Deciding on your next Laptop/Notebook purchase from our range of over 500 different models can be difficult, so listed below we have identified some of the differences in the key features currently available to the Australian market to make things a little easier.

SCREEN:
12"MICRO
13"/13.3"MINI
14"XGA
14"SXGA
14"WIDE
15"XGA
15"SXGA
15.4"WIDE
17"XGA
17"WIDE

POWER EFFICIENCY:
LOW-BATT ("Low-Battery-Life"/20~90min running time per charge)
MID-BATT ("Medium-Battery-Life"/1~3HRs running time per charge)
LONG-BATT ("Best-Battey-Life"/2~6HRs running time per charge)

OPTICAL-DRIVE:
CD/DVD (CD/DVD Read Only)
COMBO (CD/DVD Read & CD Burning)
DVD-BURNER (CD/DVD Read & CD/DVD Burring)

GAMING VIDEO:
SMA (Shared Memory 3D Video; Limited Gaming Capabilities)
32MB-VID (32MB Dedicated Memory 3D Video Accelerator; Limited Gaming Capabilities)
64MB-VID (64MB Dedicated Memory 3D Video Accelerator; Limited Gaming Capabilities)
128MB-VID (128MB Dedicated Memory 3D Video Accelerator; Medium Gaming Performance)
256MB-HM/TC** (128MB Dedicated Memory / 128 Shared Memory 3D Video Accelerator; Medium Gaming Performance)
256MB-VID (256MB Dedicated Memory 3D Video Accelerator; High Gaming Performance)
512MB-HM/TC* (256MB Dedicated Memory / 256 Shared Memory 3D Video Accelerator;ULTIMATE Gaming Performance)
512MB-VID (512MB Dedicated Memory 3D Video Accelerator; ULTIMATE Gaming Performance)

*For more information on Video Card capabilities and scores please click here*

**HM (HyperMemory by ATI) and TC (TurboCache by NVIDIA) uses half dedicated memory then will use more memory from the system if required

WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY:
802.11G (WireLess LAN Connection supporting 802.11b/g standard)
BLUETOOTH (Built-In BlueTooth Transceiver)

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ODM Original Design Manufacturer Information:

Understanding Brands & ODMs Available on the Australian Market:
It surprises many people to learn that most name brand laptop/notebook manufacturers don’t actually make any of the internal components found in the laptops they sell. A laptop manufacturer will typically contact an ODM to design and build the casing, layout, main board and screen; and then contact other companies like Intel, Seagate and Hyundai to obtain the rest of the needed components

Major ODM's: Compal, Clevo, Uniwill, ECS, Arima, Quanta, FIC, Spectec, Wistron & Mitac. (These 10 ODMs manufacture over 85% of laptops globally)
All of these ODMs also make some of their designs available to non-name brand manufacturers. Best Deal 4 U Computers sells both name brand and non-name brand laptops, and below is a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each.


Toshiba's Primary ODMs are: COMPAL, & QUANTA
HP/Compal's Primary ODMs are: COMPAL, & ARIMA
IBM’s Primary ODM is: QUANTA
"Blank-1" ’s Primary ODMs are: COMPAL, ECS, FIC, UNIWILL & ARIMA
"Blank-2" ’s Primary ODMs are: CLEVO & FIC
and so on...

(NOTE: The above information is based on our independent research. As the manufacturers listed above do not make this information readily available, and they are free to source laptop parts from whoever they wish, this information may be outdated. We don’t carry "Blank-1" & "Blank-2" products as nether have a wholesale distribution centre in Australia. We feel it is important to sell laptops which we can have available to display to customers. "Blank-1" and "Blank-2" ’s “mail order only” distribution policy makes it impossible for us to compare these units side by side with other brands.)

DISCLAMER: Blank-1 & Blank-2 are now listed on this page and have NO Current association with any current company...
- after receiving a verbal legal warning from a large international pc/laptop brand/manufacturer we have removed all reference to certain companies from our site, and we hereby make no claims of association with or knowledge of the workings of any company other then Best Deal 4 U Computers & I.T.

Proprietary verses Non-Proprietary Brands:
full-Proprietary brands Include: HP/Compaq, Toshiba, IBM, Acer, BenQ, Sony, Fujitsu, NEC, Apple, Panasonic, "Blank-1" and a small number of others.

Semi-Proprietary brands Include: Asus, TwinHead, Optima, and others.

