IBM OUT... What are my alternatives? FUJITSU S6120D?

[caltrinity]

Given my unfortunate chronic problem with my T40, I'm looking to alternatives.

Must haves:
1) Has to have AWESOME LCD SCREEN - meaning great visibility from wide angles, comparable to the highly acclaimed UXGA screens of the Dell D800s... it has to have that clarity and brightness and most of all AWESOME VIEWING ANGLES... the T40 is just crap when it comes to viewing angles.
2) Pentium M CPU
3) Built in / Modular CDRW/DVD Combo Drive
4) Weight: < 5.4 lbs.

Any suggestions? No Z1As... too many problems with Sonys.

I came up with only one that would COULD POTENTIALLY MEET the criteria, the FUJITSU S6120D.

But I do need extensive feedback from ANYONE who has seen or used this model.

Or if you know any laptop LCD with same awesomeness of LCD as the Dell D800

Thanks for your help!

-caltrinity

 

[crzylgs]

why not just get a dell latitude?

 

[OldSpooky]

I don't think Cal wants a Latitude. His weight requirements pretty much just put Dell out of the running - The D600 is 5.5 lbs and the D800 a few more than that. Not to mention I don't think Cal would put up with the D600's lousy keyboard after using the T40.

I'd say try the Fujitsu. However, I did notice that it uses integrated Intel Graphics...

 

[caltrinity]

Am I just stuck here?

Why doesn't any one else make a light weight laptop with those specifications?

Am I asking for too much?

Basically slap on those AWESOME LCD WUXGA 15.3" widescreen ultra sharp LCDs onto a NON BUZZING T40 and I'll be happy.

I don't know how the Fujitsu screen is going to be... that's my big issue.. but if it has an awesome screen then I'm all over it.

Anybody own a Fujitsu?

Thanks.


-caltrinity

 

[Pennstate]

The Acer 800LCi might barely meet those requirements

 

[caltrinity]

I didn't notice the PM1.6 D600 Latitude.. that barely edges by with 5.5lbs with cd drive.

Does any body know about the quality of the LCD in the D600?

Thanks again.

caltrinity

Originally posted by: crzylgs
why not just get a dell latitude?

 

[caltrinity]

Is this you Old Spooky from the Dell Forums?

-caltrinity

Here are my comments, both good and bad

The good: The Tri-Metal chasis is very solid, and I am confident of it's ability to protect the D600's internal components. The magnesium alloy lid is also very sturdy and protects the screen from any distortions during adjustment. Performance is decent, but most Pentium M based machines will have excellent performance. I would also like to comment that heat does not seem to be as big an issue as people made it out to be. The left palm rest does get warm (I have a 5400 RPM HDD), but it's not so warm as to be uncomfortable. I also like the trackstick/trackpad combo. These devices and their associated buttons are solid and easy to use. Other comments - the LCD screen is bright and clear; The system is for the most part very quiet. I've only heard the system fan move to high speed once - when I ran 3DMark 2001SE.

The bad: The PA-12 revision A00 AC adapter is completely unacceptable. It makes high pitched noises all the time (extremely irritating). The L02 revision apparently doesn't do this, and I have requested that Dell send me one of these. The keyboard is also very mediocre. When I used the arrow keys, I can see the keyboard flex up and down, and the problem is particularly visible when I hit the shift key and see the enter, backslash, and backspace keys move down. It boggles my mind that Dell would sell a computer with a high quality chasis, yet completely cheap out on the keyboard. It also perplexes me that review sites like CNET comment on how great this keyboard is - that's a blatant lie. I know Dell can do better than this, as my old Latitude CPi had a superb, non flexing keyboard. The silver trim around the keyboard, while very nice looking, is also too thin and too loose.

Overall a very good machine. Not great, but still very good.

Message Edited by Old Spooky on 04-18-2003 03:22 AM

- Old Spooky, Proud owner of a heavily modified Dell Dimension XPS T450

 

[OldSpooky]

Yeah, that's me. I complained endlessly about the power adapters and the keyboard. I saw a ThinkPad a few days after I got my Dell - that pretty much made me unhappy with my Dell.

 

[caltrinity]

How did the screen on the dell compare to your current t40?

-caltrinity

Originally posted by: OldSpooky
Yeah, that's me. I complained endlessly about the power adapters and the keyboard. I saw a ThinkPad a few days after I got my Dell - that pretty much made me unhappy with my Dell.

 

[OldSpooky]

Head on, the brightness and sharpness was about the same. I seem to recall that the D600 had a better viewing angle, but I can't be absolutely sure. I did not take any measurements before returning the D600.

 

[caltrinity]

How was Dell as far as returns.. they have a pretty nice thing going on with onsite service and COMPLETE CARE.. which is pretty nice..

do they take care of you?

My roommate has a desktop from them and the dell phone system is just so complicated.. I think he had to press like 3 millino extensions just to get to support and at one time he was tranferred to the wrong place after waiting for 30 mins on the phone..

IBM just has one person throughout.. and they pick up fast.. that's what I like.

