Which laptop is the better purchase?

[_Cathy_]

Which model? I thought kasi Toshiba is more reliable than Lenovo. But upon reading the comments here. I decided on Lenovo na lang.

[jut703]

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

It's cheap because there's no OS installed. The retail version of Windows 7/8 costs 6.5k. It's much cheaper to buy a laptop with an OS already, unless you already have a license, or if you're fine with a pirated version of Windows.

*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?

Given your needs and usage, this version of the G470 should be should last you at least half a decade, at only 26.5k:
Lenovo G470 Core i3-2350M, Win7 Home Basic (Dark Brown 5932-8836) / (Red 5932-8835) Now w/ 2K OFF!!! | VillMan Computers

The i3-2350M is plenty fast for basic computer tasks. Heck, my 5-year old Lenovo Y310 which has a Core 2 Duo T5550 (1.8 GHz) CPU still manages to do heavy Photoshop and Sony Vegas work. The G470 doesn't have a dedicated video card, but I don't think you're a gamer anyway, so you don't need it at all. To add, it already comes with Windows 7 Home Basic. Compared to the more expensive Windows 7 Home Premium, all that you really lose is the transparent taskbar, which shouldn't be much of an issue. Lastly, it'd be nice to upgrade the RAM to 4 GB for snappier performance under load. An additional 2 GB of RAM only costs 600 pesos in Gilmore, prolly a thousand if you have it installed in Villman as well.

The only Toshiba that's got similar specs to the Lenovo I mentioned above is the L475, at 30k:
Toshiba Satellite L745(Red/Silver) L740(Black) 14-inch Notebook - i3-2330M/2G/640G/1G GT525M/Win 7 Basic | VillMan Computers

It's not as sulit as the Lenovo, since it's 3.5k more expensive, but comes with a slightly slower processor. You do get a slightly larger hard drive (640GB vs 500GB) and a dedicated video card, but like I said above, you don't need the latter.

As for the color, choose what pleases you the most. Don't think of the resale value - laptops drop in price way too quickly. The depreciation on these things is mindblowing. My girlfriend got a free Acer laptop, worth roughly 26k, brand new. Since it was an extra laptop, we planned to sell it. When I checked the prices of secondhand units, I was pretty shocked that it sold for only 20k.

With regards to the OS, I suggest you try out a Windows 8-enabled laptop in the mall first to see how you like it. I personally don't like it cuz simply exiting a program takes much more effort compared to Windows 7. I guess you'll get used to it after a while, but I'd probably sit this out until Windows 9 comes out.

Now, if you think you're better off spending roughly 7k for slightly better specs, then the G480 and Z470 posted earlier are pretty decent deals. Personally I'd rather save the 7k for something else, but it's really up to you.

OT: Yes, that's an Altis V

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.

The Thinkpad you're referring to is the Thinkpad Edge. Its build quality is nothing like the classic Thinkpad line. The latter has an aluminum body, which is primarily why it's so sturdy, as compared to the Edge which is still made of plastic. Those aluminum Thinkpads cost at least 45k.

[ghosthunter]

Ultrabooks with their sleek aluminum chassis can be a good option.

example: Asus Vivobook S400 with i5, 4gb, 500gb/24gb hdd/ssd, 14inch touchscreen lcd. P36K.
Asus Vivobook S400CA-CA006H, 14In. Multi-Touch Screen, Intel Core i5-3317u CPU & Windows 8 | VillMan Computers

[donbuggy]

With regards to the OS, I suggest you try out a Windows 8-enabled laptop in the mall first to see how you like it. I personally don't like it cuz simply exiting a program takes much more effort compared to Windows 7. I guess you'll get used to it after a while, but I'd probably sit this out until Windows 9 comes out.

I agree with Jut703.

Windows 8, car dashboard analogy:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/22/te...anted=all&_r=0

Fresh Windows, but Where’s the Start Button?

By NICK WINGFIELD
Published: October 21, 2012

What is harder to find are many of the conventions that have been a part of PCs since most people began using them, like the strip of icons at the bottom of the screen for jumping between applications. The mail and calendar programs are starkly minimalist. It is as if an automaker hid the speedometer, turn signals and gear shift in its cars, and told drivers to tap their dashboards to reveal those functions. There is a more conventional “desktop” mode for running Microsoft Office and older programs, though there is no way to permanently switch to it.

[_Cathy_]

Thanks for the article.

