Which laptop is the better purchase?

[Chikselog]

Naalala ko tuloy yung Toshiba laptop ng kakilala ko dati mga 3 yrs ago pa yun. Around 1 yr pa lang laptop nya may nasunog na. One day the laptop won't turn on. Nung binuksan, nasunog yung sa bandang bottom part ng LCD.

Sir jut is right, I think you should base sa specs na lang. Nagkalat ang laptops ngayon so madaling makahanap ng specs na para sayo. Kasi yung old Toshiba laptop mo may be reliable back then, pero ngayon ganyan pa rin kaya quality ng newer Toshibas?

And just to share we have 2 Acer notebooks (Aspire One). Very reliable, battery life is still good kahit one year mahigit na.

[jhnkvn]

This is stupid. Hindi porket ikaw lang gagamit nung OS eh ok lang na hindi na orig. A fake OS leaves you more vulnerable to security threats since you don't get to update it via Windows Update.

BTT:

Choosing only one brand severely limits your choices. To be frank, brand bias with laptops is pointless for me. They run similar hardware underneath, and that's where you're supposed to base your decisions. Aesthetics plays a factor though, but I wouldn't get a slow but pretty laptop over an unassuming but well-speced one.

The Asus X202e that has been brought up seems to be a good fit to your needs. As a casual user, the relatively low clock speed shouldn't be an issue for you. That's still plenty fast for internet browsing or office work.

'
Pirates nowadays are knowledgeable enough on ways to bypass Windows Update. And if you're that defensive when it comes to security threats, go for Linux. Best solution is still to surf safely -- don't go on clicking some unknown website being enticed by ****o :naughty2:

Everything else, good enough.

[_Cathy_]

I'm now having second thoughts about getting a Toshiba after reading the latest replies. The hinge of my Toshiba is also broken but it only happened after 5 years or so which is why it did not bother me at all.

I've heard good things about the lenovo but my office laptop's fan gave out sooner than my Toshiba.

Can anyone recommend other good laptops then?

Budget is 30k.
Minimum 14 in screen
Windows OS installed
Should be available at Villman.
Preferably Lenovo

[testament11]

How about this...

Lenovo G470 Core i3-2350M, Win7 Home Basic (Dark Brown 5932-8836) / (Red 5932-8835) Now w/ 2K OFF!!! | VillMan Computers

or this

Lenovo ideapad Z470 Pink(5930-9952) with 2GB Graphics | VillMan Computers

Pero sa last one, dagdag ka lang ng 3k para sa OS

[jut703]

'
Pirates nowadays are knowledgeable enough on ways to bypass Windows Update. And if you're that defensive when it comes to security threats, go for Linux. Best solution is still to surf safely -- don't go on clicking some unknown website being enticed by ****o :naughty2:

Everything else, good enough.

The thing with pirated builds is that even if they may get away with them now, that may not be the case after a few months. Case in point, when Windows 7 first come out, the pirated builds were actually free to update like an original install would. A few months later, Windows released an update (KB971033) that specifically looks for Windows 7 activation cracks. Of course, one can opt not to install the update, but not everyone has the technical know-how to understand which update is which, and not everyone is wiling to bother.

I used pirated OSes back in the XP days. Criminal responsibilities aside, I prefer using original OSes now. I don't wanna go through the hassle of not knowing if I can still download this update or tool anymore.

[_Cathy_]

Lenovo ideapad Z470 Pink(5930-9952) with 2GB Graphics | VillMan Computers

Pero sa last one, dagdag ka lang ng 3k para sa OS

Thanks I think the Z470 is a good model because GH recommended this model to me before. I'll check it out at the store. And I love that it's pink

If you plan to go "APPLE", your P40,000 budget is not enough to buy a new laptop, not even for the Apple Air.

-------------------

Alternative to the ASUS above....

You can try the LENOVO Z470. Lenovo ideapad Z470 Black(5906-9400) and Pink( 59071302) DOS with 2nd Generation Core i5 processor. | VillMan Computers

Priced at P36,000 with 2gb ram "free" making a total of 4gb ram. Have Windows 7 64bit installed and it should run smooth and fast.

This is the specific unit that GH recommended but it's already phased out kasi. But it's also Z470

[ghosthunter]

At this point, I wouldn't waste my time with Intel Core I3 processor based laptops.

Lenovo G480 (59355877) - Core i5 with now with Windows8
LINK: Lenovo G480 (59355877) DARK BROWN - Core i5 with now with w8! | VillMan Computers

[jut703]

At this point, I wouldn't waste my time with Intel Core I3 processor based laptops.

