Which Brand for Laptop?

[dhlucke]

My Dad needs a new laptop and I've read through these last posts but have no idea which route to go.

All he needs is something fast, light with a nice screen. Gaming is not important. This is purely a business computer.

He's had 2 dell laptops over the years and they're nice, but I think he wants something really light this time.

A mac is out of the question.

<font color=red>God</font color=red> <font color=blue>Bless</font color=blue> <font color=red>America!</font color=red>

 

[Guest]

Try Toshiba - I had one and they're brill.

<font color=purple><b>Techie2001</font color=purple></b>
<i>(Crazy Alien)</i>
If it ain't broke, Don't fix it.

 

[flamethrower205]

Sony Vaio imo will be perfect for him. God I love their design.

What if your life moved.....2 inches to the left?

 

[Guest]

I had to send my toshiba away to have a bios password removed - The battery trick didn't work. And the machine was back to me in less than a week. no fuss no hassle. Plus they leave the Hdd intact rather than cleaning it like some companies do when you send your machine in for repair.

<font color=purple><b>Techie2001</font color=purple></b>
<i>(Crazy Alien)</i>
If it ain't broke, Don't fix it.

 

[Stick_e_Mouse]

Right now, Dell has an awsome deal for their Inspiron 4100 series. PIII-M 866mhz, 256mb RAM, ATI 16mb video, 20 gig HDD, and more for only $1,199!!! And FREE shipping too! The XGA screen is very nice too, the Super XGA is amazing, the Ultra XGA is outstanding!

See a real naked pic of Britney Spears <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/stick_e_mouse" target="_new">here</A>!!!

 

[dhlucke]

Ok, I've got him thinking about what he wants exactly. He'll be flying from one side of the state to the other once a week which is the reason he'll want a nice and big screen, lightweight, etc etc. There is only one problem that I just found out. The company he'll be working for is exclusively Mac. He can still get a PC, but I now have to consider the Titanium G4 (I don't think the other apple laptop is going to cut it for business. Too fruity). I need to find a PC that has everything a Titanium does thought to make this simpler. I don't really want him getting a Mac since I can't mooch off his software then I see that you can get a 15" screen just about anywhere, but what do the different types mean? What's a good, average, and top of the line screen?

Note: I think you just answered my last question, but are those the only screens out there nowadays?

<font color=red>God</font color=red> <font color=blue>Bless</font color=blue> <font color=red>America!</font color=red><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by dhlucke on 12/28/01 11:47 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[flamethrower205]

SXGA and UXGA are different in the number of pixels they have. IMO, UXGA is ridiculous- 1600x1200 resolution on a 15" LCD??!! No way! Even SXGA is slightly too small, but uhe can live w/ it. Definetly don't get UXGA...unless u get a 19" screen (19" viewable).

My rice car will leave your R8500 in the dust!

 

[Stick_e_Mouse]

SXGA and UXGA are different in the number of pixels they have. In addition to having the highest resolution, the Ultra XGA is also the sharpest, brightest, and clearest out of the three. Note, your dad can also change the resolution to whatever fits his taste.

Hmmm....something equal to a G4 Titanium....probably nothing unless he plans on spending $2000+. Sure you can get the 8100 Inspiron model with the top-o-the line specs, but at a hefty 8 lbs. plus! IMO, I still think the 4100 Inspiron has the best balance between price, performance, and weight. Add the fastest PIII-M CPU and an ATI Mobile Radeon with 64mb of DDR, you have something that can compete with the G4.

See a real naked pic of Britney Spears <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/stick_e_mouse" target="_new">here</A>!!!

 

[flamethrower205]

SXGA is as clear. Guys, you do realize that b/c each pixel is controlled separatly on LCD, resolution lower than the native won't look as good. therefore, the lower # of pixels in an LCD for laptop, te greater chance u can keep it at native.

My rice car will leave your R8500 in the dust!

