Laptop Advice

[Calienta]

Now.. I'd like all you computer whizzes *coughDymondetccough* to give me some advice and minimum computer requirements for a new laptop I'm looking to buy... Figured I'd ask you lot before I bother asking a store clerk cos I've found in the past they just blather. I guess I'll just tell you what I intend to do with it and you can tell me some good makes, or min. RAM etc etc... In layman's terms please and thank you :) I'm going to be very broad with what I put so you can see how much memory I'll need or whatever :spike:

Things I'd like to do/have:

-wireless internet
-download music and movies
-burn CDs and DVDs
-play newest games (but I'm not a hardcore gamer, just sometimes I like to play Age of Mythology or games like that)
-photoshopping
-Dopewars :D
-plug for non-USB mic (is this standard? :blush:)
-USB ports
-plug for speakers
-I don't usually turn my computer off, only occasionally... this a problem?


It's pretty basic what I like to do.. But even with this computer I bought last Christmas, it goes slower than I'd like and freezes on occasion. I want a lappy that will last and I don't want to have to have all sorts of expensive problems to fix, as I'm buying it for when I move to England and the buying price'll be about what I can afford to pay on it. And about that... Under $1200CAD... Think Boxing Day sales are the best plan?

I also won't be needing this for some time, so I likely won't be buying it right away. I just wanted to know what you all think I should get for when I move in a year's time, what I need as a minimum. (I think far ahead hehe)

Thanks in advance! :love1:

[Dymond]

Cali.. If you don't mind a recommendation outside of buying from a box, may I suggest the Dell Outlet Store

http://www.delloutlet.com


I'll address some of your bullet points below
Things I'd like to do/have:

wireless internet - most new laptops come with a built-in wireless. At least all the Dells do.

download music and movies - I'm assuming by this you want a high speed connection and a beefy HD size. I would Suggest 60 GB minimum for Hard Drive and all laptops nowadays come with wireless and a wired network built in.

burn CDs and DVDs - You can get a laptop that will burn DVDs and CDs..you need to make sure thought that you get a DVD-RW drive and not a CD-RW/DVD drive. The first burns CDs and DVDS, the second one burns CDS but only plays DVD.

play newest games (but I'm not a hardcore gamer, just sometimes I like to play Age of Mythology or games like that) - Then look for a laptop that either has an ATI Mobile Video card or the Geforce2Go with at least 64MB of video RAM

photoshopping- Once again a good video card AND decent System RAM will help with this. Honestly I can't in good conscience recommend anything lower than 512MB RAM

Dopewars - I don't think a new laptop is going to help your game..sorry ;-)

plug for non-USB mic (is this standard? ) In the laptops I've seen they usually always come with at least a headphone/speaker and microphone jack standard.

USB ports - All laptops have USB nowadays however unless you get a docking station you may not get a HUGE amount of them. However for 20 bucks you can buy a USB Hub if you need more.

plug for speakers - Yes the laptop will have that.

I don't usually turn my computer off, only occasionally... this a problem? For a laptop yes, heat can be a real big problem! You can buy laptop plates though that you can set your laptop on that have cooling fans to whisk the heat off the bottom of the laptop. We use our laptops as 'Desktop replacements' here and we did have some heat issues before we bought those coolers.

Anyways in glancing at the Dell Outlet I saw some great laptops right in your price range.

[Kloaked Spirit]

I've taken Dymond's suggestions and shopped this out for you. I did improve on a few of his suggestions (mainly for your gaming and other really cheap improvements,) but this should still fall way under your price limit.

Intel® Core™ Solo processor T1350 (2MB Cache/1.86GHz/533MHz FSB)
Operating System - Genuine Windows® XP Home
LCD Panel - 15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA Display
Memory - 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
Video Card - 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce™Go 7300 TurboCache
Hard Drive - 100GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
Network Card and Modem - Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Combo/DVD+RW Drives - 8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
Sound Options - Integrated Audio
Wireless Networking Cards - Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card (54Mbps)
Primary Battery - 53 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Hardware Warranty - 1Yr Ltd Warranty, 1Yr Mail-In Service, and 1Yr HW Warranty Support

US $835.10 ($922 CAD) + Tax + S&H (they say free S&H with this deal, but I'm not certain if that applies to Canada.)

This should give you an idea of what you could get when you go shopping around.

[Calienta]

Thanks guys...


KS I tried to follow all those requirements but ran into a little difficulty, since I was browsing the Dell Canada site.. I came across this one, it seems to be as close as I can to what you suggested... Any changes you would make?

