Alan F
Looking to buy my daughter her first laptop. Shes just finished her exams and uses the family PC, but as a reward for doing well, I want to treat her to something 'reasonable' without busting my wallet!
I'd ideally like something up-to-date with a DVD/CD drive and paying around £200 max.
Any suggestions?
Answer
If that is your budget, don't expect your daughter to be able to use the laptop for college especially if she needs to install designing or photo editing software. At that price, you also wont be able to buy a gaming laptop, if she's into playing SIMS 3.
My suggestion, just save up your money for now & then when you have saved up, on Black Friday or for Christmas buy one that you wont need to upgrade in the long run.
If you're not into gaming or installing Photoshop or AutoCAD designing softwares, then you don't care about the video card w/c fits your budget just fine.
If a laptop has a dedicated video card, THE PRICE GOES UP (this is indicated by A LOGO STICKER for NVIDIA or ATI MOBILITY RADEON on the computer surface, just below the keyboard. But if you can find a good deal with at least 256MB dedicated video card, it will be better for watching DVDs.
Just make sure that the laptop has AT LEAST 2GB DDR2 RAM modules in it so that it will always ran smoothly & not freeze up on you (HIGHER IS BETTER; DDR3 & DDR5 are faster & newer types of memory modules that came out).
But what makes a computer really run fast? It is it's processor! So if you really want your processor to have computing prowess & for you to be able to run different applications simultaneously, make sure it's AS EFFICIENT AS an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (Centrino 2 is a Core 2 Duo featuring power saving capabilities; Quad Core is for gaming fanatics). A Core 2 Duo is like having 2 motors running the computer each independent of the other w/c means for a Quad Core, it's like 4 motors are running the machine (that means it will run faster & more efficient even if its frequency is lower to that of a Core 2 Duo). Intel: Core 2 Duo, Centrino 2, Quad Core, Core i-3, Core i-5 & Core i-7 are all very much faster & better than an Intel: DUAL CORE, PENTIUM, CELERON, ATOM & their more affordable AMD counterparts.
In your case, get one with a Core 2 Duo or Core i-s & NOT one w/ a Pentium, Celeron or Atom.
Just make sure you have AT LEAST 2GHz of speed on your processor so that will be able to appreciate your laptop's fast response and performance.
The HDD (Hard Disc Drive) should be at least 320GB.
For the battery life to last longer, you need more cells into it. So if you can get a Dell from www.Dell.com with the HIGHER CAPACITY 6 CELL BATTERY, do so. The ordinary one doesn't last long. There are a lot of options & different combinations if you want to customize your own laptop, just STICK TO THE ESSENTIALS first.
8 cells, 9 cells & 12 cell batteries means they can last longer.
The average laptop LCD screen size is 15.4", and since you want something smaller than that w/ these 3 features I just shed some light on, expect the price to go higher (ex. for 13.3" & 14.1" LCD screens).
For other ladies, looking for portable 14" laptops, try the Core i-5 Toshiba Satellite M645-S4050 or Satellite E205-S1980 from BestBuy.com, both comes with 512MB Class 3 NVIDIA GeForce 310M dedicated graphics card for a little bit of gaming like the SIMS 3.
FOR the best PRICE COMPARISON, go to Fry's Electronics, MicroCenter, CostCo & BestBuy's web sites.
The MSI GT680R 15.6" Gaming Notebook I got w/ the Intel® Core⢠i-7 for using my DesignCAD software and playing Diablo III, retails for $1,499.99 (+ tax & other sur-charges).
I chose to pay more to have the newest technology so that I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT GETTING OUTDATED WITHIN THE NEXT 11 YRS.
click here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152239
One aspect to consider that produces heat is battery charging. Basically, as you charge up a battery, it heats up because current runs through it. Add that to the humidity and temperature of the location, it may feel even hotter than usual. FYI: I always tell my customers, a laptop's battery is similar to a cell phone's. You charge it when it's depleted & you unplug the adapter when it is already fully charge (this will prevent the battery from getting overcharged & extend the life of the battery). So for less hassle, I always advice my customers to just remove the battery if they plan to use the computer for long hours straight (more than 1 hour) and just run it on AC power alone so as not to overcharge it & shorten the battery life. That is if there is an available outlet for you to plug in your charger at Starbucks, if not, then you really need the battery.
