Question:
Business/Some Gaming FAQ answered.
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
I would like to spend less than $2K but ideally around $1700
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
Thin and Light; 14" screen
Mainstream; 15" Screen
Widescreen is ok.
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Regular business apps along with sys admin tools.
Some gaming as in WoW or Eve Online. No FPS.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
I'll be taking it with me.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
See #3
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I love Thinkpads. Hate Sony and HPs.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Doesn't matter much : more than 2 though.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Online is fine.
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
USA
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
I would "prefer" widescreen
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
I'm actually very picky with resolutions ever since I made the mistake of getting a 14.1" laptop with SXGA. Too small.
XGA -1024x768 - Has to be at least 14" LCD
SXGA - 1400x1050 - I'm thinking that 15" LCD would be do-able
WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Don't care
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Not a stylish as an Apple or Sony, but still not plain. But it doesn't matter all that much in the long run as long as the stats are up to snuff.
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
2 years
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?
I'll probably upgrade it to 7200RPM drive, so size really doesn't matter 100GB would be preferred.
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD-RW
I've been researching a lot and the Asus W3J would have been perfect except that the fact that it does not have SATA really bothers me more than it should. I can't see myself going "backwards" on this purchase. The T60 is also a frontrunner just becasue I prefer Thinkpads, but the fact that it only has an X1300 64MB as well as no s-video or SD card reader makes it less appealing. There is some other Asus 14" that would have been ok, but the resolution is too large. Same goes for the Asus G1.
Any help would be great. Maybe there is a hidden model someplace that I'm not aware of.
Answer:
Re: Business/Some Gaming FAQ answered.
Look at the HP nc8430. Its a thin and light 15.4 inch notebook with the powerful X1600 GPU. Also consider the Compal HEL80 and HGL30.
Answer:
Re: Business/Some Gaming FAQ answered.
Thanks Jetstar...looking it up. Also I would like to add I have looked at the Alienware Area-51® m5550 but am very concerned about the quality and support. Their rep is not exactly the best.
Answer:
Re: Business/Some Gaming FAQ answered.
The SATA HD on the W3J is not a huge deal IMHO .. You can still upgrade to 7200 rpm, no problem. I like the nc8430 recommendation as well .. it reminds me alot of the ThinkPads, very well built, great performance .. But as far as looks are concerned, W3J takes it IMO ;)
Good luck !
Answer:
Re: Business/Some Gaming FAQ answered.
I like this HGL30. I might've found exactly what I was looking for. Thanks y'all
Answer:
Re: Business/Some Gaming FAQ answered.
Thanks Jetstar...looking it up. Also I would like to add I have looked at the Alienware Area-51® m5550 but am very concerned about the quality and support. Their rep is not exactly the best.
You are probably not considering the m5550 anymore since you found the HGL30, but I'll add that it is not worth looking at; 1.5 hours of battery, and it runs quite warm. Plus, the extended warranties are overpriced.
The Compal HGL30 is a very good fit for your needs. I do think the ThinkPad T60 would work well for your needs, but its X1400 is not nearly as good for games as the Go7600 in the Compal, which is about twice as powerful.
Answer:
Re: Business/Some Gaming FAQ answered.
The Compal HGL30 seems like a good fit. If you want even bigger icons/text, maybe a 15.4" with WXGA would be to your liking.
You can easily see the difference between 14.1" and 15.4" WXGA at your local PC shop.
Answer:
Re: Business/Some Gaming FAQ answered.
check out the thinkpad t60p
Answer:
Re: Business/Some Gaming FAQ answered.
I did, the resolution is too high. Although I do love the Thinkpads, I know that any lag in gaming will be more frustrating that anything else. The HGL30 should do fine I think, although there have been some mentions of keyboard flex and of course it does not look as sharp as a T60 or W3J.
Everyone has good points though. Thanks.
Answer:
Re: Business/Some Gaming FAQ answered.
I'm not sure if you have seen the computer-notebook.com review of the Compal HGL30 or not, but here it is:
The HGL30 is a great value; if you wanted to spend closer to $1600 - $1700, the Asus A8Js is ideal. It has a faster graphics card and a higher resolution display, although it may be a bit too high for your liking.