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25 Replies Last post: May 23, 2008 7:24 PM by maryanne 1 2 Previous Next

maryanne

7 posts since
May 15, 2008

May 15, 2008 7:25 AM

Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Okay, I need to purchase a new laptop within the next week. I have been putting this off for the last month or two and am now down to the wire and need to make the purchase. I have looked at several systems and have narrowed it down to Dell, Sony or Toshiba. I am not opposed to another brand but these are what we came up with. We even looked at the MacBook Pro but decided against it since all of our programs are windows based. So any help would be appreciate as we keep going round and round and not making any sense or conclusion of anything....

First, I need something that will handle graphics heavy programs (Adobe CS3 Suite, Flash, Desktop Publishing, etc) running a couple at the same time. Second, I would like the laptop to last 3-4 years (my current laptop is 4 yrs old and I am giving it to my daughter who is going to college, so I get the new machine!).

We have looked at several systems and when we configured them, we used the MacBook Pro specs as a guideline so that we would have some comparable because we seriously considered the Mac. However, we finally ruled it out because we didn't want to reinvest in alot of software and I still need to use programs like Excel and while I know I can use Parellels or boot camp on the Mac, I didn't want to purchase a Mac just to have to continue to switch between two systems. So that was why we went back to a windows based system. We are also are resisting moving to Windows Vista and would like to stay with XP (several reasons but I don't want to get into that), which is limiting our choices somewhat.

So here is what we have...any opinions or other suggestions would be greatly appreciated as right now, I am feeling really overwhemed with this decission. I am also looking at using a dual monitor system.

Sony Vaio BX Series VGN BX740PW2 NoteBook
Intel Core 2 Duo T770 (2.40 GHZ)
14.1 SXGA
2 GB Memory DDR2
160 GB
HDD 540rpm
Dual layer DVD Burner
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2300 Dedicated 128 MB

Toshiba Tecra A9
Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 (2.4 GHz, 3MB) but can go to a T9300
2048 MB SDram
15.4" Display
nVdia Quadro NVS 130M with 256 MB DDR SDRAM
250GB HDD (5400rpm)
DVD SuperMulti drive

Dell Vostro 1500
Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 (2.5 GHz, 800 MHz)
15.4 Wide Screen XGA Display
2 GB Shared Duel Channell DDR2 SDRAM
8x CD/DVD Burner
256 MB nVidia BeForce 8600M GT
250GB 5400 rpm hard drive

Dell XPS M1730
Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 (2.4, 800)
17 inch Display
2 GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
200 GB Hard drive(7200 rpm) free fall sensor
CD/DVD burner
NVidia GeForce 8700m GT graphics
Ageia PhysX 100 M Processor

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Flashorn

1,313 posts since
May 19, 2007

1. May 15, 2008 8:32 AM

in response to: maryanne

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Hey maryanne!!

Welcome to Pcworld Community!

Now, since you seem like you would need a powerful notebook,

the budget that you have would also be a determinative factor.

As far as the OS is concerned , you might be restrained in your choice of notebooks.

Even trying to customize one might be hard to find a builder offering XP Pro as a

custom OS.

Will you be on the road allot with this new notebook?

Will weight be a determinating factor?

A 17" or a 15.4" widescreen?

The weight for a build such as the one you require will be in the

6.5 pounds to 9.0 pounds.

How much battery life do you expect out of a notebook such as this?

If you would like to future proof your new notebook, it might be wise to

accept the fact that Vista might be your best choice.

Especially in the available components department.

XP will only recognize 3GIGs of ram (memory) as Vista, in notebook

configuration, will take and recognize the full 4GIGs of ram.

The same could be said for the Graphics Accelerator.

You will have a better choice of cards with Vista and better

performance since you would be able to have more memory

to share.

You would also do better by having 512mb instead of 256mb

graphics card.

So, ponder a bit on this and post back with your decision.

FLASHORN.

Patience is life.

maryanne

7 posts since
May 15, 2008

2. May 15, 2008 11:35 AM

in response to: Flashorn

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Thanks for the points to ponder....now you see why I am feeling overwhelmed...just when I think I have answered all the questions, more arise

Which is why we gave up buying a couple of months ago!

