[grawk]

If you have any need at all for it to be reliable, I would avoid compaq laptops as if you had knowledge they were dipped in anthrax.

 

[MD1032]

Another vote to avoid Compaq. Never owned a laptop by them, but I'd had a couple of their computers (for free, fortunately), and they are just built terribly. The laptops in CompUSA that I saw looked terrible. Very cheap construction (all of the keyboards were falling apart on what appeared to be almost brand new display models), and their parts in my experience are, as I mentioned, just really bad quality. Avoid!

cpw, to be honest I've always ruled out macs because the world is built to run on windows, and programs made today are built for windows and might not always work on macs. I'm going to be running various chemistry programs and hooking them up to the various lab equipment and I need to be assured of good compatibility. Plus, I'm just used to windows and I've been using it my whole like and know how to manipulate it. Also, I might want to run some games occasionally.

 

[Madcat05]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MD1032 Another vote to avoid Compaq. Never owned a laptop by them, but I'd had a couple of their computers (for free, fortunately), and they are just built terribly. The laptops in CompUSA that I saw looked terrible. Very cheap construction (all of the keyboards were falling apart on what appeared to be almost brand new display models), and their parts in my experience are, as I mentioned, just really bad quality. Avoid! cpw, to be honest I've always ruled out macs because the world is built to run on windows, and programs made today are built for windows and might not always work on macs. I'm going to be running various chemistry programs and hooking them up to the various lab equipment and I need to be assured of good compatibility. Plus, I'm just used to windows and I've been using it my whole like and know how to manipulate it. Also, I might want to run some games occasionally.

The new Macbooks can dual boot with Windows now.

 

[granodemostasa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nabwong Another vote for IBM. The best thing about ibm is you can parts for repair on ebay or from parts warehouse online. The self maintenance will save you a lot of $$$. I replaced my mobo from a 32mb video onboard to 128mb onboard and it cost me $250 including a new long arm fan. IBM wanted to charge me $600.

wow, i could do that...i should change my aging 32mb video card to a 128!

to the thread: I've never seen a lenovo that doesn't have a video card: if you are going to college they ususally have discounts on the lenovo. here is an example from my school: https://www.tsw.berkeley.edu/eStore/...atarq=2007-C4U

 

[mr_baseball_08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer Dell builds piss-poorly-put-together, disposable computers. I wouldn't buy one for anything.

I would take this with a grain of salt.. People have different experiences with different computers. The same can be said about any computer company. Sure, Dell probably (key word being probably) has more complaints than anyone else (except for HP/Compaq, maybe) but they also sell more computers than anyone else. The fact is most PC's will give exactly what you put into them. You treat it like crap, it would probably perform as such. You keep it clean, organized, well maintained, free of viruses, adware/spyware, etc, and you'll have yourself a nice investment for a couple of years.

 

[MD1032]

I think you guys have convinced me that I need a thinkpad. Though Veniogenesis, you have a very valid point and I'll definitely have to consider that. Now, what kind of configurations would you guys recommend for it? There's a well-configred one in my range:

http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/st...catalogId=-840

It has a 1.86 ghz. core and a 64 MB video card. However, I'm wondering if I should spring for a larger video card, a 128 MB one. Unfortunately, you can't seem to build one with the 128 MB version without tacking on a bunch of other costly stuff, including the 2.0 ghz. core. I think that the 14.1" version would be a better travel size than the 15", though. Plus, the 15" version only comes with the fancy screen in the really expensive models.

 

[mr_baseball_08]

If you're going for very portable, trust me, you definitely want something small than a 15 inch. My first laptop was a 15.4 and in no shape, way, form, or fashion was it very portable.. Sure 10 pounds doesn't sound like much in a backpack, but it actually is pretty heavy when you add in books, notebooks, etc.. And if you're anything like me, you'll always want to keep it with you. I hardly ever let my laptop out of my sight, especially at school.

I'd go for something with a 14.1 inch screen or smaller. I have a 12.1 and I consider it very portable.

 

[imported_Echo_]

on laptops i recommend getting the longest warrenty you can get since its not like desktops you can really replace crap yourself.

especially if the screen gets screwd up

thats like 700 bucks

 

[HiWire]

My vote is for a Mac laptop... they just do what you need to do, no hassle. As long as you don't run any exotic applications, you can do everything you can do on a PC.

Note that there is a standard 1-year warranty on the parts... 1st thing to do is get a good case/bag.

 

[vagarach]

The T60 looks like a good choice. But please, do *not* get a 15" screen if you are going to be using this out-and-about. So choose the 14.1" screen.

About the video RAM, if you will be gaming then spend the extra money to get 128MB, otherwise just leave it at 64MB and you should be able to game for maybe the next 1 year. After a year I think 64MB will be hopeless

. Remember though that the mobility x1300 has only 4 pixel shaders and 2 vertex shaders, so you will be limited to 800x600 and 1024x768 in games that use shader model 3.0, and so you could still barely get away with 64MB at the lowest settings.

