Hi I just spied this topic and reminded me of the problems I had to decide for my laptop and thought maybe I could add a few things to help you with your decision making :
So firstly, the specs of my laptop
Dell Inspiron E1505 (also known as the 6400)
- Intel Core2Duo T5500 1.66 GHz, 2 MB L2 cache, 667 MHz FSB
- 2 GB DDR2 RAM. 533 MHz
- 256 MB ATI Radeon Mobility X1400 Graphics Card
(128 MB dedicated+ 128 MB shared)
- 120 GB Hard disk 540 RPM
- 8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW)
- Windows XP Media Centre Edition (with my free upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium on its way)
Explaining various queries, I'll take em component wise,
Processor -
This is one of your most important decisions, since laptops are rarely upgradable for it.
The various options offered by Intel (I dont know anything about AMD's :))
are 1.66 GHz,1.83 Ghz and 2 GHz . Firstly remember these are 2 core processors so effective speed is a little less then double (like 1.66 GHz translates to roughly about 3 GHz).
I would recommend you to not look lower than the T5xxx series due to the fact that these processors are vastly superior and these would make your laptop future-ready.
That being said the 1.66 Ghz which I use has ample processing power for a normal user + occasional gamer and you can look for faster speeds according to your needs and money (like if you use photoshop or any video editing software or want to play the best games at high def then the 2 GHz or higher are for you)
RAM -
This part is a little easier since in most cases it is easy to upgrade it, though there might be high costs involved.
There are 2 popular variants of this 533 MHz and 667 MHz, again with minor differences in performance for an average user.
I recommend you take nothing less than 1 GB (though I took 2 GB since I got a sweet deal on it) because of one word :
Vista. Vista
minimum requirements are 1 GB ram (if you plan to use the aero interface and face it, why else would I want vista
)
Graphics Card - This is an odd category, since most people associate graphics card with video games and though that might have been the case earlier, it has now become imperitive to have a graphics card. Unless and until you are severely financially constrained , please go for a
dedicated graphics card.
Again Vista(you b33ch) requires 256 MB graphics card, so decide accordingly.
Hard Disk -This is another component that can be upgrade with ease, so this decision would be based on personal use. For example, I like to store everything on my HDD ( music,videos,movies etc) and thus even 120 GB isn't enough for me, and I find myself constantly writing DVD's. However on the other hand you might only use ,max 40 GB at any point of time.
Also this too has 2 variants, with 5400 RPM and 7200 RPM. As you might have figured, higher number in this case means faster access times and thus more money (thats how they get you :grab:)
I think 80 GB would be enough for an average user and you can increase your decision on your needs.
Optical Media -
This is an easier section.Nowadays most companies are offering a DVD burner so I guess your decision is made ? If they are not I'd still say get it, as again, you'll be future-ready (though nowadays a DVD burner is just present-ready).
OS -
Windows Vista would be what you are loking at, however if you need your laptop just for a year or 2, I suppose Windows XP would be fine too, but more than that Vista it would be.
That being said, companies nowadays are also offering free upgrade to Windows Vista when you buy a Windows XP machine now, though I'd recommend getting Windows Vista straight off as these companies are always trying to save some money and thus make that upgrade a little tough to find :neutral:
Also Vista is being offered in many different variations and with the average user in mind Windows Vista Home would be best. Home Basic I feel is nothing more than Windows XP with a few security fixes (which will be opened again soon enough) and the name Vista slapped on it, so go for Home Premium ( Aero!! )
Now I was lucky enough to get my laptop from the US where prices are waaaaaaay cheaper , so this cost me about 51000-52000 (bought it online + found a online discount coupon which saved me about Rs.10000 ) so not really sure of what it'd cost you here.
However Processor + Graphics Card + RAM show you the real difference in your usability speeds so concentrate on those, out of which processor and graphics card are usually non-upgradable so decide carefully.
Plus looking at the extras, my laptop has a
5 in 1 memory card reader
4 USB 2.0 ports
inbuilt 10/100 Ethernet card
integrated bluetooth and wi-fi card (802.11 b/g)
VGA port and S-Video port.
The few things it lacks are an inbuilt Mic, which though isn't a dealbreaker would have been nice to have, neither does it have a inbuilt webcam - which I'm ok with . Both these can be easily attached and thus its ok if your doesnt have them.
I dont have any leakage or dead pixels but that too varies from laptop to laptop.
Also about the brands, I'd say that its about personal tastes so a Dell might be better,as good or worse than Hp, based on the buyers opinion of the brand.
Finally I think the decision does come down to personal needs + financial constraints + bias so in the end you'll have to make your own decision. If you have any furthur query I'll try to help if I can.
.... thanks a lot !!