The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

Sam Kapasi · 9th January 2006, 17:04

Yes but in the asian stable: Sony has no laptop with a turion!! Only in the USA
http://vaio-online.sony.com/sg/vaio/...son/popup.html
So if Sony has no 64bit processor in asia... now what?????
Steeroid?

tsk1979 · 9th January 2006, 17:10

Then buy acer. Ferrari also turn heads, but you dont need laptop to turn heads right

Anyways, there are AMD 64 non ferrari ACER laptops available which have 1 yr international warranty. They will cost about 300-400$ less and give same performance.
Whatever brand you buy, first see your budget
Then get the best AMD 64 in the shop(2.4GHz)
Go for 1GB ram.
MAke sure your video card has 128MB memory and a 80GB IDE
Voila you have a performance laptop.

32bit is old tech and you wont find much performance difference over your old toshiba machine which is a P4 except in battery life area.

You can look for this model too http://www.notebookreview.com/defaul...GHz+%2D+15%2E4
But the 1280x800 screen size is too less though its 15 inch
Look for 7200rpm, HDD in this series. The above model has a slow 100GB HDD.

I suggest you go to the shop

Ask for laptops with following specs
Athlon 64 Turion 2.2Ghz+
1GB ram
128MB ATI/NVIDIA dedicated graphics
80GB IDE
15 inch lcd capable of supporting 1600x1200

then give the list here with price, then we can choose the best of the lot.

Sam Kapasi · 9th January 2006, 17:23

Mate,

I checked with Acer Singapore. The only notebook using AMD processors is the ferrari series. If the price difference is $200 or $300, I'd rather buy the ferrari anyways. Aakhir I'm also a TBHP member.
Steeroid - I will wait for your go ahead. Please consider that the laptop you are suggesting (S58) has a 32 bit processor as opposed to the ferrari's 64 bit.

Also strangely, Acer India has not even heard of the 4005 and can only offer me the 4002, with the 1.6Ghz Turion and 80GB drive for Rs 93000/-
Even if i want to, I cant buy from India.
Also, i checked online- the earlier problems were on the ferrari 3000 series.
Would you still suggest the S58?

airfoil · 9th January 2006, 18:10

The 3000 series had the all show and no go problem, not the 4000. Hell, its not like Sony Vaios have been top performers either! In general, they do look cool as well but the "all show no go" tag has applied to many a Sony in the past.

I stick with my vote for the Ferrari.

Whatever you decide to buy, here are a couple of general pointers:

* Make sure you're getting the right battery with your purchase. Often there's a lower capacity lithium battery supplied as OE.

* 2 GB is mostly overkill, unless you've experienced a memory shortage while using your current lappie. More RAM will mean more power is used up, lowering battery life.

* Lappies typically come with 2 slots for memory. One slot is sometimes soldered onto the board while the other is accessible to users for an upgrade. So if you know you want 2 gigs of memory in all; and you're going to start with 1 GB: you'll want to ensure that you **start** with one 1 GB stick instead of two 512 MB sticks.

* A nice upgrade is replacing the stock 5400 rpm drive with a 7200 rpm one. Here's the 7200 drive to buy:

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...tCode=100528-4

* Ensure that all media (operating system, restore CDs drivers, bundled software etc.) ships with the lappie.

And hey, if you can somehow do your shopping in the US, you'd save a few bucks (good online merchant):

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...e=pricegrabber

If it is shipped to a non California address, you pay no tax, just US$ 20 for 2 day shipping.

devarshi84 · 10th January 2006, 00:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Mate,

I checked with Acer Singapore. The only notebook using AMD processors is the ferrari series. If the price difference is $200 or $300, I'd rather buy the ferrari anyways. Aakhir I'm also a TBHP member.
Steeroid - I will wait for your go ahead. Please consider that the laptop you are suggesting (S58) has a 32 bit processor as opposed to the ferrari's 64 bit.

Also strangely, Acer India has not even heard of the 4005 and can only offer me the 4002, with the 1.6Ghz Turion and 80GB drive for Rs 93000/-
Even if i want to, I cant buy from India.
Also, i checked online- the earlier problems were on the ferrari 3000 series.
Would you still suggest the S58?

