The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

greenh0rn · 3rd March 2005, 20:28

i've used several laptops, and am a big fan of IBM's sheer usability, especially the high-end models (T42 is a personal favorite). Toshiba comes next, and Dell and compaq round up the top league.

For you Mansi, i'd suggest following criterian:

1. Light-weight: At 70k, you should look at ultra-portables weighing in 1.200-1.800 kg range), but they must have inbuilt DVD/CDRW drive (never sacrifice internal drive for super-ultra-portability, as I did recently with my new BenQ 6000 and am ruing this :( )

2. 12" screen: People make too much of laptop screen sizes..I think 14" and 15" are totally useless. Most ultraports come with 12" screens, you just need to figure out the screen layout and ensure key sizes are not compromised (an issue with some companies' ultraports)

3. Centrino: Simply stated, it means is that in about a year's time, you could simply take your ultraport out, sit on a cafe chair or an airport lounge sofa or a railway station bench ;-) and get connected to Internet wirelessly! Don't run after GigaHertz speeds of processor, older centrinos are a steal provided they come at a massive discount!

4. Battery backup: The manual should talk of a 4-hour runtime at least...though you get all-day portables today in the higher-ends

5. Brands: In order of my preference: IBM, Toshiba, Dell, Compaq, Samsung/LG, Acer, ACI, Assembled laptop, Korean assembled laptop, home made laptop

Hmm... I think that should be it. Happy Hunting!

jesal · 14th March 2005, 11:21

ok i have this 1 query my uncle wants to sell his lappie he got from the us just because he does not use it anymore. the config is p4 2.8 ghz, 40gb hdd, combo drive, has a graphic card dunno which brand is dell blue in colour i have used it before for a while. comes with all the normal extras. 512 ram wht say how much should i offer. he wants 35k for it im plannin it for 25k. suggestions please

greenh0rn · 14th March 2005, 17:09

you should get it for 30k max.

Gordon · 14th March 2005, 17:33

Need a new laptop. Requirements are as follows:

Budget: Rs 50,000
RAM: Preferred 512MB, 256 would also do
Processor: Preferred Pentium P4 2.4Ghz, 1.8 Centrino will also do.
HDD: 40GB
Weight: The average is around 2.5kgs right?
Drives: DVD-ROM-CD-Writer
Bluetooth

GTO · 14th March 2005, 17:37

Gordon,

I suggest PM'ing Team-BHPian "R.P.M." He and your brother V12 are co-workers. He will be able to source a laptop from the states for you cos your budget would restrict finding such a config in India.

GTO

satish_appasani · 14th March 2005, 17:58

Hi Manaa....
Your requirements match with mine.
I have a company provided laptop i use for developing .NET applications. I also keep running SQL Server(most of the time) and Oracle (Some times). Also, I play games like NFS Underground2 on my laptop and the graphics smooth (SO, Photoshop should be a cake walk for my machnine)
Now the config

HP Compaq nx9010, P4 2.4, 512 MB RAM, DVD R - CD-RW, 40 GB HDD, Firewire, 15"monitor.

Now the cons are, the weight. 3.5 KGs. I threw away my leather laptop back and bought a good Samsonite backpack. It's not a sleek machine. The height is 1.9" when closed. It generates too much heat. The max heat is when I am playing NFS UG2.

This machine was bought in US. But the same model was Rs.95,000 in India an year back. So now similar specs must fall within your budget.

We have 3 toshibas in our company which are 1.5 to 3 years old. All three are dead by now.

Note: Check that your system ships with Win XP Professional. You need that for .NET development. XP Home is useless because it does not come with IIS.
Also i suggest having Wi-Fi lan. Wi-Fi hotspots in India may be happening in the near future.

cooldude585 · 14th March 2005, 19:14

hey guys i am into computers i have an IBM T42
Centrino 1.7 2mb L2Cache (Dothan its the newer centrino)
40GB HDD
1GB Ram
14.1" TFT LCD
WIFI, BLuetooth enabled
CDWRITER-DVD combo
its just 1" thick and weighs like 2.2 kgs
and all the other standard accessories
model number is IBM T42-2373 FWG and i have put another 512MB Ram the default comes with 512MB so total 1GB
ive bought it in november it came with 3yrs international warranty.i am thinking of selling it as i will be buying a tablet pc this time round when i make a trip to dubai ... pm or just post here and the laptop sells here for atleast 1,20,00rs in india

jesal · 15th March 2005, 11:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenh0rn

you should get it for 30k max.

i was thinking to offer 20k max

greenh0rn · 15th March 2005, 12:22

20k is a steal, jesal. Good luck

R.P.M · 15th March 2005, 17:29

Hey guys,

Since many of the members have been looking for laptops I have started this thread. I will keep updating this thread when any new deals are available. These are the best deals that are available as of now.