Okay, now to the answers...

Vista vs XP...if I have to I have to...but do I really have to If it opens up more possibilities and allows the laptop to last longer than I will definately consider switching now instead of later. But one of the main reasons, I have for not switching, is I am one of the those that have been caught in the "yo-yo" of companies going to Vista, having problems and then switching back. So I don't really want that to happen again...it is really a pain.

Screen size ...I would prefer the 15.4 since I will have a dual monitor set up at home. It is easier to travel with. But I am not opposed to the 17" model. Not a huge fan of the widescreen but more and more models are coming like that and that is what I have been working on at school so I can adapt to that if I have to.

Weight...it really isn't a determinating factor as the one I have now isn't a real light weight and I do carry it around a fair amount.

Traveling...even though I don't travel as much as I used to, it does need to be factored in, hence the reason for a laptop. I do take it with me when I am on the go but I don't mind having to carry it. Most of my travel is by car so I don't have to worry about lugging through airports.

Battery Life...since most of my travel is in the car, I have an adapter for the car so my battery life, while important is usually always hooked up to another power source. However, when I purchase the computer I will purchase the biggest battery I can. Also, since I am usually driving, I don't use my computer without having it hooked to another power source

I think I stated that, with the new laptop, I will be going to a dual monitor set up when I am at home, so I need to make sure that the laptop can handle that as well. One thing that starts to confuse me is the graphics cards and accelecators. Do you need both?

We figure that it would be best to customize since we want something that will last so that is why we were looking at Dell, Toshiba (that is what my old laptop is), HP and Sony.

This afternoon, I was just looking at the Alienware site. Are you familar with the Area 51 m15x model? Do you know anything about these computers?

Thanks so much for your help,

Mary Anne

Flashorn

1,313 posts since
May 19, 2007

3. May 15, 2008 1:22 PM

in response to: maryanne

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Hey Mary Anne !!

Now, you still did not tell us the budget that you have in mind?/?

Alienware has very high end notebooks and PCs but I have heard horror stories.

They are, more often than not, targeting the gaming community so, you more

than likely have to be able to "repair" your rig on your own.

They do have a good warranty but, again , time could be waisted and in your

case I don't believe being with ought a notebook for a extended period of time

is in your best interest.

The ones that you have mentioned , namely , HP and Toshiba are of the

"keeper" variety.

Good warranty , good service and good overall technical help.

Of course ,there is always the forums for most of your needs.

This morning I tried to build a Toshiba Tecra A9 to my specs.

I managed to get as far as the memory where again the limiting factor

was the amount of memory available for XP PRO.Only 2GIGs offered

but 4GIGs with Vista Business.

As far as the rest went , I could have one built with the right Graphics card

for around $2100.00 .

I know that HP's offerings are about the same and in the same price range.

What I don't know is , if they still offer XP PRO as a alternative OS,

As you might know, Microsoft is ending XP's life spand as of June 30th of this year.

So , there is very little time left to decide.

I , myself have not have to upgrade to Vista as of yet but, the members of this community

that did, all have the same opinion . It takes a little while but, you get the hang of it

quickly enough.

I understand your dilemma, but eventually all companies will have to comply and adopt

the new OS.

If I may suggest another option, buy a notebook that will suffice for now and not to expensive

with XP PRO. and when the companies you are dealing with do upgrade to Vista

then you would also do the same.

Other than these suggestions I do not see any other options.

If you would like, I will this afternoon , look for a suitable notebook with different builders

and will report my findings later today.

But, you will have to be patient.

FLASHORN.

Patience is life.

Flashorn

1,313 posts since
May 19, 2007

4. May 15, 2008 4:17 PM

in response to: maryanne

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Hey Mary Anne!!

OK, I have put together a few notebooks for you

Well, unfortunately these links are no longer available.(expired)

but all are in the price range of $2000.00 after custom build.

I will post the build options that I chose.