 

[lakedude]

I can't sleep so you are getting advice if you want it or not. You mentioned that you wanted a light laptop but did not indicate the features you want. All the really light laptops are lacking something. Also a 15" is not going to be anywhere near as light as even a 14". ProStar has a 14" loaded with everything for under $1800.00 and a price drop is comming a matter of days (see next post for price update). When I say everything I'm talking 1.26GHz, 40GB, 512ram, dvd player/cdr/cdrw writer combo drive, 100base, 56k, li-ion, case, ac adapter, floppy, firewire and xp. Check out the 2273 at <A HREF="http://www.pro-star.com/" target="_new">http://www.pro-star.com/</A> under web specials. I weighs about 6.5lbs and has everything. Can you tell I want one? My little company sells ProStar and we have really good luck with them. You can get a ProStar direct under web specials for about what we pay for them so you would have no advantage in buying from me nor would I make any money so if you want one go ahead and buy direct. I just mentioned that we sell them so you would know something about how reliable they are.

You could find a lighter laptop if you are willing to give up a spindle or two. For example you could loose the floppy and save some weight. Be careful some makers rate the weight at a minimum configuration. ProStar is not the prettiest but I believe they offer great price for what you get. They do have a couple of 15" setups but the old one is really heavy(9.5lbs) and the new one is really expensive ($2400).

Remember if you ain't Muslim you ain't Shiite.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by lakedude on 01/05/02 05:49 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[lakedude]

Update:

The 2273 had a price drop and a slight config change. Now you can get the above described system for $1595.00 except you only get a 30G HD instead of a 40. When it hits $1200 I'll have me one. I figure less then a year.

Remember if you ain't Muslim you ain't Shiite.

 

[dhlucke]

Good info. Thanks. I'm just waiting for my Dad to let me know when he's ready. I'll look into them as well.

<font color=red>God</font color=red> <font color=blue>Bless</font color=blue> <font color=red>America!</font color=red>

 

[Guest]

ok, I hope youhave not bought anything yet, because here is as good as it gets.

http://www.sonystyle.com/vaio/gr/index.shtml

This sony Vaio is the bomb, and it is loaded with features and only 6.4lbs. Sony products are total quality and their reliability is awesome. I own a FXA-36 but that would be too heavy for you dad, though it is awesome. It is the only notebook that I know of with a 200MHZ FSB. This one should be perfect, even if it is a PIII.

 

[Guest]

Buy a Tohsiba Tecra. I work as a Systems Engineer and first bought Toshiba's back in 1994. My Company buys Toshiba exclusively. However through testing, we found that the only model is the Tecra. (The 8100 or 8200 is good). I've installed Windows 2000 on models of Toshiba's that are three years old and never have a problem installing the operating system. Toshiba keeps up with the driver updates. I personally own a Gateway Solo and they quit building drivers for my laptop. I can't even upgrade to XP or 2000. I talked to Gateway about it and pretty was told tuff.

Good Luck

 

[lakedude]

Check out the new rides at good prices at Pro-star:

15.0" SXGA+ TFT Intel PENTIUM 4, 2.20 Ghz 20.0GB 256MB $2,115.00
15.0" SXGA+ TFT Intel PENTIUM 4, 2.00 Ghz 20.0GB 256MB $1,915.00
15.0" SXGA+ TFT Intel PENTIUM 4, 1.80 Ghz 20.0GB 256MB $1,735.00
15.0" SXGA+ TFT Intel PENTIUM 4, 1.60 Ghz 20.0GB 256MB $1,665.00

A 30G is $40.00 more and a DVD player/cd-rw recorder is $220.00 more. It is a 15" and weighs 8.8 lbs. It is not all that light but they are fast and not to bad expensive.



Remember if you ain't Muslim you ain't Shiite.

 

[sdausmus]

While I'm sure that Pro-Star's prices are very good, I would go with a big brand name on a notebook, if I were you. Dell, (some of the best, but you do pay a premium) Compaq, (their desktops are crappy, but their mid-to-high end laptops have always been good) Sony, (great-looking laptops that come loaded with features and software for the multimedia user) and Toshiba. (Probably the best bang for the buck as far as balancing performance and features)

Why would I recommend them over a company like Pro-Star or Seager(sp?) or other no-name brands? Support. Mobile users are going to find that if they need support, it's not like a desktop, where their techie friend can throw a few new components in and get it back to spec. Notebooks are proprietary beasts, and parts are expensive. Plus, the work generally has to be done by the manufacturer or by someone authorised by them do work on their machines. All the brands I listed come with good support and service options, and the non-Dell ones can be purchased at quality retailers who offer their own service and maintainence options above and beyond the manufacturers' own.