I just looked on the ati site, and the mobility x1300 has Hypermemory, which allows the graphics card to use some of the system ram over the pci express bus. Thus even though it has only 64MB on the graphics card, it can use more as needed. What I typed above is still valid for cards that have only 64MB, but the x1300 shouldn't have a problem coping with games even two years from now at the lower settings. It may even be the case that the so called '128MB version' actually has 64MB onboard RAM and is preset to use another 64MB of system RAM. Compaq does this sneaky trick with almost every pci-express based notebook they sell (I owned one that had this

).

So don't really worry about getting 128MB, unless you're a really serious gamer, in which case you wouldn't even be looking at the T60.

 

[vagarach]

double post

 

[tennisets]

This is a little bit off topic, but not much, so sorry.

I have a Dell i9300, and it feels anything but cheap and unreliable. I've used a lot of computers and this is by far the best of the bunch. It's been rock solid, performance is great, battery life is passable (about 3 hours, and I have the geForce 6800 graphics card), the screen is great, and it's not as big and heavy as a lot of desktop replacement notebooks.

Also, on desktop replacements: they're not always a bad choice. I don't need to bring my laptop to class or anything. I've taken it elsewhere on campus probably three times all year. The reason I wanted a laptop was for space considerations, and I wanted to be able to easily transport my computer between school and home. It's just a portable desktop for me. I understand to OP wants to be able to carry the laptop around campus, so this obviously wouldn't be a good choice of computer. But for some people's purposes, a large and powerful notebook is the right choice.

 

[MD1032]

vagarach, thanks for the useful advice on the graphics card!

Now, I'm interested to know if anyone has anything to say about differences in speed between the 1.66 ghz, 1.86 ghz, and 2.0 ghz. dual core models. How much difference can one expect? It seems like the 2.0 ghz's price is much higher than the 1.86's, unjustifiably so.

HiWire, again, I probably am going to be running a whole bunch of odd programs just as part of my chem studies. In fact, I already run a whole bunch of weird 3rd party programs on my comp all the time, and trust me, not every software developer says "hmmm... I've spent all this time making this program, let me take the extra step for those mac users out there".

 

[grawk]

The macbook can run windows, the thinkpad can't run macos...

But anyway, unless you're doing something really cpu intensive, memory will make more of a difference than processor speed...

 

[Jmmmmm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MD1032 I think you guys have convinced me that I need a thinkpad. Though Veniogenesis, you have a very valid point and I'll definitely have to consider that. Now, what kind of configurations would you guys recommend for it? There's a well-configred one in my range: http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/st...catalogId=-840 It has a 1.86 ghz. core and a 64 MB video card. However, I'm wondering if I should spring for a larger video card, a 128 MB one. Unfortunately, you can't seem to build one with the 128 MB version without tacking on a bunch of other costly stuff, including the 2.0 ghz. core. I think that the 14.1" version would be a better travel size than the 15", though. Plus, the 15" version only comes with the fancy screen in the really expensive models.

Out of the computers you listed, I have only had experience with dells, compaqs/HPs, and thinkpads.

I have not had good experience with Compaqs. I've had good experience with dell overall, but they have a tendency to be thicker, heavier, and more plasticy. They also seem to be a little more hit-or-miss than a lot of other brands.

I still think dells are good computers, but as a student, I think I would only buy the Latitude series right now. The D620 looks like a really good computer. It's casing is reinforced with a magnesium frame, it's a bit thinner and lighter than most dells, And it's got metal hinges on the screen. My girlfriend just got a new computer, and the d620 and thinkpad t60 were the two it came down to. Considering the lower price of the D620, I think it can be a serious contender; although my girlfriend axxed it without much consideration because she didn't like the widescreen.

Thinkpads, I'm a big fan. I own a 14" T43, and my girlfriend is awaiting her T60 right now. Thin and light, sturdy casing, great keyboard, and the awesome trackpoint. The screen doesn't flex at all, and you can't get ripples even if you try. I also never thought I'd like the trackpoint, but I don't think I'd ever be happy without one now. I don't even hook up my external mouse at home now.

I think you said the touchpad seemed sluggish on the thinkpads? The reason for that is that the sensitivity/speed of the trackpoint and mousepad are controlled together, and for some reason, the best speed of the trackpoint makes the touchpad a little slow. You can speed it up to make the touchpad better, but then the trackpoint is a bit fast. It's a little annoying, but I hardly ever the touchpad, so it's not really an issue.

If you plan on carrying it around daily or weekly, 14" is the way to go. I carry mine around a lot, with the power cable, and I don't even notice it in my backpack. 15"ers are pushing it in size and weight, imo. That T60 you listed, 2623D6U, is a fantastic deal, especially since it has a 3yr warranty. They just added that model a couple days ago, and it would definitely be the one I'd buy if I were shopping today. Although make sure to order early, it says 3-6 weeks for delivery, and they usually mean it.