View Full Version : The sub £400 laptop Bargain Thread....
internetuser
13-11-2007, 21:16
After £30 cash back, I found this one
Dam misco, had the wrong spec, so this is what next cheapest (sorry for edit)
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133698/show_product_specifications?spectype=extended
Is the product at ebuyer for 389 after cash back
Looks good from what I can tell for a good brand sub £400 laptop....
Processor type Intel Centrino Duo processor technology Intel Core2 Duo Processor T5470, 1.60 GHz , 2 MB L2 cache, 800 MHz FSB, Intel Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g MOW2 mini-pci card, Bluetooth
Operating system installed Genuine Windows Vista Business 32-bit; Genuine Windows Vista Business 64-bit
Compatible operating systems Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Home
Display type TFT
Display size 15.4 inches diagonal
Dimensions (W x D x H) 3.2 (at front) x 35.8 x 26.7 cm
Weight Starting at 2.5 kg
Internal hard disk drive 120 GB
Hard disk drive speed 5400 rpm
Optical drives DVD+/–RW SuperMulti with Double Layer LightScribe Fixed
Standard memory 1 x 1024MB DDR2
Memory slots 2 SODIMM slots supporting dual channel memory
Memory upgrade Upgradeable to 4096 MB maximum
Chipset Mobile Intel 965GM
Weight Starting at 2.5 kg
Dimensions (W x D x H) 3.2 (at front) x 35.8 x 26.7 cm
Wireless technologies Intel Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g MOW2 mini-pci card, Bluetooth
Ooh I thought this was going to be a great deal, but the link takes you to a 6720s with a Celeron processor.
The Core2Duo model is £516.99 on Misco - Link (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://clkuk.tradedoubler.com/click?p(18461)a(60823)g(447862)url(http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=285196&CatId=2744))
Ebuyer do the C2D model for £419.99 though, so £389.99 after the cashback. <a href="http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133698/show_product_specifications">Link</a> (no affiliate link for ebuyer??)
internetuser
14-11-2007, 07:07
Ooh I thought this was going to be a great deal, but the link takes you to a 6720s with a Celeron processor.
The Core2Duo model is £516.99 on Misco - Link (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://clkuk.tradedoubler.com/click?p(18461)a(60823)g(447862)url(http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=285196&CatId=2744))
Ebuyer do the C2D model for £419.99 though, so £389.99 after the cashback. <a href="http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133698/show_product_specifications">Link</a> (no affiliate link for ebuyer??)
Damm misco had the wrong spec up before... That was the one I thought it was. Updated thread.
Dick Long
14-11-2007, 09:47
Laptop prices are obviously still sliding (base price level now seems £299) - any opinions on whether they'll drop significantly pre-Xmas or is Jan/Feb more likely?
They've been £299 base-price for yonks, and are unlikely to drop any lower.
The two most important things to look at when buying a laptop :
1. You need 2GB of Memory. If it comes with less, then factor the upgrade cost into your purchase.
2. You need a DualCore Processor. Either AMD or Intel is fine, as long as it's DualCore.
Meet those two criteria first, and then start looking at the other things like price, weight, size, graphics (if you wanna play games) etc.
not quite meeting the sub-£400 criteria but ebuyers deal of the day on this Asus Intel Core 2 Duo Laptop is a pretty good deal at £440
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/134522
Also look at DELL's pair of 2GB machines
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&oc=N1150112
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&oc=N11B64004
One Intel, one AMD. Both priced at about £450 when the warranty is reduced to the minimum.
I also like the look of eBuyer's ASUS above. 2 year warranty is a nice touch !
There's a Fujitsu-Siemens' dual core for £399 at ebuyer (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133384)
Fujitsu Siemens Esprimo Mobile V5515 Laptop Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor T2130 1.86GHz 2048MB 120GB DVDRW 15.4" WXGA TFT Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
Seems £400 is the new price point.
There's a Fujitsu-Siemens' dual core for £399 at ebuyer (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133384)
Seems £400 is the new price point.
I looked at that one too however put off by the poor Sis basic graphics and weaker battery spec, doesn't look like it's got a built in card reader either
ArthurDent
14-11-2007, 12:04
They've been £299 for yonks, and are unlikely to drop any lower.
There's still room for further price drops if Walmart can offer a $348 laptop:
http://www.wcpo.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=2ea8d22c-e8ea-4c1d-8453-338ad129e56e
Putting games to one side for a moment:
What's the minimum spec graphics card you need on these bargain machines to throw all the fancy effects of Vista around nice and quick?
And, what kinda cards would you need for things like RollerCoaster tycoon 3 (Not 1st person 3D with todays fancy lighting effects) but still some heavy(ish) polygon pushing?
Dick Long
14-11-2007, 13:25
There's still room for further price drops if Walmart can offer a $348 laptop:
http://www.wcpo.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=2ea8d22c-e8ea-4c1d-8453-338ad129e56e
Yep Acer seem to be turning them out for peanuts for the US market ATM (CompUSA were advertising a store-only special at $299 last week).
Are they significantly worse quality than mid range names like Toshiba or Samsung?
Stevie G
14-11-2007, 17:08
Laptop prices are obviously still sliding (base price level now seems £299) - any opinions on whether they'll drop significantly pre-Xmas or is Jan/Feb more likely?
I'm wondering that. I'm researching for two; a more portable business orientated laptop for my girlfriend and a home desktop replacement for a mate. I'm thinking he might be better waiting until the XMas/Jan sales start, and as me and my girlfriend are going away for Dec and Jan I think she's better to wait until we get back to get one, as buying one now will mean it's not being used, and she can prolly get better value at the end of Jan for the same money.
I bought 2 of these (http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Toshiba_Satellite_Pro_L40-12T_PSL43E-00L00NEN/version.asp) with £50 cashback each. They were £369 when I bought them though...:nono:
£363.41 at ebuyer.
MrSynner
14-11-2007, 17:27
This (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://clkuk.tradedoubler.com/click?p(47933)a(60823)url(http://www.asda-electricals.co.uk/shop/product/acer/aspire/black.html?)) looks pretty good at Asda - just under £400, and they had quite a few in my local branch, so no postage charges if you fancy collecting it in person.
Comes with Vista home premium, and a dual core - but are the specs much cop, as I don't know too much about laptops?
OliverScott
14-11-2007, 18:03
Putting games to one side for a moment:
What's the minimum spec graphics card you need on these bargain machines to throw all the fancy effects of Vista around nice and quick?
And, what kinda cards would you need for things like RollerCoaster tycoon 3 (Not 1st person 3D with todays fancy lighting effects) but still some heavy(ish) polygon pushing?
IMHO to run vista nicely (and to budget for the overhead of antivirus software and future updates and patched) you want a dual core processor and 2Gb of memory. Otherwise go for XP.
Remember when XP first came out? 128Mb machines were at the bottom end of the range available on the highstreet. After a servce pack or two you now want 512Mb as a minimum realistically and 1Gb or more is nice.
The current realy entry level vista laptops have 512Mb (far too little) so assuming the same increase, you ideally want a 2Gb machine.
For games (even older ones if they are 3D) you need a video card which is not described as integrated. i.e. not onboard intel, nvidia 6100 or ati x1100.
ATi X1300 or nVidia 7300 would be just about OK. ATi 2400 or nvidia 8400 would be better. ATi 2600 or nvidia 8600 is better.
Keiron99
14-11-2007, 20:20
IMHO to run vista nicely (and to budget for the overhead of antivirus software and future updates and patched) you want a dual core processor and 2Gb of memory. Otherwise go for XP.
I don't know whether laptops are different from desktops, but my Vista Ultimate on my desktop runs like a dream with just 1gb of RAM, certainly no slower than my laptop also with 1gb on XP. For most domestic users, there's nowt in it.
They've been £299 base-price for yonks, and are unlikely to drop any lower.
I'll make a mental note to revisit this thread in 6 months time and have a chuckle! Who ever thought you'd get DVD players for less than a tenner? Kettles from Tesco for £3.50?
OliverScott
14-11-2007, 20:40
I don't know whether laptops are different from desktops, but my Vista Ultimate on my desktop runs like a dream with just 1gb of RAM, certainly no slower than my laptop also with 1gb on XP. For most domestic users, there's nowt in it.
When XP first came out 256Mb was a perfectly reasobably spec - by the time service pack 1 was introduced it was a bit on the low side, and by service pack 2 it was too little! Vista SP1 is just round the corner...
You can buy a vista laptop with 1Gb of ram and it will work OK, but you will probably end up adding extra memory at some point IMHO. Most people on here are happy to do this themselves, but some people will be wary of doing this, and it may invalidate the warranty in certain cases. Also it is worth bearing in mind that most laptops which come with 1Gb will have 2 x 512Mb which would both need to be replaced to upgrade to 2Gb (and in the case of some ultraportable laptops, one of the slots is under the keyboard!).
Note: laptop hard drives are slower than desktop drives so any virtual memory used will cause a bigger hit on performance than with a desktop.
Vista on a laptop with 512Mb of memory is not good, and 1Gb is is also a problem if PC World manage to flog you Norton 360 to install on it!
Agreed - you definitely need 2GB on a modern Vista Laptop.
1GB simply isn't enough to guarantee acceptable performance for the forseeable future.
Why compromise ? The extra GB costs you next to nothing. It's madness NOT to go for it :)
I'll make a mental note to revisit this thread in 6 months time and have a chuckle! Who ever thought you'd get DVD players for less than a tenner? Kettles from Tesco for £3.50?
Six months ? That's rather a longer timescale than I had in mind :) Anyone waiting half a year for a laptop, doesn't need one anyway :thumbs:
Keiron99
15-11-2007, 05:54
Nom, I was merely commenting on your suggestion that the price of laptops has bottomed out. If they're £299 now, you can bet in 6 months they'll be nearer £200 and even better than they are today. Moore's law and all that.
Dogbreath
15-11-2007, 20:37
Comet have the Acer Aspire 5720 (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=157&id=30372&p=http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=425435&tab=specification&cm_ven=Affiliatewindow&cm_cat=Affiliate&cm_pla=Affiliate&cm_ite=Affiliate) for £399 which has a reasonable spec.
charlie angel
16-11-2007, 09:20
Is it easy to add more RAM to laptops?
Stevie G
16-11-2007, 11:15
Usually, but I think you're usually limited to two slots, and 1 gig often comes in two sticks of 512, so if you get a 1 gig you'd often have to lose that if you wanted to have 2gig.
I know it's not sub 400, but is the new aldi one any good?
http://www.aldi-stores.co.uk/sunday_special_buys/sunday_special_buys_pid_59379.html
Stevie G
16-11-2007, 12:16
TEsco are doing a Samsung R60 with 2gig for £499 as well, saw it in store yesterday.
Also not under 400, but at 450 this one from SVP is very good value.
What are folks opinions on this?
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133384
pivotalgubbins
19-11-2007, 22:16
What are folks opinions on this?
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133384
Honestly, I'd be tempted if it wasn't for the fact I've heard such mixed reviews about Fujitsu. I've been seriously considering a Lenovo, competitive prices, great build quality and ultimately reliable. It is that or splashing the cash on a XPS M1330 for me!
