Question:
Help me with a notebook for my work
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
$500-2000
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
d. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Just basic work, working with office, etc.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Occasionally.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Maybe.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Dell
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
7-8 hours
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
Canada
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
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?
Not sure.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
No
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Within the next month or so, last about 2-3 years.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?
40gb+
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Needed, nothing specific.
I need something that would not be outdated too fast. I don't want to pay $3000 for a notebook then have it outdated within a few months. Just need a good, most likely the best notebook currently but at a reasonable cost, not something priced high just because of the name of the brand.
Any news if something new is planned for when Vista is coming out? New CPU's, etc.
Thank you.
Answer:
Re: Help me with a notebook for my work
Well, a new Centrino platform (named Santa Rosa) will be out in early 2007, but it isn't too worth the wait IMO. DirectX 10 graphics cards are also coming out, but I wouldn't expect them in notebooks for a long time.
As for the notebook, you want a 17" but you say you will take it around. This is generally not a good idea; it depends on how often you'll take it around and where, because 17-inch notebooks can weigh up to 14 pounds and that'll break your back. So I would suggest a 15.4" or a 14.1" and then maybe grab yourself a bigger external screen for when you use the laptop at home.
Finally, no notebook currently on the market achieves 7-8 hours of battery life on a single battery. Some ultraportables (screen 12" and below) may get to around 6, such as the ThinkPad X60s or some Fujitsu laptops. With some HP notebooks a 12-cell battery is available for up to 5 hours of computing. If 7-8 hours is what you want (are you going to be unplugged for that long?) then it will only be possible with two batteries.
With those things in mind, I recommend an HP nc8430, an Asus W3J, or any Dell or HP machines with Core 2 Duo and dedicated graphics (HP dv6000t and d9000t; Dell e1505 and e1705).
C.
Answer:
Re: Help me with a notebook for my work
First time buying a laptop.
I don't plan on traveling with it much, only when going on long trips. But not drive around with it or anything of that sort.
Answer:
Re: Help me with a notebook for my work
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Don't want something that would be showing reflections of everything, and get fingerprints on it easily.
Answer:
Re: Help me with a notebook for my work
I am unaware of any 17" notebooks with a matte/non-reflective screen (and as for fingerprints, all screens get them fairly equally: I just leave the protective film on all the time).
Either way I recommend getting a 15.4" or even 14.1" notebook, such as the Compal HGL30 or the HP dv6000t, both of which would be fairly portable, and then buy a larger monitor for home use.
C.
Answer:
Re: Help me with a notebook for my work
That isn't available in Canada :(
Answer:
Re: Help me with a notebook for my work
The HP dv6000t is certainly available in Canada: http://www.hp.ca/products/static/pavilion-notebooks/
The Compal probably isn't.
C.
Answer:
Re: Help me with a notebook for my work
How does AMD Turion™ 64 X2 Dual-Core cpu compare to Intel Core 2 Duo?
Answer:
Re: Help me with a notebook for my work
One last thing, would you say it is wise to buy a laptop, spending about $2000 or should I wait a couple of months for prices to drop/something new to come?
Answer:
Re: Help me with a notebook for my work
A) "Buy when you need" is the general advice. There's always something new; if one always waits, one never buys anything.
B) Core 2 Duo is scores faster than Turion X2.
C.