Which Laptop / Notebook to buy - A notebook / laptop buying guide (August 2008)

24 Jul, 2008  Computer, Hardware

The percentage of question which comes to me each day for a new computer is now being dominated by laptop / notebook segment. specially the budget range of Rs. 30,000/- to Rs. 35000/- is what seems people are really attractive too (USD 700-800 range !!)

As I continue to reply emails support request, I see not every model are available in all parts of the country hence I thought to listing few basic steps about finding the right notebook for you.

Why do you need a notebook / laptop ?

Before even you think of buying a notebook, ask your self, the most important question, what exactly would you do with your notebook.

List the mostly used applications for your purpose !! Will you do office jobs, like running tally / accounting software / MS office / emails / printing where you need some entertainment or rather you are looking for a desktop replacement or may be you simply needs to stay online while you are mobile and you are mobile for a longer period of day..

List your task in an oder in which you would mostly use it for…

For example, you have a good desktop configuration back home, so as in office, but for some reason often you have to travel an while you are in move yu must stay in touch of emails and your web site and use some MS office apps.. If you fall in this category, what you need is really light weight device with smaller screen size and just enough power to exicute Windows XP along with MS Office.. For this purpose, 7″ utra portable like ASUS EEEPC / Acer Aspire One / HCL MiLeap type devices are idle !!!

Find the right category for your self ?

There are certain category in notebook / laptop segment,

7″ Ultra portables

Like ASUS EEEPC, they are ultra portable 7″ / 8″ display products comes with 700 to 900 MHz VIA / Intel Celeron / Intel Atom processors, 2 / 4GB Flash based HDD Drive, 512 MB RAM, really light weight. Prices range from Rs. 13000/-

12″ / 13″ Ultra portables

Basically performance devices while keeping the system small. Comes with Core 2 Duo processors, performance graphics cards, upto 4 GB RAM, higher resolution display, upto 250 GB HDD, price may start from Rs. 45 or Rs. 50k for devices like Dell XPS M1330.

14″ / 15″ All in all performance

This is a really versatile platform, price range starts from Rs. 22000 with Intel Celerom mobile processors and can go upto a Rs. 1lack with performance hardware. They heavy and bit bulky too. Like Compaq C702TU / Apple MacBook Pro 15″

17″ Desktop replacement

Performance hardwares meant to replace the need of an desktop !!! They are not really meant for every day movement, price may start from Rs. 38k with compaq model to Rs. 1,35,000 for an MacBook Pro 17″ or Alineware performanc beasts !!

Hey, what about configuration ?

So many terms you see when you walk in to a computer store looking for a notebook, Intel / AMD / nvidia / Wifi / high definition and all that.. So what should you really look while buying a notebook.

The basic difference between a notebook / laptop and a Desktop PC is, there is assemble option available for a desktop, where as no such with the notebook / laptop segment !! Hence you cant make your own configuration, where as you are in need to rely on what the system builder is offering you. What you at max can do is alter few given option from the system builders web site for your notebook.

Budget of bellow Rs. 25000/- to (14″ / 15″)

This segment eyes for those who are in need for a portable solution for basic office need of some client presentation via office application suites.

Bad news is default RAM of the available options would be 256 MB or at max at 512MB. Where as good news is with laptop / notebooks, RAM is upgradeable !!

Things which you need to make sure at this budget is,

  • Look for Intel Celeron M 550 based processors
  • Make sure the chipset is GM965 / GL960 which would come with GMA x3100 (avoid Intel 945 chipsets with GMA 950)
  • Make sure the notebook comes with DDR-II, then again Chipset GM965 / GL960 means you will have DDR-II based rams
  • Make sure the installed memory comes in single slot, which means one signe RAM stick installed at the time of purchase where as keeping the second RAM slot free for you to add more RAM in future !!
  • Windows XP support is must. Make sure the model has windows xp driver download option from its company web site. For example Compaq as a brand as really low support for Windows XP, where as Lenovo / Acer / Dell comes with windows xp drivers !!!
  • Make sure hard drive is 120 GB or more.
  • Make sure you have standard feature/accessories like DVD-RW / Web Cam / Wifi (ABG at-least) / LAN / Card Reader / PCIMCIA slots / BlueTooth 2.0 and USB ports off course.
  • A personal suggestion would be, try and avoid brands such as HCL / SAHARA / Zenith PC / Amar PC
  • Last but not the least is the price must not go over Rs. 25000 including TAX and every thing !!!

These notebooks with higher amount of RAM (1 GB+) can run Windows Vista (chipset GM965-GL960 / x3100), where as it is advisable is that you stick to Windows XP if you are on low amount of RAM. Use Windows Vista downgrade rights to downgrade your copy of vista to windows xp.

