Sorry to post another one of these ... Help buying a notebook please

[Itchycatfish]

Okay I need a quality notebook for college this fall and am really confused. I know I'll be majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Graphic Design so this will have to be one heavy duty laptop to do all I wanna do. I'm also an avid gamer so I'd like to be able to run some of the high-end games on this system too. I'm also REALLY into MP3's so I'll need a decent Hard Drive. I will be using this thing EVERY day so it will become one of the most important figures in my life atleast during college. This thing will HAVE to last me four years so I'm not afraid to go all out, but my budget right now is looking to be around $2,500 which should be plenty, right?

Processor:
This has me really messed up. I KNOW I want a pentium but don't really get the concept of CENTRINO versus the PENTIUM 4 M. Could someone juxtapose these please?

Hard Drive:
I was thinking 60 GB ...

Memory:
I would LOVE to have 1GB of DDR-RAM but could I suffice with 512MB?

Wireless:
This has me the most perplexed of all. I'm getting cable internet at home so I would like to have the wireless option. Plus there is a wireless network on campus so I'd be able to use it there too. I just don't understand the 802.11a and 802.11b versus the new one that's coming out. Is is 802.11g or something like that?

Display:
Since I'll be doing a lot of graphic design work and scripting I was thinking I'd need atleast a SXGA but I'm not sure on the video card deal. I want to be a game designer if that helps anyone help me ...

I think I'd like to have a DVD burner but that's optional. Also I'd prefer a "name brand" for comfort reasons. You know how all these tech companies are left floating nowadays .... Please help me. Right now I'm looking at the Sony Vaio Z1 series, but it won't let you customize them, only pick packages which is bothersome. I've checked out DELL but I've read some bad things about their service. I just need some GOOD SOLID advice from really smart people

Any questions ... just ask ... I'll be waiting patiently ...

[david eaton]

Well, Sony make nice gear. Even if it will only play nicely with other Sony gear. Their Tech support/service is c*** in my experience. From your description, I would assume you are looking for a desktop replacement rather than a portable machine. I have heard good things about Toshiba, but I have not used one. Others will be along to tell you more, no doubt!

David

[john5211]

Hi There,

I can answer a few of your questions, anyway ...

1) The Pentium 4-M is the mobile version of the Pentium 4. The Pentium M, on the other hand, is an entirely new processor designed from the ground up for mobile devices. Centrino is actually a collection of equipment (currently the Pentium M, the Intel 855 chipset, and the Intel PRO 2100 wireless network card); in order to put the Centrino label on a computer, it has to include all 3 pieces of hardware.

While the clock speeds of the P-M are somewhat slower than those of the P4-M, it does have a much larger L2 cache (1MB vs. 512KB), executes more instructions/cycle, and uses much less power (on average) and a few other tricks so that P-Ms run for a really long time on batteries). If you plan on using the battery often, a P-M is probably the way to go.

2) It's been my experience with laptops that if you shop around, buying additional memory is not much more expensive (and often cheaper) if you get it after you already have the computer, so you might think about getting 512 now and upgrading later if you need too.

3) As for wireless. 802.11b has been around the longest, and is probably what your campus will be using (although you should definitely check with them). 802.11g, whose standard was just ratified last week, is a new standard that operates in the same band as 802.11b (2.4 GHz), is about 5 times as fast, and is backwards compatible with 802.11b. 802.11a works at the same speed as 11g, but uses a different band (5 GHz) and is not compatible with 11b (or 11g). There are advantages and disadvantages to all 3, but they mostly matter when you are considering buying a router or AP.

As far as a notebook goes, I think it's a little early to tell which standard will be the longest lived, so a dual-band tri-mode a/b/g card might be best if you can get it for not too much more. If not, then either an a/b or b/g card will probably do fine. Again, though, check with your campus and see what they use/recommend.

4) Notebook DVD burners are still *really* expensive. If it were me, I'd get a combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive and then upgrade when the prices on DVD burners come down.

One thing you didn't mention when you talked about what you would be using the notebook for: How much will you carry it around? Will it mostly go places on the weekend (or maybe never), or will you take it with you every day. This is an important consideration ... I carry my notebook around with me every day, and consequently need something light. If you don't plan on taking it far though, you can get a 'heavy' laptop (often called a desktop replacement and weighing upwards of 9 lbs) that has much better features than an equivelantly priced 'light' laptop.

As for brands, I personally have heard good things about Dell, although it seems to be true that their tech support has gone down the toilet. I have an IBM, and I love it, but they are *very* expensive so if you're buying it with your own money, you might want to look elsewhere. You might try looking at some web reviews (e.g. <a href='http://www.CNET.com'>CNET</a> or <a href='http://www.pcworld.com'>PC World</a>).

Good Luck!

John

[deddard]

I can't help with specifics, but as laptops seem to be made by a few manufacturers and then badged with several over logos, I'd suggest the following:
If you're looking for graphics/CAD/design, go for the biggest, nastiest graphics adaptor you can find - look for reviews. Laptops are effectively disposable - they aren't really upgradable in this department. Make a mistake and you have a couple of grands worth of calculator.
Second, try to find a machine that allows you to change HDDs/DVD etc, and has room for oodles of RAM, as you will need this if you venture into design of any sort.
USB2 is a must have, as you will find yourself needing to add extra gizmos if you are into designing stuff.
a dvd player/cdrw is pretty standard on good machines, so this shouldn't be a problem.
If you are looking to use this machine as a 'desktop' then you need to budget for a decent mouse and external keyboard - simple things like this make a world of difference.
don't worry too much about the fancy brand names, but go for reliable service. Get a machine loaded with XP pro rather than home - the extras may come in handy.

[classicsoftware]

First if you need a lap-top for school listen to the previous posts.
Decide on the balance between price/specs/weight to meet your needs.

Check with the school for specs and they might have a deal with a computer maker for an educational discount and then it would be easier to get tech support. Some schools prefer you get set-ups fom them because their support costs are lower. It's easier for the school IT people to deal with. They are the onces you are going to cvall when you can't get on the network at school, you're not going to call Dell and if you do, they will not be able to help you.

As for Brand. I personally use and sell Acer. Ever since they bought notebook technology form Texas Instruments, they have made top quality notebooks.

I recommend and this is not in any order:

Toshiba

IBM

Acer

You will not go wrong with any of these

Check this out for Acer:

Specs
Prices

Check this out for Toshiba:
Specs & Prices

And Last but nor least, IBM:

Click here for specs & prices

Read & compare carefully. They will all work out ok and meet your needs.

1) Asses your needs.
2) Check with school for specs
3) Digest the links above
4) Buy
5) Enjoy

[jjoel]

stay away from compaq/hp. since they joined up compaq's computers have gone down the drain (went through 2 compaq 2140us in roughly 3 weeks) now im gonna try my luck with a gateway.

i saw lotsa sony vaio's with dvdrw on ebay (might wanna give ebay a try, use paypal and be careful). toshibas are on there too but haven't seen much in the way of a dvdrw. besides the burning speeds are SLOWWWWWWWWW so i dont know why anyone would want to burn a dvd at 2x

hope this helps i'd say sony or toshiba. i'm having my gateway coming in thursday and hopefully its a good machine