which laptop?

Zardon · May 9, 2002, 11:37 PM

ive the choice of a laptop for work. cost isnt important.

any suggestions on models,spec, manufacturer?

~~Crash Override~~ · May 10, 2002, 03:19 AM

Any cost at all? hehe might not wanna say that around me

heres the laptop I keep having dreams about lol

http://alienware.com/main/system_pages/area51-m.asp

Zardon · May 10, 2002, 05:41 AM

mighty fine looking laptop that crash !

~~Crash Override~~ · May 10, 2002, 06:18 AM

yup shes purty and has way way more than enough power and toys to keep ya busy

Mize · May 10, 2002, 12:41 PM

I recently bought a Sony GRX570 for work. It's very nice: P4/1.6/ATi Mobility 7500 (only 32 MB though

)/16", 1600x1200 LCD. Heavy (8#), but a wonderful desktop substitute. I think the Alienware looks quite a bit better, but I was able to get the Sony on the same day I decided to upgrade (from a toshiba/gf2go) and I'm one of those impulsive-instant-gratification types

Took me a week to discover it had no floppy drive...

Mize

Zardon · May 10, 2002, 04:47 PM

well I most certainly want to play with one of the new laptops with one of those rockin ATI video cards, thats for sure

Mize · May 11, 2002, 01:55 AM

The only advantage of the (much slower) Sony is the 16.1" LCD and the ability to run at 1600x1200 which looks absolutely stunning if you spend much time doing CAD work. I'll take the Alienware in the other categories.

Mize

~~Crash Override~~ · May 11, 2002, 05:06 AM

This is the specs on the system

High-Performance Laptop Chassis
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.4GHz 400MHz FSB w/ 512KB Cache
Hi-Performance Heatsink/CPU Cooling Fan
Intel® 845MP+ICH3M Chipset - FC-PGA 478PIN DDR
Standard 1.44MB Floppy Drive
512MB DDR PC-2100 - Two SO-DIMMs
40GB IBM Travelstar 4200 RPM ATA100
ATI Mobility RADEON 7500 64MB DDR
Sound-Blaster Compatible 3D Audio
3.5 3-Mode Floppy Disk Drive
8X DVD / 8x4x24 CD-RW w/Software MPEG2 Decoder
Integrated 10/100Mb Ethernet NIC
56K Modem with V.92 Technology
AlienAutopsy: Automated Technical Support Request System
Aliencare Toll-Free 1-Year 24/7 DEPOT Warranty
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
Personalized Owner's Manual
Optimized & Configured for High-Performance
FREE Custom Alienware® Mouse Pad
15" Hitachi SXGA+ 1400 x 1050 LCD Display
Front Panel Audio DJ CD Player
Synaptics Touchpad
1 Type II PCMCIA Slots
4 USB 1.1 Ports & 1 IEEE-1394 Port (4 PIN)
Standard Smart Li-ION Battery
Full Size 85-Key Clear-Keyboard
Configurable Dual Smart Bay Support
8ohm, 1.5W Stereo Speakers
Auto Switch 110/220V AC Adapter/Cord
Laptop Carrying Case
Performance Benchmarks Documentation
Personalized Owner's Manual & User's Manual
All Latest Drivers Installed
Dimension (H) x (W) x (D) : 1.7"x13"x11.4"
Weight: 9.6lbs. w/ Battery

Price: $2840.00

peroni · May 11, 2002, 12:44 PM

Check out this anandtech review on a 'dog bollocks' laptop from Compaq
http://www.anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.html?i=1616

zcog · May 13, 2002, 02:42 AM

Z,

I own several laptops (only one that's fairly new) and I might have some advice. What type of things do you want to do with it? I go more for the "business type" of notebook and have an IBM Thinkpad A22m I purchased last fall. I really like it, but I don't play games on it.

I dislike touchpads so my choices are usually between Thinkpads and Toshibas. There are a few things to look out for when purchasing one. I'll paste in a note I sent to a friend a couple of years ago. Some of it is outdated (e.g., I currently use and like Win2k), but if you're interested in more info let me know and I'll share my experiences and what to watch out for.

zcog

Old Note about buying a laptop:

Things to Consider:

You need keep in mind that many companies offer the same “Model Number” for many different laptop configurations. For example, IBM offers the Thinkpad A21m model, but this ranges from slower Celeron CPUs to fairly fast Pentium III CPUs…with different screen sizes, etc. Just keep an eye on the specifications of the exact model you look at.

