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I like the fact that the Toshiba has XP Pro AND Vista. More manufacturers should be doing this.<br />
I would go for the Toshiba.
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... one other comment: &nbsp; The question &quot;... which is the better option ...&quot; is always difficult when two systems are not only different, but also priced differently. &nbsp; <br />
<br />
The better SYSTEM is clearly the Dell ... more memory, faster CPU, 2nd hard drive, and Vista Ultimate. &nbsp; &nbsp;<br />
<br />
But the better VALUE is almost certainly the Toshiba UNLESS you use applications which require the higher level of CPU performance ... which it's fairly clear you do not. &nbsp; &nbsp;To put the performance in perspective, even the 1286 PassMark of the T8100 is higher than the top-of-the-line &quot;powerhouses&quot; of the not-very-distant past =&gt; it beats an AMD Athlon 64 FX-74 (1281) and a 3.73GHz Pentium-D (1178).<br />
<br />
... so it really depends on what you mean by &quot;option&quot; :-)<br />

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The DELL system says it has 4GB of ram but as iamsam pointed out there is a disclaimer saying &quot;2 The total amount of available memory will be less than 4GB. The amount less depends on the actual system configuration. To fully utilize 4GB or more of memory requires a 64-bit enabled processor and 64-bit operating system. Available on selected systems only.&quot; Because the OS that comes with it is only a 32bit, does this mean that the 4GB of Ram will not be entirely utilised. Will be more like 3GB or 2GB?<br />
<br />
P.S These responses have really helped! Cheers.
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ALL 32-bit systems will &quot;see&quot; less than 4GB of memory if 4GB is installed. &nbsp; The issue is simple: &nbsp;they have a 4GB address space; but several system-level items have to be assigned addresses first. &nbsp; These are assigned starting at the &quot;top&quot; of the address space, working down. &nbsp; Things like PCI bus addresses, AGP Aperture, video memory, BIOS shadowing, etc. &nbsp;[You can see the exact use of memory in Device Manager]. &nbsp; Once these are assigned, the rest of the address space can be used for RAM ... so exactly how much you'll &quot;see&quot; depends on the system's exact configuration. &nbsp; Typcially that will be between 3 and 3.5 GB, but it can be even less on desktops with dual graphics cards -- especially if they have a lot of memory. &nbsp; On a laptop, it's usually at the upper end of that range ... around 3.5GB (or even a bit more).<br />

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... remember, however, that memory is quite inexpensive these days =&gt; so you could easily upgrade the Toshiba to 4GB as well &nbsp;[Not sure what the cost is in Aus $, but 4GB of laptop memory in the US is about $79]. &nbsp; &nbsp;I wouldn't let the memory or hard disk difference be the consideration here --&gt; it's simply a question of whether you need (or want) the extra CPU power. &nbsp; [You can also buy a simple external hard drive for the Toshiba if you want a 2nd drive -- in fact, the internal 2nd drive in the Dell, while nice-to-have, will reduce the battery life]<br />
&nbsp;<br />

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Yeah that's what I was thinking, the only issue with installing an extra 2GB of RAM (AU$59 - $79) in the Toshiba would be that the Warranty might become void and really like you said, for what the laptop will be used for, you won't see any benefits of having more RAM and a faster CPU.<br />
<br />
Thanks for your help garycase!
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Adding memory does not void the warranty :-)<br />
(At least I've never seen any such disclaimer -- and of course if you had a problem, you could simply remove the extra memory before returning the unit for service)<br />
<br />
... but I agree that for the use you noted, the Toshiba has plenty of memory and more than enough CPU &quot;horsepower&quot;<br />
<br />
<br />

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does the toshiba also has a one year onsite support ? &nbsp;that is an important item to me too..
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<div class="content wysiwyg-content">
My mate is looking to buy a laptop and he's narrowed it down to these two options. Please advise as to which is the better option.<br />
<br />
The use of the laptop is for basic word processing, web browsing and watching DVD's.<br />
<br />
Laptop 1:<br />
<a href="http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop_studio_17?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs" rel="ugc">http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop_studio_17?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs</a><br />
<br />
Note: there is a free upgarde to a Core 2 Duo T9300 processor if purchased online.<br />
<br />
Laptop 2:<br />
<br />
Toshiba - TOS7858 RRP - $2199<br />
I have a friend working at a Electrical retail store who can give this laptop to me for $1799<br />
<br />
Processor: Intel Core 2 Proc T8100 (Dual Core 2.1Ghz)<br />
Memory: 2GB DDR2 (667Mhz)<br />
Storage: 320 GB (5400rpm) Sata<br />
Display: 17&quot; widescreen WXGA Trubite Display<br />
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 (256MB dedicated)<br />
Op Drive: Dual Layer DVD Burner<br />
Network: Wireless ready<br />
OS: Windows Vista Business with XP Pro Recovery disc<br />
Warranty: 1 yr<br />
<br />
I would have thought the Toshiba at that price would be the better way to go, please let me know what you think.<br />
<br />
Cheers,
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My mate is looking to buy a laptop and he's narrowed it down to these two options. Please advise as to which is the better option.

The use of the laptop is for basic word processing, web browsing and watching DVD's.

Laptop 1:
http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop_studio_17?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs

Note: there is a free upgarde to a Core 2 Duo T9300 processor if purchased online.

Laptop 2:

Toshiba - TOS7858 RRP - $2199
I have a friend working at a Electrical retail store who can give this laptop to me for $1799

Processor: Intel Core 2 Proc T8100 (Dual Core 2.1Ghz)
Memory: 2GB DDR2 (667Mhz)
Storage: 320 GB (5400rpm) Sata
Display: 17" widescreen WXGA Trubite Display
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650 (256MB dedicated)
Op Drive: Dual Layer DVD Burner
Network: Wireless ready
OS: Windows Vista Business with XP Pro Recovery disc
Warranty: 1 yr

I would have thought the Toshiba at that price would be the better way to go, please let me know what you think.

Cheers,

Which laptop is better value?

A laptop or notebook is a portable personal computer with a clamshell form factor, suitable for mobile use. Although originally there was a distinction between laptops and notebooks, the former being bigger and heavier than the latter, there is often no longer any difference. Laptops are commonly used in a variety of settings, such as at work, in education, and for personal multimedia. A laptop combines the components, inputs, outputs and capabilities of a desktop computer, including the display screen, speakers, a keyboard, and pointing devices (such as a touchpad or trackpad) into a single unit. The device can be powered either from a rechargeable battery or by mains electricity from an AC adapter.