Non-Proprietary brands Include: ITC, Metabox, Protac, Mitac, Aopen and many others

Q: Should I be looking at Full-Proprietary, Semi-Proprietary or Non-Proprietary Brands?

A:
1. Full-Proprietary Brands:
PRO:

• Often are of good quality and have a reasonable service network around Australia.
• A lot of money is spent on marketing full-proprietary brands, which builds the public perception of the brand. This marketing built perception improves the resale value of the laptop
  

CON:

• While the resale value is higher, spending an extra $200 on a full-proprietary laptop won’t produce a $200 higher resale value in 3 years time.
• Models have fixed specifications which can’t be factory modified. If your requirements are somewhere between two models you are often forced to buy the more expensive one as the cheaper one can’t have features factory added to meet your requirements.
• They are designed to be factory assembled with certain embedded components. For example, a certain laptop is designed to come with a 40GB hard drive. Because the laptop isn’t designed to have custom modifications, the hard drive may take a lot of work to get to should you wish to upgrade or perform repairs outside of warranty. The extra labour will increase the cost of upgrades and repairs outside of warranty.
• Because they are not designed for custom modifications, they may not accept standard parts. This may affect both upgrades and repairs out of warranty. We have seen circumstances where full-proprietary parts cost 4 times as much as their generic equivalents.
• The models available are typically designed for business use, and often exclude features needed by the average home user (like powerful 3D video)
  

2. Semi-Proprietary Brands:
PRO:

• Often represent better value for money to the end user than a full-proprietary-brand, also generally similar in quality and reliability to the full-proprietary-brands.
• Semi-proprietary-brands are generally much more compatible with generic parts. Because they are compatible with cheaper parts you will find that genuine parts are also relatively cheap as (unlike some full-proprietary manufacturers – who can charge whatever they like because they are the only place you can get certain parts from) they must compete with the generic market.

CON:

• semi-proprietary brands are generally smaller operations than the full-proprietary brands and as such obtaining warranty service in remote locations may in some cases be harder than it may be with one of the major full-proprietary-brands.
• These smaller operations will tend to also have smaller service centres with shorter hours of operation than the larger companies.
  

3. Non-Proprietary Brands:
PRO:

• Most of the models in the above mentioned non-proprietary-brands are manufactured by one of the same ODM's as the major full-proprietary-brands like Toshiba, HP/Compaq, Sony to name a few. This means that the parts and therefore quality of the goods are virtually the same.
• These types usually give the best performance for your dollar as they don’t need to inflate their prices to cover marketing.
• Ability to accept generic parts ensures long service life and the ability to upgrade at an affordable price down the track.
• High level of customisation potential ensures you only pay for what you need.
  

CON:

• Slightly reduced resale value due to lack of brand recognition
• Some are not made by quality ODMs and are subject to high failure rates. Best Deal 4 U only stocks and recommends laptops made by quality ODMs.
• Some are only serviced by the importer at a single location (eg Sydney). Best Deal 4 U always offers and recommends laptops which have service centres all around Australia.
  

In short if you are looking for:
1. a business-only laptop/notebook solution to rent and replace every 12-24months or to trade in @ 10-20% of original vale and purchase a new laptop/notebook every 12-24months and brand recognition is of a much higher concern than value for money or longevity then a full-Proprietary-Brand may be best for you.
2. Reasonably value for money and option to upgrade or replace equipment in 18~36months then a Semi-Proprietary-Brand may be best for you.
3. The Best Value and most upgradeable and serviceable unit to keep for the future then a Non-Proprietary-Brand will be Your Best Solution.

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BTO & OEM/ODM INFOMATION:

Not Only do we sell all Proprietary & Semi-Proprietary Laptop Brands but We Also Offer Australia's Largest Range of Custom Built OEM & ODM Laptops to cater to all applications & Budgets - HERE IS OUR BTO FAQ:

Q-1: What is BTO?

A-1: BTO stands for: Build To Order. This meant we can buy in the laptop with out: CPU, Ram & HDD there for a customer can order the exact specifications they require & don’t end up paying extra for things they don’t need. (Eg: a Proprietary Branded High Speced Business Laptop with 1GB-Ram, will typically include a large capacity HDD of 80GB+, in some cased the business person may only require a 40~60GB HDD, if customer built that is all he /she need order thus SAVING $$$)

Q-2: What if I want Branded Warranty & Support with a BTO Laptop?

