08-13-2011 at 01:29 AM
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#1
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Thoughts on this laptop?
I'm going into first year life sci. and i was looking for a new laptop. i came across this one and it doesnt seem too bad but i was hoping for another opinion. i know a fair amount about computers but i just want to make sure i didnt miss anything.
any feedback is appreciated!
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/... e91b0674aen02 |
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08-13-2011 at 01:38 AM
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#2
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Tooth Fairy
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its white from inside it gets dirty, stay the F*ck away from HP they are the worst.
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McMaster University, Honours B.Sc. in Biology '13, Minor in Psychology
University of British Columbia, DMD '17, Doctor of Dental Medicine
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08-13-2011 at 01:45 AM
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#3
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After reviewing all the specs, I would go for it. The processor speed is pretty good at 1.6 GHz, and the 750 GB hard drive is a big plus. Also, the graphics chipset is good (not too bad) with the ATI Radeon HD 6310 along side the 4 GB Ram. The smaller screen size enhances the portability of the computer, and the estimated battery life is excellent at 9 and half hours. I would said the only downside to the computer is the processor type (AMD Dual-Core E-350) which is not up to par with the Intel i5, and i7 (4 cores). Hope this helps.
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08-13-2011 at 01:47 AM
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#4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by L'Étoile
its white from inside it gets dirty, stay the F*ck away from HP they are the worst.
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yea, surprisingly this isnt the first time i've been told to stay away from HP. many recommend lenovo, asus...
any idea of any specific laptops that would be a good buy for a university student for a price around $500? |
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08-13-2011 at 01:54 AM
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#5
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King of Microwaves
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vinny06
says thanks to Commie8507 for this post.
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08-13-2011 at 01:56 AM
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#6
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Splice onto Arcane
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Looking at the specs, it seems like it's a reasonably powerful laptop stuffed into the shell of a netbook. As impressive as its technology may be, it just seems awkward to have "stunningly smooth HD playback" on a screen that's smaller than the length of my foot.
Imo, if you want a netbook, then get one that's actually a netbook and save yourself a couple hundred bucks and the burden of carrying a big laptop. If you don't mind the size, then get a 15.6" laptop for, again, a couple hundred bucks cheaper with similar specifications. As is stands, this netbook is the equivalent of Sylvester Stallone hiding in Natalie Portman's body.
As for stuff like reliability based on brand, I'm of the opinion that durabilty is more a factor of how well the owner treats it than of the name behind it. If your computer messes up, it's probably your fault for not being careful. And if it lasts you half a decade, then kudos to you for knowing how to maintain a computer.
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Last edited by Entropy : 08-13-2011 at 01:59 AM.
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08-13-2011 at 01:57 AM
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#7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Swampis
After reviewing all the specs, I would go for it. The processor speed is pretty good at 1.6 GHz, and the 750 GB hard drive is a big plus. Also, the graphics chipset is good (not too bad) with the ATI Radeon HD 6310 along side the 4 GB Ram. The smaller screen size enhances the portability of the computer, and the estimated battery life is excellent at 9 and half hours. I would said the only downside to the computer is the processor type (AMD Dual-Core E-350) which is not up to par with the Intel i5, and i7 (4 cores). Hope this helps.
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yea, that's the reason i wanted another opinion on this laptop because i've heard a lot of mac students saying that you should stay away from HP...but the specs of the laptop dont seem bad at all for ~ $500. as far as the processor is concerned, i found another laptop and this one has an i3 processor... any good?
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/... d3511fc66en02 |
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08-13-2011 at 01:58 AM
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#8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vinny06
yea, surprisingly this isnt the first time i've been told to stay away from HP. many recommend lenovo, asus...
any idea of any specific laptops that would be a good buy for a university student for a price around $500?
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Take a look at
http://www.canadacomputers.c om/pro...em_id =037465
I realize that computer is refurbished but the specs are excellent for that price. Also, Canada Computers is one of the best stores for computers.
