George Montagu Brown

I'm really struggling here guys...

My laptop for a lack of a better word, sucks.

I need a new one and want the best that money can buy.

It needs to be very high spec (I'd like to play some games I think), have a long battery life (5 hours+) and just generally be good. I've heard good things about Asus but lost in the woods when it comes to which one to buy!

Any help is very much appreciated from you techies out there as I couldn't find much info.

Thanks in advance!
George

P.S. I don't want a mac, and don't want to have whole discussion as to why. And I don't want to run windows on one either, I would do that, but the battery life when running windows rather than mac OS is only like 3 hours.

Intrepreneur

Go with Compaq (now HP) and you'll make the right choice. Any of the others will be like your last and suck too. Watch out for size of RAM and processor speed, you'll need 4gbRAM to run Window's 7 effectively.

sarah_may

Well Sony VIO is the best choice but dell studio also works good comapring to acer HP etc.

Jeremyc

Acer Aspire ONE D250-1116 - Atom 1.6 GHz - 10.1 " - 1 GB Ram - 160 GB HDD
is good for surfing But not for gaming,i would try to find you another one if you really badly want a gaming laptop.

Desmond Ong

Bro,

You're still in Thailand right. If so, come down to KL. We have a computer mall here.

I think Leon from the mages told me that Thailand keyboards have Thai word in them. So becareful. :-D

Unless you can read Thai.

As for laptop, I would recommend a SONY Vaio. Just pick the best spec with the best graphic card.

Cheers
Desmond

PS: Do you play COD MW2 and WOW? I wanna challenge you if you do. :-p

Andrew Gould

For a powerful laptop, try:

www.alienware.co.uk

Bruce NewMedia

George, One of the best I've used is the DELL STUDIO. Dell's still a good brand, but this machine is awesome. ...(from a product review):

"...Dell bridged the gap between hard-core users and mainstream users by introducing the Dell Studio 17. The 17 comes with a gorgeous 17-inch, 1,920-by-1,200 display, a boon for high-definition movie buffs and professional photographers. It's also packed with 3GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. The only difference between PCMag's test model and the $999 model is that you get a different processor (2.53-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 processor) and optical drive (8X DVD+/-R dual-layer). ..."

BTW, the screen on these is gorgeous. Dell also has some excellent extended warranties.
_____
Bruce

nikolaaa

I'm happy Mac user with iMac and Mac Book.
So - try Mac one month and you will love it !

Chris Koltai

Hmmm... There's a bit of a problem with your criteria, George. Basically, with laptops, it's a one or the other thing. For gaming laptops, ASUS is definitely great value for the money, and has some of the better service. You could always order a replacement battery to extend the life, but you'll be lucky to pull 3 hours out of any gaming laptop unless you have it on extremely reduced settings.

For working on the go, you could always grab a netbook. Most of them have 6 hours+ of battery life, and handle pretty much anything you'd need them to do for IM.

The solution I opted for is one that you've already ruled out. I was a hard-won convert to the Mac camp. Picked up a Macbook Pro this year, dual-boot Vista, and it works beautifully. 7 Hours or so of battery life when I have it in OS X for working, and I can swap over to windows for apps that need it or for some gaming, though admittedly I don't play anything too demanding.

PS - If you find a gaming-spec computer with that kind of battery life, post it in here or PM me, I want one!

Sumaryan85

George, buy Asus or Sony ( High End Specs ).
And for games just buy the new PSP - If you do, could you buy 2 and send 1 for me hehe...

Kennyh

George, not sure where you got the three hours figure for battery life when running Windows on a MacBook Pro, but I'd double check that it's accurate.

The older (pre-summer 2009) MacBooks and MacBook Pros got that when running Windows under Boot Camp. But the current models have a higher capacity battery which does significantly better - though they still have a shorter life than when running Mac OS X.

brainworker

After using Laptops for consistently for 4 years I have stopped using it. Laptop really sucks!

