Which of these laptops are best?

KellingtonDawg

Hi guys,

I'm buying a new latop in the next few days and I need some advice.

I've a budget of around €500. I'd be using the laptop almost every day as I'm a college student and mostly for things like word docs, powerpoints, general surfing, watching videos, storing photos, some streaming and torrenting.

I do some radio work in college, so I'd love to be able to do some audio editing on the laptop at home, would also like to get into video editing. Hence, would like to use some software like adobe audition, adobe indesign, protools etc, but this isn't essential, just something that would be a big bonus for me.

Haven't used Windows 8 yet, heard its fairly hard to adjust to, but I wouldn't rule it out.

Been looking at a few different options, here is the shortlist. Any advice on the laptops I've shortlisted would be much appreciated. Am also open to recommendations of models I haven't listed.

Thanks

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Lenovo_Z580_1292732.html

http://www.laptopsdirect.ie/Asus_X401_Windows_8_laptop__X401A-WX350H/version.asp

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Lenovo_IdeaPad_Z370_1341189.html

http://www.laptopsdirect.ie/Packard_Bell_TE11_Core_i3_Windows_8_Laptop__NX.C0AEK.007/version.asp

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/ASUS_K55A-SX388H_1337328.html


http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Lenovo_G580_1296595.html

Polar Ice

The first one you listed is about €100 over your budget... Maths eh?

The rest have a huge price difference from €355 to €510.
You've chosen laptops with different screen sizes and completely different battery life too. These are factors which you need to decide upon based on your usage before you start trying to compare which is better.

The Asus with the i5 is the most powerful of the ones you've listed for your price range.

Strangely I don't feel like listing other better ones

Overheal

Haven't used Windows 8 yet, heard its fairly hard to adjust to, but I wouldn't rule it out.

It's hard to adjust to if you're among the self-described "computer illiterate". Which does nothing to point out that children take to it like water, so it's not a UI issue more than it is a problem of institutionalization by the average user. The problem usually stems from a user not, frankly, using their common sense. Most institutionalized users have a hard time even realizing there is a desktop view at all anymore, despite it being a prominent icon in the bottom left of the screen.

machiavellianme

Install Classic Shell ad you wont even realise its windows 8

JackieDaniel

My opinion doesn’t go for i3 laptops. I can see an i3 one in your list. Since you need to do audio and video edition it will be good if you can go for i5 or i7. And if you want to do video editing as well, chose a laptop which has a screen size more than 15.6” .

kirving

For doing work on, go for the biggest screen possible. However, you will regret buying a 17" laptop every single day you have to carry it into college.

Go with a 15.6" at a strech, and save up for a +23" monitor, mouse and keyboard for home.

EDIT: Windows 8 is very easy to use, and certainly has more advantges over 7 than drawbacks.

If it were me, I'd buy a cheap laptop for college work, and desktop if you haven't one alreday, for editing and doing real work on.