Go for the ferrari 4005. Its worth every penny. Even the lamborghini laptop that has just debuted is 32-bit. No intel mobile cpu

s the capacity to run windows vista which is about to debut and is supposed to be the best OS around as of yet.

other choice can be the tm4402 which has 1.6 turion and ati x700 64mb(ferrari is 128mb)

tsk1979 · 10th January 2006, 07:32

Quote:

No intel mobile cpu s the capacity to run windows vista which is about to debut and is supposed to be the best OS around as of yet.

I beg to differ, is the best OS from M$ till yet, I have been using 64bit OS for more than a year

tsk1979 · 10th January 2006, 07:33

Quote:

windows vista which is about to debut and is supposed to be the best OS around as of yet.

I differ, Its the best OS from Microsoft yet, not the best OS per se

. I am on 64bit for more than a year

devarshi84 · 10th January 2006, 08:33

buddy windows vista is not even out yet. How can you give your judgement?

I just typed here what microsoft has claimed.

I have also been using the 64-bit for more than a year. Its fun to roam around searching for drivers and softwares and applications. I got the cd straight from microsoft.

So tsk1979 whats your take on the windows 64-bit.

my impressions of windows 64-bit is what makes me conclude that amd turion is still the best mobile cpu around in the business.

tsk1979 · 10th January 2006, 08:46

Quote:

So tsk1979 whats your take on the windows 64-bit.

I never said I used win 64bit

. I just sauid I use a 64bit OS.

Am a linux user, and been on 64bit linux on my home machine for more than a year. But my expirience in 64bit use started at work way back in 2001.

I have 32bit windows which I use to go to standardcharteredbank.com coz it does not open in any other OS, and play need for speed.

Samurai · 10th January 2006, 10:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by devarshi84

I just typed here what microsoft has claimed.

Some of us do get Beta copies. However, I didn't use it much since it was Beta and didn't have all the drivers.

tsk1979 · 10th January 2006, 10:47

Does the beta have DRM?

Sam Kapasi · 10th January 2006, 10:53

What have you'll done to my simple query?

This is my punishment na? For what Navin and I do in the ICE section? Where some simple soul asks what speaker to put in his Zen and Navin and I start discussing second order harmonics.

tsk1979 · 10th January 2006, 11:08

Yes a well deserved punishment

. It looks like finally you are on the receiving end.

And while we are at it let me tell ya, when you go shopping in singapore, make sure your bargain hard. Its possible to get 40% of items if your skills have been honed in national market.

Sam Kapasi · 10th January 2006, 11:29

OK chalo, someones coming from the USA - my ferrari's coming on the 2nd of feb YAYAYAYAY!!!!

Samurai · 10th January 2006, 11:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Does the beta have DRM?

Don't know, didn't check before removing it.

9th January 2006, 17:04	#271
Sam Kapasi Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai (but wat Posts: 6,935 Thanked: 2,483 Times View My Garage	Yes but in the asian stable: Sony has no laptop with a turion!! Only in the USA http://vaio-online.sony.com/sg/vaio/...son/popup.html So if Sony has no 64bit processor in asia... now what????? Steeroid? Last edited by Sam Kapasi : 9th January 2006 at 17:07.
	() Thanks

9th January 2006, 17:10	#272
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,689 Thanked: 23,495 Times View My Garage	Then buy acer. Ferrari also turn heads, but you dont need laptop to turn heads right Anyways, there are AMD 64 non ferrari ACER laptops available which have 1 yr international warranty. They will cost about 300-400$ less and give same performance. Whatever brand you buy, first see your budget Then get the best AMD 64 in the shop(2.4GHz) Go for 1GB ram. MAke sure your video card has 128MB memory and a 80GB IDE Voila you have a performance laptop. 32bit is old tech and you wont find much performance difference over your old toshiba machine which is a P4 except in battery life area. You can look for this model too http://www.notebookreview.com/defaul...GHz+%2D+15%2E4 But the 1280x800 screen size is too less though its 15 inch Look for 7200rpm, HDD in this series. The above model has a slow 100GB HDD. I suggest you go to the shop Ask for laptops with following specs Athlon 64 Turion 2.2Ghz+ 1GB ram 128MB ATI/NVIDIA dedicated graphics 80GB IDE 15 inch lcd capable of supporting 1600x1200 then give the list here with price, then we can choose the best of the lot. Last edited by tsk1979 : 9th January 2006 at 17:16.
	() Thanks

