Looking for a good laptop (£500 to spend)

[pkroks]

I'm looking to buy a laptop/notebook for university.

I'm looking for something like:
Intel Core 2 Duo
100+ GB HDD
1GB Ram (667mhz) or preferably 2GB.
DVD/RW
Firewire, USB 2.0
17" LCD screen
TV Out


I know that with £500 i won't be able to buy like a high end gaming computer or anything, but I'm thinking of getting something that I can watch DVDs on and play a few games on with reasonably good quality, not like a slideshow.

So far I've found this item
http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=425419&tab=specification#

but it has no Graphics card. Obviously i don't want like a nVidia 8800GTS or whatever, but at least somethin.

any help.

also which are the better, more value for money companies?
HP, Acer, Asus, Toshiba, Fujitsu, Aspire etc

 

[kiyhkuj]

go to dell.com

Hey mate. :wave: How r ya? I recommend u go to dell.co.uk and chose ur laptop because after u chosen ur laptop u can CUSTOMIZE ur laptop!! U can control ur system peripherals and components and even ur OS so that it meets all ur needs!! But of course as u add components, u'll get charged more so be careful not to overdo it don't worry though because most of the laptops allready come with everything u need! OK mate bye. Just a random Q: where do u live?- what country? because if u live outside the uk it'll be easier to visit www.dell.com

 

[kiyhkuj]

once ur there just go to notebooks and then home & home office!

 

[pkroks]

thanks.

I've been looking around quite a lot. I've found two potential candidates.

One is an Acer, it costs 496pounds. Here are the specs.

Processor Intel® Core™ 2 Duo (T5500 - 1.66GHz (x2), 667MHz FSB, 2MB)
Screen 15.4" (Crystalbrite WXGA Acer TFT LCD)
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium Edition
RAM HIGH (2048MB 2GB)
Hard Drive 160GB
Optical Drive DVD Rewriter (Records DVDs 8x & CDs 24x & Dual Layer Super Multi)
Graphics Dedicated (NVIDIA® GeForce® Go 7300 Supporting 256MB)
Wireless LAN Wireless (802.11a/b/g)
Network Card 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet
Integrated Webcam Yes (This model 1.3 megapixel CMOS camera)
Card Reader 5-in-1 card reader (SD//MS/MS-Pro/MMC/xD-Picture card™)
Expansion Slots 1x PC Card slot (one Type II)
USB Ports 4x USB 2.0 Ports
Speakers Intergrated Stereo Speakers
Modem 56.6K Modem
VGA Port 1 External VGA Port
Kensington Lock Kensington lock slot
Charge Time 2.0 Hours
S Video OUT S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) port
Battery Life 2-3 Hours (This Specific Model 2.5-hours)
Weight 2-3 Kg (This Model 2.82 Kg)
Warranty 12 Months Acer Collect & Return


The second is an Asus going for about 550pounds.
Here are the specs:

* Product Description - ASUS F3Sr AP074C - Core 2 Duo T5450 1.6 GHz - 15.4" TFT
* Dimensions (WxDxH) - 36.5 cm x 27 cm x 4.1 cm
* Weight - 2.95 kg
* Platform Technology - Intel Centrino Duo
* System Type - Notebook
* Built-in Devices - Stereo speakers, wireless LAN aerial, Bluetooth aerial
* Processor - Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 / 1.6 GHz ( Dual-Core )
* Cache Memory - 4 MB - L2 Cache
* RAM - 2 GB (installed) / 4 GB (max) - DDR II SDRAM ( 2 x 1 GB )- Low cost double memory offer, call for details!
* Card Reader - 8 in 1
* Hard Drive - 160 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
* Optical Storage - DVD±RW / DVD-RAM
* Display - 15.4" TFT active matrix ( WXGA )
* Graphics Controller - ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2400 with up to 896MB HyperMemory - 128 MB
* Audio Output - Sound card
* Telecom - Fax / modem - MDC - 56 Kbps
* Networking - Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR
* Wireless NIC - Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG
* Notebook Camera - Integrated - 1.3 Megapixel
* Input Device - Mouse, keyboard, touchpad
* Power - AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
* Battery - Lithium Ion
* Operating System - Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
* Manufacturer Warranty - 2 years warranty



Which would you all recommend? I'm leaning towards the Acer, but I'm still not sure.