| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Penny |
Lap TopMy eldest is contemplating buying a laptop so we've been looking round at a few. This seems like a pretty good buy. He's also considering a docking station to go with it.Anyone seen any good deals around for this sort of spec or better? 
|
||
| dougal |
Sorry but I'm going to be non-specific (other than thinking that a Mac would be better for most people).
There are (or have been) two broad styles of PC laptops. Those that are really meant as transportable substitutes for desktop machines and those that are about running on batteries for longer rather than being too fussed about processor muscle. My nephew wanted a "laptop" with a stonking processor and a fast graphics chip with lots of display memory. A desktop substitute because he was more concerned about games performance than battery minutes while doing his homework in the library. The linked machine would seem to be more of a "performance is about runtime, not muscle" machine. I think the Celeron M processor might be a bit "last year", hence there may be good deals. Intel's Core Duo processors (and now core 2 duo) are an attempt to get muscle AND long battery runtime... (That's meant to help, really! )
|
||
| Penny |
That really does help Dougal - he does want muscle and is far more concerned about games performance than runtime for homework  (you don't have a teenage boy too by any chance do you? )
Any suggestions what he should look for then? He won't go for a Mac 
|
||
| Penny |
What about this one ? | ||
| dougal |
Just the suggestion that, selecting something particularly for games, you want to be fussy about the graphics chip.
Avoid things (like that Advent) with 'integrated' graphics, sharing main memory with graphics memory (this is often betrayed by wording indicating that the graphics memory is variable). Its not that there's anything 'wrong' with integrated/shared graphics, just that they are not about getting the maximum possible graphics performance. Expect such machines to look comparatively 'chunky' - they have a lot of heat to get rid of... |
||
| MarkS |
I agree with dougal.
If games performance is important I would start by finding out the spec needed for the games he plays to perform reasonably. Then you can start looking for kit. It may be cheaper to buy 2 machines. A desktop for games and a cheap laptop for portable use. try here http://www.hotukdeals.com/?merchant_filter=All&category_filter=2&type_filter=All&availability_filter=All&status_filter=Active&order_by=Newest to get some idea of prices to aim for. |
||
| jema |
We have gone down the two machine road with Elfy. Cheap (well relatively) notebook for college, and a Desktop that can play games. Aside from anything else I'd be unhappy about the theft risk with anything but a cheap notebook. | ||
| hedgewitch |
Honestly, the youth of today  Macs are the stylish option and so cool! Don't things like that matter to them anymore?
|