GTO can vouch for the quality and pricing of all these laptops.

COMPAQ 2100 series

AMD athlon 2800xp moblie
512 MB DD RAM
60 GB HDD
DVD CDRW (COMBO)
15" XGA TFT SCREEN
WI-FI (WIRELESS LAN)
ALL STANDARD PORTS.

Price--- Rs 48,000

TOSHIBA A 75 series

PENTIUM 4 3.2ghz MOBLIE
512 MB DD RAM
60 GB HDD
DVD WRITER
WI-FI
BLUETOOTH
15.4 WXGA SCREEN (WIDESCREEN)
ALL STANDARD PORTS.

Price--- Rs 76,000

HP ZT 3000 SERIES

INTEL CENTRINO 1.7 ghz
1024 MB DD RAM
80 GB HDD
DVD CDRW (COMBO)
15.4 WXGA SCREEN (WIDESCREEN)
WI-FI
BLUETOOTH
ALL STANDARD PORTS

Price--- Rs 83,000

HP ZX 5000 SERIES

PENTIUM 4 3.06 ghz
1024 MB DD RAM
80 GB HDD
DVD CDRW (COMBO)
15.4 WXGA XBRITE SCREEN (WIDESCREEN)
WI-FI
BLUETOOTH
128 MB DEDICATED GRAPHICS CARD
ALL STANDARD PORTS

Price--- Rs 84,000

HP ZX 5000 SERIES

PENTIUM 4 3.06 ghz
512 MB DD RAM
60 GB HDD
DVD WRITER
WI-FI
BLUETOOTH
15.4 WXGA SCREEN (WIDESCREEN)
ALL STANDARD PORTS

Price--- Rs 71,000

PM me if you want any more details or have any specific configs in mind.

Peace out.

cooldude585 · 15th March 2005, 18:11

any 64 bit laptops which compaq and hp, acer have launched and prefrerably with linux installed as it would reduce the price considerably ...

Gordon · 15th March 2005, 18:29

Hey R.P.M.,

thanks for the price list, just a few questions:

are these branded laptops?
Are they used/new?
Warranty?
I didn't find the 2100 model on the HP Compaq India site, must be sold only abroad. However I checked on Cnet.com and found the following information:
Processor manufacturer - Processor type - Clock speed-- Intel Pentium 4-M (2.4 GHz)
RAM installed-- 512 MB DDR SDRAM
Hard drive size - controller type - hard drive type-- 60 GB IDE Internal
CD / DVD type-- CD-RW / DVD-ROM
Removable storage type-- None
Input device type - form factor-- Keyboard, Touchpad
Weight-- 8 lbs
Dimensions (W x D x H)-- 13 in x 10.8 in x 1.6 in
Display size - technology - form factor-- 15 in TFT active matrix
Max resolution-- 1024 x 768
Video output-- AGP 4x
Audio output-- Sound card
Type-- Network adapter
Modem-- 56 Kbps Fax / modem Integrated
Battery installed-- 1 Lithium ion
Mfr estimated battery life-- 3 hour(s)
OS provided-- Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Service & support type-- 1 year warranty
Price: $999 [approx Rs 45000]

Could you get this one with the Pentium 2.4 GHz Processor??
Original Windows XP Home Edition?
Any other accessories?!

R.P.M · 15th March 2005, 19:11

Hey Gordon,

All of the laptops are brand new.

All of them have a one year international warranty ( manufacturer)

All of them are imported from the US so i dont think you will find it on the indian website.

Most of the laptops in the US are built to order. The series will remain the same but the configs will differ as per the buyers requirements.

And dont forget to add tax,shipping and customs duties to the listed price of all the laptops in the US.

The ZX 5000 ( 512 MB ) has a 64 MB dedicated graphics card and the rest of the laptops have 64 MB shared graphics cards.

khanak · 15th March 2005, 20:09

i thought the govt had relaxed the customs on laptops to promote their use
wht shipping charges do you add
can i configure any laptop online an pay you for it in mumbai after adding the shipping and your margin?
got any tablets?

R.P.M · 15th March 2005, 20:20

Hey Khanak,

A friend of mine imports these laptops. Im just posting on his behalf.

As far as i know the customs duty is about 18% and it is calculated on the value of the laptop when sold in India. And the shipping from the US to india is close to 100 usd.

I will call him first thing tommorow and ask him if he has any tablets in stock. I think he has got a few panasonic toughbooks.

Peace out.