Few recommended models under this budget are

There are also HCL / Zenith and other brands available but personally I would suggest to stay away from them. Also Dell Votro series is there but some how dell India pricing doesnt make them an option for this segment !!

Personal vote would go with Acer 5315 because of the value for money where as Lenovo would win my vote for its solid built quality !!!

Budget with Rs. 28000 to Rs. 30000/-

Basic suggestive points of above configuration remains the same, like,

  • Make sure the chipset is GM965 / GL960 which would come with GMA x3100 (avoid Intel 945 chipsets with GMA 950)
  • In case of AMD make sure it comes with nvidia 7000+ GO integrated graphics adapter.
  • Make sure the notebook comes with DDR-II, then again Chipset GM965 / GL960 means you will have DDR-II based rams
  • Make sure the installed memory comes in single slot, which means one signe RAM stick installed at the time of purchase where as keeping the second RAM slot free for you to add more RAM in future !!
  • Windows XP support is must. Make sure the model has windows xp driver download option from its company web site. For example Compaq as a brand as really low support for Windows XP, where as Lenovo / Acer / Dell comes with windows xp drivers !!!
  • Make sure hard drive is 120 GB or more.
  • Make sure you have standard feature/accessories like DVD-RW / Web Cam / Wifi (ABG at-least) / LAN / Card Reader / PCIMCIA slots / BlueTooth 2.0 and USB ports off course.
  • A personal suggestion would be, try and avoid brands such as HCL / SAHARA / Zenith PC / Amar PC
  • Last but not the least is the price must not go over Rs. 30000 including TAX and every thing !!!

Where as the difference is now in processors and RAM size. With this budget, one may now eye for Intel Pentium Dual Core or AMD Turion X2 / Athlon X2 mobile processors and off course least of 1 GB RAM is must.

Few things to look out here are, beware of Intel Core Duo models. The basic difference between a Core Duo and a Dual core is the missing support for feature EM64T (List of Intel Core Duo processors, along with model numbers T2060 / T2080 / T2130). Where as with AMD counter part, try to get your self a Turion X2 over any Athlon X2 models.

Personal suggestion would be opting for an AMD solution under this budget as Nvidia 7xxx Integrated graphics would perform better than Intel x3100 IGP and off course X2 processors are much better than Intel Dual Core counter parts.

Few models to look out are,

Where as all though compaq offers plenty of options with their range of products under this budget, but personally I have felt that their TFT screen performance is not upto the mark as when I have reviewed available options at 30k range. One more major downside with compaq is, official compaq web site doesnt offer any drivers / support for Windows XP, one may have to painstakingly visit 3rd product sites to find and install drivers if planning to go for windows xp.

My suggestion under this range is for Acer 4520 for its value for money performance, aswell as Lenovo 3000 N200 with its rock solid built quality !!!

Budget of Rs. 35000/- more or less 2000

Unlike previous budgets, at Rs. 35k you have less option to worry about. There is no doubt, at this budget one must look for Intel Core 2 Duo based notebook along with x3100 or if can afford then higher end Nvidia 8400 GM graphics adapter !! All brands comes with more or less same configuration, hence you are in no real need check parts by parts configuration. Just that Wifi is now getting upgraded to 802.11n platform, so try to buy a notebook with support of 802.11n platform !! Notebooks like Lenovo 3000 N200 and Dell 1530 already come with Wifi 802.11n setups !!!

Although there not much technical setup to worry about, but this area of budget brings another important factor to consider. That is, the screen performance, under different lighting and wile playing High Definition content !!

Most of the notebooks at over Rs. 35000 would come with Windows Vista Home or Home Basic, hence before buying take a real good look at the screen from different angel, try and ask the dealer to play some High Definition videos for you (you may carry some with your self in pen drive also). Screen performance and looks are some thing which is really depend on person to person, so though I may suggest few models to look for but it is you who has to decide which notebook screen and look you like the best.

Models to look for

You have higher budget ?

The platform would stay same as the before one, where as you would get option from HP / Dell / Lenovo to upgrade system configurations, such as a higher end processors, more RAM, better looks (Like compare Dell 1525 with same config platform of Dell XPS m1530), 9 cell battery, Higher end OS, Nvidia Dedicated 8600m GT GPU for rich gaming experience at budget of Rs. 50000 to 60000.

Or those who wants mobility with performance, they may look at 12 / 13″ performance models like Dell XPS m1330, or Apple MacBook 13″.

Where as with even higher budget like at 80000 or such one may start thinking for an Apple MacBook Pro if he is in heavy multimedia work and editing profession !!

Feel free to post your question comments, as if you have any regarding your choice of your model !!!

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41 Comments so far »

  1. Sanjib Nath said

    am July 26 2008 @ 10:08 am

    What about the IBM Thinkpad Series. How are those in preformance and price wise. I have personally used one of my cousins thinkpad (model i dont remember) and its quite nice. I would love to know u r expert comment. I am planning to buy one within 35-40k range and my first preference goes to IBM.

