Spec me a laptop

[Tom84]

Ok so I currently own an old style MBP, this needs replacing as it is and will be once the new OSX is out however in the mean time I need something for work use. I'll pretty much only be using it for occasional internet use but mainly remote support and this is really where the dilemma comes....

I was/am thinking about getting a notebook for the compact factor of them should it ever need to come out on site with me and design wise from what I've seen in the big high street stores the notebooks are much more pleasing on the eyes and the hands then any of the bigger/normal size laptops however as it will be used mainly for remote support the size of the screen of a notebook could be a problem/nuisance.

When we were out looking the g/f pointed out the HP 210-2006sa in a lovely pink colour telling me she wanted one and tbh I'm at the point where I'm thinking of killing two birds - get her what she wants and I'll use it during the day for work use because it's really a quite nice looking notebook.

So I guess the question is is there anything normal size that isn't a lump of ghastly plastic like most seem to be that is quite light/compact and isn't massively expensive (I dont really want to spend more than £600-£700) tbh the design of my 15" MBP is pefect but the battery is pretty crap these days and I dont want to go the dual boot option or take that with me to site even if it is being replaced in the near future.

To sum up a Windows MBP equivalent that's less than £700

 

[olivier renault]

Samsng Q430 / QF / RF / SF.
Sony Vaio E.
Dell XPS 15 (with custom designs available).
Some acers are nice looking, usually the big ones with a metal outer-shell.
HP dm4.
Lenovo Edge.
Lenovo Ideapad.
Asus U35jc (there's the Bamboo version).
Acer TimelineX 3820tg.
HP Envy 14 (expensive).

As for the 'Macbook killers', you have the Sony Vaio's, the Samsungs above, the expensive HP Envy 14.

One problem with all these laptops compared to MBPs are screen resolution and quality (99% stick to the 1366 x 768 standard, glossy) and battery life. The MBP is overall a great design, not completely matched yet.

One the lower scale, netbooks are under-powered in comparison to macbooks, and their screen resolution (1024 x 600) is pretty poor. The most powerful netbook would be the Asus 1215N. Not exactly a looker though, and not that powerful. That HP is looking about on par, however the screen resolution is disappointing.

To summarise, you could get a i3-i5 with a GT 310M / GT 420M / HD5470 / HD5650 type of GPU, switchable graphics (Optimus) would be recommended to extend battery life. Even then, you will not get as good battery life as the MBP.

I would consider the XPS for a thought, given all the customisation options (with more garish designs you can shake a stick at), as well as the Vaio E (also customisable).

And the Samsung SF / QX / RF, which present a good all-round package while not looking like a slab of plastic. The Q430 is a sort of cut down version of the QX, worth considering.

Again stressing you will have standard screen resolution, and OK battery life.