New computerHi

[Blue bruce]

Hi, I was wondering if someone on the forum could help guide me.  I am in the process of searching for a new lap top computer for home use.

. I do mainly e mail and Web surfing, nothing work related. 

What I want to know is what is the preferred brand using windows . How much memory and GB do  I need? ? ? 

Also is there a good place to buy in Buriram or would it  be better to go to Bangkok 

I am traveling to America in 2 months are prices cheaper in America or similar to Thailand.

Lastly is is there a good computer tech near Buriram . Thanks for all your help.

[Blue bruce]

I posted this in another forum its my mistake if it duplicates.

I am in the process of shopping for a new laptop  computer for the home. I only use it for e mail and browsing. I Don't need it for work or special programs or spread sheets. 

There are many brands available , has anyone had any good luck with a certain brand. I like using windows so that leaves apple out. 

How much memory should I be looking for,  How many GB?  ? ? What about processor speed? ? ? 

Are there any good computer  shops near Buriram? ? ?  Or would I be better off shopping in Bangkok. I am traveling to America in 2 months.  Should I wait until I get to America or are computer prices similar to Thailand ?.? 

Lastly does any one know a good tech guy near Buriram?  ? ? 

Thank you

[Dexlowe]

If your needs are that simple, then your major concern can only be price. But of course you can expect things to change - they always do - so it's probably wise to go for something that can be upgraded (like the graphics card, for example). I now use my old laptop (6-7 years old) to play movies sometimes on my smart TV. 

 

An Acer at about 20k baht with 4gb of RAM, 2.4gb of processing power and 500gb of space is all I would consider (but others will think that too simplistic, so take heed of what they say). 

[kkerry]

For basic computing without going for the cheapest options, I would look for Intel i3 CPU with 4GB RAM as a minimum. You can do what you want cheaper but nowadays you don't really save that much.

Size of the hard disk depends on if you need to save lots of movies and photos. Even cheap laptops have at least a 500GB hard disk nowadays.

 

America is generally the cheapest place to buy computers but depends on whether warranty is an issue for you. Spend a bit more and buy in Thailand if it is.

Keep in mind that cheap computers in Thailand often do not include Windows so you may need to factor in a few thousand baht extra. In the US everything seems to include a genuine version of Windows.

 

Brand wise, everyone's experience differs so you end up with twenty replies on how Acer are rubbish, HP break down, Lenovo are useless and Asus fall apart, but they are the brands you will see in every shop so just pick out whatever looks best for you. Maybe take a look on Amazon to see user reviews before you purchase in case a particular model has a very high number of negative reviews. 

No idea about shopping in Buriram but J.I.B are the biggest computer retailer across Thailand so should have a store somewhere in your part of the world.

 

 

[Angry Beaver]

Most importantly, what's your budget?

[kekalot]

if it's just for normal browsing, youtube, emails and google/facebook stuff I would suggest you look into  a Vivobook from Asus

 

www.invadeit.co.th/ is where I would buy all my stuff from.. in America you could get a Chromebook which is equivalent and quite cheap but it doesn't use windows, it uses Chrome OS (no Windows programs will work)

 

the Asus Vivobook on InvadeIT that is 7990 baht is plenty for browsing but it has a small hard drive of 32 GB (yes, 32gb) which is plenty for windows but if you start downloading stuff you might want to get an external hard drive for it.

 

basically, any laptop would work for you, you just want to make sure it has Windows on it if that is what you are familiar with.. the rest is gravy.

external hard drives you you basically always want one of those so can backup your laptop AND store your files on it.. prices vary depending on size you would wish but you would at least want a bigger external hard drive than the one you have on your laptop (otherwise you might not be able to backup your full laptop on it

Edited September 20, 2016 by kekalot

[KhunBENQ]

Why put this in Isan forum?

I suggest to move this to the IT forum.

 

[ajarngreg]

50 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

Why put this in Isan forum?

I suggest to move this to the IT forum.

 

 

 What does that mean? Isaan farmers shouldn't be allowed to have a notebook? Most Isaan farmers I know read this forum daily. 

[Angry Beaver]

2 minutes ago, ajarngreg said:

 

 What does that mean? Isaan farmers shouldn't be allowed to have a notebook? Most Isaan farmers I know read this forum daily. 

Maybe because the topic is related to "IT" hence the suggestion to move it to IT forums...

 

Back on topic...what's your budget?

