Help please :)

[loopyanna]

Hiya everyone, have been reading loads on the site about laptops since i decided to buy one but everyhting i read either pulls me in a whole new direction or i just plain don't understand what I am reading! If someone could please help me out with some suggestions of laptops, or what i should be looking for i would be very grateful!!

Here goes...

1) What is your budget?

£500-£600 which i think equates to about $1000

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.

UK

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?

Nope

5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?

Internet, photoshop elements-ing, sims 2 and 3 when it comes out and i-tunes.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?

I will be taking it around with me, but usually in the car so weight isn't that much of a factor.

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?

Yes the sims http://forum.notebookreview.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?

Errr.... i don't mind really...

9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?

Not at all

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista (http://forum.notebookreview.com/autolink.php?id=183&script=showthread&forumid=16)), Mac OS, Linux, etc.

Windows based, don't mind XP or vista


11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?

d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.

None of this means anything to me. I don't mind what the screen is like as long as i can see my photos and my sims (my life is sounding fairly tragic!)

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

Don't mind

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

I would prefer something pretty but i could get over a black box if the price and spec were right - they are more important to me

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

As soon as possible, at least for the sims 3 i hope http://forum.notebookreview.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?

I do store music and photos but not masses of them so a massive hard drive isn't a necessity

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive

Don't need blue ray, do need to be able to watch and listen to dvd's/CD's would like to burn CD's - don't necessarily need to burn DVD's but it would be nice if that's an option.

I know that's alot of infor but it says to put as much as i can in to make it easier - so i hope i did!

Thankyou to anyone who can offer any advice and/or suggestions!

Anna

[Brad@XoticPC]

From the specs you listed, it looks like just about anything you get on our site for that price range would do nicely at PS Elements, Sims 2/3, etc. I'd probably go with a 15.4" glossy laptop if I were you due to the frustration of trying to edit photos on a small screen - and the fact that I think that's generally a good balance of size/weight/functionality.

[Anewbus]

Hello Anna from across the pond. :) How are things over there in the UK for you?
Well I was looking and came up with a couple of systems taking into account your needs.
They are both a bit over the price range you listed unfortunately. I'll list them, see what you think:

Sager NP2096 Custom Laptop (Built on the Compal JHL90) PRE ORDER
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050) `
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- ~Intel® P8400 45nm "Montevina" Core™2 Duo 2.26GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 1066MHz FSB 25 watt
- 512MB PCI-Express nVidia GeForce 9600M GT DDR2 DX10
- ~ 2,048MB DDR2 800 (2 SODIMMS) Dual Channel Memory
- Standard Finish
- ~Combo 8x8x6x4x Dual Layer DVD +/-R/RW 5x DVD-RAM 24x CD-R/RW Drive w/Softwares
- ~ 160GB 5400RPM (Serial-ATA 150)
- Internal 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS)
- Internal Bluetooth 2.0+ EDR
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 5300 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi Link
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
- ~Windows XP Home SP2 with Drivers and Utilities CD
- 1 Year Parts & Labor, Lifetime Sager Toll Free Tech Support

TOTAL = $1127.14 US Dollar with cash discount (Does not include shipping)

I configured the higher resolution screen because you are working with photos, trust me you'll need that screen. (I also work wth photos).
I kept the 160GB 5400rpm hard drive since you said you don't need anything huge.
Lastly, I configured it with Windows XP as it is less expensive and a lot less trouble to deal with than Vista.
You can get a 3 year warranty for this unit, but it's $139 more and with you being over in the UK, it may not be cost effective. It's up to you.
Everything else comes standard.

To get what you will need it still comes out to over $1000.

