Help with New Laptop info??

[Burky]

Not being a computer genius and shopping for a new one that is good is a problem
Ok, after 12mths with the laptop that was alright back then, it is now outdated/slow and doesn't want to run Gimp/Corel let alone the full Adobe Creative suite. the question is the specs on the laptop listed below, are they any good? and secondly do you thing it will be outdated soon?
I know that more RAM is good, Hard drive 400gb is shitloads, but the rest is beond me. Anybody that can decifer/and advise would be great.
PS. These are from a New release Toshiba, and the pricing is in the budget.

SATellITe A200/R01 (PSAF6A-0PR019)
Intel® Core™ 2 duo Processor T7700
dual Core 2.4GHz
4MB
800MHz
Genuine Microsoft Windows® Vista™ Ultimate
400GB (200GB + 200GB) (5400rpm) SATA
2GB (1GB+1GB) ddR2 (667) Both slots used. Total memory expandable to 4GB²
15.4”TruBrite Widescreen XGA (HB 200 WV CSV) Active Matrix colour display
1280 x 800
ATI Mobility Radeon Hd 2600 (512MB discrete video memory and upto 1279MB with shared system memory using HyperMemory technology with 2GB system memory)(128bit)”
Hd dVd-RoM dVd SuperMulti double/dual layer drive
Read: Cd-RoM 24x, dVd-RoM 8x , Hd dVd-RoM 1x, Write: Cd-R 24x, Cd-RW 4x, HS Cd-RW 10x, dVd-R 8x, dVd-R dl 2x, dVd-RW 4x, dVd+R 8x, dVd+R dl 2.4x, dVd+RW 4x, dVd-RAM 3x
Intel® High definition Audio
Premium harman/kardon® speakers

PCI express Card x1
HdMI / TV-out / RGB
external Microphone port, Stereo Headphone port, Sound Volume dial, Integrated microphone
4 x Hi-Speed USB 2.0
5-in-1 card reader Adapter (Secure digital®, Memory Stick™, Memory Stick PRo™, Multi Media Card, xd Picture Card, Mini Sd (with Sd adaptor) [shared slot]) See Toshiba’s website for capacity guidelines
Ieee 1394
Windows Media Center Compatible
Integrated Biometrics - Fingerprint reader, Slot for Kensington Cable lock, Wireless lAN switch
TouchPad™ - dual mode luxpad
Cd / dVd play & 6 control buttons
1.3MP

Intel® GBit TX ethernet
International V.92 data modem + fax
Toshiba Bluetooth™ V2.0 + edR (enhanced data Rate)
Integrated Intel 802.11 (a/g/n)

2.72kg (May vary with spec)
Up to 3 hours* (6 cell)
362 x 267.8 x 33.5(front)/39.3(rear) mm
onyx blue metallic gloss finish, Silver Painted logo / Silver Keyboard
Toshiba User’s Manual, Toshiba Value Added Package, Toshiba Flash Card Utility, Toshiba dVd Player, Toshiba Hd dVd Player, Norton Internet Security™ 2007 (90 day trial), Ulead® dVd MovieWriter® for ToSHIBA, Toshiba disc Creator, ConfigFree™, Adobe Acrobat Reader 8.0, Microsoft® office 2007 Professional Trial (60 day Trial)
1 year international parts and labour warranty. domestic warranty includes onsite courier pickup and return service

Just cant belive they can jam all this into the size it is

[robracer]

Ram in those is only 2gig & if you want to run CS3 etc it should be fine but it may slow with multiple programmes open simuiltaniously for that you need more RAM! HD space is irevelent these days as you can back up or save large files on a remote HDD up to a terrabite can now be had for under $500

[daffy67]

If photoshop is part of CS3 then 4GB won't hurt, do they offer 4GB as part of the build?
It's easy enough to buy and install 4GB problem is most brands these days you void the warranty if you open it up and change anything.
4GB will not be addressed by a 32 Bit version of Windows, it will only see and use 3.2GB. There is a 'fix 'out there for 32 bit Vista to recognise and use the whole 4GB,(also supposedly incorporated with SP1 for Vista) otherwise you need a 64 bit version of Vista (more $$).
The whole spec of the machine is great but what's the price?
Laptops are always outdated quickly, not much you can do about that unless your on some kind of lease/rent plan that allows you to upgrade at a regular interval.
Or pay $$ every so often when your current unit no longer is sufficient.