Edited September 20, 2016 by Angry Beaver

[ajarngreg]

2 minutes ago, Angry Beaver said:

Maybe because the topic is related to "IT" hence the suggestion to move it to IT forums...

 

Back on topic...what's your budget?

 

      Time to clam down and understand jokes. 

[Blue bruce]

My budget is 15,000 baht

4 minutes ago, ajarngreg said:

 

      Time to clam down and understand jokes. 

Thanks kekalot I will look into asus

 

8 minutes ago, Angry Beaver said:

Maybe because the topic is related to "IT" hence the suggestion to move it to IT forums...

 

Back on topic...what's your budget?

15000 baht maximum

[Blue bruce]

15000 max

[Angry Beaver]

7 minutes ago, ajarngreg said:

 

      Time to clam down and understand jokes. 

Great joke. 555.

By the way, I wasn't "angry" or "worked up" about it. I guess it's difficult to tell someone's tone or attitude over the internet through text, huh?

 

This ASUS has decent specs for the price, but no OS. You can always find some shop to install a copy of Windows 10 or whatever you like.

http://www.invadeit.co.th/product/notebooks-laptops/asus/k455la-wx736d-blue-intel-core-i3-5005u-4gb-ddr3-500gb-14inch-led-intel-hd-no-os-p027643/

 

 

[Blue bruce]

15000 max budget

[Blue bruce]

I'll check out J.I.B Thanks

[kkerry]

If you prefer to only spend 15,000, the US will have a better range of low priced laptops with Windows installed.

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The other thing that the OP didn't mention -- which usually is a major price factor in laptops -- is the screen size. For me, I find the 15 inch variety works well, and isn't too big or heavy to carry around. 17 inches is fine too, but more expensive and heavier to carry if you need to, but great if it's just going to sit on a desk. Under 15 inches and I find I don't get enough screen real estate or the characters have to be very small to fit on the screen.

 

Another factor with laptops is whether the OP needs/wants a DVD drive with the laptop. These days, there are cheaper and thinner laptops that don't come with any DVD/CD drive. And most of the time especially more recently, you can get away without needing one. But if the purchaser wants to play/watch audio CDs or DVD movies on his laptop, then obviously a DVD drive is going to be a requirement. And that means a somewhat heavier, somewhat higher priced unit in general.

 

I'd certainly agree with the comment made above about how, overall, especially for a savvy shopper, the U.S. is a much better place to find good laptop deals. But a lot of the brands only will honor their warranties in the country or region where the unit is purchased. So if I was only going to be back in the U.S. for a short trip, I'd be nervous about that in terms of not having enough time to make sure a newly purchased unit doesn't have any initial problems. But if I was going to be there for a longer stay and have time to put the laptop thru its paces, I'd feel better.

 

It might be worth the OP contacting the U.S. customer service of whatever laptop brands he might be interested in and just seeing if any of them offer worldwide warranty service on their laptop purchased. I'd like to know the answer to that one, myself!

 

 

[bendejo]

I don't know Buriram, but I kept an eye out for laptops in my travels around the country back when my current one was on the way out.  Most larger towns will have an IT mall, and in all of them I found the same model laptops for more or less the same price give or take a few hundred baht.  There is also Tesco and Big C.  My range was 15,000-20,000.

 

Maybe today it's just email and browsing but you may want to watch movies in the future, among other things.  An HD connector would let you use an HDTV as a monitor. 

 

 

[Blue bruce]

To be honest I did not think about the warranty until some of you had mentioned it. Good idea.

A friend has suggested a computer with 

I- 5  or I- 7, Ram 4 - 8 GB ram & 1 Tb hard drive. Does this sound like a good combo? ?.? 

My x wife in America bought my last 2 computers, so I am kinda in the dark about buying one for myself. Thanks for all your help 

[kkerry]

Your friend has suggested a good combo however for your stated needs it isn't really necessary. More RAM is always good , if you need it, but you don't. An i7 is a waste of money for you. An i5, ok, but for your needs and budget not a must have. A 1TB hard disk, if it doesn't cost much extra then sure, but every time you add or upgrade, your price goes up unless you pick-up a bargain. Doesn't hurt to look on the Dell site when you're in the US to see what bargains they might have. A return/openbox laptop can be a great deal.

