Top 3 Dual-Core Laptops Under Rs. 40,000

Last year we had carried a feature called “Laptops under Rs. 40,000”. To our delight, the amount of interest this straightforward story generated was phenomenal. It also strove to illustrate a point, we have mentioned in various reviews and features since then i.e. laptops are in! They are rapidly becoming the preferred choice of computing for not only experienced users, but first time buyers.

Since the original article was written, laptops have undergone a paradigm shift in computing power. Though dual-core laptops were around at that point, they were expensive and out of reach of everyone but well-heeled users and enthusiasts. However since then Intel has introduced two different generations of mobile processors. This has driven the price of dual-core laptops down drastically. Keeping these factors in mind, we decided to check out if on a strict budget of Rs. 40,000, we could find 3 dual-core laptops with good specifications and from good manufacturers. Please note that the 3 laptops we have chosen below are the base models inclusive of all taxes. Their prices can cross Rs. 40,000 if system parts are changed or swapped.
Here is the result of our search.

Satellite A100

Toshiba is a brand that is vastly under-rated. It does not enjoy the popularity or brand-name of the others in this round up, which is a pity considering the fact that they make some great products. The Satellite A100 is one such product. It is built on the older but still very competitive Core Duo platform (T2060 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz), 512 MB system memory and 60 GB storage space. Its LCD panel is a 15.4 inch screen with a native resolution of 1280x80 and is a Transflective screen. For its graphics, the laptop uses ATI’s Radeon series of chipsets and depending on the user’s budget it can range from the entry – level 1150 to the mid-level Radeon 1400 and more.

In the connectivity and peripheral options, this laptop shines. It offers 4 USB slots, 1 IEEE 1394 Firewire port, 1 VGA-Out and a 5 in 1 memory card reader with support for SD/MMC/MS/MS-Pro/XD Cards and full support for both 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The drive shipped with the A100 is a DVD-R/CD_RW combo. The OS used on this laptop is Windows Vista Basic.
The A100 is priced at Rs. 38, 000 and with its 15.4 inch screen, generous connectivity options and good graphical subsystem is a very a good buy.

Lenovo N100

Lenovo really needs no introduction. Having been built on the formidable Thinkpad brand-name, Lenovo today offers some of the best and most functional machines around. The N100 is one such candidate. Like the A100 this laptop too is built on the Core Duo platform (T2080 clocked at 1.7 GHz), has 512 MB system memory and an 80 GB HDD. It utilizes an Intel GMA 950 graphics chipset, has a 15.4 inch screen with a native resolution of 1280x800 and comes with a dual-layer DVD-RW drive.

In its expansion options it offers 4 USB 2.0 slots, a 4-1 digital media reader (SD/MMC/MS/XD),VGA out , IEEE 1394 Firewire slot and support for all Wi-Fi standards /Bluetooth. The OS choice for this laptop ranges from the cost saving FreeDOS to Windows Vista.
The N100 is available for Rs. 38,000.

Dell Inspirion 1501

We have featured this laptop in an earlier roundup too. At that time we had found that it offered an exceptional deal. Though it’s been some time since that roundup, we find that the good value and utility of this laptop has only increased with time.

For starters, its processor has been upgraded to AMD’s latest 65nm mobile X2 processor- TK53. This powerful new processor not only runs cooler, but consumes less power. This in turn increases battery life by a significant margin. Apart from that, the 1501 comes with a default 512 MB of RAM, a 80 GB HDD, a 15.4 inch LCD with a native resolution of 1280x800, an 8x dual-layer DVD-RW drive, a Radeon 1150 Graphics chipset with 256 MB of video ram and has support for Wi-Fi via the Dell 1390 802.11g wireless mini-card. For peripheral connectivity the 1501 offers four USB slots, 1 VGA out, headphone and microphone jacks, and a 3-in-1 memory card reader.

In a good move, Dell offers Windows Vista Basic as the primary OS with the 1501. This saves consumers the trouble of having to hunt for drivers or for purchasing a separate OS. Dell ships the 1501, with a 6-cell battery that gives it a good battery life of around 3 Hours 20 mins. In the accessories package, Dell offers a good nylon bag as the carry bag for the laptop.

Prices start at Rs. 35,000 for the Inspiron 1501.

Source: Tech2 (Tv18 Network)