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My HP Pavillion laptop, that has plagued me with problems since i got it two years ago, is still being a pain, with an intermittent backlight fault.
Rather than faffing around with repairs, i'm thinking of relegating it to be a housebound machine (as it works when it feels like it, or plugged into a monitor) and getting a new one, as i need something reliable to take with me to Africa in 2 weeks. This means i need to start looking early next week, especially if i am to get one online
But i don't know what to get - I guess i want something sturdy but light, that doesn't mind being lugged around the world, and getting hot and dusty. I'd like about 2GB, and all the normally snazzy stuff. Mainly would be used for MS office, internet, file storage, dvds, powerpoint presentations etc. Needs to be wireless enabled, and a built in webcam on my old one was a really nice feature -v though not essential. Oh and i want it to be cheap!
Nothing by HP please as i hate them right now.
Advice please!
In other news - AM off to Africa for 22 days work in july/august - hurrah for proper consultancy work.
- Mood:
anxious
Comments
As for laptops -- you want the moon on a stick, you do!
You won't get all of:
* Sturdy
* Light
* Cheap
I really rate Lenovo Thinkpads for reliability, and they're also (IME) sturdier than average. They're neither especially light nor especially cheap, but they keep working for years without any kind of problems.
Panasonic do something they call a Toughbook which is supposedly way tougher than the standard lappy, but IMO you're better off with a slightly less tough lappy and a nice tough bag to carry it in... YMMV (I really like the Swissgear lappy bags though).
Dunno if they've added a built in webcam since then, this older one didn't have such.
My powerbook 12" from 5+ years ago still runs happily and has never had an issue (save for the battery needing a replacement, but that's normal wear and tear on any battery). I got a new lappy a year ago 'cause I wanted to be able to play new release video games on it. I still use the old one for travel and various other things. It has been lugged around everywhere I have gone and, as I said, no issues.
Also, I hate Vista so hard.
In my opinion, should you decide to stick with windows, be sure to get it loaded with XP rather than Vista.
Apple UK Store has Refurbished Mac's here
There's a Mac Book with 2GB, 160GB hard drive and 13" display for £699. There's also a few Mac Book Pros with 15" displays for £1099.
There's also a bunch of very cheap Mac Book Pro's out there out there on Gumtree at the moment. In fact seems crazy cheap for what you're getting.
Also, Vista: the plague! Ask for the older, stable XP, which people have fussed to keep on the market, because Vista is so wretched.
Worth mentioning - I believe Windows only runs on Intel Macs (which all new ones are).