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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: jetcrew on May 14, 2016, 08:42:21 AM
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Trying to sort the hay from the chaff ..can anyone recomend a new lap top UNDER $500.
Uses are
Email
put photos and video on it and back up to hard drive
watch movies via hard drive
Not a whole lot more ..its simply a mass storage and management device for our trip. Our HP dm3-1021TX lap top intel core 2 duo just died critically I paid 1k many years ago and it prob not worth a fix up.
So rather than relying on tablets to store footage and stuff over 4 mths I need a new lap top / notebook .
It really is only for this purpose but none of the specs make sense to me anymore ..I know I3 I5 I7 and what that means but after that I cant work out what i need
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/ (https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/)
looking at this I can see whats what and advice appreciated ..some seem cheap at well under $500 and if $300 is all i need to spend then all good ;D
Thanks techy gurus ;D ;D
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Jet
For those uses almost anything on the market will do.
I would stick with one of the brand names for the service capabilities (although most are back to base now).
Based on your requirements look for one with at least 4GB of RAM, pretty much any processor and the biggest drive you can get for all those movies and photos.
Then the biggest decision will be form factor. Do you want something ultra portable or something with a decent sized screen for the family to all view.
Beyond that most of the rest of the features are less important: Touch Screens, numbers of ports etc...
You really can get some good machines in that $3-500 bracket and if you go in store they will often have older models discounted even further - which may be worth looking at for the modest uses you have outlined.
Ben
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I entered 4GB and this came up ..lots of the others are only 2Gb so it seems that the ram adds to the cost but if 4 is where i should aim then this is still very well priced .
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/lenovo/lenovo-ideapad-100s-14-laptop/945791/ (https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/lenovo/lenovo-ideapad-100s-14-laptop/945791/)
ot this one
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/acer/acer-aspire-es1-420-39ac-14-notebook/944793/ (https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/acer/acer-aspire-es1-420-39ac-14-notebook/944793/)
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Jet
I would be a bit wary of the Lenovo for your use case as it only has 32Gb of flash storage - this would be great for a kids school laptop but for your stated use case of media will be an issue.
The Acer would be a far better fit for you as 500Gb is a decent size and you could always buy an USB external drive to add to that for your longer term backups.
You may be able to get by with 2Gb of RAM but in this day the RAM is almost always going to be a bigger limiting factor as processors are just so powerful that in most cases you won't really be pushing them.
Ben
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when asked now what recommendation i have for laptops, i normally go with lenovo...
even after the buyout from ibm, their build quality is pretty good.
even the cheaper models are well built and offer good functionality for the pricing...
we have one ourselves here ('edge' series) and it has been a trooper for a few years now... get's carted around to the wife's baton twirling coaching week in and week out and it hasn't missed a beat...
http://www3.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-edge/c/thinkpade (http://www3.lenovo.com/au/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-edge/c/thinkpade)
you can buy directly from the lenovo website (lenovo.com.au), but delivery can be a couple of weeks, depending on model.
happy to take a PM to help out with questions, jet.. or a phone call...
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Thanks ben
so some shopping perameters are
4 gb ram
500 gb hard drive
what other things should I be looking fior or staying clear of ..if that acer is not bad spec wise it certainty fits the budget.
Jet ;D
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Jet
I would be a bit wary of the Lenovo for your use case as it only has 32Gb of flash storage - this would be great for a kids school laptop but for your stated use case of media will be an issue.
Ben
agree with the flash storage as the main medium... stick with a hard drive...
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Paceman / Ben
thanks for your time guys ..really appreciate it :cup:
they look the goods to hey ..
so agreed 4 GB ram (will come in the price no probs by the looks of things)
500 GB hard drive not flash (again as above )
so then whats the go with atheon vs I3 etc etc and grapics cards
Jet
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if it was me choosing, and this is purely a personal opinion, i would choose the laptop with the intel processor...
in my experience, they are a bit less troublesome and the intel onboard graphics are perfectly fine for day to day operation...
just my opinion... don't want to start a war.
depending on availability, this one might be OK..
http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-100-15-6-laptop-1.html (http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-100-15-6-laptop-1.html)
this one has a smaller screen, but offers something different with regards to form factor...
http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/acer-aspire-r3-131t-c62x-11-6-laptop.html (http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/acer-aspire-r3-131t-c62x-11-6-laptop.html)
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I agree, Lenovo certainly make decent laptops (I worked for them for a short while after IBM sold my business unit to them) but realistically most laptops actually get manufactured by a small number of ODM's in Taiwan or China, regardless of what brand you buy.
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if it was me choosing, and this is purely a personal opinion, i would choose the laptop with the intel processor...
in my experience, they are a bit less troublesome and the intel onboard graphics are perfectly fine for day to day operation...
just my opinion... don't want to start a war.