How does the Toshiba at Currys (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=1599&id=30372&p=http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/product/seo/575245) stack up. My wife wants to buy a laptop and this one looks pretty good.
SVP Communications
20-11-2007, 13:49
There have just been some more Dell refurb laptops with warranty added here:
http://svp.co.uk/category/pcs_and_laptops
These do sell quite quickly, but more stock is added every few days.
Steve
www.svp.co.uk
I've just gone for one of these: http://h41306.www4.hp.com/itemDetails?SID=54a41eb47af0789bfb52d9596215e704047:1223&sku=KD092AA (Tried to affiliate, but couldn't find a link)
£370
Core Duo 1.83GHz
1GB RAM
120GB HDD
DVD Writer
15.4" Screen
Vista Basic
There are loads of discount codes knocking about that give a £40 reduction, so £334.99 including delivery.
How does the Toshiba at Currys (http://www.thedvdforums.com/jump2.php?url=http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=1599&id=30372&p=http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/product/seo/575245) stack up. My wife wants to buy a laptop and this one looks pretty good.
Was going to ask the same question - the 2gb RAM looks ok but I was abit worried about the cpu speed. Anyone used one of these before?
rev
mince bigalow
20-11-2007, 18:22
Was going to ask the same question - the 2gb RAM looks ok but I was abit worried about the cpu speed. Anyone used one of these before?
rev
I wouldn't go for it due to the slightly slow processor and 80Gb hard disk, also it doesn't specify whether the screen is glossy/brightview or not, so probably best to assume not.
Dick Long
20-11-2007, 18:25
What are the advantages of glossy/brightview type screens over the conventional matt ones? They look quite flash in the shops, but don't they suffer from reflections?
internetuser
20-11-2007, 19:21
I've just gone for one of these: http://h41306.www4.hp.com/itemDetails?SID=54a41eb47af0789bfb52d9596215e704047:1223&sku=KD092AA (Tried to affiliate, but couldn't find a link)
£370
Core Duo 1.83GHz
1GB RAM
120GB HDD
DVD Writer
15.4" Screen
Vista Basic
There are loads of discount codes knocking about that give a £40 reduction, so £334.99 including delivery.
I was looking at this too, did you find any review etc for it ?
Keiron99
20-11-2007, 19:32
What are the advantages of glossy/brightview type screens over the conventional matt ones? They look quite flash in the shops, but don't they suffer from reflections?
I've got a new laptop for work with glossy screen. It looks initially impressive, images etc look good, blacks are very black. But it really is not as comfortable on the eyes as an old fashioned matt screen. I'm always conscious I'm looking through a piece of sparkly, reflective glass.
I was looking at this too, did you find any review etc for it ?
Managed to find a review for a lower spec 530 here: http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/laptops/0,39030092,49293832,00.htm
Basically, this reviews the celeron version, which only has 512MB RAM. They say its 3D performance is poor, battery life is poor (just under two hours with average use), and it has limited expansion potential. They do say that at £300 its an absolute steal, and give it 8/10 overall.
I'm guessing the bump in RAM and processor should sort speed issues for most stuff, and I'm not too concerned about battery life.
What are the advantages of glossy/brightview type screens over the conventional matt ones? They look quite flash in the shops, but don't they suffer from reflections?
Reflections is exactly what they suffer from.
Steer clear - when TFTs first became common, one of the "new" features was they were free of the reflections that CRTs suffered from !
I've just gone for one of these: http://h41306.www4.hp.com/itemDetails?SID=54a41eb47af0789bfb52d9596215e704047:1223&sku=KD092AA (Tried to affiliate, but couldn't find a link)
£370
Core Duo 1.83GHz
1GB RAM
120GB HDD
DVD Writer
15.4" Screen
Vista Basic
There are loads of discount codes knocking about that give a £40 reduction, so £334.99 including delivery.
Not bad - but they've saved money and scrimped on spec by going for Vista Basic and just 1GB Memory.
I've been seriously considering a Lenovo, competitive prices, great build quality and ultimately reliable.
How about this :
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Lenovo_3000_N200_Laptop_TY2BRUK/version.asp
http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=C75D334BA5CA7304 (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=38&url=http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=C75D334BA5CA7304) (this should fit fine, cos the spec says it comes with a single 1GB stick)
I make that £404.23 all in.
Good points : Lenovo-build, DualCore, 2GB, discrete nVidia graphics, and Vista Premium :thumbs:
Bad points : VibrantView screen, CPU isn't that quick :|
internetuser
23-11-2007, 15:52
Memory is cheap to replace for a laptop basic is fine imo
Not bad - but they've saved money and scrimped on spec by going for Vista Basic and just 1GB Memory.
AFAIK you can get another 1gig of ram for around £15 at the moment.
internetuser
23-11-2007, 15:56
How about this :
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Lenovo_3000_N200_Laptop_TY2BRUK/version.asp
http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=C75D334BA5CA7304 (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=38&url=http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=C75D334BA5CA7304) (this should fit fine, cos the spec says it comes with a single 1GB stick)
I make that £404.23 all in.
Good points : Lenovo-build, DualCore, 2GB, discrete nVidia graphics, and Vista Premium :thumbs:
Bad points : VibrantView screen, CPU isn't that quick :|
whats wrong with the screen ?
internetuser
23-11-2007, 16:05
Is the HP better than this laptop ? Its specs seem to be better (bar memory which can be fixed) and warrenty,,,
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/134522
Processor - Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 1.5 GHz 667MHz, 2MB L2Cache
Chipset – ATI XPRESS X1100
Integrated Network
Integrated Modem
Form Factor - Notebook
Memory (Maximum) - 2048MB (2048MB) 667MHz DDR2
Hard Disk - 120GB 5400RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive
Optical Drive Type - DVD Super Multi Double Layer
Keyboard - 19 mm full size 88key with MS-Windows function keys
Monitor - 15.4ins Colour Shine LCD WXGA Colours
Sound Device - Integrated Intel High Definition Audio compliant audio chip
Speakers - Built-in Stereo Speakers (1.5W)
Audio Features - SoundBlaster Pro Compatible
RF Network Standard - IEEE 802.11g
Modem - Intel High Definition Audio Modem Integrated
Graphics Device – ATI Mobility™ Radeon® XPRESS 1100,
Operation System – Microsoft Vista Home Premium
Card reader - 4 in 1 SD, MMC,MS,MS PRO,
VGA Port - 1
Audio Line In Ports - 1
Headphone/Audio Line Out - 1 x Headphone-out jack
Microphone In Port - 1
RJ-45 Ports - 1 x RJ-45
USB Ports - 4 x USB 2.0
Software Included - ASUSDVD XP 6.0 Power Director V3.0 DE Medi@Show V2.0 SE Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 NERO 7 Essentials
Security - BIOS Booting / HDD User Password Protection and security lock
Kensington lock hole
Pre-OS Authentication by programmable key code
Battery - Lithium-Ion 6 cells: 4400 mAh,
Power Adaptor Output - 19VDC
Voltage/Power/Frequency - 100 to 240VAC / 50 to 60Hz
Security Locking Mechanics - Kensington Lock Slot
Dimensions - 36.5 x 26.4 x 3.55 cm (W x D x H) - Weight 2.8kg
Warranty – 24 months global warranty, collect and return within UK
More than £400 (well £440) but does have 2 year warrenty
whats wrong with the screen ?
"VibrantView" = Land of glare and reflections :(
I got my HP through today (the £370 one you can get for £333). All in all I'm pretty pleased with it. Al of the windows experience figures are between 4 and 5 except for graphics and 3D graphics, which are 2.3 and 3.0 respectively. Not great for games, but fine for most other stuff.
The first time it booted it took about 20-30 minutes to do all the rubbish HP stuff, though it does set up a recovery partition which is quite useful. It leaves 103 of the 120gig hard drive space free. The screen is lovely, and it's not as heavy as I was expecting it to be. Build quality seems to be good.
How about this :
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Lenovo_3000_N200_Laptop_TY2BRUK/version.asp
http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=C75D334BA5CA7304 (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=38&url=http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/mpartspecs.aspx?mtbpoid=C75D334BA5CA7304) (this should fit fine, cos the spec says it comes with a single 1GB stick)
I make that £404.23 all in.
Good points : Lenovo-build, DualCore, 2GB, discrete nVidia graphics, and Vista Premium :thumbs:
Bad points : VibrantView screen, CPU isn't that quick :|
I've got the Lenovo N100 (previous model) with a 1680x1050 screen and it is an awesome laptop. The keyboard and screen are excellent. I paid £499 for mine a while back.
I got my HP through today (the £370 one you can get for £333). All in all I'm pretty pleased with it. Al of the windows experience figures are between 4 and 5 except for graphics and 3D graphics, which are 2.3 and 3.0 respectively. Not great for games, but fine for most other stuff.
The first time it booted it took about 20-30 minutes to do all the rubbish HP stuff, though it does set up a recovery partition which is quite useful. It leaves 103 of the 120gig hard drive space free. The screen is lovely, and it's not as heavy as I was expecting it to be. Build quality seems to be good.
Does this come with a 1gb ram stick or 2x 512mb
internetuser
27-11-2007, 20:18
the hps come with a single gig stick
richieuk
29-11-2007, 15:47
Dell Vostro 17in notebook £351 delivered from Dell Business (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3&url=http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&l=en&kc=n4x17001&oc=n1217001&s=bsd&dgc=AF&cid=5212&lid=122756)
Dell Vostro 1700 305-N1217001
Change warranty to base warranty
Intel® Celeron® M 550 Processor (2.00 GHz,1 MB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic - English
Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support
17.0" Widescreen WXGA+ (1440x900) TFT Display
Matte Jet Black without Camera
1024MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x512]
120GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive including Software
Primary 6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (56 WHr)
From Dell small business site and while anyone can buy from there the dsr isnt the same as home site so no free returns if you dont like it
Northumbrian
29-11-2007, 17:26
Dell Vostro 17in notebook £351 delivered from Dell Business (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3&url=http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&l=en&kc=n4x17001&oc=n1217001&s=bsd&dgc=AF&cid=5212&lid=122756)
Dell Vostro 1700 305-N1217001
Change warranty to base warranty
Intel® Celeron® M 550 Processor (2.00 GHz,1 MB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic - English
Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support
17.0" Widescreen WXGA+ (1440x900) TFT Display
Matte Jet Black without Camera
1024MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x512]
120GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
Intel® Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive including Software
Primary 6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (56 WHr)
From Dell small business site and while anyone can buy from there the dsr isnt the same as home site so no free returns if you dont like it
You can actually buy it from the home section of the dell website, just do a search for N1217001 and it allow you to buy it. You can tell that it's the home section if VAT is included. This will protect all you consumer rights etc. HTH.
the highlander
30-11-2007, 13:42
this laptop from play (tesco also sell it for the same price ) looks fantastic for the price .
Play.com (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=2&url=http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/3477734/-/Product.html?sp=1&dpr=117051#)
removed - sorry but as that site contain affiliate links you can not promote it on here.
internetuser
01-12-2007, 13:54
The HP cashback offer is now on during december too....
the highlander
01-12-2007, 16:05
this laptop from play (tesco also sell it for the same price ) looks fantastic for the price .
