Buying a laptop

[Isolde]

I'm buying a laptop from Argos but I need help with comparing which is best. I've gone through the Argos website and i've found these two that I like. They are both worth £600 and it has everything I need but not sure what one to go for. Unless, you can think of a better laptop with a good price then please post the name of it so I can look it up I'm looking for laptops worth £400-£700max. Any ideas?

Acer Aspire 7735G 17.3in Laptop


Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 processor.
2.16GHz processor speed.
4GB RAM.




17.3in screen size.
Resolution 1600 x 900 pixels.
Widescreen.




320GB hard drive.




Multi format dual layer DVD optical drive.




Graphics: ATI RADEON HD4570 512 Mb.




Media card reader - supporting Secure Digital (SD) Card, MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD).
4 x USB ports.
1 x Ethernet ports.
1 x HDMI port.
Dolby sound.




0.3 Mp webcam.
802.11 A/B/G/N wireless enabled.




Windows Vista Home Premium operating system installed.
Software included:
Acer Arcade Deluxe featuring Cinema, Album, Music, Acer HomeMedia, Online Media, Acer Backup Manager, Acer eRecovery Manager, Acer PowerSmart Manager, Acer GridVista, Acer GameZone, Acer Game Console, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player, Google Toolbar, Google Desktop, McAfee Internet Security Suite trial version, NTI Media Maker, Microsoft Works with Office Home and Student 2007.




2.5 hours battery life.
Size (H) 3.5/4.15, (W) 41.0, (D)28.6cm.
Weight 3.3 kg.



Samsung R720 17.3in Laptop



Pentium Dual Core Processor.
2.10GHz processor speed.
1MB cache.
4GB RAM.




17.3in screen size.
Resolution 1600 x 900 pixels.
Widescreen.




320GB hard drive.
DVD Super-Multi Dual Layer optical drive.




ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics.
512MB graphics memory.




Media card reader - compatible with 3-in-1 (SD, SDHC, MMC).
3 x USB ports.
1 x Ethernet port.
HD (High Definition) Audio.




1.3Mp webcam.
802.11b/g wireless enabled.




Windows Home Premium operating system installed.




Software included: Adobe Acrobat Reader, Easy Battery Manager, Easy Display Manger, Easy Network Manager, Easy SpeedUp Manager, Microsoft Office, Professional 2007 (free 60-day trial), Samsung Magic Doctor, Samsung Update Plus.




3 hours battery life (dependant on usage).
Size (H) 41.14, (W) 27.28, (D)3.26-3.96cm.
Weight 2.9kg.

[Markeh]

It surprises me that neither of these systems are running Windows 7 (check to see if they come with upgrade vouchers). I'd go for the Acer, purely because of better specs.

[Isolde]

Thanks for your feedback guys, much appreciated.

I also prefer the first one than the second one simply because it has better specs. However, it doesn't have windows 7 so I searched online for a updated version and instead of the acer 7735g I found the new acer model, 7736g and i'm still deciding weather to buy it. It's from currys and i'm either buying it from the store that's if they have it in my local area or ordering it online.

Here's the specs, it's the same specs and prices as the first one but it is improved to windows 7 standards. I'd like feedback please.

Operating system Genuine Windows (R) 7 Home Premium
Processor Type Intel Core 2 Duo processor T6600
Processor speed (2.2Ghz, 800Mhz, 2MB Cache) The higher the number of Megahertz (MHZ) the faster the processor should be
Memory Size 4GB MB
Memory Type DDR2
Hard Drive Capacity 500 GB The bigger the capacity the more you can store
Optical Drives DVD RW
Floppy Disk Drive NO Floppy disks are 3.5" square and store a small amount of data. CDs,DVDs and memory sticks are now usually used instead
Screen Size/Type 17.3"
Graphics Card Type NVIDIA GeForce G210M To enable images to be displayed on your monitor
Graphics Memory 512MB dedicated MB The higher the memory the better quality images you are display
TV-out YES Allowing you to plug your laptop into a TV to watch DVDs
Sound Type DOLBY HOME THEATRE To enable you to have sound from your computer which is great for games, movies and music
Modem Type 10/100/100 gigabit Ethernet Enabling communication with others via the telephone line. A modem is used for the Internet, e-mail and faxing
Wireless Enabled YES Allows you to connect to an existing wireless network such as in a office or a wireless hot spot
No. of USB Connections 4 The more connections the computer has the more equipment you can connect to your computer e.g. a modem, printer, scanner, digital camera, PDA
No. of Firewire Connections 0 High speed data transfer link for digital video and other media. Ideal for quickly downloading video images from a camcorder to PC
Infrared Port Included NO Allowing you to connect to other devices with infrared such as an infrared enabled mobile phone
Other Interfaces Card Reader, HDMI,VGA
Battery Type Lithium-ion
Battery life (up to) 3.5 hours
Software Titles Included Works, Office H&S Trial
Colour Blue

Here's the link: http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/prod...rmationSection (http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/product/seo/106595/?camp_id=ppc_google_long_tail_laptops_acer_aspire7 736&source_id=aw&camp_id=Currys%20Google#productInformationSection)

[Markeh]

If its exactly the same other than the Windows 7, then go for it.

[dirrty]

acer laptops are rubbish imo - based upon personal experience lol.

[Markeh]

To be fair, my personal experience of Acer was a bit crap. If I hadnt got a cover plan with it, I woulda paid out the value of the laptop (500 quid) in parts within 2 and a half years.

But I do give my computer a lot of abuse and usage (a very heavy user I am :D), so that could have had an effect.

[Isolde]

If its exactly the same other than the Windows 7, then go for it.

not exactly, graphics card are different the first one is ATI RADEON HD4570 and this one is NVIDIA GeForce G210M but i heard they are both similar i think..

and yeah im kinda confused on wether to buy an acer laptop now from what ive been hearing.

[Markeh]

Does it HAVE to be Argos?

If not, http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0728135800.125822306 6@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdgadeildleffkcflgceggdhhmdgml.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=552432&category_oid= this HP would be a good buy. I own the one without Bluetooth, a lower processor and a smaller HDD, and its amazing.

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0728135800.125822306 6@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdgadeildleffkcflgceggdhhmdgml.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=871269&category_oid= this Toshiba would also suit, with a better graphics card

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/177479 another HP, would also suit should you need the bigger screen.

[Isolde]

No it didn't HAVE to be argos as i've said the laptop I wanted to get in the end was from currys and I decided to go along and buy it. It's amazing and i love it. Thanks for the feedback.

[Metric1]

MACBOOK

[GommeInc]

MACBOOK
POINTLESS

Both the Acers I have used in the past have been very good :/ Both had good battery life and other than the RAM (which got upgraded anyway), they've run quite well. What issues have the Acer users come across?

[Markeh]

Err, requiring a webcam, 2 lids, a motherboard, a power lead and a keyboard PLUS a new battery within 2 and a half years (bought it about 4 months after Vista came out). I mean, I did use it virtually everyday, and for long periods of time too. I was just glad I got the PC World cover plan, cos when it finally gave up the ghost I got a replacement voucher (machine cost £500, got a £450 voucher).

Thats the issue I had. I had another Acer before it that ended up with a failed HDD (in fairness it was about 3 years old), and one I used for schoolwork, which weighed a ton, half the USB ports didnt work and it was slow.

[Papershop]

i had an acer. backlight in the screen broke twice. exspensive! :(