Now I'm back to Desktop with BIG wide-screen LCD monitor. I'm atleast 50% more productive now.

Try desktop with 30 inch LCD monitor and see the difference yourself...at lest go for 22 or 24 inch.

I carry laptop only while traveling.

Dell Inpiron, HP (Compaq) are good for online marketers

joehwilcox

I would highly recommend a solid laptop with a external monitor. My setup is a Asus 1005HA netbook, black macbook, and a dell xps with 22in external monitor. It's great for editing video on one computer while I can create and post content with another one.

MacS09

I recently acquired a Sony Vaio after years of Tosh which I won't touch with whatever now. The Sony is great, has Windows 7 (even though I bought it on ebay a couple of months ago). Very reliable, great screen and sound, and if you go for top spec, you won't regret it (I hope ).

priyankeshu

u might want to consider getting a Nettop.. i am using Asus He2000 it is so handy easy to carry and type.. it does almost everything one desktop would do..

benefit of having smaller laptops are that they have longer battery life. This one goes for upto 6 hours to 8 hours.. it is good when you are travelling

mreinfeldt

George,

I'm not sure about for gaming, but for business needs, I think Dell comes in as one of the strongest players... their newer machines are really quite awesome, especially when you pack in 8GB of RAM running a 64-bit OS like Windows 7 64-bit. Plop that down on a HDMI or DVI capable docking station which is plugged in to 2+ large-screen monitors, and you have yourself an awesome workspace! Been doing it for a few years now for my day job (managing other peoples servers and applications).

Good luck in your search! Make sure to let everyone know what you settle on and how it turns out.

Bossman34

Hey George,

I've been in the market for a high spec laptop as well and have done quite a bit of research. Here's what I have found...

As far as build quality and reliability, ASUS and Toshiba seem to be the best with Sony right behind whereas HP, Gateway, and Acer are the worst. Dell/Alienware and Apple fall in the middle. Do a search for "laptop reliability" and you'll find a study with this info.

5 hours on a battery might be hard to come by with high spec laptops especially if you're playing games...just fyi.

I really like the Toshiba Qosmio X500 line. Very well built, big screen, and should handle anything you throw at it. That would be my top pick, but I don't think you can go wrong with ASUS or Sony either.

Steve Ranger

Does anyone know which sort of screen on a laptop
I need for working outside in the sun?

My current one is impossible to work on outside.

Any experience with this people?

Adam Sussman

You want to get a matt screen.

Adam

Woody C

I second this. A few months ago I needed a new laptop for school, and I secretly wanted one that would also be good for IM.

I purchased the high-end SONY VAIO, and must say that it is heads above my old HP. The screen is crisp, the keyboard is quite, and the computer runs all software (so far) quickly, smoothly, and it never has problems (granted, it is only 4 months old).

I have also heard great things about ASUS. The only bad thing I have heard about them is that they weigh a ton, so if you will be carrying it around quite a bit this may not be a good idea.

Good luck!

Steve Crooks

I have tried pretty much all the main manufacturer's laptops from Dell and Toshiba through to Acer and HP. My current laptop is the Sony Vaio FW series and it beats everything else I have ever had on all the important points.

1. Battery life - 3+ hours
2. Lightweight for a big laptop
3. Clear, crisp display 17 inch display
4. Speed

It can handle pretty much everything I throw at it including games.

Adam Sussman

George,

You may find these sites helpful.

Notebookcheck: Reviews

Notebook Reviews - Laptop Reviews and Netbook Computer News & Reviews

LAPTOP Magazine - Product reviews, tech news, buying guides, and more


Adam

rhab

I have to agree, I bought a sony vaio this year and love it! Best laptop I have ever had. I think it's going to boil down to preference though. There are a lot of great laptops out there these days that are more than enough for IM.

