I have been a gadget freak and an enthusiast for almost a decade now. I have scoured the internet for the best products, bugged dealers for the best prices, bought and sold second hand gear online and also purchased stuff from abroad and in turn brunt my fingers trying to save a few thousand bucks. In other words, I have seen it all and to be honest I have learnt many lessons the hard way, though I am glad I treaded this path and had a great experience.
I would be starting a series of Buying Guides that will encompass the entire gamut of decision making. The guides would be for newbie’s as they need it the most. If at all specialized guides are needed I will write them on request. Here you go:
1. What Configuration
If you are going to browse the web, edit documents and at the most watch movies, don’t get caught in the ‘upgrade proof’ saga!
To do all the above mentioned activities even an entry level processor like Intel’s Atom will do but to cushion your future needs of using Photoshop or editing or compression video’s, a Core 2 Duo processor is a safe bet. Even a 1.6 GHz Core 2 Duo processor will do. If the various naming conventions confuse you (which ideally they should
hyeah: ), here is the chronology
Dual Core ---> Core Duo ---> Core 2 Duo,
with Core 2 Duo series being the most recent, although, there are a lot of different parts at the same clock frequency (the 1.6 Ghz bit), but it doesn’t matter as the difference would be almost negligible, so don’t bother.
Why go for Core 2 Duo?
Better performance, power management (critical for good battery life) and reliability.
Is AMD bad?
Well if you are planning to use an AMD processor instead, and your needs are as above, go for it. The performance of the processor is of not much significance as the above tasks hardly push the processor.
RAM recommendation
Most laptops come with Windows Vista and 2GB of RAM is essential, in fact anything lesser than 2GB is criminal.
2. Which Brand
Since brands use quite similar components, performance becomes secondary while deciding a brand. What you should look for then?
The warranty type and after sales support: This is a very important factor. If you are a new computer user, you would require support on quite a few occasions.
The different warranty types are carry-in and on-site. Under carry-in, in case of a problem you will have to carry your laptop to the service centre. So that makes for two trips, one to take it there and another to fetch it back. Besides, if the problem is not rectified, carry it back and then go to fetch it back again. If the service centre is far away, you are a frustrated soul! Sounds too cumbersome? Well you will feel it as well, when you do it. My recommendation: strictly stick with on-site warranty.
And just for this I would recommend Dell. They have quality products, good prices and an excellent service in the form of ‘NBD’ i.e. Next Business Day. Next Business Day means that within the time frame of 24 hours or 1 day, if the next day is a working day, you will have a technician over at your place, replacing the defective part. Before that you need to call their customer care and talk to a technical customer care representative. He/She will try to troubleshoot with you on the phone and if they feel the system requires a component change, they will ask for it to be done.
3. Good review Sites
To start looking online, go to each manufacturer’s Indian site and note down the models they are currently selling. Then narrow down the ones you like and do a google search for reviews pertaining to those models. Good international sites for reviews are:
notebookreviews.com: The Leading Notebook Computers Site on the Net
LAPTOP Magazine - Product reviews, tech news, buying guides, and more
4. Second Hand Purchases
I would recommend not buying anything that is not under warranty. Laptop components are expensive to replace. Laptops are highly compact devices and with motherboards, many a times the sizes are non-standard as against the case of desktops and finding a replacement becomes almost impossible.
5. Extended Warranty
Extended warranties usually cost Rs. 5000 and above for an extension of 2 years. On the face of it, it looks pretty expensive, so let’s try and see the possibility of things going wrong.
a. LCD
If you happen to crack it, even your warranty can’t help you, unless you have opted for ‘complete cover’ from Dell that also takes into account accidental damages. A LCD gone bust can cost anything above 10,000 to replace. The cost of a new LCD alone covers your extended warranty investment. I had a friend spend 13,000 bucks on a 14†LCD screen for a Toshiba laptop.
b. Motherboard
As mentioned above, laptops are highly compact devices and most of the motherboards used are of non-standard sizes unlike in desktops where the sizes are standard across brands. Finding a replacement in such a scenario becomes difficult especially in today’s times when product lines get refreshed every 6 months. Besides, motherboards are expensive to replace as most of the parts are integrated on the motherboard.
My friend’s 2 year old Dell 700M 12-inch laptop had a motherboard failure. Dell is not ready to offer a replacement and is asking for Rs. 15,000 for a year of extended warranty.
c. Graphics Card
There was a huge fiasco sometime back regarding Nvidia’s graphic processors having manufacturing defects. A lot of people with dedicated graphic cards in their laptops suffered part failure. The part cost here is around Rs. 3,500 and above. Hence, an extended warranty also covers the scope of faulty parts that generally fail over a period of time.
