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Heya

My Samsung X20 is starting to play up badly after two years, mainly the display on a graphics chip level (ATI mobility Radeon X600) where the screen is showing about 5-10% permanently 'on' subpixels - it's a pain to work with this, and it's been getting worse over the course of 3 or four months. Cleaning the laptop, using new heat conducting paste and running in Linux still produce the same symptoms...

So anyway, since the laptop is not under warranty and because I want to anyway, I'm going to Hong Kong over the holidays and plan to purchase a new laptop.
At the moment I've got a Centrino 1.6GHz, 2GB system with said ATI graphics. I'm looking at something like this:

• Mobile Dual Core
  >2GB RAM, preferably 4GB RAM
  15", 1400 x 1050 display - not a fan of widescreens!
  WinXP
  <2.5kg
  >3h Battery life in energy saving mode
  <1000£ / 1400€ / US$2000 / HK$16,000

I'll be running mostly Rhino 4, Pro/E WF3, Maxwell 1.6, Illustrator / Photoshop CS2 and MS Paint

Any help with coming up with more specific specs / recommendations much appreciated, also if any of you have experience purchasing a laptop in HK, any particular stores that are to be avoided?

Thanks!!

Avoid all the "small" electronics shop in Tsim Sha Tsui or elsewhere for any purchase, it's a tourist trap. You can trust Fortress or Broadway, the service is good but they are a little bit more expensive.
Depend which area in HK you go, but you have to visit the different computer center. There is one in Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and maybe other that i don't know. It's definitely there you will find what you are looking for. In those center try to bargain the price.
And if you have no ipod, you can add this on your Christmas gift, they are really much cheaper there compared in europe (2800 HK$ for the 160GB vs 230£=3770 HK$ in UK or 360 Euro = 4130 HK$ in France ).

Great hyltom, thanks for that help, much appreciated!