Buying A Budget Laptop : HELP!

[noman]

So consider acer only if the budget is below 50000.

Originally Posted by NasirJumani

Hi all,
I want to buy a laptop in 40-45k range, however can extend it to 50k if the deal strikes me. I am going to buy it in 2-3 days....

that was the thread about...and my question also...
becoz usually those with less budget have two options..

1.get brand new toshiba or acer
2.get used big brand

now i woud guess that option 1 wud be better...considering that newer ones' battery will last longer....

wat u say?

[Digital Jedi]

And noman change your signature please.

[noman]

which part u dont like?i suspect the upper one, right?if u have issues with it...i wud be more than happy to explain it to u.......and plz dont discuss it here....u can pm me or open new thread....

now wat u have to say abt the two options?

[Digital Jedi]

I have used toshiba once or twice, it looks real cheap but it seems good (but i don't have much info about it's quality and performence), but i suggest raise the budget to 56000 and get a proper dell or compaq. Among the two, nothing beats the brand new thing, but i would still recommend, try your best to avoid acer.

[noman]

but i would still recommend, try your best to avoid acer.

so ur saying option 2??

if not....what do u suggest to a person below 45k to do? (besides raising the budget)???

there are a lots of used ones available....and there are these low quality (according to u) brand new ones.....
there must be a way for a poor person....

[Digital Jedi]

So just remember this point and make your decision considering it!

Originally Posted by DigitaL JedI

So actually there is nothing genuinely wrong, all these are obvious trade-offs that you usually find in cheap products, except the battery and charger problems. So this is the thing which makes acer bad.

So, ok, ok, acer, in Pakistan, where MSI, Asus and other cheap ones are not so widely available, acer maybe the only way. I agree, but it is bad. Saving for 3-6 months to raise the budget is better than buying acer.

there are a lots of used ones available....and there are these low quality (according to u) brand new ones.....

Buying a used laptop is a very tricky business, it's difficult to judge the condition etc and sometimes even faults in used laptops, so i suggest stay away from it, or take someone who is real good in judging the quality of used laptops and know the tricks the shopkeepers play. Also use the laptop for at least 1 hour, check as much as possible, put the laptop on full load on battery, see the charging time and heat generated. Look for funny noises etc. Check all the ports, specially the USB ports, burn at least one CD/DVD with the drive. Also see the quality of the screen, LCD dies quickly. But avoid it.

[NasirJumani]

after a lot of search...i decided to buy hp 540/priced 45-46k....is it worth the money....or are there any drawbacks???

[Digital Jedi]

For the price, it is great!

[sbhesania]

Originally Posted by DigitaL JedI

I have seen loose clips and non-consistent lines in one or two acers but usually the plastic is cheap or looks cheap.
Quality of the display, inaccurate colours and a lot of greyish tone in all colours, you'll easily notice that, but the newer extrensa has much improved display.
My friend's acer battery died in 6 months and charger replaced thrice if i remember correctly in 2 years. Few other people complaining similar problems with battery and chargers as well.
Some people complaining that the hardware fails (not much details since this is not from any reliable source, and mostly related to acers that are more than 1.5 years old), but the recent acers i have used mostly have better hardware quality. Hardware problems were not from the sources i trust, but when so many people shout, it's for a reason, so I have my doubts. Believe in this point only if you want to, but i believe it.

So consider acer only if the budget is below 50000.

So actually there is nothing genuinely wrong, all these are obvious trade-offs that you usually find in cheap products, except the battery and charger problems. So this is the thing which makes acer bad.

i would have definitely agreed with you on most of your points a couple of years back... i remember the cheap plastic acers with horrible build quality. also the battery issue had been quite prominent. however in recent times i have really seen the products offered turned around, from a cheap look and feel the company has evolved into sort of something like AMD and tend to offer the best bang for the buck without compromising on quality. also if you consider it then i guess acer is the one of the few brands available which offer local warranty unlike other brands available. one more thing that i would like to add is that one of my friends recently bought the latest model of the HP tablet (the TX series) and the build quality on it is pathetic along with performance but this does not generally relate to HP making pathetic PC's now does it?

[Digital Jedi]

Well according to the latest i know, the low quality LCD is still there, and so are the cheap plastics. Also too many people complaining about the charger and the battery. But i have told that I have seen better hardware coming on acer now, but i still don't consider it top notch. But after your post, i'll try checking the most recent acers again.

[noman]

digital jedi.........also include the netbook portion in ur laptop buying guide.....because for some people those cheap little things might be a good option........so include those as well...keeping in mind options available in pakistan..

[jackson5]

keep them coming guys , i have a exact range and looking for a lappy atm !
thanx for the input.

[imhassan]

Originally Posted by DigitaL JedI

1) Acer's build quality is rubbish
2) They have the lowest quality screens i have sen in laptops
3) User experience: batteries lose time quickly, accessories and parts not available in Pakistan so easily (may have changed)
4) Problems come quite often

+1
Totally agree with all said above. I'd like to add bad design, and heat up issues as a result of the design to these points. I've had a miserable time with the new ones as well. Avoid Acer at all cost.
I say, get an HP. Now that they have official presence in Pakistan (good for warranty, upgrades etc) , no need to go for any other brand.

[NasirJumani]

Got HP 540...

[TsAr]

Mubarak ho