New Laptop Time...

[blueball]

...and this is the first time I will not be buying from Scan.

I am too concerned at the number of threads I have seen recently where people are receiving dead kit or kit that appears to be used or even the recent one with a laptop that was refused RMA because of licensing issues even though it hadn't been opened but, because the box it came in was, Scan got all antsy.

Scan used to always do the "right thing for the customer and their reputation" but now they just seem to stick dig their heels in. They used to be my first port of call and I have spent a fair few thousand with them over the years but I just don't want to take the risk that I will be one of the unlucky ones.

I have no doubt that there will be a heap of people posting saying how they have had great service from Scan, and to be honest I have too in the past. However, posts appearing over the last few months have coloured my viewpoint into not taking a chance with them even with free postage.

Scan, I really feel you need to do something to change the perception you are giving out.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

What is the budget,what are you using the laptop for and what form factor are you looking at??

[blueball]

I am looking for portability and battery duration more than screen real estate so I've already got it narrowed down to a choice between a Samsung NC210 Netbook or a Toshiba R630 Laptop. I know they are quite different beasts but I just haven't decided if I might miss the extra power of the R630.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I have handled the R630 myself and it is really well built IMHO. I assume you have a maximum budget of around £500 to £600??

[blueball]

I have handled the R630 myself and it is really well built IMHO. I assume you have a maximum budget of around £500 to £600??

Yeah. Seen the R630 on Amazon for £530 and can get an 8Gb memory upgrade for about £60 from Crucial

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

The ThinkPad Edge 11 and 13 are probably worth considering too although I prefer the R630 due to its magnesium alloy case:

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/c...nd-home-office

There is also the IdeaPad U160 although the better built U260 is more expensive though.

The other alternative is to look at a Zacate based laptop such as the HP DM1Z which has got very good reviews.

[blueball]

I like the idea of the R630 having a built in DVD which prob does it for me over the Lenovos.

[blueball]

Ended up with the Tosh R630-102 from Amazon. Took it to 8Gb and I'm very impressed. With extra RAM (adding extra drain to the battery) plus Bluetooth mouse attached and wireless connection Im getting between 3:30 and 5 hours. Happy with that - didn't ever expect the 8:55 they advertise.

[Behemoth]

Ended up with the Tosh R630-102 from Amazon. Took it to 8Gb and I'm very impressed. With extra RAM (adding extra drain to the battery) plus Bluetooth mouse attached and wireless connection Im getting between 3:30 and 5 hours. Happy with that - didn't ever expect the 8:55 they advertise.

I always take those claims on battery life with a pinch of salt. I was looking at that laptop last month but decided I didn't want to spend quite as much money as that so went with an Asus with a Core i3 chip. I spent hours decrapifying the thing though.

[blueball]

I spent hours decrapifying the thing though.

The Tosh wasn't too bad but there was still a lot of junk although it was nearly all uninstallable via control panel which was handy (plus a few registry deletions)

[Behemoth]

I ended up resorting to making an image of mine acronis and then reaching for my own spare Windows 7 licence and media.

[blueball]

I ended up resorting to making an image of mine acronis and then reaching for my own spare Windows 7 licence and media.

Must admit I've given up on Acronis. They have had a problem in the last few versions where USB 2 speeds were appallingly slow for many people (me included). I now use Paragon and much prefer it speed wise.

[Behemoth]

Not tried Paragon, will have a look and see what I think of it.

[blueball]

Not tried Paragon, will have a look and see what I think of it.

I like the fact you can boot from a CD (created by Paragon itself) and create an image of the disk - something that Acronis never managed.

[Lucio]

I favour a Thinkpad for my work laptop, because they're one of the few with the nice matte screen finishes instead of the ever annoying gloss options.

[Dareos]

Love my Tosh laptop, looks like you made a good choice there bud.

As far as battery life goes, their claims are completely true, as long as

1. Every single addon in windows is turned off

2. you dont press anything on the keyboard

3. you dont actually load windows