blonde poker forum

I need one.

My old one has developed a fault. It seems like a dodgy connection, a dry joint, or perhaps even a crack in the motherboard. Symptoms are zig zag lines/herringbone patterns on the screen. They seem to be triggered by moving or flexing or tapping the computer. but are frustratingly intermittent.

My computer savvy friend has had a look inside the case, but everything seems to be properly plugged in.


Anyway, I will probably buy a new machine. my criteria are...

QUIET: This is a biggie, I hate noisy lappies where a Hoover type fan kicks in every few minutes.

Easily available

Reliable

I would like a big, but conventionally shaped screen. I don't like widescreen for poker, and I don't like that reflective, glass-like finish either.

I don't much fancy Vista and would probably install XP

I will use it for poker, surfing and streaming, as well as photograph manipulation and storage.

Thanks in advance.

thinly veiled 'I play a lot of poker' brag post imho..... ;D

PM sent Tom

That's the real biggie. Conventional 4:3 laptops are now rare as rocking horse ****. Your best bet is probably to Google for SXGA+ (1400x1050) and UXGA (1600x1200) and ignore resolutions that start with "W".

So this (for example) is wide screen? http://www.europc.co.uk/pages/ProductPage.aspx?PID=113517

Buy a Dell.

Longines, what is the difference between a WUXGA screen and a UXGA screen?

W = widescreen

Yes it is.

You'll find that most are now, so really you want to find one with the largest possible resoultion, so that you get as many pixels as possible.

Of course, if you aren't using the laptop 'on the go', you can always purchase separate monitor and run off two screens - which is probably your best bet anyway.

Just don't get an Advent whatever you do.

Correct.

"Screen Type: WXGA"
"Video Output / Max Resolution (external): 1280 x 800"

As Jock says, anything starting with a W is widescreen.

As an illustration, www.dabs.com have 350 different laptops for sale.

Only 22 of them have 4:3 screens.

Just 3 of those don't have an XGA (1024x768) screen, a resolution that was current last century...

They are a £1760 Sony (AR71ZU), a £1700 Lenovo (T61P) and a £665 Samsung http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4SSF.

If you play 4 or more tables frequently then more pixels is going to make sense - and in the current market that means widescreen. You can get a WSXGA+ (1680x1050) from around £550 http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4LMZ. WUXGA (1920x1200) laptops are mostly over a grand.

The 1680x1050 resolution is good for everything, except multi-tabling on poker rooms that don't allow resizeable tables (and even on those that do).   But like Longines said, unless you go over a grand you aren't going to get one that is 1200 pixels high (which is what you want for multi-tabling) - and the reason they cost that much is probably because of the screens (and they usually have a decent spec in terms of processor, memory, etc. to go with it).

If you wanted to multi-table on the move with no overlap, that's really your only option.  If you don't want to spend that much, and it's not for when you're 'mobile', then getting a second screen for a 'normal' laptop is probably a better bet.

Also, I think a lot (most?) of the higher-end laptops have the reflective screens that you don't like.  They're very nice in the right conditions, but I guess they're no good in the wrong ones such as outside in the blaring sun.

Thanks guys.

Kin. I live in a caravan. No room for a second screen.

Multi-tabling. I actually prefer some overlap so that the tables requiring attention come to the top. What I do like is choice of seating position.

If buying a Dell, which I would personally recommend as being a reliable sturdy machine, visit their UK website then look for the link to their factory outlet where you will find new machines that were overruns or unwanted by companies at a pretty substantial discount. I think you will find the link you used in original post is probably stock from the factory outlet with the supplier Europc putting on their margin, with Dell buy direct from the manufacturer. Also if buying a Dell the next day business warranty is the dogs bollox if anything goes wrong unlike buying from PC world or elsewhere whos warranty usually means sending your lappy off for 2 to 3 weeks for repair. Dell business warranty sends a man out to your home/business to fix it the next day.

It has walls - doesn't it?  Wall-mount the second screen.

*Sighs and shakes head, humours Kin* 

Wow! Great idea Kin, never thought of that. Thanks mate.

Looking at the pictures/illustrations, those WXGA screens look like a 'normal' screen. i.e. just slightly wider than they are high.

Tracey won't like you describing her in such terms.

No problem, any time.

:)up

A 'normal' screen is the same ratio as a 'normal' TV, 4 pixels across for every 3 down. Most widescreen laptops have 4.8 pixels across for every 3 down.

