Going to college

[Mister Walrus]

So yeah, going to college next year and am going to replace my desktop with just a laptop that I'll use in the dorm too. I won't have much time for gaming, but it is possible that I will play games like Guild Wars and maybe Splinter Cell occassionally. So I was wondering, what should I order on a laptop? I don't know anything about laptop performance or video cards or how good they are.

I was thinking:

1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz
60GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
17 inch Wide Screen XGA+ Display
256MB ATI MOBILITY? RADEON® X1400 HyperMemory
8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
Intel Core Duo Processor T2300 (1.66GHz/667MHz FSB)

I want a wide screen, a DVD burner, 60 GB HD is more than enough. But I'm not sure about processors, RAM, and VGA's on laptops. Also this is based on a Dell Inspiron E1705 setup (this will run $1287), which I know many people have problems with. If there's a better laptop in the <$1300 range, please let me know! Thanks.

 

[Mister Walrus]

I know you people are looking at this. Respond please!!

 

[6000SUX]

I don't think widescreens are ideal for college laptops. They tend to be heavy and have worse battery life. Also, widescreen might be great for watching movies, but not for writing papers, etc. 4:3 is much better for document-oriented work.

You'd have better luck posting this question in the "SFF, NOTEBOOKS, PRE-BUILT/BAREBONES PCS" forum.

 

[neilpan]

I would suggest a Thinkpad T42/43 line. Dells are much much cheaper than thinkpads if you like them . I personally love the thinkpad design. They are VERY light weight, ideal for college students. If you're going play games on it then get yourself a decent desktop. DO NOT buy a highend laptop for gaming. IMO its a waste of money. if you buy a 2k $ laptop then rather buy a 1k $ laptop + 1k$ desktop.

I have a Thinkpad T42 (1200 $) and its nice .... I am thinking of buying a desktop pretty soon.

Good luck with your search.

 

[neilpan]

and oh yeah, here is good deal page for DELL stuff

www.deals2buy.com - its got some ridiculous discounts that can be used on www.dell.com

 

[bamacre]

http://www.delloutlet.com

info...
http://www.tfnn.net/forum/index.php?topic=4578.0

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: 6000SUX
I don't think widescreens are ideal for college laptops. They tend to be heavy and have worse battery life. Also, widescreen might be great for watching movies, but not for writing papers, etc. 4:3 is much better for document-oriented work.

I disagree with this. I think having a widescreen is excellent for working on papers/research reports. It is a lot easier to have my paper open on the left and my browser/research open on the right (and use both easily without having to switch back and forth) on my widescreen at 1680x1050 than on my friend's laptop that is 1024x768.

 

[erikistired]

i have a powerbook with a 1024x768 display and i think a widescreen would be great for doing papers for much of the same reasons in the post above mine. however os x seems to be less "maximize all windows" oriented than xp is. if you can get around that tho it can work out nicely.

now the battery life and weight thing you do have a point on.

 

[GrammatonJP]

I dont know jack (jk) but i would just buy a laptop lock for 30 bucks cuz theres always some A$$ hole of roommates or something thats just waiting to take that new baby home with them..

 

[Thorny]

I just bought a new dell E1505 for work and don't like it as much as the Toshiba I bought for my wife 2 months ago. Even though the Dell has Core Duo and twice the ram, it weighs a ton and doesnt seem as snappy as the CeleronM of the Toshiba. For school you DONT want a 17" you'll get tired of lugging it everywhere. Smaller is better, trust me.

 

[halfadder]

The new MacBooks (iBook replacement, not the existing MacBookPro) are rumored to be announced next week. Maybe one of those with a triple boot of Windows/OS X/Linux.

I like widescreen even when I'm using a word processor, gives me room for other applications/utilities.

You might also consider getting a TabletPC for notetaking.

 

[erikistired]

Originally posted by: halfadder
The new MacBooks (iBook replacement, not the existing MacBookPro) are rumored to be announced next week. Maybe one of those with a triple boot of Windows/OS X/Linux.

I like widescreen even when I'm using a word processor, gives me room for other applications/utilities.

You might also consider getting a TabletPC for notetaking.

when i picked up my powerbook on friday the guy said if i was looking for an ibook i should wait a week or two because something new was coming down the line.

 

[GregGreen]

I was going to suggest a T60 -- but they are substantially more than 1300$ so I don't know what to suggest for ya... but good luck!

 

[Mister Walrus]

Thanks for all the input! About the gaming issue - I will only be playing games on AC power, and the games I'm mainly interested in are RPGs that generally don't have insane system requirements like the new FPS's, that sort of thing. I will definitely not be buying a 2k laptop, 1,300 is probably the highest I"m willing to pay. When you said "DO NOT buy a highend laptop for gaming. IMO its a waste of money" is this referring to people who play games with large demand? Do you think the laptop I'm interested in would be sufficient for the games mentioned and not a complete waste of money? Thanks!

 

[neilpan]

^^ Yeah, if you're going to play RPG games then a 1300 $ laptop would handle it ... I have ATI 7500 ( yeah ) but it can handle WoW, Dungeon Siege II and other rpgs. Splinter cell is not supporting my ATI 7500 (32 MB).

but yeah, I had a Sony Vaio K-17 and got tired of it due to its weight (8 lbs !). TRUST ME dude... get a really light notebook and you will appreciate it later. IMO a thinkpad T60 (or X series if you can afford it) or dell (Inspiron 710m).

 

[porcorosso]

Given your budget constraints and the probability of a busy schedule at school let me add what I hope is a voice of reason from a slightly different perspective.

I think that notebook computers are, for most students, not particularly useful as classroom tools. This depends much, of course, on the student himself and upon the types of courses he is taking. But I've seen many people buy notebooks only to leave them in their rooms at school. (I teach some graduate level courses on occasion.)