Play.com (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=2&url=http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/3477734/-/Product.html?sp=1&dpr=117051#)
having looked into this laptop and even getting one from amazon :thumbs:its a fantastic laptop once you stick 2 gigs of ram in it (£35) its got a poor HD 80gig but on opening it up you can fit 2 sata disks at once :thumbs: now that's good :dork::dork:
MrSynner
01-12-2007, 16:45
having looked into this laptop and even getting one from amazon :thumbs:its a fantastic laptop once you stick 2 gigs of ram in it (£35) its got a poor HD 80gig but on opening it up you can fit 2 sata disks at once :thumbs: now that's good :dork::dork:
It has another drive bay? Oooooo. I had a play with one of these in Tesco earlier today - the screen is :luv:
Think I'll get one of these after christmas.
applebwl
02-12-2007, 19:01
Just received the HP 530, fantastic for the money, core duo 1.8/120 gig/1gb all for £316
Can't see it on the HP site anymore though, was thinking about getting another one
internetuser
02-12-2007, 19:21
I was going to go for the 530, but it sold out like you said. the 6720 was the next best thing at 390 after cashback.
Its worth paying 13quid for an extra gig of ram from tho
play.com (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=2)
Just received the HP 530, fantastic for the money, core duo 1.8/120 gig/1gb all for £316
Can't see it on the HP site anymore though, was thinking about getting another one
I was going to go for the 530, but it sold out like you said. the 6720 was the next best thing at 390 after cashback.
Its worth paying 13quid for an extra gig of ram from tho
play.com (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=2)
For anyone interested in adding a gig of RAM to this, here's a link to what it is: http://www.orcalogic.co.uk/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=31310&ft=m&st=3
Ordered a 1gig stick of crucial Ram, wireless router, and laptop case for just a smidge over £50 at ebuyer and got free delivery.
Lee Brown
05-12-2007, 19:19
Just picked up a Medion laptop from Sainsburys for £200 reduced from £399. I have to say, for the money I very impressed. I'm sure the spec isn't all that, but it has 120GB hard drive, 1 GB ram, vista home basic, intel core duo T2060 processor, wireless card, dvd-rw. I think onboard graphics are the downside, but as a surfing laptop it's great.
mince bigalow
05-12-2007, 19:36
Just picked up a Medion laptop from Sainsburys for £200 reduced from £399. I have to say, for the money I very impressed. I'm sure the spec isn't all that, but it has 120GB hard drive, 1 GB ram, vista home basic, intel core duo T2060 processor, wireless card, dvd-rw. I think onboard graphics are the downside, but as a surfing laptop it's great.
wow, that's a really good deal! anyone else seen this?
Lee Brown
05-12-2007, 19:50
wow, that's a really good deal! anyone else seen this?
There were two in my local Sainsburys (didcot, oxfordshire) this morning, but only 1 left (which I bought) when i returned to buy it this evening.
It's a Medion MIM 2210
Just picked up a Medion laptop from Sainsburys for £200 reduced from £399. I have to say, for the money I very impressed. I'm sure the spec isn't all that, but it has 120GB hard drive, 1 GB ram, vista home basic, intel core duo T2060 processor, wireless card, dvd-rw. I think onboard graphics are the downside, but as a surfing laptop it's great.
I'd suggest you post that as a separate deal, as loads of people that aren't interested in spending £300+ on a laptop would probably jump at that (you probably couldn't pick up a desktop with that spec and have enough money left over for a screen).
Don't forget employees get a 15% discount, so could be £170!
applebwl
05-12-2007, 20:57
Good price, but the T2060 is the older dual core processor, not core duo as stated see here :-
http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sspec=sl9vx
Since dual core there has been core duo ,and core 2 duo
Dogbreath
05-12-2007, 21:46
Good price, but the T2060 is the older dual core processor, not core duo as stated see here
Considering you can't even get a Celeron based laptop for that price I don't think I'd be complaining!
Lee Brown
05-12-2007, 22:12
I'd suggest you post that as a separate deal, as loads of people that aren't interested in spending £300+ on a laptop would probably jump at that (you probably couldn't pick up a desktop with that spec and have enough money left over for a screen).
Don't forget employees get a 15% discount, so could be £170!
I've posted a new thread now.
The processor is listed on the box as a T2060, but the machine reports it as a T2300, which is slightly better.
internetuser
06-12-2007, 18:43
After £30 cash back, I found this one
Dam misco, had the wrong spec, so this is what next cheapest (sorry for edit)
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133698/show_product_specifications?spectype=extended
Is the product at ebuyer for 389 after cash back
Looks good from what I can tell for a good brand sub £400 laptop....
Processor type Intel Centrino Duo processor technology Intel Core2 Duo Processor T5470, 1.60 GHz , 2 MB L2 cache, 800 MHz FSB, Intel Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g MOW2 mini-pci card, Bluetooth
Operating system installed Genuine Windows Vista Business 32-bit; Genuine Windows Vista Business 64-bit
Compatible operating systems Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Home
Display type TFT
Display size 15.4 inches diagonal
Dimensions (W x D x H) 3.2 (at front) x 35.8 x 26.7 cm
Weight Starting at 2.5 kg
Internal hard disk drive 120 GB
Hard disk drive speed 5400 rpm
Optical drives DVD+/–RW SuperMulti with Double Layer LightScribe Fixed
Standard memory 1 x 1024MB DDR2
Memory slots 2 SODIMM slots supporting dual channel memory
Memory upgrade Upgradeable to 4096 MB maximum
Chipset Mobile Intel 965GM
Weight Starting at 2.5 kg
Dimensions (W x D x H) 3.2 (at front) x 35.8 x 26.7 cm
Wireless technologies Intel Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g MOW2 mini-pci card, Bluetooth
This is now up to £500 with £30 cash back, nearly £100 increase in a week, but it does fetch it in line the price other retailers are charging.
richieuk
20-12-2007, 11:23
Dell Inspiron 6400 Notebook 1.86Ghz dualcore, 2gig, 160Gb, dvdrw, £374 delivered (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3&url=http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&l=en&oc=N1264054&s=dhs)
System Code: 305-N1264054
Change warranty to 1 Year collect & return price changes to £434.82
Go through to checkout and a further £35 discount is applied = £374 delivered
richieuk
20-12-2007, 11:49
Dell Inspiron 6400 Notebook 1.73Ghz Dualcore, 1GB RAM, 120GB HDD, DVDRW, £327 delivered (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3&url=http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=uk&fb=1&l=en&oc=N1264053&s=dhs)
System Code: 305-N1264053
Change warranty to 1 Year collect & return price changes to £387.82
Go through to checkot and a further £23.50 discount is applied = £327.83 delivered
SOUNDSTYLE
20-12-2007, 20:25
Has anyone seen this: http://www.asuslaptop.co.uk/AsusEeePC (http://www.asuslaptop.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=Asus_Eee_PC_L&cat=17)
Under 1Kg
Linux Based operating system
Supports Firefox, Thunderbird & Adobe Reader etc.
Wi-Fi Enabled / Ethernet Supported
3 x USB 2.0 ports,
1 x VGA Port
Card Reader
Under £230 delivered.
Okay the screen is only 7" and 800px wide and the hard drive is only 4GB solid state but if you want a laptop only to check emails, browse the web (Youtube etc) and open the odd doc this could be a real winner.
I've heard that Asus will be releasing new models next year with bigger hard drives (16GB solid state).
Review:
http://www.trustedreviews.com/notebooks/review/2007/10/30/Asus-Eee-PC-4G-701/p1
Edit: Just noticed that this laptop has been mentioned already in other threads on the DVD Forums.
AFAIK currently cheapest and readily available from Toys R Us (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=83) at £219 [instore - sold out online]
regarding the dell laptops, difference between windows vista home and business is here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/editions/choose.mspx
business doesnt have windows media center but thats no biggie to me.
the same laptop on the home section of the dell site is c.£50 more...
Direct Link (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=90&url=http://www.woolworths.co.uk/web/jsp/product/index.jsp?pid=50968326)
This one looks ok....
Features
* 15.4" WXGA widescreen TFT
* Intel® Pentium Dual Core T2130 (1.86GHz, 533MHz, 1Mb L2 Cache)
* 2GB RAM
* 160 GB HDD
* DVD-RW Dual Layer ODD
* Wireless LAN b/g
* VISTA Home Basic
* Express Card Slot
* 3 x USB 2.0 ports
* 4 Cell battery
* Weight: 2.7kgs
£400. Apparently in thier sale. Not sure what it was before...
JamesThomson
25-12-2007, 18:32
Looking for up to £400 laptop myself, any new deals been spotted?
Keep an eye on here (http://www.**********.com/)
That site won't link from here.
For £399 try this: Currys (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=5&url=http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1560006873.1198617452@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccciaddmleemjdjcflgceggdhhmdfof.0&page=Product&sku=339848)
Or this for £293 if you drop the warranty to one year: Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3&url=http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&l=en&kc=a&oc=n1210007&s=dhs&dgc=AF&cid=5212&lid=122756)
Dogbreath
25-12-2007, 21:27
Dell Inspiron 6400 Notebook 1.73Ghz Dualcore, 1GB RAM, 120GB HDD, DVDRW, £327 delivered (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3&url=http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=uk&fb=1&l=en&oc=N1264053&s=dhs)
System Code: 305-N1264053
Cheers for link, my dad just bought this (and paid ~£20 extra for the high capacity battery). Seems like a very well specified machine for the price. Has anyone got the link to the software for erasing all the crud that Dells come installed with?
Am i looking at this wrong or are Dell Outlet Notebooks not working out much cheaper.... or rather in some cases dearer because the lack of Free Delivery etc?
Cheers for link, my dad just bought this (and paid ~£20 extra for the high capacity battery). Seems like a very well specified machine for the price. Has anyone got the link to the software for erasing all the crud that Dells come installed with?
http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/download
Dogbreath
26-12-2007, 10:49
Thank you muchly. That will save a bit of time when he inevitably brings it over for me to set up ;)
I have just reserved a HP from Comet Dual Core 2 Gb ram 160 GB HDD
only went for this one rather than the Tosh at PC world was the battery life was stated on the HP but on the TOSH it was not.
Comet (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=37&url=http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=424552)
Any comments welcome.
Any comments welcome.
Please affiliate these links where applicable.
only went for this one rather than the Tosh at PC world was the battery life was stated on the HP but on the TOSH it was not.
Nor is it at the Toshiba website:
Battery maximum life : currently no official Windows Vista® battery benchmark result available
Sorry Alan - posted in haste - I'll make it my news years resolution to try harder.
Just picked up the £399 dual core HP from Comet (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=37) - it has the normal crud installed like Norton etc - once I make a restore disc I will customise.
So far Vista Premium seems ok.
got a windows rating thingy of 3.1 whatever that is.
Just got back from Currys (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=5) with the £399 Toshiba laptop - bonus was on the box was a sticker to register with Toshiba to get a FREE second battery for the laptop - usually the batteries are around £80.
Hopes this helps.
Nice one Eric - Toshiba were doing this on a lot of laptops when Vista first came out - none of the boxes on my PC World (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=7) had the free battery offer.
If it was on all of them I'm sure they would be using it as a hook for the ad on TV.
Lots of choice here, but has anyone seen one that can actiually play games?
