Question:
Computer Engineering Major - Undergrad Notebook Required!
1) What is your budget?
$650-1000
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Web Design, Photoshop/GIMP, Occasional Gaming, Apache Webserver, Music Encoding, Computer Science/Engineering Lab Work
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
It has to mobile. I wont be using it as a desktop replacement.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Wolfenstein Enemy Territory, NBA Live 06, Sims 2
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I prefer Lenovo's Thinkpad series. But I think it's really unnecessary for an undergrad like me to get one, as they can be quite pricey. There aren't any brands that I don't really like, as long as the price/value ratio is high.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Around 3 hours is fine. Anything less than 2:30 is not going to cut it.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Yes
9) What country are you buying this in?
United States
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen. I'm used to doing work in high resolutions. I find that I'm more productive when I have more screen real estate.
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? See below for more information.
Standard
b. SXGA - 1400x1050; Middle ground.
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900;
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
I'd prefer a matte screen with a higher resolution. However, if the only option was a glossy screen at a higher resolution, I'd live with it.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
It's not too important, although I'd like it to be functional and not too bulky. Easy to carry with me to places around campus, and ergonomically easy on the hands/wrists.
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
As long as my undergraduate schooling takes. Haha. 4 years.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
40GB would be sufficient, although 60GB would be better. Anything more than 60GB wouldn't be necessary, I'm not looking to store too much music/games/media on my notebook.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD-CD/RW
Additional Comments:
I know that Dell has some great rebate/coupon opportunities and over the weekend I configured an E1405 to these specifications:
Intel® Core™ processor Duo T2300 (2MB Cache/1.66GHz/667MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows® XP Media Center Edition 2005
14.1 inch WXGA+ UltraSharp™ TFT Display with TrueLife™
1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
60GB Hard Drive
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Integrated Audio
Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945 Mini Card (802.11 a/g, 54Mbps)
53 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Total Price: $622.50 Shipped Before Tax after EEP Coupon
I'm wondering if anyone has found any better price/value combinations from Dell or any other Notebook manufacturer.
Answer:
Re: Computer Engineering Major - Undergrad Notebook Required!
Have you tried checking out Dell's D620 in the small business section? Sounds like exactely what you need w/ a dedicated gpu.
Answer:
Re: Computer Engineering Major - Undergrad Notebook Required!
Have you tried checking out Dell's D620 in the small business section? Sounds like exactely what you need w/ a dedicated gpu.
Yeah I have actually. Before posting I looked at the other threads that existed. I checked out the D620, and I found that it was 455 dollars more expensive when I had the same configuration on the e1405. I'm not paying that much for the Quatro NVS graphics system.
Thanks for the suggestion though.
Answer:
Re: Computer Engineering Major - Undergrad Notebook Required!
Latitude has much better shot at lasting four years.
Answer:
Re: Computer Engineering Major - Undergrad Notebook Required!
Latitude has much better shot at lasting four years.
The only difference between the e1405 and the latitude is the graphics though...
Answer:
Re: Computer Engineering Major - Undergrad Notebook Required!
Nope. You are not paying for the Quadros, which are inexpensive. You are paying for a much better quality and customer service.
However, for the D620 you should budget around $1200+tax.
If you like WXGA, you should take a look at the ThinkPad Z60m. Lenovo has 3 WXGA models on sale, until May 31, and they might be even better than the D620 (starting at about $800 after $250 rebate ;) ). But no discrete graphics for the bad gamer boys. :p
Anyway, at that budget and performance expectations, you could buy only a crappy consumer notebook from Dell or HP.
Choose any two from {price, performance, quality}. You cannot have all three.