Lenovo ThinkPad T61p

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T9300 (2.5GHz 800MHz 6MBL2)

Windows XP Professional

NVIDIA Quadro FX 570M (256MB Open GL)

3 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)

250GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm

Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN

Integrated Bluetooth PAN

6 cell Li-Ion Battery

but, you can buy a 9 cell as a option.

3 Year Depot Upgrade with 3 Year ThinkPad Protection

HP dv6700t Special Edition

Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1

Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T9300 (2.50GHz)

3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)

*50% OFF 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS - For Core 2 Duo Processors *

HDMI support is available with discrete graphics

Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection

320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive

Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer

12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

2-year HP Accidental Damage Protection with Pick Up and

Toshiba Tecra A9 ST9002

Intel® Core™2 Duo~~javascript:popWindow('disclaimer.to#Core2Duo','yes','yes','500','325')~~ Processor T9300 (2.50GHz, 6MB L2, 800MHz FSB)

Genuine Windows XP Professional

2048MB PC5300 DDR2 667MHz SDRAM (2048MBx1) . You will have an extra slot for one(1) more GIG of ram.

15.4" Diagonal WSXGA+ display (1680x1050)

nVIDIA® Quadro® NVS 130M with 256MB DDR SDRAM . This will be your bottle neck. No other option.

250GB HDD (5400rpm, Serial-ATA)

DVD SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) drive

Intel® Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)

3 Years Standard Limited Warranty .

Two of them have XP PRO and the one from HP has Vista Home Premium

I think that the Lenovo would be your best buy.

But , that's me. You're the one paying for it so , up to you.

FLASHORN.

Message was edited by: Flashorn

Patience is life.

maryanne

7 posts since
May 15, 2008

5. May 15, 2008 3:48 PM

in response to: Flashorn

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Didn't even think of putting my budget in there...duhhhhhh! Anyway, my budget is between $1300-2000 but we aren't opposed to going a little higher if we need to get what we want.

And I will consider Vista instead of XP as you make a very good case for upgrading now. I don't know if I like this idea of buying a machine now just becuase I don't want to upgrade, and have to go through this again in a year. I really do want a machine that will last 3-4 years and that is of greater importance to me than the operating system (Vista vs XP).

Thanks for the links in the next post. I will be looking at them after dinner....pizza just arrived

Taking a dinner break,

Mary Anne

coastie65

3,008 posts since
Apr 2, 2007

6. May 15, 2008 5:03 PM

in response to: Flashorn

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Hey flashorn, That Dell XPS M1730 is a horse and you can get it for about $2100 with XP. I just checked.

http://forums.pcworld.com/message/114051/images/emoticons/grin.gif

mcbarker has been playing The Witcher on his XPS M1710 laptop, which is the predecessor to the M1730. coastie

eMachines T5212.... Intel Pentium D 925 3.0 Ghz..... evga 8600 GT 256 Mb PCI-E video card..... Realtec HD audio......2 Gb 533 Mhz DDR2 memory..... Lite on CD RW; DVD +R / RW DL optical drive...... Windows XP MCE 2005....... Antec Basiq 500w PSU......200 Gb PATA HDD

Flashorn

1,313 posts since
May 19, 2007

7. May 15, 2008 5:20 PM

in response to: coastie65

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Hey coastie !!

I was wondering when someone else would come in and help out.

I am not familiar with Dell , coastie , so since I know you like these allot

you should maybe post a suitable notebook .

Mary Anne is looking for a Graphic intensive and a two screen monitor card.

Any Ideas.

FLASHORN.

Patience is life.

coastie65

3,008 posts since
Apr 2, 2007

8. May 15, 2008 5:39 PM

in response to: Flashorn

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Hey Flashorn, I'm not a fan of Dell

, but those XPS things have got my attention a bit. As i said, Mcbarker has been playing The Witcher on his XPS M1710, and that game is pretty graphic intensive. Depending on where you want to go with it on the mods, you can run up the tab to over $3000. You didn't need back up, you were doing OK. I just thought I'd add a thought about the XPS M1730. coastie

smax013

3,604 posts since
Jan 28, 2007

9. May 15, 2008 6:51 PM

in response to: Flashorn

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Flashorn wrote:
XP will only recognize 3GIGs of ram (memory) as Vista, in notebook

configuration, will take and recognize the full 4GIGs of ram.

