Novice requires help and advice with laptop spec!

[ieatwork]

Hi there,

I'm not exactly sure if I have posted this in the correct section, but hopefully someone can help me! Or if not perhaps someone could relocate my thread to the most suitable section.

I am looking to buy a new laptop as my current Dell Inspiron 6000 is just not cutting it these days.

I'm looking for something as fast and as powerful as possible for my money. I have a budget of around £1500. Perhaps a little more if I can sell a few more things on eBay!

I will be using the machine for:

Editing multiple high-res images using Photoshop and Illustrator.
Creating animations using Flash.
Downloading and watching high-res videos.
Multiple tabbed browsing with Firefox (sometimes I have up to 30-40 tabs open).

As you can see from the above I won't be using it for gaming. I just want a super fast machine!

Anyway, I would be grateful if you could give me your views on the following spec which I have created on pcspecialist.co.uk:

It's a 15.4" Enigma Laptop.

Display: 15.4 INCH WIDESCREEN DISPLAY (1440 X 900) - GLARE & ANTI-REFLECTION

Processor (CPU): INTEL® Core 2 Duo T9600 (2 X 2.80GHz) 1066MHz FSB/6MB L2 Cache

Memory (RAM): 4GB CORSAIR XMS2 800MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY! (2x2GB)

Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium 64 bit Edition + SP1, CD & Licence

Hard Disk: 120GB OCZ CORE SERIES V2 SATA II 2.5" SSD (upto 170MB/sR | 98MB/sW)

CD/DVD Drive: 4x SATA BLURAY WRITER + 8x DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer & 16x CD-RW

Graphics Card: 512MB GEFORCE 9600GT + HDMI + D-SUB

Sound Card: Realtek ALC268 2 Channel High Definition Audio + MIC IN/Phones Out

Network Facilities: Onboard Gigabit LAN & WIRELESS 802.11G NETWORK CARD

Memory Card Reader: INTERNAL 3 IN 1 MEMORY CARD READER (SD, MMC, MS, MS PRO)

Speakers: INTEGRATED 1.5W STEREO SPEAKERS

Webcam: INTEGRATED 2.0 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM

Battery: 9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (7,200 mAh) - up to 4 Hours Battery Life

Dimensions & Weight: W x D x H: 358.5mm x 259mm x 25.4 ~ 39.2mm | Weight: 2.7KG

Features: Biometric Fingertip Reader & 1 x Express Card Slot

Warranty: 1 Year Return-to-Base incl 1st Month Free Collect & Return

Total price: £1502 inc VAT and Delivery


Do you think that the Enigma has a good build quality and is durable and trustworthy enough to last a good few years?

Or do you think I would be better off going for a high-spec laptop from a big, reliable manufacturer like Sony or Dell instead? I hear that these sort of companies offer better customer service etc.

Any help you could give me, or any recommendations would be most appreciated.

Cheers

[strike-down]

I know its a slight downgrade in performance, but if you're wanting to store high-res movies and lots of high-res images on your laptop, I would go for a standard hard drive with a much higher capacity.

[Guy]

For what you are looking for I would look at a Rock.

www.rockdirect.co.uk

Also wouldnt a 17 inch laptop suit your needs better?

X780-T5900

Intel Core 2 Duo T5900, 2.2GHz, 2MB Cache, 800MHz
NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS 512Mb DDR3
Hi-res WUXGA+ X-Glass rock logo (1920 x 1200)
2GB DDR3 1066Mhz
250GB 7200rpm SATA HDD
8x Dual Layer +/- DVD-RW
Windows Vista Home Premium

3 year pan-European C&R parts and labour warranty
£1467.11 inc VAT
or £47.93/month*

[Guy]

Or for £300 more a nice Quad processer.

X780-Q9000

Intel Core 2 Quad Mobile Processor Q9000, 2GHz
NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTS 512Mb DDR3
Hi-res WUXGA+ X-Glass rock logo (1920 x 1200)
2GB DDR3 1066Mhz
250GB 7200rpm SATA HDD
8x Dual Layer +/- DVD-RW
Windows Vista Home Premium


3 year pan-European C&R parts and labour warranty
£1699.00 inc VAT

[alsenior]

If your doing Photo editing you may benefit from a higher screen res than that machine

You could have a look at this Dell Xps1530M

Components
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T9300 (2.50 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 6 MB L2 cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1(64 BIT) - English
2Yr XPS Premium Warranty Support - Priority Call In and Onsite Support
2.0 mega pixel Camera & Tuxedo Black for CCFL Display
15.4" Widescreen WUXGA (1920x1200) TFT Display with TrueLife™
Biometric Fingerprint Reader with BLACK accent
4096MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]
500GB Serial ATA (5400RPM) Hard Drive
NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 8600M GT with 256MB dedicated graphic memory
Fixed Blu Ray 2X Slim Slot-Load Drive, including SW
Primary 9-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (85 WHr)
Accessories
No Mobile Broadband Selected
No Carry Case
Microsoft® Works 9.0 / English - (Does not include Microsoft® Word)
Dell™ Wireless 355 Bluetooth 2.0 Module (up to 3Mbps) with Enhanced Data rate - Eur
Intel® Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-Card - Europe - Core 2 Duo Processors
Dell™ Travel Remote Control
Services & Software
No Security/Anti-Virus Protection - English
No Accidental Damage Support
DataSafe Online Backup 2GB
Also Includes
N01X5305
Inspiron Order - UK
English Documentation with English/Irish Power Cord - 3 PIN
Resource DVD - (Diagnostics & Drivers) - 64 BIT
AC Adapter 90W - 3 Pin
No Modem
Uk/Irish Internal Keyboard (QWERTY)
1Yr XPS Premium Warranty Support - Priority Call In and Onsite Support
Dell Internet Orde

Comes in at £1249

[ACiD303]

If you're going to be working with Photoshop and Illustrator, it sounds like a no-brainer, but find one with a good screen and CHECK the difference between glossy and matte screens. The colour reproduction and saturation can vary in terms of accuracy, which can be critical for Photoshop.

