Please help me decide between 2 labtops

[lordyale]

Hi guys! I hope you're all having a great weekend.

I'm deciding between two labtops in the $550 range. I found these two which had the most processing power and ram I could find. They are the same price.

Gateway M-6843

Toshiba Satellite AMD

The two main differences are a 17" versus 15" monitor and the different processors...

My first question is the AMD processor as fast or faster than the Intel? I've never had an AMD before. Since both are dual cores with around 2.0gigs, they should be comparable. However, I noticed the AMD only had 1 mb of die memory versus intel's 2mbs. Will this result in a noticeable performance difference?

Secondly, what is the difference between TruBright and UltraBright in monitor specs?

I'm mainly going to use this labtop to run dreamweaver and watch some movies. No gaming here. However, I want it to have enough processing power to last a bit. I'm thinking $550 is a steal for the processing power. Everything else I've seen seems to be an intel 1.6gig with 1-2 gigs of ram in this price range. I'm just hoping I didn't miss any glaring things that should push me one way or the other.

So, which one would you advise that I purchase?

Thank you for the help,

 

[corkyg]

Either one will have the performance to do what you want to do. The big difference is the size, weight, and battery life. If you don't travel by air, then that may not be significant. If you travel and value portability and battery life, the Gateway wins. Otherwise, the big Toshiba would be a decent value.

 

[Soundmanred]

Laptop.

 

[Oyeve]

Originally posted by: Soundmanred
Laptop.

He may work in a lab.

 

[Soundmanred]

Originally posted by: Oyeve

Originally posted by: Soundmanred
Laptop.

He may work in a lab.

Or on top of one.

 

[ColKurtz]

Neither deal is awful, but unless you're in a bind you could probably do a lot better, especially if you can wait until the holiday shopping season starts in earnest. The intel CPU is more current than the AMD QL-60 and should perform noticeably better, but the 17" screen is tough to pass up. If you're willing to wait, you could probably get a nice Intel c2d *AND* a 17" screen.

One note... if you are looking for an upgraded warranty, take a look at Thinkpads. Where most upgraded BB/OD warranty is going to cost ~$250, Lenovo's mail-in 3-year warranty upgrade is $99. Add $200 to that $550 machine, and all the sudden you realize you can get a very solid Thinkpad for about the same price. Just have to wait for one of the frequent sales. FYI this warranty price is true only for Lenovo's Thinkpads ,not their Ideapads or other lines.