# New Laptop - What you got?



## Chris_R (Feb 3, 2008)

Looking for some owners opinions on current model laptops.
At the minute I am waiting on my insurance co replacing my XPS M1210 which has been mint up until I broke it. 

Particularly interested in something smaller and light (most likely 15" screens or smaller rather than a big 17"). 
New Studio and XPS 13/15" feedback would be handy as those are the two I have a particular eye on, but would appreciate any of the other makes like Sony, Samsung, Tosh etc. Or even the current crop of "netbooks" EEE, MSI Wind etc.

What's the build quality like on it?
Noise/heat/weight?
Battery life?
Customer/Technical support if used? 

The sort of stuff you don't always get on reviews.

Cheers.


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

I'm really impressed with the new XPS machines from Dell. The 1330 & 1530's are really good looking laptops especially coming from Dell. The reviews on TrustedReviews.com seem very positive too as they appear to have the performance to match the look.

I was very close to going for a top spec 1530 but ended up paying just under £200 more for a MacBook Pro. I'm running a Virtual PC Windows XP install along side Mac OS and it's pretty damn impressive. Absolutely seamless in fact.


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## -ROM- (Feb 23, 2007)

Check out ASUS, they are first rate in terms of build quality and performance, some of the models look a little bit old fashioned but then some look very cool, it depends which model you get.


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

HP DV2810
Very Quiet/little heat/ weighs 2kg (according to the booklet)
Battery around 2hrs +

I Would love an ASUS M70 blue ray player 4gb ram 640gb hdd HD Screen.


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## Cliff (Mar 4, 2007)

Got one of these recently, very impressed with it so far :thumb:

http://www.simplyacer.com/product/id/248815/LX.E540X.021


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## rich-hill (May 13, 2008)

I have a macbook, never had a problem with it, and i think once you go mac you won't go back. I can't stand windows now


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## snoop69 (Jun 16, 2007)

Lenovo Thinkpad T61 for me.

Cost me £500 (new) from an ad i saw on Gumtree :thumb:


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## KnightUnit (Dec 31, 2007)

snoop69 said:


> Lenovo Thinkpad T61 for me.
> 
> Cost me £500 (new) from an ad i saw on Gumtree :thumb:


Another T61 user here, great bit of kit.


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## Chris_R (Feb 3, 2008)

Cheers guys, these all seem real good value TBH, my XPS was £1090 (though that was with near 400 quid staff discount via work). I am not entirely sure what the insurance company are going to offer me price wise yet but hopefully somewhere up to around 700 shouldn't be taking the pee too much.

Mac could be an option, do they support bluetooth in either OSX or Bootcamp to Vista/XP?
Have they improved the build quality from the first generation Macbooks too? The one my brother had suffered from the wrist rest going a funny brown colour and has quite a few stress cracks in the plastics.
The major downside to the Macbook is the outrageous price for the (comparatively speaking) poverty spec they are doing. £700 buys a PC with twice the hard disk (or more important a faster hard disk), 3x the ram, better processor and far better graphic card. I know you dont need the RAM etc in OSX but it would annoy me paying all that extra for the badge/OS. 

That Asus M70 is out of budget I would think. I also get the impression that it is going to be quite a hefty beast...two hard disks! LOL

HP is a good one though, I had a quick play on the TX2130 in Currys the other lunchtime and it seemed well put together. If the rest of the range is as good it could be an option.

Cheers for the input so far guys.


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## aldunn15 (Jan 25, 2008)

I got the black macbook and its soooo good and its true once you go mac you wont go back to windows infact windows is soo sh1t !!

Mac Rules!!!

why???? :

1. Quicker
2. Less hot on the knees
3. Quieter
4. No virus's
5. no spyware
6. no popups
7. NO CTRL + ALT + DEL

Also all macbooks include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Built In Camera and all support windows (you can actually have both Leopard and Vista run together)


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Must agree, went mac a few weeks ago, and i'm already a complete convert. Macbook is most deffo the way to go :thumb:


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## Chris_R (Feb 3, 2008)

aldunn15 said:


> 1. Quicker


 Really? I would have thought the PC hardware inside is the same speed outside of OSX. Say booting windows or Linux surely they would be the same speed? Hence the problem with paying around £700 for a lower spec'd machine doesn't make sense to me. I haven't been able to fully compare a recent Mac to a similarly spec'd PC running the things I use - Outlook, Photoshop Elements, Firefox so couldn't say for sure but common sense dictates that 1gb of ram is going to make it slower than a machine with 3 or 4 gb of ram given the same other specifications and operating environment. 
I have a G4 mac mini which to be honest I don't really use as the PC does the same things (albeit quicker but thats down to the vast spec of the PC in comparison). One thing I do like about it is the ease at which it did the firewire link to my camcorder.