9th January 2006, 17:23	#273
Sam Kapasi Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai (but wat Posts: 6,935 Thanked: 2,483 Times View My Garage	Mate, I checked with Acer Singapore. The only notebook using AMD processors is the ferrari series. If the price difference is $200 or $300, I'd rather buy the ferrari anyways. Aakhir I'm also a TBHP member. Steeroid - I will wait for your go ahead. Please consider that the laptop you are suggesting (S58) has a 32 bit processor as opposed to the ferrari's 64 bit. Also strangely, Acer India has not even heard of the 4005 and can only offer me the 4002, with the 1.6Ghz Turion and 80GB drive for Rs 93000/- Even if i want to, I cant buy from India. Also, i checked online- the earlier problems were on the ferrari 3000 series. Would you still suggest the S58? Last edited by Sam Kapasi : 9th January 2006 at 17:35.
	() Thanks

9th January 2006, 18:10	#274
airfoil BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 318 Thanked: 81 Times	The 3000 series had the all show and no go problem, not the 4000. Hell, its not like Sony Vaios have been top performers either! In general, they do look cool as well but the "all show no go" tag has applied to many a Sony in the past. I stick with my vote for the Ferrari. Whatever you decide to buy, here are a couple of general pointers: * Make sure you're getting the right battery with your purchase. Often there's a lower capacity lithium battery supplied as OE. * 2 GB is mostly overkill, unless you've experienced a memory shortage while using your current lappie. More RAM will mean more power is used up, lowering battery life. * Lappies typically come with 2 slots for memory. One slot is sometimes soldered onto the board while the other is accessible to users for an upgrade. So if you know you want 2 gigs of memory in all; and you're going to start with 1 GB: you'll want to ensure that you start with one 1 GB stick instead of two 512 MB sticks. * A nice upgrade is replacing the stock 5400 rpm drive with a 7200 rpm one. Here's the 7200 drive to buy: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...tCode=100528-4 * Ensure that all media (operating system, restore CDs drivers, bundled software etc.) ships with the lappie. And hey, if you can somehow do your shopping in the US, you'd save a few bucks (good online merchant): http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...e=pricegrabber If it is shipped to a non California address, you pay no tax, just US$ 20 for 2 day shipping. Last edited by airfoil : 9th January 2006 at 18:17.
	() Thanks

10th January 2006, 08:33	#278
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 213 Times View My Garage	buddy windows vista is not even out yet. How can you give your judgement? I just typed here what microsoft has claimed. I have also been using the 64-bit for more than a year. Its fun to roam around searching for drivers and softwares and applications. I got the cd straight from microsoft. So tsk1979 whats your take on the windows 64-bit. my impressions of windows 64-bit is what makes me conclude that amd turion is still the best mobile cpu around in the business.
	() Thanks

10th January 2006, 10:47	#281
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,689 Thanked: 23,495 Times View My Garage	Does the beta have DRM?
	() Thanks

10th January 2006, 10:53	#282
Sam Kapasi Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai (but wat Posts: 6,935 Thanked: 2,483 Times View My Garage	What have you'll done to my simple query? This is my punishment na? For what Navin and I do in the ICE section? Where some simple soul asks what speaker to put in his Zen and Navin and I start discussing second order harmonics. Last edited by Sam Kapasi : 10th January 2006 at 10:55.
	() Thanks

10th January 2006, 11:08	#283
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,689 Thanked: 23,495 Times View My Garage	Yes a well deserved punishment . It looks like finally you are on the receiving end. And while we are at it let me tell ya, when you go shopping in singapore, make sure your bargain hard. Its possible to get 40% of items if your skills have been honed in national market.
	() Thanks

10th January 2006, 11:29	#284
Sam Kapasi Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai (but wat Posts: 6,935 Thanked: 2,483 Times View My Garage	OK chalo, someones coming from the USA - my ferrari's coming on the 2nd of feb YAYAYAYAY!!!!
	() Thanks