Question:
Highschool student in Graphic Desigin, Want Gaming Too
1) What is your budget?
$2900 - bye bye dirtbike
2) What size notebook would you prefer?I would like a 15.4 or bigger
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?
Photoshop, illustrator, movie programs, internet, gaming, and the usual word documents
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk? It will be on the desk probably 350/365 days
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
I am not sure, nfsu2, halo's, uh other stuff
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I do not want a Hp or compaq- bad experiences
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Anywhere from 2-4 works for me
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No
9) What country are you buying this in?
United States
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
widescreen
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? I have no clue
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.
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?
Glossy
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? Somewhat
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? I wish 6 years, but I hope to at least get 4 or more.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB? The most 120
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive? Burns Cd's and Dvd's, don't know which one that is
Thanks for any help I get. I am going to be a junior at a highschool specializing in graphic design. I know we are going to be working with photoshop and illustrator a ton, probably imovie alittle and finalcut pro a bunch. I do want to game a little also. I am thinking about getting a macbook pro 15.4 inch screen but I am not sure? Does anyone here own one? Can they game? I am familiar with mac because I use them at school, but are most of the documents compatible between a mac and my parents pc. Pics, word documents, things of that nature? Thanks :o Sorry for all the questions :eek:
Answer:
Re: Highschool student in Graphic Desigin, Want Gaming Too
for gaming, i woudl consider soemthing like the xps m1710 or sager 5760 or toshiba p100.
Answer:
Re: Highschool student in Graphic Desigin, Want Gaming Too
The MacBook Pro is not a gaming notebook! It's X1600 is underclocked and very few games are avaliable for OSX. Boot Camp is an option but remember you'll have to pay another $150 for a copy of windows xp. I'd personally recommend Sony's FE series. It too has a 15.4" screen and can be configured to include a Nvidia 7600 on sonystyle.com
Good Luck
Answer:
Re: Highschool student in Graphic Desigin, Want Gaming Too
The MacBook Pro is not a gaming notebook! It's X1600 is underclocked and very few games are avaliable for OSX. Boot Camp is an option but remember you'll have to pay another $150 for a copy of windows xp. I'd personally recommend Sony's FE series. It too has a 15.4" screen and can be configured to include a Nvidia 7600 on sonystyle.com
Good Luck
the 7600go in the sony since is only has 128 mb dedicated, will probably game about as well as the underclocked macbook pro.
Answer:
Re: Highschool student in Graphic Desigin, Want Gaming Too
XPS M1710, u wont regret.
Answer:
Re: Highschool student in Graphic Desigin, Want Gaming Too
Can someone configure one for me, for my needs so I have a guiding point to look at? The xps m1710. My parents won't let me buy one right now, I have to sell a dirtbike first. Do you guys think dell will have another big discount deal going around september-october-november? Thanks
Answer:
Re: Highschool student in Graphic Desigin, Want Gaming Too
Can someone configure one for me, for my needs so I have a guiding point to look at? The xps m1710. My parents won't let me buy one right now, I have to sell a dirtbike first. Do you guys think dell will have another big discount deal going around september-october-november? Thanks
Definitely possible. There will probably be a new video card in the midst, as well as Merom. The XPS notebooks are very nice. I had an M170 and it was a great notebook. It ran cool and quiet.
You'll probably be fine with a 7900GS, 2GB RAM and any Core Duo CPU. It's best to get the minimum amount of RAM and just upgrade through Newegg.
One of the main problems with ALL Macbooks is their motherboard. The CPU is soldered. You can't upgrade it. With the M1710 there is at least a chance of you being able to throw in a new CPU with just a BIOS flash... if you want to keep it for 4-6 years.
Answer:
Re: Highschool student in Graphic Desigin, Want Gaming Too
So those macbooks don't have all around capabilities like the xps 1710? Because I think I might wait 4 months and buy a nice xps fully loaded. I just hope my graphics stuff works with a pc.... ehh hard decision. So dell could very well have another big discount? Like this epp 30% deal right now?
Answer:
Re: Highschool student in Graphic Desigin, Want Gaming Too
macbooks definitely can't game as well as the xps. the 30% off coupons only come around every once in awhile. don't know when they will be back. of course, you could check out techaholic's deals b/c he usually has xps systems very nicely priced.
Answer:
Re: Highschool student in Graphic Desigin, Want Gaming Too
So those macbooks don't have all around capabilities like the xps 1710? Because I think I might wait 4 months and buy a nice xps fully loaded. I just hope my graphics stuff works with a pc.... ehh hard decision. So dell could very well have another big discount? Like this epp 30% deal right now?
They have the same capabilities, besides video card, but they're problem-ridden. More thought went into the design than actually making them function reasonably.
Dell is known for its coupons. They've already got the 30% this early in the year, imagine what they'll have in a few months... or imagine that coupon being available with a lower base-price :eek: I actually bought my M170 on eBay back then. eBay is usually cheaper and the warranties are transferrable... so it was all good.