3rd March 2005, 20:28	#46
greenh0rn BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 427 Thanked: 153 Times	i've used several laptops, and am a big fan of IBM's sheer usability, especially the high-end models (T42 is a personal favorite). Toshiba comes next, and Dell and compaq round up the top league. For you Mansi, i'd suggest following criterian: 1. Light-weight: At 70k, you should look at ultra-portables weighing in 1.200-1.800 kg range), but they must have inbuilt DVD/CDRW drive (never sacrifice internal drive for super-ultra-portability, as I did recently with my new BenQ 6000 and am ruing this :( ) 2. 12" screen: People make too much of laptop screen sizes..I think 14" and 15" are totally useless. Most ultraports come with 12" screens, you just need to figure out the screen layout and ensure key sizes are not compromised (an issue with some companies' ultraports) 3. Centrino: Simply stated, it means is that in about a year's time, you could simply take your ultraport out, sit on a cafe chair or an airport lounge sofa or a railway station bench ;-) and get connected to Internet wirelessly! Don't run after GigaHertz speeds of processor, older centrinos are a steal provided they come at a massive discount! 4. Battery backup: The manual should talk of a 4-hour runtime at least...though you get all-day portables today in the higher-ends 5. Brands: In order of my preference: IBM, Toshiba, Dell, Compaq, Samsung/LG, Acer, ACI, Assembled laptop, Korean assembled laptop, home made laptop Hmm... I think that should be it. Happy Hunting! Last edited by greenh0rn : 3rd March 2005 at 20:31.
	() Thanks

14th March 2005, 11:21	#47
jesal BANNED Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 2,323 Thanked: 17 Times View My Garage	ok i have this 1 query my uncle wants to sell his lappie he got from the us just because he does not use it anymore. the config is p4 2.8 ghz, 40gb hdd, combo drive, has a graphic card dunno which brand is dell blue in colour i have used it before for a while. comes with all the normal extras. 512 ram wht say how much should i offer. he wants 35k for it im plannin it for 25k. suggestions please
	() Thanks

14th March 2005, 17:09	#48
greenh0rn BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 427 Thanked: 153 Times	you should get it for 30k max.
	() Thanks

14th March 2005, 17:33	#49
Gordon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 2,549 Thanked: 508 Times View My Garage	Need a new laptop. Requirements are as follows: Budget: Rs 50,000 RAM: Preferred 512MB, 256 would also do Processor: Preferred Pentium P4 2.4Ghz, 1.8 Centrino will also do. HDD: 40GB Weight: The average is around 2.5kgs right? Drives: DVD-ROM-CD-Writer Bluetooth
	() Thanks

14th March 2005, 17:37	#50
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 71,834 Thanked: 322,805 Times View My Garage	Gordon, I suggest PM'ing Team-BHPian "R.P.M." He and your brother V12 are co-workers. He will be able to source a laptop from the states for you cos your budget would restrict finding such a config in India. GTO
	() Thanks

14th March 2005, 17:58	#51
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,114 Thanked: 110 Times View My Garage	Hi Manaa.... Your requirements match with mine. I have a company provided laptop i use for developing .NET applications. I also keep running SQL Server(most of the time) and Oracle (Some times). Also, I play games like NFS Underground2 on my laptop and the graphics smooth (SO, Photoshop should be a cake walk for my machnine) Now the config HP Compaq nx9010, P4 2.4, 512 MB RAM, DVD R - CD-RW, 40 GB HDD, Firewire, 15"monitor. Now the cons are, the weight. 3.5 KGs. I threw away my leather laptop back and bought a good Samsonite backpack. It's not a sleek machine. The height is 1.9" when closed. It generates too much heat. The max heat is when I am playing NFS UG2. This machine was bought in US. But the same model was Rs.95,000 in India an year back. So now similar specs must fall within your budget. We have 3 toshibas in our company which are 1.5 to 3 years old. All three are dead by now. Note: Check that your system ships with Win XP Professional. You need that for .NET development. XP Home is useless because it does not come with IIS. Also i suggest having Wi-Fi lan. Wi-Fi hotspots in India may be happening in the near future.
	() Thanks

14th March 2005, 19:14	#52
cooldude585 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: MUmbai Posts: 27 Thanked: 0 Times	hey guys i am into computers i have an IBM T42 Centrino 1.7 2mb L2Cache (Dothan its the newer centrino) 40GB HDD 1GB Ram 14.1" TFT LCD WIFI, BLuetooth enabled CDWRITER-DVD combo its just 1" thick and weighs like 2.2 kgs and all the other standard accessories model number is IBM T42-2373 FWG and i have put another 512MB Ram the default comes with 512MB so total 1GB ive bought it in november it came with 3yrs international warranty.i am thinking of selling it as i will be buying a tablet pc this time round when i make a trip to dubai ... pm or just post here and the laptop sells here for atleast 1,20,00rs in india
	() Thanks

15th March 2005, 12:22	#54
greenh0rn BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 427 Thanked: 153 Times	20k is a steal, jesal. Good luck
	() Thanks

