Windows Vista Capable Laptops - Your Thoughts Please

[tauheedul]

Hello all, im a student looking for a very high spec laptop, im not intending on buying one yet but closer to the time microsoft release the final version of windows vista, so around early Jan or February.

Ive been told pentium are releasing new pentium quad core processors which is apparently meant to be better than the AMD 64BIt CPU. Can anyone tell me the difference between them and will i be able to run Windows Vista RC2 64Bit on it? (im registered with the Microsoft CPP Program)

Also, is it worth it me paying extra for the quad core processor or should i stick to the pentium core 2 duo or celeron? - im looking to spend between £350-£800 (perhaps acer to save a bit)

let me know your thoughts Techies

[LJ]

Chalk up one for the Core2Duo. Easily the best processor around at the moment. Quad core will be relatively pointless on the desktop for the next couple of years anyway - most software houses are struggling with getting their desktop apps to handle two threads, much less 4.

However.

A better question would be \"Will Vista be worth it?\", to which my answer would be a resounding \"no\". It's slower and clunkier than XP, and as far as I can tell the only real benefits are the 3D accelerated desktop (which Linux currently does far, far better with nicer looks) and the fact that you no longer run everything as an admin. The number of popups (\"are you really really really really really really sure you want to do this? i know you've done it three times before, but i just want to check\") has increased dramatically, and the frustration factor is incredible. At least, it was in Beta 2, and as far as I know these things haven't changed since then.

Perhaps a better tactic would be to work out what kind of thing you want in a laptop. I can tell you straight up that £800 doesn't get you much laptop at all these days. It might have loads of memory and a big CPU, but in a laptop you need to consider the quality of the screen. You'll probably want at least a 17\" widescreen, with 1440x900 resolution. Add a Core2Duo to that, a decent graphics accelerator (at least an ATI x1600 to be of any use in Vista, I'd have thought), SATA hard drive (because you can) and 1GB RAM. Everything else is just fluff, but you'll probably be looking at around £800+VAT for a really cheap one of those.

Oh, and the Linux OpenGL desktop works on an Intel onboard graphics solution without any performance issues....

[Anonymous]

[Removed at the request of the author]

[Belso]

As your a student im guessing the laptop will be carried around a bit, and need a good battery life.

Also it's likely to be knocked about if its getting moved everywhere so a warranty would be an excellent idea.

By January, Febuary time prices would have changed and there will be some very good deals out featuring Vista.

The prices of laptops at the moment are getting cheaper and cheaper and with a budget of £800 max you will be able to get a very good laptop!

Your 2-3months away from getting one so it would be best to ask then about getting one anyway

[LJ]

As an aside, I've just picked up one of these for work:

http://uk.insight.com/apps/productpr...050%26SB%3Dplh

It rocks. Stunning screen, fast CPU, competent graphics card (not going to be using it for games). Had to get another 512MB, of course, but it's a very good laptop as these things go - and a very reasonable price.

[Belso]

[quote:d5c65b1622=\"LJ\"]As an aside, I've just picked up one of these for work:

www.competitor.co.uk

It rocks. Stunning screen, fast CPU, competent graphics card (not going to be using it for games). Had to get another 512MB, of course, but it's a very good laptop as these things go - and a very reasonable price.[/quote:d5c65b1622]

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Rules mate

£800+ each for those laptops!! You should of shopped around!

[LJ]

Sorry - didn't think about it. Having said that, that sort of laptop isn't one that you'd normally sell, and the rest of their kit is so grossly overpriced that Aria'd be first pick every time

The only reason that laptop was £800 instead of £600 was that it's got the high res screen....that's absolutely the best price around, as far as I can tell. I may be in the market for some more, though, so if Aria can beat it....