I wouldn't disagree here, there is nothing wrong with AMD graphics but the Intel Graphics just seem to be pretty stable.
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For my money you can't go past a Dell Latitude. They are a business grade laptop and really good value for money if you can pick one up from their factory outlet. Unfortunately they are out of stock ATM so it depends on how much time you have..
Dell Outlet (http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/products/quickship/au/en/latitude?c=au&l=en&s=dfo)
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Paceman / Ben
thanks for your time guys ..really appreciate it :cup:
they look the goods to hey ..
so agreed 4 GB ram (will come in the price no probs by the looks of things)
500 GB hard drive not flash (again as above )
so then whats the go with atheon vs I3 etc etc and grapics cards
Jet
The only real way to compare processors is to compare their benchmark scores, Google is your friend for this. The other major consideration is size and form, this varies from person and is usually a portability vs usability consideration that is best done in the fresh. They will also come with Windows 10 preinstalled, might be able to ask your son for help with this ;D
edit
500 GB hard drive not flash (again as above )
Jet
also Flash/ssd is much better, but you would struggle to get one big enough in your price range.
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The only real way to compare processors is to compare their benchmark scores, Google is your friend for this. The other major consideration is size and form, this varies from person and is usually a portability vs usability consideration that is best done in the fresh. They will also come with Windows 10 preinstalled, might be able to ask your son for help with this ;D
Yeah your right there..hes on my SHI# list again today his boss rang my wife at 0600 asking where little pettel was... found him asleep in his bed after playing computer games all night till 0100... "my alarm did not go OFF " he said
his alarm might not have but i sure did ..Told his boss to dock his pay for the full hour to teach him a lesson and kick his back side.. but boss is to soft ..bloody kids .. no commitment and no ticker these days.
he did a have a little laugh last night at me trying to google how to fix the lap top then told me "new ones will have windows 109 anyway so why did i a waste his time reinstating 7.
There is going to be a gloves on session in the shed very soon ..wife can see the warning signs ...LOL
anyway back to lap tops .. yes you are right i have resigned myself to having to learn windows 10 but the 9 yo says they use it at school so he will help me ....LOL
Thanks for the links to machines .. It might be easier just to buy a recommended one rather than me trying to learn the knowledge you guys have .
Jet ;D
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if it was me choosing, and this is purely a personal opinion, i would choose the laptop with the intel processor...
in my experience, they are a bit less troublesome and the intel onboard graphics are perfectly fine for day to day operation...
just my opinion... don't want to start a war.
depending on availability, this one might be OK..
http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-100-15-6-laptop-1.html (http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-100-15-6-laptop-1.html)
this one has a smaller screen, but offers something different with regards to form factor...
http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/acer-aspire-r3-131t-c62x-11-6-laptop.html (http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/acer-aspire-r3-131t-c62x-11-6-laptop.html)
few reviews on poor battery life and heat from this machine whats your thoughts on that ..4.5hrs is that good/bad /ugly in terms of battery ..IU cant ever see myself using it for more that 4.5hrs in one stint away from power in any case.
Its well priced and seems to tick the boxes as suggested so its now taking Postion 1 unless a better package is found or recommend.
jet ;D
jet
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http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-100-15-6-laptop-1.html (http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-100-15-6-laptop-1.html)
This is the pole sitter right now does anyone have a better unit they know off for the sub $500
Jet ;D
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Dell sell their reconditioned units through Graysonline.
I picked up an Inspiron 7520 for $600 delivered, i7, 8GB ram, 1TB hard disk etc. I also bought a Latitude E6520 for a friend for $500 delivered, i7, 8GB ram, 750GB hard disk etc. You can buy limited warranties for the reconditioned units, but my attitude is if they are not dead on arrival you will generally be fine. Neither of these units has missed a beat. May be another option for you to consider.
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http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-100-15-6-laptop-1.html (http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/laptops/lenovo-ideapad-100-15-6-laptop-1.html)
This is the pole sitter right now does anyone have a better unit they know off for the sub $500
Jet ;D
keep looking....
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keep looking....
At what .. It's all brail to me 😃😃😃😃
I'm gunna be led by opinion
Jet ;D
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I'm gunna be led by opinion
Jet ;D
If you can "I also bought a Latitude E6520 for a friend for $500 delivered, i7, 8GB ram, 750GB hard disk etc. " then that's like a 100 series V an Austin 1800 auto compared to what your lookin at.
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If you can "I also bought a Latitude E6520 for a friend for $500 delivered, i7, 8GB ram, 750GB hard disk etc. " then that's like a 100 series V an Austin 1800 auto compared to what your lookin at.
says product is unavailable ..any other suggestions mate
or what would be comparable .
