if price is same, which notebook is better choice?

[in4some]

I am about to buy a notebook but can't decide which one to buy.
if price is about same, what would you buy?
ebay has both items for $625 and $650. but if I get livesearch 30% cash back, it will be $437.5 and $455.

thanks in advance.


1.Gateway M-6881 M6881 Laptop

15.4"-diagonal widescreen WXGA (1280 x 800) UltraBright? LCD screen
Intel® Core?2 Duo Processor T5750 (2.00GHz, 667MHz, 2MB L2 cache)
2MB L2 cache
Up to 800MHz frontside bus
3GB of PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM memory
Maximum memory capacity: 4GB
250GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive
DVD+/-RW Super Multi Drive with Double Layer support and Labelflash technology
Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g) wireless LAN
10/100Base-T Ethernet network interface (RJ-45)
56K V.92 fax/modem
3 USB 2.0 ports
Integrated 1.3-megapixel webcam, for live video chat and still photos
5-in-1 memory card reader: reads SD, MMC, xD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro
ExpressCard/54 slot: also supports ExpressCard/34
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 with up to 384MB shared memory
High Definition Audio (2 channel) with built-in speakers
Microphone input jack, headphone/SPDIF digital audio output jack
6-cell 2200mAh lithium-ion battery; AC adapter
Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Premium with Service Pack 1


2. Gateway M-1626 with Free 2 YEARS REPLACEMENT WARRANTY @OfficeDepot

AMD Turion 64 x2 Mobile Technology TL-60 2.0GHz, 512KB x2L2 Cache, HyperTransport technology at up to 1600MHz
250GB Hard Drive
4GB DDR2 RAM
DVD+RW 8X Super Multi Drive with Dual-Layer capability featuring LabelFlash technology
15.4" UltraBright WXGA TFT
ATI Radeon x 1270 with up to 256MB of HyperMemory
1.3MP webcam with Window Live Messenger for video conferencing
5-in-1 memory card reader
802.11b/g Wireless LAN
10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN
56K ITU V.92 ready Fax/Modem
6-Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit Operation System

 

[JJChicken]

Go with the first computer because it has a better (and in my opinion significantly better but I'm not that knowledgeable in this area so don't take my words with too much authority - theres other people here on these forums smarter) processor in the Intel Core 2 Duo. The extra 1gb of RAM in the 2nd computer may help a bit, but I don't think it will help that much.

 

[Harvey]

Find another brand. Gateway tech support sucks. My personal favorites are Lenovo for the strength of their build and HP/Compaq because their stuff works, and I've had great experiences with their tech support, who have gone beyond the call of duty to help me and some friends.

You can find entry level HP/Compaq laptops on sale starting around $450. Check Office Depot's ad. They'll have this Compaq CQ50-210US for that price starting tomorrow (Sunday). If you're willing to spend more, you can get an even better machine.

From personal experience, a couple of months ago, I got a great closeout deal on a Compaq V6719NR, which also has an Athlon 64 X2 and an nVidia chipset. Aside from being a great machine, the nVidia chipset and compliment of peripherals allowed me to find all the drivers I needed to dump Vista and install XP Pro.

My machine, which worked almost acceptably fast under Vista, hauls ass under XP. So far, the only XP driver I haven't found for HP/Compaq laptops is for a built in webcam. Mine doesn't have one so it's not a problem for me.

Some makers no longer include a restore disk set. Instead, they include software that allows you to burn one set to DVD or CD using the built in burner. If you want to try to install XP, be sure to do this before you start, and make sure you have all the drivers you need before you try. Also, make sure you have a tool like as Partition Magic to remove the special, non-standard recovery partition that's part of Vista.

 

[IlllI]

those two will probably be about equal. you probably would not see much difference between the two

 

[in4some]

thanks a lot. I'll look for another brand one. maybe this one?

DELL Inspiron 1525 LAPTOP C2D T5750 3GB/250G/Webcam

Inspiron 1525, Intel Core 2 Due T5750(2GHz, 667Mhz, 2MB Cache)
3GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 DIMM
250G 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA LCD
DVD+/-RW(Plays and Creates CDs and DVDs)
Built-in 2.0 Megapixel Webcam
Integrated 10/100 Network Cardand Modem
Intel 3945 WLAN (802.11a/g) Internal Card
Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1(SP1)
56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery

 

[IlllI]

what will it mainly be used for?

 

[ColKurtz]

The first one seems superior in every way [edit-- the first one in the original post, that is... I do think the Dell is the best of the 3 you listed]. The T5750 is a significantly better processor than the TL-60. A quick look at the Passmark scores shows the C2D is about 35-40% faster than the Turion. The extra 1GB of RAM in the AMD is basically useless, as you'll only be able to use a fraction of it due to an x86 architectural quirk. If those are your only choices, it's a no-brainer.

I would recommend an upgrade to a 7200 RPM drive, btw... even if you have to drop a notch on your CPU, you'll probably see better performance with a slightly slower processor and faster drive.

 

[in4some]

just general use for surfing the net, listening music, email, etc.

thanks for the help. I learned some knowledge also.