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Good notebook for university

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in General Chat
With a budget of about £500, whats probably the best notebook I can get for that, to be using as a student? The main things I'm going to want to do on it are:

- checking e-mails
- browsing the web
- word processing / usual stuff
- watching DVDs
- dont know if i'll be able to afford it, but possibly using it as a TV if thats at all possible
- doubt I'll be gaming much unfortunately, but I would like a computer with the media capabilities

Would also like something thats very friendly, I've got an advent laptop at the moment and I've got ubuntu on it which is great, except because its a bit older it cant detect the wireless pcmcia card :( so no internet for me!

On the notebook I get, I'd probably have it dual boot, as during my course (maths, hopefully) i want to do some computer science modules etc. I know some notebooks aren't great for this though, and only work with the manufactuers 'backup CD' which has all the most obscure drivers in the world on.

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I have a Toshiba Satellite pro L10, It's a celeron m and is about 3 months old. Cost me about 400 beans at the time, but i've since bought:

    256mb memory (upping it to 512)
    pcmcia card reader (adding memstick/xD support)

    these 2 upgrades bought my laptop up to a similar functionality to the more expensiver ones. I can't game at all since it has no 3d card but that doesn't paticularly bother me as I have a desktop PC for that.

    If I were you I'd get a cheaper laptop and use the spare money to buy something like this:

    http://www.adstech.com/products/PTV-370/intro/PTV-370_intro.asp?pid=PTV-370
    (Can be bought on ebuyer i believe)

    Will let you watch digital telly by connecting a roof or portable arial to the laptop. :)

    Hope that helps.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Oh and all laptops will let you dual boot. Most of the time the manufacturer will have the drivers for the laptop on their website, letting you download them if you chose to do a clean install from a non recovery disk, And you're pretty smart so I'm sure you are capable of this.

    I've ran ubuntu and knoppix on my laptop and they both pick up my mini-pci built in wireless fine!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Get an ACER or a DELL
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    noog wrote:
    I've ran ubuntu and knoppix on my laptop and they both pick up my mini-pci built in wireless fine!

    I read on a linux website that its got something to do with the core of my wireless pcmcia card. I've got a linksys wireless-b adapter version 4. Trying a usb wireless thingy now but its not really doing anything :( im cursed.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    TheShyBoyInTheCorner wrote:
    I read on a linux website that its got something to do with the core of my wireless pcmcia card. I've got a linksys wireless-b adapter version 4. Trying a usb wireless thingy now but its not really doing anything :( im cursed.

    Get a decent card that you know's supported. But if you're buying a new laptop you'll take that into account anyway, and most generic built in wifi hardware is supported iirc
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    noog wrote:
    Get a decent card that you know's supported. But if you're buying a new laptop you'll take that into account anyway, and most generic built in wifi hardware is supported iirc

    Hehe, I have two wireless PCMCIA cards, a wireless usb thingy, and none of them work!! My computer doesnt even detect the usb, the lights just turn on... the smc wireless card doesnt even turn itself on.

    Linux doesnt seem to work very well. Probably stick with windows, just that it takes so long to boot, which isnt great when I'm going to be using it on the move.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Go second hand. Find what you want on eBay and be picky - nice screen, comfortable keyboard and a machine that runs cool enough to not cook your lap are more important, IMO, than outright specifications.

    I bought a Toshiba Satellite on eBay - P4 2.66ghz, 256mb, 40gb, 15" TFT, built-in wifi and whatnot - for £300. £40 or so later and it has 768mb of memory - there is little reason to spend £500+ on a laptop for word processing, web browsing and watching films. You'll get a machine featuring better compnents and build quality if you go second hand - stick with the big names; IBM and Toshiba both make good stuff. Dell made some belting stuff a few years ago, but from all accounts their quality has gone downhill.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Click to see more wrote:
    Go second hand.
    better to go for a refurbished model imo.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Having worked at an IBM brokerage, where we used to 'refurbish' many, many machines, I'd be very inclined to get the discount of buying second hand ;).
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I suggest going for a second hand laptop, and if so go for IBM, the build qualty is superb and you can tell the design is well thought out. Also getting bits for its will be easy on ebay.

    Only issue with second hand laptops is that the battery fails on them after 3 years, so if your taking it into uni or use it out and about you may consider investing in a new battery, so for a brand like IBM, replacement new batteries are plentiful.

    At the moment i have a new £1300 Dell, and my £200 IBM feels much more rugged and put together better, which is good to have if your lugging it from place to place.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Amnesiac wrote:
    At the moment i have a new £1300 Dell, and my £200 IBM feels much more rugged and put together better, which is good to have if your lugging it from place to place.

    Itll be going touring with me and the girlfriend on a motorbike, so I'd prefer if it didnt fall apart :)

    Noogs looks really nice. Pretty cheap too. The bike I want is about £600 - £700 and I had a budget of £1700, so that pushes the boat out for the laptop budget :D. Would have to see though :)
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Noooo....... don't put an expensive laptop on a motorcycle! If you come off, you'll be kicked in the nuts twice. It'll get wet, too...

    Buy a second-hand IBM, and a new battery if you want. You really do want something tough if you're taking it touring... trust me, I've got a motorcycle! ;)

    Keep whats left for tyres, brake pads and RAC membership!
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Click to see more wrote:
    Noooo....... don't put an expensive laptop on a motorcycle! If you come off, you'll be kicked in the nuts twice. It'll get wet, too...

    Buy a second-hand IBM, and a new battery if you want. You really do want something tough if you're taking it touring... trust me, I've got a motorcycle! ;)

    Keep whats left for tyres, brake pads and RAC membership!

    £400 or so isnt *that* expensive. Will have to see. I've got another laptop here with me (advent) which is built like a tank, but has no performance whatsoever :(. Would like to have one of those vodaphone 3g pcmcia cards so I can use the internet on the move (will need to check the rates first though).

    Oh, and instead of RAC membership, http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1094823518,14076, says AutoAid is the cheapest.

    I'm considering joining the BMF to try and get cheaper insurance as the amount I pay id ludicrous. Do you have any insights as to whether its a good idea or not?
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It all depends on what you're after from a laptop - for just browsing the web, doing email, and messing around in Office and whatnot, you'll see little advantage in 2.66ghz over 800mhz, you really won't.

    AutoAid may be the cheapest, but you've got the hassle of paying someone to come out, and in the worst case, tow you to a garage, then foot the bill. You can get top-class RAC membership for you and another person for under £70 if you shop around carefully - I know which one I'd choose! Each to their own though... Google for RAC and Barclaycard and you'll find links to get roadside and recovery membership for £65 or so. I'm somewhat biased though - I take care of all my machines personally, so all I need membership for is towing, really. And my experience of their patrols is absolutely top-notch - whereas local garages can be somewhat hit and miss...

    My insurance isn't bad at all - £180 per year on a VFR-750FL. Only been riding for 8 or 9 months, the only advice I can give you is:-

    1. Shop around. Play them off against each other if you can.
    2. Get old! It makes a huge difference!! I'm 26 now :).
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