Future Shop: Computers: Laptops: Compaq AMD Turion X2 RM-70 Dual-Core 2.0GHz Laptop (CQ50-106CA) - Bilingual - Future Shop Exclusive


Hi All,

didnt see a laptop section, so I am posting here.



I was wondering if anyone could give me their opinion on the Compaq AMD Turion X2 RM-70 Dual-Core 2.0GHz Laptop. I want to get one for University, but have never dealt with laptops or with Compaq. Anything that I should avoid?

Thanks

Re: opinions on Compaq AMD Turion X2 RM-70 Dual-Co

Hello BigR,

I imagine the laptop is going to be for taking notes in class, checking the internet, e-mail, Microsoft Office, etc. Basically, your typical non-demanding applications.

Really any laptop on the market, except maybe a laptop that comes with Vista and only 512 megs of memory, will be more than sufficient for basic use. The price and specs for the laptop you linked are very competitive. 3 gigs of memory will suffice for a long time and a dual core 2 ghz cpu will more than take care of your typical programs.

The two things to watch out for are battery life and an extended service plan. As with any laptop, any major repair is more often uneconomical outside of warranty. So, I would definitely recommend getting an extended service plan. Parts for laptops do not come cheap and labor is even more expensive. And the Future Shop warranty should cover the battery. Definitely ask about that. That could actually save you money down the road when your battery stops holding a good charge.

The other thing is battery life. If you are going to be running off the battery a lot, the battery that comes with that laptop most likely will not hold enough charge. You may want to contact Compaq to see if they offer an extended life battery for that model. Or maybe do some research online. Otherwise, getting a second battery for it would be your best bet. The typical battery life will be 1.5 - 2 hours. You can lengthen that a bit using power saving features and dimming the screen, but it typically doesn't make an incredible difference.

As far as dealing with Compaq, they have been merged with HP for a long time now. HP/Compaq are a relatively decent company and are on of the top sellers in the brand name market. But my opinion of any brand name is that they are all mediocre. There isn't any brand name that really shines. But you don't have much choice with laptops. Personally, I wouldn't have an issue with Compaq. I have had an HP laptop for a few years now with no issues.

Hope that helps!