Now I know that I need a laptop with Win 7. I'm a creature of habit and I like things the "conventional" way. I've never had any touch screen gadget so I don't think I'd be comfortable with Win 8. One reason why I never bought a mac was because I grew up with Windows as an OS (started with Windows 3.2) and didn't want to learn a new OS anymore. Win 8 seems to be a departure from the Windows format that I'm used to. I'm not ready for it yet

I need to purchase my laptop this weekend. I'm choosing between the two na:

Lenovo G470 Core i3-2350M, Win7 Home Basic (Dark Brown 5932-8836) / (Red 5932-8835) Now w/ 2K OFF!!!
http://www.villman.com/Product-Detai...470_i3_2350_w7
P26,388

Intel Core i3-2350M Processor (2.3 GHz/1333 MHz/ 3MB L3 Cache)
Intel HD 3000 Graphics
14' WXGA LED Display
2 GB DDR3 Memory/ upgradeable to 8 GB
500 GB SATA Hard Drive 5400 rpm
DVD Super Multi Burner
0.3 MP Webcam
Bluetooth, 5 in 1 Card Reader, 3 x USB, 1 x USB/e-SATA Combo Port, HDMI
2.7 Kgs with 6 cell batery
Genuine W7 Home Basic

Lenovo ideapad Z470 Pink(5930-9952) with 2GB Graphics
http://www.villman.com/Product-Detai...o_Z470_2430_w7
P32,892

Processor & Cache Memory Intel Core i5-2430M Processor with

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

If there's very little difference in aesthetics, I'll get the G470. I just can't resist the pink! Or maybe I could just get the G470 and install a skin so my laptop will look different. My work laptop is a Lenovo and using the same brand at home would make me feel like I'm still like working

[_Cathy_]

I just called Villman and found out that the Z470 model is not available anymore. I guess it's really not for me :tongue:

They only have the G470 available and I only need to add P699 for additional 2 gb of RAM

[userfriendly]

If you will add ram, make sure you add at least 4gb for a total of 6gb. The OS is 64bit. Having more than 4gb will make your OS and you happy. The 4gb kingston value ram is only 2300 pesos. Thats great value.

You can go all out and go for 8gb but since you are not a power user, the add'l memory may not be noticeable. Also, if you go with 8gb you will not be able to use the 2gb that came with the laptop. But if you have the funds, go with 8gb. Spend once and your set for the next several years.

[jut703]

If you will add ram, make sure you add at least 4gb for a total of 6gb. The OS is 64bit. Having more than 4gb will make your OS and you happy. The 4gb kingston value ram is only 2300 pesos. Thats great value.

You can go all out and go for 8gb but since you are not a power user, the add'l memory may not be noticeable. Also, if you go with 8gb you will not be able to use the 2gb that came with the laptop. But if you have the funds, go with 8gb. Spend once and your set for the next several years.

Unless you're into video editing and transcoding, 4 GB is more than enough. Heck, I'm running on 2 GB RAM and I do a lot of Lightroom and Photoshop work. Even looking into the future, I think 4 GB will suffice for the next 3 or so years, especially when faced with the fact that software isn't progressing as quickly as hardware is nowadays.

[_Cathy_]

Thanks everyone for the advise! I bought a laptop already at Villman for only P26388 + P699 (2 GB RAM) = P27087! P13k cheaper than the Toshiba I was considering to purchase. Thanks also for directing me to Lenovo from Toshiba. I really hope it performs and lasts longer than my 7 yr old Toshiba

[jhnkvn]

Great purchase!

Still, personally, I feel that boss GH's recommendation for the ASUS suits your needs better. This is probably because they key factor I use when purchasing laptops is weight.

As key points for your next laptop purchase:
1. You don't need that much RAM. I used to tell people who consult me that RAM is much like your room's space. You don't really need that much space in your room. What you simply need is to keep it clean by throwing out stuff that you do not need (a metaphor for reformatting/optimizing your hard drive).

2. Don't pay too much attention to CPU speeds nor its architecture. What's fast now won't be fast 8 years from now no matter what you do. So don't overpay and simply opt for the less expensive one.

--

If you're an avid fan of multi-tasking and you're not the type who downloads Vampire Diaries over the internet, you might want to spring some money for a 2.5" SSD to replace your traditional hard drive. It might not have the capacity you want, but the speed at which you interact with the PC everyday is phenomenal.