Question:
Advice - student & researcher
Hello everyone. I am posting on behalf of my girlfriend who is in desperate need of a new laptop. Her old laptop is a 13 lb huge, heavy, and HOT beast and it is on its last breath. She is a graduate student who also does research. Portability is a must, but this will also be her primary (only) computer. I am pasting the FAQ below so you all can get the best idea of what she needs. So far we have looked at the Dell e1405, Dell latitude, and possibly an Asus (but they seem a bit pricey). Also maybe a MacBook w/ BootCamp.
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
$1000-1500 give or take
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen - If you anyone suggests a 15in, it has to be a light one
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Word, excel, email, web-browsing. Real basic stuff. She does not play games and does not need a fancy video card. I just want to be sure the laptop graphics are Win Vista ready (and could support the Aero interface). From my understanding, the integrated Intel 950 does support Aero, but maybe a dedicated but lowend Nvidia or ATi solution would be better in terms of future-proofing?
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Portability is a huge factor here. She will be carrying from home to school all the time. The only reason we are not looking at an ultraportable (12 or less) is because this is going to be her only computer, so those screens would be too small to use all the time.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
nothing more intensive than snood
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
no
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
I'm not sure. She would probably have access to a power outlet all the time. So maybe enough to watch a dvd or do some Word on an airplane flight.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
no
9) What country are you buying this in?
US
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
I think a widescreen is preferable
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
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.
Her current laptop is a 15in with a 1024x768 display. She says she is totally fine with that resolution, but I know that once she has a higher resolution display, she will like it. My only concern is that the pixels are not so small that she has to strain to read since this is going to be her only computer. I worry that 1440x900 on a 14in display or 1680x1050 on a 15in display would be hard for her to read for someone that does not care that much about resolution. I know if it were up to me, I would get the higher resolution display for myself, but she is more concerned with usability. (She is 25 yrs old, not some old lady, if that means anything)
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
no real preference here
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
not as important to me as ergonomics, heat dissapation, and weight. Then again, she is a girl, so it is somewhat important.
14) How long do you want this laptop to last?
At least 3 yrs - to me, Vista premium capability is a important
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
60-80 would be MORE than enough for her
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
CD-RW/DVD-Rom would be ideal.
Okay, there it is. I would like to get her a Core-Duo because it seems pretty future proof at this point, and there is not a need to be old technology. Something light is also ideal, but with increased lightness comes increased price, so a happy medium would also be nice. Can't wait to see what you come up with.
Best regards,
Ross
PS one more thing. I built my own desktop and I put together a barebones laptop. I could do the same for her as well, but I think she would perfer to have something with a good warrenty so that she would not have to pay for repairs or experience a lot of downtime. I really no nothing about system warrenties as I have always built my own computers.
Answer:
Re: Advice - student & researcher
You can customize an Asus z62f and get yourself in under budget. I know Geared2Play.com and other resellers have them available. It's a widescreen 14 incher with a Core Duo chip.
Answer:
Re: Advice - student & researcher
I recommend Hp nc6400.
Answer:
Re: Advice - student & researcher
I'm confused at the differences between the E1405 and the 14in Latitude. They seem nearly the same spec wise.
Also, how does the HP NC6400 compare to those dells?
Also, I need some advice on which core duo speed processor to get? Namely the 1.6 vs 1.8
How much ram do I need? 1 or 2 gigs?
What video card, integrated v. dedicated?
Ross
Answer:
Re: Advice - student & researcher
1gb ram is enough. Probably the nvidia 7300/7400 or the x1400 series would b better than the integrated gpu. When it comes to aero, it wont hog down the system when u multitask a lot.
If ur lookin for some fancy machine, mayb u shouldnt look at dell or hp at all. Mayb a Samsung(which u hav to get from other countries), or even a LG. I dunno wat's the price is going to be. Apple macbook is quite a nice choice, except it doesnt comes with windows. Someone help me here. Anyway, the macbook can run vista, so no worries when u want to get it. Anyway, i think she can get discount because she is a student.
Answer:
Re: Advice - student & researcher
The case on the Latitude is made of magnesium which will hold up much better during mobility than the plastic case on the Inpsiron. The Fujitsu E8210 might be worth a look. It is six pounds which is on the light for a 15.4" notebook. Plus Fujitsus are pretty well built with amazing glossy screens. Good Luck.
Answer:
Re: Advice - student & researcher
i would check out the hp dv2000 or v3000. also, the portableone ex (z62j) is worth a look.