[jkdas]

Originally Posted by anku94

Just came to know shipping a lappy from US to India will set you back by ~ $350-$400. :(

Anyway! I wanted to get a 12incher lap and the only think available is the AMD Neo K125 from Dell . Asus too has but its the AMD MV10.

I am trying to pic Asus 1215N or 1210T from DXB or now thinking of buying the Dual Core AMD K325.

I am doing the right thing right?

[pramodkumar]

Guys i need help,

I have a HP DV 2700 Note book, The Graphics chipset is gone Kaput, I need a new MB, can anyone tell me the price(biometric type) also if anyone has an old working MB please PM me.

Pramod

[di1in]

I'm at crossroads concerning some congfigs:

1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 420M graphics with Bluetooth (with WIDI) and 8GB RAM

or

2GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 435M graphics with Bluetooth and 4GB Ram

could you guys give me your opinions please? The ram is 1333mhz ddr3 sdram in both cases.

Another doubt is: Is rgbled really worth 6k rupees over wled on a 15.4" screen?

[devarshi84]

Originally Posted by jkdas

Anyway! I wanted to get a 12incher lap and the only think available is the AMD Neo K125 from Dell . Asus too has but its the AMD MV10.
I am trying to pic Asus 1215N or 1210T from DXB or now thinking of buying the Dual Core AMD K325.
I am doing the right thing right?

Is the cpu your confusion or the model?

Originally Posted by di1in

I'm at crossroads concerning some congfigs:
1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 420M graphics with Bluetooth (with WIDI) and 8GB RAM

or

2GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 435M graphics with Bluetooth and 4GB Ram
could you guys give me your opinions please? The ram is 1333mhz ddr3 sdram in both cases.
Another doubt is: Is rgbled really worth 6k rupees over wled on a 15.4" screen?

Are you looking at Hardcore gaming or better processing? Even 420M should be good to game but 435M is a middle of the road GPU with better performance. Of the two I would chose the system with 8gb ram and opt for a 64-bit OS.

RGBLED Is good for gaming, but not worth 6K extra. Rest depends on personal preference.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by di1in

I'm at crossroads concerning some congfigs:

1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 420M graphics with Bluetooth (with WIDI) and 8GB RAM

or

2GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 435M graphics with Bluetooth and 4GB Ram

could you guys give me your opinions please? The ram is 1333mhz ddr3 sdram in both cases.

Another doubt is: Is rgbled really worth 6k rupees over wled on a 15.4" screen?

435M is roughly equivalent to 5730(ATI card) and is a mid range gaming card. Will run new games at Low-Medium settings and will run old games at Medium-High settings
420M is actually quite a low-medium card, and is ranked much lower than the now pedestrian 5650.

Infact, the Sandy bridge Core I7 with integrated graphics will run rings around this card.

The performance of Sandy bridge will come closer to the 5650 league in some cases.

So I suggest, if you want a proper gaming notebook do not look further than ATI-5870 or NVDIA GTX-460M
If you want something which does blue Ray, some medium games and HD video, wait for a couple of months for the Sandy bridge architechture equipped laptops.

But then a lot depends upon where are you buying, as pricing and availability of laptops in the high end of the range is very very different between US and India.

[SS-Traveller]

It's been 5-1/2 years that my IBM ThinkPad R51 has been doing duty, and I've been toying with the idea of replacing it for a few weeks now. Since my knowledge and understanding of computers is somewhat limited, here I am, looking for suggestions from you. I'll quickly give you an outline of what I do on the laptop, and the gurus can give me a solution.

1. I run Windows XP SP3 (licenced), and some softwares I run for professional use (such as image analysis software to analyse microscopic images) are not compatible with Windows Vista or 7. Can't afford to buy brand new compatible softwares.
2. I store loads and loads of photos, and sometimes, videos. The current laptop has been upgraded to a 320GB hard disk, coupled with a 250GB backup disk, are both a little more than half-full.
3. I use PhotoShop (to a limited extent). Though the 1.7GHz + 1GB RAM that the current laptop has seems to do the job, I would prefer it to work a little faster.
4. Loads of PowerPoint presentations - both prepared and saved. Sometimes I get the feeling that the animations don't work as well as I would like them to.
5. The usual internet connection, emails & browsing. Wi-fi at home and at work. I also use an Airtel PCMCIA datacard. Do newer generation laptops have such a slot, or do I need to junk this card and switch to an USB-type connection when I get a new laptop?
6. Not that the current laptop has any trouble, except a burn line in the middle of the screen, and it's heavy and bulky. Also, it came with 2 USB slots, but I use a 4-port hub, and that makes do for the time being. One slot always has a mouse attached to it - never got used to working with the touch pad.
7. While travelling, the laptop is always in the car - sometimes switched off and sometimes hibernating. This one has been subjected to some knocks and jerks in its lifetime, but hasn't given up on me because of it.
8. What will be lighter, faster, equally tough & durable (if not tougher), with bigger storage, and won't cost an arm and a leg (though budget is not a major constraint)?