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If you can "I also bought a Latitude E6520 for a friend for $500 delivered, i7, 8GB ram, 750GB hard disk etc. " then that's like a 100 series V an Austin 1800 auto compared to what your lookin at.
That would be a excellent buy at that price but I would imagine something with those specs at that price would be quite a rare occurance, This one (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HP-250-G3-15-6-i3-4GB-500GB-Win-8-1-Laptop-HDMI-WiFi-USB3-0-BT-DVDRW-Notebook-/261318702206?hash=item3cd7cef47e:g:sakAAOSwNgxWDi7j)
I think is better than the one you listed but not as good as Birds but is available.
This (https://www.pricehipster.com.au/product?id=EyhPez8Ex) shows that Hardly Normal have regulary had your pole sitter "on special" for cheaper than the current "special"
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http://www.dell.com/au/business/p/inspiron-15-3552-laptop/pd?oc=z510433au&model_id=inspiron-15-3552-laptop (http://www.dell.com/au/business/p/inspiron-15-3552-laptop/pd?oc=z510433au&model_id=inspiron-15-3552-laptop)
This seems on par with the lenovo just not sure if its better operating sytem or not its what the dell site recommended
This is the I3 processor with 4Gb and 1 TB seems things improve a fair bit between $450 and $600 so maybe that extra $100 is worthwhile streching to
http://www.dell.com/au/business/p/inspiron-15-3558-laptop/pd?oc=z510434au&variant=&model_id=inspiron-15-3558-laptop (http://www.dell.com/au/business/p/inspiron-15-3558-laptop/pd?oc=z510434au&variant=&model_id=inspiron-15-3558-laptop)
Jet ;D
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http://www.dell.com/au/business/p/inspiron-15-3552-laptop/pd?oc=z510433au&model_id=inspiron-15-3552-laptop (http://www.dell.com/au/business/p/inspiron-15-3552-laptop/pd?oc=z510433au&model_id=inspiron-15-3552-laptop)
This seems on par with the lenovo just not sure if its better operating sytem or not its what the dell site recommended
Jet ;D
You can compare the processors of that one with the one I linked Here (http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Pentium-N3700-vs-Intel-Core-i3-5005U/m33474vsm24957)
If I were you I would be looking for a minamum core i3 processor, i5 or i7 would be even better but quite rare in the sub $500 price range.
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Sorry to throw a spanner in the works here but I would be looking to swap out the hard drive for an SSD. After many hours of corrogations a mechanical hdd may not be too impressed with the rough ride. Just sayin'
Maybe your external hdd would be in the same boat, or 100 series. ;D
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Sorry to throw a spanner in the works here but I would be looking to swap out the hard drive for an SSD. After many hours of corrogations a mechanical hdd may not be too impressed with the rough ride. Just sayin'
Maybe your external hdd would be in the same boat, or 100 series. ;D
+1
They are a nice cheap upgrade to a laptop nowadays...
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+1
They are a nice cheap upgrade to a laptop nowadays...
they aren't cheap for a decent size sadly otherwise it would be a great idea as he wants to use it for storage of photos/movies...
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http://www.computeralliance.com.au/hp-250-g3-l9v92pa-15.6-core-i5-notebook-windows-8.1 (http://www.computeralliance.com.au/hp-250-g3-l9v92pa-15.6-core-i5-notebook-windows-8.1)
Hows this look after re-looking with comments posted in mind
Up to $600 max now and loking for best processor and 4 gb
the 500gb is fine as I will have external hard drives, this home PC only has 500 and its served me fine .
seems like a good unit..
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they aren't cheap for a decent size sadly otherwise it would be a great idea as he wants to use it for storage of photos/movies...
$205 for Samsung 500GB at MSY. MSY may be worth checking out for a cheap laptop too, Bendale would probably be closest to jetcrew.
http://www.msy.com.au/home.php (http://www.msy.com.au/home.php)
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http://www.computeralliance.com.au/hp-250-g3-l9v92pa-15.6-core-i5-notebook-windows-8.1 (http://www.computeralliance.com.au/hp-250-g3-l9v92pa-15.6-core-i5-notebook-windows-8.1)
Hows this look after re-looking with comments posted in mind
Up to $600 max now and loking for best processor and 4 gb
the 500gb is fine as I will have external hard drives, this home PC only has 500 and its served me fine .
seems like a good unit..
I think that looks like a pretty good deal which will do everything you want, as others have said a SSD (solid state drive) as opposed to a the traditional HDD with it's moving parts is worth considering, you could ask them how much it would cost to upgrade too one and then decide if its worth it, I havent mentioned it as I normally hate it when someone is looking for something with a specified budget and people recommend things 50% more expensive. Have a read here (http://www.storagereview.com/ssd_vs_hdd) and it will spell out the differances, they used to be a lot more expensive but prices have come down a lot lately.