[Burky]

Thanks Rob,
At first i will be in the training process so i don't think i will be doing much while CS3 is running anyway, just the other stuff has me lost. The terrabite, thats what one of the IT guys said here "Get a Terrabite" I just nodded said Ok and WTF is that. Now I know

Thanks Daffy,
If photoshop is part of CS3 then 4GB won't hurt, do they offer 4GB as part of the build? ??Could ask
It's easy enough to buy and install 4GB problem is most brands these days you void the warranty if you open it up and change anything.
4GB will not be addressed by a 32 Bit version of Windows, it will only see and use 3.2GB. There is a 'fix 'out there for 32 bit Vista to recognise and use the whole 4GB,(also supposedly incorporated with SP1 for Vista) otherwise you need a 64 bit version of Vista (more $$).
The whole spec of the machine is great but what's the price? Retail is around the $2499-$2599i beleive, But have a special arrangement that saves a few hundred Laptops are always outdated quickly, not much you can do about that unless your on some kind of lease/rent plan that allows you to upgrade at a regular interval.
Or pay $$ every so often when your current unit no longer is sufficient. I looked into this, but my accountant will right it off after 12mths anyway.

The CS3 suite i will be doing training at first and playing around for work, and then would be time to get another say in 18mths. Currently the lappy i am using is only 256(now 256+512ram) and a 40gig harddrive. As for the graphics....well with the ram it kinda plays DVD as long as nothing else happening. If you are using 2 spreadsheets by prepared to wait a while. Ram was upgraded today and works a bit better but the new one will be much better again.

[daffy67]

Currently the lappy i am using is only 256(now 256+512ram) and a 40gig harddrive.

Ouch!!

[Burky]

Currently the lappy i am using is only 256(now 256+512ram) and a 40gig harddrive.

Ouch!!

Hence the new laptop

[javaman]

2GB RAM is very..very plenty for XP, Linux.

I heard alot of people have problems with Vista as it is a memory HOG.

[hoffy]

I have a dell laptop.. have had no dramas, easy to use etc, and a good price !

4g Ram
T 7750 2.4gz intel duo core processor
250g HD

It's fine, does everything I need it to. It was about $1,150 landed with 2yr warranty.

Im sure either will be OK, Toshiba is a good brand too.

[Sulli]

I have a dell laptop.. have had no dramas, easy to use etc, and a good price !

4g Ram
T 7750 2.4gz intel duo core processor
250g HD

It's fine, does everything I need it to. It was about $1,150 landed with 2yr warranty.

Im sure either will be OK, Toshiba is a good brand too.

Where did you purchase that from ? (I know Dell deliver direct did you purchase from them?) Or a reseller

[mike-s]

That sounds alright, esp for 2.5 or so.

Then again i just got my first P4 laptop last week (was making do on a p3 1Ghz or so for 4 years).

[hoffy]

I have a dell laptop.. have had no dramas, easy to use etc, and a good price !

4g Ram
T 7750 2.4gz intel duo core processor
250g HD

It's fine, does everything I need it to. It was about $1,150 landed with 2yr warranty.

Im sure either will be OK, Toshiba is a good brand too.

Where did you purchase that from ? (I know Dell deliver direct did you purchase from them?) Or a reseller

Bought it over the phone from Dell just before the xmas just gone. Some Malaysian call centre I really busted their nuts, I think retail was $1320 or sumptin, and they threw in some speakers and a subwoofer too

[Burky]

That sounds alright, esp for 2.5 or so.

Then again i just got my first P4 laptop last week (was making do on a p3 1Ghz or so for 4 years).

Found the processor speed on this laptop is Sempron 1.6 so a dual 2.4 must be like a rolls compared to the pushy

I looked at Dell but couldn't make sense of it all then someone mentioned the Toshiba. I was told that HP have a lot of added software and that tends to up the pricing? were as Toshiba don't. Don't know how true it is but thats what i was told.
I have been to a couple of stores and ask if they have anything with these types of specs, well after they see them the answer is No Nothing like this. We don't get anything with these types of specs.

[hoffy]

dude, you can price up your own laptop on the dell website with all the different options and shit, then ring em up and bust their balls asking for further discount..

[Burky]

dude, you can price up your own laptop on the dell website with all the different options and shit, then ring em up and bust their balls asking for further discount..

Thanks Hof
Might hit the site tommorow using the specs i have and see how it goes.

[mike-s]

if you buy fujitsu, be careful, those things are LOADED with their own bunch of useless shitty addins that sap at least 50% of the cpu, same thing as if you run nero 7, Nero Scout hogs the cpu for the sheer hell of it.