Lenovo G480 (59355877) - Core i5 with now with Windows8
LINK: Lenovo G480 (59355877) DARK BROWN - Core i5 with now with w8! | VillMan Computers

Why? Not everyone needs Turbo Boost, which is the only difference between an i3 and an i5, and this alone usually costs 5k more.

There's an i3-powered G480 that only costs 26k from Villman, though it doesn't have an OS which is pretty much a downer.

[ghosthunter]

Why? Not everyone needs Turbo Boost, which is the only difference between an i3 and an i5, and this alone usually costs 5k more.

There's an i3-powered G480 that only costs 26k from Villman, though it doesn't have an OS which is pretty much a downer.

C4U is a long term owner where slightly higher hardware spec will let her have a laptop that can still considered usable four or five years from now. Giving her specs that will only be sufficient for the "now" will lead to her feeling it being slow sooner than later. Also the hardware spec of the laptop I recommended leaves little need for any immediate upgrades after purchase. For only a few thousand over her set budget, it might be a worthwhile spending on it now than needing a new laptop (upgrade) after a only couple of years.

[roninblade]

C4U is a long term owner where slightly higher hardware spec will let her have a laptop that can still considered usable four or five years from now. Giving her specs that will only be sufficient for the "now" will lead to her feeling it being slow sooner than later. Also the hardware spec of the laptop I recommended leaves little need for any immediate upgrades after purchase. For only a few thousand over her set budget, it might be a worthwhile spending on it now than needing a new laptop (upgrade) after a only couple of years.

glad im not the only one, precisely why i recommended the higher spec'd unit in the first place (a few pages back). (edit: ok, maybe i didn't outline all my reason in my previous post.)

[_Cathy_]

GH, why do you recommend the

G480
Lenovo G480 (59355877) DARK BROWN - Core i5 with now with w8! | VillMan Computers
P 33,984.00

Intel Core i3 3110M (2.5GHz up to 3.1GHz, 1600MHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
Nvidia GeForce 635M 2GB
14"HD (1366x768) Display
4 GB DDR3 Memory/ Up to 8GB
500 GB SATA Hard Drive 5400 rpm
DVD Super Multi Burner
HD Webcam
Bluetooth, 10/100 LAN, 802.11n WiFi
2 in 1 Card Reader, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, HDMI
2.2 Kgs with 6 cell batery
Genuine Windows 8

more than the

Z470?
Lenovo ideapad Z470 Pink(5930-9952) with 2GB Graphics | VillMan Computers

P 32,892.00

Processor & Cache Memory Intel Core i5-2430M Processor wit Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology
Intel Core i5-2410M (3MB L3 SmartCache, 2.40GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.0GHz supporting Intel® 64 architecture, Intel® Smart Cache
Operating System Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
Main Memory 1 x 2GB DDR3(upgradeable to 8GB)
Display 14" WXGA LED(1366x768)
Video Graphics & Memory Nvidia GeForce GT540M 2GB with Switchable Graphics Feature
Hard Drive 2.5" 9.5mm SATA 750GB HDD 5400rpm
Optical Drive Dual Layer Multiburner Drive (DVDRW)
Video Camera 2MP Web Camera with Face Recognition
Audio SRS Powered Premium Surround Sound
Fax/Modem/LAN/WLAN Realtek 10/100 Mbps LAN, Lenovo Wifi, Built-in Bluetooth
I/O 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1* 34mm Express Card slot, RJ45, VGA, Mic-In, Headphone, 5-in-1 Multi-card Reader (SD,SD Pro/XD/MMC/MS,MS Pro),
HDMI, e-SATA/USB Combo Port

[jut703]

C4U is a long term owner where slightly higher hardware spec will let her have a laptop that can still considered usable four or five years from now. Giving her specs that will only be sufficient for the "now" will lead to her feeling it being slow sooner than later. Also the hardware spec of the laptop I recommended leaves little need for any immediate upgrades after purchase. For only a few thousand over her set budget, it might be a worthwhile spending on it now than needing a new laptop (upgrade) after a only couple of years.

Depends on your perspective. I usually adopt a cash-strapped-buyer perspective, looking for the most bang-for-the-buck, since I view the extra few thousand pesos spent as an opportunity cost for something else with greater marginal utility. Of course, if C4U doesn't mind shelling out more, then by all means, get the most expensive one that makes her happy.

