What do you think of this laptop spec?

[flier]

After much deliberating I have decided on the spec I want but wondered if any of you techy types might tell me what you think of it?

Intel® Core 2 Duo Processor T6600 (2.2GHz, 800MHz, 2MB cache)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit- English
15.6" Widescreen WXGA WLED (1366 x 768) TFT Display with TrueLife?
Intel Integrated GMA 4500MHD
4096MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]
500GB (5400RPM) Serial ATA Hard Drive
DVD +/- RW Drive (read/write CD & DVD)
6 cell battery
Mcafee - free for 15 months
1.3MP camera

I'm hoping to get this for less than £450 - is this a reasonable spec for the money?

My question would be about having the 64-bit version of Windows 7.

64-bit Operating Systems are definitely the way things will go in the future, but right now it's at a bit of a transition state.

The big advantage of 64-bit is that you can have more memory in your computer. You'll see that 4gb as 4gb. The 32-bit versions would see it as about 3.3gb and wouldn't go any further. More memory's good, especially with Windows which has never been very efficient as to how it handles itself and it rather bloated and over size.

There are however disadvantages. Very old applications stand a good chance of not running. Some more recent applications may also run a bit slower than they would on a 32-bit version of Windows.

The biggest drawback though is that older pieces of hardware may not be compatible with it. So if you've got an old scanner or something that you really have to use check very carefully as to whether or not you'll be able to get it running in 64-bit Windows. Don't just check that it will work with Windows 7, check that it will work with 64-bit Windows 7.

On the whole if you're getting this as a completely new machine and will be buying all new hardware and software to run with it I suspect you'll be fine.

However given that there are pitfalls, that the biggest advantage of 64-bit is more memory which you're probably not going to put in and that Windows 7 is also fully supported as a 32-bit Operating System I'd be perhaps a little bit cautious.

Very interesting, BadgersPaws, and something that I was not at all aware of, so will take more of a look at that, thank you.

bump - any other got any input?

others