Laptop or dual monitors? Edit: or a mac?

[coolred]

I got a new job in which I will be working a lot of overtime, thus more money for me. Obviously I will save some of this money, so please don't tell me that.

Since I am putting in the extra time i work, I want to get something nice out of it for me to use in what little free time I will have. I was pretty set on a laptop, but really since i only wanted it for uses like internet anywhere in my house, portable dvd player and other stuff like that. I couldn't see spending 1500.00 or so on one. But I may still do it anyway.

I have heard many people from the forums with multiple monitors say how great it is, and I have wanted to try it out for quite some time as well. I think I would get a big benefit from it, since i do a lot of web browsing, most of the time with many pages open at once. So being able to view one on each monitor at a time would be sweet. Or being able to game on one while checking gamefaqs or something like that would be great as well. Or watching a dvd while doing work, or play. It just sound slike dual monitors are a great thing.

So I could either get a laptop or dual monitors. Or maybe even both, if I opt for a cheap laptop.

I currentlly have a dell 1800FP(at least I think thats the model number). Its an 18.1" 4:3 aspect ratio monitor. I think it has like a 25ms reponse time. I like it its a great monitor, but its several years old. Not saying I have to get rid of it, but wondering if I can find anothe rmonitor that would line up with it nicely. Its not required, but having them be the same size would be a big benefit. Al though they don't need to be both 18.1" screens. Say for instance the new one is a widescreen, as long as the heighth of the 2 screens are pretty much the same, then thats fine. Or say its a smaller monitor, but it can be turned to a portarit orientation. Then it may still line up. I kinda liek the idea of those types of monitors, since it seems like they would be better suited for internet usage, which is my main usage.

I could always sell mine and buy 2 new ones. But I don't like the idea of having to find a buyer that I can trust, then finding a way to pack it and get it shipped. That seems like it requires a bit of time, of which i don't have a ton, what with all the overtime.


So basically heres the Cliffs Notes
Should I get a nice new laptop, or a nice dual monitor setup. Or maybe even a dual monitor setup and a cheap laptop? Just add a mac option. I have always wanted to play with a mac, since I hear the OS is great. Maybe a mini would be a nice addition to my computer collection.

 

[suse920]

get a sweet laptop and use your current monitor to have a dual monitor set up. then after you save more money buy another lcd.

 

[silverbuyer]

When another $750 off $1500 deal for Dell comes around take advantage of it and get yourself a $800 laptop. Then when they bring the 2005fpw back to under $400, get two of those for your dual monitor setup. 😎

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: suse920
get a sweet laptop and use your current monitor to have a dual monitor set up. then after you save more money buy another lcd.

Or he could have his cake and eat it too! How about you just go on ebay and pickup a DVD capable laptop (Preferrably an IBM) at the lowest price possible and get your dualies! 😉 I mean it's very understandable for you to question the reason to spend $1500 on a laptop just to do simple tasks, right?

To do what you just described, all you'll technically need is a 333MHZ laptop w/DVD drive.. But for it to be more desireable, you'll either have to upgrade the HDD/ram on that 333MHZ system or get a slightly faster system like 500MHZ-1GHZ. (850 Is probably the sweet spot) Just what ever is cheaper, thats all.

Yes you'll love dual monitors and if you can, get them. It's very nice to have dualies, my dad has quad monitors and it can be useful at times. Just because you have no reason to use them now, doesn't mean you won't later.

I have it setup so that foobar2000 is running on one monitor maximized, with Temperature monitoring program on top (MBM5), and Task manager on top as well so that I can see what song is playing and how hot the system is getting/ram usage as well. (And that's just a gamer's reason, I'm sure there are tons more reasons to get dualies)

 

[coolred]

Originally posted by: goku2100

Originally posted by: suse920
get a sweet laptop and use your current monitor to have a dual monitor set up. then after you save more money buy another lcd.

Or he could have his cake and eat it too! How about you just go on ebay and pickup a DVD capable laptop (Preferrably an IBM) at the lowest price possible and get your dualies! 😉 I mean it's very understandable for you to question the reason to spend $1500 on a laptop just to do simple tasks, right?

To do what you just described, all you'll technically need is a 333MHZ laptop w/DVD drive.. But for it to be more desireable, you'll either have to upgrade the HDD/ram on that 333MHZ system or get a slightly faster system like 500MHZ-1GHZ. (850 Is probably the sweet spot) Just what ever is cheaper, thats all.

Yes you'll love dual monitors and if you can, get them. It's very nice to have dualies, my dad has quad monitors and it can be useful at times. Just because you have no reason to use them now, doesn't mean you won't later.

I have it setup so that foobar2000 is running on one monitor maximized, with Temperature monitoring program on top (MBM5), and Task manager on top as well so that I can see what song is playing and how hot the system is getting/ram usage as well. (And that's just a gamer's reason, I'm sure there are tons more reasons to get dualies)

Not sure how I feel about getting a laptop off ebay, let alone one of that caliber. I know i don't need much speed for what I want to do with it, but man thats slow.