What I have figured till now:

• A tablet PC won't do the job.
• Can a netbook do it? Does any netbook have the computing power and durability to do what I need? I can compromise on the storage by using portable hard disks, but what about the rest?
• A full-fledged laptop will certainly do. The MacBook Air is sooo lucrative, but no, XP is what I need to stick to. So is there anything out there which is similarly light, but fast and durable, with a big storage included?

[di1in]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

The performance of Sandy bridge will come closer to the 5650 league in some cases.

So I suggest, if you want a proper gaming notebook do not look further than ATI-5870 or NVDIA GTX-460M
If you want something which does blue Ray, some medium games and HD video, wait for a couple of months for the Sandy bridge architechture equipped laptops.

But then a lot depends upon where are you buying, as pricing and availability of laptops in the high end of the range is very very different between US and India.

I googled and came up with this: Dell XPS 17 Laptop Details | Dell Helluva deal ain't it? The rates and the definition of high end is very very different between US and IND it seems!

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

It's been 5-1/2 years that my IBM ThinkPad R51 has been doing duty, and I've been toying with the idea of replacing it for a few weeks now. Since my knowledge and understanding of computers is somewhat limited, here I am, looking for suggestions from you. I'll quickly give you an outline of what I do on the laptop, and the gurus can give me a solution.

1. I run Windows XP SP3 (licenced), and some softwares I run for professional use (such as image analysis software to analyse microscopic images) are not compatible with Windows Vista or 7. Can't afford to buy brand new compatible softwares.
2. I store loads and loads of photos, and sometimes, videos. The current laptop has been upgraded to a 320GB hard disk, coupled with a 250GB backup disk, are both a little more than half-full.
3. I use PhotoShop (to a limited extent). Though the 1.7GHz + 1GB RAM that the current laptop has seems to do the job, I would prefer it to work a little faster.
4. Loads of PowerPoint presentations - both prepared and saved. Sometimes I get the feeling that the animations don't work as well as I would like them to.
5. The usual internet connection, emails & browsing. Wi-fi at home and at work. I also use an Airtel PCMCIA datacard. Do newer generation laptops have such a slot, or do I need to junk this card and switch to an USB-type connection when I get a new laptop?
6. Not that the current laptop has any trouble, except a burn line in the middle of the screen, and it's heavy and bulky. Also, it came with 2 USB slots, but I use a 4-port hub, and that makes do for the time being. One slot always has a mouse attached to it - never got used to working with the touch pad.
7. While travelling, the laptop is always in the car - sometimes switched off and sometimes hibernating. This one has been subjected to some knocks and jerks in its lifetime, but hasn't given up on me because of it.
8. What will be lighter, faster, equally tough & durable (if not tougher), with bigger storage, and won't cost an arm and a leg (though budget

Get a laptop with Windows 7. XP can run as a Virtual Machine with extremely low overhead. My son has configured his laptop with two or three virtual machines!

If you do not need a large screen, then the "Ultra Light" 11"-13" screen would be ideal. The bonus would be phenomenal battery time. My four year old IBM X61s gave 7 hours with a new battery. At home you can hook up a secondary monitor. We have an LG 23" Monitor/TV for that purpose.

For storage you can always keep adding external USB hard disks, it is cheaper than having a large internal disk.

For photo shop you can use 64 bit version of Windows 7 with loads of RAM.

For internet I use my phone as a modem when on the road. My Plan is GPRS at 499 with unlimited usage. The only down side is that mostly I get 25-40kbps speed in remote areas with max of 80k, where as those using Reliance get upto 200k. I think Tata Photon when/where it works gives upto 2mbps!

[di1in]

Is bringing in a laptop from the US through DHL or FedEx a feasible option? Can the tax be avoided if we send it as a used laptop?

[aroop]

Hi Guys,

Please help me with my simple requirement.

I am looking for a laptop with a simple configuration (intel i3, 3 or 4 GB RAM) to be used for simple applications (MS office and surfing). I am looking for a reliable and a bit stylish (better half wants it) laptop (Dont want to run around service centres). Which brand / series should I evaluate? Sony Vaio / HP / Dell / lenovo?
Budget: within 40k.

Thanks!

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by di1in

I googled and came up with this: Dell XPS 17 Laptop Details | Dell Helluva deal ain't it? The rates and the definition of high end is very very different between US and IND it seems!

Dell is actually overprised. A 100$ more can get you the top end graphics card with a core i5 in brands like MSI and ASUS.
300-400$ more can get you an Asus Republic of Gamers notebook which will run rings around the 2300$ Dell/Alienware gaming rigs.