Ono
They will all play games but not the most modern the frame rate rendering and shadow will be below par.
A good gaming laptop will be around 750 - 2500 pounds
NOt talking about Crysis - but something like The Orange Box or C&C3.
The HP one from Comet can handle COD 2 once you update the drivers for the graphics card - only single player there is an issue with multiplayer and vista - the Tosh from PC world is the same chip set so that should work as well.
It will also run civilisation 4
Ono have a look at this from Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3&url=http://search.euro.dell.com/searchcom_redirect.aspx?c=uk&l=en&s=gen&cs=&k=N1217005&tdc=1&cd=1&cat=all&sfp=RecLink&dtype=RecLinkPattern&did=0&redp=http%3a%2f%2fconfigure.euro.dell.com%2fdellstore%2fconfig.aspx%3fc%3duk%26l%3den%26cs%3dukdhs1%26kc%3d%26oc%3dN1217005&redpe=9a0aa829-908c-6a24-a3a3-8892cb4f7a41), it comes to £527 at the checkout, but there is a 10% code about that is for this product, comes to about £475. OK so it's not under £400, but it has a 17" screen, 2.0Ghz dual core processor, 2 gig ram, and a decent graphics card that will play most games.
Ono have a look at this from Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3&url=http://search.euro.dell.com/searchcom_redirect.aspx?c=uk&l=en&s=gen&cs=&k=N1217005&tdc=1&cd=1&cat=all&sfp=RecLink&dtype=RecLinkPattern&did=0&redp=http%3a%2f%2fconfigure.euro.dell.com%2fdellstore%2fconfig.aspx%3fc%3duk%26l%3den%26cs%3dukdhs1%26kc%3d%26oc%3dN1217005&redpe=9a0aa829-908c-6a24-a3a3-8892cb4f7a41), it comes to £527 at the checkout, but there is a 10% code about that is for this product, comes to about £475. OK so it's not under £400, but it has a 17" screen, 2.0Ghz dual core processor, 2 gig ram, and a decent graphics card that will play most games.
Is the 10% code valid for this package? One I've seen is for the XPS laptop only??
hornet_boys
28-12-2007, 08:53
Ono have a look at this from Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3&url=http://search.euro.dell.com/searchcom_redirect.aspx?c=uk&l=en&s=gen&cs=&k=N1217005&tdc=1&cd=1&cat=all&sfp=RecLink&dtype=RecLinkPattern&did=0&redp=http%3a%2f%2fconfigure.euro.dell.com%2fdellstore%2fconfig.aspx%3fc%3duk%26l%3den%26cs%3dukdhs1%26kc%3d%26oc%3dN1217005&redpe=9a0aa829-908c-6a24-a3a3-8892cb4f7a41), it comes to £527 at the checkout, but there is a 10% code about that is for this product, comes to about £475. OK so it's not under £400, but it has a 17" screen, 2.0Ghz dual core processor, 2 gig ram, and a decent graphics card that will play most games.
How do you get it down to that price?
Link shows a cost of £740 - I have reduced the 3 year warranty down to 12 monhs but it is still showing £587.
I am on the lookout for a sub £500 laptop that plays games and does the basics but am just so confused which one to go for :shrug:
There is a further £58.75 on checkout I think.
Then you add whatever voucher is available.
How do you get it down to that price?
Link shows a cost of £740 - I have reduced the 3 year warranty down to 12 monhs but it is still showing £587.
I am on the lookout for a sub £500 laptop that plays games and does the basics but am just so confused which one to go for :shrug:
Vostro™ 1700 NB(N1217005)
Price £646.32
You Save £58.75
Total £587.57
Includes VAT & Shipping
Has the price gone up?
hornet_boys
28-12-2007, 09:37
There is a further £58.75 on checkout I think.
Then you add whatever voucher is available.
Its already taken the £58.75 off so leaves a balance of £587 or thereabouts.
Cannot find a 10% voucher either.
Would be a very good buy at less than £500.
It takes more off at the checkout, use google to find the code as I don't think it can be posted here (not sure of T&C's)
Looks like the code expired yesterday, it's £527.58 at the checkout without the 10% code.
hornet_boys
28-12-2007, 11:22
Looks like the code expired yesterday, it's £527.58 at the checkout without the 10% code.
Bummer :(
That extra 10% would be so nice !!
I'm on the lookout for a cheap-as-chips laptop for my sister in law who's moving to a smaller house and needs a laptop for its small form factor but only to surf, type up word docs, burn cds, and run itunes. I'm trying for <£300 and have found a celeron 540 1.86ghz 1gb on ebuyer for 299.99 (136220), and a few celeron M 530/440 512mb units for 270-300 ... can anyone advise me please on the relative merrits of the 540 vs the M celerons? I run an athon XP 1500 at home which I find perfectly fast enough - are these celerons in the same league? I'm tempted by the faster 1gb unit but if the M's aren't much slower then I might try and save £30.
Cheers,
Duncan
internetuser
29-12-2007, 11:06
Google the HP530 or HP540 both are around £280
HPs are decent enough laptops. extra gig is about 13quid too
Asda have the acer celeron the 540 I think now with 1GB of ram for £299.
I bit the bullet and went for one of Dell's Inspiron 6400 laptops - seemed the best value for money that I could find. Until 2/1/08 they have free delivery and also up to £30 off the laptop. Two main choices - the T2130 1.8ghz dual core with 2gb ram and 160gb disc for £374, or the T2080 1.73 with 1gb ram and 120gb disk for £327 ... we went for the cheaper one and chose to have XP pro rather than vista (no cost option) - given that I'm now the technical support I'd rather go with XP that I'm more familiar with! To get these prices all I had to do was bump down the support from 3 years on site to 1 year return to base. The T2080 is coming up slightly faster than the T2310 1.73ghz and only slightly slower than the T2130 1.8, 1gb is fine for XP, so thats the winner ! Bit of a delay on build and delivery, ordered today and showing 16/1 delivery.
Cheers,
Duncan.
internetuser
30-12-2007, 20:13
does any find all the glossy screens on the cheaper laptops a apin to work with in the light. ie reflection ? or is it meant to do that?
does any find all the glossy screens on the cheaper laptops a apin to work with in the light. ie reflection ? or is it meant to do that?
yes thats a problem with glossy screens. They are often a premium addition. Expensive glossy laptops have the same problem. DVDs look nice but business users prefer matt
mamboboy
30-12-2007, 23:20
Hey guys, I might be having a DJ set an a bar in the coming weeks so I basically need to find a laptop that's good enough for music. Obviously I don't want it skipping or anything!
Hard drive space isn't a problem because i'll just pick up a external 120GB drive to make up for it
Would this (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=92&url=http://www.bigpockets.co.uk/product.php?lang=&submenu=&menu=&product_id=23536&session=bd32c8cbb27119338d3f362079c1173e) be alright for example? Or would it be worth paying ~£300 for one from Dell/Ebuyer?
Hey guys, I might be having a DJ set an a bar in the coming weeks so I basically need to find a laptop that's good enough for music. Obviously I don't want it skipping or anything!
Hard drive space isn't a problem because i'll just pick up a external 120GB drive to make up for it
Would this (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=92&url=http://www.bigpockets.co.uk/product.php?lang=&submenu=&menu=&product_id=23536&session=bd32c8cbb27119338d3f362079c1173e) be alright for example? Or would it be worth paying ~£300 for one from Dell/Ebuyer?
Have you contemplated the Asus eee (£199 for the 2GB, £219 for the 4GB)? It's a great little toy to have a play around with, smaller than a laptop, and it doesn't have a normal hard drive (it's flash based) so skipping wouldn't be an issue. If you had another £60 I'd definitely suggest you go for a proper laptop, but if you want to stick to £200 then this would be great.
mamboboy
31-12-2007, 00:32
Well I guess it depends on the music software...my plan is to use winamp for the playlists, as it's generally easy to search/drag&drop...but these Asus eee's come with preinstalled software for everything, right?
mamboboy
have you seen the dell posted here it might well suit your needs
http://www.thedvdforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=497280
pumagreg
02-01-2008, 14:11
Can anyone offer suggestions for the following:
Im looking for a laptop that is capable of being used as a dvd player and tv? in a caravan and for basic access to the internet and uploading and downloading of music files for an ipod. Other than that the laptop wont be used for anything to challenging as its for my mother so i doubt she will be sneeking in much gaming !!! lol
Ideally she wants to pay as cheap as possible (dont we all)
Your help and suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Ta
Greg
greg, the laptop just above (post #111) would be fine. or if you want to spend more, the dell inspirons 6400 posted earlier in this thread.
I've also been looking at getting a laptop that's capable of running games.
Anyone else spotted anything as of late? I've been looking round a few online retailers but then spotted these elsewhere:
The free shipping applies to Notebooks over £329 exc. VAT so you need to add the 9 Cell battery and upgrade to the 160GB HDD, reduce the warranty to one year and its £386 - 1500 (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3&url=http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=uk&cid=5212&dgc=AF&fb=1&l=en&lid=122756&oc=n0115011&s=dhs)
Then the other one is this one, again take it down to one year warranty 1000 (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3&url=http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=uk&fb=1&l=en&oc=n0110005&s=dhs&dgc=AF&cid=5212&lid=122756)
Both seem pretty good but the only thing putting me off is apparently that integrated graphics chip is pretty naff. I would like to do a bit of gaming on a laptop I get, perhaps asking a bit too much for around the £400 mark. Not naive enough to expect Half Life 2 on high res, max detail and smooth fps but would still like something I could at least do some semi-serious gaming on!
And the only other thing I wasn't sure about in those was Dell's 1 year warranty, the business 1 year hardware support, anyone know how good this is? I'm going to be taking the laptop about quite a bit so some kind of insurance is pretty important, though have been to a couple of laptop insurers online and a years insurance for a £500-600 laptop is about 50 quid covering accidently damage and theft.
Anyone have any suggestions/ideas?
Josh
LCD-Killer
04-01-2008, 19:12
You'll need to decide what level of gaming you want to do. As you've rightly pointed out, the integrated Intel graphics won't be up to scratch.
You can configure the Vostro with either the 8400GS or 8600GT.
The 8400 will be a big step up from the Intel solution, but be prepared to turn the video detail right down.
The 8600 on the other hand will let you play most recent titles at high to medium settings quite comfortably.
Expect to start at around £450 odd for a machine with the 8400 and £500+ for the 8600.
Check out http://www.*****************/ for the best deals on Dell systems.
Dunno if its been mentioned by Morrisons still have a Medion turion laptop for £350
You'll need to decide what level of gaming you want to do. As you've rightly pointed out, the integrated Intel graphics won't be up to scratch.
You can configure the Vostro with either the 8400GS or 8600GT.
The 8400 will be a big step up from the Intel solution, but be prepared to turn the video detail right down.
The 8600 on the other hand will let you play most recent titles at high to medium settings quite comfortably.
Expect to start at around £450 odd for a machine with the 8400 and £500+ for the 8600.
Check out http://www.*****************/ for the best deals on Dell systems.
Managed to get the Vostro 1500 with an 8400 GS for a total of £420 delivered. Waiting on the build time now, pretty pleased with that :)
Josh
LCD-Killer
05-01-2008, 15:41
Good work - enjoy. :)
Build time should be good, ordered my XPS M1530 on the 1st, my delivery slot is the 8th.