Apparently not that much of a difference and a little difficult to spot from a small jpg but if you compare a 15" 4:3 and a 15" 16:10 side-by-side, it's immediately obvious.

Thanks yet again.

So the common consensus seem to be that Dell is the way to go. I've had a look at their website and confusion has set in. Every time I browse 'laptops' it seems to show me a different selection.

Would you be so kind as to recommend specific machines and provide links.


Thanks, and  ;slavedriver;

Sure.

Your max budget is...?

A much as, but no more than I need to spend to get the best machine for my requirements.

'Best" to include such factors as value for money, fit for purpose, reliability etc.

For instance, If I wanted to buy a car and I said my budget was up to £1250,000 that wouldn't mean I needed a Rolls Royce, or that it would be the best buy.

What I need is advice that says "I think you need to spend X amount and I recommend this model because..."

Doesn't always work like that with computers Tom.  Once you know what you want to do with it (play poker, browse porn, etc.) then the only other factor is price.  My usual advice is go for the most expensive one you can afford within your budget as it will 'last longer'.

I'd say you want a minimum of 2GB of RAM whatever you get.
Screen that matches your requirements.
The rest I'd probably judge according to cost.

Now I have Vista on my machine and to be honest I love it particulalry as I use a pen/graphics tablet all the time. So much pen enablement on Office 2007 when run on Vista. All you need is at least 2gb of RAM. Oh and I am playing on a 17" widescreen shiny HP and I love it.

That would be my avice too, if I were selling instead of buying.




More expensive doesn't = last longer. IMHO of course.

Not last-longer in terms of not falling apart, but in terms of having enough processor power, memory, etc., so that in two year's time it's not completely obsolete.

If you try to cut-corners on the spec to save a few hundred quid, it's something you'll usually regret in 12 month's time. 

Of course, you could spend more on a machine and it literally falls to pieces meaning that it's no good at all in a few year's time.

Indeed Kin.

Not much point doing the whole "I think you need to spend X amount and I recommend this model because..." spiel if you have decided to spend £299.

However, Dell Inspiron 1720 (N0672005 is the code to search for)

C2D T5550 1.83GHz 2MB cache
17" 1440x900 TFT
3GB RAM
250GB HDD
128MB Graphics card

£549 delivered

for £659 delivered you can have it with a WUXGA 1920x1200 screen. Bargain.

In my (limited) experience, a few years down the line the extra few hundred quid wil buy you a new, reduced price, better spec lappy anyway.

Example. About 4 0r 5 years ago I bought my first didgital camera. I could have spent £300, but I spent £550 to "Future-proof" it.

The camera is still going fine, but a few weeks ago I bought one that was miles and miles better in all departments for £140.

Link FFS!! Do you think I have nothing better to do?

BTW- What is the benefit of a WUXUGA screen?

Greater resolution -> 4 tables without overlap

See previous. I like some overlap.

More pixels ergo more stuff on screen at the same time without overlap.

If you put four laddies full size tables on a WSXGA+ screen, they overlap by roughy 25% across and about 66% down.

If you put four laddies full size tables on a WUXGA screen, there is no overlap.

I like the idea of a 17in screen model. Are they a real pain to lug around when you travel?

£659 is a very good price with that screen.

It's not one of those shiny screens that Red doesn't like though, is it?

Surely whatever the reolution, for them not to overlap on a screen of the same size the laddies tables would have to be shown smaller?

Needs a big bag for sure. My faithful old Targus bag has trouble with the width of my latest 15.4" widescreen.

<double checks>

It is :-( Missed that. sorry.

My latest work laptop is a shiny screen - fecking awful.

The WSXGA+ version is available sans shine.

Correct. On a 1440x900 screen a laddies table is going to take up about 60% of the width of the screen. On a 1920x1200, it'll be about 42%. The screens are both 17" so the table is smaller on the higher res screen. They pack more pixels into the same physical area so you can fit more windows into the sme physical area - ergo the windows will be smaller, but with still the same amount of detail.

Dodgy eyesight and 1920x1200 probably don't mix. Icons, text and windows will be much smaller than what you've seen before.

Correct! That's one of the reasons why I would rather have the overlap.

http://outlet.dell.com/Emea_Dfo/EuDispatcher?country=GBR&target=InventoryPage&lob_constraint=LAT

Personally I'm a fan of the Latitude range and above is the link to the factory outlet.

Information overload. Help.

I don't want the shiny screen, and I don't want the big resolution that displays more info but smaller.

I do want a 17in screen, and I think I can live with widescreen.

I'm ready to take the plunge, just need a bit of a push..