  2. nataraj said

    am August 3 2008 @ 4:24 am

    sir

    i want know is there any freeware high quality encoder such as mp3, ogg, flac, ape, aac, wma, real audio etc

    kindly let me know

    awaiting you

    reply

  3. nataraj said

    am August 3 2008 @ 4:26 am

    how to run ubuntu 8.04 in pen drive with win xp

  4. gowri shankar said

    am August 4 2008 @ 5:15 am

    I WANT A LAPTOP AT Rs.25000
    PLEASE SAY ABOUT DETAILS .
    CONFIGURATIONS :
    1 GB RAM.
    160 HDD
    17″TFT MONITOR
    INTEL CORE 2DUO 2.2GHz PROCESSOR

  5. saurabh said

    am August 4 2008 @ 9:54 am

    hi,
    I am planning to buy a laptop <=35000
    1. I have decided to buy acer 5920 is this good laptop?how about the quality and service of acer?are there any other good laptops in this price apart from lenovo and dell you have mentioned?
    I will be using it for music(good speaker required),movies,reding ebooks,net,very mild gaming.
    2. I am not in urgent need so will it be wise to wait for 2-3 weeks and buy the new montevina based laptops?will montevina based laptops be available in india by next month?

  6. niielo said

    am August 4 2008 @ 10:00 am

    hi cheeta i m lookin for a used laptop arround a price of 15000 - 20000.so plz help me get one cause i need it for my studies.plz mail me at niielo@hotmail.com

  7. PRATEEK said

    am August 5 2008 @ 1:18 pm

    I WANT TO PURCHASE LAPTOP.I AM A STUDENT AND IT WILL BE ONLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF STUDYING WITH INTERACTIVE CD’S & MUSIC ONLY WILL IT BE GOOD TO BUY A LAPTOP OF 22000/RS APPROX OR SHOULD I BUY DUAL CORE LAPTOP SO THAT IT SHOULD BE HELPFULL FOR FUTURE REQUIREMENTS/SUGGEST CONFIGURATION ,BRAND,PRICE ETC OF PC ASWELL AS LAPTOP
    THANKS

  8. niielo said

    am August 10 2008 @ 7:45 am

    hey can u PLZ post a quick review on DELL VOSTRO 500(Price:23000 )

  9. usman said

    am August 12 2008 @ 7:02 am

    I WANT TO A LAPTOP ,MY BUDGET IS RS.25,000/-
    SEND ME THE DETAILS OF LAPTOPS.
    WHICH MODEL SUITABLE FOR MY BUDGET…

    SEND DEATILS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE……….

  10. saurabh said

    am August 12 2008 @ 7:25 am

    hey no replies what is happening?

  11. Choto Cheeta said

    am August 12 2008 @ 6:28 pm

    @Those who are at bellow Rs. 25k budget, only good available option which is value for your money is Acer 5315 which is Rs. 22.5k - 23k..

    It would come with 1GB RAM / DVD RW / Wifi / Bluetooth and all standard feature but with Celeron mobile 550 series processor… Cel 550 M is good enough as it is built upon new Core2 micro architecture and would be able to run Vista and all office applications with ease !!!

    Where as those who are at Budget of Rs. 35k, do give Lenevo 3000 N200 0769-AB2 a good look, once again a real value for money and over all to me best performance under that budget !!!

    Though it lacks in terms of Speaker performance and looks are also some concern for some !!!!

    It would come with Core 2 Duo 1.6 along with 1 GB as standard where as you can always add another GB RAM which are available at Rs. 1100/- for 667MHz 1GB sticks !!!

    Thanks,

  12. usman said

    am August 19 2008 @ 12:33 pm

    I WANT TO A LAPTOP ,MY BUDGET IS RS.25,000/-
    SEND ME THE DETAILS OF LAPTOPS.
    WHICH MODEL SUITABLE FOR MY BUDGET…

    SEND DEATILS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE……….

  13. mona said

    am August 25 2008 @ 7:57 am

    Hi,

    I am a graphic designer and want a laptop for the same. My budget is aroung 35K-37K.
    Please suugest any good notebook.

  14. Choto Cheeta said

    am August 25 2008 @ 8:21 am

    Hello Mona,

    Graphics designer in the sense of what ? are you using apps like CAD / CAM or rather more in to visual stuff like PhotoShop / Flash and stuff like that ??

    Thanks.

  15. mona said

    am August 25 2008 @ 8:55 am

    More of Photoshop/ corel/ flash like stuff is used.

  16. partho said

    am August 29 2008 @ 4:10 am

    toshiba? no review on it? well compaq is nice. i use both the notebooks. toshiba and compaq. and toshiba beats HP agreed in feature and looks and quality (90k INR) but compaq beats toshiba w.r.t. price 21k INR incl taxes.

