[star.DUST]

Thanks for the reply. You've been very helpful.

[awdark]

Do you know if hard drive manufactures care where you buy the drive from? I am tempted to go 500gb... and ill avoid ebay if the warranty is void.

Hard to decide between the new Hitachi $90 (egg so taxed), the WD 5000bevt $100 from amazon so tax free, or go all out and spend $140 on the Seagate 7200rpm...

Either way, I want to do a clean install which will hopefully solve the majority of my laptop issues.

1 year 2 month review of HP:
Palm rest is disintegrating, touch pad is whack, keyboard is shiny, either router or wifi card is whack, bluetooth doesn't work right, microphones still not fixed, easy to freeze the computer (seems too much stuff goes through USB or something), the fan is constantly on, the LCD is beginning to develop odd patterns, and my battery life sucks even more.

So you were right in every way about HP. I had figured with my budget I could handle whatever HP would throw at me, but its just troublesome. One day I will get a job and a new computer.

[Godotology]

Do you know if hard drive manufactures care where you buy the drive from? I am tempted to go 500gb... and ill avoid ebay if the warranty is void.

Hard to decide between the new Hitachi $90 (egg so taxed), the WD 5000bevt $100 from amazon so tax free, or go all out and spend $140 on the Seagate 7200rpm...

Either way, I want to do a clean install which will hopefully solve the majority of my laptop issues.

1 year 2 month review of HP:
Palm rest is disintegrating, touch pad is whack, keyboard is shiny, either router or wifi card is whack, bluetooth doesn't work right, microphones still not fixed, easy to freeze the computer (seems too much stuff goes through USB or something), the fan is constantly on, the LCD is beginning to develop odd patterns, and my battery life sucks even more.

So you were right in every way about HP. I had figured with my budget I could handle whatever HP would throw at me, but its just troublesome. One day I will get a job and a new computer.

well like I said, budget models = budget quality. some of the "qualities" aren't seen until well into the laptop's life i'm afraid

what is that a picture of? i hope not the palm rest

[awdark]

It is actually, im really surprised ti looks like the plastic is actually coming apart rather than just the paint layer. Previously I was under the impression the paint was under a clear plastic rather than at the surface. Oh well new bezel is like $40...

Do you know about the drives?

Update:
Hard drive just clunked out. Literally... makes click click click THUNK click click click THUNK. Not HP's fault of course...

[Stolen_waters]

Godotology,
I'm planning to buy a laptop from Sony's SR series, and you said it's better to call Sonystyle so I can get discounts/coupons.
I was just wondering about what you usually tell/ask them to get the discounts and what discounts they usually offer.
Do they give discounts to students? How about free shipping?

Now about the SR series, are they better than HP(or another brand) ones w/ similar specs or price?
I am after performance and portability, and I think my HP right now aggravates my scoliosis!

Can I have it customized and add another port, esata probably?

Will there be a huge difference if I have the ff. changed:
1) From Intel® Pentium® Processor T3400 (2.16GHz) to Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor T6400 (2.0GHz) ---> add $50.
2) From 2GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 1GBx2) to 3GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 2GB+1GB) ---> add $50.

or should I just stick to
Intel® Pentium® Processor T3400 (2.16GHz)
and add $100 for this:
From 2GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 1GBx2) to 4GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 2GBx2)

or the other way 'round which is...
stick to
2GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 1GBx2)
and add $100 for this:
Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz)

*basically, the laptop will mostly be used for watching movies (while connected to external hard drive), downloads, photo/video editing, school, and gaming (not hardcore ones).
BUT, battery life is still very important to me

[steph3n]

are the dell XPS 1330 outdated now? seems like they do update the processors but only as options, which drives it to a ridiculous price..

i know they released the STudio XPS 13 too...but personally i think it has major design flaws...e.g. opening the screen completely blocks the vents..not very smart so i don't really want to look into that model

[babycurious]

hello there!

I'm planning to purchase this DELL inspiron 1545 for 530 euros soon ( cause it has the best specs that my money can afford now)
the questions are :
- the overall glossy surface will tend to be dirty within no time, and you can't avoid it cause you nee to rest your palm while typing on it. Do you know how to deal with it?

- these DELL coupons, is it only for USA? or also in Europe too? anyone has a clue? and how to get them?

lots of thanks before!

[Godotology]

are the dell XPS 1330 outdated now? seems like they do update the processors but only as options, which drives it to a ridiculous price..

i know they released the STudio XPS 13 too...but personally i think it has major design flaws...e.g. opening the screen completely blocks the vents..not very smart so i don't really want to look into that model

They are very outdated (I wish Dell updated it though, it was a nice design.. could've used a bit more refinement in some of its fit and finish though). its amazing that Dell is still selling something that's two generations old.