There are other parts like the optical drive, the RAM and the hard drive that can also fail over a period of time.
Hence, it is better to have an extended warranty. Split the cost into each year and then make your choice accordingly. For example if the cost is Rs. 6,000 for a 2 year extended warranty, consider it as Rs. 3000 for each year. Now look at the part costs above and I am sure you will have made up your decision.
One thing to keep in mind is, no matter what extended plan you take the battery is always and only covered for a year!
6. Buying Laptops from Abroad
Trust me on this, laptop prices have become very competitive in India. In fact some of the Dell models are cheaper to buy in India than the US. Anyway if you feel you have found a good deal abroad, ONLY go for one with an international warranty. After explaining so much about the importance of warranty I am pretty sure, you can make a decision about buying a laptop from abroad.
7. My ultimate Buying Recommendation
If you are a casual user, looking for a first time laptop purchase, the suggestion below is the best thought out option.
The configuration
Dell Inspiron or Vostro
1.6 Ghz Core 2 Duo Processor: It is powerful enough for you!
2GB RAM: Ideal for Vista. It is factory default anyway in Dell. More than 2GB is not required.
14†Screen: Offers the perfect combination of decent screen size and at the same time not making the laptop too heavy to carry.
Hard drive of your choice.
Wifi-n is not required; b/g is good enough.
Bluetooth: Yes. It is good to have it integrated.
Extended warranty: 2 years, making a total of 3 years. Reasons explained above.
Support for troubleshooting: 3 years.
The price
The above configuration should set you back by around Rs. 32,000 and the extended warranty by another Rs. 6,000 making a total of Rs. 38,000.
8. The Buying Procedure
Earlier Dell products were only available online. Now they are also available in stores.
In fact the 14†Inspiron is only available in the stores.
If you are buying online, try haggling with the Dell reps. YES, they do reduce the cost. Tell them that you have spoken to another Dell rep before. Actually speak to one or more Dell reps.
On Techenclave, you can get in touch with Amarbir or TheTechShopGuy (you can look for them under members) and send them a PM i.e. a Personal Message. They both are official Dell dealers and offer great prices. Don't worry about the warranty as it will come directly from Dell.
You may find that the guide is centered around Dell most of the times. The reason, everything fits so well, I can't help it Have fun.....
I would be starting a series of Buying Guides that will encompass the entire gamut of decision making. The guides would be for newbie’s as they need it the most. If at all specialized guides are needed I will write them on request. Here you go:
1. What Configuration
If you are going to browse the web, edit documents and at the most watch movies, don’t get caught in the ‘upgrade proof’ saga!
To do all the above mentioned activities even an entry level processor like Intel’s Atom will do but to cushion your future needs of using Photoshop or editing or compression video’s, a Core 2 Duo processor is a safe bet. Even a 1.6 GHz Core 2 Duo processor will do. If the various naming conventions confuse you (which ideally they should
hyeah: ), here is the chronologyDual Core ---> Core Duo ---> Core 2 Duo,
with Core 2 Duo series being the most recent, although, there are a lot of different parts at the same clock frequency (the 1.6 Ghz bit), but it doesn’t matter as the difference would be almost negligible, so don’t bother.
Why go for Core 2 Duo?
Better performance, power management (critical for good battery life) and reliability.
Is AMD bad?
Well if you are planning to use an AMD processor instead, and your needs are as above, go for it. The performance of the processor is of not much significance as the above tasks hardly push the processor.
RAM recommendation
Most laptops come with Windows Vista and 2GB of RAM is essential, in fact anything lesser than 2GB is criminal.
2. Which Brand
Since brands use quite similar components, performance becomes secondary while deciding a brand. What you should look for then?
The warranty type and after sales support: This is a very important factor. If you are a new computer user, you would require support on quite a few occasions.
The different warranty types are carry-in and on-site. Under carry-in, in case of a problem you will have to carry your laptop to the service centre. So that makes for two trips, one to take it there and another to fetch it back. Besides, if the problem is not rectified, carry it back and then go to fetch it back again. If the service centre is far away, you are a frustrated soul! Sounds too cumbersome? Well you will feel it as well, when you do it. My recommendation: strictly stick with on-site warranty.
