need workstation laptop

[poached]

I'm searching (hard) for a laptop that is 14" and is intended for workstation use. It needs to have the option of being docked, because that's where it will be used most of the time.

I'm using it for scientific computing, maya, graphics design, photo editing, GPGPU fun, but not really gaming. I might load COD4 once in a while.

I would buy extended warranty to protect my investment so suppose should be excellent.

Specs:
14" with LED backlighting
Penryn
Ram 4GB
RAID 0
Optical drive in docking station (blueray would be awesome)
9 cell battery
Docking station


The thinkpad T61p comes close but it doesn't have raid-0, and I'm using a T60p right now and the screen even at max brightness indoor is pretty dim. So I'm hoping to get a really sweet and bright screen (high pixel count too).

Any suggestions?

 

[Brainonska511]

You can't get RAID 0 in a notebook less than 17".

 

[heymrdj]

You need a 17" chassis minimal to be able to hold dual HD's. Remember the mobo, processor, GPU ect take up lots of space. The only place to safely store HD's is in the front of the system, under the wrist pads, you can't fit two end to end in a 14" chassis.

 

[TheStu]

As others have said, RAID, of any form, is nigh impossible in anything less than either a 17" or a really thick 15". Honestly, you could have enough space in a 13", or hell, even a 12" but.... then you wouldn't have a battery

Thinkpads are quite solid, as are the Latitudes and Vostros. It seems as though you want an LED backlit, 14" 1440*900 screen, and I do not think those are made yet. So you might have to stick with CCFL, which has done just fine for itself in the past <insert correct number of years here>.

 

[poached]

ok, time to compromise a bit.

forget RAID.

Any LED backlit panels, period, from any manufacturer? I'll go up to 15" if that's what it takes.

Any RAID performing laptops in a 15" form factor?

 

[TheStu]

The LED backlit laptops that I know of off the top of my head
Dell XPS 1330 (13" 1280*800) $1000 base?
Lenovo X300 (13" 1440*900) $3000 base i think
Apple MacBook Air (13" 1280*800) $1800 base
Apple MacBook Pro (15" 1440*900) $2000 base
Some of the Sonys have them as well, but i don't know the models off the top of my head

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Looks like you're going to have to compromise a bit more. Why do you want RAID in a laptop anyway? Laptop HD's aren't really the greatest, and you lose one you lose everything.

 

[poached]

I just checked out the X300 review on notebookreview.com and the backlit LED screen is exactly what I want. It's much brighter than the T61p's screen.

new specs:
14-15" LED backlit screen
4 GB ram
C2D penryn
7200 rpm harddisk
mobile workstation graphics or 8800GTS
blueray (would be nice but not necessary)
docking station
3 year support and warranty

 

[Brainonska511]

Check out these notebooks from Dell; they fit all your new specs (minus Blueray, LED, and Penyrn (T8xxx or T9xxx) chips):

Precision M4300 (15.4" - goes up to WUXGA panel): http://www.dell.com/content/pr...&s=bsd&~tab=bundlestab
Precision M2300 (14.1" - up to WXGA+): http://www.dell.com/content/pr...&s=bsd&~tab=bundlestab

Maybe the HP8510 as well, but that's 15.4" (WSXGA or WUXGA), no LED, no Penryn, but there is Blueray.

I don't think you'll have an easy time finding an LED panel in something larger than a 13" at the moment. You'll have an even harder time finding one in a workstation class laptop.

 

[poached]

I'm curious as to why this is? Is LED backbit a new technology that they can't make it very big yet? I thought some desktop panels have them?

Looks like I'm waiting for MacBook Pro refresh at this point.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: poached
I'm curious as to why this is? Is LED backbit a new technology that they can't make it very big yet? I thought some desktop panels have them?

Looks like I'm waiting for MacBook Pro refresh at this point.

No desktop panels that I know of have LED backlighting. It is still hard to manufacture them reliably in sizes above 15.4". It is fairly new in the marketplace.

 

[poached]

interesting. Thanks for the help. I was interested in a lappy mostly because I don't want to spend $400 on a LCD panel (there are so many to choose from). But I guess at the price premium I could get a really nice screen and a really awesome computer too.

Any boutique laptop builders out there, other than alienware, voodoo, NW falcon, velocity, etc?