Which Laptop?

[alan-d]

Need to get more laptops

 

Which one of these would you go for? (The links are for reference only not the supplier)

 

Doceo 510 Notebook

Windows Vista Home Basic Replicated COA

Rock Doceo 510 15.4 inch Notebook Chassis

3 Year On site notebook warranty (Including Battery)

Intel Pentium Dual Core T3200 2.0GHz, 667MHz, 1MB Cache, Socket P CPU

Samsung Optical Slim DVDRW Sata Drive

Doceo 510 802.11b/g/n WLAN Card

Samsung 160Gb sata 5400RPM 2.5 inch hard drive

2Gb Kingston 667Mhz DDR 2 PC5300 200 Pin,SO DIMM Memory Module (2 x 1Gb)

http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=339677&CatId=602

http://www.misco.co.uk/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=333653&CatId=602

Any other options?

[WStore_Dan]

The HP for a much cheaper price than that but then I'm biased!

[alan-d]

The HP for a much cheaper price than that but then I'm biased!

 

Slow down - I'm still discussing the spec

 

I'll ring a bell when it's time to scrap over prices

[WStore_Dan]

:D:D

[Vegas]

Toshiba are doing various Sat Pro models with £50 cash back at present.

[steve]

While the HP is a better spec (and possibly better built) laptop, I have issues with HP warranty. Indian call centres, have to jump through hoops, poor service when collect / repair.

 

Acer - no personal experience, but had reports of both excellent and appalling support.

 

Maybe a Lenovo?

[EduTech]

Again our of the ones you have listed HP would be the better one out of the lot. their pretty well built. personally if you can go and get an IBM their supurb laptops.

 

Dell have got some pretty good deals on at the moment it is there 25th anniversary sale and so you can save up to £100 pound on selected systems. Dell Studio i know is one

 

James.

[localzuk]

While the HP is a better spec (and possibly better built) laptop, I have issues with HP warranty. Indian call centres, have to jump through hoops, poor service when collect / repair.

 

This is not true from my experience. Do it via their website and there are no problems whatsoever. Collect/Repair for me has been a case of 'report one day, collect next day, wait a few days, laptop comes back repaired'. And that was with a cheap one too.

[john]

Must admit my last use of HP Support was excellent, used the website, logged the error code that came up from the laptop, had an email saying new HDD on its way and sure enough its here for me ready to go

[steve]

Well maybe HP have changed their support then. Our laptops took 5-10 days to be repaired - they were initially repaired in the UK then were sent to Poland for the last 12 months of warranty.

 

For me the website was always appallingly slow when trying to log an issue.

 

One laptop was lost then returned unrepaired as they claimed it had water damage - it didn't before it was sent.

 

We had power pins breaking on a regular basis- 25+ out of 120 laptops. Initially they repaired them under warranty, then towards the end of the 3 year warranty they refused to repair this fault.

 

Suppose there are exceptions to all things.

[synaesthesia]

HP here. Not had a problem with after sales support, but of course be wary of those battery recalls...

 

Acer hardware - I don't think it's good enough for schools. They're often great desktop replacement machines or for light transport, but I've never rated them as sturdy enough to be thrown around school places/left in the sight of students. On the same note I've always found it ironic that Fujitsu Siemens have been the manufacturer of choice for the Laptops for Teachers schemes round here

[john]

The older ones had a lot of power pin problems, got about 20 if not more stacked at work with broken ones and not worth the cost of sending them off for new jacks to be fitted and I don't have the skills to repair myself. May attempt to soon as I could do with 2 or 3 "new" staff laptops for some to replace ones that are even older and in worse states but not holding much out for it. I think it depends on how they are used, children and staff in laptop cabinets area no no but for people being careful such as personal ones they should be ok.

 

Laptops do go to Poland still and its a 5 day turn around I've always found which is exactly what the Warranty Schedule states when you look it up on the HP site.

[SYNACK]

The older ones had a lot of power pin problems, got about 20 if not more stacked at work with broken ones and not worth the cost of sending them off for new jacks to be fitted and I don't have the skills to repair myself.

 

Laptops do go to Poland still and its a 5 day turn around I've always found which is exactly what the Warranty Schedule states when you look it up on the HP site.