Often glossy is marketed as anti-glare, anti-reflection, and supposedly work better in sunlight. However, sometimes they can provide intense vivid reproductions resulting in a bit of over-saturation.

If you are doing colour-dependent projects, then check with the manufacturer. Best thing is to see if you can find one in-store somewhere and test it for yourself.

[ieatwork]

Cheers for the replies. Really appreciate the advice and quick response.

I understand that the big names like Dell probably offer better after-care with telephone support etc, and I admit that this has come in handy whilst owning my current Dell Inspiron.

I guess I just want something a bit different to what everyone else has. I quite like the de-branded look of the Enigma case as it's simple and understated. I want something no one else has, something 'indivdual'. Ha! I guess this is where I get too carried away with aesthetics...

I have thought about getting a 17" display, but i'm worried it'll be more awkward to carry around, and also heavier. Plus you can fit a 15" into most rucksacks or briefcase/satchel type bags. I'm not too keen on the carry cases specifically designed for laptops.

I included the Blu-Ray Writer as I figured I may need it eventually if I have the laptop for, say, three years or more. Do you think it's worthwhile getting? I'd also like to get a Lightscribe drive, but i'm not sure if they offer a Blu-Ray version with this. Do you know of one? My guess is that they will be pretty expensive.

I have seen some configurations offering 8GB of RAM. Do you think would I notice that much of a difference between 4GB and 8GB?

I guess I just want to get the highest spec laptop I possibly can for my money, but I don't want big logos plastered all over the casing. Ideally I want a completely de-branded case, which is why the Enigma caught my eye.

What's your view on the SONY VAIO AW11XU/Q 18.4"? I like the Sony Vaios as they are sleek and understated design-wise.

Also, I happened to see a Rock laptop on eBay. If you care to look the item number is: 230320842860

What do you think of the spec?

Thanks again for any advice.

[Yosh]

Also, I happened to see a Rock laptop on eBay. If you care to look the item number is: 230320842860

You might want to check specifically on warranty, that looks like a private seller and not a trader, so i doubt the warranty is transferable to the new owner i.e. you, i'm sure someone here will be more knowledgeable i.e. Saracen , personally if your going to buy new, buy it from the company direct i.e. Rock, Dell etc.

[ieatwork]

How about this spec for a Xtreme SL8:

Q9300 Quad core 2.5Ghz, 6Mb, 1333Mhz / 2 x Nvidia GeForce Go 9800M GTS 512Mb DDR3 / Hi-res 17" WUXGA X-Glass (1920x1200) / 4GB DDR2 800Mhz / 250GB 7200rpm SATA HDD / 8x +/- Dual Layer DVD Writer / No TV Tuner / Windows Vista Home Premium.

Only thing is, I don't like the look of the laptop.

Would this be faster than my spec for the Enigma?

It works out about £250 more. Eeek.

[strike-down]

Faster, yes, but absolutely no battery life there mate two 9800 GTS's are gonna drain your battery in an hour or under.

EDIT: and thats with a dual core CPU

[ieatwork]

Hmmm. Battery life is not too much of an issue for me as I have got so used to having my Dell plugged in all the time.

I can't find any pics of what the back of the SL8 display looks like. I wonder if it has one of those massive 'ROCK' logos. Hmmm.

[ieatwork]

I went in to PC World today to have a look at some of the laptops, and I must admit I was quite drawn to the MacBook Pro. It seemed pretty quick and the whole feel of the keyboard and trackpad was good.

There was a 16.4" Sony Vaio, which was also nice.

Does anyone know if there is anywhere I could check out the Rock laptops before buying? Or any of gaming type laptops? I would like to see and feel one before buying. The keyboard and trackpad is, obviously, quite an important feature.

Did you guys buy your laptops from a shop like PC World, or did you buy them on the net without seeing or feeling first?

[strike-down]

When I buy new, I usually just go and order a dell laptop, never been disappointed with any purchase from them. Especially the XPS laptops. Im sure there are other retailers such as curry's that have dells in stock so you could have a play with them there.
If you're after the fastest you can get for your money, stay away from macs way too overpriced for what you're getting. To coin someone elses phrase, Stylized turds lol

[MadduckUK]

please don't coin that phrase, it sounds overreactionary even if it isn't, and the same finger could be pointed at sony for example.

[strike-down]

It is the impression that ive got over the years of macs. I will give them this much though, for music production you couldnt do better than a mac, but otherwise in my experience (albeit limited), they do seem like it.

[ieatwork]

I have considered the Macbook Pro, but the new ones are pretty damn expensive, especially the high-spec 17" version. Approx £2500.

I'm also worried about heat issues with high-spec Macbooks.

The Powerbook I had a few years ago had major heat issues, even when doing unintensive tasks. The heat caused the casing to warp around the edges and I ended having to get the entire bottom casing replaced.

However, I do like the fact that Macs can run Windows.

Hmmm, decisions, decisions.

I think it's going to come down to price...