FabSwingers.com forum: New laptop Advice

By *layfullsam OP Man
over a year ago

Solihull

Wondering if its better to buy a new one at around £350(limited funds at the moment)

A refurbished one for around £250 that originally cost a lot more(in the region of £7-800 plus)

Was looking at ibm t42 I think which is says is ex corporate

Is it things like the battery that are likely to be on the way out ?

Your thoughts would be appreciated ?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *izzy RascallMan
over a year ago

Cardiff

Im far from an expert but have recently had a major re-fit of my laptop. Most of the parts were second hand and after a few tweaks its working fine, the new battery was £10.

I think they are a bit like cars, brand new and you start using it it quickly de values anyway.

Id go for the second hand option providing you can trust the seller

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *layfullsam OP Man
over a year ago

Solihull

cheers buddy that's what I was thinking I would rather have something that was more expensive originally than cheap and new.

Will try to do some research on the company selling them, they have a lot as if they buy them from big corporate companies

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Refurbs from companies like Dell are fine

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *layfullsam OP Man
over a year ago

Solihull

what about refurbs from none manufacturers ?

what do they actually refurb ?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

As far as i know they (non-brand businesses) just send the laptop to a professional, local business and they delete everything so it's 'as new'.

And yes the battery is likely to be crap and need replacing.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I know a 100 is a lot of money, but I would be careful with refurbed laptops.

Yes ibm is the dogs bollox, but more on mainframes or even PCs. Not particularly with laptops.

You may save yourself a lot of grief by just buying a new lappy for the Ezra bucks.

New laptop will have better Ram, better cpu, more hard disk space, better usb, new operating system- you get the idea.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *layfullsam OP Man
over a year ago

Solihull

"I know a 100 is a lot of money, but I would be careful with refurbed laptops.

Yes ibm is the dogs bollox, but more on mainframes or even PCs. Not particularly with laptops.

You may save yourself a lot of grief by just buying a new lappy for the Ezra bucks.

New laptop will have better Ram, better cpu, more hard disk space, better usb, new operating system- you get the idea.

so a new £350 is likely to be better than one a few years old that was originally say £800 and now £200

Is this because things have moved on ?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I know a 100 is a lot of money, but I would be careful with refurbed laptops.

Yes ibm is the dogs bollox, but more on mainframes or even PCs. Not particularly with laptops.

You may save yourself a lot of grief by just buying a new lappy for the Ezra bucks.

New laptop will have better Ram, better cpu, more hard disk space, better usb, new operating system- you get the idea.

so a new £350 is likely to be better than one a few years old that was originally say £800 and now £200

Is this because things have moved on ?"

Generally yes, but "newer" isn't always better, just more reliable/under warranty.

An important consideration is what OS will you be acquiring with either option?

Aim for Windows 7 if you can, or a flavour of Linux if you understand at least the basics of it.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I always buy my laptops 2nd hand, never had a problem with them.

This one is 8gb memory, is running on windows 7 though (i wanted that) and cost £160, is an ASUS X54C. I only use it for skype, youtube and forums anyway but got all 3 going at once and no lag.

Suppose it depends what you want the computer for as to what specs you'll need?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Basically yes.

I know a lot of people aren't interested in specs - but have a look at what is on the refurbed one, + what is one the new one.

Pay attention to:

- ram

-the CPUs (prob Intel 5 on new one, but if you're lucky Intel 7+ also count them. Sometimes you get dual core- which is 2 CPUs. Sometimes you get quad core- which is 4 cpus. Though I doubt you get four CPUs on a 350 laptop). The CPUs is the engine.

- disk space

-number of USB ports.

- media connections.

Maybe this old lappy is excellent + the new lappy is like a cheap piece of junk- but on balance I doubt it.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Basically yes.

I know a lot of people aren't interested in specs - but have a look at what is on the refurbed one, + what is one the new one.

Pay attention to:

- ram

- disk space

-number of USB ports.

- media connections.

Maybe this old lappy is excellent + the new lappy is like a cheap piece of junk- but on balance I doubt it.

I only ever look at specs, don't care about the brand or anything else, so long as it will run fast is all i care about.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Personally brands do make a difference due to the quality of the internal components.

