Thread: What does 1st, 2nd, 3rd Generation mean?

1: newest release
2: buy it sounds nice

3rd generation just means it is the 3rd type of that processor,that will be a huge chunk of the total cost of that computer. The computer seems cheap to me as a similar one in the UK would be over £600.

Thanks Daveboy and Primo.

Good, 3rd gen or a higher number gen means newer.

I understand the CPU is most of the price of a laptop, but don't know why it is the price it is (if it seems cheap to you Primo).

There is anothr 17 inch, Dell that is over $1,000.

I will keep this laptop at home, which is where I use my laptops/computers most of te time. That is why I like 17 inch screen.

Dell seems OK as a brand from the many review I've read.

Originally Posted by barbaro

Hi, and another ignorant question.

I'd rather ask here. Please be gentle. There are very knowledgeable posters here that know a lot about computers.

2 Questions:

1. What does, for example "3rd Generation" mean. Good? Newer? Bad? Older?


2. Please look at the spec of this laptop and tell me if you think it is worth it and/or a good buy (from Amazon).

Thanks.


Dell Inspiron 17 i17RM-2903sLV 17.3-Inch Laptop (Moon Silver)
by Dell

4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
List Price: $821.99
Price: $799.99 & FREE Shipping. Details

You Save: $22.00 (3%)

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3537U Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.1 GHz)
8 GB DDR3 RAM
1 TB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
17.3-Inch Screen
Windows 8

Looks a pretty good deal..are you importing/shipping it to Thailand..if so would be interested to know if they actually ship here and at what cost and duty if any.
A PM would be appreciated as I am cruising the net for a new computer..although that one is a bit above my pay scale
thx

An alternative with very similar specs , maybe a slightly better graphics card ,and looks a lighter weight , and has a matte screen which i prefer , though some people seem to like the glossy screens .


Samsung Series 3 NP350E7C-A01US Intel 3rd generation Core i7-3630QM 2.4GHz ~ 1TB ~ 8GB ~ 17.3" HD+ LED (1600x900) ~ DVD+/-RW ~ BlueTooth ... by Samsung
$819.99

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-NP350E...pr_product_top

Laptops with that sized screen can get heavy if you have to lug it around a lot. It sounds trivial but from my experience with a 15" macbook pro it becomes tiresome, of course if you are going to use it as a desktop replacement then you will appreciate the extra screen real estate and the weight won't be an issue.

Also consider the battery life if you are going to be using it a lot in places where you can't charge it up.

At over 20" wide it won't be much fun balancing it on your lap on a crowded train to work or whatever either. Like I said, it all depends what its main role will be imho.

Originally Posted by crepitas

Looks a pretty good deal..are you importing/shipping it to Thailand..if so would be interested to know if they actually ship here and at what cost and duty if any.
A PM would be appreciated as I am cruising the net for a new computer..although that one is a bit above my pay scale thx

crepitas,

I will buy this in the US and used it in the US. If I take it to Asia in the future, I would phsically bring it.

Many computers/laptops sold on Amazon state that they only ship to the continental US, although I do not know if this model has this shipping limit.

If you're looking for a new laptop at the moment, Blue noted a Samsung with similar specs with a couple of improved things. Check it out.

Happy laptop hunting.

Originally Posted by blue

An alternative with very similar specs , maybe a slightly better graphics card ,and looks a lighter weight , and has a matte screen which i prefer , though some people seem to like the glossy screens .


Samsung Series 3 NP350E7C-A01US Intel 3rd generation Core i7-3630QM 2.4GHz ~ 1TB ~ 8GB ~ 17.3" HD+ LED (1600x900) ~ DVD+/-RW ~ BlueTooth ... by Samsung
$819.99

Amazon.com: Samsung Series 3 NP350E7C-A01US Intel 3rd generation Core i7-3630QM 2.4GHz ~ 1TB ~ 8GB ~ 17.3" HD+ LED (1600x900) ~ DVD+/-RW ~ BlueTooth 4.0 ~ WiDi ~ Windows 8: Computers & Accessories

Much appreciated, Blue. Both of your posts are helpful. I'll check it out.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by quimbian corholla

Laptops with that sized screen can get heavy if you have to lug it around a lot. It sounds trivial but from my experience with a 15" macbook pro it becomes tiresome, of course if you are going to use it as a desktop replacement then you will appreciate the extra screen real estate and the weight won't be an issue.

