Laptop advice

[dwdty9]

So everything was perfect, I was all set to go to the store to buy a PowerMac, then I choked. Didn't like them anymore, too expensive for me. So I'm going back to Windows. I'm a student who is looking for something lightweight, under 5.5 lbs. I've never had a laptop, so I don't know how easily some of them break down, but i'd like it to be durable with a high build quality. I want long battery life, at least 4 hours with regular usage. So that probably means Centrino with Pentium M processor, right? So obviously I want wireless. Something small so I can fit it on top of a desk to type notes on. I'd like to use this with photoshop some, but mostly word docs and internet. I'm looking for anything under $1500. No Macs or Averatec, that's it! Thanks a lot for your help

 

[wisdomtooth]

Are you a college student? If you are, check with your school and see if they offer any student discounts. Last year I was able to get a $2000 IBM Thinkpad T41 for $1600 through my school.

 

[Commodus]

By the way: when you say "PowerMac," do you mean the desktop, or a PowerBook? Big difference.

Anyways, an IBM T-series wouldn't necessarily be a bad idea if you can swing the cash. It's hard to find much more that comes close in build quality with the screen size and features that you want at the price.

 

[NoToRiOuS1]

if 3 hr battery will suffice. hows about a athlon xp mobile w/ 512 pc2700 ram, 80gb hard drive, wireless, dvd+/- burner, 12 in screen and 4.4 lbs for about 800-900 dollars depending on when and where you buy it.
Averatec 3250 Series Notebooks
just some food for thought...hope it helps
im a college student and thats what im thinking about getting. either that or get tablet pc...those are pretty good w/ battery life though they lack in processing power...but then again if you're a college student and just want something basic then that shouldn't be a problem. not to mention w/ tablet pcs you have the ability to jot down notes on the pc itself in class...again...all this depends on if you would actually use that feature or not...hope this helps

 

[halfadder]

I'm confused. You were going to buy a desktop Mac, but then you decided to get a PC notebook?

What do you really need? What is your current rig? If I was in your shoes, I would make sure I had a good modern desktop PC before I spent money on anything else (notebook, pda, mp3 player, mac, anything).

As far as notebooks go, many Avertec models are no worse than many Sony models. Notebooks, by their nature, are far more flimsy and fragile than a desktop PC.

My personal opinion is that unless you're just a basic computer user (in which case an iBook or eMac would be far more than enough).... my opinion is that most advanced users should have a good modern reliable desktop PC before they even consider buying a notebook or anything else. You're going to want something powerful and expandable at home where you spend many hours a day. Desktops will have much more power than a notebook for less than half the cost. Plus desktop PCs are dirt cheap to fix and upgrade.

 

[dwdty9]

Sorry, I meant to say PowerBook. My HP desktop is a year old: Athlon XP 2800+, 1gig RAM, Radeon 9800 Pro, 80gb HD. But we can close this thread. I went to BB and bought the Gateway 3520GZ, a version of the M210. It's 14.1 inch widescreen, 1.6 Dothan, 512mb RAM, 60gb HD, DVD burner for $1100. The Power Book was just too expensive, it was going to be over $1500, and in the end, I just wanted a little big bigger screen, I like the widescreen. I'll let people know how it goes. Thanks for all your help in my notebook quest.

 

[halfadder]

Sweet! I'm looking forward to hearing your mini-review when you have time!

 

[imverygifted]

how's the battery life on that notebook when your watching a dvd?

 

[dwdty9]

Well I just got done watching a short movie (1:31 min) and there's 52% battery life left, that was with wifi on for about 15 of those minutes. It seems like not a problem that this notebook will be able to watch a 3-hr movie no problem.

 

[hopejr]

When you looked at the price of the Powerbooks, did you look at the iBooks?

 

[dwdty9]

I looked at the iBooks, but I felt that they just lacked the specs I'd want. The puny hard drive, slow and lack of memory, the keyboard, and just too small a screen. And I didn't like the look. So it was a PowerBook if I got an Apple. I'm sure in about 3-4 years when am looking for another laptop, I'll consider another apple, because ideally, I'd want the 15-inch PowerBook, but it is just TOO expensive for me.

 

[Robor]

I'm extremely happy with my IBM T42. I previously owned a Dell Latitude C610 and when I started shopping I looked at the Dell 600M and 5160. The T42 is more expensive but I'm extremely happy I spent the extra money. If you can get one within your price range I'd recommend it.

 

[halfadder]

I love my 15" PowerBook, I've been using it for over a year. But even if the new 15" PowerBooks were half the price, I would still suggest waiting. Upgrades are coming soon and the 90nm mobile version of the G5 in a PowerBook isn't very far off.

I love the high resale value of Apple gear on eBay. As soon as the more reliable rumors suggest the PowerBook G5 release is near, this 15" PowerBook G4 is going on eBay so I can buy one!

 

[hopejr]

pity you don't like iBooks. I've got one and it's great!

 

[halfadder]

I love my 15" PowerBook... and I like the iBook... but I have to admit, the Gateway M210 is a pretty darn sweet machine for the price!!

 

[dwdty9]

If price was no option, then the 15-inch PowerBook would probably be my machine, either that or the IBM T42 or X40 I think. But, being a student, price was influential in my decision.

 

[RaNDoMMAI]

i love the size and style of the ibook and powerbooks, the only thing that keeps me from buying one is the screen. It is so dull and not nice to look at. i have been spoil with a 2001FP btw.

The lappy i chose to go with is the Fujitsu S6321. ~4 pounds. centerio, great build second to only IBM. The screen is even better then my 2001FP LCD. i think the screen is one of the most important things about a lappy, thats why i even chose this one over the IBM thinkpads.

~RaNDoM

 

[dwdty9]

I was seriously looking at the Fujitsu 6231. One of the things that is the reason why I didn't get it was because I could only get it online and couldn't actually physically see it and type on it, etc. It was $200 more than the Gateway 3520GZ also, that's probably another reason.

 

[hopejr]

I like the screen on my 12" iBook. I've seen brighter screens, but I've also seen more duller screens.

 

[halfadder]

The screen on my 15" PowerBook is only 1280x854... this is perfect for me for now. Even at that resolution my eyes need at least 9 point font. But my opinion on the resolution issue will change in a few months with Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" is out. Tiger will have a fully vector based GUI (not just partial as in 10.3 Panther), everything will be scalable, so it should be comfortable to use at any insanely high resolution. If I was buying a notebook in 2005, I'd want to wait for Apple to come out with a higher resolution 15" widescreen. Especially for the prices they charge.

My PowerBook's screen is just as sharp and bright as anything else I've used. At home and at work I usually have it set at about 1/3 brightness. It's pretty bright at full brightness, but not quite as bright as some of the "watching someone arc-weld" bright LCDs I've seen.