Best buy in NZ ?

[mobilenvidia]

Here are my thoughts on a good buy.

HP Pavilion dv5-1005TX

# Processor: Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology featuring Intel® Core?2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26 GHz, 3 MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)

# RAM: 3GB DDR2 (2 Dimms)

# HDD: 320GB 5400RPM Hard Drive

# Display: 15.4" WXGA High Definition BrightView Widescreen Display

# Optical: LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD±RW with Double Layer Support

# Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT with 512MB Dedicated graphics memory

# Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.0

# Wireless: Intel® WiFi Link 5100 (a⁄b⁄g⁄n)

# Modem: Integrated 10⁄100 Ethernet LAN

# Card Reader: Integrated 5-in-1 digital memory reader slot (xD, SD, MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO), ExpressCard⁄54 slot (supports both 34 and 54 form factors)

# Webcam: HP Pavilion webcam with integrated microphone

# I⁄O: 3 USB 2.0, eSata combo, HDMI, VGA, IEEE 1394, RJ-11 ⁄ Modem, RJ-45 ⁄ Ethernet, 1 Headphone jack, 1 Headphone jack (additional), 1 Microphone jack, Consumer IR, AC Adaptor, Integrated HP Mobile Remote Control

# Software: Microsoft® Office 2007 Pro (60 day Trial), Muvee AutoProducer Basic Edition (with 20 Day Trial Full version), Adobe® Acrobat® Reader, Symantec? Norton Internet Security (60 days live update), Symantec? Norton Anti-Virus? Definition Files update, HP QuickPlay Windows 3.7, HP Games Powered by Wild Tangent, HP PhotoSmart Essential, Cyberlink DVD Suite, Cyberlink Youcam

# Operating System: Windows® Vista? Premium

# Warranty: 1 Year

For NZ$1699 ($1599 with cash back) you get a machine with very reasonable specs.

The 9600M GT is not often seen in 15.4" laptops especially not at this price.

It's a good size to cart around and the 3GB will not need upgrading with the 32bit OS

By any means not the fastest laptop on the planet but this should do very well for anyone needing a good honest system on a budget.

The above is ofcourse the NZ/Australia model, but I'm sure other regions will have similar specced models.

If this piece of advice is well received I may just do a few more of these, as it's not to long till Xmas.

[Guest George Walker B.]

so this is professional ad? you get money for this, right?

[Guest Guest]

BEST BUY IN MOROCCO

HP Pavilion dv7-1070ek

# Processor: Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology featuring Intel® Core?2 Duo Processor P7350 (2GHz, 3 MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)

# RAM: 4GB DDR2 (2 Dimms)

# HDD: 500GB 5400RPM Hard Drive

# Display: 17" WXGA High Definition BrightView Widescreen Display

# Optical: LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD±RW with Double Layer Support

# Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT with 512MB Dedicated graphics memory

#3D Sound Blaster Pro 16 bits

# Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.0

# Wireless: Intel® WiFi Link 5100 (a⁄b⁄g⁄n)

# Modem: Integrated 10⁄100 Ethernet LAN

# Card Reader: Integrated 5-in-1 digital memory reader slot (xD, SD, MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO), ExpressCard⁄54 slot (supports both 34 and 54 form factors)

# Webcam: HP Pavilion webcam with integrated microphone

# I⁄O: 3 USB 2.0, eSata combo, HDMI, VGA, IEEE 1394, RJ-11 ⁄ Modem, RJ-45 ⁄ Ethernet, 1 Headphone jack, 1 Headphone jack (additional), 1 Microphone jack, Consumer IR, AC Adaptor, Integrated HP Mobile Remote Control

# Software: Microsoft® Office 2007 Pro (60 day Trial), Muvee AutoProducer Basic Edition (with 20 Day Trial Full version), Adobe® Acrobat® Reader, Symantec? Norton Internet Security (60 days live update), Symantec? Norton Anti-Virus? Definition Files update, HP QuickPlay Windows 3.7, HP Games Powered by Wild Tangent, HP PhotoSmart Essential, Cyberlink DVD Suite, Cyberlink Youcam

# Operating System: Windows® Vista? Premium SP1

# Warranty: 1 Year

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/aa/fr/ho/WF...31-3762998.html

you can find it in BESTMARK in casablanca

for 11050 DH = $1389 = ?982

[Guest Guest]

in portugal HP HP Pavilion dv5-1040ep

I Core 2 Duo P8600, Intel PM45, 1+2GB, 320GB-5400, NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT com 512 MB dedicados, dvdrw LS, Keyboard std, Web + Mic, Vista Premium 32 bits+Works, 15.4"WXGA+ BV

820,90 ?