It is true that some people and their notebooks are inseparable, and many of those people make very effective use of their portables. But even these people can run into serious issues with their notebooks -- reliability and durability. (Notebooks, especially cheaper ones, tend to be fragile, and they are exposed to greater physical extremes than are desktop systems.)

Putting all of your eggs in one basket isn't a particularly good idea. That's why I recommend only a desktop system for those who can only afford a single system for college and a notebook plus desktop for those who can afford a pair of systems. Taking notes and working at the library or lab with a notebook can be a great boost to a student's productivity. And it can be a tragic cause of loss if he loses all of his accumulated data at a critical moment in the campus session. Having two computers means you have a backup system with easy end-of-the-day updates between systems. Of course, either way you go, make sure you allow a budget for producing both rotating and permanent periodic backups on external media, too. (The time span between permanent write-at-once backups to non-rewriteable media should NOT be longer than a week at the most. Trust me on this. Discs are cheap. Your time at school is not.)

It's really all about the data. Please remember that when making your plans and buying your system(s).

Good luck!

 

[royalk4]

Hey I'm in my final Quarter @U of Wash and if I could go back and buy a new laptop I would buy a tablet PC. I have a lot of science classes though where the professors use powerpoint and let me tell you, having a tablet PC is awesome for those types of classes you can write straight into Power point or other programs and they are sweet

 

[aniruddha23]

Get the Dell E1505. Its a lil on teh heavier side but its a processing beast. Also teh UXGA screen is really beautiful. The X1400 Radeon should run all games at decent settings. I got a pret well loaded one for 850 ish. keep a lookout for one of those dell deals adn dont think twice about it.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: 6000SUX
I don't think widescreens are ideal for college laptops. They tend to be heavy and have worse battery life. Also, widescreen might be great for watching movies, but not for writing papers, etc. 4:3 is much better for document-oriented work.

WTF? None of that is true. Widescreen has absolutely no effect on battery life. And as for working with documents, it's better, because if you have a widescreen that's high enough resolution, like 1920x1200, you can have 2 full pages side by side. Or if you don't, you can have extra space on the side to dock an IM or other stuff.

Anyways, i wouldn't bother looking at any laptops right now, because you still have many many months until Sept. Unless you really want a laptop now. In which case, what are you looking for? Will you be taking it to class? If so, you'll want small... something like a 710m. If occasionally, then perhaps a light 15" laptop. Lots to choose from here... if you want to ocassionally game, get something with an X1600 or better... might even want to take a look at the Mactels.

If you won't be taking it to class, then a Desktop Replacement will suit you. Something like the i9400 or the latest iXPS from Dell. Lots of other DTR out there too you may want to look at.

 

[GimpyFuzznut]

Was wondering the same thing for when I go to university in the fall - but I figure I might as well wait until the end of summer. I am seriously considering a Tablet PC - seems like that would be really useful in a classroom.

 

[6000SUX]

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: 6000SUX
I don't think widescreens are ideal for college laptops. They tend to be heavy and have worse battery life. Also, widescreen might be great for watching movies, but not for writing papers, etc. 4:3 is much better for document-oriented work.

WTF? None of that is true. Widescreen has absolutely no effect on battery life. And as for working with documents, it's better, because if you have a widescreen that's high enough resolution, like 1920x1200, you can have 2 full pages side by side. Or if you don't, you can have extra space on the side to dock an IM or other stuff.

Anyways, i wouldn't bother looking at any laptops right now, because you still have many many months until Sept. Unless you really want a laptop now. In which case, what are you looking for? Will you be taking it to class? If so, you'll want small... something like a 710m. If occasionally, then perhaps a light 15" laptop. Lots to choose from here... if you want to ocassionally game, get something with an X1600 or better... might even want to take a look at the Mactels.

If you won't be taking it to class, then a Desktop Replacement will suit you. Something like the i9400 or the latest iXPS from Dell. Lots of other DTR out there too you may want to look at.

WTF? The truth, that's what. Widescreen laptops tend to be heavier and have worse battery life-- did I stutter? 4:3 resolution is much better for working with documents, because you can get more text onscreen without having to shrink the font down to a size that makes you squint. In addition, many websites these days do not display well at 800 X 600.

The bit about having two documents side by side is a canard, promoted by those who love their widescreen notebooks. I'm not saying you shouldn't make your own choice, but the truth is the truth.

 

[pgjensen]

Only advice I can give.

Get an IBM/Lenovo... best decision yet in college!

 

[porcorosso]

The bit about having two documents side by side is a canard, promoted by those who love their widescreen notebooks. I'm not saying you shouldn't make your own choice, but the truth is the truth.

No, I'd say that an opinion is an opinion. Different strokes, and all of that. I have a widescreen desktop replacement widescreen that gets about 6 hours off a charge and a tiny 10" ultraportable 4:3 that gets about 4 hours. All of that stuff is dependent upon the design of the individual system.

And the design that works best for working with different types of documents is most definitely a matter of opinion, not fact. And the opnion that counts is the opinion of the user, not the opinion of anyone else.

I always hope that anyone considering a purchase of this importance will have a chance to actually try out the designs under consideration. A lot of different factors come into play in determining how comfortable someone will be with one of these systems.

 

[Throwmeabone]

I was considering buying a high end laptop too, but I think what I will just do is buy an Xbox 360 for gaming. It has Oblivion, Halo 2, and soon F.E.A.R. I will just use that for gaming and use a laptop for strictly work. I'm thinking of getting a Dell Inspiron with a Core Duo processor.

 

[porcorosso]

Now THAT is what I call having a solid grip on your priorities!