Question:
Looking to replace aging desktop
I'm looking to replace a 6+ year old Dell Dimension desktop that has a blazing 433mHz Pentium 3. I am leaning toward a 64 bit processor so the laptop doesn't fall off the back of the technology curve before I get it. My time-frame to purchase is early to mid December, but I could postpone another month if some improvement is imminent, i.e. dual-core.
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?
Mainstream 15.4" widescreen, but would consider a 14" ws.
Will need to have multiple screens open at once (charts, graphs, spreadsheets)
2) Where are you going to be using this notebook (home, office, campus, library, outside etc.)?
Primarily home - move to different rooms in the house. Might occasionally take outside or to work or on vacation.
3) Will you be playing games on it (yes, no)? If yes, which ones?
Possibly, Madden NFL 2006. Not a heavy gamer.
Would prefer a separate graphics card so as not to tax RAM while running multiple programs. Seel also #17 & #18 below.
4) How many applications will you be running at one time (1-4, 5-10, 10+)?
Should be less than 5.
5) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Lean towards IBM & HP, but would consider others.
6) How much battery life do you need (in hours)?
3-4 hrs would be nice, but not as critical as other components.
7) How much are you willing to pay for this laptop and do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
$1300-1500. I could buy online without seeing if highly rated by forum members/moderators.
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)?
SXGA or better. Sharp, clear text is important.
9) Do you prefer widescreen format or standard screen format display?
Prefer widescreen
10) Do you want a glossy (reflective and bright) type screen or regular matte (no reflection and anti-glare) type screen finish?
I like the HP Brightscreen(?), but wonder about reflections from florescent lighting, etc. Would the matte screen still have sharp text?
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 should be fine.
12) Do you want the notebook to look nice or do looks not matter?
Doesn't matter as long as its functional.
13) How long do you want this laptop to last you?
Based on my intro comments, 5+ years would be great.
(I'm slow to upgrade/move-on if the old one is still working)
Is that unrealistic?
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)?
80-100 GB @ 5400 rpm. Would consider 60 GB if at 7200 rpm
15) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, what do you want (DVD, DVD-CDRW, DVD Burner)?
Yes, DVD 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)?
Lean toward 64 bit CPU. Would like to be able to run new MS Vista OS. But if laptop can only have 2 GB of RAM, is there any other advantage to using 64 bit CPU over Centrino?
Athlon vs Turion vs Centrino?
Speed: middle of-the-road.
RAM: at least 1 GB.
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)?
Might upgrade to 2 GB in future if needed. Additional HD or DVD would be external. Read in another post that laptop sound is integrated. Is there a way to upgrade if necessary, i.e. for music composition software?
18) Any other features you need on this laptop?
Yes, glad you asked. I need a MIDI input for a digital piano.
Other Comments:
Reading reviews and other posts on this forum - the HP zv6000 looked good. Could a comparable IBM or other brand be purchased at a reasonable cost?
Other recommendations?
**If this post is too long--wait for the movie**
Answer:
Re: Looking to replace aging desktop
I don't think you can find a notebook with a MIDI input. Check that thread you were reading for suggestions on external sound solutions to upgrade a notebook for your purposes.
Odd that so many people are looking for audio notebooks on the forum lately. Some specialty builder could really corner a market... Of course, since the mobile soundcard that would do all of the things people are looking for doesn't exist, they'd have to engineer that first.
Answer:
Re: Looking to replace aging desktop
For something with an AMD CPU, I'd suggest the MSI-1029 - it is lighter and has a better video card than the zv6000 for games.
However, if you don't need the ultra-powerful video card, then I'd go with the zv6000 - better price/performance.
Answer:
Re: Looking to replace aging desktop
ChazMan421,
Thanks for the suggestions. I noticed on the processor poll thread that you like the Pentium M for notebooks.
Given a 14-15" widescreen, 1 GB RAM, dedicated 128 MB video card, what notebooks do you like with the Pentium M and which version.
Naptop
Answer:
Re: Looking to replace aging desktop
I like the HP dv4000/Compaq V4000t (same notebook; different case) - they have Pentium M's and a 128MB X700 option.
If you plan on upgrading the RAM, I recommend doing it yourself - it is much cheaper.
As for the processor, I'd go for the 1.86GHz (750) Pentium M - the 2.0Ghz version doesn't offer a performance increase to make it worth the extra $$.
Try to get the 5400RPM hard drive for best performance.