Development Laptop
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Please suggest a good configuration for a Dell laptop for VS2005 development with SQL Server 2005 database installed (XP Pro for now, maybe Vista later). Travelling is only 2-4% of the time, so battery life, being compact or weight do not matter. I just want a fast laptop that will work decently for the next couple of years. Please also let me know what components matter more over the other, dollar for dollar. Budget is upto $1200. I'll never game on it, no video editing stuff, strictly business. Thanks, Sam
If travel is only 2% purchase a laptop and a desktop. I built my home machine for about $1100 and lets just say Flight Sim X runs just fine well I have all my IDE's open and compiling along with several other apps. Then buy a low priced laptop to sync up and run demos on and check email. Life will be better. Also, on a business machine a budget of $1200 doesn't make much sense. If you use the machine for 40 hours a week 52 weeks a year that is 2080 hours at the computer. Considering a lifetime of 2 years that is 4160 hours! At a bill rate of $120/hr (A lot of companies charge this!) that is a potential revenue of $500,000 on that machine. Spending less than 1% on it doesn't make much business sense when you consider the benefit and power with just a few extra hundred or grand.
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It's not speed as much as quality of manufacture. Inspirons use are more fragile and have a cheaper feel to them. if you're planning to always use an external keyboard then combined with your negligible amount of travel it might not be a major concern.
-- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.
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If travel is only 2% purchase a laptop and a desktop. I built my home machine for about $1100 and lets just say Flight Sim X runs just fine well I have all my IDE's open and compiling along with several other apps. Then buy a low priced laptop to sync up and run demos on and check email. Life will be better. Also, on a business machine a budget of $1200 doesn't make much sense. If you use the machine for 40 hours a week 52 weeks a year that is 2080 hours at the computer. Considering a lifetime of 2 years that is 4160 hours! At a bill rate of $120/hr (A lot of companies charge this!) that is a potential revenue of $500,000 on that machine. Spending less than 1% on it doesn't make much business sense when you consider the benefit and power with just a few extra hundred or grand.
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What are the suggestions if I were to spend 2000 dollars? Also, how does the syncing part works between a desktop and a laptop? Do I need a specific software for that? Or will installing software and upgrades to desktop and laptop drive me crazy?
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Are there any differences that affect performace? I am also concerned about being able to add memory later, if need be. If it's just the physical-build quality, I wouldn't pay extra money for it. If it's the performance I'll go the extra mile..
Ram upgrades shouldn't be a major problem, the price for upgrading from 2 sticks to one from the maker is generally steep enough that you'd spend less overall replacing 2 small sticks with 2 large ones and ebaying the old ones even ignoring the likely drop in prices between now and then. Replacing 1x512 with 2x1024 can sometimes be cheaper immediately after purchase even if you toss the 1x512 instead of reselling it. Performance difference should be minimal, CPU and Ram clockspeeds, along with HD rotation speed are the primary factors there. Mobo chipsets are generally less than a 5% spread so that's not enough of a reason in and of itself. At times the latitudes can be on saled enough to be cheaper than an inspiron, so check your system with each before ordering just in case.
-- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.
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Ram upgrades shouldn't be a major problem, the price for upgrading from 2 sticks to one from the maker is generally steep enough that you'd spend less overall replacing 2 small sticks with 2 large ones and ebaying the old ones even ignoring the likely drop in prices between now and then. Replacing 1x512 with 2x1024 can sometimes be cheaper immediately after purchase even if you toss the 1x512 instead of reselling it. Performance difference should be minimal, CPU and Ram clockspeeds, along with HD rotation speed are the primary factors there. Mobo chipsets are generally less than a 5% spread so that's not enough of a reason in and of itself. At times the latitudes can be on saled enough to be cheaper than an inspiron, so check your system with each before ordering just in case.
-- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.
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Every little bit helps. As for syncing the two up just create a network. You should be using source control for your projects anyway and the sync is just a matter of get latest. All email clients also support this in some manner or the other. The hardest sync is the DB but in most cases if you are going to demo you can ask in advance if you will have access to the internet before having to do any db sync work. If you want processor/config advice .... Most expensive core duo that doesn't cause you to choke when you consider the purchase, 2GB of ram (more if you use 64bit processors and Vista and mobo supports it), Get an nvidea graphics cards (anything besides the integrated set). Since you will be running SQL Server consider High RPM drives in Raid configuration. (Raid 1 with a pair of Raptors is nice but Raid 0 is swift) DVD Burner for back-ups and client installation media. For the laptop consider the exact same configuration except skimp on the HDD, Video Card, and Burner. Although DVD-ROM will be nice on flights. I highly recommend reading up at TomsHardware.com if you are unfamiliar with hardware.
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I've had the Dell Latitude D810 (2Gb RAM, 80Gb HDD, DVD burner, etc.) for 2 years doing exactly the type of development you mention (VS2005, SQL2005, etc.) and it is still plenty capable. Add in the c2d CPU as suggested and you should be good to go.
Heh, I'm still doing some work on a 2GHz Celeron with 256MB RAM, 80GB HDD and CD/RW laptop with VS2005, SQL2005, .NET 3 etc etc, slows down a bit, VS speeds up quite a bit if it's reopened every 6 or so hours (to remind me to take a break :rolleyes:). Only thing it really chugs along on is doing web apps, which thankfully I've only had to do one small demo for my current contractors.
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Heh, I'm still doing some work on a 2GHz Celeron with 256MB RAM, 80GB HDD and CD/RW laptop with VS2005, SQL2005, .NET 3 etc etc, slows down a bit, VS speeds up quite a bit if it's reopened every 6 or so hours (to remind me to take a break :rolleyes:). Only thing it really chugs along on is doing web apps, which thankfully I've only had to do one small demo for my current contractors.
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Ed.Poore wrote:
Heh, I'm still doing some work on a 2GHz Celeron with 256MB RAM, 80GB HDD and CD/RW laptop with VS2005, SQL2005, .NET 3 etc etc,
:rose:
-- Rules of thumb should not be taken for the whole hand.
Meh, it's all right for messing around on, my work has taken me over to Linux now so that's not a problem, besides it's embedded work for the foreseeable future so at least their stuff is heavily optimized :-D
I have no idea what I just said but my intentions were sincere. Poore Design
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Please suggest a good configuration for a Dell laptop for VS2005 development with SQL Server 2005 database installed (XP Pro for now, maybe Vista later). Travelling is only 2-4% of the time, so battery life, being compact or weight do not matter. I just want a fast laptop that will work decently for the next couple of years. Please also let me know what components matter more over the other, dollar for dollar. Budget is upto $1200. I'll never game on it, no video editing stuff, strictly business. Thanks, Sam
I have a Latitude D820 (currently on it), go with the N-Series if you want to run vista, that way you dont pay for XP. Get the 2gb of ram, 7200rpm hdd upgrade, the screen upgrade (1680, not 1900.. cant see crap on the 1900), second battery if you travel. They are really great laptops, 5 hours battery time when developing on low power mode. We have about 20 of them at work, every member of the support team has one, a few of the developers do for personal use, and the network admin has one for personal use. Not had any problems with them yet.
-- Real programmers don't comment their code. It was hard to write, it should be hard to understand.