Refurbs are ok providing they are from a reputable company and offer some sort of warranty.

Buying new will ensure its future proof for a couple of years at least, and there are some good deals to be had on a budget of 350.

Makesureyou check the speed of the cpu as some will offer an i5 or i7 but the base speed will only be around 1.4 - 1.8ghz which even on turbo boost is not that great you should aim for at least 2ghz speed or higher

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Personally brands do make a difference due to the quality of the internal components.

Refurbs are ok providing they are from a reputable company and offer some sort of warranty.

Buying new will ensure its future proof for a couple of years at least, and there are some good deals to be had on a budget of 350.

Actually customer support for a brand might be something to consider as well. Never needed to use them fortunately but some are bad i've noticed when googling help for something.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

The IBM T42 is bomb proof.

Heavy as hell as it has a Titanium chasis.

With a new battery it will certainly last you many years.

What laptop to buy depends on what your going to be doing with it.

Bigger and faster does not mean better though.

Consider it more like buying a car.

Do you want a brand new cheep and cheerful plastic one or a solid built classic that will just keep on going.

Either way,the new one will be out of date by the end of the year and parts will be hard to replace as more than likely be onboard.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Depends on what you need it for.

I recently got a new laptop.

It's a HP, with a quad core processor, 4GB RAM and a 1TB hard drive. £299 from Argos

I do a lot of HD video editing - part of my business, but I have a dedicated Desktop PC specifically designed and built (by me) for the purpose, but when choosing my laptop, I wanted something that could be used in an emergency if a hardware or software fault occurred on the desktop - and about a week after getting the laptop, I had a major system problem with the desktop that I've still not got fixed. - although I have managed to identify the problem - but it requires a major system rebuild.

I also use the laptop for DJing and I have to say that, apart from it coming pre-installed with Windows 8 (which I absolutely hate) it's been brilliant.

I've managed to install an application which gives me back the look and control of Windows 7 - Really don't like the Metro interface.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Depends on what you need it for.

I recently got a new laptop.

It's a HP, with a quad core processor, 4GB RAM and a 1TB hard drive. £299 from Argos

I also use the laptop for DJing and I have to say that, apart from it coming pre-installed with Windows 8 (which I absolutely hate) it's been brilliant.

I've managed to install an application which gives me back the look and control of Windows 7 - Really don't like the Metro interface."

sounds a great deal with that hp lappy- where was that?

plus, the problem with your desktop - whats the prob, hw or sw?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ambscuckcoupleCouple
over a year ago

POTTON

Glad someone else hates windows 8, it is bloody hard work. Come back xp all is forgiven

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *appyguy17Man
over a year ago

walthamstow

The minute you buy a laptop..it is obsolete.......

Older laptops can't cope well with the new software......so as much Ram as you can get for your money......the average now is around 8 gb......

Older machines have about 2gb and they struggle with the new software....

A good laptop for the money is a Lenova Yoga 3.........and it converts into a tablet.....

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ig1gaz1Man
over a year ago

bradford

you could try laptops direct

look for refurbished laptops on the site

also you can have them guaranteed longer if you want to pay for it

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *iss_Samantha_LovecockTV/TS
over a year ago

bmth /poole sometimes blandford

i got a fab Lenovo with a tb of HD for 220 on ebay ..

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *illwill69uMan
over a year ago

moston

Spend a £1 on a download of which laptop.

They will you everything you need to know and which is the best buy and where to buy from to get the best deal.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

[Removed by poster at 29/04/15 20:18:40]

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Glad someone else hates windows 8, it is bloody hard work. Come back xp all is forgiven"

Have you got a program called classic shell installed on 8,

Restores the windows 7 start menu,

Its a good os once you move the start screen out of the way

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Personally brands do make a difference due to the quality of the internal components.

Refurbs are ok providing they are from a reputable company and offer some sort of warranty.