ONLY USE THE BATTERY FOR PORTABILITY, if you're on a trip or you're at McDonalds or Starbucks.
For chargers, make sure you don't stretch out the cable too much that the one by the power jack that you plug into the side of the computer gets bent. Make sure this part is always straight or else the copper wires inside will break & soon you'll have the problem of the charger not working anymore like what happened to some of my callers.
If that is your budget, don't expect your daughter to be able to use the laptop for college especially if she needs to install designing or photo editing software. At that price, you also wont be able to buy a gaming laptop, if she's into playing SIMS 3.
My suggestion, just save up your money for now & then when you have saved up, on Black Friday or for Christmas buy one that you wont need to upgrade in the long run.
If you're not into gaming or installing Photoshop or AutoCAD designing softwares, then you don't care about the video card w/c fits your budget just fine.
If a laptop has a dedicated video card, THE PRICE GOES UP (this is indicated by A LOGO STICKER for NVIDIA or ATI MOBILITY RADEON on the computer surface, just below the keyboard. But if you can find a good deal with at least 256MB dedicated video card, it will be better for watching DVDs.
Just make sure that the laptop has AT LEAST 2GB DDR2 RAM modules in it so that it will always ran smoothly & not freeze up on you (HIGHER IS BETTER; DDR3 & DDR5 are faster & newer types of memory modules that came out).
But what makes a computer really run fast? It is it's processor! So if you really want your processor to have computing prowess & for you to be able to run different applications simultaneously, make sure it's AS EFFICIENT AS an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (Centrino 2 is a Core 2 Duo featuring power saving capabilities; Quad Core is for gaming fanatics). A Core 2 Duo is like having 2 motors running the computer each independent of the other w/c means for a Quad Core, it's like 4 motors are running the machine (that means it will run faster & more efficient even if its frequency is lower to that of a Core 2 Duo). Intel: Core 2 Duo, Centrino 2, Quad Core, Core i-3, Core i-5 & Core i-7 are all very much faster & better than an Intel: DUAL CORE, PENTIUM, CELERON, ATOM & their more affordable AMD counterparts.
In your case, get one with a Core 2 Duo or Core i-s & NOT one w/ a Pentium, Celeron or Atom.
Just make sure you have AT LEAST 2GHz of speed on your processor so that will be able to appreciate your laptop's fast response and performance.
The HDD (Hard Disc Drive) should be at least 320GB.
For the battery life to last longer, you need more cells into it. So if you can get a Dell from www.Dell.com with the HIGHER CAPACITY 6 CELL BATTERY, do so. The ordinary one doesn't last long. There are a lot of options & different combinations if you want to customize your own laptop, just STICK TO THE ESSENTIALS first.
8 cells, 9 cells & 12 cell batteries means they can last longer.
The average laptop LCD screen size is 15.4", and since you want something smaller than that w/ these 3 features I just shed some light on, expect the price to go higher (ex. for 13.3" & 14.1" LCD screens).
For other ladies, looking for portable 14" laptops, try the Core i-5 Toshiba Satellite M645-S4050 or Satellite E205-S1980 from BestBuy.com, both comes with 512MB Class 3 NVIDIA GeForce 310M dedicated graphics card for a little bit of gaming like the SIMS 3.
FOR the best PRICE COMPARISON, go to Fry's Electronics, MicroCenter, CostCo & BestBuy's web sites.
The MSI GT680R 15.6" Gaming Notebook I got w/ the Intel® Core⢠i-7 for using my DesignCAD software and playing Diablo III, retails for $1,499.99 (+ tax & other sur-charges).
