[MD1032]

I've looked at all kinds of laptop PC's and I've got my mind set on the Thinkpads, but I'd like to keep my mind open to other possibilities as well, since I can't configure a Thinkpad exactly the way I want it (though I can get a good compromise) and still keep it under my dad's $2k laptop budget allowance. I've been reading http://www.notebookreview.com a lot, but anyway, here's what I've looked at:

1) T60 Thinkpads - From what I've seen and heard, they're the best. Completely and totally rock solid, all of the controls from keyboard to touchpad to trackpoint are amazing. Fast, comes with the latest tech (dual core, ATI graphics, Gigabit), all in a thinner and lighter design than comparable laptops. Not to mention these laptops come in the stand 4:3 ratio, NOT the incredibly annoying widescreen format, which sacrifices top to bottom text viewing space for no good reason I can see.

2) Vaio SZ series - These Vaios come with attractice packaging and the SZ's really small. Their screens aren't too big, but they're gorgeous, and the aluminum case is a really nice touch, too. Only thing is that they're more expensive than most, and I'm not a huge fan of the controls. The keyboard feels nice, but it feels very un-solid and flimsy at the same time. The keys feel like they could break and fall off, and so do the two mouse buttons. The touchpad is pretty nice, actually, though not as good as the Thinkpad's. No trackpoint, though. Overall, this is a very attractive model due to its small size, though. Perhaps it's even too small.

3) Vaio FJ series - These laptops are a step above the SZ in size. They have a really nice-feeling keyboard, a good touchpad (no trackpoint, though), and a nice, bigger 14.1" WXGA screen (which is the right size for a laptop in my opinion). Unfortunately, though, these laptops are still stuck on Pentium M technology and don't have the option for dual core yet, despite being bigger than the SZ series like I said.

4) Vaio FE series - This is basically the FS series on steriods. The screen is nice and big, the keyboard (which lacks a trackpoint) looks like the SZ's, but it's even more comfortable and solid than the FJ's. The touchpad is an absolute glory to use, like on the FS's, although in my opinion still slightly below the Thinkpad's touchpad. The only downside I can see to this laptop is that it is an absolute monster, that is, it's simply too big to be lugging to class every day. Also, I've heard the palm rests get warm while you're using it. My hands already sweat a lot, lol. Still, this laptop packs a punch and I'm sure gaming would be fun with it.

5) Toshiba Sattelite - These laptops seem to have good, up-to-date specs and features, but their size (thickness especially) is slightly above average considering their screen size. The main problem I found with these is that their touchpads are terrible, and again, no trackpoint. The touchpads themselves respond well, but the tops of them are very sticky and hard to slide your fingers across, so I'd estimate the tip of my finger would burn off after using these pads for 15 minutes.

6) Dell D620 - I haven't used one of these, so I can't say too much, but my dad seems to like the looks of these. Unfortunately, it seems like all of the Dells I come across have very mediocre touchpads and keyboards, and they're built rather plastic-ey and cheesy. The thinkpads don't flex at all, and you can literally push on the back with your fingers and not have ripples appear at all. Not on the Dells. Granted, most of the Dells I've seen have been the consumer Home and Home Office type.

7) Dell E1505 - These are like the Vaio FE series. They're pretty nice, have nice features, have a nice screen, but they're just too big. This one is smaller than the FE in my estimation, though.

So, what kind of laptops do you guys have and what are your criticisms of my impressions?

 

[granodemostasa]

I vote for the T60...but i do have a thinkpad bias.

 

[meat01]

I like Thinkpads, but my wife has a Dell D600 that is nice also. Have not heard a lot of good things about Sonys and their build quality. You should stick with the business models like you are doing rather than the consumer models.

 

[mr_baseball_08]

Personally I think 4:3 laptops are ugly and awkward looking.. I'd much rather use widescreen, but that's just me. I'm not sure what other companies call it but whatever screen you choose make sure it has what Dell calls the True Life screen. Has a nice glossy finish which makes the screen a lot nicer to look at. Good luck with whatever you choose!

BTW, I personally have a Dell 700M and think it's great. Very small, lightweight, extremely portable and plenty of power to do the things I need it to do.

Edit: My 700M touchpad is rock solid and flexes none whatsoever. The same can be said for the keyboard. My only gripe is some of the keys are a little small which takes just a little getting used to. If you have big hands this little guy probably isn't for you.

 

[grawk]

From my experience, the only laptops I'd trust to be used portably with any regularity and survive the experience are apples and thinkpads...

 

[derekbmn]

5) I love my satellite. The touchpad smoothed out in a day or two .I also like the ergonomic's of it . Every thing is right were I want it and it's very simple to use !!!!

