Best Laptop?
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The laptop market seems to be in a bit of a flux with new machines out that look a little nicer than the grey bricks we're used to, but with the new Core 2 Duo's seemingly AWOL. So - has anyone done the painful work of comparing laptops and coming up with a current laptop de jour? I'm talking laptop, not an Alienware brick, not a 17" HP media centre, not a Dell 8xxx series barbeque briquette. At least 1280 x 768 resolution, 14" widescreen or less, as light as possible, as fast as possible, 100Gb HDD and battery life at least 4 hrs. Wifi, bluetooth, SD card slot (or an expansion slot I can add one to) and a DVD burner. Is this possible?
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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I've had a run of 4 Compaq/HP laptops and I think I'm done with them now. Besides, I doubt the 12" screen on it will have 1280 x 728 resolution. Thanks anyway :)
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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The laptop market seems to be in a bit of a flux with new machines out that look a little nicer than the grey bricks we're used to, but with the new Core 2 Duo's seemingly AWOL. So - has anyone done the painful work of comparing laptops and coming up with a current laptop de jour? I'm talking laptop, not an Alienware brick, not a 17" HP media centre, not a Dell 8xxx series barbeque briquette. At least 1280 x 768 resolution, 14" widescreen or less, as light as possible, as fast as possible, 100Gb HDD and battery life at least 4 hrs. Wifi, bluetooth, SD card slot (or an expansion slot I can add one to) and a DVD burner. Is this possible?
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
I have a Core Duo based Acer Aspire 5620 - it covers most of your requirements except the battery life is nearer 2 hours in real life. It has 2GB memory and is as fast as a scalded whippet...but I haven't yet put Vista on it (although it has a Vista Capable badge) because I want to get my work for Enable Ireland complete before I go messing about with the hardware again....
'--8<------------------------ Ex Datis: Duncan Jones Merrion Computing Ltd
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I couldn't tempt you with a Palm life drive :-), I am currently writing this post on one. Codeproject does doesn't render as well as you would like on the small screen, but at 190grams its easy to carry around and has a gorgeous screen. So what you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabouts. Wouldn't it be cool if there was an alternative version of the lounge customised for the small screen, but to be fair I would probabily be the only one to use it ... doh!
Regards Ray "Je Suis Mort De Rire" Blogging @ Keratoconus Watch
but to be fair I would probabily be the only one to use it Wrong. I'd love to browse the lounge on my Palm TX :-) It surely isn't what Chris is looking for, but I have to say that the number of occasions on which I have to take my laptop with me has shrunk considerably since I got the TX.
Chaque homme de culture a deux patries: la sienne - et la France. (Thomas Jefferson)
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I have a Core Duo based Acer Aspire 5620 - it covers most of your requirements except the battery life is nearer 2 hours in real life. It has 2GB memory and is as fast as a scalded whippet...but I haven't yet put Vista on it (although it has a Vista Capable badge) because I want to get my work for Enable Ireland complete before I go messing about with the hardware again....
'--8<------------------------ Ex Datis: Duncan Jones Merrion Computing Ltd
2 hrs just isn't enough unfortunately. I'm starting to worry I might again be looking for a mirage...
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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I couldn't tempt you with a Palm life drive :-), I am currently writing this post on one. Codeproject does doesn't render as well as you would like on the small screen, but at 190grams its easy to carry around and has a gorgeous screen. So what you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabouts. Wouldn't it be cool if there was an alternative version of the lounge customised for the small screen, but to be fair I would probabily be the only one to use it ... doh!
Regards Ray "Je Suis Mort De Rire" Blogging @ Keratoconus Watch
Ray Kinsella wrote:
Wouldn't it be cool if there was an alternative version of the lounge customised for the small screen
This will definitely happen.
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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Close, but: - no trackpad. I can't deal with those keyboard pointers - screen res too low - needs an ultrabase to burn DVDs
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
Chris Maunder wrote:
screen res too low
Wow - you said 1024x768 ( which is too low in my book ), do they still make them smaller than that ?
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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The laptop market seems to be in a bit of a flux with new machines out that look a little nicer than the grey bricks we're used to, but with the new Core 2 Duo's seemingly AWOL. So - has anyone done the painful work of comparing laptops and coming up with a current laptop de jour? I'm talking laptop, not an Alienware brick, not a 17" HP media centre, not a Dell 8xxx series barbeque briquette. At least 1280 x 768 resolution, 14" widescreen or less, as light as possible, as fast as possible, 100Gb HDD and battery life at least 4 hrs. Wifi, bluetooth, SD card slot (or an expansion slot I can add one to) and a DVD burner. Is this possible?
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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The laptop market seems to be in a bit of a flux with new machines out that look a little nicer than the grey bricks we're used to, but with the new Core 2 Duo's seemingly AWOL. So - has anyone done the painful work of comparing laptops and coming up with a current laptop de jour? I'm talking laptop, not an Alienware brick, not a 17" HP media centre, not a Dell 8xxx series barbeque briquette. At least 1280 x 768 resolution, 14" widescreen or less, as light as possible, as fast as possible, 100Gb HDD and battery life at least 4 hrs. Wifi, bluetooth, SD card slot (or an expansion slot I can add one to) and a DVD burner. Is this possible?
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
Why don't you like Dell ? My Dell meets most of those specs ( 1440x1280, 7 hours battery, big HDD, Wifi, Bluetooth ) and the newer models will meet them all, as far as I can see. When I was notebook hunting, 1024x768 is all I could find, I wanted 1600x1200, and ended up with 1440xwhatever.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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Ray Kinsella wrote:
Wouldn't it be cool if there was an alternative version of the lounge customised for the small screen
This will definitely happen.
