Question:
I'm going to get this unless someone gives me a good reason not to ;)
LG LW40 44V4CU1; $1298 CDN from PCCyber.ca (and I can go get it at a store locally). That model of the LW40 comes with a 64mb X600 video card which would be sufficient, although if it was up to me I'd cut the hard drive down to 40gb and go for a DVD-CDRW instead of a DVD burner and put in a nicer video card, but I don't think I can find that ;). I'll probably upgrade the RAM to 1gb at some point in the not too distant future.
LG seems to have a decent rep so far as build quality goes. Quality is important to me, although at this point I can't afford something that is top notch (e.g. Thinkpad) and meets my system requirements.
1) What is your budget?
$1500 with tax (14% sales tax; $1298 turns into $1479) - Basically if someone knows of a better laptop that is within $100 more taking shipping into consideration, I'd look into it.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
School work and light gaming
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
A bit of both
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Playing WOW is a must. But I've been playing WOW on a 32mb Radeon 9000.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Will not buy Dell
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
3+
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No, as long as lots of information is available.
9) What country are you buying this in?
Canada
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
No major preference
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
e. WSXGA+ - 1680x1050; Wider viewing version of SXGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Doesn't matter
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
I don't particularly care what it looks like to begin with. I would rather a case that doesn't scuff, scratch, crack, dent, or otherwise deform easily (all of those apply to the case on a Dell D600, and that's not just my experience but the experience of 4000 fellow students at my undergrad school)
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Within the next few days, want it to last at least 2 years.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
40GB is fine, I have a 120gb external.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD/CDRW is fine
Answer:
Re: I'm going to get this unless someone gives me a good reason not to ;)
If you do...i'll kill you. Good enough reason? Ha, i'm just kidding. Don't report me :(
How about a...HP dv5000t? That may go past your budget though. when you add everything you need and warranty. You can get the notebook in my signature for a little over $1430 w/3yr warranty :)
Answer:
Re: I'm going to get this unless someone gives me a good reason not to ;)
If you got your S96J for $1430 CDN and not American which I'm assuming please tell me where :)
Answer:
Re: I'm going to get this unless someone gives me a good reason not to ;)
yeh please dont' get that notebook! there are better stuff out there for the price. the hdd on that machine is slow as hell! please atleat check out the asus s96j or the compal hel80. im getting the compal next week ordered through powernotebooks.com. but i don't think they ship to canada so check out discountlaptops.com they have EXCELLENT ratings at resellerratings.com. well good luck in your search my friend, check those out!
Answer:
Re: I'm going to get this unless someone gives me a good reason not to ;)
Well you for your budget you can get a S96j. You probably can't get all that I have but still very nice. I guess mine would be $1600CAD. The Compal HEL80 will probably be out of price range however.
I got it from www.powernotebooks.com
Answer:
Re: I'm going to get this unless someone gives me a good reason not to ;)
milestonepc.com
Answer:
Re: I'm going to get this unless someone gives me a good reason not to ;)
Ooh, Milestone has the base of the S96J for significantly cheaper (like $50 or $100) than NCIX which is the only other place I saw it, and the components seem cheaper. I put together one for $1475.
(contents of shopping cart)
1 x 1024M / SODIMM ( DDR2 / 667, Corsair, OCZ )
1 x Core Duo Processor T2300 ( 1.66GHz ) 667 2MB (Intel)
1 x DVD/CDRW Combo Drive for VBI models
1 x Hard Drive 80GB Internal 2.5-inch SATA 5400RPM 8MB, Seagate
1 x Intel Wireless card WM3945AGM1GEN
1 x Windows XP Professional (OEM)
1 x ASUS Notebook S96J Barebone / X1600 256M...
I'm a little confused as to why I can't find specs for it on the Asus site though, either US or Canada; the description on Milestone of it is a little lacking. Does the barebones come with a wireless card?