 

[Naris]

For 2K you can do a lot with a notebook. You've already checked out notebookreview, have you checked out http://www.notebookforums.com/? They have some good advice there.

As for a notebook for college, I have the following tips:

1. Lighter and smaller is better. You don't want to be lugging it to and from class and other areas (you DO want a notebook so that you can take it around right?).

2. I don't know if your college has Wi-fi access (more and more are), but you might want to get your notebook wi-fi compatible built in to a mini-pci card rather than using an external. It is lighter and less stuff protruding out.

3. Getting a blazing fast notebook, excepting when you're one of those people who need to do huge calculations, is probably a bad idea. Excepting calculations/designs and the like, most blazing fast computers are used for games... a really, really bad idea when you're trying to study on your computer.

4. Sleeker looks a lot nicer, but it makes it a lot nicer for thieves as well. A plain jane Dell or ThinkPad are great at blending in and looking boring. I believe the ThinkPads still have a biometric fingerprint reader to them as well, this is good.

And last but not least...

5. If you want to get any work done, block head-fi once you get your computer

.

 

[Veniogenesis]

Yes. Lighter and smaller is better by all means. First time laptop buyers almost always go for the powerhouse types of laptops. Big screens, powerful processors... weeee! I can play games! I've personally owned a Toshiba Satellite widescreen model for the past three years and carried it to and from my school (yes, many people use laptops at our high school everyday) and it was a pain. There is absolutely NO theft at my school regarding laptops so I didn't have to worry about guarding it while I was at school. But college is different. Having a large laptop makes it really hard to carry around. I would have to worry about it almost all the time.

That being said, I'm looking for a new laptop for college as well. My actual suggestion would be to wait if you can. Merom (Intel's new core architecture) will be coming out around November/December and Vista is coming out very early next year. If you've read the details on sites such as Tomshardware, Arstechnica, etc., Merom will simply blow away any mobile chip architecture that exists now, including Yonah (More commonly referred to as Core Duo and Core Solo). Yonah is still based on Pentium M, the previous generation of Intel mobile processors. Merom is a total reworking of the architecture and its stats are simply bewildering.

That said, few will have the patience to wait. You might note that historically, Intel has often releases new generations of processors in November. College students almost always buy their laptops during the summer. It's quite unfortunate. Microsoft really screwed up however. By delaying their Vista release from November (co-release with Merom in both Laptops and Desktops) to January, Microsoft has not only missed the Christmas season but also the October/November "new tech" tradition. Bah.

 

[john_jcb]

Make sure you have replacement coverage no matter which one you select. My son is just finishing law school and he has gone through a couple of motherboards,a hard drive and a keyboard.

 

[ilikemonkeys]

I have beat the hell out of my Thinkpad and it's still running like a champ. It's a T42 and built to last. I've heard nothing bad about Thinkpads since Lenovo took over. I have a 6 state territory and use it for daily driving instructions. I've got the 8 hour battery and that thing is cranking like a gerbil on meth! And, it's half full of cathair right now. Tha's gotta say something.

B

 

[MD1032]

Quote:

Originally Posted by john_jcb Make sure you have replacement coverage no matter which one you select. My son is just finishing law school and he has gone through a couple of motherboards,a hard drive and a keyboard.

What comp does he have?

 

[Asr]

IMO you shouldn't be limiting yourself to a laptop that has a pointing stick, those are 90s fixtures!

The Asus W3V would probably be a nice laptop for you, nice all-rounder with decent graphics subsystem. Built on the Centrino/Sonoma chipset so it's nice & speedy with great battery life.

 

[MD1032]

The Asus looks nice, but it seems like it's a bit older, and it has some shortcomings not apparent in newer models, like excessive heat. Plus, I'd probably rather have a dual core with all of the multitasking I typically do. For what it's worth, it is a really nice-looking lappy though.

The trackpoint isn't a big deal, but after using it for a bit on the thinkpad at the store, the touchpads seem sluggish. Again, you're right, it's not a big deal, but I'm just pointing it out anyway.

 

[Elec]

I vote for a $1200 desktop and an $800 laptop (or the other way around if you must). It really sucks having to sit with a laptop for 4 hours trying to write a paper or do research. If you mainly want a laptop so you can take it to class for notes, surf the web in the union, or work on homework outside under a tree, you can do that on a cheap laptop as well as an uber one. But the desktop has better ergonomics and will probably be more enjoyable to use anytime you're not on the go (and maybe better for games, media, etc).

OR if you're just in love with the idea of a nice laptop, get one but also get yourself a normal keyboard, mouse, and monitor to keep on your desk for "home use".

 

[MD1032]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that. I am planning to get a port replicator and bring along my 17" flat-panel Dell monitor, a regular keyboard, and a mouse.