Laptop woes...

[daj123]

I am planning to buy a laptop. My budget is around 55-60K. I am looking for a good performer which will be able to run linux. I know none of the distros will work right out of the box but I can install and configure drivers for odd devices. I have searched the forum and found that most of you have recommended dells. I too have my heart set on a dell but i would like your opinions about these lappys:

1. Dell 510m (1.6GHz Centrino, 256MB DDR333, 30GB HD)
2. Acer 4052 (1.6GHz Centrino, 256MB DDR266, 40GB HD)
3. Compaq Presario 2100AL(?? dont rememeber the exact model no. but has almost the same config as the two above)

Except the Acer, all the laptops come preloaded with WinXP. The acer comes with some Linux distro. Now here are my questions:
1. Which company should I depened for after sales service?
2. Which company has the best build quality?
3. Will I get a WinXP install disk with the laptop? Can I install it on my desktop? :roll:
4. Do you have a laptop that is not in the list but meets my criteria?

Thanks.

 

[theraven]

go for dell
its the best
even out of those
upgrade memory/hdd if u can acc to ur own needs

no u cant use the bundled cd on ur desktop
its OEM version meant to be used only on the laptop
if u use it on ur desktop it simply wont activate
besides they are usually recovery cds
meanin it'll start installation only on that laptop

 

[Nemesis]

i would recommend dell...being a dell user, i trust them...acer is decent but since it comes with linux, they probably wont provide support 4 the OS....compaq....ive learnt frm other ppl that they have bad after sales support...

as 4 ur questions:
1. dell
2. probably all have good build qualities...
3. yes u will get a disk with the compaq and the dell...but they r OEM and wont install on another computer...they're meant only 4 the system they come with...
4. not any that i know of....

 

[freshseasons]

What a Coincidence ....! just got myself Compaq Presario 2201As ..and its wonderfulll
The Screen is bright and clear . The sound is topnotch. Ofcourse the JBL pro speaker play their part well . A lot better than iBook which i wanted to buy .
Touch pad better than Samsung x10 and LG m50.
But the only concern is its got Intel Extreme 2 Grapic cards. So you can go all out in these chipset for gaming..but you can play on the low resolutions.
The built quality is a lot better than Acer ...
I can send you more information if u want

 

[daj123]

Thanks for your replies. I called up dell and inquired about the piece. They said it will cost Rs.63,656/- in Mumbai!!! The advertised price is Rs.55,900/- He told me something about taxes but that price is almost Rs.9,000/- above the price they have quoted Do you have any idea which taxes/surcharges are levied on it??

Also, I am unclear about the payment. They said that I will have to pay 100% before they will deliver anything. What if I pay them and I dont get my goods or get the wrong ones Its all telephonic conversation so I wont have any proof

Anybody clear that up?

 

[borg]

How about IBM thinkpad?. They were also quite good.

 

[daj123]

IBM thinkpads and HP laptops are too costly...

 

[swatkat]

This HP 14 inch wide screen Laptop is a better option....has loads of features...
check out
*www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/showstory.jsp?storyid=54215

The new Compaq Presario V2000 notebook has wireless mobility and has a widescreen with a WXGA resolution of 1280 x 768. It has Intel 855 GM chipsets and uses the 6 - in - 1 digital media reader, to allow the user to quickly move photos, movies and files between the V2000 and compatible PCs, handhelds, MP3 players and cameras.

The V2000 has a 14.0-inch widescreen display with a 15:9 aspect ratio. The feature allows digital photography enthusiasts to view more thumbnails per screen and panoramic viewing.

The notebooks weigh less than 2.36 kg. The range includes models on the Intel Centrino Mobile Technology with Intel Pentium-M or the Celeron-M Processor, along with three USB 2.0 ports.

The models, equipped with Intel PRO/Wireless 802.11B WLAN, have an all-in-one media cable that connects to PDAs, digicams, DVD writers and other home entertainment devices.

The notebooks are priced at Rs. 69,990 and Rs. 54,990 and are available at all retail outlets and HP exclusive stores across the country

 

[Nemesis]

if u r talking abt dell, then yes u will have 2 pay them in full b4 u get anything...i did that with my desktop abt 3 years ago....i know its a big amount and u feel insecure abt senfing it...but as far as i know, they wont mess it up...at least they didnt mess up my order....they dont have online ordering else they would debit/credit ur account only after they ship ur product...and they will also provide a tracking option once they receive ur order and payment...

 

[daj123]

ok guys, i got their quotation. The price is Rs.63,479/-(all inclusive) Is it worth it?

Nemesis, how is your experience with Dell customer care? But then again you're in new york so I guess it will definitely differ from India...

swatkat, with ref. to the article you posted...I called up HP. They said the centrino one will cost ~70K and the celeron one will cost ~60K. Its just not worth going in for a celeron when I am getting a pentium-m @ 63K.

 

[Nemesis]

i bought my ldesktop while i was still in India...i never had much trouble...except that i messed up my drive which caused it 2 fail...but my system was not in warranty so i had 2 pay 4 a new drive...but they were pretty efficient abt it.....tech support is pretty good-i called them up once or twice 4 some problems and they resolved it...

 

[tiwariG]

Laptop woes

Hey Daj,

Do you have a friend or a relative abroad?...because that is the best place to buy a lappy....the prices in India have come down but still the difference in US and indian prices is almost 35%...I have bought Dell Inspiron 8600 from the states and my cousin got it...as getting a single laptop is free of any customs duty...

As far as buying in India is concerned I wud suggest Compaq Presario...upgrade to 512 MB Ram...pay extra...it will be worth it...you may go for a 1.4 Ghz centrino but RAM has to be 512 Megs...

Buying Dell in India makes absolutely no sense....

Feel free to ask me any other question I have

 

[Nemesis]

now tell me y buying a dell in India doesnt make any sense????

 

[Nemesis]

now tell me y buying a dell in India doesnt make any sense????

 

[Nemesis]

now tell me y buying a dell in India doesnt make any sense????

 

[Nemesis]

damn....3 replies...the forumz were really messed up earlier....sorry guys...cant even delete them...mods...pls do the needful if ya have time....

 

[daj123]

Re: Laptop woes

Hey Daj,

Do you have a friend or a relative abroad?...because that is the best place to buy a lappy....the prices in India have come down but still the difference in US and indian prices is almost 35%...I have bought Dell Inspiron 8600 from the states and my cousin got it...as getting a single laptop is free of any customs duty...

As far as buying in India is concerned I wud suggest Compaq Presario...upgrade to 512 MB Ram...pay extra...it will be worth it...you may go for a 1.4 Ghz centrino but RAM has to be 512 Megs...

Buying Dell in India makes absolutely no sense....

Feel free to ask me any other question I have

Yes I have relatives abroad. India & Canada both. But the problem is that I wont get after sales service in India. I will have to invest more to get one from Dell India unless Dell USA gives world wide support, for which I am sure they will charge extra.

 

[GNUrag]

Nemesis, how is your experience with Dell customer care? But then again you're in new york so I guess it will definitely differ from India...

Did you call up Apple's center? Its in Bandra, just next to station. I'd been there to fix Airport card in my Apple PowerBook. And i must tell you their customer service is a breeze. With an apple warranty, you just carry in with your faulty hardware and walk away with a new one!!!

Apple does have laptops in your desired price range. Call them up.

 

[daj123]

No apples for me. This is not just for me. It's for my mother too who is a computer...ahem...illiterate

 

[Nemesis]

dude...then get her an apple...if she isnt yet familiar with windows, then it doesnt matter whether she uses a mac or a windows pc...btw, nice avatar GNU...