Desktop man with my first new Laptop !

XR6-VCT-2000 · 29-08-2008, 01:57 AM

Well I decided to take the plunge and have a go at my first laptop. I have had desktop pc's for years as they were way ahead of laptops for a long time imo / hence - reason why i never bought a laptop.
Well after buying a new desktop pc just under a year ago , I though I would try a laptop for my next new pc for something different and portable.
I gotta say, so far I am realy impressed ! , this laptop can run everthing my desktop pc can no worries/ pretty high end games and all !.
I was originaly going to buy a HP1004AX, but ended up gettng an ASUS M51VR-AP045C for not much more.
This thing has inbuilt everyhting just about !, it actualy seems to crap all over my desktop pc so far!. The specs for this laptop aren't way out there or anything, but pretty impressive for a laptop.
Ended up getting it from JbHi-Fi for $1275 paying cash, + got bonus carry case and a small laptop usb mouse too, Originaly $1495 all up.
Realy happy with it so far, I haven't fired up my desktop pc since i got this, this has totaly changed my opinion on laptops !. I been loving kicking back on the couch comfortably with the pc on my lap browsing away on the net and gaming etc.
Cheers.

DOC · 29-08-2008, 02:28 AM

JUst need to back it up with a good prtable hard drive and your mobile for life, on my 4th laptop now, never looked back.

DoreSlamR · 29-08-2008, 02:29 AM

Nice work!

The hardest thing i found going from a desktop to a laptop is the keyboard, much smaller!

i swear for at least a week every time i went to type a i'd hit the caps lock key or then the insert key when trying to hit the backspace key....was a difficult time for a while there

XR6-VCT-2000 · 29-08-2008, 04:02 AM

DOC... got it ;) , I purchased myself a 1Terabyte external usb hardrive a few months earlier, so thats all sorted.

DoreSlamR.. lol we must be 2 of a kind !, is exactly the probs i have had with it for the last few days, although I'm getting used to it now. But im still loving it.

Thing i think i can't get over is it has a half decent 256mb gfx card with hdmi output aswell so i can also plug it into my 60" plasma tv - bonus ! .

:

Rodp · 29-08-2008, 06:39 AM

I don't mind my lappy, it's basically for work only though. One major difference between my lappy and my desktops is hard drive speed, it's not even in the same ballpark. My lappy hdd is 5400rpm and my desktop has 15k drives in RAID0. Waiting for the lappy to boot, especially when it's running off battery is an ordeal!

fairmont1998 · 29-08-2008, 08:42 PM

Welcome to the club, I've no intention of buying another desktop PC now that I've got a good lappy.

sgt_doofey · 29-08-2008, 09:23 PM

Try doing some intensive stuff like video editing, etc. The new desktops will crap over a laptop any day, mainly for the reason specified already, the hard drive.
Your computer is only as good as the slowest component in it.

GUTLES · 29-08-2008, 09:36 PM

I've got 3 laptops here, 1 for me, one for my wife & one for my 3yo daughter (sad hey, its only a $500 cheapie). Love having them all networked wireless. Can take it from the couch, to the bedroom to the garage. I prefer a nice desktop any day larger kb & screen is so much better, but I found when we used to have a desktop in our study we'd hardly ever use it...

Daymoe · 29-08-2008, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodp

I don't mind my lappy, it's basically for work only though. One major difference between my lappy and my desktops is hard drive speed, it's not even in the same ballpark. My lappy hdd is 5400rpm and my desktop has 15k drives in RAID0. Waiting for the lappy to boot, especially when it's running off battery is an ordeal!

15K?! SCSI? Damn man, that would have set you back a bit.

timace · 29-08-2008, 10:04 PM

I've got two machines of my own, a $500 Desktop (built myself earlier in the year) and a Laptop.

Desktop basically acts as a media store (all my photos, movies, music, etc), TV and torrenting and some occasional work.

My notebook is just for when I feel like kicking back, relaxing on the lounge or in bed with some chillout music and browsing... does most of my work when I'm out of the office, manages my newer photos, due to the built in card reader.

Rodp · 30-08-2008, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 90sFTW

15K?! SCSI? Damn man, that would have set you back a bit.

One of the benefits of repairing servers for a living. They didn't cost me a cent.

GK · 30-08-2008, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodp

One of the benefits of repairing servers for a living. They didn't cost me a cent.

Not bad at all for a regular schmuck! LOL!

GK

HOEBAG · 30-08-2008, 02:47 PM

"got bonus carry case and a small laptop usb mouse too,"

Pretty much ALL asus notebooks come with mice with the exception of the EEE range.

XR6-VCT-2000 · 30-08-2008, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim_reaper

"got bonus carry case and a small laptop usb mouse too,"

Pretty much ALL asus notebooks come with mice with the exception of the EEE range.

Oh well, was still a bonus. Im still happy as larry with it so far, no regrets at all buying it.

V3RSAC3 · 30-08-2008, 03:58 PM

Love my laptop, will never go back to desktop, the laptop gives you so much more freedom and comfort

JADED6 · 02-09-2008, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodp

One major difference between my lappy and my desktops is hard drive speed, it's not even in the same ballpark. My lappy hdd is 5400rpm and my desktop has 15k drives in RAID0. Waiting for the lappy to boot, especially when it's running off battery is an ordeal!

