Thread: lap top speed

Depends on a few things:
1. What OS are you going to run
2. How much RAM does it have
3. What are you going to do with it
4. What programs are you going to be running on it
5. How long do you intend to keep it
6. Can it be upgraded

Alan

Figured there would be more to it:

1/ Vista Home Premium - should I be looking for the newer version?
2/ 4GB of RAM (current machine has 3G)
3/ Is for work purposes. CRM data base - emailings - etc - my business is in there. Am sole trader with thousands of prospects to be managed. Do about 1.5k of outward emails per month. Correspondence to be stored and managed.
4/ Microsoft office 2010, Dotmailer, SugarCRM, Risk Disk plus others.
5/ Turn them over after about 18 months in an attempt to stay ahead of computer failure. Been there once is not fun.
6/ Have always treated lap tops as not upgradeable.

Both machines have an Intel Core 2 duo processor current one is T5800 while machine am looking at has an SU9400.

Originally Posted by 3toes

1/ Vista Home Premium - should I be looking for the newer version?

It is probable that you will only be able to get one with Windows 7 onboard.

Originally Posted by 3toes

2/ 4GB of RAM (current machine has 3G)

With Windows 7 I would suggest 8Gb is better.

Originally Posted by 3toes

3/ Is for work purposes. CRM data base - emailings - etc - my business is in there. Am sole trader with thousands of prospects to be managed. Do about 1.5k of outward emails per month. Correspondence to be stored and managed.

OK, that's not particularly heavy duty on a computer.

Originally Posted by 3toes

4/ Microsoft office 2010, Dotmailer, SugarCRM, Risk Disk plus others.

If you do upgrade to Windows 7 it is also probable that it will be 64-bit. Will these run on that? MS Office will but don't know about the others.

Originally Posted by 3toes

5/ Turn them over after about 18 months in an attempt to stay ahead of computer failure. Been there once is not fun.

Three years would be more common. I have found that a computer, if it lasts through its first 6 months will last a whole lot longer. Of course you will be doing backups won't you.

Originally Posted by 3toes

6/ Have always treated lap tops as not upgradeable.

Fair enough. What I meant was can you swap out the chipset when you've bought it?

Originally Posted by 3toes

Both machines have an Intel Core 2 duo processor current one is T5800 while machine am looking at has an SU9400.

I think, for what you want to do the slower chip set will probably not deliver what you want. It may be cheaper, but really I would be looking at having one for three years and get a better quality one now. In the end the cost difference will be less than the cost of a new but low powered one every 18 months.

If possible look for a laptop with with either an 13 or i5 processor. If you can manage an i5 processor, also consider dedicated graphics. Asus and Acer appear to have good ones around the $700 - 800 mark which would give you a good bang for your buck.

He's in the UK. Pricing and availability may be different there.