The Studio XPS 13 is the successor, but I personally don't like the design as much as you agree. the Vent thing is actually not that bad of an issue, and its interesting it has hybrid video cards (similar to the Macbook pro.. but with a weaker card).

hello there!

I'm planning to purchase this DELL inspiron 1545 for 530 euros soon ( cause it has the best specs that my money can afford now)
the questions are :
- the overall glossy surface will tend to be dirty within no time, and you can't avoid it cause you nee to rest your palm while typing on it. Do you know how to deal with it?

- these DELL coupons, is it only for USA? or also in Europe too? anyone has a clue? and how to get them?

lots of thanks before!

I personally hate this glossy surface trend (I think HP popularized it with laptops, and now everyone is copying it). Although all laptop surfaces will get dirty sooner or later.
I personally use a microfiber cloth, does the job!

Dell Coupons are more common in the USA, I think sometimes Canada. I rarely ever hear Europe getting the. You can find them in notebook forums, or signing up for Dell Emails (which means you gotta deal with their junk, but it includes coupon codes).

Godotology,
I'm planning to buy a laptop from Sony's SR series, and you said it's better to call Sonystyle so I can get discounts/coupons.
I was just wondering about what you usually tell/ask them to get the discounts and what discounts they usually offer.
Do they give discounts to students? How about free shipping?

Now about the SR series, are they better than HP(or another brand) ones w/ similar specs or price?
I am after performance and portability, and I think my HP right now aggravates my scoliosis!

Can I have it customized and add another port, esata probably?

Will there be a huge difference if I have the ff. changed:
1) From Intel® Pentium® Processor T3400 (2.16GHz) to Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor T6400 (2.0GHz) ---> add $50.
2) From 2GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 1GBx2) to 3GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 2GB+1GB) ---> add $50.

or should I just stick to
Intel® Pentium® Processor T3400 (2.16GHz)
and add $100 for this:
From 2GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 1GBx2) to 4GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 2GBx2)

or the other way 'round which is...
stick to
2GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 1GBx2)
and add $100 for this:
Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz)

*basically, the laptop will mostly be used for watching movies (while connected to external hard drive), downloads, photo/video editing, school, and gaming (not hardcore ones).
BUT, battery life is still very important to me

I'm not the best negotiator, but after they give you the price quote.. then add in "btw i'm also a student, i heard you have student discounts".. etc.. just keep asking them.. AFTER they give you a price. also make sure that you configure it on their official website first too, so you know where your baseline will be. Becareful in that they may try to sell you other crap too.

SR series is nice.. some say its a "poor man's" version of the Sony Vaio Z. which it is..but it isn't bad either. I also like the Lenovo U1330. Both will probably get updated around summer time.

as for the two configs.. u can always upgrade your ram, but its harder for u to upgrade a laptop cpu.

[r4nd0m]

Godotology,
I'm planning to buy a laptop from Sony's SR series, and you said it's better to call Sonystyle so I can get discounts/coupons.
I was just wondering about what you usually tell/ask them to get the discounts and what discounts they usually offer.
Do they give discounts to students? How about free shipping?

Now about the SR series, are they better than HP(or another brand) ones w/ similar specs or price?
I am after performance and portability, and I think my HP right now aggravates my scoliosis!

Can I have it customized and add another port, esata probably?

Will there be a huge difference if I have the ff. changed:
1) From Intel® Pentium® Processor T3400 (2.16GHz) to Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor T6400 (2.0GHz) ---> add $50.
2) From 2GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 1GBx2) to 3GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 2GB+1GB) ---> add $50.

or should I just stick to
Intel® Pentium® Processor T3400 (2.16GHz)
and add $100 for this:
From 2GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 1GBx2) to 4GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 2GBx2)

or the other way 'round which is...
stick to
2GB DDR2-SDRAM (DDR2-800, 1GBx2)
and add $100 for this:
Intel® Core® 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.40GHz)

*basically, the laptop will mostly be used for watching movies (while connected to external hard drive), downloads, photo/video editing, school, and gaming (not hardcore ones).
BUT, battery life is still very important to me

upgrading to the core 2 duo is a good idea.
upgrading to 4 gigs of ram is only good if u are running the 64-bit OS, if you dont have a 64 bit OS, the max is going to be capped at 3.5 gb.
laptops are not good for gaming so, yea.

[Stolen_waters]

I'm not the best negotiator, but after they give you the price quote.. then add in "btw i'm also a student, i heard you have student discounts".. etc.. just keep asking them.. AFTER they give you a price. also make sure that you configure it on their official website first too, so you know where your baseline will be. Becareful in that they may try to sell you other crap too.

