Question:
New laptop-thin and light
Ok, i have an I9300 which is just to big for my taste, and my mom has offered to buy a smaller one and trade me. so here is what i am looking for.
1) Are looking for a Thin-and-Light (13" - 14" screen)
2) Using at home, and on trips in the car
3) will play a few games, most intense would be BF 1942
4) run a few apps at a time, 512mb works
5) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like? no
6) How much battery life do you need (in hours)? as much as i can get really
7) How much are you willing to pay for this laptop and do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? up to $1000 +/- $100
Screen Specifics
8) What resolution screen do you like -- XGA, SXGA or UXGA (XGA is standard, SXGA gives smaller text and icons, UXGA is very small text and icons)? any one
9) Do you prefer widescreen format or standard screen format display? like widescreen, but really, either will do.
10) Do you want a glossy (reflective and bright) type screen or regular matte (no reflection and anti-glare) type screen finish? don't matter
Build Quality and Design
11) Do you need the notebook to be extra durable (good idea for carrying about) or just regular strength (fine for a fairly stationary notebook)? regular strength works
12) Do you want the notebook to look nice or do looks not matter? looks are a plus, but not required
13) How long do you want this laptop to last you? a few years for sure, atleast 2-3
Notebook Components
14) How much hard drive (disk) space do you need (in MB) and do you care about hard drive speed (yes, no)? If you care about speed, what do you want (4200 RPM / 5400 RPM / 7200 RPM)? 60-80 is required
15) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, what do you want (DVD, DVD-CDRW, DVD Burner)? dvd burner is a plus (really like to have), but i can always burn them on this and transfer them over......
16) State if you prefer a processor brand (Intel or AMD) and the speed you want (don't care / mid-range / fast / fastest possible)? don't care as long as it runs what i want it to run. my desktop will run all the heavy gaming apps once i get it.
Answer:
Re: New laptop-thin and light
Hm...that's a pretty tight budget. See if you can spec out an HP dv4000 with a 128MB X700 video card for that amount of money.
That is the most powerful solution in your price range...
You're going to want a dedicated video card to play games. Let me know what you think of that.
Chaz
Answer:
Re: New laptop-thin and light
No, i don't need a dedicated GPU, i mean BF 1942 on low setting *should* play on integrated graphics. i was looking at the DV1000, as sams club has them with a 1.7pm, 1gb ram, dvd burner 80gb hdd for within my budget. but they also have an averatec for 750.....and what i really believe is perfect for me, is the averatec with the TM and 200M.
Answer:
Re: New laptop-thin and light
Ah, that makes things a lot easier then.
Try to get something with the Radeon Xpress 200M - that is the best integrated solution on the market. I'll recommend the Compaq V2000Z for a 14" widescreen or the HP ZE2000Z for a 15". Both have AMD processors and X200M graphics. Be sure to get the Turion 64 processor for best performance.
Chaz
Answer:
Re: New laptop-thin and light
yes, i kinda already recommended the 200M to myself. but i can't find the averatec 2100 series anywhere.........which is an awesome looking computer, and i really want this in the 12-13.4 range of screen. i mean, whats the point of a laptop if its not really portable? lol.
Answer:
Re: New laptop-thin and light
I'd also recommend the Fujitsu S2110. It's a little over your budget....but definiely worth it. Try eBay - there are some really good deals. Just make sure the seller has 99% or so feedback and be sure to read the fine print about the warranty, etc.
Chaz
Answer:
Re: New laptop-thin and light
ebay is out of the picture, i've been ripped off before so parents won't ever let me buy something for more then like $10
So, options are:
Averatec 3200:
Sempron Mobile 2800+
512mb ram
dvd burner
80gb hdd
$750
HP DV1000
pm 1.7 (1.6 maybe)
1gb ram
dvd burner
80gb hdd
$1??? (still within budget)
Averatec 2100 when i can find one:
TM: MT28
512mb ram
dvd burner
ati 200M
80gb hdd
$1000 or something along those lines
Answer:
Re: New laptop-thin and light
*also, i believe if i got the $750 computer that would let me have a little cash for my desktop that is going to be built around christmas.
Answer:
Re: New laptop-thin and light
I'd put the v2000z in place of the dv1000 - it has better graphics.
If you plan on just using this laptop for basic tasks, then the $750 Acer should be just fine for you - not great for games, but then again, you said you have a desktop you might upgrade around Christmas. The HP and the Averatec will have better performance, that's for sure, but I don't think you are going to notice it unless you are playing intensive games (which none of the laptops you are considering are capable of), or rendering/encoding. The Sempron is a fairly strong CPU, moreso than the Celeron M.
I say get the Acer, then spend the extra money on the desktop.
Chaz
EDIT: Be sure to check out your local OfficeDepot for great deals - they had the v2000z on sale for 499.99 AR w/ all upgrades @ 50% off not too long ago. Check Andrew's tech deals on NBR's front page.
Answer:
Re: New laptop-thin and light
the v2000z is a bit bigger then i really want. and i'm not upgrading a desktop, i'm building one.