  17. Choto Cheeta said

    am August 29 2008 @ 4:17 am

    @Mona

    Please try out Lenovo 3000 N200 0769-AB2 model, you may need to add another extra 1 GB RAM in it also…

    The set up should cost you around Rs. 35k incl TAX.

    Thanks

  18. mona said

    am August 29 2008 @ 5:48 am

    thanks

    I m planning to buy Dell Inspiron 1525 or Dell Studio 15.

    Which is better option? A ltl bit variation in price can be managed.

    Please sugegst.

  19. Choto Cheeta said

    am August 29 2008 @ 5:58 am

    There is a huge difference between the shown web price on dell website and actual street price after adding TAX and duties so please 1st verify whether those product would be able to fit your budget or not !!!!

  20. mona said

    am August 29 2008 @ 8:05 am

    Hi

    Ya, That will fit.

    Whch one to go for.Inspiron 1525 or Studio 15. I have to install software for graphics, so which one will suit my requirement?

    One more thng i want to ask, Is Window Vista OK or opt for some other.

  21. C. Chayn said

    am August 29 2008 @ 8:13 am

    I want to buy a Laptop within 29,000/-
    Intel Core2 Duo
    1024 MB DDR2 RAM
    120GB Hard Disk Drive
    14.1″ WXGA

  22. U.S. Nair said

    am August 29 2008 @ 8:23 am

    Hello!
    I went to Mumbai few days back, there I saw ACI Laptops. Lookwise so so not very good. Please let me know about the Product & its quality. Because these are law cost Laptops. Please suggest which Laptop shall I go for.

    My requirement is:
    Intel Core2 Duo@1.66 or heigher
    2048MB RAM
    120 GB Hard Disk
    WiFi, Modem, LAN, Bluetooth
    DVD-RW
    14.1 WXGA
    Price: 30,000/-

  23. Choto Cheeta said

    am August 30 2008 @ 7:18 pm

    @MONA

    Studio 15 without TAX would be Rs. 46k, where as the base unit of Dell 1525 is Rs. 34k…

    I would prefer buying the Dell 1525 with some upgrade made to it, which you can perform via Web Site, for example upgrading the processor to T8100 along with 4 GB system RAM and 1440×900 resolution display…

    But one thing which pings me is, if you can afford Dell Studio 15 which is Rs. 46k + TAX + Duties, then why not MacBook 13″ ??

    Apple OS X platform would be best for your graphics job, considering Apple has a really really good screen !!!

    Apple MacBook 13″ (2.0 GHz model) should come at Rs. 52k-53k (all)… Also these days they are running some Student discount too (find a student, use his / her ID card to obtain the Discount) !!!

    Know more here,

    http://www.chotocheeta.com/2008/07/18/apple-india-is-set-to-offer-students-discount-on-their-portable-product-range-macbook-macbook-pro/

    @U.S. Nair

    Sir, please take a look at Acer 4720 which has all what you need, just processor is Core 2 Duo T5250 meaning clock speed of 1.5 GHz !!!!

    http://www.acer.co.in/products/product_explore_view.asp?pid=82&model=Aspire%204720%20&cid=11

  24. kapil said

    am August 31 2008 @ 6:12 am

    i am a b.tech student.i want to buy a laptop in range of 30k-35k.i m in west bengal where environmental conditions are hot & humid.plz suggest me few laptops of this range.
    should i go wid pentium dual core or amd turion?

  25. kapil said

    am August 31 2008 @ 6:31 am

    i am a b.tech student.i want to buy a laptop in range of 30k-35k.
    i m in west bengal where environmental conditions are hot & humid.
    plz suggest me few laptops of this range.
    should i go wid pentium dual core or amd turion?

  26. Sanjeev said

    am August 31 2008 @ 11:20 am

    I an a graduating student so want to have a laptop more durable and having all the latest features like in compaq c707tu and mainly needed for surfing gaming and downloading from net and must be less than 35k . And the product have warranty

  27. mona said

    am September 1 2008 @ 5:20 am

    Thanks Choto cheeta.

  28. pritam said

    am September 2 2008 @ 6:03 am

    hi.
    sir i have budjet around <=40. and i akm really confused which one to buy ..i.e between lenovo or dell..
    sir please .kindly advice me wat to do?

  29. Sathya Rajan said

    am September 2 2008 @ 11:35 am

    Need help in buying laptop. I’m a student. Need a good laptop solely for programming. I don’t care about multimedia features. But the machine should be good enough process image processing and analysis and I’m going to program in directx also. Should be <=25k rupees. It should have a rs232 port and also have atleast 2 or 3 usb ports required for interfacing some embedded system kits. Please help. Its urgent. Wasted lot of time searching in the internet.