Inspiron 1300 Qty 1
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 735 (1.70GHz/2MB Cache/400MHz FSB), Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition Unit Price $929.00
Catalog Number: 70703 OCINSP1300_RBP_CB1300E
Module Description Show Details
Inspiron 1300 Intel® Pentium® M Processor 735 (1.70GHz/2MB Cache/400MHz FSB)
Operating System (Office software not included) Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition
LCD Panel 15.4in WXGA Display
Memory 1GB DDR2 SDRAM 2 Dimm
Video Card Integrated Intel® Media Accelerator 900 Graphics
Hard Drive Free Upgrade to 80GB Hard Drive- $80 Value
Integrated Modem and NIC Internal 56K Modem and Integrated Network Card
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 6.0
Combo/DVD+RW Drives 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
Wireless Networking Cards Intel® PRO 2200 Internal Wireless (802.11 b/g, 54Mbps)
Office Productivity Software (Pre-Installed) No productivity suite- Corel WordPerfect word processor only
Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) McAfee Security Center w/ VirusScan, Firewall and Privacy, 90-day trial
Primary Battery 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (56 WHr)
Hardware Support Services 1 Yr Return to Depot Service with 1 Yr Tech Support
Digital Imaging or Digital Photography Corel Photo Album™ 6 Starter Edition - Organize and Edit your photos
Operating System Re-Installation CD Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition re-installation CD
TOTAL:$929.00CAD

http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspn_1300?c=ca&cs=CABSDT1&l=en&s=bsd

AS COMPARED TO


Inspiron 640m Dual Core Qty 1
Intel® Core™ processor DUO T2050 (2MB Cache/1.60GHz/533MHz FSB), Genuine Windows® XP Home Unit Price $1,199.00
Dell Customers: Savings on your Online Purchase
Expires July 21, 2006
- $170.00
Catalog Number: 70703 OCINSP640M_FEAT_E1
Module Description Show Details
Inspiron 640m Intel® Core™ processor DUO T2050 (2MB Cache/1.60GHz/533MHz FSB)
Operating System Genuine Windows® XP Home
LCD Panel 14.1 inch WXGA+ UltraSharp™ TFT Display with TrueLife™
Memory 1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
Video Card Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Hard Drive Free Upgrade to 100GB Hard Drive - $100 Value
Network Card and Modem Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 6.0
Combo/DVD+RW Drives 8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
Sound Options Integrated Audio
Wireless Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps)
Office Productivity Software No productivity suite- Corel WordPerfect word processor only
Anti-Virus/Security Suite McAfee Security Center w/ VirusScan, Firewall and Privacy, 90-day trial
Primary Battery 53 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Hardware Support Services 1 Yr Return to Depot Service with 1 Yr Tech Support
Wireless Personal Networking Card Dell Wireless 350 Bluetooth Internal (2.0 + Enhance Data Rate)
Future Operating Systems Windows Vista™ Capable
Operating System Backup & Recovery Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition backup CD
TOTAL:$1,029.00

http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=ca&CS=CABSDT1&l=en&OC=OCINSP640M_FEAT_E1

[Nazkyn]

Thanks guys...


Catalog Number: 70703 OCINSP1300_RBP_CB1300E

WHOA!! :w00t2:

[Dymond]

Video Card Integrated Intel® Media Accelerator 900 Graphics<-- NO NO graphics card..

I would try and find the slightly faster CPU too if you can but other than that it looks good!

[Kloaked Spirit]

Oh I thought I added the coupon part in there. Sorry about that. The package I came up with had a coupon used for 30% off. I'm not sure if it works only on dell.com or not. However here it is:

30% off all Inspirons $999 and up (Good until 7/20 or 4000 redemptions, whatever is first): FS7F8LM5PV7RFK
The setup that I used to shape my configuration: http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=E1505S1&s=dhs

Dell has coupons like this all the time. So if you're not in the market for one now, don't worry too much about it.

[Calienta]

Video Card Integrated Intel® Media Accelerator 900 Graphics<-- NO NO graphics card..

I would try and find the slightly faster CPU too if you can but other than that it looks good!

Video Card Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950


What about that one?

EDIT:

I may buy one now, considering it would be nice to have so I can be outside this summer on the computer lol... Any problems with this one? it expires in a day or two though so I need to know quickly

Processor - Inspiron 6400 Intel® Core™ Duo processor T2050 (2MB Cache/1.60GHz/533MHz FSB)
Operating System Genuine Windows® XP Home, English
LCD Panel 15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA Display with TrueLife™
Memory 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
Video Card 256MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1400 HyperMemory™
Hard Drive Free Upgrade to 100GB Hard Drive - $100 Value
Network Card and Modem Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 6.0
CD/DVD Burner 8X CD/DVD Burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
Sound Options Integrated Audio
Wireless Networking Cards Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps)
Office Productivity Software No productivity suite- Corel WordPerfect word processor only
Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) McAfee Security Center w/ VirusScan, Firewall and Privacy, 90-day trial
Click below to view Primary Battery options! 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Carrying Cases Dell Nylon Deluxe Carrying Case
Hardware Support Services 1 Yr Return to Depot Service with 1 Yr Tech Support
Internet Access Please select an ISP subscription
Color Choice Mediterranean Blue QuickSnap™ Cover
Future Operating Systems Windows Vista™ Capable
Click below to view Backup & Recovery options! Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition backup CD (English)

TOTAL:$1,138.00

[Dymond]

Processor - Inspiron 6400 Intel® Core™ Duo processor T2050 (2MB Cache/1.60GHz/533MHz FSB)

My only concern might be its a bit slow but it is a dual core processor and it supports hyperthreading..Here is a link to the DUO processors on intel's page.

http://www.intel.com/products/processor/coreduo/

I say GO FOR IT! but I'm sure Cali would like to see a few more opinions!