Buying new will ensure its future proof for a couple of years at least, and there are some good deals to be had on a budget of 350.

yes, you can clock the cpu, to make it run faster. is that what you do to achieve the boost?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *tep121Man
over a year ago

manchester

Don't go for hp. Pile of ***** I'm on my second one. 1st one just died after 6 years which was pretty good (after rebuilding) hammered it though as was at uni n was constantly on it doing assignments. 2nd one works but screen doesn't. Very prone to overheating as vents were on bottom of laptop (why?) Did know about this when got it but spec was just crazy which is what I wanted. In spec, that was great value for what I paid for it, stayed top of the line for the 4 years it worked. Toshiba are probably best brand to go for

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *umpkinMan
over a year ago

near the sounds of the wimborne quarter jack!

"Glad someone else hates windows 8, it is bloody hard work. Come back xp all is forgiven"

Windows 8? ........ Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *tep121Man
over a year ago

manchester

Don't think many people like windows 8. I refuse to have a windows phone for this reason, and now a windows laptop. Really didn't want an mac book either so I'm gonna be stumped if I need to get a new one. I had windows 7 on mine. That was actually pretty good

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Should buy a chromebook

My laptop's just collecting dust.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *mmabluTV/TS
over a year ago

upton wirral

Refurb,allways buy refurb you get more for your money.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Depends on what you need it for.

I recently got a new laptop.

It's a HP, with a quad core processor, 4GB RAM and a 1TB hard drive. £299 from Argos

I also use the laptop for DJing and I have to say that, apart from it coming pre-installed with Windows 8 (which I absolutely hate) it's been brilliant.

I've managed to install an application which gives me back the look and control of Windows 7 - Really don't like the Metro interface.

sounds a great deal with that hp lappy- where was that?

plus, the problem with your desktop - whats the prob, hw or sw?"

As I mentioned in my post, it was from Argos. Model is HP 15-r101a.

It's available (or at least has been) in three different colours - though at the time I got mine, they only had black in stock.

The others are red or purple and have slightly different model numbers, but I seem to remember that on the Argos Website each listing shows the alternate colours.

Thought the problem with my desktop was a defective hard drive, however, on running some diagnostics it turns out that it's actually the RAM.

I now need to find a good deal for 16GB (4x4GB) sticks of PC10600 and then I can begin the slow process of reinstalling absolutely everything.

I ended up with some corrupted files which took down the OS. Was going to try to repair it, but obviously critical files had been affected as the Installation media didn't give me the 'repair' option.

I used to manage an IT support team in the city, so am quite used to sorting out PC issues.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

Second hand, as long as some warranty on it and a replacement battery was factored in to your cost, just in case it's got poor charge capacity.

Most people get machines that are way over specified, so ideal to get the spec you need at a reasonable price.

If its windows 7 or 8.1, I think, you get a free upgrade to Windows 10, when launched in a few weeks - if the spec will support it.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Personally brands do make a difference due to the quality of the internal components.

Refurbs are ok providing they are from a reputable company and offer some sort of warranty.

Buying new will ensure its future proof for a couple of years at least, and there are some good deals to be had on a budget of 350.

yes, you can clock the cpu, to make it run faster. is that what you do to achieve the boost?"

Overclocking the cpu is not something you should do unless you absolutely know what your doing

Turbo boost is something built in to the intel chips which means they run at higher speeds when needed

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *anchestercubMan
over a year ago

manchester & NI

When you're on such a limited budget my advice would be to go for a refurb.

PC World have a refurb selection if I remember correctly, 1 year warranty and not bad specs when compared to new models.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Just had a quick look at PC world ( as much i dont like them lol )

But for £350 you can get your self an i5 with 6gb ram and 1TB hard drive for £349, lots of other options for around that price too

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *layfullsam OP Man
over a year ago

Solihull

"Personally brands do make a difference due to the quality of the internal components.

Refurbs are ok providing they are from a reputable company and offer some sort of warranty.

Buying new will ensure its future proof for a couple of years at least, and there are some good deals to be had on a budget of 350.

Knowing what you know(obviously 100 times more than me with computers) where would you invest your £350 if you were buying it now ?

If possible I like windows 7 as windows 8 confuddles me !

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *anchestercubMan
over a year ago

manchester & NI

Can you wait until the summer?

Most companies bring out new ranges for students starting uni in September and so there'll be a slew of current models at knockdown prices and more options for refurbed laptops to choose from.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Personally brands do make a difference due to the quality of the internal components.

Refurbs are ok providing they are from a reputable company and offer some sort of warranty.