  30. mona said

    am September 11 2008 @ 5:49 am

    Hi Choto cheeta,

    I find ur suggestion very helpful. I don’t wnt to go for Mac Book.
    I am planning to buy Dell Insiron 1525 with T8100, 3GB ram, 250GB HDD. Wat about T5750, isn’t that be ok? Is there is too much diffrnce b/w 15′ screen & 14′ screen.

    I am really so confused.Please help me out.

    One more thing will the same confign be availble in Sony & Hp. Is it is , then whch one to go for? wat about performance of Sony & Hp.

  31. sunitha said

    am September 15 2008 @ 5:39 am

    hi will send me details of laptops which cost around 25,000/-

  32. sunitha said

    am September 15 2008 @ 5:46 am

    hi am an engg student suggest ne few laptops which meets the requirenment….the cost will be around 25000

  33. saurabh said

    am September 21 2008 @ 10:27 am

    Hello, this is an update to the aug laptop buying guide by chotocheeta with some addition done by me i hope you all will find it useful .
    Note:All prices indicated are approx. Street prices (including all taxes etc). The prices may vary +- rs.500 to rs.1000 or more depending on city and place you buy from. Also note that all models may not be available in all parts of country.
    The major brands to look for are Lenovo,Acer,Dell,Compaq,HP,Toshiba,IBM,Sony. As mentioned by choto, try and avoid brands such as HCL / SAHARA / Zenith PC / Amar PC etc.
    If you find any laptop model which is good and worth mentioning in a category please do post with configuration and price
    I donot need to go in details of type of laptop,category or configuration etc. As it is clearly mentioned in guide. Coming directly to main stuff (I will mainly be focusing on budget category with best value for money).
    1.BUDGET around Rs.20000
    In this category you will find ultraportables like asus eeepc,msi wind and the newly launched acer aspire one. these are meant mainly for office users,students,those who need to travel a lot and need a laptop for business purpose,as a mobile internet and communication device or those who need a secondary laptop.
    These are the cheaper variety of ultraportables meant mainly for business purpose on the move and not meant for heavy use. It is better to call them netbook rather than notebook.
    Asus eeepc
    Msi wind
    Acer aspire one
    Linux version Rs.19000,XP version Rs.21500

    2. BUDGET around Rs.25000
    In this segment notebooks to look for

    Acer aspire 5315 Intel Celeron M 560 Processor ( 2.13 GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 533 Mhz FSB), Intel 960GML Chipset with Intel GMA X3100, 1 GB DDR2 Memory 667Mhz, 15.4″WXGA TFT LCD , 1280 X 800 Resolution, High brightness 200 nits screen with Crystal brite screen with 16ms response time, 120GB Hard Disk Drive , 8X DVD Writer, Acer Crystal Eye Webcam, Integrated 802.11 b/g Wireless LAN, 56K Fax Modem, 10/100 Ethernet, 3 USB 2.0 Ports, Linux Operating System (1 Year International Traveller’s Warranty)
    Price: Rs. 25000/-

    Compaq Presario C791TU
    Intel Celeron-M 550 (2.0 GHz) / Intel 960GML Express Chipset / 1 GB DDR2 (667 MHz) /120GB HDD SATA / 8X SuperMultiDrive DVDRW with DL/ 15.4″ WXGA TFT with BrightView Screen Technology /Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100 / Up to 128 MB TAG memory / Altec Lansing Stereo Speakers / 56K Modem / Integrated Webcam / Integrated Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g / LiIon Battery / TouchPad / S-Video TV Out /2 USB 2.0 / DOS, Carry Case ( 1 Year Limited Warranty)
    Price: Rs. 25550/-

    Lenovo 3000 G410-2049 52Q
    Intel Celeron M Processor 550 (2.0GHz, 1MB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB), Intel 945GM Chipset, Interl GAM 950 Integrated Graphics, 512MB DDR2 RAM, 80GB SATA HDD, Dual Layer DVD Writer, 14.1 inch Widescreen TFT, 802.11b/g WiFi,LAN, 56K Modem, 4 in 1 Card Reader, 3 USB Ports, DOS, carry Case (1 Year Limited Warranty)
    Price: Rs. 24550/-

    These are the best available for the price and among these acer 5315 comes out as clear winner for its value for money. second best will be Compaq unless you are diehard fan of Lenovo. And NO you cannot buy a c2d in this budget (maybe in future).