Dell Inspiron 1720

17" but 'only' 1440x900 so pixels are quite big. Choose the non True-Life one for non-shiny.

Standard T2370 processor will be fine. I would be tempted to shell out another £50 to get the T5550 for some extra future-proofing and the bigger cache which will make things run more quickly.

Upping the RAM from 2GB to 3GB for £30 is worthwhile IMO.

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&kc=NRS17201&l=en&oc=N0872001&rbc=N0872001&s=dhs


There is a downside though. The outer casing comes in "Spring Green or Sunshine Yellow, both with a microsatin finish". No really.

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/rangecat.jsp?t=nb

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/range.html?t=nb&c=home&r=X60

So that would be..

Processor = option 3.

LCD = option 1.

Memory = option 2

Price £549.01

Yes?

(Colour = option 1 obv)


PS- what about the Dell next day business warranty that Llevan talks about?

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=34136.msg724439#msg724439

The Dell onsite next day warranty is phenomenal, The service is second to none, When I has a problem with my lappy They came out with new parts, replaced the parts at my kitchen table.

Its well worth the premium you pay imho

I can't see an option or a price for it though.

Yes x 4.


The std warranty is 1 year and you have to post it back to them if anything goes wrong. Beyond year 1, you're relying on either household accidental damage insurance or the Sale of Goods Act and a good line in complaining.

Alternatively, spend between £67 and £97 extra and it would seem a man in a van will turn up evenings and Saturdays during the next two to four years.

I've always chosen and recommended option 1 but that sounds like pretty good value TBH.

3rd item down, between Operating System and Colour Choice.

Do not get Norton Antivirus, it is a steaming pile of horse excrement.

LOOOOL.You can say that again, except a steaming pile of horse excrement would be easier to remove from your computer.

Alternatively, spend between £67 and £97 extra and it would seem a man in a van will turn up evenings and Saturdays during the next two to four years.

Does it say how long you have to wait for said man with van? I can see that he does evenings and Saturdays, but does that mean he will come one evening a week next Saturday?

Like I said when you first started looking Tom the 3 year next working business warranty is the best around and excellent value for the money. I would suggest looking at the factory outlet which I put a link earlier in this thread since these are usually over runs and are brand new with quite a big discount.

ARRGGGHHH!!! Information overload again.

Can you link me to something with a similar spec to the one we've been discussing on the factory outlet site so that I can compare prices please.

The cheapest 17" in the Outlet is £537 delivered. You only get a T2390 processor, a possibly shiny screen and the Outlet charge £116 for 4yrs next day support.

But it is Ruby Red rather than Spring Green. Given your moniker, consider it sold....

It's the one hopefully at the top of this list: http://outlet.dell.com/Emea_Dfo/EuDispatcher?target=InventoryPage&action=sort&sortColumn=price_constraint&lob=INSP&sessionID=G9zDLYJd!-232081983!412119062!1217956157099#inventoryTable

Hmmm, don't want to risk a shiny screen, I think I'll stick with our original camouflage, SAS, tough guy green.

Is the van man support of the next day variety though?

AAARRRRGGHGHHH!!!!!!


http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=35796.msg776169#msg776169

Hehe. You can find horror stories about every company.

I work with corporate clients who between them buy a couple of hundred Dell laptops each year. Their return rates look OK. When my Dad wanted to buy himself a laptop as a retirement present, I knew who would get the job of supporting it and justifying it if it went wrong. I bought him a Dell.

YMMV.

More questions.

Do Dell machines run cool/quiet?

What's the basic difference between the Inspiron and the Latitude?

Would a "Business" model be more reliable?

The ones I've used do. Whether a slower, lower consumption processor would produce less heat than a more powerful processor using less of its overall potential is an interesting question and one best left as a research task for the OP ('cos I don't know and I guess it will be fairly subjective)


The latter is aimed at businesses i.e. they don't come in Spring Green, the model lines last much longer allowing IT Managers time to plan replacement cycles that aren't measured in weeks, they probably don't come with as many consumer-focused features such as media player buttons, webcams, etc, etc,


Probably not. They'll both contain roughly the same components. If you want 'hewn from rock, tough as buggery', pay probably twice as much and buy a Lenovo Thinkpad.

Ive got the Dell XPS1530 and im really pleased with it, very quiet compared to my last HP laptop.

I have the XPS1530 too and give it the big thumbs up.  It also gets top ratings in most laptop reviews.

Does it have a shiny screen?