And just for this I would recommend Dell. They have quality products, good prices and an excellent service in the form of ‘NBD’ i.e. Next Business Day. Next Business Day means that within the time frame of 24 hours or 1 day, if the next day is a working day, you will have a technician over at your place, replacing the defective part. Before that you need to call their customer care and talk to a technical customer care representative. He/She will try to troubleshoot with you on the phone and if they feel the system requires a component change, they will ask for it to be done.
3. Good review Sites
To start looking online, go to each manufacturer’s Indian site and note down the models they are currently selling. Then narrow down the ones you like and do a google search for reviews pertaining to those models. Good international sites for reviews are:
notebookreviews.com: The Leading Notebook Computers Site on the Net
LAPTOP Magazine - Product reviews, tech news, buying guides, and more
4. Second Hand Purchases
I would recommend not buying anything that is not under warranty. Laptop components are expensive to replace. Laptops are highly compact devices and with motherboards, many a times the sizes are non-standard as against the case of desktops and finding a replacement becomes almost impossible.
5. Extended Warranty
Extended warranties usually cost Rs. 5000 and above for an extension of 2 years. On the face of it, it looks pretty expensive, so let’s try and see the possibility of things going wrong.
a. LCD
If you happen to crack it, even your warranty can’t help you, unless you have opted for ‘complete cover’ from Dell that also takes into account accidental damages. A LCD gone bust can cost anything above 10,000 to replace. The cost of a new LCD alone covers your extended warranty investment. I had a friend spend 13,000 bucks on a 14†LCD screen for a Toshiba laptop.
b. Motherboard
As mentioned above, laptops are highly compact devices and most of the motherboards used are of non-standard sizes unlike in desktops where the sizes are standard across brands. Finding a replacement in such a scenario becomes difficult especially in today’s times when product lines get refreshed every 6 months. Besides, motherboards are expensive to replace as most of the parts are integrated on the motherboard.
My friend’s 2 year old Dell 700M 12-inch laptop had a motherboard failure. Dell is not ready to offer a replacement and is asking for Rs. 15,000 for a year of extended warranty.
c. Graphics Card
There was a huge fiasco sometime back regarding Nvidia’s graphic processors having manufacturing defects. A lot of people with dedicated graphic cards in their laptops suffered part failure. The part cost here is around Rs. 3,500 and above. Hence, an extended warranty also covers the scope of faulty parts that generally fail over a period of time.
There are other parts like the optical drive, the RAM and the hard drive that can also fail over a period of time.
Hence, it is better to have an extended warranty. Split the cost into each year and then make your choice accordingly. For example if the cost is Rs. 6,000 for a 2 year extended warranty, consider it as Rs. 3000 for each year. Now look at the part costs above and I am sure you will have made up your decision.
One thing to keep in mind is, no matter what extended plan you take the battery is always and only covered for a year!
6. Buying Laptops from Abroad
Trust me on this, laptop prices have become very competitive in India. In fact some of the Dell models are cheaper to buy in India than the US. Anyway if you feel you have found a good deal abroad, ONLY go for one with an international warranty. After explaining so much about the importance of warranty I am pretty sure, you can make a decision about buying a laptop from abroad.
7. My ultimate Buying Recommendation
If you are a casual user, looking for a first time laptop purchase, the suggestion below is the best thought out option.
The configuration
Dell Inspiron or Vostro
1.6 Ghz Core 2 Duo Processor: It is powerful enough for you!
2GB RAM: Ideal for Vista. It is factory default anyway in Dell. More than 2GB is not required.
14†Screen: Offers the perfect combination of decent screen size and at the same time not making the laptop too heavy to carry.
Hard drive of your choice.
Wifi-n is not required; b/g is good enough.
Bluetooth: Yes. It is good to have it integrated.
Extended warranty: 2 years, making a total of 3 years. Reasons explained above.
Support for troubleshooting: 3 years.
The price
The above configuration should set you back by around Rs. 32,000 and the extended warranty by another Rs. 6,000 making a total of Rs. 38,000.
8. The Buying Procedure
Earlier Dell products were only available online. Now they are also available in stores.
In fact the 14†Inspiron is only available in the stores.
If you are buying online, try haggling with the Dell reps. YES, they do reduce the cost. Tell them that you have spoken to another Dell rep before. Actually speak to one or more Dell reps.
On Techenclave, you can get in touch with Amarbir or TheTechShopGuy (you can look for them under members) and send them a PM i.e. a Personal Message. They both are official Dell dealers and offer great prices. Don't worry about the warranty as it will come directly from Dell.
You may find that the guide is centered around Dell most of the times. The reason, everything fits so well, I can't help it
Have fun.....
