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vircotto
join:2002-06-04
Illinois
|  [Notebooks] DTR --> Notebook
I have an opportunity for more job flexibility if I get myself a notebook computer I take can take with me ~20% (DTR ~ 80%).
I really don't like notebooks and haven't kept up with the technology, so, yes, I'm yet another person that could use some help.
After looking around, this is what I'm thinking (and I hope my ignorance isn't too embarrassing):
* MS Vista (why fight it?) Home Premium/Business/Ultimate ... not sure which version
* Intel Core 2 Duo w/ at least 2M L2 cache (Is "Virtualization Technology" important?)
* 3 GB memory (is 4 GB better bang for the buck than 3 GB?)
* > 80 MB hard drive
* optical drive that reads/writes DVDs and CDs (Is LightScribe important/desirable?)
* ~ 15 " screen (What should I know about screen res/video if I use external monitor on desk?)
* sound & web cam for video conferencing
* 802.11a/b/g wireless & ethernet (I don't see RJ-45 on many spec sheets--is this just assumed there?)
* USB ports plus 1 Firewire port
* MS Office (I'll need Word and Excel)
* Company will provide other software (I do some Web development for them)
* I'm guessing this will weigh approx. 7 lbs
What have I missed?
Because I've never met a laptop that I liked, I plan on using an external mouse/keyboard/monitor at home. Can I use one (yet-to-be-purchased LCD) monitor (with a switch) for my old Dell (4300S) Win2k PC and the notebook, or will there be resolution issues? Why do some people say that everything needs to be set at "native resolution" and all else is not relevant? I prefer non-widescreen format monitors for the extra real estate. If used with a laptop, do I really need to go with a widescreen?
Is shared video memory a problem?
I will need to read/write DVDs. Does this force me to Vista Home Premium or Ultimate? If I need to join networks, does that force me to Business or Ultimate? (It seems so from what I've read on the MS site.) Also, most notebooks "on sale" seem to come with Vista Home Basic/Premium. Does it make sense to get such a sale notebook, then buy separately an upgrade to Business/Ultimate?
What anti-theft/security features/add-ons should I consider? (I'm a bit paranoid. Over time, my residence has been burgled 3 times and my car has been stolen once and broken in to once. And I have *always* kept everything locked.)
Should I get an extended warranty (or do companies tend to wiggle out of them--I've read some horror stories, but don't know how common they are these days with laptops)?
The company IT guy recommends going with Toshiba and says I should be able to get what I need for about $1000. I'm skeptical, but because I'll need some extras (like external monitor/mouse/keyboard, MS Office, Vista upgrade), I can probably only go around $1200.
Any recommendations/thoughts/insights would be welcome. Thanks!
(Mods, please move if not appropriate here.) | |
PeteC2
Ballad Of A Thin Man
Premium,MVM
join:2002-01-20
Bristol, CT
clubs:
 ·AT&T Yahoo
| Okay, a lot there to consider! First, screen size: If you are going to be using an external monitor anyway, but are not going to be carrying it around all that much, 15.4" screens tend to be both a decent compromise, and generally carry the best prices.
Vista versus XP? You'll get many opinions, but Vista is just fine, and of course, XP support will be ending. Unless you are running something that simply does not work with Vista, then Vista makes sense. IMHO, unless you have some specific need otherwise, Home Premium is fine...Business may or may not offer you advantages based on usage, but frankly Ultimate is over-priced and under-needed.
Intel Core Duo is great, but again, unless you are running highly demanding programs, and most business users are not, you can save money with an AMD Turion-based system and do just fine.
2gb is fine...memory is always over-hyped. If you get a good buy on a system with 3 or 4gb, great, but you'll notice little performance difference.
80 gb hard drives are all but dead and gone. Most systems start with 160gb drives...and 250gb/320gb are more and more common, with 500gb drives starting to show up.
DVD Writers are the norm now, LightScribe is an ok feature, but not such a big deal IMHO.
Sound and web cam are common...most built in are of middling quality however...they work, but they are not on par with the better stand-alones.
Yes, RJ-45 is almost always standard, as is 802.11a/b/g and increasingly "n"...though to me, as long as you've got wireless G you're good to go!
USB ports are ubiquitous, and firewire is common, but not universal, expect 3 - 4 USB ports.
MS Office? I'd go for the Home/Student package...it's cheap enough but covers the bases.
weight should be around 6.1 pounds for a 15.4" model.
As far as video, now this is a big price differential, and frankly, unless you are a gamer, integrated graphics, usually Intel X3100, or on many AMD based systems, Nvidia 7150 graphics are fine, and take less battery usage.
Although I am not a huge Toshiba fan, nothing really wrong with 'em either. You should not have to spend even close to $1K to get a decent notebook for business apps. More like around $600.
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...something is happening here but you don't know what it is...do you, Mr. Jones? | |
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