If you own a laptop, post here

[devilscow22]

this one is my moms that she got a for a christmass present last year.

Make - HP

Model - Pavilion somethingoranother

Preinstalled Software - Norton (cost extra)

Preinstalled OS - XP HOme

Processor (upgradeable? sodered?) - not sure about upgradability

Speed - 2.8ghz P4

Video (and MB of VRAM) - Go-5600 64mb

DVD/CDROM/CDRW - DVD burner

Hard Drive - 60gb

Screen Size (image quality, resolution) - Widescreen 17inch, i hate widescreen

Weight/Size (fully loaded, bare bones) - its pretty heavy not to sure exacly tho

Age - 1YO

Price (at time of purchase and what you would pay for it now) - alot... not really sure

Pros - fast can play games fairly well

Cons - dont like the monitor but my mom loves it

Recommended? - yes if you have the money

Tech Support/ Warranty - not sure

General Comments - nice but expensive probably not your best bet for a good all around laptop.

 

[zachj]

After working at ResNet all of last year, I can say with GREAT conviction that there's NOTHING good about a laptop with a desktop processor in it, except the price, which is most certainly offset by the hassles of sending it back to the factory when it busts and that fact that it can't hardly be called a "laptop" when it can't sit on your lap.

Specific models I can't give you, but the three manufacturers I saw do this most were Dell, HP, and Sony, Dell being the big offender. I don't blame Dell for it, since people didn't have to buy it, but they need to let people know what they're getting for the reduction in price. As for their service, I've not heard anything bad.

My biggest complaints with such laptops are heat, noise, weight, and the fact that the heat causes the computer to shut itself off in order to save the processor. When typing term papers or trying to do research, this is quite obviously a problem you DON'T want to have. Because these things produce so much, they've got Vantec Tornado wanabe fans that make LOTS of noise. If you're the self-conscious type, this is embarassing in the library. Even if you're not, it's distracting if you're that type of person that's easily distracted.

Last but not least, I've never been a fan of integrated graphics (particularly Intel and SiS graphics) or Celerons/Durons. They offer a cheap computer for sure, but I think the performance compromise is hardly worth it. Now I understand that my expectations are much higher than those of regular students who just want AIM, Kazaa, Word, and AOL, but when they come into ResNet loaded with Spyware, Malware, viruses and 8GB of temp files (which actually happened), they're almost unusable.

Now that the complaints are out of the way, I can't say enough good about the Pentium M. They're small and light (which I have to say is a good thing, even if it's not used as a portable all the time), they've got excellent battery life, and they produce very little heat. And they're pretty fast with 512MB of RAM (if you can get a graphics chipset, do so). To a lesser extent, P4-Ms are good too, in that they're much cooler-running, don't shut down all the time, and don't burn the lap.

My personal computer is in my sig. G4 15" PowerBook, 768MB of RAM, 40GB hard drive, Airport card, etc.. It's an excellent computer, OSX is a beautiful and powerful OS, and despite the G4's age, it remains competitive in this arena (I'd say it's comparable to a Pentium M). The new ones will put a little more heat into your lap because aluminum seems more conductive than the old enclosure. They're less prone to scratches, have a faster bus speed, and good graphics (Radeon9700). Now that the iBook is G4 based too, I'd recomend that as well. G3s had better battery life, but much worse performance. Don't refuse to buy used if you want a Mac, but the Titanium G4s (last generation) scratch very easily and it really irks me off when it happens (I'm anal about that) and G3s lack in performance (though I've never used one with more than stock RAM. 512 would probably help a great deal). Also keep in mind that Macs, especially laptops, retain their value very well.

So, my recomendations are as follows:

12" or 15" PowerBook
12" or 14" iBook G4
Dell 300M and 600M (these are both Pentium M-based, last I checked, are they not? If not, whichever models are are the one's I'm suggesting. Small, good looks, great performance)

Stay away from:

1) Celerons and Durons
2) Integrated graphics
3) Desktop chips (Celeron or P4 doesn't matter)

All of these are completely subjective opinions, and my recomendations are contingent upon your being able to afford such options. Lastly, particularly with laptops, you're going to find that when new models come out, they tend to leapfrog the current generation. This happened to me a grand total of 18 days after I got mine. It's something you'll need to get over if it bothers you. It's upsetting, yes, since laptops are so expensive and not so upgradable, but it's life.