SR series is nice.. some say its a "poor man's" version of the Sony Vaio Z. which it is..but it isn't bad either. I also like the Lenovo U1330. Both will probably get updated around summer time.

as for the two configs.. u can always upgrade your ram, but its harder for u to upgrade a laptop cpu.

Oh really? This Summer?
hmm... I don't know if I can wait. My current laptop is dying. LOL but if it's gonna be a big change, I'll try to wait
gaah! I really wish it has more ports.
The Z's too much for my budget. It's even more expensive than my bro's Macbook, which I like 'cause of the weight, speed, battery, etc. , but I'm not really fond of the Mac OS.
Thanks.

upgrading to the core 2 duo is a good idea.
upgrading to 4 gigs of ram is only good if u are running the 64-bit OS, if you dont have a 64 bit OS, the max is going to be capped at 3.5 gb.
laptops are not good for gaming so, yea.

Thanks.
okay, i'll just upgrade both ram and cpu.
I think the SR has a 64-bit OS.

[Rikayla]

This is probably an incredibly broad question, but what do you guys think? I'm pretty new at this, but I've done my research, and I've come up with two options. I snagged the would-be receipts from the Dell Online site and rehosted them on my personal domain, so I could get some general opinion.

01. Priced at $1,014

02. Priced at $1,259

I'm mainly buying a desktop computer that will last me at least four years, and can play a game like The Sims 3 pretty well. I also heard that you can negotiate prices at Dell Online, is that true?

Thanks for your help!

[Godotology]

This is probably an incredibly broad question, but what do you guys think? I'm pretty new at this, but I've done my research, and I've come up with two options. I snagged the would-be receipts from the Dell Online site and rehosted them on my personal domain, so I could get some general opinion.

01. Priced at $1,014

02. Priced at $1,259

I'm mainly buying a desktop computer that will last me at least four years, and can play a game like The Sims 3 pretty well. I also heard that you can negotiate prices at Dell Online, is that true?

Thanks for your help!

this is a notebook thread not a desktop, and i think either of them will play sims 3 well!
you can negotiate with dell over the phone, not online. keep in mind phone calls will require some time (lots of waiting), and different operators handle negotiations differently (some are more lenient than others).

[Rikayla]

Oh sorry, I swore the topic title included "desktop," lol. Maybe I was just reading wrong.
Thanks anyways.

[Kyohei]

Would it be useless to buy an older generation laptop, but customize it with better stats (cpu and the such)?

I want to buy this HP DV4T Special Edition (The japanese wave version) and customize it with Intel's P8700 (2.53Ghz) and other features that I "need." It comes to about $1000 after I discount it as much as possible.

[Godotology]

Would it be useless to buy an older generation laptop, but customize it with better stats (cpu and the such)?

I want to buy this HP DV4T Special Edition (The japanese wave version) and customize it with Intel's P8700 (2.53Ghz) and other features that I "need." It comes to about $1000 after I discount it as much as possible.

if you know how to do it in the first place. Ram and HD are easy to upgrade. CPU not really (its not impossible, just much more difficult than if it was a desktop).
at $1000, you could get a new HP.

any reason why you prefer that specific model?

[r4nd0m]

i got a hp dv6500t laptop i believe, works nice except for the loud fan....

2 gig ram
intel centrino duo
vista 32

[sweethopes]

hi,

i haven't really made up my mind on whether to buy a Fujitsu E8420H Lifebook Notebook or the ASUS N51VF N51VF-SX032C Notebook. i'm hoping to have it last for quite a while. which one would you recommend?

[Stolen_waters]

What do you guys think about refurbished laptops?
Will consider buying one?

On Sony Style, can I still get a student/campus discount even if the laptop is from the online outlet?

[r4nd0m]

What do you guys think about refurbished laptops?
Will consider buying one?

On Sony Style, can I still get a student/campus discount even if the laptop is from the online outlet?

buying refurbished is a bad idea cuz it means that the laptop had problems once and was returned.

[Godotology]

What do you guys think about refurbished laptops?
Will consider buying one?

On Sony Style, can I still get a student/campus discount even if the laptop is from the online outlet?

depends where the refurbs are from.
it can actually be a very good idea as you save lots of cash and get something virtually new.
Dell for example divides their "refurbs" to those that are ordered new but returned (they didn't open it and returned it)
certified refurbs (returned within a short period of time, with internal components replaced).
scratch and dent (minor cosmetic blemishes).

I disagree with the above poster because refurbs are likely to have problems fixed because most of the time, the manufacturer has to re certify them and make replacements. you'll usually get the same warranty too. Again this is Dell and I don't know about Sony.