Buying new will ensure its future proof for a couple of years at least, and there are some good deals to be had on a budget of 350.

Knowing what you know(obviously 100 times more than me with computers) where would you invest your £350 if you were buying it now ?

If possible I like windows 7 as windows 8 confuddles me !"

Give me an hour bud will pm you

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

T42 was brought out by IBM circa 2011 and a year later were rebranded as Lenovo.

At the time was a cracking laptop but seems expensive given its age.

I would go for a new one.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *layfullsam OP Man
over a year ago

Solihull

"Personally brands do make a difference due to the quality of the internal components.

Refurbs are ok providing they are from a reputable company and offer some sort of warranty.

Buying new will ensure its future proof for a couple of years at least, and there are some good deals to be had on a budget of 350.

Knowing what you know(obviously 100 times more than me with computers) where would you invest your £350 if you were buying it now ?

If possible I like windows 7 as windows 8 confuddles me !

Give me an hour bud will pm you

Thanks your a star, don't worry about the hour mate as I am off out to work shortly and wont be back on to early evening so no need to kill yourself

Very much appreciated

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"If possible I like windows 7 as windows 8 confuddles me !"

The key problem with laptops or all in one / mini format PC's (which are all the same really) is that they are pretty much unfixable and difficult or totally impossible to upgrade.

SO buy what you need on day one, More RAM, Bigger Faster Hard Disk, more USB 3 ports, blue ray / DVD writer etc. touch screen or track pad, and the most often overlooked... what is the keyboard like for typing on?

Get the appropriate CPU for your use, faster generally means uses more battery so an i3 may be better for someone who is going to be using it as a portable i5 is a generally good cheap'ish middle of the road, perfect for 99% of use, i7 if you are processing lots of numbers (graphics manipulation etc) but that will eat batteries and will probably be let down by the graphics card, so spend a lot of time idle for most users.

If you are going for WIndows, then be ready to upgrade to Windows 10 in the Autumn free upgrade for the first year but let the brave and the foolish take the first release! So far it looks like a compromise between Windows 8 and 7 so less touch screen dependant.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"sounds a great deal with that hp lappy- where was that?

plus, the problem with your desktop - whats the prob, hw or sw?

As I mentioned in my post, it was from Argos. Model is HP 15-r101a.

It's available (or at least has been) in three different colours - though at the time I got mine, they only had black in stock.

The others are red or purple and have slightly different model numbers, but I seem to remember that on the Argos Website each listing shows the alternate colours.

Thought the problem with my desktop was a defective hard drive, however, on running some diagnostics it turns out that it's actually the RAM.

I now need to find a good deal for 16GB (4x4GB) sticks of PC10600 and then I can begin the slow process of reinstalling absolutely everything.

I used to manage an IT support team in the city, so am quite used to sorting out PC issues."

i meant internet site or your local store, but thanks for that.

good luck with the repair.

if the install media is a cd, i would just change the BIOS to boot from cd. if you get the repair option-great. if not, just go for the install or 'upgrade' - even though its not an upgrade,but that option should keep your user files (data).

you may have already tried this,of course

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Makesureyou check the speed of the cpu as some will offer an i5 or i7 but the base speed will only be around 1.4 - 1.8ghz which even on turbo boost is not that great you should aim for at least 2ghz speed or higher

yes, you can clock the cpu, to make it run faster. is that what you do to achieve the boost?

Overclocking the cpu is not something you should do unless you absolutely know what your doing

Turbo boost is something built in to the intel chips which means they run at higher speeds when needed

you can lock PCI/AGP and get maybe another 10% without too much risk. depends on your mb.

this kind of tweaking is mainly for gamers, have heard of some people pushing it up by 20%!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

i meant internet site or your local store, but thanks for that."

Oh sorry. I use reserve and collect - so local store.

"if the install media is a cd, i would just change the BIOS to boot from cd. if you get the repair option-great. if not, just go for the install or 'upgrade' - even though its not an upgrade,but that option should keep your user files (data).

you may have already tried this,of course"
Er, yes. Like I said, I used to manage an IT support team so am well versed in sorting problems with PC's, but thanks anyway.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

Post new Message to Thread