• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Should everyone be buying only centrino laptops?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Originally posted by: Bloodstein
dude, it's not $1000 difference...where do u get ur figures...

I live in NZ...here the prices for almost exactly same spec laptop are as follows:
Inspiron 8500 2.4GHz = 4152
Latitude D600 1.4GHz = 4876

The difference = 'bout NZ$700

which in ur country is far less...😛

All the same ram hdd everything? seems kinda weird... but dell sucks.... i hate them
 
as exact as i can get...

we dun get 600m here....so D600 wuz my best option for a centrino...

Dell sucks?
Well prolly, but that's not the qs or the worry. The fact is that you can purchase a centrino for far less than the $1000 difference u've been jumpin' bout...
 
around $1000 more... Is it worth the 2lb and 2hrs more?
Notebook computers are like like women's swimwear. The smaller they are, the more they cost.
I won't buy a centrino, not with Intel shoving their network solution down our throats in the bargain.
When is a Centrino a Centrino? A Centrino? notebook needs to have the Pentium M processor running on the 855 chipset with an Intel ProWireless mini PCI card. Some vendors will let you specify a different wireless card. If they do this, then the notebook is technically not a Centrino? to Intel, and thus can't be called a Centrino?. Personally I'd use some other wireless option.
 
Anyone seen the Acer Centrino notebook? The 800LCi is $1649 after MIR

1.3ghz Pentium M
15" SXGA+ (ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9000)
DVD/CDRW
512MB Ram
40 GB HDD
Windows XP Pro
5.6 lbs
 
I had the option of:

Dell D600
P-M 1.3 GHz
256 DDR
20GB
14.1" XGA (1024x768)
Radeon 9000
8x DVD

for 1295 pounds.

Or:

Dell Latitude C640
P4m 2GHz
256MB DDR
20GB HDD
14.1" SXGA (1400x1050)
Radeon 7500
8x DVD

For 1280 pounds.


Spec wise, other than the higher res screen on the C640, and the better gfx card on the D600, they were almost identical price.


Confused
 
Leeb00

I was comparison shopping the i600m with the Acer TM 800LCi. I've seen a D600 (the fraternal twin of the i600m) before and wanted to check out the 800LCi. I found one at a CompUSA in Indianapolis. Upon seeing it I was a little dissapointed. I didn't really care for the color (big nitpick, I know) it's a washed out dark grey kind of. I also felt like the notebook felt very big compared to the D600/i600m. It's just as thin, but it's so much wider all around. I liked the curved keyboard a lot though. I didn't like the smoked plastic on the front where the bluetooth and WLAN switches were...it felt a little cheap. However, the notebook seemed very well built overall, very solid. I really liked the 4-way scroll button. However, I decided I preferred the D600/i600m. This was mainly because of the cleaner minimalist design, spiffier looking interface on the buttons (you get a nice logo for WLAN on the screen when you enable it but with the Acer you get a piece of text at bottom of screen that says "WIRELESS ENABLED"), more portable size, and more wireless options available. The Dell is a better deal too, even with an employee discount that brings the price of the Acer down to nearly at wholesale cost.

MikeD2k3
 
MikeD2k3,

Thanks for the info. I like the small size of the Dell, but after owning an SXGA laptop, I don't want to settle for 1024x768 screen. The 1400x1050 screens are really nice! So far the screen and the size/weight is weighing heavy. Not sure what to do. Centrino has alot going for it, but I'm hearing negatives on the wireless... Jeesh, maybe I should buy a $1000 Compaq with a mobile AMD processor and be done with it.
 
Leeb00

Just in case you didn't know, you can get an SXGA+ screen (1400x1050) on the Dell i600m. I wasn't sure if you already knew this but just didn't want that high of a resolution on the 14 "screen or you didn't know.

MikeD2k3
 
ANDREWJM,
I don't know what Centrino laptop from Toshiba you're looking at, but there's the Satellite Pro M15-S405 that is around 1800 at most retail stores. Config is:
1.4 Ghz Pentium-M
40 Gigs
512 DDR RAM
DVD/CDRW
5 Hours Battery Life
Intel Pro Wireless
etc etc

I don't know what you're smoking.... 1000 more for a Centrino? DO YOUR RESEARCH.
 
