Need help deciding on laptop

[Planefreak]

I've been looking at two different laptops. They are nearly identical except for a few things.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834115558 and http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834115541

the cheaper one has a larger hard drive but it is also slower. they both have the same amount of DDR3 ram. Same screen size, graphics are the same. The only differences I can spot are between the audio. The more expensive has 5.1. Also it has a 2.53ghz processor instead of 2.4ghz. and it lacks bluetooth. The more expensive includes draft N though and includes the cinedash system. What do you guys think?

[12twelve12]

Not sure if you would really see the difference between those two processors...unless in a benchmarking program. Also are you really going to need 5.1 sound for a notebook? Some people do hook up to external speakers but most folks I know just use the built in speakers or headphones.

If it had to be between those two then I'd go for the cheaper, enjoy the extra 180GB of storage and spend the extra $100 on accessories such as a well padded notebook case and maybe one of these.

[XenaWP]

Seriously, an 18" notebook?

Are you a Sales professional? Those are the only people I imagine needing such a monster. My neighbor is -- rather he does field support and training. He loathes lugging around just a 17" Dell with needed accessories. (The power transformer usually adds at least a couple of pounds.)

Anyway, get a 15" slim lappy and a 19" LCD for your office/bedroom/dorm room. That's my sage advice.

[not important]

If I "really" wanted a 17" laptop, I would go for the cheaper model for the same reasons as 12twelve12 posted.

[glc]

Have you looked at the comparable Dell offerings?

[Planefreak]

I have looked at other notebooks. There are a few problems. First, next year I plan on doing lots of programming in college and the easiest way to keep up with all the stuff is to work on my own computer but I'm worried that a smaller screen with lower resolution would slow me down. I like to have several windows open with google up and my assignment. I have a 24" screen at home with dual hdmi so I could always hook my laptop up to that but how small is too small?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834220483

How about that one? It has just about everything that I need and it doesn't sacrifice performance. No fingerprint scanner or the cinedash system but who really cares about all that.

could you recommend a dell that is in the same price range?

[12twelve12]

I personally love the ASUS notebooks. We recently bought our 2 teenage daughters identical ASUS' notebooks and I find my self using one of those, when I can get away with it, instead of my Gateway. In my opinion they are put together a bit better than Dell's also. But sometimes it's really hard to beat a good Dell deal.

[Planefreak]

I'll probably go with the Sony FW notebook. On their website I can get full hd with bluray read/write with 4gb ram and 320gb hdd 7200rpm for $1100. It is considerably lighter than what I was looking at as well as smaller but with a higher def screen and its a sony. The name known to be overpriced!!! (but for good reasons of course)

[glc]

Please don't get a Sony! Not only is it overpriced, it's overly proprietary and support is not very good. I think Dell is the best VALUE, but I think Asus is very good quality.

[Planefreak]

No offense here but I just don't like dells. I know you are trying to help me out here but I've owned two dells and they both had numerous problems. I've worked on other dells with problems too. If they have changed their business practices recently then I'm all for buying a dell, but I want something that will last and so far I haven't seen a dell last more than 5 years.

Asus is great. I have several of their products and had one failure. It was taken care of quickly. My only concern is battery life. I know that more is not always better, but the asus I was looking at earlier only lasted for about 1 to 2 hours. I want something that I can use for at least 3 without having to dim the screen turn off extra apps and such.

[glc]

Ther only way you are going to get decent battery life is with a laptop that uses integrated chipset video (Intel GMA). Anything with discrete video (ATI, Nvidia) is gonna eat the battery.

The Dell Latitudes last forever - they are business class notebooks. The only thing better is a Lenovo Thinkpad/Ideapad for longevity.

[Planefreak]

Originally Posted by glc Ther only way you are going to get decent battery life is with a laptop that uses integrated chipset video (Intel GMA). Anything with discrete video (ATI, Nvidia) is gonna eat the battery.

I hear that! The only problem is that I want HDMI for both styling and convenience. VGA is nearly outdated and HDMI is typically only offered on notebooks with video cards. Easy to see why though.

I've been looking around at dell and I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. I've tried Asus too but I'm still lost. I think if they made their sites more like Newegg the whole world would be easier. Right now they are setup so you can easily find information about their laptops and not so the user can easily compare them and weigh price performance features and size. Newegg does a good job but they don't sell all of the laptops. They don't have the CS or NS lines from Sony and they don't even sell Dell stuff. And there are also holes in the Asus line and Acer line. I find laptops on Newegg that Acer doesn't even have on their website. I've been reading all day and considering trying to find an affordable 13-16" notebook that doesn't lack too much.

Also, should I worry too much about the processor. Like the p8600 2.4ghz and the p8700 2.53ghz are both newer intel chips with same FSB. I can't see their being much difference except price but what about between the p8600 and the t6400 2ghz?

Lastly, is a light-up keyboard useful? I can see it being useful at times but during most of its life would it be more of an annoyance because of extra draw on the batt.