Manufacturer:

Reputation: Some places have user service polls, like PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com).

Warranty: Length and process if something breaks. If warranty is for 1-year, is there and extension offer? If so, how much and when must you purchase the extension? What is covered by the warranty? Can you bring it in to a nearby service center? Do you need to ship it back? How long will it take to return? Who pays shipping each way?

Along with this is their replacement policy. Many hardware (not just laptop) vendors replace your product with used parts. That is you could buy a new laptop and if it’s DOA, they could replace it with a used/refurbished one!!!! Check on this policy. I’d even request all policies either in writing, or a URL to a web site that clearly lists all policies.

Tech support: How good is it? What are the hours? Is it toll free? Is there web support with good FAQs? Can you download updated drivers and BIOSes, etc?

Return Policy: Some places have a return policy, i.e., you can return it no-questions-asked from date of shipment/receipt. This is becoming more rare.

Price Protection: Some places (rare) offer a price protection plan, i.e., if the price drops within 30 days, you can contact them and they will give you a refund. This is not automatic, it’s up to the consumer to watch the prices.

Tech Stuff:

Performance: Places like http://www.zdnet.com http://www.pcworld.com http://www.computers.com have occasional laptop reviews.

Hard Drive: Get the biggest you can. Upgrading later usually is a BIG hassle and much more expensive than getting the space you need up front.

Keyboard: Does it have a full keyboard? How does it feel?

“Mouse:” What type of pointing device it there? I personally prefer “eraser head” devices over touchpads. But these are usually only offered by IBM and Toshiba. Some people have claimed that the eraser head gets in the way of typing. I’ve found that touchpads have that tendency. I haven’t used one in years, but I remember that when I accidentally “touched” the pad while typing, I would “click the mouse.” This is probably configurable. Some offer both pointing devices at the same time, but I’ve read that these can be a bit of a hassle.

RAM: Get as much as possible. RAM, even for laptops is pretty cheap these days. Most laptops come with 64 or 128 megs. I’d add another 128 megs, which will probably cost between another $100-$150. That way you’ll end up with at least 192 megs. The more RAM, the less disk-spooling of course, but this also means your battery lasts longer per charge. Plus, laptop hard drives are slower than desktop drives.

Operating System: These days you usually have a choice between Win98 SE and Windows 2000…depending entirely on the company and model. That is, you can probably only get certain models with Win98 and others with Win 2000. Both support USB. If you get Win98, make sure it’s the newer SE version. Win98 is NOT secure, if you’re worried about security. Windows 2000 is much more secure, but it’s a lot harder to get good drivers for Win 2000. Plus, it uses much more memory…or so I’ve read. My personal preference is to stay away from Win 2000 because much more hardware and software will run on Win 98.

Battery Life: Battery life hasn’t really improved that much. A pretty good life is around 3-hours per charge. Intel has this new “Speed Step” technology that slows the CPU during battery use (configurable), but it doesn’t seem to help that much.

Weight: These things can get pretty heavy when you carry them around. An average weight is around 7-lbs. without all the extras, like AC adapter, etc.

Spindles: You’ll sometimes see reviews that refer to the “number of spindles” in a laptop. This just refers to the number of “built-in” drives. Each drive is 1-spindle. So a 3-spindle laptop means that it has a built-in hard drive, floppy drive and CD/DVD drive. I have a two spindle laptop which means I need to externally attach my floppy drive via cable when I want to use it…which isn’t really that often…but it’s still a big pain and I need to carry the floppy with me, which adds to the overall travel weight. I’d only buy a 3-spindle laptop these days. Today’s “light” laptops are usually 2-spindle drives.

CD vs. DVD: There really isn’t that much software that uses DVD format at this point. With that said, I would only get a DVD drive, which doubles as a CD-ROM drive. I like encyclopedias and it’s so much easier putting in one DVD disk as opposed to constantly swapping several CDs. Of course, if you plan on watching DVD movies, you’d need a DVD drive. But keep in mind that the video in laptops is usually pretty inferior to a desktop video card and has much less memory.

Video: As just mentioned, laptop video is usually inferior to desktop video. Many laptops offer 4 megs of video RAM. This is the bare minimum you’ll want. Some places offer 8 and 16 megs…mainly Dell, I think…but probably only on their high-end models. Usually reviews rate a laptop’s DVD movie performance. ATI currently seems to have the best laptop video on the market.