Also if I do go a route such as that, I think I can geta better deal through my work. I work for a buisness that basically takes in computers and equipment from customers, and we inventory it, so that know what they have. Often times we fix/upgrade the units for them. Some times we dispose of them for them, and other times we buy them off the customer and then sell them. I just checked and currently they have a few IBM T22's and T21's, with anwhere from 800-1000Mhz P3's, and 128-256MB of ram, and about 20 gig hard drives. Those units appear to be priced just over 300, like maybe 333 if i recall correctly, and I can get a 5% discount on that.

I don't know why I didn't think of that earlier, I may have to look thier for soem monitors too. But most fo the stuff they get for resale is somehwat older.

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: coolred

Originally posted by: goku2100

Originally posted by: suse920
get a sweet laptop and use your current monitor to have a dual monitor set up. then after you save more money buy another lcd.

Or he could have his cake and eat it too! How about you just go on ebay and pickup a DVD capable laptop (Preferrably an IBM) at the lowest price possible and get your dualies! 😉 I mean it's very understandable for you to question the reason to spend $1500 on a laptop just to do simple tasks, right?

To do what you just described, all you'll technically need is a 333MHZ laptop w/DVD drive.. But for it to be more desireable, you'll either have to upgrade the HDD/ram on that 333MHZ system or get a slightly faster system like 500MHZ-1GHZ. (850 Is probably the sweet spot) Just what ever is cheaper, thats all.

Yes you'll love dual monitors and if you can, get them. It's very nice to have dualies, my dad has quad monitors and it can be useful at times. Just because you have no reason to use them now, doesn't mean you won't later.

I have it setup so that foobar2000 is running on one monitor maximized, with Temperature monitoring program on top (MBM5), and Task manager on top as well so that I can see what song is playing and how hot the system is getting/ram usage as well. (And that's just a gamer's reason, I'm sure there are tons more reasons to get dualies)

Not sure how I feel about getting a laptop off ebay, let alone one of that caliber. I know i don't need much speed for what I want to do with it, but man thats slow.

Also if I do go a route such as that, I think I can geta better deal through my work. I work for a buisness that basically takes in computers and equipment from customers, and we inventory it, so that know what they have. Often times we fix/upgrade the units for them. Some times we dispose of them for them, and other times we buy them off the customer and then sell them. I just checked and currently they have a few IBM T22's and T21's, with anwhere from 800-1000Mhz P3's, and 128-256MB of ram, and about 20 gig hard drives. Those units appear to be priced just over 300, like maybe 333 if i recall correctly, and I can get a 5% discount on that.

I don't know why I didn't think of that earlier, I may have to look thier for soem monitors too. But most fo the stuff they get for resale is somehwat older.

Yea if you could get those T21/22s for about $300 that would be great for you, what ever works for you!

Though I wouldn't say the laptops I mentioned are THAT SLOW! I mean I don't think people realize at one point those were the fastest things out there and no body complained about the speed right? I've got a 600MHZ PIII sony vaio laptop with 256MB of ram and it does everything most people need (web browsing, etc.) and it's got a deathly slow 4200 rpm drive.

The dell's at 333MHZ were fast but the sonys weren't so fast and they definately needed a ram upgrade. Anything with a 200MHZ processor or faster is perfectly fine for web browsing, checking e-mail, doing taxes, listening to music etc.

 

[coolred]

I agree that at one time those 300Mhz laptops where the fastest thing available. Although that time was many years ago, not now. Sure a 300Mhz laptop can browse the web and do word processing, but can it do all those things while listening to MP3's and ripping a CD or DVD. Even if it could it would be painfully slow. I don't require a top end laptop, but I don't want something so slow it won't be able to keep up with me for at least a couple years.

I would also prefer it to be able to run XP, if nto even longhorn in the future. Although I think longhorn needs directx 9, so even the T21/22 won't handle that. But really for 400-500 after rebates, I can get quite a bit more computer almost every week at retail stores. And that would be new, not used. And even then for a couple hundred more after coupons and all, I can get a pretty nicely loaded dell.

I think that may be the best way to go. I didn't really want a dell, since they are from what I hear, a little cheap. Or you get what you pay for, is what I hear a lot. But I also hear they are great laptops for the money with the afformentioned exceptions. Since I am leaning towards dell for thier monitors if I go with dual monitors, that may not be a bad way for me to go, since i could get it all at one place. But if I don't do that, but yet still do go with a lappy and monitors, then i will probablly go for the IBM's, since they have at least decent power for the 350.00 or so.

 

[coolred]

But then again if i get a laptop, that can always be used as a second monitor. Although nto as cool as 2 of the exact same diaplsy side by side.

 

[coolred]

I am still considering that IBM, but I would need to upgrade the memory. Looks like abotu 80 bucks for a 512MB stick, which depending on what is alreay in there, that still only gets me either 640-768. Which I suppose is probablly plenty, maybe i don't even need quite that much, maybe 512 total would be okay. But anyways after upgrading the memory. Were talking 400+ for a couple year old notebook. I am just wondering if that machien will last me for a few years. I am just worried I may need more power in the future. I suppose i oculd always get a new one then. It just seems like waste if it won't last me a while. I don't know though.

400 for an older laptop that will do what I need now. Or 1000++ for a laptop that will dow hat I do now, and hopefully a few years from now as well.