 

Have you looked at the cost of buying hp carepack warrenty upgrades on them and then sending them off as this can sometimes be cheaper

HP Care Pack Services

[john]

Have you looked at the cost of buying hp carepack warrenty upgrades on them and then sending them off as this can sometimes be cheaper

HP Care Pack Services

These are long out of warranty, will be 4 years old now in most cases so well out of warranty and care pack registration time. I think I'll treat myself to a new iron and sucker and give one a go it looks like £3 for the connector which isn't that bad and lets face it, if its dead already and down as a dead, I cannot make it any worse!

[Oops_my_bad]

Can the wireless button be disabled on the HP 6730s? (to prevent the wireless from being shut off and stupid support issues)

[steve]

Can the wireless button be disabled on the HP 6730s? (to prevent the wireless from being shut off and stupid support issues)

 

Good shout, not sure if they can.

 

Also factor in the flexibility of the BIOS - being able to cripple them if stolen. The ability to add ownership info to the boot up. Can you lock a hard drive to a specific laptop?

 

You can beat getting a demo model or seeing one in real life at a neighbouring school or even PC World!

[alan-d]

Just to be difficult, how do you rate Samsung?

 

I've been offered this one with a 3 year warranty

 

 

Samsung R510.

• Processor - Intel Pentium Dual Core T3200 / 2 GHz ( Dual-Core )
  
• RAM - 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM - 800 MHz ( 1 x 2 GB )
  
• Hard Drive - 120 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
  
• Operating System - Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
  
• Screen - 15.4' TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA )
  
• Optical Drive - DVD±RW (+R double layer) / DVD-RAM
  
• Graphics - Intel GMA X4500
  
• Bluetooth - No
  
• Notebook Camera - Integrated - 1.3 Megapixel
  
• Warranty - 3 year warranty
  

[Haptic]

Just to be difficult, how do you rate Samsung?

 

I've been offered this one with a 3 year warranty

 

 

Samsung R510.

• Processor - Intel Pentium Dual Core T3200 / 2 GHz ( Dual-Core )
  
• RAM - 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM - 800 MHz ( 1 x 2 GB )
  
• Hard Drive - 120 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
  
• Operating System - Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
  
• Screen - 15.4' TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA )
  
• Optical Drive - DVD±RW (+R double layer) / DVD-RAM
  
• Graphics - Intel GMA X4500
  
• Bluetooth - No
  
• Notebook Camera - Integrated - 1.3 Megapixel
  
• Warranty - 3 year warranty
  

 

A quite nice looking laptop, but I would say its faily low on spec, what price have you been offered this model for ?

[alan-d]

A quite nice looking laptop, but I would say its faily low on spec, what price have you been offered this model for ?

 

Prices range from £365 for a 1 year warranty to £449 with a 3 year warranty.

[Haptic]

Prices range from £365 for a 1 year warranty to £449 with a 3 year warranty.

 

we sold a batch of these about 6 months ago and had 4 back with failed hard drives which isnt a issue but the samsung support team we far from helpful , in the end we replaced the hard drives our end and delt with samsung directly for our customer, hope that helps you

 

Questions

 

What will the laptop be used for ?

 

Whats your top end budget ?

 

I will go on the hun for you and try and find a laptop that will fit into both of the above requirements for you Alan,

[alan-d]

Ideally as a minimum we are looking for;

 

Processor 1 x Intel® Core™2 Duo 2.0GHz, 800MHz - Centrino if possible

Cache 2MB - L2 Cache

Hard Drive 120 - 160GB - 5400 rpm

Networking Ethernet

Wireless IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n (draft) Wireless LAN aerial built in

RAM 2GB DDR2 SDRAM (installed) / 4GB (max)

384MB Shared Graphics Memory as a minimum

Display 15.4" WXGA BV TFT (1280 x 800)

Optical Storage DVD+/–RW

USB Ports

Minimum 2-3 hour battery life

Windows XP Pro or vista with downgrade rights

Manufacturer Warranty 3 year warranty

 

Max Cost £450 at a stretch and we need quite a few

[WStore_Dan]

We have some good options available to you Alan. When you say quite a few - would this be more than 50? I only ask this because of certain warranty special offers that's all

[Abaddon]

Same problems with HP - warranty support was awful. They claimed there was liquid spillage on a few laptops, when all we sent them in for was a dodgy hard disk, and a non working backlight on the screen.

 

Samsung and Acer - bad experiences with both makes as regards build quality and durability.

 

Currently using Lenovo - great warranty support so far, and tough as old boots. Wouldn't buy anythng else currently.