Also, as was mentioned elsewhere, those Pro-Star deals look suspiciously like desktop CPUs jammed into notebook form factors, which can cause all sorts of problems with heat and power consumption.

 

[lakedude]

I called Prostar and the new p4 machines are running desktop cpus. They estimate batt life at one hour. For me that is not a problem cause I am only on batteries if I want to show someone something quick or check email quick. Everywhere I go (home/work/school) has power. These laptops are NOT the ones to buy if you need long battery life.

You raise a good point about not being able to swap commodity parts in a notebook. The counter point is that since one manufacture has control over all the parts, notebooks tend to be very reliable. This goes for the brands you mentioned as well as Prostar. Prostars have been very reliable for us. My friend Bill had a Prostar 166M p1 that he took everywhere strapped to the side of a Harley and the thing was still working fine when he upgraded last year to a 1G p3. I'm not sure I'd buy a pc based the assumption that I was going to have problems with it.

Prostar has web specials up so you can save up to $115.00 off the prices in my last post.

Remember if you ain't Muslim you ain't Shiite.

 

[sdausmus]

I called Prostar and the new p4 machines are running desktop cpus. They estimate batt life at one hour. For me that is not a problem cause I am only on batteries if I want to show someone something quick or check email quick. Everywhere I go (home/work/school) has power. These laptops are NOT the ones to buy if you need long battery life.

I'd be more worried about overheating issues, actually. If you don't use the thing for more than an hour at a time, you probably won't have that problem, but what happens after say, six hours straight. Would they survive a 72-hour burn-in process?

My friend Bill had a Prostar 166M p1 that he took everywhere strapped to the side of a Harley and the thing was still working fine when he upgraded last year to a 1G p3.

I won't unleash the "they made stuff better back then" cliche...promise.

I'm not sure I'd buy a pc based the assumption that I was going to have problems with it.

I'm not suggesting that. What I always look for in a product is the support the manufacturer and/or reseller will offer me in the event that I am either unsatisfied with my purchase, or have some sort of problem with it. Why do you think places like Consumer Reports and the like factor in reliability and service/support in their reviews? Of course you don't WANT something to go wrong with anything you buy, but you don't WANT to become ill, either, and I am sure you've been ill at least once in your life. I know I have. I've also had service issues with products I have bought. The companies that stood by their products get my business again; the ones that don't, don't. End of story.

 

[lakedude]

Are you saying that Prostar has bad service or that you have no knowledge of how their service is good or bad? I agree that all other things being equal good service is better then bad service but I'd rather buy a trouble free machine from a company with potentially sketchy service then a sketchy product from a company with great service. Prostar laptops have been good enough that I confess that I have no idea how good their support is cause we have never needed it. If anybody has knowledge in this area please post it good or bad.

My rec for a non Prostar machine is Toshiba. They have good prices (depending on model) and I know a few folks who have em and like em.

Sony products have been pissing me off lately. Sure they look great but the last 2 sony products I bought were very user unfriendly. I can't figure out how to record an outgoing message or set a speed dial number without using the instruction book on my Sony phone/answer machine. The Sony reciever I bought lacks a lot of features found in other brands and is also hard to use. Instead of having a seperate button for each input so you could hit one and go the remote instead has a button for inputs select(1 stroke) and then you toggle thru a lcd list 4 times to go from video1 to sat (5 strokes) finally you select your input (6 strokes). This process may not work so the remote will think it is on one input but the reciever will be set to something else. The remote only shows what it thinks the reciever is set to not what it really is. Anyway I realize all this has little to do with Sony laptops but I've gone from a huge Sony fan to someone who will never buy Sony again.