If you want to game on a laptop, you really need to be looking for a "gaming laptop". Any gaming specific laptop will easily handle anything you would do for IM. Dell have some very nice laptops these days for gaming and alienware are well known for gaming but they tend to run really hot.

I considered a mac, and really just want one to have one, but I really have no need at the moment. The vaio I have I'm extremely happy with. Excellent performance, it is extremely quiet and this thing surprisingly doesn't even get warm, even after I let it run all night.

I also found customer service to be outstanding. I didn't have an issue with the laptop itself, user error type thing in figuring out how to set something up correctly that wasn't even a sony product, and they were extremely helpful and spent the time it took to resolve my issue.

stefanjames

Hey What's up George,

I had a Dell before but my laptop was running really slow and it was often because of some viruses. But I decided to go ahead and get a MacBook Pro!!

Absolutely the best type of computers if you ask me. I absolutely love my Mac and going to also get a Desktop!

Adam Sussman

I'm looking for a quiet PC. What Vaio have you got?

Adam

rhab

Hey Adam, I went with the vaio CW series. If you want quiet this is your winner. You literally have to put your ear down to even start to hear this thing.

infonetworker

I just bought an imac and love it. Have been a mac user for years now. In my opinion they are more reliable. I also like their OS better than Windows.

eilrach

I third the motion..!! strongly agree that their warranties and support are very good... you won't be disappointed.!!

Scott Henderson

I love my Lenovo Think Pad T500, it is the best laptop I have used and I have been on laptops for the past 10 years, Dell, Toshiba and Compaq's. This machine is very well built. I travel a lot so battery life is important to me, I upgraded the battery option and I have experienced 8 hours of usage with my 9 cell Li-ion.

Another great feature on Lenovo's is their lack of crap-ware pre-loaded into the machine. They come only with the OS installed and other minor apps needed to run the machine, no trial stuff at all.

They cost a bit more but in my opinion well worth it.

Scott Henderson

Another reason I opted for my Lenovo, see post above, they had an option for a matted monitor. A major requirement if outdoors or in a setting where glare will be an issue. I use this machine outside all of the time with no issues at all.

chanchalseo

Well I think hp is good...it depends what kind you require though and how much money...there's the discuss over mac vs. pc...for myself i have no experience with macs, but with pc, hps and dells are almost certainly the best all concerning.

Have a good day.

Greg Jacobs

George...

Stay away from Asus, Acer or Benq. I can just save you a few turns on the wheel of karma with those ones....


for PC the two solid brands I have always had great experience with are Sony or Lenovo.

George Montagu Brown

Hey Everyone... (and Greg... get back to work and stop trolling the mage thread already )

Anywhozer - to the matter at hand:

Thanks so much for all the reply's...

But I've FOUND IT. HP (yes it's an HP) Envy 13".

Look it up... High performance and an 18 hour battery life when you have a little battery pack... The best thing is is that the even with the pack, it's still lighter than a macbook pro.

In fact, the only thing is does wrong is be expensive I guess.

Georgeio

John_

Here is a paradox: I absolutely - - ADORE & TRUST -- COMPAQ (my laptop is working like a charm since 2001 !!!!) yet...

... I will NEVER BUY a HP, since Compaq was bought by HP their laptops are very poorly (cheaply) designed. I personnally know of three people whose laptop stopped working (videoboard, motherboard) a couple weeks/month after the first year's anniversary.

If you Google "HP laptop problem" you will find a TONS of people complaining about HP's laptops low quality and poor customer service.

I would even go as far as recommending an OLDER laptop (like Compaq, now defunct), as it will outlive your "brand new" HP laptop.

My second laptop is an ASUS. Good quality / price.

AffiliateKungfu

Any current laptop (but not an Atom-powered netbook) should be good enough for IM work.

Personally, I'd double-check for a VGA socket, cos I always work with a secondary 25" (Hansa) monitor, which then lets me work with multiple windows with great ease.

