Notebook/laptop/tablet Pc Buying Guide *updated 2011*

[Godotology]

dear range,

i am having trouble deciding between sony tx770 and fujitsu p7120d. the specs are all about the same except these:

tx770 / fujitsu p7120

1. screensize: 11.1" / 10.6" widescreen

2. hdd: 80gb hdd / 60gb hdd

3. price: $2599.99 / $2349.99

which do you think is better and why? my mum is leaning towards sony because it's a bigger company but only that. thank you!

edit:

i need the computer for college. i plan to carry it around with me just about everywhere. i don't do any heavy gaming; the games i play are gostop^^;;;, tetris, and djmax. i watch a lot of movies and kdramas and it's a big part of my computer activity. i also listen to lots of music. i'm also interested in graphic design so i use photoshop and illustrator but that's about it. thanks again!

Bigger company doesn't mean it's better. In the case with Sony, you have to go through alot more "red tape" and from what many have said.. poor support and service. Fujitsu is a big company too (more popular in Japan).. and there used to be this great reseller that gave awesome support and service..but since they no longer sell it, you have to deal with Fujitsu directly now.

Between the two, I think I like the Fujitsu better. But if i had to choose something outside of those two..I wouldn't get either of them. For me personally.. paying over $2K is just too much, especially something that'll be obsolete in two years and not very upgradeable. There's a line for me on how much I'm willing to spend on a laptop.. especially since you could use some of that money to go on your desktop and make it even more powerful (at $2k, you could get a far far more powerful desktop). I personally would move up to a 12" model that costs around 1k - 1.3k.. then use the rest of the money on making my desktop better. But that's just me..and some others may have different needs.. I've seen a few who consider 12" as too heavy!

[Guest vannushka]

dear range,

i am having trouble deciding between sony tx770 and fujitsu p7120d. the specs are all about the same except these:

tx770 / fujitsu p7120

1. screensize: 11.1" / 10.6" widescreen

2. hdd: 80gb hdd / 60gb hdd

3. price: $2599.99 / $2349.99

which do you think is better and why? my mum is leaning towards sony because it's a bigger company but only that. thank you!

I had to toss up between these two as well...in the end..i chose neither..because i thought the keyboard was too small(although i have small hands)

the fujitsu has a cool fingerprint tech feature....and is tiny..but the processor was too slow for me

[Godotology]

I had to toss up between these two as well...in the end..i chose neither..because i thought the keyboard was too small(although i have small hands)

the fujitsu has a cool fingerprint tech feature....and is tiny..but the processor was too slow for me

yeap, thats another complaint i have with models under 12". the keyboard suffers. To shinhwa.. you better go to a computer store and try playing around with the different sizes, see which one you feel comfortable with. Usually you see a full sized keyboards on laptops that are 12" wide. which means those starting at 12" widescreen, or 14" standard ratio

[Guest vannushka]

If you really like sony, try the S series. The 13.3inch screen. It's really MUCH lighter than I expected. I know it's nice having an ultra portable laptop (1.5kg) but the S series one is a bit less than 2kg..and i cannot feel the weight difference at all. I am fairly happy with it too, despite earlier thinking I should get a less heavy laptop.

[Guest cherryonken]

hey again - would it be appropriate to ask where I can d/l a virus free microsoft word software and a quicktime player upgrade so it can play dramas etc. I'm not willing to fork out 99 GBP for it and a further 40 GBP for a quicktime upgrade for my ibook. Sorry if I shouldn't post this - let me know and I'll delete it.

[Guest cHenz--]

Hi..!

I need help on deciding between two tablet pcs.. (well, i choose tablet pc instead of regular notebook for some reason)

anyway, right now i kind of debating between

- Lenovo (IBM) ThinkPad X41 Tablet

- Fujitsu Lifebook T4020D

Anyway, I will use it mostly as my personal computer, to store some notes, etc. I will carry it around most of the time, maybe listen to some music, watch some videos (not much), and the only games that I play is the game from yahoo... Oh, and I might also use it for photoshop.

Thanks! ^^

and do you have any other recommendation for me that is slightly cheaper? =)

[Godotology]

Hi..!

I need help on deciding between two tablet pcs.. (well, i choose tablet pc instead of regular notebook for some reason)

anyway, right now i kind of debating between

- Lenovo (IBM) ThinkPad X41 Tablet

- Fujitsu Lifebook T4020D

Anyway, I will use it mostly as my personal computer, to store some notes, etc. I will carry it around most of the time, maybe listen to some music, watch some videos (not much), and the only games that I play is the game from yahoo... Oh, and I might also use it for photoshop.