Dogbreath
05-01-2008, 21:56
EBuyer have the Compaq 6720s (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/136219) for £384.99
* Intel Core 2 Duo T5270
* Memory 1GB (1 dimm)
* Hard Drive 80GB
* Disc speed 5400rpm,
* DVD+/-RW
* 802.11a/b/g,
* Bluetooth
* Vista home premium
Dustybin
05-01-2008, 22:55
Ill probably get lynched for mentioning Via but this is pretty cheap
http: //www.oegcomputersales.com/
Northumbrian
10-01-2008, 22:54
Just seen a great deal on another bargain site.
Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3) Vostro 1500, Core 2 Duo T5270, 2Gb Ram, 120Gb Hdd, DVDRW, Vista or XP Home £327 Delivered. E-Code N0115011
Select lowest support option, and go all the way to checkout to get this price.
Intel Core 2 Duo T5270 (1.40 GHz, 800MHz FSB, 2MB L2-cache)
Microsoft Operating System Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic - English
or Microsoft Operating System Genuine Windows XP Home Edition
Memory 2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2x1024)
Internal Keyboard - UK/Irish (QWERTY)
Video Card Integrated Intel® Graphic Media Accelerator X3100
120GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
Modem 56.6k V.92 Capable Internal Modem & Adapter - UK
Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive
Intel® Pro Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g Mini-Card - Europe
Microsoft Application Software Microsoft® Works 8.0 - English
Standard Warranty Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support
Enhanced Service Packs Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support
McAfee® Security Centre 9.0 - 24 Month Protection - English
Power Supply 90W AC Adapter
Primary Battery Free upgrade from 6 cell battery to 9 cell battery
Colour Choice Matte Jet Black without Camera
LCD 15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display
Seems a great spec for the money.
Dogbreath
10-01-2008, 23:06
Seems a great spec for the money.
Certainly does! I know someone who'd be keen on this, thanks for the post.
If you drop the warranty it brings it to £387. Does it drop another £60 at the checkout?
If you drop the warranty it brings it to £387. Does it drop another £60 at the checkout?
Yes. Will let someone I know who wants a laptop know. thanks op :thumbs:
Yes - free shipping expires 16th January it says.
Ooooo....I'm really tempted by this...:thinking:
I would add that I bought one just last week [for someone else] at exactly the same price, but less spec! It was an Inspiron 6400 model with 'just' a Core Duo T2080 (1.73Ghz,533Mhz FSB, 1Mb L2 cache) and only I Gb RAM. Also the wireless was Dell rather than Intel Pro and has a lesser 6 cell battery.
EDIT
Just noticed as well that it has 24 mths free McAfee Security Centre 9 - not that it would sway me, but adds to the 'value' about £50's worth!:eek:
sworrall
11-01-2008, 18:06
thanks to Northumbrian
somone in work who was looking for a laptop has gone for this.
ArthurDent
12-01-2008, 08:44
Dell Vostro 1700 for £388 delivered.
E-Value code: 101-N0117004
Spec:
CPU: Intel Celeron 550 2.00 GHz
OS: Vista Home Basic
Screen: 17" Widescreen WXGA+
RAM: 1024MB
HDD: 120GB
Video: Integrated Intel X3100
Optical Drive: 8X DVD+/-RW
mullethead
12-01-2008, 12:12
Just seen a great deal on another bargain site.
Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3) Vostro 1500, Core 2 Duo T5270, 2Gb Ram, 120Gb Hdd, DVDRW, Vista or XP Home £327 Delivered. E-Code N0115011
Seems a great spec for the money.
My in-laws have asked me to look at getting them a laptop, around the £400-£500 mark (preferably closer to £400 ;)) and this seems to be a good choice, however i've got a couple of questions:
The Vostro range is listed under 'Small & Medium Business'. Would I still be able to order this?
I'm going to add Office and use XP instead of Vista - they want to use it for web browsing and printing pictures, etc., the usual things, would this be a good choice for them??
My in-laws have asked me to look at getting them a laptop, around the £400-£500 mark (preferably closer to £400 ;)) and this seems to be a good choice, however i've got a couple of questions:
I'm going to add Office and use XP instead of Vista - they want to use it for web browsing and printing pictures, etc., the usual things, would this be a good choice for them??
Not sure you can order a 1700 with XP. I know you can order the 1500 with it though.
Northumbrian
12-01-2008, 14:59
My in-laws have asked me to look at getting them a laptop, around the £400-£500 mark (preferably closer to £400 ;)) and this seems to be a good choice, however i've got a couple of questions:
The Vostro range is listed under 'Small & Medium Business'. Would I still be able to order this?
I'm going to add Office and use XP instead of Vista - they want to use it for web browsing and printing pictures, etc., the usual things, would this be a good choice for them??
First, you can buy this from the home section and keep all your usual consumer rights. Just click on the link which will take you to the home section, then type N0115011 into the search box in the top right corner. It will give you one result which you click on. Voila, your buying the laptop from the home section.
Secondly, this laptop sounds ideal for what you want. It will easily run any applications your likely to use. It's only weakness is the integrated graphics which would struggle with the latest games on anything but the lowest settings.
HTH.
mullethead - I was able to order one no problem. I also chose XP as the OS though you wouldn't need to just to use Office. I just prefer it :) A
It would be an excellent laptop for your purpose :thumbs:
mullethead
12-01-2008, 15:19
Thanks for the replies guys :thumbs:
Can't see my in-laws being too fussed about playing the latest version of Counter Strike, so from what you've said it sounds like this could be just what they need. I was going to put XP on it as, like most parents, they're not exactly the most technological people and as they're used to (I think) Windows 2000 at work I thought i'd go with XP for them as the two are fairly similar (plus I haven't used Vista).
Obviously this will need to last them a good few years, is Vista a better option in the long term? If so would 2Gb of Memory be sufficient, I seem to remember people saying Vista was a Memory Hog when it was first released.
msm13579
12-01-2008, 16:56
thanks Northumbrian, just went for one of thoes dells at £327, wasn't sure about vista but went for it in the end and will dual boot with xp if vista gives me any problems :)
internetuser
12-01-2008, 18:45
EBuyer have the Compaq 6720s (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/136219) for £384.99
* Intel Core 2 Duo T5270
* Memory 1GB (1 dimm)
* Hard Drive 80GB
* Disc speed 5400rpm,
* DVD+/-RW
* 802.11a/b/g,
* Bluetooth
* Vista home premium
I got a 6720 and its a well made laptop, I got the slightly more expensive one, but it works out cheaper after the cashback at the time.
Northumbrian
13-01-2008, 21:49
Just to add quick note the Vostro deal, if your a gamer, you can add a 256MB nVidia® GeForce® 8600M GT Graphics card making the total £445.33 delivered, which is also a good deal for something that will handle most games nicely.
Just seen a great deal on another bargain site.
Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3) Vostro 1500, Core 2 Duo T5270, 2Gb Ram, 120Gb Hdd, DVDRW, Vista or XP Home £327 Delivered. E-Code N0115011
Seems a great spec for the money.
This is an amazing price :eek:
The £300 mark is normally populated by 1GBCeleronSempron dross - hence this thread's "£400" title :thumbs:
Anyone wanting to play games, should go for the "256MB nVidia® GeForce® 8600M GT [add £117.50]" option - making the total cost £445 delivered.
Northumbrian
14-01-2008, 15:59
To keep within the spirit of the thread though, you can upgrade the graphics to a 128MB nVidia® GeForce® 8400M GS which would make the price a reasonable £398.33 delivered and be fine for occasional gamers :thumbs:
2poor4this
14-01-2008, 21:12
Dell Vostro 1700 for £388 delivered.
E-Value code: 101-N0117004
Spec:
CPU: Intel Celeron 550 2.00 GHz
OS: Vista Home Basic
Screen: 17" Widescreen WXGA+
RAM: 1024MB
HDD: 120GB
Video: Integrated Intel X3100
Optical Drive: 8X DVD+/-RW
I've just ordered this as above but with a 1.4 core2duo for £374.83
Free delivery until 16/01/08
Just seen a great deal on another bargain site.
Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3) Vostro 1500, Core 2 Duo T5270, 2Gb Ram, 120Gb Hdd, DVDRW, Vista or XP Home £327 Delivered. E-Code N0115011
I know this is a totally different beast, but how would it compare to my desktop which is: Dimension E520 with Intel® Core 2 CPU 4300 @ 1.8GHz 1.79 GHz?
Need something for Office, web, bit of photo editing in Photoshop... Thanks.
Well, for what you would be wanting it for, I would say there would be very little difference 'in the real world'.
Both CPU's are from the same family - 800Mhz FSB and 2Mb Level 2 cache - so the laptop would have a little less power [1.4Ghz v 1.8GHz] but I doubt you would really notice unless doing something really CPU intensive like encoding etc.
Other than that, the hard drive is of course 'only' 5,400rpm rather than a desktop's 7,200rpm, but with 2Gb RAM and if you stick with XP as the OS then you will be fine :)
Mine was delivered today and I am really well pleased with the vfm :thumbs:
EDIT
Don't forget the free shipping offer ends today for this model!
johnnycurrant
16-01-2008, 03:47
Hi, can any of you guys recommend a laptop that can play 1080p videos that costs at most £400 please, thanks in advance!
how does it split to enter the code can't get to it ? N0115011
In the first box 305 and N0115011 in the second :thumbs:
EDIT
Just tried this again now and it looks like the free shipping has disappeared :oh-hum: so not quite the bargain it was, now at £364.32 [initially when I saw the new pricing I thought it had gotten even cheaper!]
Mind you it is strange, as my confirmation printout of my order a few days ago states that the free shipping 'expires 16th January' - must mean midnight 15th :shrug:
They have changed the offer - upgrade to Truelife and add the media remote and you get free shipping - so now you get more for the money :)
Or leave screen/remote, and upgrade the HDD to 160gb - £327
or basically get about £23.50 worth of upgrades and get the shipping free.....
Actually I've just realised it's an even better deal than mine as you get another 40 gigs of HD capacity for the same £327! :eek:
This has to be the lappie bargain of the moment :shrug:
Actually I've just realised it's an even better deal than mine as you get another 40 gigs of HD capacity for the same £327! :eek:
This has to be the lappie bargain of the moment :shrug:
yeah - its terrific. I have read somewhere about a few troubles with the 1500, but as its under 12 months business warranty i cant see it being a problem
lol they've changed it again - now down to £321
Can I easily plug a CRT monitor, mouse and keyboard in to this if required?
Can I easily plug a CRT monitor, mouse and keyboard in to this if required?
AFAIK it has VGA, so if your keyboard and mouse are USB, then yes.
-------------------
Just to clarify, you should now get the Dell 1500 for £321 which includes the £23.50 worth of upgrades, depending if you want larger HDD or Truelife / Media remote
AFAIK it has VGA, so if your keyboard and mouse are USB, then yes.
-------------------
Just to clarify, you should now get the Dell 1500 for £321 which includes the £23.50 worth of upgrades, depending if you want larger HDD or Truelife / Media remote
When do you get the free shipping ? I get £381
Dah_woim
16-01-2008, 14:12
Seem to be fighting this.
