andlid Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Ive used a DELL refurb place in the past, make sure you get good warranty, well priced stuff and works well. http://www.mcscom.co.uk/ He's (Mark) is good to deal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK350Z Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Windows 7? oh dear... makes me feel ill Stick a copy of XP on it and you will be fine What's so bad about Win7? I use it both at work and at home and suffer no problems, far better than Vista. I heard 7 was a little better than Vista (Isn't 7 based on XP anyway?) XP Pro... the ONLY decent windows OS ... but Ian, you should STILL buy a Mac Windows 7 is the best Microsoft operating system by far to date and is much better than Vista As long as you are on current hardware so there is driver support, Win 7 is great. Anyway Jim, what Macbook can you get for £750 or less new? None! Maybe for twice that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickoshay Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I used to be a Dell user, but recently bought an Apple MacBook Air. Excellent machine and so much faster than the Dell Alienware M11x I have even though a lower spec ( intel duo ). Having an Solid state hard drive certainly sppeds things up! I think Apple put their hardware together better. More expensive but you get what you pay for! I got mine nearly new on Ebay. Also bought an extra 2 years warranty ( Applecare ) from another Ebay seller very cheap so I am covered for repairs for 3 years! Apple sell refurbished laptops on their web site. Remember that the modern Apple MacBooks can run both their operating system and Windows. Mine is now dual boot so I get the best of both worlds!! ( Windows 7 bought cheap on Ebay ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayp350z Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Macs are probably the best by far but as already mentioned, damned expensive (worth the money tho) I use one at home If u could find a good spec one with your budget I'd try to get a Sony vaio but don't be fooled by the cheaper models just because of the name. They don't perform half as well as the better models. I recently bought my MD a HP laptop (I think the model was a G6??) after he broke his vaio. It was 729.99 with an intel core i5 processor, 4g ram, 560 hard drive (I think), updated graphics card of some description, windows 7 pro. Anyway, he's had it for 9-10 weeks now and LOVES it. Well worth a look at. Sorry I can't be more specific about the details but I haven't seen it since I ordered it and can't remember too much about it. I just hear about how great it is ever other day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ug45cwb Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Looks like apple have everyone fooled. Yes their thousand quid laptops are better bits of kit than a £350 acer, but a simiar priced PC will blow the macbook out of the water. People who buy the macbook then run windows do it 95% for the "look" IMO. If you want an astonishingly quick laptop get one with a fast SSD HDD. Because there is no seek time, your apps load up suuuuper quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasso Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Okay thanks everyone for the heads up and alternating opinions. I'm still no further as I haven't got a clue which Mac to look at, and looking at the spec of my current laptop, it will take some decent cash to take it one or two steps further. I'll get a quote for repair of the screen and look at upgrading the ram to 4gig which should make a huge difference. Although I am really tempted by Apple still..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimjim Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Anyway Jim, what Macbook can you get for £750 or less new? None! Maybe for twice that... Did you click on the linky I posted? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apple-mac-lap ... 0717883211 When I posted, it was 10 hours before it finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasso Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 Anyway Jim, what Macbook can you get for £750 or less new? None! Maybe for twice that... Did you click on the linky I posted? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apple-mac-lap ... 0717883211 When I posted, it was 10 hours before it finished. I did, and like you say it's now ended, there are still a load of others, but not sure on the Apple Lingo as to whether it's any good or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimjim Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I did, and like you say it's now ended, there are still a load of others, but not sure on the Apple Lingo as to whether it's any good or not To be honest, a nice ACER will probably do the trick for you bud.... But if you really like the one you have, then look into getting it fixed. Price may surprise you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasso Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 I'm guessing it's something to do with the connection from the base to the screen as the lines are as if a ribbon is wearing and the connection is being lost on some of the vertical pixels. It needs a new battery as well. I'll get a quote and provide some feedback of what next Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK350Z Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 A quick google reveals your screen lines were a common problem with that model (required replacement by the look of it). As it's out of warranty by some margin and 6 years old, I don't