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thanks mate i found a good site to bring up comparisons and did a lot of reading on intel Vs AMD and the HP here has an A6 Quad which for the money scores pretty good on the cpu compaoro test thing . So need to compare that against the other one ..funilly enough the one we have is HP and they seem to do plenty of ports and stuff and they look sleek.
http://www.thegoodguys.com.au/CompareProductsDisplayView?storeId=900&catalogId=30000&langId=-1&compareReturnName=Laptops%20&%20Notebooks&searchTerm=&categoryId=11530&catentryId=765502;731003;731010;731012&returnUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegoodguys.com.au%2Fcomputers-tablets-and-accessories%2Fdesktop-and-laptop%2Flaptops-and-notebooks%3FfromPage%3Dcompare%23facet%3A11211410599101956585685840123534848325648481253256484841%26productBeginIndex%3A0%26orderBy%3A0%26pageView%3Agrid%26minPrice%3A%26maxPrice%3A%26pageSize%3A%26 (http://www.thegoodguys.com.au/CompareProductsDisplayView?storeId=900&catalogId=30000&langId=-1&compareReturnName=Laptops%20&%20Notebooks&searchTerm=&categoryId=11530&catentryId=765502;731003;731010;731012&returnUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegoodguys.com.au%2Fcomputers-tablets-and-accessories%2Fdesktop-and-laptop%2Flaptops-and-notebooks%3FfromPage%3Dcompare%23facet%3A11211410599101956585685840123534848325648481253256484841%26productBeginIndex%3A0%26orderBy%3A0%26pageView%3Agrid%26minPrice%3A%26maxPrice%3A%26pageSize%3A%26)
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http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i5-5200U-vs-AMD-A6-6310 (http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i5-5200U-vs-AMD-A6-6310)
Above are the scores for the 2 processors for the 2 HP ..it seems there are good buys on the HP ..of note is the i5 machine comes with windows 8 and the AMD has windows 10.
I will call them up on Monday and see if they can have windows 10 on it not even sure they are same model as good guys keep the model off the spec sheet.
If i can score the i5 machine with windows 10 thats a good deal from what i have learnt .
Thanks for all your help i have learnt more about computers and cpu etc today then I have learnt in my whole life ;D ;D
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http://cdn.msy.com.au/Parts/notebook.pdf (http://cdn.msy.com.au/Parts/notebook.pdf)
First unit on Mainstream 3 page 3 of the pdf, $519
HP 15-AF124AU(P4Y45PA)
CPU: AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 2.0GHz
64bit OS: Windows 10
RAM: 8GB DDR3
HDD: 1TB SATA
Graphic: Radeon HD Graphics
Integrated VGA
Screen: 15.6” LED Screen
*1yr Warranty *DVD Writer *Spk,Mic,HD Webcam
*WiFi *Card Reader *USB3.0 *HDMI *2.19kg
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Thanks filcar my eyes were shot but then i found the zoom feature
been doing some more research and in basic terms when looking at adds these are the scores out of 10 for the following these are not the best just the common ones in the cheaper lap tops
1st - i5 5200u 8.0/10
2nd - i35005u 7.9/10
3rd - A6 6310 6.8/10
4th - Pentium n3700 6.7/10
5th - A4 6210 6.6/10
6th - A6 5200 6.2/100
7th - Celeron 3050 6.1/10
So when reading adds look for the actuall model of the AMD A6 as you can see 1 of them comes 3rd and the other 6th .
I am no expert just spent an arvo reading and looking into it all hope that helps another novice when trying to work out whats what.
i have made up a reference sheet with all the ones in my price bracket to compare prices and equip.
Jet ;D
Jet
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I've bought a couple of these style laptops in the last 6 months. I got a Lenovo Yoga for me with a 128Gb SSD and Intel i5. Brilliant computer, but over your budget.
This week I got a similar, slightly downspec Acer Aspire R3-131T-P9TP 11.6" 2-in-1 Laptop for $528 http://www.harveynorman.com.au/acer-aspire-r3-131t-p9tp-11-6-2-in-1-laptop.html (http://www.harveynorman.com.au/acer-aspire-r3-131t-p9tp-11-6-2-in-1-laptop.html) . Tradeoffs for the price...it's got a traditional 500Gb HDD, lower res screen and not as good a CPU (still quad core Intel though). It's got proper USB slots, LAN port and HDMI out. Good little rig and will do my kid for a few years at high school. It's a good size to throw in a bag or in the glovebox too.
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Don't forget to look at the video card and screen resolution.. some of them are only 1366 x 768 and trust me you don't want to look at photos and movies on them...
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For my money you can't go past a Dell Latitude. They are a business grade laptop and really good value for money if you can pick one up from their factory outlet. Unfortunately they are out of stock ATM so it depends on how much time you have..