Remember if you ain't Muslim you ain't Shiite.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by lakedude on 03/13/02 11:19 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[sdausmus]

As far as knowing how good or bad service from Prostar is, I honestly do not know. I do know that the most difficult-to-repair notebooks that my work deals with are the "off-brand" ones, mostly due to the cost of parts, but also because of how difficult they are to get. You're talking about a company that probably doesn't do a fraction of the business that, say, Compaq does, so it's no surprise that they don't keep a big backstock of parts available like Compaq would. (and MUST)

It's great that you have had such luck with your system. I'm not knocking you for buying from a brand you have come to trust. I can only speak for the people I have dealt with professionally in regards to servicing products, and based on that, I would tend towards recommending "big name" brands for mobile computing.

As a caveat, remember that I am dealing with UNHAPPY people. People who have defective merchandise that needs to be serviced. So they are obviously going to have a MUCH different opinion of someone like Prostar or Seagar or whomever, just like someone stuck with a broken Compaq is going to have a much different opinion of the company than the person who's never had issues with Compaq. products.

 

[lakedude]

A word about me "pimping" Prostar. I get nothing if anybody decides to buy a Prostar. I do not own any part of the company and unless you buy one from my company instead of direct I get nothing. Since there is no advantage in buying from us you might as well buy direct so again I get nothing. My opinions of Prostar are based on what I would buy. I do not spend much time in planes or away from power so long battery life is not my biggest concern. Toshiba is selling a 1.7G MOBILE p4 system, with a higher res uxga display, larger 40G hd and 32M video card for about $100.00 more then Prostar is selling a 2.2G desktop p4, lower res sxga display, smaller 30G hd, and a 64M video card.

If the uxga trips your trigger or you need long battery life or if the Prostar name scares you then the choice is Toshiba. Personally I'm not afraid of Prostar, and the faster cpu would be worth the shorter battery life so for my needs the Prostar is the way to go.

BTW If you are shopping for a cpu in the 1G range then the Prostar 2273 is no longer the best deal. Toshiba 1000s and 1800s are a better value at current prices.

Remember if you ain't Muslim you ain't Shiite.

 

[sickgenius]

what u people on about...?

looking for a light laptop? there are tons of them at about only 3-4 lbs or so... and less than an inch thick.

I would go check out the Asus or Acer brands of laptops

http://notebooks.asus.com/
http://www.acer.com/us

since you no looking for something that has the power for a graphic designer on the go, these system they wold robably be enough. They are all only the half the price of the G4 Titanium... ( what gives $3600 bucks for a 667 Mhz system..? Does apple really think people are on crack?)

anyways if u have the money to shell.. then I would look into the systems that are offered in Japan by the major brands like Sony, IBM, Toshiba, and Panasonic. We are talking about really cool systems that are less than 3 lbs.

you can see some of them at

http://www.dynamism.com

they specialized in bring the products that are targeted for the Japanese and asian market into the US.

 

[sickgenius]

Oh yea, in case you aren't sure about the companies Asus and Acer... they make probably most of the parts in everyone's computer. They are Taiwanese Hardware components companies... and the quality of their products are great. plus you are probably using their products in your computer right now. =P

 

[sdausmus]

Remember, the iBook's processor is a RISC processor. A totally different architecture that will run rings around x86 processors with clock speeds nearly twice as high, depending on the application. Macs excel at certain types of tasks (graphics, video, desktop publishing) and are aimed primarily at the professionals involved in such businesses.

 

[sickgenius]

Hmmmmm... i still don't really get the Mac hype. I use all three systems.. PC, Mac, and SGI and I really don't see how the Mac is more efficient or easier to use. Feel more like a religious brain washing... kinda like scientology in a way.... =P

and the whole one button mouse thing, it is just silly.... Try using Maya using just one mouse button,,,(what a pain that would be)

Anyways you don't see any serious CG production use the mac to do real graphics... Usually you only see SGI and PC based workstations in heavy graphics productions. For the price that you get a dual 1 Ghz Mac workstation you can get two 2 Ghz systems on a PC.

but some of their ID designs of their systems are pretty nice looking though.. The Titanium powerbook loks really cool.... too bad I'm not dumb enough to think a 667 Mhz system would worth me spending $3600 on it.