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MTA
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Laptop help required...As mentioned in Tony's Vista thread, I am considering getting a laptop.
Although when it comes to specifications, I get completely lost  So, I am going to list the sort of things I would require of the laptop and see what you guys suggest:
I am a strong believer in Dell, so it would have to be a Laptop from them
I would use the laptop for slideshows via a projector, AutoCAD drawings, and storing a lot of pictures as well as text files.
A long battery life between charges.
Fast processing and boot up times.
Internal wireless internet connection.
One that is durable and can be set up on the train.
So, what sort of specifications am I looking for? High, low?
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MooseMan
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Get an Apple MacBook....batteries last forever, full connectivity and software for photo editing, movie editing, dvd authoring, mp3 playback and lots of other stuff included - and you won't have to give a penny to Bill Gates, and when everyone else complains about how shit Vista is and how many viruses they're catching you'll just laugh....and laugh.... 
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MTA
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I haven't used an Apple PC or Laptop in my entire life though Moose, so I wouldn't know where to start!
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seven.mpd
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Cant say much about apple never seen one, me I find Dell bit pricey I have always found Toshiba OK. suggest you have a look around PC World and ask what ypur mates at Tech are using.
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johnreid
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The only problem I can see with switching to Mac is the software that you are accustomed to would be all different, probably requiring new programs to be learned, whereas with the PC based one you probably already have most of the software you want and hopefully know how to use it.
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MTA
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Seven, yes Dell are a wee bit pricey BUT you can tailor make the system to your needs.
Will have a browse through the PC World website...
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Les
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Doesn't PC World now sell Dell computers??
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MTA
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| Les Marsh wrote: | | Doesn't PC World now sell Dell computers?? |
Yes, but only two models!
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Mamodman123
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No offence to Apple users but stay clear MTA, they cost a fortune and for the same price you can get double the power laptop.
If you want to use CAD get something stocked with a load of Ram 1 gig minimum and a decent graphics card, not one that shares the internal memory.
Go for a dual core stay clear of Celerons!
You can't go wrong
Dell and Toshiba Ive found to be the best makes
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Mamodman123
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Just to add, you don't need Vista, Xp pro will do fine!
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MTA
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| Mamodman123 wrote: | | Just to add, you don't need Vista, Xp pro will do fine! |
Personally I wouldn't touch Vista with a ten foot long barge pole (before some smart alec says 'what will you touch it with then?') as I am too used to XP. Also some incompatibility issues...
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Mamodman123
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| MTA wrote: | | Mamodman123 wrote: | | Just to add, you don't need Vista, Xp pro will do fine! |
Personally I wouldn't touch Vista with a ten foot long barge pole (before some smart alec says 'what will you touch it with then?') as I am too used to XP. Also some incompatibility issues... |
Just pop into PC world, you'll pick up a decent laptop for next to nothing these days, 5-6 years ago they were a grand without an O/S 
Just don't buy a Celeron 
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Wallace
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I agree with MM.
Only thing, is buy the most powerful you can afford, or at least a mid range one. The longer it can run without the need for upgrade, the better, considering it's a laptop.
If you are happy with Dell, go with that brand.
Just make sure whatever you buy, you get a demo of it first and go with XP.
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Mister Occlusion
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If you're going with Dell (who we love because their business support not only DOESN'T suck, but is as close to first rate as you will ever see), then you should look at the Latitude line.
Those are the ones built for business, for carrying around, etc, rather than for sitting on a coffee table. They cost more than the Inspirons, but you get what you pay for interms of heavier construction.
Best mobile CPU for power and power savings? Probably the Intel Core2Duo right now. All mobile procs clock themselves down when on battery, or during times of inactivity, so you will get best performance when plugged into the AC
You should still be able to get XP on a business class machine, because Vista blows in the corporate environment and only masochists are using it.
You *could* get a mac and you *could* run windows on it, and while you're at it you also *could* flush your wallet down the lavvy for kicks. Performance-per-Pound the PC will do what the Mac does for less money. If bling is your thing, then buy from Jobs (who is as big a wanker as Bill IMO), and join the hip crowd.
If you configure a Dell online you can opt for a larger battery, and also spare batteries. Personally I never run off a cord, because I'm always having one eye glued to the power meter.
If you're doing serious autocad, then you might want to look into a mobile workstation class machine, with a dedicated graphics processor (rather than built-in Intel stuff). I'm not sure if these names are current, but nVidia used to use the Quadro name for their workstation 3D graphics and ATI used FireGL, or something like that. Geforce and Radeon are gaming parts that are not necessarily optimized for 3D workstation use.
RAM is cheap. Opt for at least 2 gigs
Only go for 64 bit windows if your main applications are 64 bit. Otherwise they will be running in a 32 bit emulation mode which will be slower than running them on 32 bit windows. Driver support for 64bit XP was never a strong point either. In short, stick with a 32bit OS if going with the Redmond product.
Wireless in the form of 802.11g WiFi is standard, but not all parts are equal. I personally would spend a few $ more for an Intel wireless card and stay away from the Broadcoms and Aetheros and such... Those have caused me grief far more often than Intel wireless network cards have.
Anyway, that's all I can offer for advice. We currently have Acers at work, and they blow (cheaply made, and not so great service). I personally want an IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad (the actual Thinkpad line, rather than the cheaper consumer line). Probably the most durable thing out there that isn't purposely built ruggedized (like the Panasonic Toughbooks are).
I just love Thinkpads 
Though the newest one that I have is a big beast of an A31, with a mobile pentium 4 chip.... yeah, it's old. But I know it's not going to fall apart on me any time soon!
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TE1A_man
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If you need a good laptop, i would aim for a HP, Dell or IBM, all others are ok, but not as reliable. Dell offers the best upgrades and performance, Ibms are the most durable and long lasting, hp's are the cheapest of the higher end makes. I would go for a centrino 2 duo or amd turion 64 x2, DO NOT get a lappy with a pentium dual core (just 2 1.5ghz pentium 4's, very slow) or a celeron. I would go for a minimum of 1 gig of DDR2 ram, and aim for 2 gigs. you also need a good graphics card like a Nvidia Geforce 7M series or 8M series, with a minimum of 256mb of its own VRAM, no sharing system ram. Probalby want something like a 120-160gb sata hd. If you can chose, get vista basic or buisness. Ibm's seem to have excellent battery life, as the BIOS has many power saving features, like cpu throttling, auto screen timming, hard drive slowing, gpu throttling, and so on.
As for macs, i wouldn't get one. They are very expensive, and are really slow, hard to upgrade, and not much cad/cam software and presentation software is supported by them.
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