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A laptop ignoramus

post #1 of 16
8/13/10 at 3:47am
Thread Starter 
Hi,

I hope I am posting in the right forum! Anyway, I am rather clueless when it comes to laptops. I have been to a number of computer stores and they all have differing advice on laptops, so I am hoping some people here can help me. I want to buy a laptop and think these are the sort of things I need:

- a full size keyboard (this is a must)
- international warranty (not just for travel)
- good battery
- relatively light
- atleast 4 (posssibly 6) GB of RAM
- video adapter - dedicated graphics (512-1GB - I think I wrote that down correctly!)
- CPU (i5 6 - i7)
- good quality DVDRW (this is a must for work)
- numerous USB ports
- integrated wireless adapter
- bluetooth
- preferably not a Mac

Could anybody please recommend a good laptop, or atleast point me in the right direction?

Thanks for your help.
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post #2 of 16
8/13/10 at 4:41am
- Full size keyboard and relatively light would be a stopper here. This would cut your battery usage down as well.

- International warranty is a ticker here . For pick up and repair Lenovo, Sony and possibly Dell offer this level of service outside your home country. Most of the time you would need to send the system back to the original point.

- numerous USB ports: more than 3?

cheers ...
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post #3 of 16
8/13/10 at 4:51am
Thread Starter 
Ah, you see I currently live in Australia and am about to move to Paris for work in five weeks, so I need the international warranty. My French is okay, but I can barely discuss computers in English, let alone French! I am a writer (not as in the romanticised notion of a writer, but as in one that actually gets paid! :P ), therefore need the full size keyboard. Should I compromise on weight or battery life?

As for USB points, I think three would be great.

Cheers
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post #4 of 16
8/13/10 at 5:01am
Would it make it simpler (and cheaper and better) to get a notebook from the land of la baguette once you get there? If you walk to any electronic shops in Paris, or in Europe for that matter, you'll be surprised the amount of English the good people there can show you.

You get a notebook from Europe you get an automatic 2 years warranty. For traveling you can use your home/private insurance for coverage.

I understand that you said no Mac - but as a writer, nothing would beat the Apple - relatively light with full size keyboard and decent battery life. Our Ads department people use nothing but Mac, in the office and on the road. Next one would be the Sony in my opinion, and get a 2nd battery

cheers ...
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post #5 of 16
8/13/10 at 5:34am
Thread Starter 
Well, I did think of getting one in Baguetteland, but if I hit a hurdle and have to hightail it back to Oz, I would be facing the same problem. And, um, someone else is actually buying it for me as a goodbye present, so that is another factor. I like to keep things complicated.

And I know that a Mac would be better, but I am a bit Mac-shy (also, see above comment about being complicated).

What series of Sony laptop should I be looking into?

Merci!
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post #6 of 16
8/13/10 at 5:45am
Depending on the screen size with full size keyboard, you can go with the EB series (15.5"), the F Series (16.4") or the EC Series (17.3")

Moving around a lot, I would say the EB or the F and not the EC (too big)

If it's a gift then heck, I'd take anything

cheers ...
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post #7 of 16
8/13/10 at 5:56am
Thread Starter 
Aah, you're a gem. I think the EB series sounds like my bag, and I am assuming it has the requirements that I wrote above (though don't really understand.). are all contained in it.

And the gift is off my Dad, so I can afford to be a little precious about it. (And, I secretly know how I over-react when something technological goes awry!).

Once again, thanks.
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post #8 of 16
8/13/10 at 6:01am
Go to a local Sony shop and play with it. Reading the specs mean nothing unless you can put your fingers on them.

Have fun in Paris, share with us the pics here

cheers ...
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post #9 of 16
8/13/10 at 6:14am
Thread Starter 
Oh, I will! Thank you.
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post #10 of 16
8/13/10 at 7:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dolcevita View Post
Oh, I will! Thank you.
De rien. Enjoy your stay in Paris. Give us a personal review on whichever comp you decide on.

cheers ...
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post #11 of 16
8/16/10 at 12:20am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
Depending on the screen size with full size keyboard, you can go with the EB series (15.5"), the F Series (16.4") or the EC Series (17.3")

Moving around a lot, I would say the EB or the F and not the EC (too big)

If it's a gift then heck, I'd take anything

cheers ...
qhn, I have been looking at the sony series and was wodering what you though of the E series as opposed to the EB series. I read some reviews of the EB series that said the DVD capabilities weren't the best.
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post #12 of 16
8/16/10 at 5:42am
Most, if not all, Sony E Series notebook come with Blu-Ray capable optical drive. Some countries might only offer normal DVD-RW drives.

I have yet experienced any issues with Sony optical drive in the past, that would not say that some users find Sony optical drives a bit constraint or under-performing () Day-to-day usage like burning CD/DVD or watching commercial (region constraint) disks is more than fine. It is when one to play other regions commercial disks that she/he starts complaining about the "capabilities".

cheers ...
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post #13 of 16
8/16/10 at 7:45am
Thread Starter 
Ah, you are a wealth of information! I will indeed by watching dvds from a number of regions. I am not even sure what an optical drive is - not to fear, I am a dab hand at researching.

Once again, thanks for your help.
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post #14 of 16
8/16/10 at 1:38pm
ZE onlee probleme is windows will all be in French, you are better of procuring a laptop in your native tongue (keyboard and windows wise) and using that - ASUS and Samsung do a 2 year international warranty too....
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post #15 of 16
8/16/10 at 6:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dolcevita View Post
Ah, you are a wealth of information! I will indeed by watching dvds from a number of regions. I am not even sure what an optical drive is - not to fear, I am a dab hand at researching.

Once again, thanks for your help.
You would need a region free optical drive to do that Though it exists ways to make the drive region free, I would not recommend it. Changing the regions in notebooks optical drive is limited to 3 (I think - don't quote me on this )

Just get the disks that can be played on any region codes drive

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr T View Post
ZE onlee probleme is windows will all be in French, you are better of procuring a laptop in your native tongue (keyboard and windows wise) and using that - ASUS and Samsung do a 2 year international warranty too....
True, but one can also use a Windows Ultimate version (or using a language pack where it applies) and change the languages as needed.

I have 4 sets of keyboards to use when I need

cheers ...
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post #16 of 16
8/17/10 at 1:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
You would need a region free optical drive to do that Though it exists ways to make the drive region free, I would not recommend it. Changing the regions in notebooks optical drive is limited to 3 (I think - don't quote me on this )

Just get the disks that can be played on any region codes drive



True, but one can also use a Windows Ultimate version (or using a language pack where it applies) and change the languages as needed.

I have 4 sets of keyboards to use when I need

cheers ...
Thats what I thought, but no... Got a load of EeePC's in French and Polish... Complete reinstall of windows to get English... Language packs - c**p from M$....
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