Is this laptop good?

[IntoTheNewWorld]

I'm thinking of getting this laptop: http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/au/en/ho/WF06b/321957-321957-3329744-64354-64354-3744201-3832031.html

Processor: Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor P8400
• 2.26 GHz , Level 2 cache 3 MB, 1066 MHz FSB

Ram: 2GB

GFX: 9600M GT

HD: 250 GB

Screen: 15.4 inch WXGA

Note: The RRP is off, it only costs about 1.35 k in the shops.

Thoughts on this system please? It'll be general purpose, a bit of word processing, a bit of Photoshop, and a bit of gaming (Not Crysis, maybe COD4). Kevin Rudd's "education revolution" allowed me to consider laptops at this price, otherwise I'd get a super cheapo one.

[Flaming_Arrow]

its good

[Hielly]

ohh dv5, top rated- its worth the money.

[excal]

Yeah, it's OK and looks alright (they tend to get covered in fingerprint marks though). You get what you pay for, though.

[dekoyl]

I don't really keep up with current issues and plans at all (I know, I should be) but does Kevin Rudd's education revolution give a discount to students when purchasing laptops (and strictly laptops)? So say I were to buy a ~$550 netbook, could I get it even cheaper?

Sorry to swerve slightly off topic

[IntoTheNewWorld]

Yeah, it's OK and looks alright (they tend to get covered in fingerprint marks though). You get what you pay for, though.

hmm...fingerprints...reminds me of my iPod touch. Those things piss me off, but that's a touch screen, so it's more understandable. Do you mean fingerprints on the panel under the keyboard, the touch pad, or on top of the laptop? As long as the specs are okay though, I probably wouldn't mind too much.

I'm also considering a Dell Studio 15 inch, has anyone had experience with them? They seem super thick though compared to 15 inch XPS though. Are they only sold online and at Officeworks?

I don't really keep up with current issues and plans at all (I know, I should be) but does Kevin Rudd's education revolution give a discount to students when purchasing laptops (and strictly laptops)? So say I were to buy a ~$550 netbook, could I get it even cheaper?

Sorry to swerve slightly off topic

See here. http://www.educationtaxrefund.gov.au/Content.aspx?eid=1&doc=/content/What%20Expenses.htm&mnu=11&mfp=001

It can be used for much more than computers.

[Hielly]

hey,
how mcuha re you getting the laptop for? cos at centre com atm they are having a discount

[Edmund]

Almost similar to mine, but mine has a 4GB RAM...

If you go to shops/PC fairs, you might get free gifts or free RAM upgrade

[IntoTheNewWorld]

I've decided that 15.4" is probably a bit unwieldy, and am probably going to go with a 14.1" laptop. I'm trying to decided between a BenQ joybook S42, Vaio CS16 or HP DV4 1048TX/1049TX. The BenQ has pretty good specs, but it's so damn ugly. The Sony looks really good but the specs are weak. The HP looks good and has pretty good specs but is apparently discontinued.

[nbalakers24]

get the dv5, its cheap, fast and has a decent GPU.

the only negative thing about is it gets a bit heavy in a case with the chargers and all.

[Edmund]

get the dv5, its cheap, fast and has a decent GPU.

the only negative thing about is it gets a bit heavy in a case with the chargers and all.

Yes those hp laptops are a bit heavy, and wont be good if you are taking it to school/uni

[IntoTheNewWorld]

get the dv5, its cheap, fast and has a decent GPU.

the only negative thing about is it gets a bit heavy in a case with the chargers and all.

Yes those hp laptops are a bit heavy, and wont be good if you are taking it to school/uni

I don't think I'll take it to school, it'll probably get racked (MHS lol. Full of thieves) and we can't use the school network anyway. I'll probably bring it to Uni though. I've never actually had a laptop before, so I'm not too sure about weights/sizes. From what I can see in the store though, 15.4 inch isn't a portable size. 14.1 inch seems to be a good balance of weight/size/usability. 13.3 inch seems to be a bit small, but I'd probably consider it over a 15 inch. Also, the dv5 has 1280 x 800 res I think, which is pretty weak, and the same as 13.3 inch laptops. May as well get a smaller screen with the same res.

Does anyone carry around a 15.4 inch laptop regularly? if so, is it practical?

I'm currently strongly considering a dv4-1048TX or the 1049TX, which one I get depending on my mum's mood and how much she is willing to spend. Looks pretty much identical to dv5, except obviously smaller. Specs are similar except it only has 9200 graphics (I don't really game much anyway, only play COD4 when I go lanning). The dv4-1049 has a 2.53 T9400, Blu-ray combo and an integrated TV tuner as well.

[nbalakers24]

well the dv5 1134tx, has a 9600GT which can play COD on high settings from what ive heard.

2.2ghz, 2g ram, 250gb hd

about $1300

[Electioneering]

get the dv5, its cheap, fast and has a decent GPU.

the only negative thing about is it gets a bit heavy in a case with the chargers and all.

Yes those hp laptops are a bit heavy, and wont be good if you are taking it to school/uni

I don't think I'll take it to school, it'll probably get racked (MHS lol. Full of thieves) and we can't use the school network anyway. I'll probably bring it to Uni though. I've never actually had a laptop before, so I'm not too sure about weights/sizes. From what I can see in the store though, 15.4 inch isn't a portable size. 14.1 inch seems to be a good balance of weight/size/usability. 13.3 inch seems to be a bit small, but I'd probably consider it over a 15 inch. Also, the dv5 has 1280 x 800 res I think, which is pretty weak, and the same as 13.3 inch laptops. May as well get a smaller screen with the same res.

Does anyone carry around a 15.4 inch laptop regularly? if so, is it practical?

I'm currently strongly considering a dv4-1048TX or the 1049TX, which one I get depending on my mum's mood and how much she is willing to spend. Looks pretty much identical to dv5, except obviously smaller. Specs are similar except it only has 9200 graphics (I don't really game much anyway, only play COD4 when I go lanning). The dv4-1049 has a 2.53 T9400, Blu-ray combo and an integrated TV tuner as well.

Yeah, I don't think it's easy to carry around. It's a notebook afterall. I have a 15.4" notebook and I took it to the library once. I used a backpack that had a laptop compartment and I felt like I was going to school (the weight felt the same as a bag of school books), despite the fact that all I had in the bag was the notebook. I think it's ~2.5kg? It's heavy and only feels comfortable if I carry it in that backpack. However, since I'm a girl, it's not ~fashionable~ for me to carry around a huge backpack, so I'll probably just leave this electronic brick at home come uni time. CBF with it.

[IntoTheNewWorld]

Thanks for all the replies. I've decided to get a HP 14.1", because the 15.4" laptops seem like a pain in the ass to carry around and 13.3" seems too small/crap value.