Question:
High Spec Laptop Suggestions..
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
About £1000-1500 ($1917-$2876)
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
Not too big, not too small so either B or C
a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Apart from the usual surfing the net, watching movies and burning DVDs/CDs. I am going to university to study architecture so I don't know at the moment which tasks I will have to perform. However I use Photoshop quite a lot and other creative programmes, CAD especially. This is the MAIN priority.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or
leaving it on your desk?
Indeed I will be going different places.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Casual gamer.. Love a bit of Football manager 2006? lol and maybe a
bit of counterstrike source/half life 2
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I like Sony and have been looking at Apples.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
A reasonable amount? I haven't a clue..average or maybe a bit above avg.(3-4 hrs if possible). Lithium based..
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No, but I can go to the shops first to check it out before buying online.
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what
country are you buying this in?
UK - England
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Would rather have a decent standard than a below par widescreen. However
widescreen sounds nice.
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Standard
a. XGA -1024x768 - Large and easy to read text + graphics icons, but
you fit less stuff on the screen.
b. SXGA - 1400x1050 - Compromise resolution between XGA and UXGA.
c. UXGA - 1600x1200 - Very small text and graphics icons, you can fit
lots of stuff on the screen. sounds good
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.
f. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Wider viewing version of UXGA, good for movie
viewing or spreadsheets.
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
No idea but i'm loving the glossy screens on sony vaios.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Kind of...
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this
laptop to last?
Very soon, next month and as long as possible because my course is 8 years max.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
80+GB (80 min).
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD-RW drive (dual-layer)
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The main thing I want to put forward is the creative part but also, weight and size shouldn't be too big.
I have been looking at the Apple Macbook pro because someone recommended them to me however not too sure about the new interface and compatiable programmes..
AND not too sure how bootcamp is actually compatiable ... and what things are limited...
But also looking at Sony Vaio FE's but still haven't a clue about other main brands.. so I wish for some advice on which laptop to get....
Thanks for your help
---
Trnce
Answer:
Re: High Spec Laptop Suggestions..
Also the university have given me a guildline for laptops
Screen - accelerated graphics (such as nVidia or ATI Radeon) and supports Open GL, if possible 256MB or 512MB ideal
RAM - 512MB min. Ideal 1GB
Hard Disk - 80GB exceptable
Keyboard - Full size, pointer should be based on a Track pad, not a ball or joystick. Must have a mouse port or usb.
Ports - must have ethernet ports (RJ45) speed 10mbp or better, 100mbps.
USB ports VITAL - 2 min. and 4 ideal.
Firewire for camcorder, Video port for monitor attachment. Slot for a PCMCIA card.
Processor speed - 2GHz +
Wireless network connection ready or card adaptor
Operating system - Windows XP Home or Pro recommended
warranty extension to 3 years, this is essential. "collect and return" for at least the first year.
Memory Sticks - transport data..
Yer thats about it...
But I really really want a macbook pro however i don't know if it ill be worth it?
Also what is the deal with Core 2 Duo??? Shall I wait.?
Answer:
Re: High Spec Laptop Suggestions..
Well my suggestions would be either the HGL30 made by compal or possible an ASUS W3J. The W3J has a superior graphics card and also you can get the Core 2 Duo as of now. You can get it pretty much fully equipped for like 2200 US
Answer:
Re: High Spec Laptop Suggestions..
I would suggest the Dell Latitude D820. Business-class and durable, optional WSXGA+ and WUXGA displays. Also consider the HP nc8430, it will be more expensive but will have better 3D performance.
Answer:
Re: High Spec Laptop Suggestions..
Cheers for the suggestions but i'm still unsure what to get for the course i am in.
So far
Samsung X60
Asus W3J
Apple Macbook Pro
Sony FE or SZ
HP NC8430
Just wondering which is the best for doing 3D modelling and is the Sony SZ worth it as well as Macbook pro...
Answer:
Re: High Spec Laptop Suggestions..
Macbook Pro is nice....
Answer:
Re: High Spec Laptop Suggestions..
If you will be moving it around a lot then I would strongy suggest sticking to 14" or less screen size.
The Asus W3J from here is within budget - specs: T2400, 1GB RAM, 100GB HD and x1600.
For CAD you need more RAM than anything else, although 1 GB should be enough 2GB will do no harm. In terms of graphics power ive seen AuotCAD being run on integrated graphics and it was fine, having the x1600 might make it faster by a bit. You will also be able to game with laptop as the x1600 is a strong card.
The W3J is a really good laptop, check out the review here.
You could also configure the Zepto here but it wont have the amazing build quality of the Asus.
Answer:
Re: High Spec Laptop Suggestions..
kool... so u reckon the Asus tops the list?
Asus W3J
Samsung X60
Apple Macbook Pro
Sony FE or SZ
HP NC8430
Zepto Znote 6615WD
what order would you rank these in, for my situation?
Answer:
Re: High Spec Laptop Suggestions..
Its hard to say really, it depends what you are most after. Ill give my thoughts on each:
Asus W3J - aluminium chassis, extremely good build quality and powerful configuration.
Samsung X60 - larger screen than W3J but weaker graphics card (x1600 is 2x more powerful than x1400) but its the same price as the W3J so not a good trade off IMO.
MBP - not a fan of apple. Prone to overheating and have an underclocked GPU to reduce heat.
Sony - very very overpriced for what you get. Unless you have your heart set on getting the X-BLACK screen (which is awsome) they arent good value.
HP NC8430 - a good business class notebook, theres a deal here in which you get a very powerful configuration for a very good price. It has a 15.4" matte screen though which means it wont have as good colour fidelity and contrast.
Zepto 6615WD - this will probably be the best value for money and the only 14" screen with 1680x1050 resolution in the UK. Text will be tiny but you will have a lot of screen space.
IMO the list is:
Asus W3J
Zepto 6615WD
HP NC8430
Answer:
Re: High Spec Laptop Suggestions..
mm the Asus is really appealling now however I just noticed no webcam in-built!! lol
yer and not too sure on the zepto due to the fact I am not familiar to the company and their reputation e.g. build quality
ok I think it's either MBP/W3J/NC8430