The end

Z

 

[Permanoob]

* Toshiba
* 1415-s173
* None
* XP Pro
* Celeron (dunno if it's upgradable, I'll have to look into that)
* 1.8ghz
* GeForce 4 420go 16mb ram
* DVD/CDr-RW combo 24x burn
* 30gb
* 15" XGA
* 7.8lbs w/wireless G card - 11.2"w X 12.8"d X 1.7"H
* I've had it for 1 year
* How much then/now?: $500 (deal through work) Still almost $1,000
* Pros: Solid laptop, haven't had any problems with it and I take it all over the place
* Cons: A little heavy but nothing to really bother about
* I'd recommend it. My wife totes it around to dump her digital camera photos to a lot. You can pick one up on Ebay for about $450-700
* No tech support or warranty. Don't need tech support and I think it's too old to have a warranty anyway.
* I got it because I got a good deal through my employer. A few of our employees got sacked and this was one of their laptops. Now if I could only get them to sell me one of their LCD projectors for cheap *drool*

Celerons and Durons

Why stay away from those? Naturally you would for a desktop but if this is just something you're homeworking on and doing other misc things I don't see the problem. If it's a desktop replacement, then yah, stay the hell away heh

 

[Ebola]

* Make: Dell
* Model: Inspiron 8600
* Preinstalled Software:
* Preinstalled OS: Windows XP Home
* Processor: Pentium M
* Speed: 1.5 ghz
* Video: Gefroce 5200 Go 64 mb
* DVD/CDROM/CDRW: DVDRW
* Hard Drive: 40 gb
* Screen Size: 15.4 WUXGA 1920x1200 resolution
* Weight/Size: 8 pounds?
* Age: 8 months
* Price: $2000
* Pros: Excellent Screen. Very bight and sharp picture. Excellent performance. Very fast and capable of gaming.
* Cons: Poor quality keyboard and generic harddrive.
* Recommended?: I think dell retooled the keyboard so I would recommend it. If you have the option buy a better HD with it. If your blind then don't get this screen since the resolution makes some things hard to read.
* Tech Support/ Warranty: 3 year parts
* General Comments: A nice laptop from dell that does everything. Its more of a desktop replacement because of it's size. Dell has changed the internals on this one about 30 times so who knows what your getting. read the fine print. Mine came with several extras no longer included. infred etc. Its quite capable and it runs apps very fast. It usually outperforms my dual P3 rig.

You will hate dell support.

 

[nut581]

* Make - Mitac
* Model - 8355
* Preinstalled Software - None
* Preinstalled OS - None
* Processor (upgradeable? sodered?) - AMD 64 3000+ DTR, Upgradeable
* Speed - 1800Mhz
* Video (and MB of VRAM) - ATI Mobility Radeon 9600 Pro Turbo 128mb
* DVD/CDROM/CDRW - QSI 24x10x40 CD-RW
* Hard Drive - 40 gb Toshiba 5400rpm 16mb cache
* Screen Size (image quality, resolution) - 15' (1400x1050 res).
* Weight/Size (fully loaded, bare bones) - 7lbs loaded, bought it loaded.
* Age - 2 months
* Price (at time of purchase and what you would pay for it now) - $1500 2 months ago, probably a little less to get it today.
* Pros - With tweaks, battery lasts for 4hrs. VGA chip plays all the latest games.
* Cons - Hard to get support (unless you buy from voodoopc, this is basically their M:855 model).
* Recommended? - Only if you are a gamer on the go .. like i am.
* Tech Support/ Warranty - Bought it from cyberpowersystem, their email support is almost non-existant, but i did get through their phone number and talked to CS before I dedided to buy it.
* General Comments - Plays Doom 3 at 1024x768 Medium Quality no AA at ~30fps, not the best, but definitely playable

 

[zachj]

As I said in my post, *if you can afford to*, skip the Duron and Celeron options. My reasoning, which I also posted, was that for most people that need computer work, they're just a pain. A Celeron is slow enough without spyware, malware, Kazaa, all kinds of startup apps, etc.. It doesn't help that they all have 128MB of RAM, either. Now for the crowd in here, it's not so important, because most of us know how to care for our computers. Buying top of the line is really generally pointless, unless you NEED the speed, because they never stay top of the line, and the price premium is usually quite large. A low to mid-range Pentium M would be more than just "good" for most people. If I'd had my desktop at school, I'd probably have gotten a G3 or Celeron or something, though as an overclocker, they'd probably make me upset.