15th March 2005, 17:29	#55
R.P.M BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 217 Thanked: 52 Times	Laptop configs and prices - cheapest in Mumbai Hey guys, Since many of the members have been looking for laptops I have started this thread. I will keep updating this thread when any new deals are available. These are the best deals that are available as of now. GTO can vouch for the quality and pricing of all these laptops. COMPAQ 2100 series AMD athlon 2800xp moblie 512 MB DD RAM 60 GB HDD DVD CDRW (COMBO) 15" XGA TFT SCREEN WI-FI (WIRELESS LAN) ALL STANDARD PORTS. Price--- Rs 48,000 TOSHIBA A 75 series PENTIUM 4 3.2ghz MOBLIE 512 MB DD RAM 60 GB HDD DVD WRITER WI-FI BLUETOOTH 15.4 WXGA SCREEN (WIDESCREEN) ALL STANDARD PORTS. Price--- Rs 76,000 HP ZT 3000 SERIES INTEL CENTRINO 1.7 ghz 1024 MB DD RAM 80 GB HDD DVD CDRW (COMBO) 15.4 WXGA SCREEN (WIDESCREEN) WI-FI BLUETOOTH ALL STANDARD PORTS Price--- Rs 83,000 HP ZX 5000 SERIES PENTIUM 4 3.06 ghz 1024 MB DD RAM 80 GB HDD DVD CDRW (COMBO) 15.4 WXGA XBRITE SCREEN (WIDESCREEN) WI-FI BLUETOOTH 128 MB DEDICATED GRAPHICS CARD ALL STANDARD PORTS Price--- Rs 84,000 HP ZX 5000 SERIES PENTIUM 4 3.06 ghz 512 MB DD RAM 60 GB HDD DVD WRITER WI-FI BLUETOOTH 15.4 WXGA SCREEN (WIDESCREEN) ALL STANDARD PORTS Price--- Rs 71,000 PM me if you want any more details or have any specific configs in mind. Peace out.
	() Thanks

15th March 2005, 18:11	#56
cooldude585 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: MUmbai Posts: 27 Thanked: 0 Times	any 64 bit laptops which compaq and hp, acer have launched and prefrerably with linux installed as it would reduce the price considerably ...
	() Thanks

15th March 2005, 18:29	#57
Gordon Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 2,549 Thanked: 508 Times View My Garage	Hey R.P.M., thanks for the price list, just a few questions: are these branded laptops? Are they used/new? Warranty? I didn't find the 2100 model on the HP Compaq India site, must be sold only abroad. However I checked on Cnet.com and found the following information: Processor manufacturer - Processor type - Clock speed-- Intel Pentium 4-M (2.4 GHz) RAM installed-- 512 MB DDR SDRAM Hard drive size - controller type - hard drive type-- 60 GB IDE Internal CD / DVD type-- CD-RW / DVD-ROM Removable storage type-- None Input device type - form factor-- Keyboard, Touchpad Weight-- 8 lbs Dimensions (W x D x H)-- 13 in x 10.8 in x 1.6 in Display size - technology - form factor-- 15 in TFT active matrix Max resolution-- 1024 x 768 Video output-- AGP 4x Audio output-- Sound card Type-- Network adapter Modem-- 56 Kbps Fax / modem Integrated Battery installed-- 1 Lithium ion Mfr estimated battery life-- 3 hour(s) OS provided-- Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Service & support type-- 1 year warranty Price: $999 [approx Rs 45000] Could you get this one with the Pentium 2.4 GHz Processor?? Original Windows XP Home Edition? Any other accessories?!
	() Thanks

15th March 2005, 19:11	#58
R.P.M BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 217 Thanked: 52 Times	Hey Gordon, All of the laptops are brand new. All of them have a one year international warranty ( manufacturer) All of them are imported from the US so i dont think you will find it on the indian website. Most of the laptops in the US are built to order. The series will remain the same but the configs will differ as per the buyers requirements. And dont forget to add tax,shipping and customs duties to the listed price of all the laptops in the US. The ZX 5000 ( 512 MB ) has a 64 MB dedicated graphics card and the rest of the laptops have 64 MB shared graphics cards.
	() Thanks

15th March 2005, 20:09	#59
khanak Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Mumbai/Toronto Posts: 2,868 Thanked: 371 Times View My Garage	i thought the govt had relaxed the customs on laptops to promote their use wht shipping charges do you add can i configure any laptop online an pay you for it in mumbai after adding the shipping and your margin? got any tablets?
	() Thanks

15th March 2005, 20:20	#60
R.P.M BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 217 Thanked: 52 Times	Hey Khanak, A friend of mine imports these laptops. Im just posting on his behalf. As far as i know the customs duty is about 18% and it is calculated on the value of the laptop when sold in India. And the shipping from the US to india is close to 100 usd. I will call him first thing tommorow and ask him if he has any tablets in stock. I think he has got a few panasonic toughbooks. Peace out.
	() Thanks