[Calienta]

But the dual processors showed their stuff when juggling multiple jobs. The two notebooks shone in PC World's multitasking test (in which we browse the Web while converting a video file from one format to another), completing the test almost 30 percent faster than the Acer TravelMate 8100 did. The dv1000 was speediest, finishing the job in 470 seconds (or a little under 8 minutes), while the Dell took 498 seconds (or 8 minutes, 18 seconds); the Acer TravelMate needed 682 seconds (over 11 minutes) to finish.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,124230,00.asp


I do that lol I'll have like 5 programs open at once. Anyone have anything against this lappy then? If I got Intel® Core™ Duo processor T2500 (2MB Cache/2GHz/667MHz FSB), it would be $1,308.00 ... Is that justifiable and will I wish I had spent the extra almost $200?

[Kloaked Spirit]

If you configure your setup using the link below, it only comes up to be about $70 more in cost as opposed to $200 more to get your better processor (total price - $1219 + tax + S&H.)

http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=ca&CS=CADHS1&l=en&OC=OCINSP6402_FEAT_E2

Coupons for dell.com don't seem to work on the Dell Canada sites.

[-=REMO=-]

Looks good to me.


Anybody else notice that the RAM is "shared" even though it has a 256MB video card, correct me if I'm wrong but the Radeon should have it's own memory shouldn't it?

[Calienta]

If you configure your setup using the link below, it only comes up to be about $70 more in cost as opposed to $200 more to get your better processor (total price - $1219 + tax + S&H.)

http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=ca&CS=CADHS1&l=en&OC=OCINSP6402_FEAT_E2

Coupons for dell.com don't seem to work on the Dell Canada sites.


Only problem is Dell.com won't let me set up an account cos it doesn't ship to Canada, it keeps sending me back to Dell.ca. The price I quoted is with free shipping. So should I fork out the extra money?

Double post but who cares lol


Order Details
We appreciate your business at dell.ca. We will send an e-mail confirmation of your order to snoopi48@hotmail.com within 2 business days.




weeeee :D bought it! Thanks for your help KS, Dy and Remo

[Colander]

is it too late? Jesus dont buy a Dell whatever you do...

[Dymond]

*PFFT* We have had a ton of Tons ordered in the last year and all have performed admirably!

[Calienta]

is it too late? Jesus dont buy a Dell whatever you do...


LMAO gee thanks for your speedy reply :orign:


They called me and said I didn't configure it with enough RAM or something for my 'awesome video card!!' lol.. So I had to upgrade to a 6500 or sommet, extra $90 but oh well, what do I know, I just said yes lol, though I wished I had time to make a thread hehee

[Dymond]

Best-in-class mobile graphics performance.
Go for the industry’s best-in-class graphics performance for thin-and-light notebooks—ATI’s Mobility™ Radeon® X1400. A discrete 90-nanometer process GPU with a new ultra-threaded 3D architecture delivers visual power far beyond integrated UMA graphics, performance-enhanced with a new ring-bus memory controller and high-speed 128-bit 4-channel DDR/DDR2/GDDR3 RAM support. Accelerate through tasks and entertainment with a native x16-lane PCI Express® bus interface, pumping data through 4 pixel shader pipelines and 2 vertex processors. Mobility Radeon X1400 packs all the mobile graphics power and visual velocity you need with your notebook PC.


DAMN!! REMO I think your right and from Cali's phone call from Dell it might be confirmed..This damn card uses System RAM

[tca]

LMAO gee thanks for your speedy reply :orign:


They called me and said I didn't configure it with enough RAM or something for my 'awesome video card!!' lol.. So I had to upgrade to a 6500 or sommet, extra $90 but oh well, what do I know, I just said yes lol, though I wished I had time to make a thread hehee

they probably took you for a sucker rach lol

[Calienta]

fuuuck where were you when I needed that advice lol.. It's already on its way!

they probably took you for a sucker rach lol


bloody hope not lol though it's entirely possible :(

[RobCheadle]

I have a Dell Laptop. It's great. No problems at all with it and would recommend it to anyone.

[Dymond]

Honestly Cali I think the laptop will do great for you! Your not a hardcore gamer enough to notice the lil bump from sharing the RAM with the video card and the rest of the features are supurb!

Honestly as I've said in other posts.. I helped my current company standardize on Dell's two years ago and it was one of the best decisions we made. I do know that Dell is pulling alot of their technical support back from outsourced vendors overseas and putting them back in the USA. Not saying the people overseas weren't doing a good job..but they weren't doing a good job LOL and Dell was taking ALOT of heat..especially in their Server market because of it.

[Calienta]

K awesome!! It should be here within a few days and then I'll be bugging you guys to help me so I can use the internet while outside lol