Z

 

[Milkman]

Emachines 5309
2500+M
60gb Hd(4200rpm)
2x256 ddr pc2700
combo drive cdrw-dvd
integrated radeon mobility 320igp
1x type II pcmcia slot
integrated modem
integrated Lan
Firewire port
6x usb ports
s-video out
15'' wxga screen(15.4 viewable)
Windows Xp Home
preinstalled with Norton anti virus
power dvd 5.0
microsoft works

 

[itshondo]

I'm still waiting for it to arrive from Newegg, bought it for $1259.--full review including benchies and Doom 3 demos after it arrives & I remove the pre installed garbage...

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=34-115-124&depa=3

Model Aspire AS1662WLMi

CPU Intel® Pentium® 4 processor with Hyper-Threading Technology 3.0GHz,
800MHz system bus, 512KB L2 cache
Display 15.4" WXGA (1280 x 800) TFT LCD, up to 16.7 million colors
Operating System Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
Memory 512MB DDR333 SDRAM (Pc2700) (256MB installed in each of two memory slots)
Hard Disk 60GB ATA/100 hard disk drive
Optical Drive DVD-Dual drive (DVD+/-RW)
- Read: 4X DVD-R, 4X DVD-RW, 4X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 8X DVD-ROM, 24X CD-ROM
- Write: 2.4X DVD+R, 2.4X DVD+RW, 2X DVD-R, 2X DVD-RW, 16X CD-R
Graphics ATI® MOBILITY RADEONTM 9700 graphics, 64MB video memory
User Interface Touchpad with four-way scroll key

84-key keyboard, inverted T cursor layout, embedded numeric keypad, international language support

Easy-launch keys: two user-programmable, Web browser, e-mail with LED

Acer InviLink wireless button
Audio Two integrated stereo speakers, stereo microphone/line in, stereo headphone/speaker/line out, Sound Blaster® Pro and Microsoft® DirectSound® compatibility
Communication
Modem V.92 56Kbps data/fax modem, PTT (postal, telegraph, telephone) certified in select countries
LAN 10/100 LAN
Wireless LAN Acer InviLink 802.11b/g wireless LAN , Acer SignalUp technology, WI-FI CERTIFIED
Bluetooth N/A
Ports
PC Card Slot PC Card slot for one Type III or two Type II cards, 32-bit PC CardBus architecture, Zoomed Video support
USB & IEEE1394 4x USB2.0, IEEE1394
Others LPT, VGA, S-Video, Audio Ports, FIR
Physical Specifications
Dimensions 14.2" x 11.5" x 1.8"
Weight 7.9 lbs
Power
AC Adapter 135-watt AC adapter
Battery Type Lithium-Ion Battery
Average Battery Life Eight-cell lithium ion battery: up to 1.5 hours life depending on configuration and usage; 2.0 hours recharge time with system off, 4.0 hours with system in use

 

[nicspits]

Johnny5

* Make: Dell
* Model: Inspiron 8600
* Preinstalled Software: Dell Software cocktail, Microsoft Works Suite, Encarta, DVD Software.
* Preinstalled OS: Windows XP home
* Processor: Intel Pentium-M, Upgradeable.
* Speed: 1.4ghz
* Video (and MB of VRAM): GeForce4 4200 Go 32mb, upgradeable.
* DVD/CDROM/CDRW: CDRW\DVD Combo, 16x10x32x10
* Hard Drive: 60gb 5400 rpm IBM 16mb Cache, Upgraded
* Screen Size (image quality, resolution): 15.4 UXGA 1200x800 Max
* Weight/Size (fully loaded, bare bones): 5.5lbs?, 3lbs?
* Age: 3 Months
* Price (at time of purchase and what you would pay for it now): 1190, 1150
* Pros: Fairly light, good for mobile low-mid gaming, modable, super long battery life, runs cool.
* Cons: Expensive video upgrades, keyboard mod needed, cooling mod needed for 9600 upgrade.
* Recommended? Yes, reliable, great for planes, work, and 2001-2003 games.
* Tech Support/ Warranty: 1 Year extended to 3
* General Comments: Mods: Keyboard modded by adding 3m tape under keyboard to reduce flex. Added aluminum plate to gpu heatplate and cpu heatpipe block for combined cooling and keyboard secondary cooling, AS5 on all interfaces.
Hard drive temps can get to the hide side when running optimization programs.

 

[13rian]

same as itshondo! (2 posts up)

Not many reviews, but the one's there are makes it sounds pretty good, at least for my needs (graphic editting, moderate gaming). The weight and battery life isn't an issue for me (backpack pocket and plug into outlit). I had to buy from another site b/c newegg added >$110 tax!

I read on another store site that the 512mb ram is upgradable to 2gb, which I may take advantage of in the future.

 

[Nephewkp]

The specs for my laptop are in my sig. I haven't had it long, but I love it.