From my experience, with one of our i5 laptops, I turned of Turbo Boost for about a month. It didn't feel any different at all, even though my quantitative tests show a ~10% improvement in CPU intensive tasks such as video transcoding. This was with an Arrandale i5 though, definitely the Ivy Bridge i5s, with their higher boost rates, will have greater benefits when going from an i3 to an i5. That said, I still think that the difference is not big enough to reach the point wherein you'd be replacing your i3-powered laptop earlier than an i5-powered one, especially for someone who isn't a power user. But again, if budget is not an issue, then going for the faster one makes sense.

GH, why do you recommend the G480 more than the Z470?

The G480 is already running on a newer CPU architecture than the Z470 (Ivy Bridge vs. Sandy Bridge). Ivy Bridge CPUs are faster given the same clock speed than their Sandy Bridge counterparts. A 2.5 GHz Ivy will run 10% faster than a 2.5 GHz Sandy, ceteris paribus. Power draw is also slightly reduced, leading to marginally better battery life.

Aside from that, the only other major differences are the hard drive size (500 GB vs 750 GB), aesthetics, and the OS (Win8 vs Win7). Personally, I don't like using Windows 8 on a laptop that doesn't have a touch screen. It just feels so unintuitive. This is the reason why I'm still sticking to Windows 7 even though I have several Windows 8 licenses lying around.

It won't necessarily be worse to buy the Z470 than the G480 if 1) you prefer Windows 7, 2) if you need the extra 250 GB, or 3) it looks better. Just keep in mind that the tradeoff is a slightly inferior CPU.

[_Qwerty_]

check mo din dito.. they offer up to 20% discount on some of their laptops..

Laptops

The Lenovo G480 is only Php29,999.00 there.

Lenovo Ideapad G480 MS DOS 14 Laptop (Brown) | Lazada

[_Cathy_]

*jut703 Can I just say WOW on your explanation

What do you recommend that I purchase given my requirements (minimum 14 inch monitor, budget 30k range, lenovo or toshiba, available at Villman)

OT: Is that an Altis V on your avatar?

[_Cathy_]

check mo din dito.. they offer up to 20% discount on some of their laptops..

Laptops

The Lenovo G480 is only Php29,999.00 there.

Lenovo Ideapad G480 MS DOS 14 Laptop (Brown) | Lazada

Thanks is this an online selling only site?

[_Qwerty_]

yes.. you can pay over the counter sa local banks.. and COD..

[ghosthunter]

GH, why do you recommend the

G480 vs Z470

simple... I missed spotting the Z470 in the list. I thought it was with the laptops with i3 CPUs.

if we include the Z470. The Z470 is okay. But the G480 already has an upgraded CPU which is a touch faster and 4gb ram. The Z470 comes with 2gb ram. HDD difference of 500 vs 750 GB is not a deal breaker in my book since it can be upgraded later as compared to the system CPU.

I just cant take pink. Also if you plan to re-sell a pink laptop, it is practically impossible to sell.

BTW, here is something to consider about the G480's new cpu spec.

The performance of the Core i5-3210M should be slightly above a similarly clocked Sandy Bridge processor due to slight architectural improvements. As a result, overall performance should be similar to the old i7-2620M.

source: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Intel-C...r.74458.0.html

[ghosthunter]

check mo din dito.. they offer up to 20% discount on some of their laptops..

Laptops

The Lenovo G480 is only Php29,999.00 there.

Lenovo Ideapad G480 MS DOS 14 Laptop (Brown) | Lazada

Wow... good deal!

[_Cathy_]

I just cant take pink. Also if you plan to re-sell a pink laptop, it is practically impossible to sell.

This made me LOL. I don't plan to sell the laptop anyway. I plan to use it until it dies on me like my Toshiba.

But jut703's comment on the OS is also a concern for me. How are the OSs different? Our office is upgrading to Windows 7 so I am wondering why they did not choose Windows 8? Either Win 7 is better or cheaper than Win 8.

[LiempoBoi]

I'm now having second thoughts about getting a Toshiba after reading the latest replies. The hinge of my Toshiba is also broken but it only happened after 5 years or so which is why it did not bother me at all.

I've heard good things about the lenovo but my office laptop's fan gave out sooner than my Toshiba.

Can anyone recommend other good laptops then?

Budget is 30k.
Minimum 14 in screen
Windows OS installed
Should be available at Villman.
Preferably Lenovo

I suggest to get a lenovo thinkpad if you like to travel. They are really reliable. I saw one but it's 33k and there's no O.S. installed.