Screen: This is a biggy. Unlike a regular monitor on a desktop, you can’t just change the resolution on a laptop and expect it to look very good. You’re usually stuck with what you get. It all depends on what you’re comfortable viewing. The standard resolution is 1024x768 with screen sizes ranging from 13.1 inches to about 14.1 inches (diagonal). You can also opt for “large fonts” in Windows, so that makes things easier to view. I’m a real bug on having an easy to read laptop, but that’s also because of my eyes. I’d recommend a 14-inch screen running at 1024x768, large fonts…but that’s just me. The lighter laptops frequently have 13-inch screens at the same resolution.

Also, most places have a policy on how many “bad pixels” are acceptable on a screen. There are a couple of types of bad pixels. Ones that are stuck “off.” This leaves a tiny black spot on the screen that will always be there!!! Worse are the ones that are stuck “on,” which always shows a tiny bright spec on your screen. Bad pixel policies vary by vendor. Toshiba used to consider 7 or under bad pixels as acceptable!!!! Then there can be a difference of how many are within a square inch on the screen…etc. IBM used to say that no bad pixel is acceptable and they will replace any bad pixel laptop…but I don’t know whether it will be a “new” laptop!!!!!!!!! From what I understand, bad pixels are much more rare that they were a few years ago.

End note.

May 9, 2002, 11:37 PM	#1
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	which laptop? ive the choice of a laptop for work. cost isnt important. any suggestions on models,spec, manufacturer?

May 10, 2002, 12:41 PM	#5
Mize The quiet one Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 150 Rep Power: 0	I recently bought a Sony GRX570 for work. It's very nice: P4/1.6/ATi Mobility 7500 (only 32 MB though )/16", 1600x1200 LCD. Heavy (8#), but a wonderful desktop substitute. I think the Alienware looks quite a bit better, but I was able to get the Sony on the same day I decided to upgrade (from a toshiba/gf2go) and I'm one of those impulsive-instant-gratification types Took me a week to discover it had no floppy drive... Mize __________________ Rage3D > Voodoo 2 / TNT > Voodoo 3 3000 > Voodoo 5 5500 > GeForce 3 Ti200 > Radeon 8500 > Radeon 9700 Pro > Radeon X1800 XT > GeForce 8800 GTS > Radeon HD 5870 > Geforce GTX 580 #1 (died) > Geforce GTX 580 #2 (died) > 2x6970 in CFX > 2xGTX 580 3GB in SLI (fingers crossed)

May 11, 2002, 01:55 AM	#7
Mize The quiet one Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 150 Rep Power: 0	The only advantage of the (much slower) Sony is the 16.1" LCD and the ability to run at 1600x1200 which looks absolutely stunning if you spend much time doing CAD work. I'll take the Alienware in the other categories. Mize __________________ Rage3D > Voodoo 2 / TNT > Voodoo 3 3000 > Voodoo 5 5500 > GeForce 3 Ti200 > Radeon 8500 > Radeon 9700 Pro > Radeon X1800 XT > GeForce 8800 GTS > Radeon HD 5870 > Geforce GTX 580 #1 (died) > Geforce GTX 580 #2 (died) > 2x6970 in CFX > 2xGTX 580 3GB in SLI (fingers crossed)

May 11, 2002, 12:44 PM	#9
peroni DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 591 Rep Power: 0	Check out this anandtech review on a 'dog bollocks' laptop from Compaq http://www.anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.html?i=1616 __________________ Gaming Rig 3DMark2k1 PCMark2k2 The Server 3Dmark2k1 PCMark2k2 Notebook 3Dmark2k1 PCMark2k2

May 10, 2002, 03:19 AM	#2
~~Crash Override~~ Banned Join Date: May 2002 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 2,448 Rep Power: 0	Any cost at all? hehe might not wanna say that around me heres the laptop I keep having dreams about lol http://alienware.com/main/system_pages/area51-m.asp

May 10, 2002, 05:41 AM	Thread Starter #3
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	mighty fine looking laptop that crash !

