I have to get a laptop for school (software development/network engineering).
I'll use it mostly for writing code, probably also for downloading class lectures etc. I might download photoshop/something similar and play around with that when I'm bored. Basically though, it's for school work.
In case it matters, the minimum system requirements I was given are
CPU speed : 2000 MHz
RAM : 2048 MB
Hard Drive : 120 GB
Video Card : 128 MB
Operating System : Windows XP Professional
Service Pack Level : Service Pack 2
I went to the local Future Shop and they told me I can't get a laptop with Windows XP, everything's using Windows vista now. The school's website specifically says not to use Windows vista though, so that's no good.
I'll probably have to order one online and I'm wondering if you guys have any suggestions, either for a site to order from, or for a specific model to check out, or specific things to ask for that might come in handy for my program.
ironically I don't know anything about computer hardware. So really, any input is appreciated.
Thanks guys
ps. if you ordered a laptop online, where did you order it from/have you had any problems with it?
thanks
Matthew
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And major action will certainly make you feel a bit uncomfortable, which is absolutely fine. You've gotta get excited about feeling uncomfortable, you've gotta love feeling slightly uncomfortable, because you know that you're stepping outside the boundaries that you used to create.
Zach Even-Esh
I've made some huge mistakes, but they were necessary, because without them I wouldn't have learned anything.
-Dave Tate
He is in Mississauga, ON which means he can't order from NewEgg. For some reason Newegg will deliver to Puerto Rico but not Canada
I would try NCIX.com (not sure if they sell laptops), or TigerDirect.ca, or even Dell.ca. You might get lucky and they will let you downgrade but the most likely scenario may be that you have to get a copy of XP and format and reinstall XP on your new laptop.
Also if there is a best buy around you check there, they have most of the same stock as Future Shop (about 70% is the same) but the staff is generally more knowledgeable and they don't work on commission so they won't try to sell you a lot of crap you don't need.
__________________ Beginning is Easy - Continuing is Hard
猿も木から落ちる Even monkeys fall from trees
- Japanese Proverb
I bought my wife a Dell for Christmas, the Inspiron 1501. Below is the spec, I left it at 1Gb memory because I can get an upgrade from Crucial for half as much. Total was about $700, here's the spec:
Quote:
AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TK-55
Genuine Windows® XP Home
Anti-glare, widescreen 15.4 inch display (1280x800)
1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
Size: 120GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
ATI RADEON® Xpress1150 256MB HyperMemory™ (Integrated)
Integrated Audio
53 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card (54Mbps)
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." --Benjamin Franklin, 1759
He is in Mississauga, ON which means he can't order from NewEgg. For some reason Newegg will deliver to Puerto Rico but not Canada
But he is not far from Buffalo, so Matt if you check the US site, have it delivered to a friend in Buffalo. No friend in Buffalo? Then, check who knows someone IN Niagara Falls and the will know someone in Buffalo.
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Peter
After all, diamonds are a girl's best friend…
Considering how cheaply you can get Windows XP, I would not limit myself to only laptops with Windows XP. My Recommendation? Get yourself a Thinkpad T61. It will cost around $900 for the specs you mentioned. It is lightweight, durable, a good compromise between screen size and carrying size, has an available dock, has great web reception...the list goes on.
Cnet Review: Lenovo ThinkPad T61 Laptop reviews - CNET Reviews
Awesome, thanks a lot guys. I won't have time to look into this until the weekend (working long hours, only get about 10 minutes on the computer at home) but I'll check out the links you guys posted and your other suggestions and I'll get back.
Thanks again, I really appreciate it.
__________________
And major action will certainly make you feel a bit uncomfortable, which is absolutely fine. You've gotta get excited about feeling uncomfortable, you've gotta love feeling slightly uncomfortable, because you know that you're stepping outside the boundaries that you used to create.
Zach Even-Esh
I've made some huge mistakes, but they were necessary, because without them I wouldn't have learned anything.
-Dave Tate
I have a dell XPS M170 its easily got the specs you need but I think they are quite expensive (got it from a generous 'research budget' ) . Great laptop though.. and it comes with a backpack ahaha.
I have a Toshiba laptop too with approx those specs, the thing is not as well built as the dell surprisingly. Ive had to crack it open 3x to clean out the fans (the only way) because it kept overheating.. most people couldn't do this.
I also have a mac.. its the best one, but... you know.. its a mac.
Just get something that is quality, even if it costs a few dollars more. Cheap laptops always have problems from my experience. Ive had like six or seven laptops in the last 2 years and thats the way i see it. Ive bought stuff from NCIX before and they have been great too.
Im tempted to pick up a cheap laptop off ebay but im hesitant to recommend that due to the little warentee.. shipping / customs costs etc. but boy are they cheap.
Ok so after a bit of looking around I decided to build a laptop at the Dell Canada site. Here's the breakdown, let me know if you guys think this is a good deal or not. This will be the first computer I buy myself, so I really don't know what's worth what.
This will cost around 1300, after a 200 dollar rebate.
I tried to edit this to make it easier to read, but I can't. Sorry.
Components
PROCESSOR
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7500 (4MB cache/2.2GHz/800Mhz FSB), English
__________________
And major action will certainly make you feel a bit uncomfortable, which is absolutely fine. You've gotta get excited about feeling uncomfortable, you've gotta love feeling slightly uncomfortable, because you know that you're stepping outside the boundaries that you used to create.
Zach Even-Esh
I've made some huge mistakes, but they were necessary, because without them I wouldn't have learned anything.
-Dave Tate
You're right Jokerz. After looking at it, I needed to upgrade the graphics card just to make the minimum requirements anyway.
Thanks for pointing that out.
__________________
And major action will certainly make you feel a bit uncomfortable, which is absolutely fine. You've gotta get excited about feeling uncomfortable, you've gotta love feeling slightly uncomfortable, because you know that you're stepping outside the boundaries that you used to create.
Zach Even-Esh
I've made some huge mistakes, but they were necessary, because without them I wouldn't have learned anything.
-Dave Tate
Sorry Zach, I meant to reply to your earlier post.
My sister had a ThinkPad, and we had a bad enough experience that I don't really want to risk getting another one, even if these models are better.
Thanks for your help though man, I really appreciate it.
__________________
And major action will certainly make you feel a bit uncomfortable, which is absolutely fine. You've gotta get excited about feeling uncomfortable, you've gotta love feeling slightly uncomfortable, because you know that you're stepping outside the boundaries that you used to create.
Zach Even-Esh
I've made some huge mistakes, but they were necessary, because without them I wouldn't have learned anything.
-Dave Tate
One last vote for the Thinkpad...statistically it would be silly to base an opinion of a company on an anecdote, even personal (unless its something that would be true all the time - like a bad policy).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poll of 35000 people
Notebook PCs: ThinkPad and PowerBook Users Most Satisfied
Laptops from Lenovo (née IBM) and Apple topped the satisfaction charts in reliability for the second year in a row. eMachines, another of last year's chart toppers, lost momentum this year, ranking at the low end of average for system reliability. Sony's products showed marked improvement from last year, when readers criticized both the company's service and the reliability of its products. As in the last survey, Compaq's ratings were among the lowest of any notebook manufacturer. Oddly, even though HP and Compaq are one company, HP-branded notebooks scored in the middle of the pack for both reliability and service, beating those with a Compaq logo.
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