Time for a new laptop

[APoc184]

Thanks.. No forgot to do that.. Do you think it will be a problem with customs if its marked as a gift? If there are any problems I can just say I didnt ask for that and tell them I'm willing to pay the vat/customs fees ..

Update: I just emailed the seller now and asked him to declare the full value..

I doubt it will be a problem but I've heard of so many horror stories and I don't like to take any chances when it comes to customs.

 

[mh348]

It would be great if we can start buying from guys like Newegg.com

Sorry for the delay in feedback on the laptop. Was busy setting everything up and installing all the regular programs and copying media over from the old HDD.

The thing is a monster compared to my previous Sony and HP.

I am very happy with the purchase.

Positives:
Great screen.
Super fast. Even when multi-tasking heavily.
Battery life is good. (But not great)
Laptop does not get hot at all. Used it on my lap for most of Sunday and if it was the Sony I would have been in hospital for 3rd degree burns now.
The sound on this machine is out of this world. Really awesome and so clear even on 100% volume. However, I can not set the volume higher than 50% without getting the look from the wife.
The price I paid for it is great when compared to SA prices. All in all it cost me R7300.00 to get delivered to my door in 6 days.

Negatives: (Fickle stuff really)
Slightly heavier and more bulky than my previous laptops.
Screen is great but is Glossy which means it might get difficult to view in bright surroundings.
The power cords on the charger are much shorter than I'm used to. Might become a problem later where media rooms only have limited power sources which are far apart.

Any questions or tests you want me to do? Will do and post here for you.

Check here for the anti-glare sticker

http://cgi.ebay.com/Notebook-laptop...684?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a600e28c

 

[APoc184]

Thanks for the link on the sticker.

Luckily it hasn't been a problem yet but if it does become one I will certainly get one of those.

How far is your shipment. Or am I the only one who checks tracking numbers 4 times a day?

 

[mh348]

Thanks for the link on the sticker.

Luckily it hasn't been a problem yet but if it does become one I will certainly get one of those.

How far is your shipment. Or am I the only one who checks tracking numbers 4 times a day?

The seller only sent me the number lat night @ 19:30, the tracking still shows "initiated", its probably because he just booked the courier and they haven't yet collected it..

I track more than 4 times a day also setup the email notifications

 

[mh348]

FedEx website still not updated but the seller says they already picked up the parcel.. Local FedEx call center also can't give any update with regards to where the parcel currently or if it has been picked up.. But according to a few websites FedEx is sometimes delayed with updating their website, like how SAPO & SpeedServices are delayed...

 

[mh348]

FedEx website still not updated but the seller says they already picked up the parcel.. Local FedEx call center also can't give any update with regards to where the parcel currently or if it has been picked up.. But according to a few websites FedEx is sometimes delayed with updating their website, like how SAPO & SpeedServices are delayed...

I contacted the seller today.. Seems I had the wrong tracking number.. I got it off the ebay order details site. The first number had my town name and my name when I called the local fedex office (supaswift)..

Anyways the number that I received today also has my details and shows that the parcel is still in transit, currently in GB (Britain), and the estimated delivery is 04 April. Still another week for me to receive it, Apoc84 maybe your parcel was sent via priority thats why you received it so quick, my one shows 'INTL Economy'..

 

[APoc184]

I contacted the seller today.. Seems I had the wrong tracking number.. I got it off the ebay order details site. THe firt number had my town name and my name when I called the local fedex office (supaswift)..

Anyways the number that I received today also has my details and shows that the parcel is still in transit, currently in GB (Britain), and the estimated delivery is 04 April. Still another week for me to receive it, Apoc84 maybe your parcel was sent via priority thats why you received it so quick, my one shows 'INTL Economy'..

Mine was also shipped via INTL Economy according to the Fedex site. Strange that is taking that long. GB was the last stop my parcel made before it landed at JHB. Hopefully you receive it before the 4th.

 

[mh348]

Mine was also shipped via INTL Economy according to the Fedex site. Strange that is taking that long. GB was the last stop my parcel made before it landed at JHB. Hopefully you receive it before the 4th.

I tracked the parcel again and there was an update, so I called FedEx and they say that the parcel has landed in SA, but it hasn't yet been invoiced.. I also changed it to my physical address.. Now I just have to wait for them to call me with the VAT amount..

 

[APoc184]

I hope you have received your lappie by now?

 

[mh348]

I hope you have received your lappie by now?

Hi yes. Sorry for the delay in replying.. I received the vat Invoice on Monday (16:30) and Paid it. They only cleared the parcel on Wednesday afternoon and I received it on Thursday after 5pm.. I'm in North West so they used a Third Party Courier to deliver the parcel... The seller booked the collection on the 23rd, they collected on the 24th and even with the 2 day custom delay it took 7days, so it's not so bad.. In total I paid about 7450, which is much lower than I would have paid if I bought it locally.

Very happy with the laptop, can't really say more that what you have already mentioned as I have only used it for a short while..
Sound is awesome...
Great screen.. watched a few videos and it was good..

It feels a bit heavy, as I'm used to a netbook, so not really bad for a notebook.. I also feel it's a bit too wide, they could of made it slightly smaller if the speakers were maybe next to the touch-pad..

It came pre-installed with W7 Home, so I'll most likely upgrade to business edition as I need it to connect to a domain.. It also comes with McAfee AV which I removed and installed NOD32.. There's still lots more stuff I need to install so I can test it properly

Thanks for all the help with the purchase...

 

[APoc184]

Great to hear.

Glad I could help with some advice on the purchase.
I always look to buy local but when you get a deal/saving like this it makes worth the time and effort to import.

I have to agree that it is slightly heavier and bulky than what I was used to. But it is certainly not a deal breaker.

Also uninstalled all the bloatware that came with laptop. Was a lot but not nearly as much as HP or Sony(shocking amount of crap installed)

Installed MSE anti-virus myself. Free and very low on resources. Not that anything slowed down my laptop yet.

Another thing that impressed me. At last I can use my laptop on my lap again without getting 1st degree burns. The Sony got so hot at times that you would not dare put it on your lap. The Dell's cooling is awesome and even after hours of heavy usage(Photoshop, Lightroom, Rugby Updates etc...) it is still very cool.

 

[mh348]

I'm looking for another Laptop, for my Mum... Preferably via eBay as I would like to use funds from my Paypal account.. Main use would be browsing, email, videos etc so I want something with good sound, something like my Dell XPS sound...

My budget is around $800 including shipping... I can go higher if needed..

So far I found these, from a seller that ships to ZA,
http://www.ebay.com/sch/computerupgradeking/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

If anyone else knows of any others please let me know..

 

[Natedogg]

Rather than starting a new thread, I just thought I'd post here. Here is a HP for a fantastic price (especially for Incredible Connection) and I'm not really sure why it's so cheap? Anything I'm missing here? It's also one of the best looking laptops out there (looks similar to the MBP).

http://www.incredible.co.za/ProductDescription.aspx?SKU=77333

I'm on an old Intel E7400 so I'm assuming this would be an upgrade.