Question:
$1600 Ultraportable - College Student
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
~$1600
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
I want it under 3.5lbs, no chunky thin and light 12" notebooks (3000 V100, XPS M1210)
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Basic Office stuff, really light gaming (NFS4, dont worry, my moms old P3 VAIO handles it, its a pretty old game 1999/2000 I think)
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Yes. Carried to school daily, and also across campus.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
NFS4, like I said, not a sys req/ gfx card question at all.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Not really. I dont like Toshiba keyboards though, so none of those (dont think they make ultraportables anyways)
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
2.5+ is good, but since its an ultraportable, including the AC adapter it will weigh less than my current notebook alone, so no biggie.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Ive seen it all, so it doesnt matter.
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
USA, Seattle WA if it helps anyone.
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Doesnt really matter, I like widescreen because of the higher screen res (the only SXGA 12" standard screen i have seen is a Toshiba tablet, everthing else has been XGA), but im open to anything.
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
XGA or WXGA
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Doesnt matter at all. I have extensive use of both, and am comfortable with either.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
kinda sorta not really. I can decide based on pics. ThinkPads are fine, Compal HGL30 lookalikes are not.
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Winter Hols, want it to last for a couple of years, if possible, through the rest of uni.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?
Whatever I can get, 40GB plus is fine, 60 is great.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVDRW, external is fine.
I would like a dual core if at all possible, some of the smaller ones dont have the option of the U2500 dual core yet.
the ones I am considering:
Thinkpad X60: all the ThinkPad stuff (durability, keyboard, etc) and a full power Core Duo, but the keyboard layout isnt the greatest, and its pricy.
Sager 6260: 2.8Lbs with DVDRW integrated, but only U1400 CPU and skeptical of the keyboard in general.
Dell D420: seems to be the second best so far. good everything, ULV core duo, and pretty cheap, plus a good reputation and wide screen, so bigger keyboard. Only problem I have found: 30GB hdd, and the 60gig is a $100 upgrade. ouch.
Gateway nx100: close to the dell, but slightly better looking, lighter, more expensive, but less reputation.
Asus W5F: Very very nice, best one i found.
There is also the Fujitsu Q and the TX, but theyre too expensive. The HP nc4400 is too heavy to justify (4lbs, or something, right?) especially since there is not a dvd drive integrated into it. Anything else that I have missed?
I like the idea of a tablet PC but it may not be feasible at my budget.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Answer:
Re: $1600 Ultraportable - College Student
Ultraportable under 3.5 lbs....
Then you want to look at the new 2.8 pound Clevo M62 (A.K.A. Sager 6260).
Link to Sager NP6260 (PowerNotebooks)
Answer:
Re: $1600 Ultraportable - College Student
D420 is a really good idea...but you're paying for a 1.8" 60GB hard drive (those are more money). Get an external HDD for home if you store a lot of stuff you wouldn't use on campus.
I'd avoid Gateway: I've never thought their laptops were of a higher quality...the D420 would probably easily be a higher quality notebook.
Add would also add that the nc2400 (12.1" Widescreen of the nc4400) is 2.8lbs. Also, check out the deals on the Dell Laptops at their EPP site, and HPs Student website (another HP EPP site here that lists a tablet in your price range) for business notebooks (yes, they do have one...and it appears they do not charge tax...so there's the discount). One nc2400 there is $1649 (like I said I don't think they charge tax...just shipping); its a little over $1600 but you pay for the quality.
Answer:
Re: $1600 Ultraportable - College Student
Overall I think the ThinkPad x60 is the one to go with if you can afford it (I think it will go a little over $1600) and don't mind the external optical drive.
The Sager NP6260 is nice as well and worth a look. It is a great little 2.8 lb. package with an internal optical drive.
Answer:
Re: $1600 Ultraportable - College Student
You better like the touchstick cause there is no trackpad on the x60.
Answer:
Re: $1600 Ultraportable - College Student
I know on Ebay, you can easily get a Vaio T that'll fit in your budget with some money left. These are the predecessor to the TX series but will suit your needs just fine and are great ultraportables, I still like them over the newer TX series.
Likewise, you can get an older Lifebook P7010 instead of the P7120 which will still fit your needs perfectly.
Answer:
Re: $1600 Ultraportable - College Student
I have no problems with a trackpoint. The only reason I dont use one is because none of my last three notebooks have had one.
I really like the HP nc2400. I did not know about that one beforehand. I'll take a look at it.
Answer:
Re: $1600 Ultraportable - College Student
I'd recommend the x60 or x60s as stated earlier, awesome battery life, KB, regular 2.5" HD.