> 2. Less hot on the knees
> 3. Quieter


 Would depend entirely on the machine, there are plenty of laptops not with a Apple badge on which are both quiet and lacking in heat output.


> 4. No virus's
> 5. no spyware
> 6. no popups


 Non issues I am afraid, I haven't seen a virus or spyware since Firefox  Virus? Do people still get them? I had one on a computer when Windows 95 was around, not ever seen one since.


> 7. NO CTRL + ALT + DEL


 Errm? I don't understand what you mean here


> Also all macbooks include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Built In Camera and all support windows (you can actually have both Leopard and Vista run together)


 Cool, that was the sort of thing I wanted to know, do you know if Bluetooth support works outside of OSX? I don't think there is any software for my phone for OSX (LG)


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## swisstony (Apr 27, 2007)

Chris_R said:


> Cool, that was the sort of thing I wanted to know, do you know if Bluetooth support works outside of OSX? I don't think there is any software for my phone for OSX (LG)


If you have an LG (like me) and use a mac (like me), then you will be in for a tough time mate. The sync software they use is non standard and as such isync on the mac will not work. You can change your LG to USB storage mode in the connections setting and it will show up on your mac as a mounted volume. From there you can drag and drop pictures, videos etc. But no chance to sync contacts, messages etc. A right PITA.


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## KnightUnit (Dec 31, 2007)

Gotta agree with Chris R on this. Purely depends on the machine and if the user is running a decent anti virus program.


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## banditbarron (Sep 1, 2007)

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/st...null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=437064&category_oid=

Had this for nearly six months now and i am well impressed although may be a bit big for you. Its basically a macbook underneath as they make the macbooks.


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## Chris_R (Feb 3, 2008)

swisstony said:


> If you have an LG (like me) and use a mac (like me), then you will be in for a tough time mate. The sync software they use is non standard and as such isync on the mac will not work. You can change your LG to USB storage mode in the connections setting and it will show up on your mac as a mounted volume. From there you can drag and drop pictures, videos etc. But no chance to sync contacts, messages etc. A right PITA.


Cheers Swiss, this is all good stuff and is the type of "deal breaker" I am trying to avoid. Contacts lists are the biggest deal, I don't really use the phone a lot for pictures or MP3s etc.


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## swisstony (Apr 27, 2007)

Chris_R said:


> Cheers Swiss, this is all good stuff and is the type of "deal breaker" I am trying to avoid. Contacts lists are the biggest deal, I don't really use the phone a lot for pictures or MP3s etc.


Chris
I am a big advocate of mac stuff ( as many on here know) as I run a mac reseller business and have been using the platform for donkeys years. BUT when it comes down to individual preferences and what works for you, I would advocate a different solution. Of course you can have a macbook or macbook pro, load on windows and have best of both worlds, but you will be adding some expense.

Far better to get the right tool for the job within your budget.
:thumb:


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## DubbedUP (Oct 2, 2007)

MAC MAC MAC...

Bought a Imac a year ago, and bought a Macbook 2 months ago...Amazing. 

Solid, reliable, quick.... Infact everything every PC I have ever owned is not...

I will never buy a Windoze PC again..


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## Chris_R (Feb 3, 2008)

Dubbedup said:


> MAC MAC MAC...
> 
> Bought a Imac a year ago, and bought a Macbook 2 months ago...Amazing.
> 
> ...


I don't want a Mac as it cannot sync with any mobile phones !! If you are going to take the time to comment then please take the time to at least have read some of the other posts above your own.
My mind was made up in one fell swoop that I dont want it following information above from Swisstony.
I am not interested in what you are a fan of, it has to fit my needs and that is not a Mac.

They are not solid, or at least my experiences with a first gen Macbook aren't positive reviews that's for sure with dis-colouring plastics and fractures within months of opening the box. 
And I have yet to see any posts to dispute that.

Listen guys, those who contributing many thanks but I see little point in leaving this open as its just turning into a regular fanboy fest (given as I am not actually getting a lot of insight into any of the questions I was hoping to get answered - with some obvious exceptions - and that I am just getting the get a Mac for no other reason than its a Mac)


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## Zax (Jan 30, 2007)

I have had an XPS M1710 for several years now and it has been rock solid.
Fast, reliable, good battery life.

However it is heavy and big but i do not have a desk top and use it for work with a separate keyboard IfI m doing a lot of typing .( The big screen alllows the screen to be a comfortable distance away without loosing any clarity)

Would I own another .... yes.

just my 2p worth


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

http://www.trustedreviews.com/notebooks/review/2007/10/11/Dell-XPS-M1330/p1

XPS 1330 Review. Would be my choice if I needed a new Windows PC.


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