Heck, my 18.4" Qosmio with i5 and Nvidia GTX 460M cost 1030$. For 50$ more I added another HDD, and now I have a 1 TB machine for less than 1100$ with a top end Graphics card and close to top of the line specs.

In india, same amount would have bought me a mid range 5650 equipped Sony

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by di1in

Is bringing in a laptop from the US through DHL or FedEx a feasible option? Can the tax be avoided if we send it as a used laptop?

I do not think so. The duty is waived on one laptop only brought as personal luggage. Used goods get duty exemption/concession only in Transfer of Residence. Technically you are supposed to pay duty on all goods beyond the exemption limit, even when you bring it with you as personal baggage, but the customs official at airports rarely bother, but if your luck is bad and you are caught during random checks, then you pay up!

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by aroop

Hi Guys,

Please help me with my simple requirement.

I am looking for a laptop with a simple configuration (intel i3, 3 or 4 GB RAM) to be used for simple applications (MS office and surfing). I am looking for a reliable and a bit stylish (better half wants it) laptop (Dont want to run around service centres). Which brand / series should I evaluate? Sony Vaio / HP / Dell / lenovo?
Budget: within 40k.

Thanks!

I have had IBM Thinkpads in family for the last six years and they are usually trouble free. All laptops may develop problems at some time or other, hence it would be wise to select one which has excellent service. In Delhi both IBM/Lenovo and HP have, while Sony service is bad.

I would advise you to go for either Lenovo or HP with 3 year service plan.

[devarshi84]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Dell is actually overprised. A 100$ more can get you the top end graphics card with a core i5 in brands like MSI and ASUS.
300-400$ more can get you an Asus Republic of Gamers notebook which will run rings around the 2300$ Dell/Alienware gaming rigs.

Heck, my 18.4" Qosmio with i5 and Nvidia GTX 460M cost 1030$. For 50$ more I added another HDD, and now I have a 1 TB machine for less than 1100$ with a top end Graphics card and close to top of the line specs.

In india, same amount would have bought me a mid range 5650 equipped Sony

MSI also has a GDDR5 gaming pc. I think it is gx650 or something.

[anku94]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Infact, the Sandy bridge Core I7 with integrated graphics will run rings around this card.

The performance of Sandy bridge will come closer to the 5650 league in some cases.

As it turns out, the graphics performance of Sandy Bridge are overhyped. The integrated graphics come in two versions:-

1) GMA 2000 : Basically a dud, just able to top the earlier integrated graphics. Most desktop Sandy Bridge's come with this option. Nowhere near a entry-level discrete card.

2)GMA 3000 : Available only in the high-end desktop CPUs and some notebook CPUs. Still, not as good as entry-level discrete GPUs.

Source : TomsHardware

Originally Posted by di1in

I'm at crossroads concerning some congfigs:

1GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 420M graphics with Bluetooth (with WIDI) and 8GB RAM

or

2GB NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 435M graphics with Bluetooth and 4GB Ram

could you guys give me your opinions please? The ram is 1333mhz ddr3 sdram in both cases.

Another doubt is: Is rgbled really worth 6k rupees over wled on a 15.4" screen?

Why do I get the feeling that you're considering the new Dell XPS ?

IMO, although both are unfit for good gaming, you should go for the second if you're into gaming.

Although if not complimented by a good processor(something like i7 740QM), even 8GB RAM is overkill.

I'd say get the second with 6GB RAM, if you can.

And the RGB-LED looks beautiful, that's what the numerous reviews say. To buy or not buy, is your choice. The cheaper display won't hurt your productivity. The situation is akin to having a Katrina Kaif or a Dolly Bindra wax statue in your living room, the Katrina Kaif statue being more expensive.

Originally Posted by di1in

I googled and came up with this: Dell XPS 17 Laptop Details | Dell Helluva deal ain't it? The rates and the definition of high end is very very different between US and IND it seems!

Yups, we Indians get a raw deal in the high-end segment. I really wanna get a Asus G53Jw, and it costs 25k-30k more in India. Even if you import it from international sellers, it turns out to be cheaper, although not by much, if you factor in shipping, customs duty, countervailing duty, waking up the customs officer duty.....

Originally Posted by di1in

Is bringing in a laptop from the US through DHL or FedEx a feasible option? Can the tax be avoided if we send it as a used laptop?

Shipping is expensive and taxes are unavoidable. Your call.

Originally Posted by devarshi84

MSI also has a GDDR5 gaming pc. I think it is gx650 or something.

It's the GX660. The configs are similar to Asus G53/G73, but it's a bit cheaper. The Asus is more popular though, and practical (owing to it's rubberized surfaces, it'll get less scratches, and the MSI looks too blingy.)