Recommend a laptop @

[Gwilo]

Just off the site, I can get a 9400 for £1000........oh my.....itchy right index finger.

[Royston]

I'm coming in quite late here as well. I lookeds about for ages for a decent laptop. I was all set for getting a Macbook, until a friend recommended Evesham.

I compared similar spec with Dell and a few others and Evesham still came out cheapest. So I ordered it

I got a 1.83Ghz Core 2 duo

1024 DDR 2 MB Ram

80Gb hard disk

15"widescreen

16 xDVD +- burner

wireless

media centre

ATI radeon 1600 graphics

and other stuff that I can't remember for

[Redfab]

I went halfway in between and got the 2yrs worth of warranty. I plan on taking good care of it too. Could do with knowing someone who is able to fix these things if it goes wrong - they are so much different from desktop machines which are fun to pull apart and sort out yourself!

Although its my first laptop and ive only had it for a week im quite happy so far.

[Gwilo]

Redfab, Fluff......

Any comments on the noise levels?

My Asus is 2 years old and unless running MS Updates (what a load of dingo's kidneys) usually very tolerable - very low level. No whine, rushing of air etc.

How does the 9400 do on this front?

[DonkeyOaty]

With the Dell Inspirons its worth giving the fans/heatsinks a blast of air or a whizz with the hoover once a month just to keep them clean. Cleaner heatsinks means cooler chips and that can only be good...

[fluffmeister]

Redfab, Fluff......

Any comments on the noise levels?

My Asus is 2 years old and unless running MS Updates (what a load of dingo's kidneys) usually very tolerable - very low level. No whine, rushing of air etc.

How does the 9400 do on this front?

9400 is pretty quiet joe, until it gets a thrashing on a game. mine has got the Nvidia 7900 in so it runs a little hotter than other cards when getting pushed.

During normal use it's much quieter than the HP nx9105 it replaced, ripping dvd's and that kind of thing it's pretty quiet. After 20 minutes of Company of Heroes on 1920 x 1200 - high detail settings the fans are buzzing, but to be honest I am to wrapped up in the game I really don't notice.

[Gwilo]

thanks for the feedback.

I usually just tune out most of the noise, but mate in the office has a big toshiba 3.2Ghz laptop, and man, that thing can be loud....I didn't want to end up with something that could be mistaken for a 747 on final approach

[Redfab]

Like i say, only had mine for about a week and its my first ever laptop but the noisiest it seems to get is when the cd drive spins over when you put a disc in.

[Redfab]

Just off the site, I can get a 9400 for

[ColinD]

Well I'm on my second hp nx9420 in a week, first one was nicked from the office :(

For the money 999 + the vat it's not too bad, 17" screen, core 2 duo the 7400 processor not the older core duo, radeon x1600 card, 1Gig of ram, dvd writer. all in all not bad, just a awkward tracker pad, but I use a mouse anyway...

Just another 2p for the fire.

[Gwilo]

Colin!!!!! Why did you have to confuse me further...I think i might have to start all over again........if 1gig ram is good enogh for you, it should be alright for me.....though that VAT bit worries me.....

Redfab, using the various e-value machine base-specs i managed to end up with the 2.0ghz, 2gig with X1400 gfx for 960..........i'm so tempted, but i think i need to hold off till i get my car done next week.....that's priority big bill.......shame too. but the price can only fall more in my favour, right?

Next Month on Briskoda : Users who buy big laptops then get executed by family.......

[Redfab]

Colin!!!!! Why did you have to confuse me further...I think i might have to start all over again........if 1gig ram is good enogh for you, it should be alright for me.....though that VAT bit worries me.....

Redfab, using the various e-value machine base-specs i managed to end up with the 2.0ghz, 2gig with X1400 gfx for 960..........i'm so tempted, but i think i need to hold off till i get my car done next week.....that's priority big bill.......shame too. but the price can only fall more in my favour, right?

Next Month on Briskoda : Users who buy big laptops then get executed by family.......

No matter how low you get what you want on the site, ring them when your happy with it and Im sure you will be able to get it less. Also set your price and you may be able to haggle a better spec. I couldnt believe the guy I spoke to had so much time for me and I was asking to change this and that constantly. I needed to check things up too away from the phone (advice from mates etc) and he was only to happy to ring me back. I did stress that I was going to purchase that day at the beginning of the call and if they could do better than what I had already been offered they would have the sale.

[Redfab]

Well Well,

Digging up an old post of mine here for those who remember helping me with the choice and spec and purchase of my laptop.

Last week the thing died on me. Fans went ballistic then it just cut out. At that point my experience of dell went downhill and even now is not showing signs of improving.

I have had 3 days off work, my now wife has had 1 day off, allowing engineers to come and tamper about trying to replace bits and pieces to no avail.

3 visits so far has seen both fans, heating assembly, and 2 motherboards, and processor being replaced. Tomorrow I am waiting in again for them to replace the graphics card.

Up until last week i had nothing but praise for dell, but no longer. I have asked them due to the massive inconvenience to just build an identical system for me and they can have this one back but they are having none of it.

Guess this is the bad part of dell people mention when things go wrong they dont care.

Happy to sell the things but dont want to know warranty wise. I bought the 2 years next business day on site repair - they have failed to deliver this and just dont care a bit.

Getting online limited times as no computer of my own.

Let see what tomorrow brings. Not convinced it will be fixed.

EVeryone elses Dell's still ok or similar experiences/problems?

[DonkeyOaty]

Oddly enough I have nothing but praise for Dell of late. This of course is based on my recent experiences and that may have something to do with the fact that I have bought 60 systems in 9 months and am about to spend

[gadgetman]

Who do they use now for on site support?

Used to be Wang.

[DonkeyOaty]

Round here it is Unisys.

[Redfab]

I have had Banctec around. The 4th visit seen another motherboard and graphics card get put in and blow me over it now works again!

5 days off altogether and 4 visits, heating assembly, 2 fans, 2 processors, 3 motherboards and a graphics card later and it seems ok fingers crossed.

Donkeyoaty - I can see how your one of the valued ones. You must get the first class service. I would appear to be pond life in comparison!

Hope it does not conk out again. Happy its working again but still feel let down at the messing around i have had.