[Angry Beaver]

2 hours ago, kkerry said:

Your friend has suggested a good combo however for your stated needs it isn't really necessary. More RAM is always good , if you need it, but you don't. An i7 is a waste of money for you. An i5, ok, but for your needs and budget not a must have. A 1TB hard disk, if it doesn't cost much extra then sure, but every time you add or upgrade, your price goes up unless you pick-up a bargain. Doesn't hurt to look on the Dell site when you're in the US to see what bargains they might have. A return/openbox laptop can be a great deal.

 

Basically what kkerry said.

 

You don't need an i5 or i7 processor as that would put you well over your budget anyways. You definitely don't need more than 4GB of RAM for what you intend to use the laptop for. I also second taking a look at Dell. They usually have similar specs and are slightly cheaper in price than other brands but are less aesthetically appealing. As for hard drive capacity, you can always purchase an external hard disk if 500GB or 1TB isn't enough for you.

[Xircal]

On 9/20/2016 at 11:36 AM, Angry Beaver said:

Great joke. 555.

By the way, I wasn't "angry" or "worked up" about it. I guess it's difficult to tell someone's tone or attitude over the internet through text, huh?

 

This ASUS has decent specs for the price, but no OS. You can always find some shop to install a copy of Windows 10 or whatever you like.

http://www.invadeit.co.th/product/notebooks-laptops/asus/k455la-wx736d-blue-intel-core-i3-5005u-4gb-ddr3-500gb-14inch-led-intel-hd-no-os-p027643/

 

 

 

That laptop only has 802.11bgn (+ Bluetooth) according to the specs which means it won't be able to connect to a 5Ghz network. Not a problem in Thailand since they're all 2.4Ghz, but best to check what the US networks use before putting money on the table. 

 

That business also sells the OS by the way: http://www.invadeit.co.th/category/operating-systems-windows/

 

[Blue bruce]

Thank you for your help I guess what my friends suggestion was over kill. I have read specs on Acere a aspire 15'6 at $ 399. ASUS15 at $ 430.  00, 

Dell Inspirion looks good at $ 299.00. HP Pavilion 15 at $ 300.00

These are all 15 " screens

Any comments? ? ? 

[kkerry]

Pick whatever one has the best specs, something you like the look of, and within your budget.

If possible see it in a shop before buying online to confirm it is what you expect.

 

Do compare the screen resolution because that is what you look at all day.

Cheap laptops are mostly 1366x768 but if any on your shortlist or price range have something better like 1920x1080 then that would be preferable for most people.

If not then do a search on Amazon where you can filter screen size and resolution and maybe find something.

 

Personally I don't go higher than a 13" as I like to be able to pop my laptop into my hotel room safe when I'm out, so if you intend to travel with it then something to consider.

I take a 11.6" laptop with me, and even that sometimes has to be jammed in at an angle to fit.

 

[Blue bruce]

On 9/20/2016 at 2:49 PM, kkerry said:

For basic computing without going for the cheapest options, I would look for Intel i3 CPU with 4GB RAM as a minimum. You can do what you want cheaper but nowadays you don't really save that much.

Size of the hard disk depends on if you need to save lots of movies and photos. Even cheap laptops have at least a 500GB hard disk nowadays.

 

America is generally the cheapest place to buy computers but depends on whether warranty is an issue for you. Spend a bit more and buy in Thailand if it is.

Keep in mind that cheap computers in Thailand often do not include Windows so you may need to factor in a few thousand baht extra. In the US everything seems to include a genuine version of Windows.

 

Brand wise, everyone's experience differs so you end up with twenty replies on how Acer are rubbish, HP break down, Lenovo are useless and Asus fall apart, but they are the brands you will see in every shop so just pick out whatever looks best for you. Maybe take a look on Amazon to see user reviews before you purchase in case a particular model has a very high number of negative reviews. 

No idea about shopping in Buriram but J.I.B are the biggest computer retailer across Thailand so should have a store somewhere in your part of the world.

 

 

Thank you kerry

[Blue bruce]

Today I stopped by Banana computer store, all over Thailand.  I looked at a Asus 15" has all the fundamentals I need priced at 19,999 with a 2000 baht discount  I 5 1tb 4 GB ram not sure of the pixel count. What do you think is Asus? ? ? 

[kkerry]

Asus is one of the big brands. Generally a good name in laptops. If you like the look of it and it ticks all the boxes then buy it.

Do remember to check if it comes with Windows, as genuine Win 10 Home Edition will set you back another 4k.

This is where you would be better off buying in the US. Just need to decide between cost or warranty.

US version will obviously not have a English/Thai shared keyboard, if that matters to you.