Question:
Help narrow down my selection
I currently have a Toshiba Satellite P30 17" widescreen (essentially a desktop replacement)...that is a bit heavy to lug around at approx 9-10lbs...i have not had any issues with it so far...
I'm in the process of getting a "thin and light" or "ultraportable"...
My choices so far are
Toshiba M55-S3291--rumors are the M50 had flex in the keyboard...I think this M55 is newer...any comments on the Intel graphics card in it...if i don't play games will this suffice for everything else...anyone have any word on this machine?
Dell Inspiron 600m/700m
Gateway NX200X
I saw the 10" Sony Vaio but think that may be too hard to work on...plus sony seems so pricey...but i liked the portability
Also one other comment is that i would like it to have a built in dvd/cd burner...
Any comments good or bad on the above units or any other suggestions would be welcomed...thanks...
Answer:
Re: Help narrow down my selection
Well, Toshiba Satellites, the newer ones, have poor build quality - lots of flex. Not recommended, I'd look elsewhere.
We need a little more information to start recommending notebooks to you - copy + paste the FAQ and answer the questions - link is in my signature.
Chaz
Answer:
Re: Help narrow down my selection
General Questions
1) Are you looking for an Ultraportable (12" screen or less), Thin-and-Light (13" - 14" screen), Mainstream (15" - 16" screen) or Desktop Replacement (17"+ screen) style notebook?
in the air between ultraportable and thin and light
2) Where are you going to be using this notebook (home, office, campus, library, outside etc.)?
home...as second pc....mainly for when i travel
3) Will you be playing games on it (yes, no)? If yes, which ones?
nothing too intense...
4) How many applications will you be running at one time (1-4, 5-10, 10+)?
5-7
5) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
don't have any preconceived prefs
6) How much battery life do you need (in hours)?
at least 3 would be good...so could watch a full dvd if travelling
7) How much are you willing to pay for this laptop and do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
would like to keep it around 2k max (including 3 year protection and accident replacement)
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)?
not sure
9) Do you prefer widescreen format or standard screen format display?
don't know if i have a pref
10) Do you want a glossy (reflective and bright) type screen or regular matte (no reflection and anti-glare) type screen finish?
i think i like the glossy but no major pref...would like to learn more
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)?
extra durable...
12) Do you want the notebook to look nice or do looks not matter?
i think i'd like it to look nice...
13) How long do you want this laptop to last you?
hopefully longer than the extended warranty
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)?
no pref
15) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, what do you want (DVD, DVD-CDRW, DVD Burner)?
would like it to be internal ...and be both dvd burner and cd burner
16) State if you prefer a processor brand (Intel or AMD) and the speed you want (don't care / mid-range / fast / fastest possible)?
Intel centrino pentium M ...i'm thinking around 1.7ghz or more
Other
17) Do you plan to upgrade this laptop at some point (typically people might want to upgrade memory, hard drive or the optical drive)?
possibly but not ultra important
also need built in wireless...802.11g
hope that helps...
Answer:
Re: Help narrow down my selection
I'd recommend the Fujitsu S7000 - Pentium M and 14" screen. Light and portable, plus you can configure it with all the components you listed.
Also, check out the Fujitsu S2110 - a little smaller at a 13.3" screen, and the AMD Turion will give great batter life.
Chaz
Answer:
Re: Help narrow down my selection
For an ultraportable 12.1" screen, Portableone's UX is a great unit- well built, 3.4 pounds with 2 hour battery/4 pounds with 6 hour, integrated optical drive (DVD/CDRW or optional dual layer DVD burner) and within your budget. I wrote an extensive description of it in the Portableone forum that you might want to look at:
Its build quality is much better than the Fujitsus and in the same price range, and I think a MUCH better option.
The Dell 700m is also a nice unit; it is 12" widescreen, and great bang for the buck, esp. with coupons floating around. I think the UX is a better unit if you want higher quality, but you are paying more for it too. Dell and IBM, I believe, are the only companies offering accidental damage coverage, which you had mentioned.
If you want a 5.5 pound unit (or thereabouts with the weight of the optical drive added in and a good battery) you have several options- Portableone's MX (a modified Asus WV3) a 14.1" widescreen with a dedicated graphics card- a solid unit, highly recommended, IBM's T43 and Z60t (14" regular and widescreen, respectively) and Dell's 600M and new XPS M140 (again, 14" regular and widescreen, respectively), with Dell's units being a tad heavier. For build quality, reliability and durability you should definitely consider the MX; if you want to save some money, then you should consider the Dell units as well.
Answer:
Re: Help narrow down my selection
You can also look at the ASUS z33a, same as unit as the UX, I believe.