I chose to pay more to have the newest technology so that I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT GETTING OUTDATED WITHIN THE NEXT 11 YRS.
click here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152239
One aspect to consider that produces heat is battery charging. Basically, as you charge up a battery, it heats up because current runs through it. Add that to the humidity and temperature of the location, it may feel even hotter than usual. FYI: I always tell my customers, a laptop's battery is similar to a cell phone's. You charge it when it's depleted & you unplug the adapter when it is already fully charge (this will prevent the battery from getting overcharged & extend the life of the battery). So for less hassle, I always advice my customers to just remove the battery if they plan to use the computer for long hours straight (more than 1 hour) and just run it on AC power alone so as not to overcharge it & shorten the battery life. That is if there is an available outlet for you to plug in your charger at Starbucks, if not, then you really need the battery.
ONLY USE THE BATTERY FOR PORTABILITY, if you're on a trip or you're at McDonalds or Starbucks.
For chargers, make sure you don't stretch out the cable too much that the one by the power jack that you plug into the side of the computer gets bent. Make sure this part is always straight or else the copper wires inside will break & soon you'll have the problem of the charger not working anymore like what happened to some of my callers.
which laptop for college?
Davis
I recently as in TODAY just bought a 13in mac book pro for $999 from the apple store. I guess i made this purchase based off of the label because im sure there are better laptops out there for better prices.. i just dont know the reliability.
Extra info- i play games on my computer (World of warcraft, minecraft etc)
These are the two i found that seem nice.
http://microcenter.com/product/409697/Aspire_V5-571PG-9814_156_Laptop_Computer_-_Silky_Silver
http://microcenter.com/product/415127/ProBook_4540s_156_Laptop_Computer_-_Aluminum
please all answers help me soo much this has been incredibly stressful for me!
Thank-you!
Answer
Out of the two that you listed I would recommend the second (Probook) as it has a better graphics card. However the Acer has a larger hard-drive for more storage (you will need it in college). This basically means the Probook will run games faster and better, but the Acer has more storage for files etc. Also Acer laptops is quite notorious for having short battery life.
BUT after a bit of searching, I found this -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-350E7C-17-3-inch-Laptop-Black/dp/B009SJCX68/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1370498301&sr=8-5&keywords=gaming+laptop
- which I would recommend as it has overall more powerful specifications at a lower price. If you would like to compare any of these with the two you have chosen i recommend using a website called notebookcheck. I hope I helped! And please trust me, the Samsung from Amazon is a better bargain. To find out how well it will run games scroll to the bottom of this page for a list of benchmarks - http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-7670M.69483.0.html
If you are entirely unsure as to which to buy, take your time to search a little more; make sure that you are certain of your decision before buying. I would also like to advise you that if you do not chose any of these, then try to find a laptop that runs on windows 7 (NOT 8) as it is extremely flawed and is designed primarily for touch-screen devices, and it is very likely that windows will not support it for long.
Out of the two that you listed I would recommend the second (Probook) as it has a better graphics card. However the Acer has a larger hard-drive for more storage (you will need it in college). This basically means the Probook will run games faster and better, but the Acer has more storage for files etc. Also Acer laptops is quite notorious for having short battery life.
BUT after a bit of searching, I found this -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-350E7C-17-3-inch-Laptop-Black/dp/B009SJCX68/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1370498301&sr=8-5&keywords=gaming+laptop
- which I would recommend as it has overall more powerful specifications at a lower price. If you would like to compare any of these with the two you have chosen i recommend using a website called notebookcheck. I hope I helped! And please trust me, the Samsung from Amazon is a better bargain. To find out how well it will run games scroll to the bottom of this page for a list of benchmarks - http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-7670M.69483.0.html
If you are entirely unsure as to which to buy, take your time to search a little more; make sure that you are certain of your decision before buying. I would also like to advise you that if you do not chose any of these, then try to find a laptop that runs on windows 7 (NOT 8) as it is extremely flawed and is designed primarily for touch-screen devices, and it is very likely that windows will not support it for long.
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Title Post: First laptop for 16 yr old? (UK)?
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Rating: 100% based on 9998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
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