    3. BUDGET around Rs.30000
    In this category it is really difficult to choose as you will find many products from different brands with similar config. And more or less similar pricing.
    I feel in this category it is better to go with amd+graphics card based laptops than intel as what you will get is the dual core+onboard graphics which are less powerful compared to amd counterparts. some to look for are

    Acer aspire 4520 NWXMi
    Mobile AMD Athlon 64 X2 TK-57 (1.9GHz) Processor, Nvidia nForce Graphics, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 160GB HDD, 8X Dual Layer DVD Writer, 14.1″ Crystal Bright WidescreenTFT, Integrated Web CAM, Integrated Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, LAN, 56K Modem, 5 in 1 card reader, 802.11b/g WiFi, 4 USB Ports, Linux OS, 1 year standard ITW
    Price: Rs. 28000/-

    Acer aspire 4720ZNWXMi
    Intel Pentium Dual Core Processor T2390 (1.86GHz, 1MB, 533MHz), Intel 960GL Chipset with Intel GMA X3100 Integrated 3D graphics controller, up to 224MB Shared Memory, 2*1 GB DDR2 Memory 667Mhz(1 GB), 14.1″WXGA TFT LCD , 1280 X 800 Resolution, High brightness 200 nits screen with Crystal brite screen with 16ms response time, 160GB Hard Disk Drive, 8X DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive, Integrated 802.11 b/g Wireless LAN, 56K Fax Modem, 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Integrated Webcam, 4 USB 2.0 Ports, Integrated 5-in-1 Card Reader, Dolby Sterio Speakers, Linux Operating System (1 Year International Traveller’s Warranty)
    Price: Rs. 30000/-

    Compaq C770TU
    Intel Pentium Dual Core Processor T2370 (1.73 GHz) / 1 MB L2 Cache / 1GB DDR2 / 160GB SATA HDD / 8X SuperMulti DVDRW with DL/ 15.4″ Widescreen WXGA TFT Display with BrightView Screen Technology /Intel 960GL Express chipset/ Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100 / up to 251 MB TAG Memory / Altec Lansing Stereo Speakers / 56K Modem /Integrated Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g / LiIon Battery / TouchPad / S-Video TV Out / 2 USB 2.0 / Integrated Webcam / DOS, Carry Case ( 1 Year Limited Warranty)
    Price: Rs. 30000/-

    Lenovo 3000 N200-0769 A74
    Mobile Intel Pentium Dual Core T2370 Processor @ 1.73GHz, Intel 960ML Chipset, 512MB RAM, 120GB HDD, Dual Layer DVD Writer, 15.4 inch Widescreen TFT, Integrated Bluetooth, 802.11a/b/g WiFi,LAN, 56K Modem, 4 in 1 Card Reader, 4 USB Ports, Free Dos, Carry Case( 1 Year Limited Warranty).
    Price: Rs. 31000/-

    I personally don’t recommend HCL but i could not stop myself not to look at this model from HCL.I don’t think that any company can beat this.For the price what HCL is giving I think this is the cheapest c2d laptop that you can get in this budget and certainly better than buying any local brand(If anyone knows any other do let us all know) So,those of you who want a c2d in this budget range you can get it only from HCL.But even though it is cheapest i will spend few extra bucks and go for some better brand.

    HCL B3011
    Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5550 1.86 GHz, 667 MHz FSB, Wireless Network 802.11b/g, Free DOS,1 GB DDR2 SDRAM upgradeable,160 GB SATA Hard Disk Drive, DVD Super Multi Drive, Web Camera Integrated, Bluetooth Integrated, 15.4”WXGA Wide Screen TFT (1280X768) with View Perfect Technology Inbuilt, 4 in 1 Card Reader, PC Card Slot,87 Keys + 2 Hot Keys Keyboard, Touchpad Li-ion Battery (6 cells) Approx. 3 Hrs (Idle State)Approx. 2.8 Kg weight without Adaptor, 10/100 mbps Ethernet, 56K Modem, Inbuilt Speaker, System Power Management -ACPI 3.0 with Enhanced Intel Speed Step technology Ports: 4 USB, 1* mini IEEE1394, 1*External MIC, 1*External Audio, 1*Internal MIC one Year Warranty, Leaptop Companion DVD Targus Carry Bag
    Price: Rs. 31900/-

    4.BUDGET around Rs.35000
    This category also provides plenty of options for the customers.
    At this price you can get a full fledged notebook with almost all modern features expected in a notebook. This kind of notebook is perfect for home users and for those who will use it for all general purpose it will run all your software,music, videos, vista with aero effect and can do mild gaming(don’t expect to play crysis with onboard graphics)
    The only thing that i would like to mention is that you might not get a graphics card(except if you buy amd based laptop) at this price and may have to push your budget to get one.
    Having a discrete graphics card is better than an onboard graphics solution but this is upto you as if you are not planning to do any gaming or want to do very mild gaming or will not use any graphics intensive programs then onboard X3100 should be enough for you
    Look for no less but c2d based laptops.
    Models to look for