Acer Aspire AS5741G-3652 (Refurbished) Notebook - Intel Core i5-430M 2.26GHz, 15.6" 1366x768 LCD, ATI Radeon HD5470 512Mb, 4GB DDR3, 640GB HDD, DVD-RW, Wireless N, Gb LAN, Webcam, 5-in-1 Card Reader, 6 Cell, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (LX.R0B02.004) w/ 1-year International Warranty |
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08-13-2011 at 02:01 AM
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#9
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King of Microwaves
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Stay away from anything greater than 14 inches. This will last you your four years
http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/ca...affixedcode=WW
Stay away from AMD based processers, they have a history of running hotter than their intel counterparts.
vinny06
says thanks to Commie8507 for this post.
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08-13-2011 at 02:10 AM
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#10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Commie8507
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yea, i definitely want to stay away from AMD. my brother had one during his undergrad...and lets just say he never needed to turn the heater on in his room.
i was actually at staples today and one of the guys there showed me this one and said that it's probably the best option staples has to offer to university students. im definitely going to take a closer look at this one and the acer that was priced in the middle (from your previous post). thanks a lot for all your help! |
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08-13-2011 at 02:15 AM
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#11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Entropy
Looking at the specs, it seems like it's a reasonably powerful laptop stuffed into the shell of a netbook. As impressive as its technology may be, it just seems awkward to have "stunningly smooth HD playback" on a screen that's smaller than the length of my foot.
Imo, if you want a netbook, then get one that's actually a netbook and save yourself a couple hundred bucks and the burden of carrying a big laptop. If you don't mind the size, then get a 15.6" laptop for, again, a couple hundred bucks cheaper with similar specifications. As is stands, this netbook is the equivalent of Sylvester Stallone hiding in Natalie Portman's body.
As for stuff like reliability based on brand, I'm of the opinion that durabilty is more a factor of how well the owner treats it than of the name behind it. If your computer messes up, it's probably your fault for not being careful. And if it lasts you half a decade, then kudos to you for knowing how to maintain a computer.
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haha, well said. as far as the reliability goes, i usually treat my stuff pretty well. However, my brother had an HP with an AMD processor and it seemed like they put just enough into that laptop to barely last past the warranty. He still squeezed some time out of it, but it definitely wasn't without a headache.
thanks for the input! |
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08-13-2011 at 02:52 AM
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#12
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Don't go for an HP if you want your money's worth. The battery will slowly deteriorate and not even last you two lectures worth.
I had to go and get mine repaired after just 6 months of buying it.
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Honours Classics and Philosophy
We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.
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08-13-2011 at 02:59 AM
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#13
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i was just finishing looking but then i came accross this laptop: http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/produ... d8734dd93en02
any feedback on toshiba laptops?
specifications wise, it has a larger hard drive than the laptop from staples ( http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/ca...=#revs_content ). It's also around $ 100.00 cheaper. On the downside the battery life isn't as great and it's a bit bigger. is the laptop from staples worth the extra $100? i was leaning towards the laptop from staples before, but now i'm a little unsure about which way i should go.
Edit: the laptop from staples doesn't have a DVD drive, and the one from futureshop does. I dont think i'll be using the DVD drive too much, so would not having one have a big impact?
Last edited by vinny06 : 08-13-2011 at 03:04 AM.
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08-13-2011 at 03:01 AM
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#14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sinnersdrown
Don't go for an HP if you want your money's worth. The battery will slowly deteriorate and not even last you two lectures worth.
I had to go and get mine repaired after just 6 months of buying it.
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yea, i've heard of that happening to a lot of people. problems with batteries and overheating seem to be a common problem for HP users. |
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08-13-2011 at 03:03 AM
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#15
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King of Microwaves
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vinny06
i was just finishing looking but then i came accross this laptop: http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/produ... d8734dd93en02
any feedback on toshiba laptops?
specifications wise, it has a larger hard drive than the laptop from staples ( http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/ca...=#revs_content ). It's also around $ 100.00 cheaper. On the downside the battery life isn't as great and it's a bit bigger. is the laptop from staples worth the extra $100? i was leaning towards the laptop from staples before, but now i'm a little unsure about which way i should go. |
Definitely the acer, reason being that toshiba has terrible battery, as a science student you will have a large amount of binders/notebooks/textbooks and the footprint of a 15.6 inch is too large. The acer has a better battery life and a smaller foot print. Do not get a laptop greater than 14 inches. I can't emphasize how important mobility is. |
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