Also consider the battery life if you are going to be using it a lot in places where you can't charge it up.

At over 20" wide it won't be much fun balancing it on your lap on a crowded train to work or whatever either. Like I said, it all depends what its main
role will be imho.

quimbian,

This laptop with be for home use only. I won't be charging it.

For outside of the house, if I want/need a computer, I'll get something much smaller and use it separately, but I don't plan on it.

Originally Posted by barbaro

Originally Posted by quimbian corholla

Laptops with that sized screen can get heavy if you have to lug it around a lot. It sounds trivial but from my experience with a 15" macbook pro it becomes tiresome, of course if you are going to use it as a desktop replacement then you will appreciate the extra screen real estate and the weight won't be an issue.

Also consider the battery life if you are going to be using it a lot in places where you can't charge it up.

At over 20" wide it won't be much fun balancing it on your lap on a crowded train to work or whatever either. Like I said, it all depends what its main
role will be imho.

quimbian,

This laptop with be for home use only. I won't be charging it.

For outside of the house, if I want/need a computer, I'll get something much smaller and use it separately, but I don't plan on it.

Take the battery out then or it will die.

Originally Posted by barbaro

This laptop with be for home use only. I won't be charging it.

Then as a desk top replacement it makes sense to get something with a whopping screen like that.

Originally Posted by Primo

Originally Posted by barbaro

Originally Posted by quimbian corholla

Laptops with that sized screen can get heavy if you have to lug it around a lot. It sounds trivial but from my experience with a 15" macbook pro it becomes tiresome, of course if you are going to use it as a desktop replacement then you will appreciate the extra screen real estate and the weight won't be an issue.

Also consider the battery life if you are going to be using it a lot in places where you can't charge it up.

At over 20" wide it won't be much fun balancing it on your lap on a crowded train to work or whatever either. Like I said, it all depends what its main
role will be imho.

quimbian,

This laptop with be for home use only. I won't be charging it.

For outside of the house, if I want/need a computer, I'll get something much smaller and use it separately, but I don't plan on it.

Take the battery out then or it will die.

I almos always do.

For my current little netbook-laptop, I usually do not use the battery. I plug it in to the outlet 75% of the time.

Should i take the battery out when I use it plugged in to an outlet?

This netbook is about 6 months old.

Originally Posted by quimbian corholla

Originally Posted by barbaro

This laptop with be for home use only. I won't be charging it.

Then as a desk top replacement it makes sense to get something with a whopping screen like that.

I can buy a large monitor, like something from viewsonic for this laptop right?

Originally Posted by quimbian corholla

Originally Posted by barbaro

This laptop with be for home use only. I won't be charging it.

Then as a desk top replacement it makes sense to get something with a whopping screen like that.

Not really , if you're not going to move it much , better to get a cheaper 15 inch laptop , and use the money saved to buy a full HD 24 inch monitor ( under $ 200) and a cheap keyboard , and plug them into the laptop .

Originally Posted by barbaro

I can buy a large monitor, like something from viewsonic for this laptop right?

I think our wires might have got a little bit crossed, when I said "whopping screen" I was referring to a 17" laptop. That's pretty big enough if you are working on a spreadsheet or document or something.

The specs of the Dell in your OP refer to an HDMI 1.4 port so I am guessing it will quite happily drive a large external monitor if needed but I'll defer to the PC guys to confirm this for you.

