Yet what is largely ignored during this selection dilemma is that the laptop should be chosen according to a user’s specific needs. Different users have different needs according to their professions and interests and luckily the diversity of laptops available in the market caters to these varying demands.
Students
The trend of students using laptops in class hasn’t really caught up in Pakistan. However, a student without a laptop is like Picasso without his paintbrush; taking down lecture notes on paper is just not easy and fast enough.
Students basically require a laptop that is cheap, lightweight and capable of all the essentials like Internet, word processing and video chat. A netbook is a good option for students, which is basically designed to only offer bare essential functions — the Intel Atom processor of the machine is only capable of supporting Internet surfing, document editing and basic media playback. However, the upside of an underpowered machine is a rather long battery life — 6 cell batteries gives around 4 to 5 hours of uptime.
The smaller screen size may put off some users but for a nominal budget, the mini, with ample hard drive space and an excellent keyboard, is not a disappointment.
Currently the most popular netbook in Pakistan is the HP Mini 110-371. Let’s shed light at some of the important features on this computer:
1.66 Ghz Intel Atom processor
1 Gb of RAM
320 GB Hard Drive
10.1” Truelight display
Out of the box genuine Windows 7 starter
Lan, WIFI, Cam, Card reader and Bluetooth,
6 cell battery
Price: PKR 28,500 approx
Students with a higher budget and higher computing needs, should take a look at the HP DV4 3170Tx. While staying true to the cause (portable, lightweight), the DV4 offers additional features for students seeking entertainment.
Professionals
Professionals, who work in offices, spend 6 to 8 hours daily in front of their computers. Their work typically ranges from heavy number crunching, excel calculations to coding applications to making business proposals etc. The laptops for this category need to be top-notch in performance and reliability. HP Probook 4530s serves these needs very well. A quick rundown on the laptop’s features:
Intel Core i3 2nd Generation 2.3Ghz
4 GB RAM
320 GB hard drive
15.6 “ HD ANTI GLARE display
Out of the box genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
Cam, Wifi, Bluetooth, Card reader, Fingerprint security
Price: PKR 43,500 Approx
The most important feature of this laptop is its anti-glare display; this means there is no reflection in the screen even if the brightness of the display screen is set to minimum. This means no pressure on the eyes in long sittings in front of the screen. The widescreen also gives the illusion of a large, spacious desktop workspace which makes longer sittings more comfortable. Packed with a powerful processor, ample RAM and hard drive space and genuine Windows 7; you cannot expect to find a better machine for the price of the sleek and smart Probook 4530s.
Designers
Be it graphic designers, animation artists or professional photographers, working with high definition videos or photographs is the most demanding and resource-intensive task for a laptop. Requirements are extremely high, including massive hard drive space, dedicated and high performance graphics and usually a large screen size for a bigger workspace. Apple seems to have the best solution in the form of its Macbook Pro series. The top features at a glance:
2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
15” or 17” HD display ( glossy or antiglare )
500gb to 750gb hard drive space
4 GB RAM
Intel HD Graphics 3000 and AMD Radeon HD 6750M with automatic graphics switching
Long battery life, immaculate build quality
Supports Final Cut Pro
Price: 173,000 to 225,000 PKR Approx
Extremely heavy on the budget yet totally worth it, the Apple Macbook Pro is the first choice for graphic intensive work around the world. Another reason to get a Macbook Pro would be Final Cut Pro — the most popular multimedia editing software which only works on a Mac environment. Automatic graphics switching powers on the AMD Radeon graphics card whenever the laptop detects some graphic intensive task ensuring top performance every time. With its unique uni-body design and multi-touch trackpad, the Macbook is hard to beat.
Gamers
While serious gamers would prefer desktop machines due to flexibility and customisation options with components, some gaming laptops have been introduced in recent years which are worth buying. The Alienware series namely has made great strides with delivering a rich high-end 3D gaming experience. The Alienware Model M17XR3 comprises:
Core I7 2.20GHz turbo upto 3.30GHz
6 GB RAM
Hard Drive 750GB-7200RPM SATA
Graphics Display 1GB AMD6870 DDR5
17” HD LED Display
9 cell battery
Price: PKR 189,000 Approx
The laptop does cough and sputter when trying to run heavy games on battery power, but plug it in and it will roar like a beast. What’s surprising is the fact that it remains surprisingly quiet while running; it has no loud cooling fan noise and a superb battery life. Alienware is a machine with great aesthetic appeal; one look at it and you would want one right away.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 8th, 2011.
COMMENTS (9)
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@Mohammed Ali: I agree, Probook would also have been my choice because of its more sleeker look and its similar performance :)
@Javad..
Your comment is appreciated. When i was hunting for a new business machine for myself, I didn't even come across Vostro 3550 here meaning that its probably not a machine the dealers are really carrying.. .. And the place i roam around is techno city Karachi.
My aim was to provide the best specs at the best price currently in the market. The only Dell series which are really famous here are the Inspiron N5110's etc .. which are pricier and without genuine win7.
The Probook looks much sleeker with its coffeeish brownish color :P you might not believe it but looks also are very important.
@ Mohammed Ali: It is very unfair to say Dell is "suited more towards entertainment machines". Dell has a very wide range of laptops and Vostro-, Latitude-, and Precision-series are all specifically targetting the professionals and the business segments.
Vostro 3550 is a very good alternative to HP Probook 4530s. Price is pretty much same for similar configuration in PK. But if you are willing to pay more for a computer I would go for a Dell Latitude E5520 or E6520 which can be used with a docking station. Benefits of the dockingstation is that It allows your computer to function as a substitute for a desktop without losing its mobility. You can connect all your peripheral devices like monitor, fullsize keyboard, mouse, speaker, printer etc. It even allows you to work with 2 external screens/monitors at a time.
@saad munir
I feel HP "gets" what professional users want whereas Dell is more suited towards entertainment machines. Price was also a factor i considered and in that the 4530s clean bowled all its competition.
With Toshiba i would agree that their laptops are also pretty good, but in Pakistan the level of support you can find for HP and DELL with regards to warranty and spare parts seems better then any other brand as HP & DELL are the most popular here.
Its been 3 to 4 months since ive been using a Probook and i have no complaints. The matt finish anti glare display is just awesome.
An update to the readers here.. Prices have gone up .. thanks to Dollar malfunctions
@Saad
I suppose HP "gets" what professionals need. I myself wasnt satisfied with the HP Pavilion series in terms of durability but after using the Probook, all my greivances have vanished. Hp really has improved on durability and battery power. The matt finish display of the 4530s is superb. Plus the comparison i made was on prices as well and with that HP fared the best,
An update for the readers here .. prices have gone up .. Thanks to the dollar rate malfunctions
After a Mac, nothing charms me.
What about other brands alternate to HP Pro book. As many people at the same time has issues from HP in terms of their battery and display. Yet Toshiba Professional laptops are the most durable and reliable yet have drawback in terms of design and weight. Can a Dell be a good alternate to HP for a professional?
I have got HP ProBook 4530s and it's awesome.
good piece strong text