I know this is a good deal, but:

[basslover1]

Can I do better?

I can get an HP dm1z through an EPP for 379 + any taxes or shipping (if there are any). It'll come with 3GB of ram, and either the 250 or 320GB HDD, depending on whether or not they are offering that free upgrade. I also have a copy of Win7 Pro 64-bit which will promptly be installed. Assuming of course that it comes with Win7 Home + associated bloatware.

This will be used for school work which includes but not limited to, note taking, research, term papers, and Kindle for Windows (going to order most of my books for Kindle). Plus light couch style web browsing some HD YouTube, but mostly forums.

I want something light and thin for portability's sake, but not netbook small. I'm not opposed to a 15.6" screen, as long as it's light <5lbs preferably.

So, what say you AT? Can I do better than that? Or am I looking in the wrong direction entirely? Max I'm willing to spend is $500.

 

[Ultralight]

HP dm1z: Is it equipped with the E-350 dual core or the E-240 single core processor?

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Can I do better?

I can get an HP dm1z through an EPP for 379 + any taxes or shipping (if there are any). It'll come with 3GB of ram, and either the 250 or 320GB HDD, depending on whether or not they are offering that free upgrade. I also have a copy of Win7 Pro 64-bit which will promptly be installed. Assuming of course that it comes with Win7 Home + associated bloatware.

This will be used for school work which includes but not limited to, note taking, research, term papers, and Kindle for Windows (going to order most of my books for Kindle). Plus light couch style web browsing some HD YouTube, but mostly forums.

I want something light and thin for portability's sake, but not netbook small. I'm not opposed to a 15.6" screen, as long as it's light <5lbs preferably.

So, what say you AT? Can I do better than that? Or am I looking in the wrong direction entirely? Max I'm willing to spend is $500.

The HP dm1z is fine. If your budget is $500 you can also get a Lenovo ThinkPad X120e. It has much higher build quality, a matte screen, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 320GB 7200RPM HDD (instead of 3GB, 250GB), a better trackpad and a much better keyboard, and about the same battery runtime (6-6:30 hours). It also comes with Windows 7 Professional instead of Home Premium. If you like the TrackPoint it's there, too. It costs more, but it's a more functional machine with faster hardware that also weighs 0.2 pounds less.

Here's a review: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/07/lenovo-thinkpad-x120e-review/

The video issues they cite have already been solved with a GPU driver update.

HP dm1z: Is it equipped with the E-350 dual core or the E-240 single core processor?

The dm1z only comes with the option for an AMD Fusion E-350.

 

[basslover1]

IMO the X120 is pretty ugly, it might seem trivial to some but to me that matters. I like Lenovo laptops, I had one a few years ago. My other option is their s205 loaded with 4GB DDR3 RAM and a 750GB 5400RPM HDD.

That configuration comes to 440. Storage space to me is irrelevant, since it won't be used for anything but maybe a music backup for my main rig, which is only ~25GB.

I'm curious how much the rotational speed of the drive would affect performance during daily use.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

IMO the X120 is pretty ugly, it might seem trivial to some but to me that matters. I like Lenovo laptops, I had one a few years ago. My other option is their s205 loaded with 4GB DDR3 RAM and a 750GB 5400RPM HDD.

That configuration comes to 440. Storage space to me is irrelevant, since it won't be used for anything but maybe a music backup for my main rig, which is only ~25GB.

I'm curious how much the rotational speed of the drive would affect performance during daily use.

Eh. I guess that's a debate I have with many people. Myself I find it extremely elegant and that it screams quality.

As far as storage speed and capacity, the main advanatge of a 7200RPM drive is that it cuts back on access times and improves read/write speeds. The difference will be bigger going from a 7200RPM HDD to an SSD, but going from a 5400RPM HDD to 7200RPM is definitely noticeable. Boot times are 10-15 seconds quicker, programs launch faster, things install faster, the system is more responsive, etc. If you have the option for going to a 500GB or even 320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive then by all means do so.