The second machine:

FORCE 3298 v2 (Built on COMPAL JFL92 WSXGA+)
- 15.4" WSXGA+ "Glare Type" Super Clear Ultra Bright Glossy Screen (1680x1050)
- Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
- Standard Dead Pixel Policy
- -Intel® T8100 45nm "Penryn" Core™2 Duo 2.1GHz w/3MB L2 On-die cache - 800MHz FSB
- - 2,048MB (2 SODIMMS) ~ Kingston HyperX CL4 Low Latency ~ DDR2 667MHz Memory
- Standard Finish
- - Combo Dual Layer SuperMulti 8X DVDRW Drive w/ Software
- - 160GB SATA 150 5400RPM Hard Drive
- Internal 4-in-1 Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO)
- Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 4965 802.11 a/g/n
- Built in 2.0 Megapixel Camera
- Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio - Included
- Carying Case Optional (Select if desired)
- Smart Li-ion Battery (9-Cell)
- Integrated Fingerprint Reader
-Windows XP Home SP2 with Drivers and Utilities CD
- 3 Year Complete Care Full Parts / Labor Warranty - Next Business Day Shipping - Lifetime 24/7 DOMESTIC Tech Support
TOTAL = $1252.27 US Dollar (Shipping not included)

For this machine I upgraded the Processor one notch to 2.1GHz which will work just fine for you.
I also kept the Hard Disc at 160GB since you said you don't need anything huge. I added wireless ability and finally I chose the XP operating system.
I am not sure if you want or need wireless ability. If you don't its $39 less.
The rest comes standard including the higher resolution screen and the 3 year warranty.

On these and any machine, if you want "pretty" you can have a "skinning" done for $89. Thats where they professionally apply a graphic design of your choice on the lid of your lappy. You can choose from their library or send in your own deign. This makes for a very pretty and unique lappy. :)

I know both these machines are a bit over your amount you listed, but both these machines are solid performers and have plenty of power and features for your needs without being too much over the top.

Please feel free to ask as many questions as you like. More than happy to help.:)

Cheers,
Eric

[The Bill]

It's really tricky to find a laptop, with the power to play Sims 3 (I expect the graphics will be demanding, as ussually Maxis isn't flexible with graphics in their previous games). You may have to raise your maximum budget I'm afraid to get everything you wanted, even $1200 is enough. As you can see by the specs Anewbus so kindly posted.

Though a laptop that can handle everything you listed except gaming is the: Sagar NP7220, the basic customization should fit your price-range. I'm not sure how great the 9300M GS is but theAsus M51SN-C1and Asus M51SN-D1 might be able to handle your needs and still be in your price range, as long as you stick with the basic customizations. Here's the links:

Sagar NP7220 - http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np7220-biult-clevo-m722t-p-2414.html
Asus M51SN-C1 - http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-m51snc1-customizable-laptop-p-2371.html
Asus M51SN-D1 - http://www.xoticpc.com/asus-f8sna1-asus-laptop-p-2286.html

Bill

[Anewbus]

Hmm, considering Anna's needs and what she is going to be doing. The Asus M51SN-C1 might do the trick. Thanks Bill, that's another good suggestion. A higher resolution screen would be nicer considering the photographic work, but I think the 1280X800 would work out alright with budget considerations.

(The Sager NP7220 screen is too small for photograpic work and the Asus M51SN D-1 is under-powered for Sims. It could be configured for it, but then the price goes to over $1200 again)

Bill is correct though Anna, when he asks about bumping your budget up a bit.
I'll work on another config to see if I can get closer to the budget you listed, although I know I can't get it down to $1000 with your needs, but I'll see how much closer I can get.

[robamb2002]

I'm suprised nobody mentions the NP7680. This machine would suit anna's needs just fine and stay within her budget as well. bump up the screen res to the WSXGA+ and add XP OS(don't get Vista unless you plan on getting a memory upgrade as well) and the price comes to $1011.00.... a little closer to her budget.

Anna, If you can afford a few hundred USD more the systems mentioned above would be worth it. but if $1k is your limit, this would be a great machine for what you want.

Happy Lappy Hunting :)

[Anewbus]

Thanks Robamb, for another good suggestion. I'm just wondering about the Hard Drive size, if it will be enough. It depends on what she already has in music and photo files and then there's SIMS with which there would probably be add ons and such down the road. More importantly, I'm not sure the GPU will suffice on that when considering SIMS and Photoshop Elements.

[Anewbus]

Hey Anna, if you can answer these questions it will give us a good idea to really narrow down the lappy that will bring you happiness. :)

How much music do you presently have? I assume it's in MP3 format, let me know if it is not. Do you plan on gaining alot more music?

How about photos, do you plan on working with loads of them? Are you working with high resolution photos? What format of photo files are you working with? Are you working with any in the RAW format?

I already know the requirements for SIMS and Photoshop Elements.