Dell Outlet (http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/products/quickship/au/en/latitude?c=au&l=en&s=dfo)
Plus whatever
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2011 We bought from the same Ebay Seller the unit I am posting on now.
Not there is nothing wrong with the laptop(ATM), but we needed another unit.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/171928945734?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/171928945734?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT)
Works a treat, maybe we were lucky ;D
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in relation to the dell
well I'll be came across this on the JB site will drop in there tomorrow and see if they actually have stock .
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/dell/dell-inspiron-15-3000-15-6-laptop/944781/ (https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/dell/dell-inspiron-15-3000-15-6-laptop/944781/)
Dell have them on sale with the pentium N3700 for $449
http://www.dell.com/au/p/inspiron-15-3552-laptop/pd?oc=z510433au&model_id=inspiron-15-3552-laptop (http://www.dell.com/au/p/inspiron-15-3552-laptop/pd?oc=z510433au&model_id=inspiron-15-3552-laptop)
think i might just go that way if they can supply as our home Pc is dell and still going and comes in under my $500 budget and the pentium is no slouch for what i want to do . and no bad reviews i could find for build quality and robustness which is what i will need .
its only 15.6-inch HD (1366 x 768) Truelife LED-Backlit Display I know thats lower BIRD but I need to pick something and under $500 something is a sacrifice
jet ;D
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take a USB with some photos and a movie on it and see how it looks.
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take a USB with some photos and a movie on it and see how it looks.
will do mate I will hit the shops and have a feel over a few tomorrow with a usb in hand but i,m not sure i will find better than that in the sub $500
jet ;D
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Traveling on the road since Jan 2015 we use a basic laptop computer and carry 2 x 1 Terra bite hard drives. It stores all our pics and movies we have downloaded.
Mark
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think i might just go that way if they can supply as our home Pc is dell and still going and comes in under my $500 budget and the pentium is no slouch for what i want to do . and no bad reviews i could find for build quality and robustness which is what i will need .
its only 15.6-inch HD (1366 x 768) Truelife LED-Backlit Display I know thats lower BIRD but I need to pick something and under $500 something is a sacrifice
jet ;D
I have heard people say that Dell's business grade computers (which people have been reccomending) are excellent but their consumer grade computers are not in the same league and can be a little hit and miss especially with age, it's probably not too different to any of the other brands though. For the price range your looking at HD instead of FHD is a sacrifice thats made but I personally dont think it's as big of a one as alot make out and will be no worse than what you are using now. Bird suggestion of having a look it the flesh is the way to go, sure FHD looks better but HD isnt bad. I personally would still go This one (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HP-250-G3-15-6-i3-4GB-500GB-Win-8-1-Laptop-HDMI-WiFi-USB3-0-BT-DVDRW-Notebook-/261318702206?hash=item3cd7cef47e:g:sakAAOSwNgxWDi7j) over the Dell for the extra $15. Also fyi all windows 7 & 8 computer's can upgrade free to 10 for free until the end of July so it doesnt really matter what it comes with.
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At jb and they have a
Lenovo G50 -45
Amd A6 6310
8Gb ram
1Tb hdd
$599
SEEMS A WELL BALANCED SYSTEM being told windows 10 will eat up 2gb of ram
Many systems with i3 have 4gb ram ..bloke reckons better with the A6 and 8 gb ram than an i3 with 4gb ram
Thoughts on that
Jet
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if ya happy - go with it... good chance you could upgrade it to Windows 7 as well :)
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if ya happy - go with it... good chance you could upgrade it to Windows 7 as well :)
Lol mate :D
I did drop into the pc shop as well and he offered a good one
Hp
I3 4th gen
8gb
500hd
$600 or upgrade to the latest gen i3 for $75 more
He realky took the time to explain the differences and spent 30min with us ..i will prob buy from him as a small store with excellent chstomer service ..they deserve the sale
So i beacket crept only $100 not bad i compred the A6 to the 4th gen i3 and the i3 still won out.
He also said he can replace the disk drive with a 128 solid state for $150 uf i feel i want more zing but not likley for me .
So an i3 is more than enough fir my needs and ge preferrs intell in laptops he said ..he uses amd in towers but reckons the amd run a little warmer in laptops ...not sure uf thats true but he did not try the hard sell ir anything .
He actalky listened to what we wanted instead of just pointing at 2k machines like harvey norman did
I showed him tne soecs on philcars link and he even agreed it was very good value ..just swap out the 5th gen a6 to an i3 .
Nearly there now having a coffe as my head hurts :D
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Theo
The local shop's offer sounds pretty good so I'd go with him rather than any of the big boys.
Ask him if he can load Windows 7 into it - the bloke I deal with refuses to have anything to do with 10, & installs 7 on all his shop build / refurb'ed machines! :D
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Theo
The local shop's offer sounds pretty good so I'd go with him rather than any of the big boys.