    Acer aspire 5920NWXMi
    Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5550 @ 1.86GHz, Intel 965GM Chipset with GMAx3100, 2GB DDR2 RAM, 160GB SATA HDD, 8X Dual Layer DVD Writer, 15.4″ Crystal Bright WidescreenTFT with 220nits and response time 8ms, Integrated Blueetooth 2.0, Integrated Web CAM, LAN, 56K Modem, 5 in 1 card reader, 802.11a/b/g WiFi, 3 USB Ports, Linux , Dolby sterio Speaker with subwoofer, 1 year standard ITW.
    Price: Rs. 34500/-

    Compaq C785TU
    Intel Core2 Duo Processor T5550 (1.86 GHz) / Intel 965GM Express Chipset / 1 GB DDR2 (667 MHz) /160GB HDD SATA / 8X SuperMultiDrive DVDRW with DL/ 15.4″ WXGA TFT with BrightView Screen Technology /Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) X3100 / Up to 128 MB TAG memory / Altec Lansing Stereo Speakers / 56K Modem / Integrated Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g / LiIon Battery / TouchPad / S-Video TV Out /2 USB 2.0 / DOS, Carry Case ( 1 Year Limited Warranty)
    Price: Rs. 35000/-

    Compaq Presario V3749AU
    AMD Turion64 X2 TL-60 (2.0 GHz) / 512KB L2 Cache /2GB DDR2 / 160GB SATA HDD / 8X SuperMulti DVDRW with DL/ NVIDIA MCP67M Chipset / 14.1″ Widescreen WXGA TFT Display with BrightView Screen Technology / NVIDIA GeForce Go7150M GS/ Upto 799MB TAG Memory / Altec Lansing Stereo Speakers / 56K Modem /Integrated Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g / LiIon Battery / TouchPad / S-Video TV Out / 3 USB 2.0 / Integrated Webcam / Vista Home Basic, Carry Case ( 1 Year Limited Warranty)
    Price: Rs. 35000/-

    Lenovo 3000 N200-0769 AB2
    Mobile Intel Core 2 Duo T5450 Processor @ 1.66GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 667 MHz FSB, Intel 965GM Chipset, 1GB DDR2 RAM, 160GB SATA HDD, Dual Layer DVD Writer, 15.4 inch Widescreen TFT, Integrated Bluetooth, Intgrated Web CAM, 802.11a/b/g WiFi,LAN, 56K Modem, 4 in 1 Card Reader, 3 USB Ports, DOS, carry Case (1 Year Limited Warranty)
    Price: Rs. 36500/-

    Few things to note
    About Dell >i did not mentioned dell not because they are not good but because of the difference in web price and the delivery price. Though dell makes good laptops which are customizable and real value for money at the web price but the final price that you have to give defeats whole purpose of any savings. >For any laptop shown on the web you will have to add Rs.5000 or more extra as taxes and delivery charges so a 35000 laptop on web will cost you 40000 or more. >Second thing is that there are not much service centers and also you cannot look and feel the laptop personally before buying(i have heard that dell will partner with some store chain and you can see the laptops before buying but don’t know when this will happen). >So buy dell only if you have budget of >35k(maybe you can get a vostro for less) and if you don’t mind spending those few extra bucks in taxes and delivery charges. Dell is good for those with budget range of 40k-60k. >Those looking for gaming laptops Dell XPS series is the best. >One tip to save money is if you know anyone who is a dell employee then get the laptop through him/her as they get heavy discounts as an employee and you will get laptop even cheaper than the web price.So,if you know anyone then think for no other laptop but dell.

    About HP >HP laptops are known for their quality but this comes at premium price. Compared to similar products in market HP laptops costs about 5000-15000rs more than others. >One more thing do look at HP india site as HP has launched new model with great configs.

    About Macbook >Real good machine but same problem cost.

    About sony very few options to choose from and that too is costly compared to the config provided(sony laptops just for total show off)

    About Toshiba >haven’t seen much around so can’t really comment on it.

    So to summarise in short Budget 20k-35k ?go for brands like Acer,Lenovo,Compaq as these will only give you best value for money in this range. Budget >40k? go for Dell,HP,Macbook