If you are thinking of also buying a large external monitor why not go for a smaller screened laptop+ a monitor rather that the 17" screen laptop though? You'd probably be able to get, say, a 14" laptop and an external ~20" monitor for about the same cost and have the best of both worlds: portability of the laptop when needed and a nice big screen when at home.

Originally Posted by blue

Not really , if you're not going to move it much , better to get a cheaper 15 inch laptop , and use the money saved to buy a full HD 24 inch monitor ( under $ 200) and a cheap keyboard , and plug them into the laptop .

Blue said what I was trying to say but in far fewer words and better. That'll teach me not to write a post and then wander off to do something else without clicking "Post Quick Reply" first!

I think it's a tricky time at the moment. Basically if it's only going to sit on the desk buy a big chunky business type machine, put a heat resistant mat under it else you will spoil your table.

Windows 8 works well with a touch screen, but a standard laptop form will be a stretch to the screen and will probably suffer from false multi-taps as the screen bounces. I forget if it's Acer or Asus doing the Star Trek format with a clever hinge and the touchpad at the top, ideal if you use a mouse anyway.

For others, if you want portability, ultrabooks are light and have great battery life because they have SSDs.

Solid State Drives (SSDs) are evolving rapidly with lower prices and higher capacities. More rugged than spinning disk, less power so longer battery life and less heat, lightning fast access. Seagate are doing hybrid drives with 8GB Solid state and 500/750GB HDD. A good compromise between capacity, performance, and price, claim to boot in 10 secs.

The next generation of intel chips is due, the Haswell offers much lower power consumption than current chips Haswell plus SSD may give an all day battery life.

A new networking standard is coming in to replace the current 802.11n, think it's 802.11o and will be at least twice as fast as 802.11n and further range.

Finally, Leap are just launching a sensor which will give 3D hand gesture control next month. It will possibly replace touch screens and has already been licenced to HP, will probably be built into the laptop keyboard, far more sensitive than Kinnect https://www.leapmotion.com/

There's lots of innovative hybrid tablet/laptop devices being launched.

I would wait until after Christmas, prices are already being slashed and if you just want the existing technology expect to see it in fire sales in the new year.

Originally Posted by barbaro

Originally Posted by Primo

Originally Posted by barbaro

Originally Posted by quimbian corholla

Laptops with that sized screen can get heavy if you have to lug it around a lot. It sounds trivial but from my experience with a 15" macbook pro it becomes tiresome, of course if you are going to use it as a desktop replacement then you will appreciate the extra screen real estate and the weight won't be an issue.

Also consider the battery life if you are going to be using it a lot in places where you can't charge it up.

At over 20" wide it won't be much fun balancing it on your lap on a crowded train to work or whatever either. Like I said, it all depends what its main
role will be imho.

quimbian,

This laptop with be for home use only. I won't be charging it.

For outside of the house, if I want/need a computer, I'll get something much smaller and use it separately, but I don't plan on it.

Take the battery out then or it will die.

I almos always do.

For my current little netbook-laptop, I usually do not use the battery. I plug it in to the outlet 75% of the time.

Should i take the battery out when I use it plugged in to an outlet?

This netbook is about 6 months old.

Just going on my own experience with my acer netbook. I never used it on a battery but left the battery in when it was plugged into the mains and the battery is now dead without ever being used.

1st Generation: Anything Buttplug owns (mostly Apple).
3rd Generation: Grown ups and heterosexuals.

^ wrong again, harry

1st Gen: real computing for real men,
3rd Gen: gay toys to post on your facebook and share group pics with your metrosexual friends

Yep, buttplug's still using his first generation Pentium II running Windows XP on dial up.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

on dial up

says the man sitting next to a phone all day to answer computer support calls,

oh the irony,

Originally Posted by barbaro

I will keep this laptop at home, which is where I use my laptops/computers most of te time. That is why I like 17 inch screen.

17 inches is quite a small screen. You can get a 24 inch HD external monitor for $180. Better to get that and a small laptop that is portable if you go travelling/holidays.