HappyHeart Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I need to buy a laptop for my studies. I dont have a clue what to go for. It will be used for creating documents, research and internet access. What should I be looking at and how much should I expect to pay?:unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abz123 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Jeez, that's always such a difficult question. Depends on a lot of other things too like how often do you need to lug it about, how long does the battery last, are you going to have it plugged in most of the time etc. etc. The latest Macbook Airs have battery life of around 10 hours which is pretty good but then you pay the "privilege" for having Apple. Depending on what you are studying then there is an educational programme with Apple where you can get one cheaper. Try a Google search for best laptops and takew a look on the Whirlpool forum as there are always peoplew asking similar questions. In fact if you can drag yourself away from PIO it's quite a good one to join and ask the question yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee13 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Since being burnt by 2 unreliable HPS 4 years ago I went Acer and havent looked back - If you are a Windows Person. If you like Mac then as abz123 says.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest66881 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Acer have been good lappies for us here, my next comp will be the Apple variety though, as photo editing can be draining on my current system, Google best advice for your requirements HH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina2 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Have had two HP - something very wrong with the cooling system. They get super HOT so much so you cant use them on your lap they would actually burn your legs. Cant afford a new one right now but just know it WONT be a HP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest66881 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Try here HH http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/laptops/best-laptops-for-students-50000442/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abz123 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Have had two HP - something very wrong with the cooling system. They get super HOT so much so you cant use them on your lap they would actually burn your legs. Cant afford a new one right now but just know it WONT be a HP Our first one was Sony Vaio - good machine but expensive, second was a Dell and it runs "hot as" too so is always on a table or bean bag tray and we bought a Macbook Air last year which is very light. Was never an Apple fan boy but moving down that route now as it's easy to work between the iPhone, iPad and Macbook - Steve Jobs was one clever man - plus I didn't want to learn Windows 8 for some (lazy) reason... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 If you are going windows and not doing anything too strenuous (sounds like you aren't) I would get something in the following range Processor Intel i3/i5 AMD a8/a10 Ram 4 Gigs + Hardrive as much as you feel you need to store (mines 1tb) If you get an SSD it will make your computer much zippier (but they are pricier) Acer is a good shout as is samsung I feel or Toshiba Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyHeart Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 If you are going windows and not doing anything too strenuous (sounds like you aren't) I would get something in the following range Processor Intel i3/i5 AMD a8/a10 Ram 4 Gigs + Hardrive as much as you feel you need to store (mines 1tb) If you get an SSD it will make your computer much zippier (but they are pricier) Acer is a good shout as is samsung I feel or Toshiba Thank you but all that is foreign to me..dont know my ram from my ssd....a make and model would be good:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abz123 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Let's try and help you HH if you can give some more information. How big do you want your screen to be. You can typically go 11", 13", 15" or 17". Smaller screen will be tiring on the eyes and bigger will be heavier. Middle two will be the most popular and most common. Are you going to carry it around with you and if so, how long do you think you will need to use it on battery power before recharging? Do you want to buy software or use what's called freeware programmes to do your work? How long do you paln on keeping it - these things go out of date quickly but for the sort of use you are describing this is not a major concern for you. Would you want to use anything like an external monitor, mouse or keyboard? What budget are you looking at i.e. what's the maximun you are willing to pay. Think we can all chip in with some suggestions if you can answer the above questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tingtongman Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 whats your budget? if you just want to use it for surfing the web and using Microsoft documents, then go for the lower end range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyHeart Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 Ok. Think s bigger screen is needed as ill be using it to read papers and to type lengthy essays. It will be used at home mostly but I like to sit in a comfy chair indoors or outdoors while studying I dont want to buy extra software..dont think i need it? I will have to download a few things like Endnote...a citation manager programme Want an all in one machine Needs to last another couple of years Will be doing lots of multi tab work..flicking between different sites and programmes Want to pay under $1000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyHeart Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 Also needs to connect wirelessly to my existing printer...that's probably really obvious