Put in N0115011 - get the Vostro 1500 NB. Taken the warrenty down to 1y,
tried adding the 160Gb hd - £381.
tried adding media remote & Truelife. £381
What do I do to get the free delivery!?!?
When do you get the free shipping ? I get £381
shipping is discounted at the basket providing you add the £23.50 of upgrades... (unless its changed again :lol:)
Actually I've just realised it's an even better deal than mine as you get another 40 gigs of HD capacity for the same £327! :eek:
This has to be the lappie bargain of the moment :shrug:
Might it not be better to go for the slightly better screen for the inrease in resolution?
Might it not be better to go for the slightly better screen for the inrease in resolution?
some dont like the truelife screen - its glossy and very reflective. its a matter of personal preference really...
Dah_woim
16-01-2008, 14:17
You're right. Add to basket - £321.95
Now.. do I want it...
You're right. Add to basket - £321.95
Now.. do I want it...
I doubt you'll find a better laptop for £321 ;)
Northumbrian
16-01-2008, 16:01
Damn, I was doing so well at resisting this, until I realised I could upgrade the graphics now to an 8600GT for a total of £404.20 Delivered. Which is pretty much unbeatable in my opinion. Woot.
Damn, I was doing so well at resisting this, until I realised I could upgrade the graphics now to an 8600GT for a total of £404.20 Delivered. Which is pretty much unbeatable in my opinion. Woot.
yeah good spot :)
lewisrichard
16-01-2008, 16:32
how did u get it for 404? mine comes to 445 with vat and del! :shrug:
Northumbrian
16-01-2008, 16:36
how did u get it for 404? mine comes to 445 with vat and del! :shrug:
Vostro™ 1500 NB(N0115011)
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T5270 (1.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache), Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic - English
£ 379.00
1
£ 379.00
Item
Description
Base
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T5270 (1.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache)
Memory
2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2x1024)
Keyboard
Internal Keyboard - UK/Irish (QWERTY)
Video Card
256MB nVidia® GeForce® 8600M GT
Hard Drive
120GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
Microsoft Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic - English
Modem
56.6k V.92 Capable Internal Modem & Adapter - UK
Optical Devices
Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive
Wireless Networking
Intel® Pro Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g Mini-Card - Europe
Shipping Documents
English Documentation with English Power Cord
Gedis Bundle Reference
N0115011
Microsoft Application Software
Microsoft® Works 8.0 - English
Standard Warranty
Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support
Enhanced Service Packs
Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support
Protect your new PC
McAfee® Security Centre™ 9.0 - 24 Month Protection - English
Power Supply
90W AC Adapter
Bluetooth
No Bluetooth Upgrade
Order Information
Vostro Notebook Order - UK
Primary Battery
Free upgrade from 6 cell battery to 9 cell battery
Carrying Cases
No Carry Case
Dell System Media Kit
Resource CD - contains Diagnostics and Drivers
Colour Choice
Matte Jet Black without Camera
Accidental Damage Support
No Accidental Damage Support
Online Promotion Option for GEDIS Configs
Dell Internet Order.
LCD
15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display
Price:
£ 344.00
Delivery Charge:
£ 0.00
VAT:
£ 60.20
Total Price:
£ 404.20
how did u get it for 404? mine comes to 445 with vat and del! :shrug:
only upgade the graphics, not the HDD / Screen / Remote
Dah_woim
16-01-2008, 19:03
£10 less now, and so we're going for it for a friend as I've already got too many computers.... Thanks!
Hi all,
Do any of these bargain dells come with HDMI ?
Mark
Hi all,
Do any of these bargain dells come with HDMI ?
No - looks like they only have VGA outputs.
Remember that DVI to HDMI needs a simple £1 adaptor, so you only need to find a DVI-equipped machine.
Hi, can any of you guys recommend a laptop that can play 1080p videos that costs at most £400 please, thanks in advance!
You need a machine with nVidia Graphics, and PureVideo HD.
Have a look at http://www.nvidia.com/page/purevideo_hd.html - it looks like PureVideo HD lives in the 8600, 8600M, 8500 and 8400M.
So in theory, you should just about be able to cope with the cheap DELL :
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?cs=ukdhs1&kc=305&oc=N0115011&x=9&y=8
Switch to base warranty, and then add "256MB nVidia® GeForce® 8600M GT". Total cost should be £470.07, and then it'll knock off a further £60 when you add the machine to your basket.
HOWEVER, the 1.4GHz Core2Duo may not be upto the task. Your budget isn't really realistic - you should be looking at at least £500 I rekon.
You could add the "Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T7250 2.0GHz", giving a total cost of £527.57...
...but then you'd be much better off with the 17" Vostro for the same money !
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?cs=ukdhs1&kc=305&oc=N0117011&x=6&y=9
Switch to base warranty, and you should end up with a 17" Laptop, 3GB RAM, 2GHz DualCore, nVidia 8400M, for the bargain price of £504.07 (add it to your basket to get the £60 discount). It's obviously not very portable ... but if you're just gonna leave it sat on a desk, then there's no problem there :thumbs:
scaramanga
18-01-2008, 13:08
Any of those £233 dells around? :) Think im ready to take the plunge
Dustybin
19-01-2008, 20:27
Spec not great, but good for those on a budget Vostro™ 1000 NB(N0110008)
SOUNDSTYLE
21-01-2008, 15:59
Will I be able to play the latest FPS games (such as Call of duty 4, or the soon to be released far cry 2) with this graphics card at high detail:
256MB nVidia® GeForce® 8600M GT (1280x800), combined with the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T5270 (1.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache).
Thanks
Ordered one of the 1500 Vostros for someone at work today, currently at £316.
I am looking at the Vostro 1700 with 1 year warranty upgraded screen(true life) but when I try to add a sep graphics card at £35 it says there is a compatibility problem with the screen and graphics card:shrug: I would have thought it would be better to upgrade the card to match the screen anyone know why this is not so please?:notworthy
not sure about your problem - will have a look later to see...
just to let you know - we had a 1700 in last week - nicely built, but its a heavy beast.
internetuser
21-01-2008, 18:20
Ordered one of the 1500 Vostros for someone at work today, currently at £316.
I have went for one for the mother in law. overkill but for £360 it is a steal. (upped the screen option and added the webcam)
SOUNDSTYLE
21-01-2008, 19:31
Will I be able to play the latest FPS games (such as Call of duty 4, or the soon to be released far cry 2) with this graphics card at high detail:
256MB nVidia® GeForce® 8600M GT (1280x800), combined with the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T5270 (1.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache).
Thanks
you'll be pushing it at any decent frame rate imo - you are better off looking at a game orientated laptop such as the XPS range - the vostros are budget business laptops.
dvds2000
21-01-2008, 22:14
Been looking for a new laptop, doesn't need to be able to play top games.
Wouldthis one from ebuyer (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133384/show_product_specifications) be decent?
I know its £70 more than the dell mentioned above but it does come with Windows home premium instead of basic, and has a faster processor (from what I can tell!).
Added advantage of being able to pay by paypal as I have more in there than I do cash in my bank ;)
Been looking for a new laptop, doesn't need to be able to play top games.
Wouldthis one from ebuyer (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133384/show_product_specifications) be decent?
I know its £70 more than the dell mentioned above but it does come with Windows home premium instead of basic, and has a faster processor (from what I can tell!).
Added advantage of being able to pay by paypal as I have more in there than I do cash in my bank ;)
That is a pretty old spec laptop at not a very appealing price IMO. It is core duo NOT core 2 duo for a start, has very poor battery life and weighs quite a bit.
There will be much better laptops than that one available for £400...
The vostro mentioned above for £404 is a lot better than this.
Will I be able to play the latest FPS games (such as Call of duty 4, or the soon to be released far cry 2) with this graphics card at high detail:
256MB nVidia® GeForce® 8600M GT (1280x800), combined with the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T5270 (1.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache).
You might need to keep the resolution down, but yes - the 8600M GT will cope with most things.
If you want high-res and high-detail, then you need to spend a lot more than £500 ! Take a look at Alienware.
Been looking for a new laptop, doesn't need to be able to play top games.
Wouldthis one from ebuyer (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133384/show_product_specifications) be decent?
No.
It's not as good as the DELLs, and costs more !
Added advantage of being able to pay by paypal as I have more in there than I do cash in my bank ;)
You can withdraw your cash from PayPal, directly into your bank account.
To clarify : You want a Core2Duo Processor, and 2GB of memory. Don't look at anything less :thumbs:
Vostro 1500 is the way to go today :thumbs:
dvds2000
22-01-2008, 17:48
No.
It's not as good as the DELLs, and costs more !
You can withdraw your cash from PayPal, directly into your bank account.
Yes but not in the 2 days before the Dell offer finishes, takes 10-11 days to reach my bank account :(
To clarify : You want a Core2Duo Processor, and 2GB of memory. Don't look at anything less :thumbs:
Vostro 1500 is the way to go today :thumbs:
thanks for the advice peeps :)
I am looking at the Vostro 1700 with 1 year warranty upgraded screen(true life) but when I try to add a sep graphics card at £35 it says there is a compatibility problem with the screen and graphics card:shrug: I would have thought it would be better to upgrade the card to match the screen anyone know why this is not so please?:notworthy
Any help on this please? offer ends tomorrow:?:
I am looking at the Vostro 1700 with 1 year warranty upgraded screen(true life) but when I try to add a sep graphics card at £35 it says there is a compatibility problem with the screen and graphics card:shrug: I would have thought it would be better to upgrade the card to match the screen anyone know why this is not so please?:notworthy
Go to Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3) and enter the Home section.
Click "Shop by E-value Code" on the left
Your E-value code is : 202 N0117011
That should bring up a Vostro™ 1700 @ £715.65, with 3GB of RAM and a 2GHz Core2Duo.
Switch to "Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support [subtract £151.58]"
And select the "256MB nVidia® GeForce® 8600M GT [add £76.37 or £2/month1]" option
You should now be at £640.45. Don't bother with the screen upgrade - whilst the extra res is nice, the TrueLife is a glossy reflective glarefest.
Continue through the checkout process, and once you've added the machine to your basket it should remove an additional £82.25.
Total Cost £580.45 all in :thumbs:
Thanks for that Nom problem is I am a woman I just must have that shiny screen:thumbs: looks like the 1700 without the graphics card (don't play games anyway only word games and graphics don't really matter for those) this is still a good bargain @ £515 .......isnt it?
I was tempted to wait in case they did it cheaper but with free shipping and £50 off it will be hard to beat I think, and knowing my luck would go up!!!!
DMillburn
23-01-2008, 11:06
Don't bother with the screen upgrade - whilst the extra res is nice, the TrueLife is a glossy reflective glarefest.
I know lots of people hate it but I personally wouldn't be without Truelife on a new Dell laptop now. I never notice any glare indoors under normal lighting and as I'm stuck in front of 3 monitors all day I find it far more comfortable than the standard screen on my other laptop for long periods of use due to the extra brightness and contrast. If I'm in direct sunlight though, either in the garden or directly in front of the window with the sun streaming in, it's a bit like looking in a mirror but seeing as 95% of the time I'm indoors with it the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.