Ahh. That's why every laptop I've used, including the one I'm currently using seems slow.
I think this one needs more ram (only 512)
They test my patience no end.

: need a smash laptop smiley.

Debzilla_108 · 02-09-2008, 06:35 AM

i have a DELL laptop....cost $3500 its pretty good...got the best of everything...i dont know the numbers...but yeah i have my laptop hooked up to a 19" screen and a keyboard on my computer desk and mouse for when im doing tafe and stuff....so its not a pain with the little keyboard..but i still have the freedom to take it with me...

outback_chick · 02-09-2008, 09:08 AM

Well I have to admit.... I had over 3 good top of the range laptops...and then one got stolen so I spoke to the insurance comapny and recieved a custom built desktop... I paid an extra 1200 odd.. included 2 yr extended warranty... below are the specs and I can tell you... our laptops barely get touched now.. We both fight over this desktop.. I love it... since then I have purchased XP and put that on my desktop as I found Vista fought with every bloody thing that I wanted to do.

Anyways I think they are good I asked for what I knew and I wanted it to be fast...... one day we want to upgrade the graphics card again.... please advise if you think anything should be improved etc...also I bought this about a year ago so I already know its outdated... LOL :P

32-bit MS Windows Vista Home Premium 1-Pack OEM DVD Operating System

Microsoft Wireless BLACK Optical Desktop 1000 - Keyboard and Optical Mouse -
Retail Package

Web Excel 56K Internal Modem - Conexant (Rockwell) chipset

MSI ATI HD2600XT PCI-E 512MB 128-bit DDR3, Dual Link DVI, HDMI/HDCP, HDTV,
Integrated HD Audio, Heatpipe

P5K ASUS P5K-iP35 M/board - P35, 1333MHz FSB, Dual Channel DDR2-1066, PCI Express x16, SATA
II RAID, Gigabit LAN, 8-Ch Audio, 1394, CrossFire, ATX

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 CPU, 2.40 GHz, FSB 1066MHz, 2x4MB L2 Cache, Socket LGA775

SATA!!! Samsung SH-S183L Lightscribe Black Internal DOUBLE Layer 18x DVD�RW
Drive, 12x DVD-RAM, 8x �R DL, Retail with software included

SONATAIII NEW! Antec 'Sonata III' MiniTower Case - Piano Black, EarthWatts 500W PSU,
9 Drive Bays, Washable Air Filter, Front USB/eSATA/Audio, ATX

ST3500630AS Seagate 500GB 'ST3500630AS' SATA II 3Gb/s NCQ HDD - 7200rpm, 16MB Cache,
5-year warranty

T2X4096-64C5 Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C5 4GB (2x XMS2 2GB) PC-6400 (800MHz) DDR2 RAM,
2x240-pin DIMMs, Non ECC Unbuffered, 5-5-5-15

VX2235WM Viewsonic 22" VX2235WM Wide-Screen LCD Monitor - Black, Max. Resolution 1680 x
1050, 5ms Response Time, DVI/Analog, Speakers

ASUS WL-138g 802.11g V2 WLAN PCI Card, PCI BUS Management Interface, up to 54Mbps data rate
at 802.11g

MS Office Pro AE 2007

Their total custom build cost came to approx 3800

ch33z1l · 02-09-2008, 10:07 AM

Very nice system there outback chick.

Id recommend a Blueray Burner, as they are down to about $599, u may want to put it off until the release some faster writing models though.

XlR8TED · 02-09-2008, 12:34 PM

Whilst it's not something I'd suggest as an upgrade, but more of something you should be careful of in future, they've given you 4GB of RAM but only a 32 bit Operating System. The maximum a 32 bit OS can use is 4GB, but that includes video card and a few other things - so you're really running with maybe 3.3GB of RAM.

It seems a little bit expensive, but then I think office isn't cheap? (I got my copy though work for $32 :P)

The real advantage to PCs over laptops is the ease of upgrades. If you surf/word process laptops can be great, but gamers and people who like upgrading often would end up poor very quickly buying a new laptop every 12 months, just so they can upgrade a few bits :P

Fev · 02-09-2008, 01:53 PM

why is everyone calling them lappy's? next best thing huh? it sits in your lap and its right in the palm of your hand :P

anyway

I had one for a while, was great - until i knocked it off my desk for the 4th time and it died(it was old, didnt matter) but its very convenient if your not doin much SERIOUS gaming.. in fact thats really the only main reason to get a desk top other then a big screen - but then again you can plug your desktop screen into it anyway!

sgt_doofey · 02-09-2008, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRSex

The maximum a 32 bit OS can use is 4GB

3.5Gb to be exact.

XlR8TED · 02-09-2008, 03:13 PM

3.5 or thereabouts is what you will see. The theoretical maximum is 4 (2^32 / 1024 x 1024). The rest is taken up by Video Card etc.

outback_chick · 02-09-2008, 03:44 PM

I see... so thats why the guy who was building it said it can only be maxed out to 4GB.... so how can I go faster......

Something in common here with cars and computers.. I like them faster LOL

Also with the Bluray... I'm going to hold off on that because I heard that its not going to be out for long... rumours perhaps? maybe? not sure yet.. will find out soon..

And... in my system information it says..

Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
2.41 GHz, 3.25 GB of RAM....

hope that sorts your issues out...