Not to my knowledge...to my knowledge, both Vista and XP handle 3 GB or 4 GB of memory the same...assuming you use the 32 bit OS versions. I can tell you that XP is NOT limited to 3 GB. 32 Bit XP will generally not recognize the full 4 GB of memory but that is due to limitations in the overall Windoze OS and its DOS legacy...and Vista has the same issues to my knowledge. How much of the 4 GB of RAM gets recognized is somewhat a function of what kind of graphics card you have and how much memory it uses.

[soapbox] Backup good...no backup bad!! [/soap box]

smax013

3,604 posts since
Jan 28, 2007

10. May 15, 2008 7:03 PM

in response to: maryanne

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

maryanne wrote:Okay, I need to purchase a new laptop within the next week. I have been putting this off for the last month or two and am now down to the wire and need to make the purchase. I have looked at several systems and have narrowed it down to Dell, Sony or Toshiba. I am not opposed to another brand but these are what we came up with. We even looked at the MacBook Pro but decided against it since all of our programs are windows based. So any help would be appreciate as we keep going round and round and not making any sense or conclusion of anything....

First, I need something that will handle graphics heavy programs (Adobe CS3 Suite, Flash, Desktop Publishing, etc) running a couple at the same time. Second, I would like the laptop to last 3-4 years (my current laptop is 4 yrs old and I am giving it to my daughter who is going to college, so I get the new machine!).

Sony Vaio BX Series VGN BX740PW2 NoteBook
Intel Core 2 Duo T770 (2.40 GHZ)
14.1 SXGA
2 GB Memory DDR2
160 GB
HDD 540rpm
Dual layer DVD Burner
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2300 Dedicated 128 MB

Toshiba Tecra A9
Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 (2.4 GHz, 3MB) but can go to a T9300
2048 MB SDram
15.4" Display
nVdia Quadro NVS 130M with 256 MB DDR SDRAM
250GB HDD (5400rpm)
DVD SuperMulti drive

If you are mainly concerned about desktop publishing and the Adobe CS3 suite, then graphics card will likely have little effect. Graphics cards will mainly effect things like gaming and 3D modelling and CADD. Things like Photoshop and Illustrator will be more effected by things like memory and processor. I would suggest maxing out the memory. As for the processor, go as fast as you can afford without breaking the bank. I would worry less about the graphics card (unless you plan on doing gaming with it or 3D modelling).

As to Vista vs. XP, the main reason people have issues with Vista is the end up with a computer that does not have sufficient resources to really run Vista well (especially if you have the Aero interface running). All the laptops that you are talking about should have little trouble with Vista (other than maybe wanting to bump up the memory). In general, Vista is slower than XP on similar equipment (which is a reason why many still want XP over Vista), but if you get sufficient hardware, Vista will be just fine.

I would concur that you likely don't really want to go the Mac route (I certainly don't advise getting a Mac just to run Windoze on it and NOT take advantage of the Mac OS), but you might want to look into seeing if you can do cross-platform "crossgrades". I believe Adobe does allow you to "cross-grade" once for minimal money (maybe even free...I don't really recall). If you can do it for a reasonable price, then it might make a MacBook Pro a more viable option. If you can "cross-grade" on some applications, then you can do Parallels, Fusion or Bootcamp as a temporary solution for those programs that you cannot cross-grade until you get Mac versions. Might not be a viable option, but still something worth looking into if you have any real desire for a Mac option.

[soapbox] Backup good...no backup bad!! [/soap box]

Flashorn

1,313 posts since
May 19, 2007

11. May 15, 2008 8:07 PM

in response to: smax013

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Hey Smax!!

