Buying a Laptop

[Velvet Hart]

ok to start off Im just going to say yes I know a desktop is the way to go and I know all the arguments about that and that I own a desktop but I am going to be travelling around for the next year and so lugging a desktop with me isnt going to be possible lol

Im looking for a new laptop. I know all the problems they have with SL as SL is very intensive on a computer.

I don't have a huge budget, around £500 (Im in the UK btw) ... I've been looking and looking but eventually all the numbers seem to bleed into one and ones you think are better than the other on closer inspection turn out to be worse which makes it all very frustrating.

Right now Im looking at this laptop:

http://www.dabs.com/products/lenovo-ideapad-z580-15-6--core-i5-3230m-8gb-1tb-dvdrw-2gb-nvidia-gt635m-windows-8---red-8GT3.html?q=lenovo%20red&src=16

 

Lenovo IdeaPad Z580 2151 - 15.6" - Core i5 HDD

System Type Notebook  

Processor Intel Core i5 (3rd Gen) / 3 MB Cache - Dual Core - 64 bit computing

Chipset Mobile Intel HM76 Express

Graphics  2 GB Nvidia GT635M

Memory 8G DDR3 SDRAM

Speed 1600 MHz / PC3-12800

Form Factor SO DIMM 204-pin

Storage HDD / 5400 rpm

Interface Serial ATA-300 

Features Integrated memory controller, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0  

 

You can get the full specs on the link above. Please do bear in mind I am in the UK and will need to purchase in the UK :D thank you for your help!      

[Orca Flotta]

Sounds good to me, Velvet. All things considering and blahblah ... well, you know. :smileyhappy:

i5 3rd gen? Check! :smileyhappy:

Enough RAM? Check! :smileyhappy:

GPU? In that pricerange you won't find any much better. Check! :smileyhappy:

Plus it's an IBM Lenovo, so proven and trusted quality on professional level. Made by the proper chinese, not some taiwanese wannabes. I'd say go for it. :smileyvery-happy:

 

EDIT: just found on the website of a german dealer it comes now with the GT-640, not 635. Try to get one of those.

[Velvet Hart]

ooo now thats Interesting, everywhere I've looked so far in the UK says GT-635M 

Can you paste me a link to the GT-640 please if possible? Thank you!

[Phil Deakins]

If you do go for the German dealer, check that it won't have the German language version of Windows on it - or of anything important.

[beanster Potato]

Luckily you can easily swap languages in win8 (every edition)

[Velvet Hart]

I think I'd definately prefer buying in the UK rather than from Europe but was just interested to see the page and see if there were any details on the model number or anything that I could use to search in the UK for one with the GT-640

Everytime I search for the 640 one it comes up with the 635  so either Im doing something wrong (which wouldnt surprise me when it comes to searching things) or it doesnt exist in the UK  

[Phil Deakins]

---

Velvet Hart wrote:

I think I'd definately prefer buying in the UK rather than from Europe

but was just interested to see the page and see if there were any details on the model number or anything that I could use to search in the UK for one with the GT-640

Everytime I search for the 640 one it comes up with the 635  so either Im doing something wrong (which wouldnt surprise me when it comes to searching things) or it doesnt exist in the UK

 

---

I'd rather buy something like a computer locally than mail order because, if it's faulty or goes faulty, it's easy to return.

I've only ever bought 2 things from Dabs (mail order) - 2 identical monitors - and both were faulty. One had 2 dead pixels and the other would often blur slightly, although it was still usable. Sending them back was too much of a hassle so I put up with them. Both having faults was such a coincidence that I decided they were returns that, since the faults were small, Dabs sent out again, knowing that someone would keep them eventually.

I only ever bought one laptop - locally, from PC World. It went wrong after almost a year. So, for stuff like that, I buy locally, even when it costs a bit more. I prefer the ease and speed of getting a fault dealt with.

[Velvet Hart]

Yes definately for sure, thats why I prefer to buy locally really if I can. I have been to physical stores like PC World and other places, but all they usually sell are integrated graphics which I don't want and anything with dedicated graphics are either really low memory or hugely high in price which are both useless to me.

It seems nearly everywhere online that sells computers has bad reviews for one thing or another so it seems its more the luck of the draw these days. When I bought my last computer a few years ago online from DELL I ended up having to return it twice due to start up issues and bios issues.

 

[Orca Flotta]

Here's the missing link:

http://www.notebooksbilliger.de/notebooks/lenovo+notebooks/lenovo+lifestyle+home/lenovo+ideapad+z580

But be warned, that shop is mostly servicing Germany and Austria so most their products are sporting german keyboard layout. You know, with them funny extra special umlaut keys and the dreaded ß. :smileysurprised:

And contrary to the one poster here who claims it's easy to switch to english (which it is) it won't help you getting rid of the actual keys. BTW, that's not something new in Win8; as far as I can think back (and that's quite a while) all Windows versions could do the trick. So are doing all the yummy Linux distros. Can't say about Mac but I assume switching the keyboard layout is possible in their elitist world as well.

So, yes, by all means, no mattter if local shop or mailorder: buy from a UK retailer.