Originally posted by: alby4ever
ANDREWJM,
I don't know what Centrino laptop from Toshiba you're looking at, but there's the Satellite Pro M15-S405 that is around 1800 at most retail stores. Config is:
1.4 Ghz Pentium-M
40 Gigs
512 DDR RAM
DVD/CDRW
5 Hours Battery Life
Intel Pro Wireless
etc etc

I don't know what you're smoking.... 1000 more for a Centrino? DO YOUR RESEARCH.

I've been saying this from the start of this thread.
 
Well nobody can really tell you if the longer battery life and less weight is worth the extra price, it all depends on your useage. If the laptop will not be used as a portable machine, then just get and AC adpator or extra battery and your set. If you plan to take it everywhere with you, then you will want the lighter longer battery life.
 
Originally posted by: alby4ever
ANDREWJM,
I don't know what Centrino laptop from Toshiba you're looking at, but there's the Satellite Pro M15-S405 that is around 1800 at most retail stores. Config is:
1.4 Ghz Pentium-M
40 Gigs
512 DDR RAM
DVD/CDRW
5 Hours Battery Life
Intel Pro Wireless
etc etc

I don't know what you're smoking.... 1000 more for a Centrino? DO YOUR RESEARCH.

I've said it once, and I'll say it for the last time...

When you do comparisons, they should be identical!

First off, you didn't list all the details, and from the details you listed, they aren't the same.

When looking at the toshiba website, they are not identical at all


I need to do research? I did... do yours....

 
You do need to do research

AT article that shows a 1.6ghz Centrino is just as fast as a 2.4ghz Desktop chip. That being said, a 1.3ghz should be just a shy under the benchmarks in the AT article. It may be lower mhz but they are just as fast as higher clocked Pentium M chips

Even if you may not be"mobile", you might need to be. Battery life and weight are two key factors in buying a notebook IMO. Not how fast they are, these are not desktop computers meant to play games.
 
What does that have to do with having the ability to compare specs of a laptop?

When you compare 2 laptops to prove to me that there is no huge price difference, you have to make them as equal as possible. And the specs that alby4ever shows are not the same...
 
Originally posted by: andrewjm
What does that have to do with having the ability to compare specs of a laptop?

When you compare 2 laptops to prove to me that there is no huge price difference, you have to make them as equal as possible. And the specs that alby4ever shows are not the same...

Hmn....

Can you name any significant difference?

There's seems to be absolutely no one that agrees with you $1000 difference.....because we don't see any!

Unless....you want a 2.4Ghz Pentium 4 to be compared to a 2.4Ghz Pentium M.
 
Originally posted by: andrewjm
Toshiba 5205-S705 =====
Mobile Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor - M (2.40GHz)
Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center Edition
512MB PC2100 DDR SDRAM (256MB x 2)
15.0" UXGA CASV (Clear Advanced Super View) display (1600 x 1200)
NVIDIA® GeForce? FX Go5600 GPU w/64MB DDR memory
60GB HDD (5400 rpm)
DVD Multi
Integrated Wi-Fi? (IEEE 802.11b)
Panasonic MotionDV Studio?, Microsoft® Works
3-USB (2.0) ports
iLINK (IEEE 1394) port
Infrared port
SD media slot
TV-Out port
10/100 Ethernet
V.92/56K modemº
S/P DIF Optical port
-----------------
$2699

vs...


Tecra S1 =====
Li-Ion battery (9-cell, 6600mAh)
Intel® PRO Wireless (802.11b)
Intel® Pentium® M processor 1.7GHz
60GB HDD (5400 rpm)
15" UXGA display (1600x1200)
512MB RAM (256 x 2)
Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
DVD-Multi
3-USB (2.0) ports
SD media slot
Fast Infrared port
TV-Out port
10/100 Ethernet
V.92/56K modemº
Serial
Parallel
PS/2 port
------------
$3297


i tried to make them the same as possible, but the dvdburner on the centrino is only 1x, and the 5205 is a 4x.... and the graphics is a bunch better on the 5205.... there is a big price difference, but will it really be worth it for a centrino...

with a centrino are you JUST paying for the extra battery life and weight? is there anything else a centrino has thats worth having?

I posted that a long time ago... those are the best comparisons I could get... there is a $600 price difference....

 
Back
Top