    About Centrino 2:
    Centrino 2 is now here (launched by intel in july 2008) so i don’t know where the market will turn. None of the major brands except HP have launched centrino2 notebooks in India which indicates that major brands are still trying to sell centrino and most probably if you buy a laptop now you will buy a c2d+x3100(centrino) as market is filled with these and even the older generation dual core and amds.
    To highlight features of Centrino2
    • code-name Montevina
    • fifth-generation Centrino platform, now formally named Centrino 2
    • processor–?a second-generation Intel Core2 Duo 45nm processor with 1066 MT/s FSB with clock speeds ranging from 2.26 GHz to 3.06 GHz, also featuring SSE4.1 support, which adds 47 new instructions to SSSE3. It is planned to consume no more than 29W, compared to Merom’s and first-generation Penryn’s 34W TDP.
    • an Intel Mobile 4 Express series chipset ( GL40, GS45, GM45, GM47 or PM45) with Intel’s GMA X4500 graphics technology and ICH9M southbridge, 1066 MT/s front side bus. The graphics core GM45/47 is expected to be clocked at 533/640MHz which will contain ten unified shaders, up from the eight provided by GMA X3100. X4500 is 3 times more powerful than X3100.Performance of X4500 can be compare to nvidia 8400GS and it will be able to run crysis in low settings.
    • RAM support for DDR2-667, DDR2-800, DDR3-800, DDR3-1066 and DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM.
    • NAND flash-memory caching branded as Intel Turbo Memory .
    • Gigabit Ethernet LAN controllers 82567LM and 82567LF .
    • Main support for DisplayPort with an external connector attached to the motherboard along with full supplemental support of HDMI, DVI, and VGA standards.
    • Intel WiFi Link 4965AGN (a/b/g/draft-n) Wireless-N technology boasts a 5X speed increase, along with a 2X greater coverage area.
    As from my prediction you should be able to get centrino 2 notebooks from all major brands by end of this year or starting of 2009 by then market will be ready.
    So if you need laptop urgently go ahead and buy one or if you want to wait, wait for centrino2 not centrino.

    Hope this helps

  34. joydeep said

    am September 26 2008 @ 9:03 am

    Hi

    I am a professional looking ou for a laptop within 40-45K(max)
    The specification I need are :
    Intel Core 2 Duo Process (5000 series and above)
    2GB or more RAM.
    256 MB or more of dedicated graphics card
    15.4″ monitor.
    3 yrs warranty.

    Pleaase suggest a laptop i should be looking around.

  35. Baishali Biswas said

    am September 27 2008 @ 1:06 pm

    Hi Choto, This is Baishali again..
    I still havent bought a notebook yet. My budget has increased however!! :D

    This is what I am looking for now..

    Processor - C2D with 2.0 GHz or Above with FSB 800 MHz or higher, L2 Cache - 2 MB or higher
    Board - Intel GMA 4500MHD or Better
    RAM - 2 GB DDR2 667 MHz, upgradeable to 4 GB or higher
    HDD - 250 GB or higher
    ODD - DVD Burner Double Layer 16X or 24X or better
    LAN - 1 GigaBIT
    Wireless - ABGN
    Screen - 17″ or higher
    Resolution - 1440 x 900 or higher
    Ports - 4 USB Ports, 1 HDMI, 1 VGA, 1 RJ11, 1 RJ45,
    1 Headphone, 1 Microphone,
    Expansion Dock, Finger Print Reader
    OS - DOS
    Extras - Bluetooth, Integrated WebCam 1.3 MPs or higher, 5-in-1 Card Reader, Good Quality Speakers, Back Pack.

    My Budget is around 40k to 45k INR. Please suggest me a notebook with the above configuration from HP, Compaq or Lenovo. I am totally biased towards Intel so please do not suggest any AMD solutions. Again, I am not interested in Dell or Apple. Also, please do not include the price of the care pack or warranty pack in my budget because I am going to consider that separately.

    Thank you, Choto!!

  36. Sree said

    am September 29 2008 @ 7:47 am

    Hi , I want to buy a new laptop which company is better . My budget is max 35000/- can you give me the details models of the company they provide core 2 dueo and ram 2gb above can I ectend ram If I extend ram what about the processor is it support
    This is for java/j2ee purpose

    Thanks
    Sree

  37. lucky said

    am September 29 2008 @ 8:03 am

    hi myself lucky and i am a comp. sc. engineering student and i want to know about LENOVO 3000 Y410 77578BQ and COMPAQ C770TU notebooks. please reply me which one is better between these two.

  38. Sharon said

    am October 21 2008 @ 4:34 pm

    Hi yaar,
    What happened to u yaar? It’s the same with ur blog. Are you ok yaar? I sincerely hope you are doing good yaar. Do reply me if u can. Take care yaar.

  39. Shravan said

    am October 30 2008 @ 10:08 am

    Any Particular reason why your not recommending HCL..??

  40. Shravan said

    am October 30 2008 @ 10:10 am

    Any Particular reason why your not recommending HCL..??
    Im lookin at the HCL Notebook B24-B2419. Any reviews on it…??

  41. ravi said

    am November 6 2008 @ 2:22 pm

    Hello Choto,
    I am interested in buying a laptop with the following configuration with a budget of 25-30k. Pls suggest suitable model:

    1. Good processor - not sure whether to go for AMD Turion or Intel Core 2 Duo
    2. 120-160 GB HDD
    3. 1-2 GB RAM
    4. Bluetooth
    5. WiFi
    6. DvD RW
    7. good graphics card
    8. at least 4 usb drives
    9. Lightweight
    10. good battery life

    best regards…ravi

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