Ask him if he can load Windows 7 into it - the bloke I deal with refuses to have anything to do with 10, & installs 7 on all his shop build / refurb'ed machines! :D
was nearly there till he tried to give me a bum steer on the i3 ..I wa susing my myswag knowledge and using the comparion tool to check performance and he was tellibng me the 13 was a better version than what it was. he claims to have no meant to but it put me off buying right there ..he was just to vauge on excatly what i3 I would end up with and I got spooked.
Since then have come home and the lenovo site special is looking very good with the recomened E450
only 14inch but thats what we have now and actually prefer the size
I will post up a question below very soon regarding a $20 upgrade on the hard drive ..went back to JB to thank the guy for his time today..and told hime I was thinking of the lenovo special on line and he said .."jump at it best system for price" and he wished they had that sort of flexibilty to put better packages together.
Jet ;D
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I'd spend that little bit more for a Toshiba business one (15.6" screen is good bang for buck) as they'll take a bit of punishment and this guy is very competitive-
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Toshiba-Satellite-15-6-Laptop-Intel-i3-4GB-500GB-Windows-7-Pro-8-1-USB-3-0-HDMI-/231094942268?hash=item35ce54fa3c:g:vxgAAOSweW5VPtrY (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Toshiba-Satellite-15-6-Laptop-Intel-i3-4GB-500GB-Windows-7-Pro-8-1-USB-3-0-HDMI-/231094942268?hash=item35ce54fa3c:g:vxgAAOSweW5VPtrY)
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so herer is my question..
what is the difference between
500 GB HDD 7200rpm OR 500GB 5400rpm with 8GB cached Hard drive its a $20 upgrade
Dual band 3160AC Bluetooth 4.0 OR Intel dual band AC/B/G./N 7265 Its a $15 upgrade
Cheap upgrades are they worth anything to me ..can get the 14 or `15 at $600
i3 5005u 3Mb 2.0GHZ
8 Gb Ram PC3 - 12800 1600Mhz DIR3L
Then the hard drive option as above
Comes in at $619.00 delivered with above options selected or $549.00 without options selected
Jet
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so herer is my question..
what is the difference between
500 GB HDD 7200rpm OR 500GB 5400rpm with 8GB cached Hard drive its a $20 upgrade
Dual band 3160AC Bluetooth 4.0 OR Intel dual band AC/B/G./N 7265 Its a $15 upgrade
Cheap upgrades are they worth anything to me ..can get the 14 or `15 at $600
i3 5005u 3Mb 2.0GHZ
8 Gb Ram PC3 - 12800 1600Mhz DIR3L
Then the hard drive option as above
Comes in at $619.00 delivered with above options selected or $549.00 without options selected
Jet
stick with the 7200rpm, IMO, as the the drop to 5400 from 7200 is a big drop...
get the intel dual band ac/b/g/n
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Thanks mate ..
had no idea on that one so the system will now only be $564.00
I thionk thats a decent little lap top for $564 with quality processor and decent ram coupled with the durability of the lenvo .
i will call them tomorrow and place an order
Thanks everyone :cup: :cup: :cup:
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I think Brian Gill answers your question well here-
https://www.quora.com/Hybrid-5400-rpm-with-SSD-cache-or-7200-rpm-without-SSD-caching (https://www.quora.com/Hybrid-5400-rpm-with-SSD-cache-or-7200-rpm-without-SSD-caching)
SSD drives are fast on bootup and fast for lots of heavy crunch computing (which isn't what most of us do) but the drawback is unlike mechanical HDDs they give you no warning when they fail. In that respect you can up the RAM that also has fast interface with the motherboard but again what are you using it for? That's where the gamers want top processor, max RAM, SSD and powerful screen/video card with plenty of cache capacity. Are you a Gamer is the question and at what price point?
OK so how big a mech HDD do you need? About 500Gb to run any foreseeable software and you should be backing up all your music, video, files on another portable drive in case you get a hardware failure, killer virus or ransomware and remember you don't keep the backup/storage drive plugged in while you're net surfing, etc because you pick up a rootkit virus or ransomware and they'll knock that over too at the same time. Another tip is it's better to have more smaller drives (say 1TB) than a 3 or 4TB one in much the same way as you only need 500GB onboard running the laptop as smaller drives have greater longevity and are easier/quicker for the computer to search, all other things being equal. Lastly when they say it's a biz laptop like that Satellite Pro, you'll know it does most things well and it won't fall apart on you like some.
That's what I've gleaned from the geeks on Whirlpool Forums and it's stood me in good stead. I also like Dell PCs for their backup and the biz Toshiba 850 Satellite Pro I bought a couple of years ago has some excellent housekeeping software from Toshiba. It's hard to put a price on that when you see the cheaper offerings.