Thanks Anna. :)

Eric

[Anewbus]

Hey there Anna,

I went back and reconfigured the two machines I posted earlier and got the price a tiny bit lower, but still over $1000.00 It's really hard to find a lappy to meet the demands of SIMS and Photoshop Elements and what you will be doing for $1000 or less.
The first machine I listed is about $127 more than your $1000.
I hope you can raise your limit a bit somehow and get one of the suggested machines we have listed as they are solid performers and it would lovely if you could get one with pretty graphics done on it.

Cheers,
Eric

[Mazeura]

Well, I just checked with google and your USD price range is:
993.25$ - 1,191.9$
Congratulations, you have more money than you thought you did. =)
Now try finding out what your credit card [I'm assuming that is what you'll be using] uses for exchange rates.

[halest0rM]

Well if you use check/ money order you get a discount which equals better options for your laptop :D Clearing time is long though :(

[Anewbus]

Well if you use check/ money order you get a discount which equals better options for your laptop :D Clearing time is long though :(

Yes, but worth it.
If you use a "cashier's or bank check" the clearing time is much shorter and you are still paying in cash, so you get the discount. At any rate I think one's patience is rewarded well when ordering from XoticPC. :)

[The Bill]

993.25$ - 1,191.9$
Congratulations, you have more money than you thought you did.
Haha...

Well thats great, even so this will probably end up covering shipping, I still think raising your budget would get you the "better" laptop suited towards your needs ;)

Tell me how it goes!

Bill

[halest0rM]

Yes, but worth it.
If you use a "cashier's or bank check" the clearing time is much shorter and you are still paying in cash, so you get the discount. At any rate I think one's patience is rewarded well when ordering from XoticPC. :)
So how long did it take for your check to clear? Ive waited 3 days so far.

[Anewbus]

So how long did it take for your check to clear? Ive waited 3 days so far.

I sent a "bank check" so I'm not sure the exact number of days it took to clear, but it was less than a week as far as I know. (Might have only been a couple of days). It does say in the instructions somewhere around here that regular checks and Money Orders can take one to two weeks to clear. Plus the XoticPC crew have been super busy with orders lately on top of moving to new and better facilties, although I'm sure payments are processed almost immeadately so they can start on your lappy build asap. (The wait time for "clearing" of checks is up to the banks, not XoticPC).

Have they notified you that your check has been received? If not, give it about 2 more days and then check with them to make sure it arrived.
If they have told you that your check has been received, I wouldn't worry about it. They will let you know when your lappy goes into production.

[halest0rM]

Yeah they received it on the 22nd. Personally I don't understand how this clearing stuff works :cool: I thought money orders were faster than checks lol. I sent in two for one order because of the $1000 limit. Besides I'm just anticipating phase 2. 1-2 weeks is such a long wait:( Banks are so slow :p I already have bioshock and crysis waiting to play on it :) And Im planning to dual boot windows xp pro and windows vista ultimate. My old desktop computer is getting pretty crappy everyday so I cant run those games or run vista. Speaking of desktop computers, when will those be available on Xotic pc?

p.s. Where are those instructions? :confused:

[Zachary]

Not to troll or anything but why is Anna a Staff,Moderator,Admin? Only one post and lives in the UK does not sound very XoticPC affiliated. Just wondering is all.

[Mazeura]

It is completely possible that she (sorry if I am wrong on that assumption) does corporal management, or something else that that would not require her being in the United States.

[loopyanna]

Hi everyone,

The illusive Anna here :)

Thank you so much for all your comments, i have been reading them through, and we may have gotten a little off topic at points but it's really nice of you all to help!

I am pleased to say that i have now ordered, i ended up upping my budget, or obliterating as it's also known... (as recomended earlier in the thread) and ordering a machine with a compay called Rizeon over here in the UK. I really wanted to buy from Xotic PC but not only would i have shipping to contend with i would also have had to pay import duty when it hit the shores of the UK, which adds about 20% to the price :(

Anyway, i went for the rizeon JHL90 - pro version, worked out at £923 which i think is about $1800 US, so yes obliterated is the right word.... oops...

I can also let you all know that i am a girl - well done mazeura!- but am not in corporate management or anything to do with computers of any kind really... and i am fairly sure that i am not staff or a mod or admin.... lol

Thanks again everyone!

x