though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abz123 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Something like this is probably the lower end of your range in terms of price & performance http://www.dicksmith.com.au/laptops-notebooks/acer-aspire-15-6-e1-570-i3-notebook-dsau-xc9244 This one is at the top end: http://www.dicksmith.com.au/laptops-notebooks/asus-s550cb-cj065h-15-6-w8-ultrabook-dsau-xc7869 $1,000 is a good budget to play with and may not be totally necessary to spend that much. Do you have any tech savvy friends that you can bribe into coming looking with you as that me be the best option so that you don't get "conned" into buying more than you need to have? In terms of software, if you are planning on doing your essays in Word, this does not normally come preinstalled on a lap top. They now sell the Office suite on a 12 month subscription basis but it would be worth trying to find a copy of Office 2010 if you can as it will be a one off cost and will meet (exceed) your requirements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abz123 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Wireless printing will depend on whether your printer supports it or not. If it doesn't it should be able to be connected to your broadband router and works the same as just having the printer plugged in somewhere else in the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyHeart Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 I think I've got office from my last laptop purchase somewhere. Thanks for your help:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyHeart Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 Wireless printing will depend on whether your printer supports it or not. If it doesn't it should be able to be connected to your broadband router and works the same as just having the printer plugged in somewhere else in the house. The printer is wifi enabled and I can print from my tablet to it so expect I can wirelessly connect laptop? Existing pc wouldnt work...presumably because its so old Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyHeart Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 What about security? Free downloads? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Also what subjects will you be studying? My son is doing music, so needed something with a good soundcard, and the latest Sibelius requires a certain size of processor and minimum amount of RAM (hark at me, sounding like I know anything - I don't!). Some laptops or tablets don't seem to have compact disk drives, so makes it more of a pain to load external purchased software. Some apparently have better graphics cards if you are ever likely to use it for anything graphic-y! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 A lot of the newer laptops run hot because they have a core i5 or i7 processor. They are decent fast processors and are doing a lot of work quickly so generate a lot of heat. Even laptops a year old will not be generating as much but they won't be as fast either. I have a Lenovo X230 at work. A small screen with a solid state drive but I use it attached to a big 24" display, so you could set that up if you aren't using it on the go the whole time. It's fast enough for anything I do at work, including graphics and runs several programs at one without missing a beat. Dell do some decent laptops at competitive prices. Their inspiron series are just over $1,000. Not a fan of windows 8 though, windows 7 is lots better IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyHeart Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 I dont need graphics. I'm studying medical and nursing stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abz123 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 What about security? Free downloads? AVG and Avast! are two good free antivirus programmes then there are programmes like Spyware Blaster for other kinds of nasties. There's a free program for just about anything. Just ask on here and someone will give you some tips. Just watch where you download them from though as sometimes the "express" installation puts stuff on your computer than you didn't want (toolbars and the like) as well as what you did want. If your tablet prints okay then you should have no problems with a laptop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abz123 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 By the way, I'm not an IT person by trade so if any of our forum experts want to jump in and tell me I'm wrong, feel free. I'd rather HH got sound advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyHeart Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 Im sure your advice is fine. .just wanted a few pointers as absolutely no clue myself. Thanks very much..appreciated all posts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 Everyone is different but with those requirements I would go for a MacBook Air. A refurb model like this maybe: http://store.apple.com/au/product/FD760X/A/refurbished-133-inch-macbook-air-13ghz-dual-core-intel-core-i5 Benefits: - Great value...apple usually last really well and have great resale value so cost of ownership per year is very competitive for a class leading machine. - Excellent support. Just walk into the Apple store and they deal with it. Class leading service. - Beautiful, extremely light and sturdy design. - Battery life - up to 12 hours on the 13inch model. - SSD drive makes the computer feel very snappy. - The latest operating system Macs run is optimised for laptops and battery life. - Great keyboard and trackpad. - Included software is really useful. Great software for a home machine. Extra software (like EndNote) can easily be downloaded from the App Store and automatically kept up-to-date when you are asleep - laptop wakes itself up and updates everything. - Very easy to setup backups using TimeMachine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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