...and you told me Mrs Red was a "difficult" shopper......

Hi Red Dog

Just caught this thread.

I own a IT Company and supply and repair everything computer wise..my words of wisdom for what they are worth are as follows..

DO NOT BUY DELL LAPTOPS..if you see how many we repair ud agree...

buy only..toshiba..hp..sony...ibm/lenevo...

go to www.laptopsdirect.co.uk..they r uber cheap and service is good..i actually buy off of them and sell to my corporate customers

If you get something with vista we can reload with xp pro 4 u

Definitely agree with those 4 brands to buy!

And just for a bit variety, I will never buy another Sony.

Warranty repairs involve posting the whole laptop to Belguim and waiting a random number of weeks for it to come back - usually not fixed.

Not sure what a "shiny screen" is but the picture clarity produced by the screen is excellent - watching the Lost World of the Jaguar on BBC's iplayer exceeded my expectations.

With regards comments on Dell's service and support - from my experience I rate them as excellent.

The 1530 has a 15 inch screen.  If you need a bigger screen look at the XPS 1730 - the Daddy of gaming laptops.

Personally I would avoid Sony like the plague, their laptops continually overheat and I've got a burnt dining room table in need of a visit from a French Polisher to prove it lol. Like I said earlier you can't beat Dell for their warranty service in the event that anything goes wrong, all other makes appear to need to be sent back to service agents which is obviously time consuming.
A while back I had a Dell laptop under warranty that had 1 new screen and several new keyboards all replaced under warranty by a man in van the next working day in minutes, in fact I asked if they could send a keyboard once and I would fit it but they refused and stilll sent their man to do the job - just before anyone asks I tend to be heavy handed with keyboards and wind up with the stickers fading on them and this appears to happen more with dell than any other make of laptop I have owned.
I've currently got a Toshiba machine - it cost me nothing came as part of a rake deal with a poker site 9 months ago -  which I'm not at all impressed with and will probably be changing it soon for a Dell.
No real experience of Hp/Compaq but they seem pretty solid machines. IBM/Lenovo have a reputation for getting screen bruises I believe the lids are quite thin in order to make the laptop lighter and dealing in 2nd hand laptops I have seen loads of Thinkpads with screen bruises over the years.
I'm not saying I'm an expert or over qualified to help you make a decision but if I was in your shoes Tom I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Dell with a 3 year warranty.

Sony's are also more expensive for what you get - you pay a premium for the brand name.

I think Red-Dog is getting paralysed by choice here - there are simply too many options to narrow down.

It is extremely difficult to buy a bad laptop these days.

Tom, you mention you don't want a 'shiny screen'. I don't really know what this is and you're not going to see 'no shiny screen' in a product description on a website. As you have aesthetic criteria then I really think you need to get yourself to a place that sells laptops and have a look at actual machines in the flesh. Write down the model numbers of any you like, then search for them on the internet. The only problem with this is you aren't going to see a Dell in the shops, and they do have a good price/features ratio.

A dozen people saying 'I have a XDF5674FV6-C and it's great' isn't really going to help you much.

The XPS15xx and XPS17xx only come with shiny screens aka TrueLife™

What about those recent PC World adverts.  They seem to be implying that they sell Dell nowadays.

Presumably at a premium ?  But can you see the machines instore ?

Looking at their website it would appear that they do.

Don't buy a Dell from PC World (obv) - go and have a look then buy direct.

fyp ;)

LOL - I have often wondered if the staff there notice people like me stood there tapping product model numbers into the search box at Dabs.com on our phones...

I bought an Acer about 4 years ago, my mate bought a sony and mocked my 'no name' brand that you can buy at any tesco.  He replaced his under warranty after about 6 months and the new one overheats all the time.  I had a problem with my disc drive and a man from DHL came and collected it and delivered it back a few days later working fine.  I dont think you need to worry so much due to your requirements.  I would go for a cheap and cheerful Acer it will do the job and is very reliable!

I forgot to add I bought my Dell on ebay - it was brand new with 3 year warranty and quite a bit cheaper than buying from Dell.

Dell Inspiron 1720 (As Seen On TV)


http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/editorial/Laptops_homepage/?int=home_nav

£399. (£400 for cash) I could go an have a look at it, just to get an idea. How does it compare, specwise, with the fetching little green number that Longines was advocating?

Poncy silver and black rather than macho camo green.

Same spec as the base 1720 from Dell with the processer upped one notch (would cost £479 direct from Dell).

Comes with standard 1 year warranty after which it's £96/year for a collect and repair service.