fancy your chances of repair unless you find another one to dismantle. Just get a new one Ian, things have moved on a bit since you got yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glrnet Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 +1 I found this mate, have to agree with Andy:- As a rule of thumb, the hardware in a decent laptop will be "up to date" for two years, and the laptop can be expected to have a lifespan of 4 years during which it requires 1 or more repairs, after four years it may accumulate problems beyond the capability of economical repair. A desktop will be "up to date" for two years, likely run into a small problem within 4 years ($50 to $100 to fix), and can last 6 years before the cost of repair exceeds remaining value. Laptops are more expensive to repair, and are more likely to have problems that are impossible to repair. lifespan depends entirely on how you use the machine. The fastest way to destroy a laptop is to place it on a bed while it is running. This prevents hot air from escaping under the laptop and causes parts to overheat. This results in excess wear and tear of the silicon chips (which expand with heat and contract when cooled). A laptop that is usually left on a bed overnight is lucky to last a year without expensive or permanent hardware damage. Similarly, desktops that are not allowed to ventilate properly will encounter problems within 3 years, probably sooner, depending on the hardware (more advanced and powerful hardware produces more heat, thus causing more damage). Laptops are subject to more abuse than desktops, which is why laptops have shorter lifespans. If the average laptop made today were placed in a clean, well ventilated room, it could likely run for 10 years without problem if no one touched it. A desktop would probably last 15 years without problem in the same condition. Technically, computer components can run forever, if kept on and at full power without interference. For example, many of the satelites orbiting the Earth have been there for two or three decades and continue operating. They are subject to considerable abuse when launched from Earth, but are in a perfectly clean environment since then, and are properly shielded from solar radiation. A quick google reveals your screen lines were a common problem with that model (required replacement by the look of it). As it's out of warranty by some margin and 6 years old, I don't fancy your chances of repair unless you find another one to dismantle. Just get a new one Ian, things have moved on a bit since you got yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ug45cwb Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 If its 6 years old I wouldn't bother trying too hard to get it fixed. Things have moved on a lot in that time, even a very cheap modern laptop will run much faster than it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK350Z Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Not many 19" inch laptops about if you want another - no wonder really, that's defiantly desktop replacement territory and there's nearly no point having a battery with a screen that big! Acer do one for a grand, which is a bit, but its also a huge spec (1GB dedicated graphics RAM alone!): http://www.acerdirect.co.uk/Acer_Ethos_8951G_Windows_7_Laptop_LX.RJ402.033/version.asp More in budget would be a LED lit 17" screen and current hardware, ie, dual core processor and about 4GB RAM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasso Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 Right - I've done some investigating and thanks Andy clearly there is a problem with the 9300 with the LCD screens supplied and being out of waranty means I won't get a replacement. So.... I've investigated the price to repair, replace and upgrade. New LCD screen £68 Battery £35 Upgrade from 1g to 2g total ram memory for £23 So that's a grand total of £126 - if I fit of course the LCD myself, which I have found a guide. I'll maybe revisit advice on this thread if my efforts fail and the laptop dies in the near future. Thanks again guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK350Z Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Booo! Was looking forward to spending your money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wasso Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 To be fair the laptop I have kicks arse even today, so for a small investment I can refresh my laptop. I'll def give you guys a shout when the time comes though (not bad 6 years for a laptop eh!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK350Z Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 To be fair the laptop I have kicks arse even today, so for a small investment I can refresh my laptop. I'll def give you guys a shout when the time comes though (not bad 6 years for a laptop eh!) Yeah I have a Dell Inspiron the same vintage as yours. I've installed windows 7 on it, and TBH its still perfectly fine for what i want, mostly surfing and basic photo stuff. (would still like a new one though! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 I'm waiting to see what the likes of the Asus UX21 Zenbook and ilk are like to replace my current Samsung X460. I'm half tempted to put a SSD in it and be happy, but I like the lighter shinier things I only really use it for web browsing and light photoediting so dont need massive amounts of power. Being able to sit with it on my lap cable free all night and standby for 10 days is quite a nice benefit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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