May 10, 2002, 06:18 AM	#4
~~Crash Override~~ Banned Join Date: May 2002 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 2,448 Rep Power: 0	yup shes purty and has way way more than enough power and toys to keep ya busy

May 10, 2002, 04:47 PM	Thread Starter #6
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	well I most certainly want to play with one of the new laptops with one of those rockin ATI video cards, thats for sure

May 11, 2002, 05:06 AM	#8
~~Crash Override~~ Banned Join Date: May 2002 Location: Olympia, WA Posts: 2,448 Rep Power: 0	This is the specs on the system High-Performance Laptop Chassis Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.4GHz 400MHz FSB w/ 512KB Cache Hi-Performance Heatsink/CPU Cooling Fan Intel® 845MP+ICH3M Chipset - FC-PGA 478PIN DDR Standard 1.44MB Floppy Drive 512MB DDR PC-2100 - Two SO-DIMMs 40GB IBM Travelstar 4200 RPM ATA100 ATI Mobility RADEON 7500 64MB DDR Sound-Blaster Compatible 3D Audio 3.5 3-Mode Floppy Disk Drive 8X DVD / 8x4x24 CD-RW w/Software MPEG2 Decoder Integrated 10/100Mb Ethernet NIC 56K Modem with V.92 Technology AlienAutopsy: Automated Technical Support Request System Aliencare Toll-Free 1-Year 24/7 DEPOT Warranty Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Personalized Owner's Manual Optimized & Configured for High-Performance FREE Custom Alienware® Mouse Pad 15" Hitachi SXGA+ 1400 x 1050 LCD Display Front Panel Audio DJ CD Player Synaptics Touchpad 1 Type II PCMCIA Slots 4 USB 1.1 Ports & 1 IEEE-1394 Port (4 PIN) Standard Smart Li-ION Battery Full Size 85-Key Clear-Keyboard Configurable Dual Smart Bay Support 8ohm, 1.5W Stereo Speakers Auto Switch 110/220V AC Adapter/Cord Laptop Carrying Case Performance Benchmarks Documentation Personalized Owner's Manual & User's Manual All Latest Drivers Installed Dimension (H) x (W) x (D) : 1.7"x13"x11.4" Weight: 9.6lbs. w/ Battery Price: $2840.00