 

[itshondo]

I wrote a review for my notebook here - http://www.notebookreview.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5577

 

[MLMIB]

Make dell
Model m60
Preinstalled Software entire office suit(including visio 'n project manager)
Preinstalled OS xp sp2
Processor (upgradeable? sodered?) P-M
Speed2ghz
Video (and MB of VRAM) quadrofx 1000, 128 ram
DVD/CDROM/CDRW- 8x dvd burner
Hard Drive60 gb's
Screen Size (image quality, resolution)15.4 inch widescreen, 1920x1600 max
Weight/Size (fully loaded, bare bones)hmmm, 6lb's I guess...
Age-3 weeks
Price (at time of purchase and what you would pay for it now)FREE (college)
Pros PIMP
Cons a bit heavy
Recommended? vry much so
Tech Support/ Warranty complete 3 year warranty with complete care
General Comments love this thing

 

[JCLW]

I've worked with quite a few so I won't go into details on all of them. I currently lug around a old Dell Insprion 3800 (Celery-500, 256mb ram) which is fine for checking email on the road, dumping pictures from the digicam to, or playing MP3s. It's about five years old now, but still gets 4hrs per battery.

The new laptops in the office are Dell D600s (Centrino). Most people use two batteries in them (ditch the optical drives) which gives them between eight and nine hours of playing around in MS office.

I like Dells for the international support and service you get (if you get a Dell get it through the small business program (not the home program) and you'll get much better service).

IMHO you can really split laptops into two categories: desktop replacement notebooks, and portable laptops. Most of the laptops I work around are purchased because of their warranty, battery life, small size, and light weight (in that order of importance). At work we tend to go for the slowest processers and then heap the memory on them to get the battery life up.

My roommate just bought an HP 7000 series - 17" Widescreen, P4-3.2, 1GB ram, 80 GB 7200rpm HDD, nV 5700, full size keyboard w/number pad and all - very nice computer but it's a push to get 2hrs out of it, and it weighs about a ton (I'll post a pic later when he gets home with it).

If you're looking for battery life get a Centrino. Apart from that it really depends what exactly you want to use it for, and what you're willing to pay. I'd recommend a good 3yr warranty regardless, because laptop parts are $$$.

 

[zachj]

I can't describe how ridiculous I find such large laptops to be. I see them all the time at ResNet. It's not that I think the people don't know what to do with them, even though they may not (I've seen a girl with one of those monstrous XPS laptops, one with an Alienware laptop, and far too many huge Compaqs and Sonys and Toshibas). Rather, it's just that they're so stupid big. What use does a person have for a full number keypad on a laptop? I guess I can understand the occaisional need for a 17in screen, but most of these people will use them to write papers and surf the web collecting spyware and virii. Plus, they're so tall, it hurts my wrists to type on them.

But I guess whatever floats your boat.

MLMIB- When did they come out with a 2.0GHz P-M? I didn't know it had come out, though a quick Googling says it did.

Z

 

[JCLW]

I think Dothan debuted at 1.7, 1,8 and 2.0 back in May.

 

[Ben721]

Dell 700M

 

[zachj]

Where was I! Oh well . . . I'll just keep using my PowerBook and pretend nothing happened . . . Technology is just passing me by . . .

Did I say that I think the iBook G4s are really nice? I don't remember, but after having used a few, they're not that bad at all . . . and certainly cheaper than the PowerBook. And, after having gone through move-in weekend here at school, I still really, REALLY like Dell Centrino products.

Z

 

[Ben721]

And, after having gone through move-in weekend here at school, I still really, REALLY like Dell Centrino products.

My DELL 700M was my first laptop, and to tell you the truth I absolutely love it. It's just so awesome. It's 4 pounds, supposedly 6-8 hours of battery life, and fast as heck.

And the picture, wow, no joke I need to adjust my eyes after going from my laptop to my crt, it looks insanely blurry.

 

[Cyrix_2k]

I have a Dell Latitude XPi with a Pentium 100. Someone at work brought it to me to fix. I did and gave it back to them. The battery does not work and it did not have a CD-ROM or modem. That person decided it would not work for them and gave it to me. I aquired a modem an use it to check email on vacation. Not bad for free. The original problem was that the pins were bent on the power cable, other than that it has not had any problems.

Haha, I use a Dell XPi w/p75 on my bus for homework Bad battery too, so I use a ghetto rigged UPS/power inverter plus a 12v 4ah wired in parrallel with a 12v 4.5ah for power.

My main lappy is a Gateway Solo 1450, which I love. I'll write about it tomorrow.