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Thanks mate i did a bit if reading too and i will stick with the single 7200rpm 500gb as paceman also suggested
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Well just when i thought i was done ..Lenovo say 2 maybe 3 weeks to get one..
I leave in 4 week actually less.. so the lenovo is out ..cant even buy it at a store either ..
It was a very well specced unit for $619 ..have totally stopped even bothering with stores and the online places I cant even call someone and when i can its just a call centre..
So I have gone to 2 computer shops and left my details and specs i want and they are going to put some prices and packages together for me.
both surprisingly dont do the HP G3 or G4 that all the onliners and mainstream shops sell..to many issues they both said ..Lenovo/toshiba and asus were the offerings so will wait for them to come to me now .
And both can do it in a week tops so watch this space for the final outcome.
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Don't forget one of these for the trip-
http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Notebooks/Power_Adaptors/49489-HK-NBCAR90XM (http://www.scorptec.com.au/product/Notebooks/Power_Adaptors/49489-HK-NBCAR90XM)
and note that connected equipment insurance warranty so don't be tempted by the cheapies on ebay without that guaranteed electronic protection
Targus have one too but only 2 year warranty-
http://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/targus-laptop-car-charger-and-usb-fast-charging-port-taapd046au (http://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/targus-laptop-car-charger-and-usb-fast-charging-port-taapd046au)
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Well just when i thought i was done ..Lenovo say 2 maybe 3 weeks to get one..
I leave in 4 week actually less.. so the lenovo is out ..cant even buy it at a store either ..
It was a very well specced unit for $619 ..have totally stopped even bothering with stores and the online places I cant even call someone and when i can its just a call centre..
So I have gone to 2 computer shops and left my details and specs i want and they are going to put some prices and packages together for me.
both surprisingly dont do the HP G3 or G4 that all the onliners and mainstream shops sell..to many issues they both said ..Lenovo/toshiba and asus were the offerings so will wait for them to come to me now .
And both can do it in a week tops so watch this space for the final outcome.
I STILL think this is a very good option (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HP-250-G3-15-6-i3-4GB-500GB-Win-8-1-Laptop-HDMI-WiFi-USB3-0-BT-DVDRW-Notebook-/261318702206?hash=item3cd7cef47e:g:sakAAOSwNgxWDi7j), as good if not better deal than any you have posted is under budget and says it should arrive by this Friday if orderd now. If you wanted the extra ram it is cheap to add extra and about as technically hard as wiring up an anderson plug.
I bought a computer from a bricks and motar store about a year ago and had a warranty issue so took it back to store, I was told they could deal with it but it would probably be quicker if I called the warranty line myself, so I did. My most recent computer purchase was online as it was the best deal and being able to take it back to a shop for warranty wasnt a consideration.
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these days at work we recommend dell to home users for the warranty... which is rarely needed we find even with the work ones.
you make a phone call, and some bloke that doesn't speak English is there the next day with parts..
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I STILL think this is a very good option (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/HP-250-G3-15-6-i3-4GB-500GB-Win-8-1-Laptop-HDMI-WiFi-USB3-0-BT-DVDRW-Notebook-/261318702206?hash=item3cd7cef47e:g:sakAAOSwNgxWDi7j), as good if not better deal than any you have posted is under budget and says it should arrive by this Friday if orderd now. If you wanted the extra ram it is cheap to add extra and about as technically hard as wiring up an anderson plug.
I bought a computer from a bricks and motar store about a year ago and had a warranty issue so took it back to store, I was told they could deal with it but it would probably be quicker if I called the warranty line myself, so I did. My most recent computer purchase was online as it was the best deal and being able to take it back to a shop for warranty wasnt a consideration.
I found out today that many of those HP have only 1 ram port so to upgrade to 8gb i need to bin the 4gb i cant just add another 4.
I just hate ebay for many reasons and if an item costs that much I just cant bring myself to buy on eaby ..I,m a sook I know ..I would happily pay another $50-$100 for a store.
I will see what the 2 quotes come back at and what they are ../.
but at this stage I am seriously thinking of upping the limit to $800 ..that extra $200 just starts to blow things away with simple ready to go solutions like this
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/lenovo/lenovo-ideapad-300-15-laptop/945788/ (https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/lenovo/lenovo-ideapad-300-15-laptop/945788/)
all done walk in pay walk out .. and its an I5 6th gen with 8 Gb and 1TB thats a lot more machine for $198 more than my budget and its readily avail..I am sure there are lots more to look at in the $800 bracket but it opens up the availability and variety . I am really liking the lenovo stuff from what i have read on here and online . Yes no dedicated graphics card but i can live with that.