May 13, 2002, 02:42 AM	#10
zcog DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Z, I own several laptops (only one that's fairly new) and I might have some advice. What type of things do you want to do with it? I go more for the "business type" of notebook and have an IBM Thinkpad A22m I purchased last fall. I really like it, but I don't play games on it. I dislike touchpads so my choices are usually between Thinkpads and Toshibas. There are a few things to look out for when purchasing one. I'll paste in a note I sent to a friend a couple of years ago. Some of it is outdated (e.g., I currently use and like Win2k), but if you're interested in more info let me know and I'll share my experiences and what to watch out for. zcog Old Note about buying a laptop: Things to Consider: You need keep in mind that many companies offer the same “Model Number” for many different laptop configurations. For example, IBM offers the Thinkpad A21m model, but this ranges from slower Celeron CPUs to fairly fast Pentium III CPUs…with different screen sizes, etc. Just keep an eye on the specifications of the exact model you look at. Manufacturer: Reputation: Some places have user service polls, like PC Magazine (www.pcmag.com). Warranty: Length and process if something breaks. If warranty is for 1-year, is there and extension offer? If so, how much and when must you purchase the extension? What is covered by the warranty? Can you bring it in to a nearby service center? Do you need to ship it back? How long will it take to return? Who pays shipping each way? Along with this is their replacement policy. Many hardware (not just laptop) vendors replace your product with used parts. That is you could buy a new laptop and if it’s DOA, they could replace it with a used/refurbished one!!!! Check on this policy. I’d even request all policies either in writing, or a URL to a web site that clearly lists all policies. Tech support: How good is it? What are the hours? Is it toll free? Is there web support with good FAQs? Can you download updated drivers and BIOSes, etc? Return Policy: Some places have a return policy, i.e., you can return it no-questions-asked from date of shipment/receipt. This is becoming more rare. Price Protection: Some places (rare) offer a price protection plan, i.e., if the price drops within 30 days, you can contact them and they will give you a refund. This is not automatic, it’s up to the consumer to watch the prices. Tech Stuff: Performance: Places like http://www.zdnet.com http://www.pcworld.com http://www.computers.com have occasional laptop reviews. Hard Drive: Get the biggest you can. Upgrading later usually is a BIG hassle and much more expensive than getting the space you need up front. Keyboard: Does it have a full keyboard? How does it feel? “Mouse:” What type of pointing device it there? I personally prefer “eraser head” devices over touchpads. But these are usually only offered by IBM and Toshiba. Some people have claimed that the eraser head gets in the way of typing. I’ve found that touchpads have that tendency. I haven’t used one in years, but I remember that when I accidentally “touched” the pad while typing, I would “click the mouse.” This is probably configurable. Some offer both pointing devices at the same time, but I’ve read that these can be a bit of a hassle. RAM: Get as much as possible. RAM, even for laptops is pretty cheap these days. Most laptops come with 64 or 128 megs. I’d add another 128 megs, which will probably cost between another $100-$150. That way you’ll end up with at least 192 megs. The more RAM, the less disk-spooling of course, but this also means your battery lasts longer per charge. Plus, laptop hard drives are slower than desktop drives. Operating System: These days you usually have a choice between Win98 SE and Windows 2000…depending entirely on the company and model. That is, you can probably only get certain models with Win98 and others with Win 2000. Both support USB. If you get Win98, make sure it’s the newer SE version. Win98 is NOT secure, if you’re worried about security. Windows 2000 is much more secure, but it’s a lot harder to get good drivers for Win 2000. Plus, it uses much more memory…or so I’ve read. My personal preference is to stay away from Win 2000 because much more hardware and software will run on Win 98. Battery Life: Battery life hasn’t really improved that much. A pretty good life is around 3-hours per charge. Intel has this new “Speed Step” technology that slows the CPU during battery use (configurable), but it doesn’t seem to help that much. Weight: These things can get pretty heavy when you carry them around. An average weight is around 7-lbs. without all the extras, like AC adapter, etc. Spindles: You’ll sometimes see reviews that refer to the “number of spindles” in a laptop. This just refers to the number of “built-in” drives. Each drive is 1-spindle. So a 3-spindle laptop means that it has a built-in hard drive, floppy drive and CD/DVD drive. I have a two spindle laptop which means I need to externally attach my floppy drive via cable when I want to use it…which isn’t really that often…but it’s still a big pain and I need to carry the floppy with me, which adds to the overall travel weight. I’d only buy a 3-spindle laptop these days. Today’s “light” laptops are usually 2-spindle drives. CD vs. DVD: There really isn’t that much software that uses DVD format at this point. With that said, I would only get a DVD drive, which doubles as a CD-ROM drive. I like encyclopedias and it’s so much easier putting in one DVD disk as opposed to constantly swapping several CDs. Of course, if you plan on watching DVD movies, you’d need a DVD drive. But keep in mind that the video in laptops is usually pretty inferior to a desktop video card and has much less memory. Video: As just mentioned, laptop video is usually inferior to desktop video. Many laptops offer 4 megs of video RAM. This is the bare minimum you’ll want. Some places offer 8 and 16 megs…mainly Dell, I think…but probably only on their high-end models. Usually reviews rate a laptop’s DVD movie performance. ATI currently seems to have the best laptop video on the market. Screen: This is a biggy. Unlike a regular monitor on a desktop, you can’t just change the resolution on a laptop and expect it to look very good. You’re usually stuck with what you get. It all depends on what you’re comfortable viewing. The standard resolution is 1024x768 with screen sizes ranging from 13.1 inches to about 14.1 inches (diagonal). You can also opt for “large fonts” in Windows, so that makes things easier to view. I’m a real bug on having an easy to read laptop, but that’s also because of my eyes. I’d recommend a 14-inch screen running at 1024x768, large fonts…but that’s just me. The lighter laptops frequently have 13-inch screens at the same resolution. Also, most places have a policy on how many “bad pixels” are acceptable on a screen. There are a couple of types of bad pixels. Ones that are stuck “off.” This leaves a tiny black spot on the screen that will always be there!!! Worse are the ones that are stuck “on,” which always shows a tiny bright spec on your screen. Bad pixel policies vary by vendor. Toshiba used to consider 7 or under bad pixels as acceptable!!!! Then there can be a difference of how many are within a square inch on the screen…etc. IBM used to say that no bad pixel is acceptable and they will replace any bad pixel laptop…but I don’t know whether it will be a “new” laptop!!!!!!!!! From what I understand, bad pixels are much more rare that they were a few years ago. End note.