h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey, can anyone out there help me with this?
I'm planning to get myself a new laptop computer for uni and everything, but i have no idea where to start... I've been suggested to go for an NEC Versa E680/ NEC Versa M320... Honestly, i wouldn't know anything about laptops and stuff, and which brands are better/worse etc... Does anyone have any suggestions on what to take a look at? I'm planning on spending around $3000 max (AUS$) And I probably won't get a 2nd hand computer...

Justin

I have a Dell Inspiron 2500 laptop. The current version or the nearest equivalent goes for about $A2400, I think. (Mine was very cheap and secondhand, bought from a friend who was selling it because she simply *must* have the very latest gadgets...)



Pentium III, 1GHz processor
256Mb RAM
20 GB hard drive
Internal CD ROM
Internal floppy disk drive
13' screen
Internal modem - 56k V90



I have no idea what the above detail really means, and I can't be bothered pursuing the matter. (I don't know all this sort of stuff about my washing machine or fridge, and I can operate them reasonably well without that level of detail...) The main thing is, I've had no problems with the laptop at all, and I would recommend the brand.

Ivan.

Yeah, I wouldn't have much of a clue about that technical stuff...
All i know is that i probably won't be going to go for a compaq, my last computer was one, but it didn't work properly, and compaq kept stuffing us around for months, so we took it back to the shop to get it replaced... I think the same happened with compaq to one of my parents friends as well...

I've been warned off Hewlett Packard as well. Something to do with the amount of time it spent in the repair shop. I can't remember the full story, but a colleague had very strong opinions on the matter.

For basic package computers, I've had good luck with Dell (I have a desktop, not a laptop though) I think the cheapest go for about $700-800US. Ivan's computer's specs sound all right to me, maybe a bit less than you might want if you plan to keep it around for a few years. If you're living in the dorms and aren't going to have a TV of your own, I recommend getting an internal DVD drive. A CD burner isn't necessary if you can befriend some techie person who'd be likely to have one. I don't know what sort of technology your school has, but I would recommend at least having an internal network card, and preferably a wireless card if you think that'll be an option.

From what i've heard, package computers are relatively good, though usually, they skimp on something... But things like memory (as far as i know) can be upgraded...

Not Dell - we have two dell laptops from them, and customer service is a nightmare. Ask Njan about it on his userspace.

Get a sony Vaio...so gorgeous . Whatever you do, get a full warranty even if it costs up the ***. Accidental damage coverage too - I'm serious.

Ok, so: Not Dell, Compaq, HP
Possibly - Sony Vaio (i didn't know sony made laptops?!), NEC

just get a cheap 2nd hand one & install a fast O/S such as NetBSD

At work we have a few Acer laptops that frequently get used on business trips. I've only used one of them for 5 minutes, which doesnt count for much, but nobody here has moaned about them. In a place like this, that's quite a recommendation.

Re: Dell customer service. I haven't used them yet, so I can't comment as such, but the original owner did use them a fair bit and she has no complaints even though she's a hyper-critical person. Maybe their customer service in Australia is organised differently? (Note to self: find out what accent the Dell person has, and work out where they are ecxactly.)

Is it alright to trust 2nd hand computers though? like, will you get warranties and stuff? I'm hoping that this'll last me quite a few years...

Justin

'Exactly', even. Lousy Acer keyboard... *walks off, muttering*

2nd hand = old = slow = the need for a fast operating system http://www.netbsd.org/gallery/in-Action/

as for warranties & stuff probally not, but you can probally get ½ dozen 2nd hand laptops for your 3 grand (or one & a lot of money)

You should be able to get an ibook (mac) for $AUS3,000. It'll be internet ready - just plug it in and away you go. All ibooks now have built in CD rewriter, and DVD drive .

mac laptops are more expensive than others, but you get more for the money (in terms of speed and capacity as well as hardware I think).

I found Applecare (warranty and techical support) in Australia very variable but I think this was partly to do with confusion from the NZ end. A 3yr hardware warranty with 6 day a week day and evening technical phone support was around $NZ500.

I just had a quick peek at apple australia's website:

Their ibooks start at A$ 1,899.00 -

800 MHz PowerPC G4
256K L2 cache @ 800MHz
12-inch TFT Display
1024x768 resolution
256MB DDR266 SDRAM
30GB Ultra ATA drive
Combo drive
ATI Mobility Radeon 9200
32MB DDR video memory

The software bundle looks good - I'm not familiar with most of it as I'm on an older mac, but if you are interested try asking on the h2 mac page: A690653


I'm hoping to upgrade to a new laptop in the next year, but they are a bit more pricey in NZ.

I didn't think commerical links were allowed on h2, but the h2 mac page is full of them. Here's the australian ibook page if you want to have a look:

http://www.apple.com.au/ibook/

What are the differences between a Mac and a Windows computer? (sorry about being vague, i'm not to familiar with this...)
And will i be able to transferfiles from one to the other?
I'm planning on using the laptop while away from home, then plugging it into my home computer to transfer any files i need to

You used to be able to transfer files like word documents from pc to mac and vice versa using a floppy disk and the mac tool PC Exchange used for reading and writing to DOS formatted disks. It wasn't perfect and it tended to trash disks after about a dozen uses.

Think the transfer could have to be done by either a USB memory vault, or crossover ethernet cable (as long as the machines are in the same workgroup and can talk to each other), macs haven't had floppy drives in donkeys years. Would probably be more reliable too.

But for simplicity I find it helps if both computers are running the same operating system.

Might sound like a silly question... but do you _really_ need a laptop?

Look at what you're going to be doing with it carefully - unless you really need something to move around with then you're wasting a lot of money... laptops are _much_ more expensive than desktops for the same computing power...

(I know one friend who actually managed to save money by buying two desktops with an interchangeable hard disk drive rather than a laptop (one at home - one at uni/work - the hard drive just slots into the front of the machine and away you go...)

Hmmm... How does the interchangable hard disk work? Anything that involves taking apart my computer is way over my head...
I was planning on getting a laptop, opposed to a desktop mainly for the whole file transferring thing. (and a little bit because i can play games while travelling the 2 hours to and from Home )

Two types. There's the type that go in a slot in the front of the computer (like a floppy disk), and there's the type that you simply connect to the computer by a USB cable. Neither involve taking apart a computer.