(if you live in madeira island is less 4% becouse of iva in portugal is 21% and madeira is only 16%)

heheheh

[Guest Guest]

should have an 17 (1400x 900) screen size if you want to full use of the 9600m gt

[Guest Guest]

In Germany:

Acer Aspire 5930G-864G32MN

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2,4 GHz)

Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 9600M-GT (512 MByte DDR3)

Display: 15,4 Zoll WXGA (1280x800, Panel-ID AUO8174)

RAM: 4 GByte DDR2

HDD: 320 GByte Western Digital (Typ WD3200BEVT-22ZCT0)

Optical: Multi-DVD-Laufwerk

Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium

Price: ~ 900 ? --> ~ 1.243 $

More Information: --> http://www.notebookjournal.de/tests/datasheet/613

[Guest Guest]

Addition: English Review

[mobilenvidia]

so this is professional ad? you get money for this, right?

Wrong or where is the link to buy it from ?

Just a personal observation, for a computer with all round specs and not too painful on the pocket.

I've got more in mind not even from NZ or HP :)

And great to see the responses of other countries good buys.

I'm sure this will help potential buyers :)

[thegr8anand]

I bought my XPS M1710 when i was in Auckland. And it cost me NZ $3300!!! and m1710 was more a year old already. I was careless that time and didnt have patience to wait for few months. lol. now i look at the $1300 gateway and just feel sad. :)

[wook]

its good to get other perspectives on laptops prior to purchase. Unfortunately in some countries there are not that many options for performance laptops. so getting additional views on products is essential.

[Grantman]

mobilenvidia - dv5-1005tx definitely the best buy in NZ as of a few days ago. I bought that laptop 9 days ago Sat 18th and it wasn't an easy process. Quite by chance I stumbled upon it browsing the DSE website not really serious about getting a new laptop. My cheapo Compaq c502 had served me well for about 1.5 years and it was still running ok but this deal looked interesting. I could hardly believe the specs for that price. A look at the US prices showed me they were paying approx $2000 NZD equivalent for a similar machine and that was even after our dollar had been plummeting. I wondered about it for a few days then made up my mind to have a look at one. Went down to Auckland and ended up phoning every DSE store from Whangarei to Manakau powerhouse asking if they had any unopened stock but no, the only models left were display models. After grizzling a bit I dropped into one of the stores about 9:30ish to check out a display model and walked over to the laptop section. There was one empty spot and yes it was where the dv5 had been sitting. The salesperson told me a previous customer had just bought it. By this stage I was starting to get a bit nervous as obviously a lot of people had spotted this great deal. Noel Leeming was selling for $2100 after $100 cashback - likewise with Harvey Norman. DSE was the only place selling at $1600 after cash back and no DSE stores had anything left but display models. The next DSE store I went to had the dv5 sitting in display with some nice fingerprints greasing up the screen cementing my desire that if I was going to buy anything to keep for a few years it would have to be new. While I was looking a fellow customer walked up and mentioned that he was wanting to buy 10 of these 1005tx's at that price! I was starting to wish I'd acted sooner and could feel my chances slipping well away. I decided to check out Sylvia park DSE's display model as I didn't have much option, hoping I would find one looking mint and wangle a good discount. On the way a friend suggested we drop by the nearby Harvey Norman and see if they stocked this model. I thought naa, they probably don't have it and even if they did it would be expensive. Walked in and asked for stock availability. No sorry they didn't have any. Walked over to the notebook section and had a brief look and hello there was the 1005tx mislabelled as 1005t at a cost of $2100 after cashback. Got hold of a salesperson and asked if they had any new ones in stock. After a short while he came back "yes". 'Can you knock $500 off and match dse'? 'hang on a second'. He walks away for a moment and comes back 'yes I can do that for you'. The rest is history, I've got my 1005tx, it performs better than I could have hoped at games although I've had the 9600m gt achieve approx 92 degrees, but now it seems to peak at about 85 and idles at approx 40-45. The palm rest wants to sizzle your left palm after some intensive cod4 gaming, the graphics fan can fluctuate annoyingly at temps 45 - 55. Temps below 45 the fan noise is fine. When it get's hot the fan gets pretty loud but that's ok with me. I wanted to dual boot vista + xp but xp doesn't have sound drivers that work properly with this model that I could find and yes I've jumped through some very techy hoops and still get rubbish sound.

Now DSE have put up their prices to $2100 after cashback and seeing our falling dollar prices are only going to have upward pressure for a while anyway. If I'd waited one more week I would probably have missed out.

*edit, as to wanting a higher res screen for the 9600m gt, I would go out of my way to avoid higher res. The 1280x800 res means I can run at native res in games further into the future as gaming below native res isn't worth mentioning.

Edited October 26, 2008 by Grantman

[Guest Guest]

17"=true gaming