A-2: Many of our BTO Laptops are available with ITC or MetaBox Warranty & Support Options, in many cases offering better terms of support & cover than the major Proprietary brad name! (See Below BTO Warranty Term Options for more information)

Q-3a: How do a know if I am getting a quality & reliable Laptop - Q-3b: and if a need warranty service who underwrites it?

A-3a: As explained above in ODM Information; Most BTO Laptop hardware comes from the same factories that contract to build many Proprietary Brand Names such as: Toshiba, IBM, "Blank-1" and most others. - A-3b: Warranty will always fall on the importers of the Laptop or component manufactures, we recommend and prefer to only deal with the established importer/distributors that have trading history in Australia of over 8-Years and this information is feathered on our Quotes.

BTO WARRANTY TERMS - INFOMATION & OPTIONS:

BTO WARRANTY: Q: What Warranty Options do i have on a Custom BTO Laptop?

A: Most of our BTO Rang have more than one Warranty Service Plan option, there are 5x Plans in Total, There are:

W1: OEM RTB; 12-Months Parts & Labour Warranty Service (No 0-Dead Pixel Policy, NO Service Turnaround Commitment)

W2: OEM On-Site; 12-Months Parts & Labour Warranty Service (No 0-Dead Pixel Policy, NO Service Turnaround Commitment)

W3: MetaBox-OEM Standard On-Site; 12-Months Parts & Labour Warranty Service (No 0-Dead Pixel Policy, Standard MetaBox Service Turnaround Commitment)

W4: MB/ITC Hybrid Deluxe On-Site Warranty Service; 12-Months Parts & Labour Warranty Service - With: 30-Day 0-Dead Pixel Replacement Option & Standard MetaBox Service Turnaround Commitment

W5: ITC GENUINE Platinum On-Site Service & Warranty Agreement; 12-Months Parts & Labour Warranty Service - With: 30-Day 0-Dead Pixel Replacement Option & Express 24~72HR Service Turnaround Commitment, for full Details & Conditions: Click-Here

NOTE-1: All Above Options State: 12-Moths, however this may be extended up-to 3-Years on request.
NOTE-2: ITC's 0-Dead Pixel Policy Covers Burnt(dark) & Bright Pixels (Most Other Brands if offering any 0-Pixle Policy Only Offer it on Bright Pixels & may offer Only 7~14-Days Cover! --- Also Note: ITC's Warranty Pixel policy outside it's 30-Day 0-Pixle is 3/5/6, Other Brands can range Up To 8/12/16 - x/x/x Means: x-Bright/x-Burnt/x-Total to qualify as "Faulty" and replaceable under standard warranty terms)
-RTB: Return To Base / On-Site: Will be service by Courier or Technician DIRECTLY To & From the Customer’s Home/Work Address-

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BD4U Mobile-Solution Packs:

Standard BD4U Mobile Solution Pack:
Including; 1x Customer Carry Bag (RRP: $59.95), 1x Mini-Optical Scroll Mouse (RRP: $69.95), 1x 200HR Internet Accesses & Anti Virus Software pack (RRP: $29.95), Nation-Wide Delivery (RRP Up-TO: $49.00) = Total Value: $208.85 - Purchase with any Laptop/Notebook for only $169* (*pay even less with some promotional ITC & Protac models, from $99 to $129)

ALL BD4U MOBILE-SOLUTION PACKS INCLUDE FREE; BD4U Off-The-Net Software Bundle including:
Open-Office Suite compatible with reading & writhing of: (MS) Word, Excel, Power-Point and other Document formats,
Anti-Virus, GAMES, FREE-200HRs Internet Starter Kit, and dozens of Application Software titles including: PDF-Readers,
Typing Tutorial, Music Applications, Driver Up-Dates & Utilities.

YOU ALSO RECEIVE FREE: 6-Year BD4U Service & Support "*Warranty" Program which entitles you to: 6-Years Free Technical Phone Support &
6-Year Membership to the VIPP Program ensuring you receive substantially **discounted rates for all futures purchases in the next 6-Years!!! (**discounted from RRP, *this does not extend or effect the standard Manufacturer’s conditions & terms included with the Laptop in question)

DELUXE BD4U Mobile Solution Pack:
"As Above" with: 128MB/256MB-USB Pen-Drive (RRP: $79.95), *LAPTOP* IN-LINE Surge Protection Unit (RRP: $69.95) & Upgrade from standard Carry Bag to: DELUXE Carry Bag (RRP: extra $49.95) = Total Added Value: $199.85 - for only an extra +$125 from the above pack!!!