Thanks! ^^

and do you have any other recommendation for me that is slightly cheaper? =)

usually the question I ask is if you really need a tablet in the first place because they are generally more expensive, heavier and less capable (performance wise) than their notebook counterparts.

but to answer your question, I like the Thinkpad x41.. like most Thinkpads, they're really solid and sturdy machines. They start at $1599 if you use the IBM Visa program

http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...686018425021052

the Fujitsu starts at $1499 from the price on their online store and comes with an optical drive (something the IBM X series lacks, thus you may need an external optical drive)

http://store.shopfujitsu.com/fpc/Ecommerce...e.jsp?pclass=T4

in terms of quality and reviews, they are much better than Toshiba's tablets (which are expensive too).

Averatec's tablets are cheaper, but they have some of the WORST build quality I've ever seen. And when it comes to tablets, you want something with strong hinges as the tablet puts more stress on them.

around mid June Asus will release their own tablet called the R1, which promises to be popular. no word on how much it'll cost.

Gateway has a 14" widescreen tablet that could be configured under $1000. but it's 2" more than the 12" models above, and it is significantly heavier. Gateway's build quality is hit or miss, they keep changing their ODM (the companies who manufacture them) constantly. Last I heard, they were infamous for their cracked hinges. It could be different now.

[Guest aznfishyfart]

Hi..!

I need help on deciding between two tablet pcs.. (well, i choose tablet pc instead of regular notebook for some reason)

anyway, right now i kind of debating between

- Lenovo (IBM) ThinkPad X41 Tablet

- Fujitsu Lifebook T4020D

Anyway, I will use it mostly as my personal computer, to store some notes, etc. I will carry it around most of the time, maybe listen to some music, watch some videos (not much), and the only games that I play is the game from yahoo... Oh, and I might also use it for photoshop.

Thanks! ^^

and do you have any other recommendation for me that is slightly cheaper? =)

the fujistu is probably a good choice

its small and decently light

i opted for a toshiba cuz of a larger 14" screen cuz i thought i would need a larger writing surface....but no 12" is good enough....

and it comes to good use....u dont have to keep buying paper and all ur notes are organized

good luck choosing

[Guest sphynkter]

so i'm starting college in the fall and i've never gotten a notebook before. my price range is around $1000 give or take a couple hundred. i don't really know what brand is good and what brand isn't good. i'm kinda one of those people that are into looks over quality since i have a desktop at home and that's the computer that'll do most of my heavy duty work such as burning/downloading movies and playing games and what not.

so what exactly are the differences between say a $700 noteback as opposed to $1000+. i mean i don't really need my notebook to be super high in performance but i also don't want to it be a complete piece of poop becuse i'm still paying $700. so yea i was looking at the macbook since it looks pretty nice and it's around $1000.

i've only used windows my whole life so how would a mac compare to what i'm used to? am i better off buying a notebook with windows?

also, when i buy a notebook do i have to buy something so that the notebook can connect to my internet at home or does it automatically detect the internet.

[Godotology]

so i'm starting college in the fall and i've never gotten a notebook before. my price range is around $1000 give or take a couple hundred. i don't really know what brand is good and what brand isn't good. i'm kinda one of those people that are into looks over quality since i have a desktop at home and that's the computer that'll do most of my heavy duty work such as burning/downloading movies and playing games and what not.

so what exactly are the differences between say a $700 noteback as opposed to $1000+. i mean i don't really need my notebook to be super high in performance but i also don't want to it be a complete piece of poop becuse i'm still paying $700. so yea i was looking at the macbook since it looks pretty nice and it's around $1000.

i've only used windows my whole life so how would a mac compare to what i'm used to? am i better off buying a notebook with windows?

also, when i buy a notebook do i have to buy something so that the notebook can connect to my internet at home or does it automatically detect the internet.

well your mac vs windows issue wouldn't matter as mac notebooks are way out of your price range. They are a higher end brand like IBM. You will most likely have to settle for an older Mac in order for it to fall within your price range, and quite frankly, in terms of functionality, you can get a much better value elsewhere.

price differences reflect whats in em (i.e processor, vid/no vid card, etc) as well as the build. Most notebooks under $1200 will most likely be all ABS plastic.. more expensive ones use Magnesium, Aluminum, Carbon Fiber, and Titanium in various areas.. usually the chassis and/or lid. Expensive ones also tend to employ hard drive protection during sudden drops. This is why you can drop an IBM and stomp on it and it'll still work... compare to some Averatec or Dell model. And if you have more to spend.. there are Panasonic Toughbooks, which are semi-rugged and even more tougher than IBM/Lenovo's Thinkpads.

Most notebooks have integrated Wi-Fi.. you need to have wireless service first and a wireless router for your modem for home use.

Also.. "looks" will cost you. if you're on a budget and want something recent. Dell Inspirons and some of HP/Compaq's lower end models should suffice. Some of Asus' whitebooks can also be configured under $1000 now. None of them look too great however but they do their jobs.

