Is this Laptop any good ? 2

[kwunder]

Could anyone give me any advice about this laptop.
Affraid I've lost touch with processors etc etc
This has an AMD Turion TL50. Is it any good ?

This is the laptop @ £599 GBP :-

http://www.packardbell.co.uk/produc...-sw51-b-012/productsheet-PB57M01001-1025.html

Thanks !

 

[cdogg]

I know it doesn't say there in the specs that it's a dual-core Turion (known as the X2), but that's what it is. Although Intel's Core 2 Duo still leads AMD in the mobile CPU market, the Turion X2 is a good budget choice that won't leave you disappointed.

Here's an article with more detail:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/08/22/amd_dual_core_laptops_have_arrived/

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
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[kwunder]

Cdogg !!
Long time no speak !

Thanks for the info.
This laptop would be replacing my 4 year old Athlon XP-M 1800

Should I expect a "quicker" laptop ?
The screen size is certainly appealing....

Thanks again

 

[Jito463]

Yes, it will definitely be faster. And more efficient on battery life. The older AthlonXP's were never truly designed for the mobile market. The Turion's are better optimized for battery life and heat. I didn't realize Packard Bell was still around. I hope they're better than when I last saw them back in 2000 or so. From the specs it seems to be a decent laptop, though.

 

[kwunder]

Cheers Jito

 

[cdogg]

Jito,
PackardBell only closed its U.S. market years ago and focused their operations mainly in the U.K. instead.

kwunder,
Yes, it sure has been awhile! Hope things are going fine...

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
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[kwunder]

Just to update..
With the intention of purchasing this PB Laptop yesterday, I went to the retailer. I have to admit that I wasn't impressed with build quality of the above laptop.
After 2 hours, I came away with a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pi1505.
Spec:-

Intel Core Duo T2250 1.73GHZ
1024M DDR2 Ram
80GB HDD
Intel Graphics Accelerator 950 (128MB)
Windows Vista Premium

Build quality seems MUCH better.

What do you think ?

Many thanks

 

[cdogg]

The GPU on the PB laptop has a slight edge, and the Turion X2 would outperform the Core Duo in most benchmarks.

With that said, the difference would be hard to see depending on how you use the system. Both are good choices either way.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
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[MaxEd]

I live in the town that had a PB operation where they built the systems. The systems were not good at all because I owned 2 of these systems when PB and NEC joined together years ago.

-Laughter works miracles.

 

[cdogg]

I am not trying to defend PB here, but to be fair, just about every brand has had a stretch or two of poorly designed models at some point in their long history. Gateway, Compaq, and IBM all come to mind. Most have come back in recent years releasing something worth owning.

I haven't seen a PB since '97, but I doubt they'd still be around if all their products suck as much now as they did back then...

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
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[paparazi]

When I first saw this post I was tempted to give you other options but gave up trying to find another 17inch laptop at a similar price (there weren't any)
Seems you have now settled for a smaller 15.4 inch screen.

We like members to GIVE and not just TAKE.
Participate and help others.

 

[kwunder]

Indeed Paparazi
The 17" screen was tempting, but as stated above, when I had hands on experience of the laptop, I wasn't impressed at all with the design and general feel of the thing. Then sitting right next to it was what I eventually purchased, which build wise, completely blew the PB away IMO.
The screen at 15.4" is larger than my outgoing laptop so I'm more than satisified with it.

I will say I am having one slight problem though. That is with the touch pad. I can't find anywhere in the settings where I can disable tapping. It would be fantastic if I could find out how.....

Thanks

 

[cdogg]

kwunder,
Not sure about the touchpad brand you have, but Synaptics is the most common. If that's what you have, you might have an icon floating down in your system tray next to your clock. Double-click it to get to the settings. There is an option to disable "tapping" in there.

If you don't see it or have the icon, go out to the laptop manufacturer's website and download/install the latest driver set.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884