Laptop computer

[DavidHale]

I'm looking to get a laptop computer. I've not had one before, so are there any do's / don'ts when choosing one? My budget is around £800 (ex VAT 'cos it's going through the business) and it needs to operate the following:

CAD/graphics packages (Auto/CAD, Photoshop, etc)
Play DVDs
Good clear screen
Decent battery life (don't know what to expect?)
Overall size and weight isn't an issue, but it needs to be robust as it will spend a lot of the time on the back of the bike.

At the moment I'm looking at a Dell Inspiron 9400 (http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/inspn_9400?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs - sorry, my hyperlink button doesn't seem to be working) but I would appreciate any options/opinions.

TIA

David

 

[Dickieboy]

I'm looking to get a laptop computer. I've not had one before, so are there any do's / don'ts when choosing one? My budget is around £800 (ex VAT 'cos it's going through the business) and it needs to operate the following:

CAD/graphics packages (Auto/CAD, Photoshop, etc)
Play DVDs
Good clear screen
Decent battery life (don't know what to expect?)
Overall size and weight isn't an issue, but it needs to be robust as it will spend a lot of the time on the back of the bike.

At the moment I'm looking at a Dell Inspiron 9400 (http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/inspn_9400?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs - sorry, my hyperlink button doesn't seem to be working) but I would appreciate any options/opinions.

TIA

David

Dave a photographer friend of mine says if you use Photoshop and particularly CS don't have a machine where the graphics card depend on shared system RAM, so if you look at the Dell machines on your link the one on the left would be the better choice, double the system RAM of the other and a graphic card with it's own RAM as well.

 

[alimey4u2]

I have a DELL XPS M140 loaded,apart from only 1 gig o RAM & it opens up Photoshop 7.0 in about 2 seconds....
I was going to go buy more RAM (2 gig ) but I find this will do all I want even scanning large negs, generating very large files.

 

[stephinson]

http://www.acernotebooks.co.uk

spend as little as possible because it will be worth nothing in 12 months

get extra warrenty

but that dell is a good piece of kit if you need it

 

[judge]

David,

My advice is to allocate some of your budget to a proper warranty. If this is to become a relied upon business machine then I wouldn't suggest anything less than 3 year international next business day support.

The Dimension range is not really their professional range of laptops, good though they are I'd be looking at the Inspiron range, rated by users and the press alike (award winning too if that means anything to you).

For dedicated graphics cards with it's own memory then have a gander at the XPS M1210.

I run Photoshop and on one of my laptops it uses shared memory to push the image onto a 15" screen, to be honest no discernable difference is noticed between that and my other laptop with graphics card, more a requirement for gaming or if you are going to connect the laptop up to a big display in the office.

 

[pomm001]

David

i recently brought a new Dell inspiron laptop for my son with the high end display , dont remember the code, great little machine
The problem i had was with the offers, one week you could geta 250 gig HD next week it was 80, frustrated with this i called the sales line and instead of getting through to Ireland it went to India, where to be fair i told the guy exactly what i wanted, he priced it up straight away and the deal was done.
One tip though, they obviously want to sell the extended warranty packages, if you hold off and haggle the price will come down.
I brought the three year next day replacment warranty, with worldwide theft cover ,blah, blah ;blah, for an extra £100, which i thought wasnt too bad for piece of mind !
Especially as some scrote nicked my son's 12 moth old laptop
Dell do get a lot of stick, but i have been lucky so far with the three machines i have.