Smax Wrote:

Not to my knowledge...to my knowledge, both Vista and XP handle 3 GB or
4 GB of memory the same...assuming you use the 32 bit OS versions. I
can tell you that XP is NOT limited to 3 GB. 32 Bit XP will generally
not recognize the full 4 GB of memory but that is due to limitations in
the overall Windoze OS and its DOS legacy...and Vista has the same
issues to my knowledge. How much of the 4 GB of RAM gets recognized is
somewhat a function of what kind of graphics card you have and how much
memory it uses.

Unless you have a 64bit XP PRO you are just waisting your money on the extra ram.

Even PhotoShop will not use more than 2GIGs in a 32bit XP PRO.

As far as Vista , it will need all of the 4GIGs to operate these kinds of programs and if does not need

all of the available ram then the video card will only benefit from the extra available ram.

FLASHORN Wrote:

You will have a better choice of cards with Vista and better

performance since you would be able to have more memory

to share.

FLASHORN.

Patience is life.

smax013

3,604 posts since
Jan 28, 2007

12. May 15, 2008 11:35 PM

in response to: maryanne

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

Flashorn wrote:Unless you have 64 bit XP PRO you are just wasting your money on extra ram.

Even Photoshop will not use more than 2 GIGs in 32 bit XP Pro.

Yes and no. You are correct the Photoshop can only access and use 2 GB of memory for program use...unless you use the 3 GB "boot switch", but that can present problems. But, that does NOT mean that Photoshop use will not benefit from more memory. More memory available will free up memory for other applicaitons and OS meaning that Photoshop can still "grab" its 2 GB of memory and other stuff still can get memory that they need. This document expands on that thought.

[soapbox] Backup good...no backup bad!! [/soap box]

silentcon

34 posts since
May 16, 2008

13. May 16, 2008 1:22 AM

in response to: maryanne

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

I think Dell and HP can be customize to your needs. Dell offers graphics cards enough for photo editing. You can try customize at www.dell.com and see if your budget is enough.Hope this helps.

maryanne

7 posts since
May 15, 2008

14. May 16, 2008 7:55 AM

in response to: smax013

Re: Need help with choosing a new laptop....

One of the reasons, I threw out the Mac option was because of Microsoft Office 2008. While I can get Adobe (for a small fee) to convert my windows Adobe to Mac Adobe, I would have to eventually re-purchase the Microsoft Office suite. However, the 2008 version doesn't allow Access to run VBA macros from the windows files nor does it allow you to create or run macros from the Mac side. I didn't like that and according to Microsoft, it will be about 2 years before that capability will be put back into the program. Also, I would still have to use Excel on the windows side since Excel doesn't come with Mac Office. And most of the business world uses Excel and Access for Windows not Mac. So I gave the Mac option up.

Now, I have narrowed my choices down...I hope.... based on what I have been reading on this board. You all have given me a lot of read and think about. . Then yesterday in our mail, I received the new PC World and read where Microsoft is going to bring out Windows 7 sometime in 2009 but will still support XP through June/July 2010 or 1 year after Windows 7 is released whichever is later. So with that in mind, I took everything I read about here and went back and reconfigued some systems. What do you think of these....

Remember, I am going to run a dual monitor set up.

ThinkPad T61 15 Widescreen
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T9500 (2.6, 800)
Windows XP Professional
15.4 WUXGA TFT
NVIDIA Quadro FX 570M (256MB Open GL)
3 GB PC2- 5300 DDR2 SDRAM
250 GB HDD 5400 rpm
UltraNav with FIngerprint Reader
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer
PC Card SLot & Express Card Slot
4 in 1 Media Card Reader
Intel Wireless WIFi Link
Integrated Bluetooth PAN
6 Cell Li-Ion Battery

Toshiba Tecra A9
Intel Core 2 Duo Process T9500 (2.6, 6 MB, 800)
Windows XP Pro
2048 PC 5300 DDR2 667 MHz SDRAM (can go up t 4096 if needed)
15.4" WSXGA
nVIDIA Quadro NVS 130M 256MB DDR SDRAM
250GB HDD (5400 rpm)
DVD Super Multi
Intel Wireless WiFi
Bluetooth Verision

I know I am still holding onto the XP
Mary Anne

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