Laptops;is something drastically diff. coming out within the next 6 months,ability for extended desktop with a monitor

[holden j caufield]

I've been looking at the 8100 series but I'd really like the performance in something like lighter and possibly longer lasting in the battery dept. dual monitor capabilities? I'd like to rid myself of desktops for good. Where can I find info about future lappies?

 

[daddyo]

There's nothing mind-blowing on the horizon.

The only significant advancements are in the video cards, with the ATI Radeon 7200 and NVidia nv17m, which both beat the pants off of everything else out there right now, including the Geforce2Go.

Intel seems to think laptop users want more power instead of longer battery life, so everytime we get a good power advancement, it gets lost in processor speed.

 

[Finality]

Nothing mind blowing but I thought I noticed a few vendors re-introducing docking stations again. I would advice against the 8100 series its more like a little desktop that sits on your lap.

Its not at all portable way too heavy and bulky to be a laptop. It is more like a replacement desktop than a laptop.

 

[holden j caufield]

so when are these new video chipsets coming out on laptops. are they making these video chipsets on a smaller die to reduce to heat and save power? also when is it coming out. I also heard Dell's old 8000 series were video chipset upgradeable. is that true? thanks

 

[apoppin]

The ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 is already out for Dell's Inspiron 8100. Pretty expensive though.

My guess is that notebooks have years to go to before they truly equal desktop performance. And then there is the size issue - you are stuck with 15" max for the TFT. (It just doesn't compare with a quality 19" flat CRT.) And you have to wear headphones (or else lug around your ProMedias).

However, they come pretty close. A 1.2Ghz P-III-M and a Radeon Mobility 7500 is pretty powerful. However, there is still the issue of the slower notebook HDs. Plus, you will pay a lot more for equivalent performance and you cannot build your own.

My notebook is just for when I am away from my desktop (10 weeks, starting in January).

 

[trikster2]

Dells mobile Radeon 7500 64MB laptop chip is available now on the inspiron 8100.

T&L (unlike old mobile radeon) and twice as fast as GeForce2Go.

Plus yeah you can normaly do dual monitor with any of the ATI laptop chips. True dual monitor support, not just mirror the laptops screen.

Never knew docking stations went away. We get them at work all the time. Think it is so silly, people tucking away there awesome 15" flatpanel screen and hooking it up to a low quality dell 17" monitor set at the default 60hmz refresh rates.

So tempted to get one. It would be a nice upgrade to the vodoo2 I am using now!

 

[apoppin]

<< Never knew docking stations went away. We get them at work all the time. Think it is so silly, people tucking away there awesome 15" flatpanel screen and hooking it up to a low quality dell 17" monitor set at the default 60hmz refresh rates. >>



Do people really do that? My 4100 allows me to hook up my 19" Monitor directly and set the refresh rate to 85Hz (which is a little hard on my ATI 16MB DDR Mobility Radeon @ 1280x1024 for gaming).