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
Chris Maunder wrote:
This will definitely happen.
I just think about posts written on the toilet... :~
I don't see dead pixels anymore... Yes, even I am blogging now!
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Why the new profile? :confused:
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Chris Maunder wrote:
This will definitely happen.
I just think about posts written on the toilet... :~
I don't see dead pixels anymore... Yes, even I am blogging now!
Where do you think i find the time and material for all my posts? :rolleyes:
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The laptop market seems to be in a bit of a flux with new machines out that look a little nicer than the grey bricks we're used to, but with the new Core 2 Duo's seemingly AWOL. So - has anyone done the painful work of comparing laptops and coming up with a current laptop de jour? I'm talking laptop, not an Alienware brick, not a 17" HP media centre, not a Dell 8xxx series barbeque briquette. At least 1280 x 768 resolution, 14" widescreen or less, as light as possible, as fast as possible, 100Gb HDD and battery life at least 4 hrs. Wifi, bluetooth, SD card slot (or an expansion slot I can add one to) and a DVD burner. Is this possible?
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
Are you adverse to a TabletPC convertible? I have a Gateway M-285e (Microsoft gave it to me :D ). Its a 14" widescreen, mine has a Core Duo, 7-in-1 reader, 1280x768, wifi, bluetooth is an option, DVD Burner available as an option, mine has a 12-cell battery and I can spend 6 hours straight at school taking notes and/or surfing the web (i rarely do both simultaneously for obvious reason). Its significantly heavier than my 2 pound X40 but its features overwhelm its weight (its something like 7 or 8 pounds). I'm at work right now so I don't have much info but if you'd like I can dig up some more info on it. Yes its a Gateway, but its actually pretty good. I was a member of the send Gateway to heck group prior to recieving this so I put it through its paces before I accepted as being good.
Matt Newman
Even the very best tools in the hands of an idiot will produce something of little or no value. - Chris Meech on Idiots -
Why the new profile? :confused:
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Made the mistake of logging into my previous one.
-------------- TTFN - Kent
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Are you adverse to a TabletPC convertible? I have a Gateway M-285e (Microsoft gave it to me :D ). Its a 14" widescreen, mine has a Core Duo, 7-in-1 reader, 1280x768, wifi, bluetooth is an option, DVD Burner available as an option, mine has a 12-cell battery and I can spend 6 hours straight at school taking notes and/or surfing the web (i rarely do both simultaneously for obvious reason). Its significantly heavier than my 2 pound X40 but its features overwhelm its weight (its something like 7 or 8 pounds). I'm at work right now so I don't have much info but if you'd like I can dig up some more info on it. Yes its a Gateway, but its actually pretty good. I was a member of the send Gateway to heck group prior to recieving this so I put it through its paces before I accepted as being good.
Matt Newman
Even the very best tools in the hands of an idiot will produce something of little or no value. - Chris Meech on IdiotsI've heard nothing but bad things about gateway (well, nothing but bad things until your post). Unfortunately there are many laptops whose features overwhelm their weight. I'm specifically looking for something lightweight. A couple of extra pounds here and there makes a big difference to carry on luggage.
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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Why don't you like Dell ? My Dell meets most of those specs ( 1440x1280, 7 hours battery, big HDD, Wifi, Bluetooth ) and the newer models will meet them all, as far as I can see. When I was notebook hunting, 1024x768 is all I could find, I wanted 1600x1200, and ended up with 1440xwhatever.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
I've heard nothing but bad things about Dell in the last 2 years. Poor (or non-existent) customer support, exploding batteries, problems with laptops. I also find their laptops really boring. I want something that looks like it wasn't designed by an engineer and fine tuned by an accountant.
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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I've heard nothing but bad things about Dell in the last 2 years. Poor (or non-existent) customer support, exploding batteries, problems with laptops. I also find their laptops really boring. I want something that looks like it wasn't designed by an engineer and fine tuned by an accountant.
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
I've never heard good things about Dell. However, my notebook is < 1 year old, and while the service guys were not the most knowledgable in the land, they did send a tech out to replace parts, which they air freighted to Hobart, several times. So, I'd say support is a major plus with Dell. The exploding batteries were made by Sony. I'm not sure how often that happens, obviously I have 2 batteries with a 0 explosion rate so far. As for looks, the new Dell 'gaming' notebooks are about as sexy as they come, IMO. http://www.onlinekosten.de/news/bilder/Dell_XPS_M1710_1.jpg[^] Full review: http://www.mobilityguru.com/2005/08/15/the_world/index.html[^]
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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Why the new profile? :confused:
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I've never heard good things about Dell. However, my notebook is < 1 year old, and while the service guys were not the most knowledgable in the land, they did send a tech out to replace parts, which they air freighted to Hobart, several times. So, I'd say support is a major plus with Dell. The exploding batteries were made by Sony. I'm not sure how often that happens, obviously I have 2 batteries with a 0 explosion rate so far. As for looks, the new Dell 'gaming' notebooks are about as sexy as they come, IMO. http://www.onlinekosten.de/news/bilder/Dell_XPS_M1710_1.jpg[^] Full review: http://www.mobilityguru.com/2005/08/15/the_world/index.html[^]
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
The Dell XPS come in tiny, large and ridiculous. No 14 or 15" in sight. Why oh why do hardware manufacturers do that? Create something that could be good if only <insert dumb obvious thing they left out> [Edit: the 12" has the right resolution. Hmmm...this could be a contender...] -- modified at 21:09 Sunday 17th September, 2006
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
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It's beautiful. What?
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