Arfan

I just picked up a Dell XPS and have to they the laptop is a MONSTER totally love it looks nice and it does exactly what I want to do.

hlvasquez

I bought an HP EliteBook 6930p and I'm totally in love with it.

It is the best laptop I ever had.

Intel Core (Centrino 2) Duo T9400
4 GM RAM
160 GB HD
ATI 3450 Mobile

cybergod

Go for DELL, efficient enough, price is also not too high. Sony Via Keys are creating a lot of problems these days.

Enquire with them who bought these.

All the best with buying....

Bossman34

I understand where you're coming from and what you're saying, but I could type in any brand followed by "problems" and find tons of complaints. There will always be people who are unhappy with something and there will always be issues when a company has sold millions of a product.

It's the same thing as searching for something with "scam" attached to it...of course you're going to find something! That's what you searched for!

Any time you're dealing with thousands or millions of customers there WILL be issues and unhappy people no matter how good the product is overall.

With that being said, yes, HP has a poor reputation when it comes to reliability.

Arfan

Also Dell's Customer Service is rated one of the best

olorunoba

google dell latitude E6400 and you will be amazed.It has a long batterry life and so much more

parzlou

I have had my Sony Vaio going on 2 years now and it is an awesome machine very dependable and "strong like bull "
The only thing I would have done different is the VISTA home 64 BIT is as mr barkley would say " TURRIBLE"
with all that said I only use the laptop for travel and if something is on the tube and I wanna be in there with the wife ...

I have stopped for the most part doing my IM tasks on the laptop very hard on the neck and shoulders for me I get much, much ,much, more done on my old DELL PC with a 21 inch monitor that still runs like a top and can do everything I need still some 8 or 9 years later

peace

Scott

Forest_Parks

I have a MacBookPro for work (can't beat it) and I run Windows through Parellels software.... Just to prove i'm not a typical anti-gates I have an Xbox for gaming and it's awesome.... Seperate Work and Play... Actually works out much more productive. Plus the xbox allows me to stream podcasts and things right to my TV...

Manivannan

If you want the best, go for alienware!
It's somewhat pricey but great value for money.

firdaussani

In kuala lumpur have a place that sold variable choice laptop that's called lowyat plaza. Try search from there..

Anonymous Affiliate

Best Windows-based laptop: Sony VAIO Z-series: powerful, light and small (13"), massive resolution for this size (1600x900) and 5+ hours battery life. The ultimate mobility power house.

Twonickle

I have had many laptops and my best laptop is my Gateway® P-7807u FX Edition. This laptop is the heat! It is a bit big but I need the sceen size and resolution also it's geared for gaming so everything is blazing fast. I like Dell and Sony, but this Gateway blows me away so far!
my two cents!

AffiliateKungfu

If you have a fixed permanent workspace in the home or office where you work most of the time, go get a current top of the line laptop, any brand that pleases your senses will do. Then at the same time get a huge second monitor, the largest you can afford (today's largest is typically 23-25"), and set this big monitor just above and behind your laptop screen so that you will be looking at two screens at the same time while you work. Of course you will need a support to raise the height of the big monitor above the line of sight obstructed by the laptop screen.

To me, this is the ideal setup (though not for many active forex traders, though) for any serious Internet marketing nut.

Then ocassionally, if you have to be mobile, you just unplug your laptop and take it with you.

lordmelkor

Hi George,

I would recommend you think about laptop with solid metal case like some IBM models. They are not cheap but they better protect your data that laptops with poor plastic case. Laptops sometimes want to drop from on high. Such IBM saved my data few times.

Justin Lewis

I use a Acer Aspire 6930, I bought it last year from Best Buy for only 500$.

It has a 320GB Hard Drive, 3GB Memory and a really nice 17 inch screen. I use it for almost everything, including internet marketing. Honestly, it's one of the best laptops I've ever had and everyone always goes, "oooooo" and "ahhhhh" whenever they see it