Go to Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3) and enter the Home section.
Click "Shop by E-value Code" on the left
Your E-value code is : 202 N0117011
That should bring up a Vostro™ 1700 @ £715.65, with 3GB of RAM and a 2GHz Core2Duo.
Switch to "Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support [subtract £151.58]"
And select the "256MB nVidia® GeForce® 8600M GT [add £76.37 or £2/month1]" option
You should now be at £640.45. Don't bother with the screen upgrade - whilst the extra res is nice, the TrueLife is a glossy reflective glarefest.
Continue through the checkout process, and once you've added the machine to your basket it should remove an additional £82.25.
Total Cost £580.45 all in :thumbs:
Now works out at £556 inc. :thumbs:
Or, you could use:
202 N0117012
for an upgrade of the cpu to a 2.2GHz Core Duo and double to HDD to 360Gb for £598.
internetuser
24-01-2008, 09:50
Been looking for a new laptop, doesn't need to be able to play top games.
Wouldthis one from ebuyer (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133384/show_product_specifications) be decent?
I know its £70 more than the dell mentioned above but it does come with Windows home premium instead of basic, and has a faster processor (from what I can tell!).
Added advantage of being able to pay by paypal as I have more in there than I do cash in my bank ;)
Not very good imo, I got this one for £389. (after cash back)
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133698
and spend £13quid on an extra gig.
Its light (2.5kg, good make and good battery life) and got a bigger HD and processor. and business OS
IF I had the choice now, the dell would be very tempting tho.
internetuser
24-01-2008, 10:35
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/133331
Brand new 17" Laptop for £390 less HP promotion cashback of £50 making this £340 DELIVERED..... Wow. !!!!
Great low end processor machine for general use, not for gamers and power uses. I would strongly upgrade the memory to 2GB, a 1GB stick can be bought for around £13
specs:
Processor - Intel Celeron M 530 / 1.73 GHz
Cache Memory - 1 x 1 MB - L2 Cache
RAM - 1024MB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR II SDRAM
Hard Drive - 120 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
Optical Storage DVD RW (+R double layer) / DVD-RAM
Display - 17" TFT
Graphics Controller - ATI Mobility Radeon X1350
Audio Output - Sound card
Networking - Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet
Bluetooth
Battery - Lithium Ion
Manufacturer Warranty - 1 year warranty
Vista Home Premium
Microsoft Office 07 Trial pack installed
Not the best spec, but a good but if you want 17"
Now works out at £556 inc. :thumbs:
Just got it down to £536 del after a quick phone call to haggle ;)
Nice one, all.
Just got a Vostro 1700, 3GB, 160GB, Vista Home Premium for £474 shipped. I know this is the sub-£400 thread, but this laptop will be used for my mother-in-law's business, so she'll claim back the VAT which makes it £403. Close enough for cash, I reckon ;)
W00t to the Bargain Forum! :thumbs:
Daern
scaramanga
29-01-2008, 21:33
No - looks like they only have VGA outputs.
Remember that DVI to HDMI needs a simple £1 adaptor, so you only need to find a DVI-equipped machine.
I was thinking this too... So do any come with DVI??
Nice one, all.
Just got a Vostro 1700, 3GB, 160GB, Vista Home Premium for £474 shipped. I know this is the sub-£400 thread, but this laptop will be used for my mother-in-law's business, so she'll claim back the VAT which makes it £403. Close enough for cash, I reckon ;)
W00t to the Bargain Forum! :thumbs:
Daern
And it's arrived. Only ordered on Saturday, so pretty good service from Dell there. The Vostro 1700 certainly won't win awards for being compact, but it's got a proper metal lid and seems very well built. Oh, and I got a free case too :)
greshoff
03-02-2008, 18:16
Hi
I am thinking of getting one of Dells Vostro 1500 laptops.
Spec:
BASE Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T5270 (1.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Business - English
SUPPORT SERVICES Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support
LCD 15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display with TrueLife™
INTEGRATED WEBCAM Matte Jet Black without Camera
MEMORY 3072MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM (1x1024 + 1x2048 MB)
HARD DRIVE 160GB (5400RPM) SATA Hard Drive
GRAPHICS CARD Integrated Intel® Graphic Media Accelerator X3100
OPTICAL DRIVE Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive
PRIMARY BATTERY Primary 6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (56 WHr)
CARRY CASES Large Nylon Carry Case
WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY Intel® Pro Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g Mini-Card - Europe
Total Inc VAT & delivery £418.30
I was hoping that someone could give me some feedback on the spec as well as the aesthetics of these laptops. I know they are not the thinest laptops being 45mm thick.
I look forward to your comments
internetuser
03-02-2008, 19:03
About 80quid more than a few weeks ago, I got one, with a higher res screen for £360.
Its an OK laptop, but it is pretty bulky. Would not fancy carrying it around.
re the memory, buy the min amount from dell and buy it yourself and fit it, loads cheaper.
greshoff
03-02-2008, 19:15
About 80quid more than a few weeks ago, I got one, with a higher res screen for £360.
Its an OK laptop, but it is pretty bulky. Would not fancy carrying it around.
re the memory, buy the min amount from dell and buy it yourself and fit it, loads cheaper.
Is it heavy or just bulky or both
shipping is discounted at the basket providing you add the £23.50 of upgrades... (unless its changed again :lol:)
Just to let people know, the free delivery is still available if you add a few accessories (though it doesn't show up till you check out)
I upped the hard disk to 160GB (+ £19.95) and the item then qualified for free shipping so was £347 all in.
Not bad for a core 2 duo laptop with 2GB of memory.
-----------------
Order Details
Vostro™ 1500 NB(N0115011)
Base
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T5270 (1.40 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache)
Memory
2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2x1024)
Video Card
Integrated Intel® Graphic Media Accelerator X3100
Hard Drive
160GB (5400RPM) SATA Hard Drive
Microsoft Operating System
Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition - English
Optical Devices
Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive
Wireless Networking
Intel® Pro Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g Mini-Card - Europe
Gedis Bundle Reference
N0115011
Microsoft Application Software
Microsoft® Works 8.0 - English
Standard Warranty
Base Warranty - 1 Year Business Hardware Support
Protect your new PC
McAfee® Security Centre™ 9.0 - 24 Month Protection - English
Primary Battery
Primary 6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (56 WHr)
LCD
15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display
Price:
£ 296.00
Delivery Charge:
£ 0.00
VAT:
£ 51.80
Total Price:
£ 347.80
euqiddis
03-02-2008, 20:24
am being optimistic... or are there good quality laptops for about £150-200 mark? or do i go second hand?
You could go for the Asus EEE PC for £219 but that is only if you want an ultra portbale rather than a day to day workhorse.
Dogbreath
03-02-2008, 21:55
am being optimistic... or are there good quality laptops for about £150-200 mark? or do i go second hand?
Never mind good quality, you wouldn't even get a new craptop for that money :( Second hand is probably the only viable option at the price point to be honest.
internetuser
03-02-2008, 22:25
am being optimistic... or are there good quality laptops for about £150-200 mark? or do i go second hand?
HP 530s are close to that i think... best of looking at the likes of bigpockets or svp tho in the bargain forum for that cost tho, or a asus ultra pc
internetuser
03-02-2008, 22:26
Is it heavy or just bulky or both
bit of both, its got a 9 cell battery so that adds to the weight, but I have used vostro 1000's with the 6 cell and they are still pretty heavy.
they are quiet a chunky laptop, or seem to be compared to my HP6720s
Dogbreath
03-02-2008, 22:39
HP 530s are close to that i think...
£280ish at most places unfortunately. BigPockets have used ThinkPad T41's (Centrino 1.4) for £240, and used Dell D600's (Centrino 1.6) for £250, both quite reasonable spec machines.
internetuser
03-02-2008, 22:47
to be fair, I would save abit and get a new hp530, than a few year old D600 etc. (I had\have a work D600, good laptop, but old now) not sure what warrently the batterys come with, but they can cost a few quid to replace.
to be fair, I would save abit and get a new hp530, than a few year old D600 etc. (I had\have a work D600, good laptop, but old now) not sure what warrently the batterys come with, but they can cost a few quid to replace.
I'd be a little careful with used D600s. We've had a stack of them at work and 3/4 of them have had engineers out to them to replace various hardware components. We actually ended up getting a load of free D610s (which are much better) from Dell to keep us a happy punter.
am being optimistic... or are there good quality laptops for about £150-200 mark? or do i go second hand?
Neither option is viable.
New laptops cost £299 upwards - but as is the point of this thread, figure on paying closer to £400 for something that will last (DualCore, 2GB Memory, Vista).
Used laptops are a terrible purchase - they're invariably way overpriced, and you'll find the batteries are usually shagged and expensive to replace. Laptops tend to end their lives with knackered hinges/videocables and/or broken power-cable socket connections - and you have no way of knowing how close to death your used model is. Steer well clear !
If you don't have £400, then save up for longer :thumbs:
euqiddis
04-02-2008, 20:08
its not for me, gona give it to my cousins in dubai, they've got an old pc , and as im heading there thought i'd pick up a good one from here
internetuser
04-02-2008, 21:40
I would imagine you get a better deal in dubai.
Stevie G
04-02-2008, 23:19
Are the Dell Vostro's better build quality than the Inspirons? I'm looking for a nice looking but not too bulky laptop for my girlfriend.
With the little experience I've had, I would say the opposite. To me, the Inspirons 'feel' an altogether more solid proposition.
AFAIK Vostro is aimed at the business end primarily and IMHO has been built 'to a budget'
i thought the vostros were just black inspirons. 1520 series. I dont really know but its something I read when I was looking at them.
I totally agree with Noms advice. 2nd hand is rarely great
Ahh, I'm thinking of the older model Inspirons :doh: [I've only seen one 1520 briefly and wasn't 'that' impressed compared to the older one]
But it would appear that you are right when you see this http://support.euro.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1520/en/sm/index.htm
Sorry
Stevie G
05-02-2008, 09:12
Ah, ok, so they're basically the same but in a different colour. Hardly seems worth renaming them then!
I saw an Inspiron in PC World (whilst looking for models to help research and narrow down) but wasn't inspired by it. Looked a bit bland and lumpy in looks.
Some reports I read last night claimed that the Vostros were more rugged with a magnesium casing underneath to withstand the rigours of a hard business life but could find nothing to substantiate this.
I also think comparisons of weight between the two are meaningless due to the myriad of different component parts used in the various builds.
I saw an Inspiron in PC World (whilst looking for models to help research and narrow down) but wasn't inspired by it. Looked a bit bland and lumpy in looks.
Hence the cheap price !!
If you're looking for something light and sleek, then this isn't the thread for you :thumbs:
Stevie G
05-02-2008, 18:53
Yeah, I was starting to think that....! Think I'll start one in the Computing forum for more specific advice/recommendations! Cheers!
http://h41306.www4.hp.com/itemDetails?SID=e4f9545f392e87915dd0b97253279985a81:1223&sku=KQ630AA&tduid=fbd4d392b974a589c899b41adcfd776f
HP Core Duo 1.83GHz
Vista Basic
1GB RAM
120GB HDD
DVD RW (Dual Layer)
15.4" Monitor
£311, but with a £40 cashback offer comes to £271
Caveat Emptor: On another forum the impression is that this has a celeron processor, not a Core Duo. I think £271 is a good deal for a celeron, and if you end up with the Core Duo it's a fantastic deal.
