Is this worth £850?

[TYNE-MAG]

Hi my Dad wants to buy a laptop. He's ready to spend £850, but I can't tell whether it's worth it or not. I don't want him to rush in and buy anything that isn't worth that large amount of money.

Toshiba Tecra M11 14 inch notebook (Intel Core i5-520M 2.40GHZ, 4Gb, 320Gb, DVDSMDL, WLAN, BT, Webcam, Win 7 Professional): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories

Can someone give me some constructive criticism. The reason he has chosen this laptop is because it is downgradable to Windows XP. It looks like it's got a good processor. Will having XP instead of Windows 7 nulify the performance in any shape or form?

 

[TYNE-MAG]

* Processor clock speed: 2400 MHz
* Processor family: Intel Core i5-520M
* Processor front side bus: 1.066 MHz
* Chipset: Mobile Intel® QM57 Express Chipset
* Total storage capacity: 320 GB

* Genuine Windows 7 Professional 32-bit (pre-installed, Toshiba-HDD recovery) + XP Pro downgrade
* Intel Core i5-520M Processor
* DVDRW SuperMulti drive (Double Layer)
* 4 Gb DDR3 RAM
* 14 inch HD 1366 x 768 High Brightness display with LED backlight and 16:9 aspect ratio

 

[dc8900]

let's put it this way, if this was my money, I would get it saying that, is their a particular need for him to downgrade to XP? Don't get me wrong, I think XP was one of those great OS's but 7 is a more than worthy successor (Vista was the beta that went wrong ) and also this version is 7 Pro meaning it will have XP Mode with it as well

 

[mejinks]

There are much better laptops for the money out there. Does it have to be a Toshiba?

 

[dc8900]

There are much better laptops for the money out there. Does it have to be a Toshiba?

really? please do post examples, as this will help OP

and 'better for the money'? yes, they are cheaper brands which can fit in everything for a sixpence but then let you down on the 367th day of ownership. Also, this Toshiba includes a 3 year international warranty

 

[WildeKarde]

I think we can all throw loads of laptops within the budget for consideration but is there a reason he picked a 14" screen one?

You could pick up a 17" laptop for similar money but not much point recommending that if he want a light portable laptop (hence picking the smaller screen).

 

[TYNE-MAG]

Hi thanks for your posts. Here are some answers to your questions.

Does it have to be Toshiba? - According to him, yes. As Toshiba is a reliable brand, all he's ever owned, doesn't want to risk anything new (very conservative, my Dad!). He's got a point, no one wants to spend money on something that will let them down eventually.

Does it have to be XP - maybe, one of the areas that XP is still useful is in software that doesn't run in Windows 7 (such as old versions of premium engineering programmes). I know there is a Windows XP emulator and to be honest the question of whether his old software would run on Windows 7 anyway is one that we haven't answered yet. Is the windows XP emulator any better or worse for being an emulator? Would running XP straight off be faster than the emulator?

The screen size question is one that he is having second thoughts about. He is now thinking about getting a larger screen, his reason for a smaller screen was weight, but he's starting to figure this is more of desktop replacement.

Thanks again for your replies.

 

[WildeKarde]

Well you can get a decent 17" toshiba for £750 as below:
Toshiba, Toshiba Satellite L670-1DG Laptop - 17.3" Display - Intel Core i5 460M - 4GB RAM - 500GB HardDrive - ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 Graphics - DVD SuperMulti Dual-Layer - Wi-Fi - Windows 7 Home Premium, Laptops, PCs and Laptops - Plus FREE McAf

Price on the website is minus vat for some reason

He could still probably buy a copy of xp if he was really set on using it but might be worth giving windows 7 a go and see how he gets on

I'm sure a few other will make suggestions as well

 

[dc8900]

Does it have to be XP - maybe, one of the areas that XP is still useful is in software that doesn't run in Windows 7 (such as old versions of premium engineering programmes). I know there is a Windows XP emulator and to be honest the question of whether his old software would run on Windows 7 anyway is one that we haven't answered yet. Is the windows XP emulator any better or worse for being an emulator? Would running XP straight off be faster than the emulator?

.

XP Mode (which only come with 7 Pro or 7 U) is not an emulator but rather a virtual machine package. Anyway, XP Mode Explained:

Windows 7's XP Mode: what it is, how it works, who it's for