I have a question about laptops

[squance]

Im currently looking for a laptop.
This is just an example laptop and I have some questions.

Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 2.53GHz Processor
What exactly is important about the processor when looking for a laptop?

4GB DDR2 800MHz Memory.
I see heaps of laptops on sale that are 2GB and 3GB and I guess the higher the GB, the better?
The more GB, the more things that can be handled in memory?? (im really not sure, im not good with computers).

I need a laptop that will be able to handle the program "MATLAB".....(and for all i know, this program uses a lot of cpu energy...).
What processor and memory should I be looking for? (if that's how you phrase it >.<)

[AppleXY]

I'm pretty sure that suffice it with great speed.

[lacoste]

well to tell you the truth, im not a gun @ computers. i used to be but the interest had caught otherwise.

im good at buying laptops though,,, go to JB HI FI because they have good deals. I dont put my trust in the small private computer shops or other companies eg MLN Nextstep etc. Is it reliable to buy from them?

i also got a question. soz squance, but what is the difference between a laptop and a notebook? it does my head in.


^^to your question,

theres no point in getting 8GB or 4GB RAM if the processor is not fast enough because it wont use its full potential. thats what ive heard and it sounds logical.

also dont get a custom laptop if you're not top notch at laptops. i've experienced that with a custom PC, they stuff up a lot

I recommend HP, they last long, and are quality in other ways too. eg. warranty etc. THey are a company which do not gib

[excal]

well to tell you the truth, im not a gun @ computers. i used to be but the interest had caught otherwise.

im good at buying laptops though,,, go to JB HI FI because they have good deals. I dont put my trust in the small private computer shops or other companies eg MLN Nextstep etc. Is it reliable to buy from them?

i also got a question. soz squance, but what is the difference between a laptop and a notebook? it does my head in.


^^to your question,

theres no point in getting 8GB or 4GB RAM if the processor is not fast enough because it wont use its full potential. thats what ive heard and it sounds logical.

also dont get a custom laptop if you're not top notch at laptops. i've experienced that with a custom PC, they stuff up a lot

I recommend HP, they last long, and are quality in other ways too. eg. warranty etc. THey are a company which do not gib

Actually, the reason is a 32-bit operating system (which are generally what are pre-loaded onto laptops) support only bytes of memory which = 4GB. This includes I/O address space and video memory address space (if I recall correctly). This means you'll only get 3 - 3.5 GB of effective RAM use.

Unless you're planning on some rendering of movies / graphics etc, you won't need any more than 2GB.

Most places tend to sell laptops at similar prices except for the big chains - it's a case of price fixing by the manufacturer as it is for gaming consoles. You'll find the small places (e.g., MSY/CPL/Centre Com) tend to be cheaper but can be difficult to deal with when it comes to warranty.

I can't really suggest any brands though - go with what you think a) looks good, b) has good specs, c) at a good price and d) has a reasonable service reputation. Not in that order.

[RD]

I reckon 2Ghz+ for the CPU, and 2GB atleast for RAM. HDD and graphics card really depend on you.

[nickalaz]

is that an ASUS laptop that you pulled those specs from? Go from one of them, they are awesome.

4GB ram, T9400 (one of the very top CPUs available for laptops) and a 512mb GFX card (extremely good) all for ~$1699

that is a very future proof laptop, that will run anything these days, and run it very well.

[AppleXY]

Yeah, but you'd need a 64bit (Win) OS for it to recognise all of the available memory. As Excal said, 32bit OSes will not address all of the ram.

[squance]

i also got a question. soz squance, but what is the difference between a laptop and a notebook? it does my head in.

Actually, I don't know what the difference betweeen a laptop and a notebook - I thought that meant the same thing.

is that an ASUS laptop that you pulled those specs from? Go from one of them, they are awesome.

4GB ram, T9400 (one of the very top CPUs available for laptops) and a 512mb GFX card (extremely good) all for ~$1699

that is a very future proof laptop, that will run anything these days, and run it very well.

Yes. Its an ASUS laptop I pulled those specs from. Im actually only looking at this brand for some reason and I think I'll be getting a laptop from this company.

Thanks for the responses everybody

[excal]

ASUS are a good brand for bang for buck - just don't expect any decent service should you need to claim warranty...

[squance]

Really??
But most people at uni I know has an Asus brand laptop and they say its the best 

Which brands have good service for the claiming warranty thing?

What about Toshiba or HP?

[Flaming_Arrow]

dell ftw

[squance]

^^
I definitely do not want a dell laptop.
I once watched Today Tonight and it was talking about how a battery in a Dell branded laptop made a house catch on fire

[AppleXY]

dell ftl.

[Flaming_Arrow]

dell laptops are good but their desktops are shit

[bilgia]

ASUS are a good brand for bang for buck - just don't expect any decent service should you need to claim warranty...

Actually you can expect decent service. I bought an ASUS laptop 2 years ago and 2 months before warranty expired the hinge on it cracked and the whole casing had to be replaced. I just took it in to ASUS service centre in south melb (very easy to get to thru public transport) and they fixed it within a week no further questions asked. btw I think it was my fault it broke since i jerked it but they didnt even ask lol.