Couldn't find an affiliate.
scaramanga
06-02-2008, 12:35
http://h41306.www4.hp.com/itemDetails?SID=e4f9545f392e87915dd0b97253279985a81:1223&sku=KQ630AA&tduid=fbd4d392b974a589c899b41adcfd776f
HP Core Duo 1.83GHz
Vista Basic
1GB RAM
120GB HDD
DVD RW (Dual Layer)
15.4" Monitor
£311, but with a £40 cashback offer comes to £271
Caveat Emptor: On another forum the impression is that this has a celeron processor, not a Core Duo. I think £271 is a good deal for a celeron, and if you end up with the Core Duo it's a fantastic deal.
Couldn't find an affiliate.
Ok, just gone for one on impulse... I usually regret these things but.. meh. Im just hoping its upgradeable to 2gb with it running vista. Also, a link to the £40 cashback statto? Great spot statto!!
scaramanga
06-02-2008, 16:44
Better spec for you people...
Model Name:
HP 530 KD092AA#ABU
Processor & Chipset:
Processor: Intel Core Duo T2400 / 1.83 GHz
Multi-Core Technology: Dual-Core
Data Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Chipset Type: Mobile Intel 945GM Express
RAM:
Installed Size: 1 GB / 2 GB (max)
Technology: DDR II SDRAM
Form Factor: SO DIMM 200-pin
Cache Memory:
Type: L2 Cache
Installed Size: 2 MB
Hard Disk Drive:
120 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
Optical Drive:
DVDRW (+R double layer) / DVD-RAM
Optical Drive Speed:
Read Speed: 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD)
Write Speed: 24x (CD) / 8x (DVDR) / 2.4x (DVD+R DL)
CD / DVD Rewrite Speed: 10x (CD) / 4x (DVDRW) / 5x (DVD-RAM)
Display:
Display Type: 15.4" TFT active matrix
Max Resolution: 1280 x 800 ( WXGA )
Widescreen Display: Yes
Features: BrightView
Graphics:
Graphics Processor / Vendor: Intel GMA 950
Video Memory: Dynamic Video Memory Technology 3.0
Max Allocated RAM Size: 224 MB
Interfaces:
2 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 PIN USB Type A
1 x audio - line-out/headphones - mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
1 x display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)
1 x microphone - input - mini-phone 3.5mm
1 x modem - phone line - RJ-11
1 x network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45
Networking:
Networking: Network adapter
Data Link Protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet
Audio:
Audio Output: Sound card
Audio Codec: CX20549
Compliant Standards: Sound Blaster Pro
Battery:
Technology: 4-cell Lithium Ion
Installed Qty: 1
Capacity: 32 Wh
Dimensions(WxDxH):
35.8 cm x 22.7 cm x 3.6 cm
Weight
2.7 kg
Operating System:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic
Part Number:
HP 530 KD092AA#ABU
And this is the only link i can find for Feb cashback... The 530 is not stated in the offer this month.. :(
http://www.dabs.com/images/Article/PDF/PCSavings.pdf
Ok, just gone for one on impulse... I usually regret these things but.. meh. Im just hoping its upgradeable to 2gb with it running vista. Also, a link to the £40 cashback statto? Great spot statto!!
You can upgrade to 2gig - I bought this specced HP and got the memory from ebuyer for £18.
The £40 off is floating around on other bargain forums, as is a voucher giving 10% off and free delivery.
scaramanga
06-02-2008, 18:13
You can upgrade to 2gig - I bought this specced HP and got the memory from ebuyer for £18.
The £40 off is floating around on other bargain forums, as is a voucher giving 10% off and free delivery.
YGM. Do you know if theres one a 1gb stick or two 512mb sticks in it?
OI Statto!
Anyways... i found it. Its not actually a cashback offer but a introductory offer for your first purchase at the HP store. Register and you get sent a code that seems like its the same for everyone... Not sure if i can post it though.
internetuser
06-02-2008, 20:38
play had laptop memory for 12.99 a few weeks ago.
the hp laptops are a good quality build, I have really gone of the latest lot off dells.
YGM. Do you know if theres one a 1gb stick or two 512mb sticks in it?
OI Statto!
Anyways... i found it. Its not actually a cashback offer but a introductory offer for your first purchase at the HP store. Register and you get sent a code that seems like its the same for everyone... Not sure if i can post it though.
One 1gig stick.
Play £12.99 stick (kingston) (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=2&url=http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/-/704/911/-/3274801/Kingston-KVR667D2S5-1G-Valueram-Computer-Memory-1GB-PC5300-DDR2-667MHz-200-Pin-SO-Dimm/Product.html?searchtype=genre)
I went for Crucial memory from ebuyer. Orca sell compatible stuff too.
scaramanga
07-02-2008, 12:15
Cheers Statto, just ordered the kingston RAM.
I told my gf about this offer last night, she insisted on waiting until today and ive just checked the link to send her and its no longer working/available.
Can anyone find a link to it or is it truely gone?
Bapapapa
07-02-2008, 15:17
Just to let people know, the free delivery is still available if you add a few accessories (though it doesn't show up till you check out)
I upped the hard disk to 160GB (+ £19.95) and the item then qualified for free shipping so was £347 all in.
Not bad for a core 2 duo laptop with 2GB of memory.
Ordered one last week for our boy's birthday and it arrived today..
£327 del. and came with a free carry case as well which was a surprise but I've just checked and it was listed on the original order! :thumbs:
No doubt the missus will want one as well for bedroom surfing when she sees it.. :oh-hum:
Seems good value but as others have said it's a bit of a beast - you'd put your back out carrying it around with you everyday.. :lol:
Those Dell e-voucher codes don't work anymore (vostro), are there any more flying about ?
I'm looking for decent e-value codes too, or whatever they are called!
scaramanga
22-02-2008, 12:19
Hmph. Ordered my HP530 around 10th feb, it was due for dispatch on 25/02, then 29/02, NOW 10/03 :(
Considering i could do with a slightly more beefed up GFX card im thinking of canceling.
Anything else not far off £300? Core2Duo, 2Gb RAM, 120Gb HDD, decent GFX??? Prefer a 15" screen.
Have you seen the Vostro 1000 on Dell's site? £292.58 delivered. 2Gb Ram, 129gb HD and not bad Gfx card. There's a thread about it in this forum.
scaramanga
22-02-2008, 16:52
I think the GFX card is just about on a par with the intel one in my hp530. Its a GMA 950.
I found this comparison on laptop GFX cards - http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2427
I think the card supplied with the one you are on about is lower than the X200 so i doubt there is much difference. I may be wrong though! And the one i ordered comes with a core2duo 1.83mhz (its actually called a 'Core Duo T2400/1.83 GHz' - Is this a renamed core2duo?? )
Hmmm.... http://www.intel.com/products/laptop/processors/index.htm?iid=processors_body+nb_core
Meh.. http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2808 Core2duo is 20% faster for apps... :(
This looks like an awesome spec for a big brand - you'd normally expect to see just single-core smellyon CPUs under three hundred notes :
http://uk.insight.com/apps/productpresentation/index.php?product_id=TOPSL4BE02 £299
http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=CT12864AC667 (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=38&url=http://www.crucial.com/uk/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=CT12864AC667) £14
:thumbs:
Got mine and used iPlus to jailbreak... looks good so far.
:suspect::nuts:
senaf870
19-04-2008, 17:26
What's the difference between Vostro and Inspiron? I'm after a sub-£400 replacement for my ancient Inspiron which has died, and now getting confused about which Dell model to go for! Any recommendations? Mainly surfing so nothing special required. No need for big hard drive, it's not my main PC.
lewisrichard
19-04-2008, 17:50
so dell not doing any good deals at the mo?
What's the difference between Vostro and Inspiron? I'm after a sub-£400 replacement for my ancient Inspiron which has died, and now getting confused about which Dell model to go for! Any recommendations? Mainly surfing so nothing special required. No need for big hard drive, it's not my main PC.
Vostro ia aimed at buisnes they are all black and you can choose between Vista & XP pro.
Some believe the Vostro build is not as solid I have not seen one in the flesh.
I think new Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3) deals should start next week. Still good deals at the Dell Outlet (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3) at the moment though, 55 quid (+VAT) off and free delivery, some good laptops on there.
ArthurDent
20-04-2008, 07:53
On Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3)'s Small Business site there's a Vostro 1000 for £258 delivered.
E-Value Code: 101-N0410013
Base AMD® Sempron Mobile Technology 3600+
Microsoft Operating System Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic - English
Memory 1024 MB 667MHz Dual-Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2x 512 MB)
Keyboard Internal Keyboard - UK/Irish (QWERTY)
Video Card ATI Radeon® Xpress 1150 HyperMemory (integrated)
Hard Drive 120GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
Modem 56.6k V.92 Capable Internal Modem & Adapter - UK
Optical Devices Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive including Software
Wireless Networking Dell™ Wireless 1395 Mini-Card (802.11 b/g)
Shipping Documents English Documentation with English/Irish
Standard Warranty 1Yr Basic Warranty - Next Business Day
Primary Battery 4 cell Lithium-Ion Battery (29 Whr)
LCD 15.4" Wide Screen WXGA (1280 x 800) Display
ArthurDent
20-04-2008, 07:58
And the new Vostro 1310 looks very interesting as well, starting at £351 for a nice thin and fairly lightweight laptop.
Again, on Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3)'s small business.
E-Value Code: 101-N0413112
On Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3)'s Small Business site there's a Vostro 1000 for £258 delivered.
E-Value Code: 101-N0410013
That's not a good deal - you get much more performance for your money from a 2GB, DualCore machine !
Northumbrian
31-05-2008, 01:13
Just a quick resurrection of this thread. The Dell (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=3) small business section has a cracking laptop for £292.58 delivered. The code is N0615108. Please be aware that ordering from this section could effect your consumer rights.
Vostro 1510
Intel® Core 2 Duo Processor T5670 (1.8 GHz, 2 MB L2 Cache, 800 MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows® Vista Home Basic with Service Pack 1 - English
2048MB (2x1024) 667MHz DDR2 Dual Channel
Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
160GB (5400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
The Vostro can also have XP pro installed
BungleNutter
31-05-2008, 17:31
What issues can arise if you're not ordering for a small business?
Cheers for that, ordered one earlier.
Northumbrian
01-06-2008, 00:23
What issues can arise if you're not ordering for a small business?
The only real issue is that you may lose the 7 day cooling off period if you just change your mind. Otherwise, it won't make any difference.
ryonhilluk
01-06-2008, 08:21
im really tempted with that. is the graphics card as pants as it sounds though?
im fed up of having my laptop hooked up to a monitor (screen has died on my laptop)
That Vostro is now £411 + anything else as cheap?
Prufrock
10-06-2008, 09:02
Anyone want to tell me why the following lappy is so cheap? Is it worth buying, or should I pay a bit extra for slightly better specs?
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/140709/show_product_overview
it's because it isnt a dual core....it's an Intel Celeron M 520. So a large speed difference because of the mobile processor...
Paul
vBulletin® v3.8.2, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.