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-   -   The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadgets-computers-software/67390-laptop-thread-configs-deals-questions-239.html)

Thanks bud. Will surely check it out.But my main concern with Sony e series is the volume of the inbuilt speakers, they sound very feeble. Is that the same with your laptop? Specs for sure are much better.

Bro they have come up with a new "x loud" feature they are atleast marketing with these e series. Now I also have some marketing pedigree so don't really buy everything anyone advertises, but during practical use the volume at even below max sounded pretty descent. Will def not shake the floor or for that matter the table, but is loud enough for all practical purposes - audio, video, video-chat.

Have added in a 2gb ram module (1333 MHz) to bump total ram to 4. Makes this a breeze and come at only a mere 700 dent to the pocket. I am def recommending you to test it out - carry your music/video with you and play it while testing the unit - so you can asses if it's loud enough for you.

Le us know what decision you take :)

Hi BHPians,

My Sister, she is a doctor is currently pursuing her MS in Radiology and currently needs a laptop for studies. I need some help since I am currently in U.S. and being the tech geek she asked me for my opinion. Ideally I would like to gift a laptop to her.

Here are the requirements:
1) She needs a basic laptop (I am looking atleast at i3/i5;4GB;500GB HDD config + other bells and whistles e.g. webcam), she will be commuting with her laptop , hence need a bit robust one considering mumbai locals.
2) Is flipkart realiable source to buy online in terms of laptop? OR Should i go with the authorised dealers in my city?
3) Should I buy one from the US and gift it to her? How efficient is the warranty support, with Dell/Lenovo etc? OR will she have to run to local comp store if issues arise?

Would like to know if anyone has gone through this process.

Thanks,

Is she open to Apple laptops? My advice would be get her a MacBook air with the required HDD capacity. Also she'd need the projector cables for presentations during her lectures.

And if you are getting the MacBook,better to purchase from the US as it'd be cost effective. And since she will be travelling, its advisable to get her the SSD version as data will be safe. Plus from the US you can customize the Mac to your liking and I think you can probably get some laser engraving done(IIRC) of some personal message to your sister.

Also don't forget to get the Apple protection plan for entire 3 years so if anything goes kaput all she needs to do is visit the apple store and give it for free repairs and replacement. And the warranty is valid internationally.

She may just need a bit of getting used to once she moves from windows to a Mac but the hassle free experience is worth it. And no running around to local PC shop for repairs :)

If MacBook is not her cup of chai then an ultra book would be your best bet. Lightweight aluminum construction and slim profile should be the criteria. Buying an ordinary laptop for daily commutes is going to cause a sore back and shoulder. Best is the ultrabook category. Experts here shall recommend you the best in that category.

Regards.

Hi GunnerFan,
I bought the laptop today. The same one you had got. Sony Vaio E series, i3 2nd gen, 14" screen, 320gb, 2gb RAM. white colour. I asked the retailer to put in an additional 2 gb RAM but he had only some local brand RAM which i didn't go for. Instead i got an additional 2 years extended warranty gor 2500/- . Total for 32500 bucks.
Thanks again Buddy.

Great Jivtesh. Guessing you should like the laptop upon usage - my mum does esp from a looks perspective - had gotten her the white one.
RAM - I had ordered a 2gb module from Flipkart - Transcend 1333Mhz variant. Costed less than INR 700 odd. Have seen a small increase in performance - well worth the nominal price.
Glad my suggestion helped :)

Thanks Partha; But apple is not her thing; + she rarely will have time to figure out the nuances of apple OS; rather a very familiar windows will make her life easier.

Flipkart's buying process/warranty..anyone?

Has anyone cleaned the fan of a Vaio?

Dell is notorious for overheating problems after a lot of dust accumulates in the fan; but it is just as easy to clean.

Anyone done that with a Vaio? I checked a video on youtube; it involved a lot of things :(

Since you "are" in the US, and your sister needs the laptop to be portable, i suggest that you look at the Thinkpad x230 (not yet available in india) with the i5 or i7 processor. Customize it at lenovo.com (can't dream of such things here) and get an IPS panel. Around USD 800 to 1400 depending on configuration.

If you can afford it, get the tablet version. This with full bells and whistles costs around 1600usd. Also if you think battery is a concern, get a slice battery which should give this a 24 hrs run time. Get the mSSD in addition to the regular hdd which will make this fly.

I'm using a thinkpad for the last 8 years and (touchwood) it's still going strong despite many severe falls and carrying it on a bike for 5 years (including a bike skid).

This should last for quite a few years. Get the international 3 year warranty as extra. The support for lenovo is very good.

8 years back Thinkpad was IBM. Now it's Lenovo - it's still decent, but I don't think it's as good as the IBM one.

my latest work laptop is a T410 and I have crashed four of them in last 18 months. Prior to that, I was using a T40 and it lasted well over five years with a lot of abuse.
Quality has taken a nosedive.

the Thinkpad's as what i have seen in shops now are better and rugged than the lenovo series. I believe they have continued the thinkpad line and quality/features appears similar. I'm just a happy guy using thinkpad. I had a look at the x series last month and tried one out. It has the same feel at the old IBM one.

Edit: Hmm, My usage was only 5-6 hours for evaluation and i have no idea about long term reliability of the current (lenovo) thinkpads. Hope to get one by December, from the US.

What were the problems with the crashed ones? It will help me also to decide.

What do you mean 'crashed'? Hardware or software issue?

hardware issues.

1st - display went kaput after use of four months. got a replacement.
2nd- frequent problems with keyboard freezing suddenly and then working after a reset; one fine day it refused to boot - motherboard was a goner.
3rd - same issue as with second one but after 12 months of use.
4th - currently using, have got the ram changed twice. hangs frequently.


EDIT: during late 2010 - early 2011, my workplace replaced everyone's laptops from their T40/T41/T42/T60/T61 to recent T4** series and I am not the only one who had these kind of issues.

I have been using the X series extensively, initially the X40 and now X60s. The build quality is definitely better than the competition. The older Thinkpads were all manufactured by Lenovo for IBM, and the quality is still being maintained.

One of the major reason for opting for Think pads is the international warranty, honoured all over the world. Of course they still have one of the best keyboards. My only gripe is the battery. In last five years of ownership of my current X60s, I am on my third battery. The saving grace is that it is available easily from the "Think essentials" store online.