'd drop the software packages in favor of more ram and a faster video card (9200 mobile minimum).

[TheDude]

Check out the new Compaq/HP lappies....love mine!

[XyKo]

I say, it's all depend on what you need.
There's Asus, which have the best bang for the buck laptops.
IBM for the most reliable.
Sony for the most stylish.
Dell for the most affordable (best bang for the buck).

[Foxie3a]

I dont know too much, but this is what I do know...

Compaq seems to have a lot of defective motherboards. They are overall cheap and I'd stay away from them at all costs.

HP is higher than Compaq, but they make stupid mistakes. The AC jack on the ZE1250 breaks off on a lot of them. I dont understand how they could design it so poorly. So I'd stay away from them too.

I hear people having problems with the IBMs.

Toshiba seems all around decent, the same with Sony. But they're both usually more expensive.

Dell looks like it has quality with performance. They're also really easy on your wallet. They even look good. My next laptop will be a Dell I think.

[[XC]thewildblue]

HP and compaq are one and the same company ! In my experience though the only problems I have had with laptops is with the non-brand names such as iridium etc. They are really pooh !

[Foxie3a]

HP and compaq are one and the same company!

They may be the same company, but they're both different. I have found HP to be higher quality than Compaq, although that's just my opinion.

If we want to get into relationships that companies have, isn't E-Machines owned by a larger company? I can't remember who owns them...

[STEvil]

Acer does some decent laptops for fairly cheap.

[TheDude]

The company I just retired from bought thousands of Compaqs and although they were ok I never thought I would buy one. After looking at every laptop in the store last year I walked out with a new Compaq/HP X1000 Centrino laptop and it has run flawlessly ever since....no complaints. :thumbsup: