Question:
Help me spend money!
Like everyone else, I'm looking to get a notebook, and a little overwhelmed by my options. I'll try to stick to the model for these requests. Thanks in advance for all your help.
General Usage
Office programs / general productivity. Little / no gaming. Music and photos via iPod / digital camera, but otherwise no huge multimedia needs.
Looking for a standard (mainstream) notebook, but preferably on the lighter side for good portability around the house, taking it to the office, and occasional travel. Ideally between 5 and 6.5 lbs. Want to use it with docking station at desk but be able to easily lug it around.
Battery life: fairly important, I think. You tell me: how important a criteria is battery life? I'd like 4+ hrs if possible.
I'd like this to last 4 years, and I'm willing to spend for quality and reliability. Not looking for super cheap value. Budget is $1500 -- $2000.
Features
Hard drive space: 60 GB -- 80 GB
Wireless card: 802.11g
DVD Burner: preferable, not necessary
Applications: I tend to work with lots at once, but mostly just office programs, web browsers, and iTunes.
Graphics & Display
Screen: don't care if it's widescreen. I'm thinking around 14-inches; 12 seems too small and 15 more than I need. Screen size isn't the greatest priority.
Premium screens: should I pay more for these?
Miscellaneous
Style: Willing to pay more for style
Brands: This is one of the areas I most need help/advice. My perception is that Dell and IBM are best, but people on here seem to be bashing Dell for quality, and I'm worried by the IBM sale to Lenovo. I don't have the greatest opinion of Compaq / HP or Toshiba, but I could be wrong. Again, I'm looking for quality more so than value.
Also, I've ruled out Macs -- they fit my needs very well but I can't deal with the software issues -- there are programs I use that just aren't available for macs.
Any help? Thanks!
Answer:
hmmm....maybe a dell 700m or Averatec.
COMPUTERS WILL TAKE OVER THE WORLD.LETS CALL FOR THE GOVERNOR OF CALI!
Answer:
The perfect fit for you may be the Fujistu S7000 series with CrystalView, if you decide you like enhanced displays. If you want something smaller, the S6231 would do the trick. Dell's build quality is not good, the main reason to go Dell is to save money. IBM is still a viable alternative, the T42 would be in your target.
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