Got 1 quote back
HP G4 250
i3 5th gen
8 gb
500 HDD
$695.00
so for $103 i can get the above lenovo unit instead
Jet ;D
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I will genreally pay a bit more to support a local small business as well.
I know you dont like eBay but I think I might have a deal that may make you reconsider buying there, yes you have to buy of eBay but no they wont make any money out of you if anything you will likely cost them a bit. They have a promotion with the Good Guys where you get 20% off if you purchase throught their eBay store. You can get it delivered or click and collect, just have to use the code COLLECT at checkout.
This one comes too $637 (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NEW-Lenovo-80Q7008EAU-Ideapad-300-15-6-Intel-Core-i5-Processor-1TB-8GB-Silver-/121942184952?hash=item1c645213f8:g:dS8AAOSwS7hW~itF)
so for $103 i can get the above lenovo unit instead
You can have it for $58 dollars less, you just have to come to the dark side >:D
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wow thats pretty good mate :cup: :cup:
considering JB said they would have to order in for me in any case this could be the go..I will need to break all my rules though...hmm your a tempting man tryagain ... ;D ;D
after loosing it at the son again about the fact it worked when i gave it to him ..old lap top i,m talking about here.. we have dropped it off at the computer store. I got quotes from and they said $49 to diagnose the issue ..with it most likely being a corrupted version of windows when he tried to re load windows 7 on it they are seeing it a bit he reckons .
the memory and Hard drive check out ok on the BIOS test or something.
so if its just that they will load windows 7 back on for $40.00. So the son will be $89 out of pocket and a lesson learnt ..leave things as you find them esp when asked..
if its anything more than that it will be binned and if it is not related to the update / re load then the son is in the clear.
If i can get it going ..reliably I would do this as it wont matter if gets knocked around a bit . if not then tryagain will have convinced me to pop my cherry with ebay ;D ;D and I will order the one in his link ..Thanks again for looking at that for me mate :cup: :cup:
I'll need someone to buy me dinner though LOL..
jet ;D ;D
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tried to progress to payment but it seems the 20% is maxed out at items to a $500 value so no disc is applied at all ..I thought that only $500 would qualify for the disc .. :'( :'( :'( not that it would exempt the entire item.
or am I doing something wrong.
jet :D
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or am I doing something wrong.
jet :D
This, max discount is $500 (so that would be on a $2500 purchase) you need to click on buy it now and then enter collect where it says redemption code and click on apply, my guess is that you arnt a registered user or signed in so isnt working at the moment.
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Nearly forgot the important bit about laptops and that's battery size--
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/landing_pages/en/hmc-battery?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs (http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/landing_pages/en/hmc-battery?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs)
My 6 pack Toshiba finally died and I've replaced it with a 9 pack for on the road
That Ideapad only has a 4 pack
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I guess there will always be compromises in the lower end of the price scale 1080 and battery quality are prob the first 2 .. But if you can't gave champagne on s beer budget I guess.
Jet ;D
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Well lap top is back ...
Windows 7 back on it a gealth check and a bill of good health issued $50 in total as the stuffed up the timming and i had to wait arond for 2 hrs .
Only issue is that the priduct key sticker was unreadable on bottom of unit so they installed thier store version with no key provided to me ..but there is no WORD on it ... i had this before
Do i now need to buy this again ..
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Open Office https://www.openoffice.org/ (https://www.openoffice.org/), will do pretty well anything that Word or Excel can & it's free! :D
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Product key is usually different for Word and windows so depending on how you purchased word last time you might still have that product key, If so it can easily be downloaded.
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Well lap top is back ...
Windows 7 back on it a gealth check and a bill of good health issued $50 in total as the stuffed up the timming and i had to wait arond for 2 hrs .
Only issue is that the priduct key sticker was unreadable on bottom of unit so they installed thier store version with no key provided to me ..but there is no WORD on it ... i had this before
Do i now need to buy this again ..
It may be a bit late now but there are Microsoft software key finders-
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/productkeysactivation/tp/topkeyfinder.htm (http://pcsupport.about.com/od/productkeysactivation/tp/topkeyfinder.htm)
but it always pays to keep a copy of the key on file separate from the computer
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Open Office https://www.openoffice.org/ (https://www.openoffice.org/), will do pretty well anything that Word or Excel can & it's free! :D
Libre Office is another good free office suite as well.
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Shop around sometimes run out models are the cheapest, my daughter picked a Lenovo 6 years ago cheaper at Big W than what we could get on my mates IBM employee account.
The HP I am currently using was a $2800 laptop, I paid $1600 brand new in a sealed box at JB HiFi at South Wharf because it was the last one. You can save some serious dough if you shop around!
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I miss the old days when Microsoft product keys just had to add to seven.
We are using office 365 as with the kids in school we get it for the right price.... $0.00.