However, the PC World website says "The Dell 1720 comes with a NVIDIA GeForce 8600 dedicated graphics card and a 17” TrueLife widescreen". Whether the ones Dell have actually supplied to PC World have TrueLife screens is one of those coin flips...

So it looks like I'm still going to be happier with the macho green effort direct from Dell. (I'm surprised that PC World does it cheaper though)

So I went to PC World to have a butchers at the 1720, and, as far as I can tell by looking, it seemed ok.

It was indeed cheaper than buying directly from Dell, but you can't avail yourself of the Dell waranty, you have to take the PC World warranty, which is crap.

Unusually, the young man who I spoke to in PC World was as helpful as he could manage to be, and he didn't try to flog me anything, he just answered my questions. (Big + to him)

He did say however that the Dell In-Home Warranty Support, (including evenings and Saturdays) was not a patch on the Dell On site next day support.

Anyone know anything about that? Has anyone used the "In home" jobbie? Do they come the next day

Bear with me guys, I'm almost there....

One last question. (Lol) If I buy it online from Dell, do I get a cooling off period where I can change my mind and send it back?

Under the Distance Selling Regulations if you buy anything over the internet you have a seven day cooling off period in which you can return something - even if the reason is 'I don't want this any more'.

It's the "Consumer Protection (Distance Selling Regulations)". If you buy from the business channels of Dell, you have no protection. Buy it from the Home section and it does apply.

You have 7 days to return it. There are a few exceptions - Interflora would go bust otherwise....

Details here http://www.oft.gov.uk/advice_and_resources/resource_base/legal/distance-selling-regulations/

Re the other question Tom, I've no experience of Dell warranty claims.

1 thing i'll bear in mind the next time i get a new laptop is the position of the power adaptor and mouse connections,mine are on the opposite sides to how i would prefer them

I've been kicking around the idea of a laptop for ages and went searching for this thread today.  Information overload is my excuse for putting it off so long.  Red, did you buy anything in the end?

No, I decided to wait until I had "A touch" before spending the money.  ;whistle;

I think a skunk with a cold sore is more likely to get a touch than me at the moment. 

Might not have the best spec, by my new laptop im very happy with...

Windoxs Vista, Built in Webcam, staples threw in laptop bad, optical mouse, and norton and office, its a HP g6000.

Cost me £375 total... I like the roll pad, on the mouse pad area, there are 2 thin strips on the right going vertical and bottom going horizontal to be able to sideways up and down etc

I can run 3 or 4 poker sites and adobe photoshop with no lagging problems in the slightest... Definatly worth a look for the money!

I saw our intrepid reporter "JungleCat03" at DTD this weekend. He has this model. He says it's slow, it overheats, and it sounds like a cement mixer with bricks in it.

Now what?

Tom,

if reliability is one of your main criteria, then I honestly dont know why you are looking at Dell.

They have gone from being a reputable mid-range manufacturer, to a low-end budget manufacturer, who are working on huge volumes. The failure rates on their machines is so high at the moment, they are seriously considering going down the 3rd party manufacturing route, which for Dell was always considered unthinkable.

The serious quality manufacturers I would say are Lenovo (formerly IBM), HP(Compaq) and Toshiba. They all produce a wide range of machines, from the top end business machines (Lenovo T series, Toshiba tecra etc), down to the lower end leisure market (Lenovo R Series and Tosh satellite). The build quality is generally the same throughout the range.

If I were you, with a preference for a 4:3 ratio screen I would seriously consider a nearly new business machine with 2gb ram - something like a T42 thinkpad from Lenovo/IBM. They are pretty bulletproof, but they dont come in pretty colours.

Link/price/spec....?


I can't believe what passes for advice these days.

 ;bumwiggle;

anyway this is the sort of thing I am talking about

http://www.thelaptopcentre.com/erol.html#368X2073

(btw I dont know this supplier, this is really just an example).
These machines are fantastic. I would buy an extra 1gig ram (maybe about 50 quid), and if you think you need lots of disk then you could use an external drive.

Slightly older style centrino processor, but vv quiet and good battery life.

it is available with a bigger screen also IIRC.

Just ordered one of these puppys!

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsnb_m1730?c=uk&l=en

(http://lh4.google.com/bigshow356/R6FWhzr_yhI/AAAAAAAACQg/d8n4V19qIIA/s800/dell-xps-1710.jpg)

Interesting when you order from Dell search for online vouchers via google and easy to find another 10% off :)

The link doesnt work for me.