BTW... do you not notice that the T40 screen is very WASHED OUT whitish.. it's like someone went to a old CRT and turned up the brightness setting and not the contrast... that's the way mine is..

-caltrinity

 

[OldSpooky]

How was Dell as far as returns.. they have a pretty nice thing going on with onsite service and COMPLETE CARE.. which is pretty nice..

My Dell return experience went as follows: I called Dell Customer Service, and after waiting on hold for 20 minutes, I finally got ahold of somebody. This person called Problem Resolution, explained the problems with the D600s noise and keyboard, and then transfered me to a Problem Resolution person.

The Problem Resolution guy was pretty nice (I was within my 30 day return limit). He asked me what exacty I found wrong with the D600, and then offered me a $100 credit if I would keep the machine. I told him I was really sorry but I wanted to return the D600

So Dell scheduled an Airborne Express pickup, claimed AE would be there between noon and 2PM. AE didn't show until 415PM, which pissed me off, and AE claimed that the pickup window was noon-4PM, not noon-2PM as Dell claimed. Machine picked up on a Wednesday, got to Dell on Friday, and my VISA got credited by the next Weds.

I really do not like Dell's tech support system - I often dialed the # for small business and got placed on the hold line for home division. A home CSR would then have me transfered to the business line, which was somewhere in India. The Indian CSRs aren't bad, but occasionally I would get one that I could not understand well, either due to poor english or worse, a poor phone connection.

In contrast, the longest I've had to wait for IBM is 5 minutes, the phone connection is good, and the CSRs all speak decent english.

As for the T40 screen - It is not washed out if I look at it head on (the way I work with it 99% of the time), but it is very washed out at veiwing angles greater than 30 degrees. I compared this to a T23 - the T23's screen is much the same.

I think only the SXGA+ screens on the T series have the wide viewing angles, but I can't be sure.

 

[caltrinity]

Thank you.. It sounds like IBM still holds up in that area..

Can any one else comment on whether or not the T40 with SXGA+ has a wider viewing angle than T40 XGA?

Thank you!

-caltrinity

Originally posted by: OldSpooky

How was Dell as far as returns.. they have a pretty nice thing going on with onsite service and COMPLETE CARE.. which is pretty nice..

My Dell return experience went as follows: I called Dell Customer Service, and after waiting on hold for 20 minutes, I finally got ahold of somebody. This person called Problem Resolution, explained the problems with the D600s noise and keyboard, and then transfered me to a Problem Resolution person.

The Problem Resolution guy was pretty nice (I was within my 30 day return limit). He asked me what exacty I found wrong with the D600, and then offered me a $100 credit if I would keep the machine. I told him I was really sorry but I wanted to return the D600

So Dell scheduled an Airborne Express pickup, claimed AE would be there between noon and 2PM. AE didn't show until 415PM, which pissed me off, and AE claimed that the pickup window was noon-4PM, not noon-2PM as Dell claimed. Machine picked up on a Wednesday, got to Dell on Friday, and my VISA got credited by the next Weds.

I really do not like Dell's tech support system - I often dialed the # for small business and got placed on the hold line for home division. A home CSR would then have me transfered to the business line, which was somewhere in India. The Indian CSRs aren't bad, but occasionally I would get one that I could not understand well, either due to poor english or worse, a poor phone connection.

In contrast, the longest I've had to wait for IBM is 5 minutes, the phone connection is good, and the CSRs all speak decent english.

As for the T40 screen - It is not washed out if I look at it head on (the way I work with it 99% of the time), but it is very washed out at veiwing angles greater than 30 degrees. I compared this to a T23 - the T23's screen is much the same.

I think only the SXGA+ screens on the T series have the wide viewing angles, but I can't be sure.

 

[caltrinity]

If only Dell can have an equiv to the ULTRA SHARP UXGA+ screens that Dell has. Dell Inpirion 8200 users can testify to how awesome their lcd screens.

-caltrinity

 

[OldSpooky]

Cal, check this out:

http://computers.cnet.com/hardware/0-1027-404-21208193.html?tag=prmo2

The Fujitsu looks pretty decent.

 

[caltrinity]

OS,

Thank you for that info.

Hmm.. tempting..

I think we'll see how this whole IBM situation resolves...

And wait for the prices to go down for the highest end models...

-caltrinity

 

[ES135]

Its perported that the fujitsu lcd's with mva are some of the best. In particular take alook at:

N3010-53

Pluses:

$2415
15"" LCD with MVA
ATI mobility radeon 9000 64mb, 128 data path
1400X1050(like IBM XGA+) MVA LCD
P4, 2.8(FSB?)
768K( 768K is maxed)
80Gig(4600 rpm speed on the 40 and 60 as well)
Combo drive with DVD RW
2.0 and firewire
Wireless
3D Audio
Two type I or Type II cards, or 1 type III
3year warranty

Bad:

4600 speed HD
2 hr battery life
8+ pounds

Wish I knew nmore about quaility, bugs, performance etc...

 

[ES135]

And it maxes out at 768K Ram...Too Bad

 

[crzylgs]

768K eh?


the Dell WUXGA screen is by far the best LCD screen I have seen/used.