[Guest sphynkter]

^ so how is the macbook? $1099 seems to be in my price range. i still want to know how mac compares to windows since i've never used it and i plan on buying a mac.

[Godotology]

^ so how is the macbook? $1099 seems to be in my price range. i still want to know how mac compares to windows since i've never used it and i plan on buying a mac.

depends which "macbook" you want, its the name of their entire laptop line. But $1099 would only get you the new 13.3" model, which is pretty basic in terms of what it offers.. but good enough for those who don't intend to game, do rendering, etc

You can use windows via bootcamp, but from what's there so far.. it doesn't let you run it perfectly, there's still a number of issues.

[Guest sphynkter]

yes i'm referring to the new one [i thought the old ones were called ibooks] and i already know that 1099 only gets me the basic model [i didn't exactly pull the number out my richard simmons]. like i said before i pretty much am just using it for basic stuff since i have a desktop pc at home to use. i'm pretty much asking whether or not it is better to get a mac or a windows notebook if it were in the same price range. if windows is far better then why? what is it that mac lacks. or are they both pretty much the same that it doesn't even matter?

[Godotology]

yes i'm referring to the new one. like i said before i pretty much am just using it for basic stuff since i have a desktop pc at home to use.

then go for it. I think you'll probably be able to save more money if you went for a Dell model and used a coupon..but their laptops aren't very good looking. Later on Asus will release a 13.3" whitebook which should be pretty cheap too. Since you said you need it by fall, you got lots of time to decide. Come August/September Intel price will probably drop, and everything will be cheaper. Rule of thumb is to buy only when you really need it.

[Guest sphynkter]

thanks for the tip. so i guess i'll just wait until the fall to get it.

[Guest x3Janex3]

This is my first time buying a laptop

and right now im leaning towards getting the sony FE590GC

but im not really sure if its right for me

i'll mostly use my laptop for going on the internet, chatting, listening to music, watching lots of dramas =D, playing some games (not too much), and doing stuff on adobe photoshop

and since i watch alot of dramas and seem to have alot of songs on my computer i need lots of space because right now on my computer i have about 75gb and that isnt enough for me so i have to delete things constantly

and i have a question about the battery life...since it says that it only runs for about 2-4 hours if i connect the laptop onto the ac adapter i can keep using it right?

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP....&Dept=computers

[Godotology]

This is my first time buying a laptop

and right now im leaning towards getting the sony FE590GC

but im not really sure if its right for me

i'll mostly use my laptop for going on the internet, chatting, listening to music, watching lots of dramas =D, playing some games (not too much), and doing stuff on adobe photoshop

and since i watch alot of dramas and seem to have alot of songs on my computer i need lots of space because right now on my computer i have about 75gb and that isnt enough for me so i have to delete things constantly

and i have a question about the battery life...since it says that it only runs for about 2-4 hours if i connect the laptop onto the ac adapter i can keep using it right?

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP....&Dept=computers

depends what game you're going to play. the FE series (or Sony's in general) usually come with low end cards or no dedicated vid cards and are usually aimed towards a regular consumer. As for HD space.. you could always get a bigger HD.. but I think you can save money by either burning stuff off via DVD burner, or buying an external HD. why external? Because it is MUCH cheaper and you get a bigger hard drive. just store your non essential files on it, and disconnect the HD when you need to go. I also highly doubt the FE will even get to 4 hours.

for 15.4" models, go Dell if you want to save money, or if you want the best compromise between build quality, power and price.. then the Asus S96J is perhaps by far the BEST deal I have seen for a laptop in that range. You can configure it here, www.geared2play.com

its also 15.4" and has a glossy screen like the FE, and a webcam. It has an ATi x1600 video card, a very very nice mid range card that would outperform any card offered in Dell and Sony's 15.4" models. It's probably the best and cheapest deal you can get for a 15.4" with an ATi x1600 card. Also it can reach 4 hours using just a 6-cell.. something remarkable as it seems most Core Duo laptops with an ATI card now, only reach 3-3 and a half hours.

[Guest Volts]

Kinda off-topic but Range is the man ! lol

[Guest RiA]

Um, do you have an idea where I can shop for laptops with Jap (foreign) keyboards? I know I can just buy keyboard stickers or something, but anyway I just wanted to know...

[Godotology]

Um, do you have an idea where I can shop for laptops with Jap (foreign) keyboards? I know I can just buy keyboard stickers or something, but anyway I just wanted to know...

dynamism.com sells Japanese laptops in the US and offers tech support for its customers.. but if you're looking for just the keyboard alone.. it's probably unlikely with resellers (they'll carry spare keyboards for their specific country).. and manufacturers directly may not have them for sale to consumers either. Doesn't hurt to ask them though. It's just easier to get the stickers.