[glc]

Go to Newegg and use the advanced search - and look at Lenovos with the Intel GMA 4500MHD chipset.

-OR- if you can handle a 12 inch screen, 4 pound laptop - Asus N20.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834220509

The Dell business class 15" laptop with the 4500MHD is the Latitude E6500. Look on the small biz site, not the home site. The digital video requires a E-port which is in the optional accessories - as is a 9 cell battery for up to 7 hours battery life.

[Planefreak]

Still not liking that dell too much. It seems to be just out of my price range with the stuff I'm looking for. I found that Asus laptop a few minutes before you posted the message. I like the idea of the same amount of power as a larger laptop in a 12" ultra portable one, but will the slower hdd make a difference?

Now if it would just go on sale

[glc]

Have you looked at all the Lenovos? Dell also has the E6400, same thing with a 14" and probably a tad cheaper. Our resident laptop guru has a E6400.

[thefultonhow]

Originally Posted by glc Have you looked at all the Lenovos? Dell also has the E6400, same thing with a 14" and probably a tad cheaper. Our resident laptop guru has a E6400.

Would that be me?

Here are my perspectives on laptop usability and reliability after owning and working on many, many laptops over the past five years:

• Size: If your laptop is ever going to leave your desk, don't get more than a 15.4"/15.6" model. I owned a 17" laptop for a while, and it was seriously cumbersome. Everyone else I've ever talked to with a 17" one either keeps it on their desk all the time, or regretted buying it, or both. My personal opinion is that for a primary computer that will be moving around a lot, 14" is the sweet spot. Some people swear by 13.3" ones, and some people like the additional screen real estate that a 15.4" will provide; I would recommend against a 12" or lower as a primary computer. 14" is a good happy medium. If you are worried about screen real estate, though, just bring your 24" widescreen. I have two 24" widescreens hooked up to a docking station with my E6400, and the arrangement works great, although I'm pretty sure I could get by with one most of the time.
• Brand/Reliability: Lenovo, Dell, Apple, or bust. Really, you don't want to buy other stuff. HP/Compaq, Sony, Acer, and Gateway all have mediocre support; Toshiba is okay, but not up to the level of Dell or Lenovo; I'm hesitant to recommend Asus just because of their long lead times on motherboard support that I've experienced. I personally don't like Apple hardware or warranty policies, but a lot of people swear by them. Dell actually has excellent support, and reliability isn't bad. Make sure to get a 3+ year warranty from whoever you buy from; using a laptop as your primary computer is tough on parts. A large percentage of my friends and relatives have either had to use their warranties one or more times, or have had to buy a new computer at the 1.5-year mark because they made the mistake of not buying an extended warranty and their computer died. I';ve seen very few laptops that were used as primary computers that have lasted beyond the four-year mark without repairs. Also, I strongly recommend buying from a company that offers accidental-damage protection and buying it if you plan to transport your computer; even if you are usually careful, you could slip on ice and land on your backpack and crack your screen like one friend did. And accidental damage protection will cover things like cracked casing from normal wear and tear as well.

P.S. My E6400 has held up well. It did get a crack in the display bezel around the area of the ambient light sensor recently, but other than that, I've had no problems in the six months I've owned it. Combine that with the solid industrial design, backlit keyboard, LED-backlit screen, etc. and you have a winner. (BTW, it has a DisplayPort port on the laptop, so you can get a $15 DisplayPort-to-HDMI adaptor instead of the $100+ docking station to use your 24" LCD.)

[Planefreak]

Just one more question. Most new laptops have li-ion which are more powerful, lighter and above all else more expensive. So, is it worth the 50 to 100 bucks to upgrade to the 9 cell from the typical 6 cell?

P.S: I'm going to college in the fall and I know they have lots of power outlets but I know there will be times that I won't have one close-by, so it would be nice to not have to worry for a longer time.

[thefultonhow]

The 9-cell is a must-have IMO if you're going to be carrying your laptop around all day.

BTW, you can usually turn off the backlit keyboards. I know you can on the E6400/E6500.

[glc]

Definitely get the 9 cell. My stepdaughters both have them in their Dells - one has a Inspiron 1520, the other has a Vostro 1510. They darn near last all day.

[Planefreak]

Well, whatever I go with I'll make sure I get the biggest battery.

[thefultonhow]

Just FYI, the Dell Latitudes have an available 12-cell "battery slice." It's pretty expensive, but they advertise 19-hour battery life with the slice and the 9-cell primary battery.

[glc]

Doesn't the slice go under the whole laptop?

[thefultonhow]

Yes.

[Charles]

Hey guys don't mean to crash this posting but I am also ready to replace my Inspiron 8600. My budget is around $1000. I have my eyes on the Lenovo T400 yet I've been reading Glc and others recommending Dells "E" and Asus N20. I wanted to run a couple of postings and get a little feedback. I am not into gaming yet the Lenovo 400 has something called switchable graphics for integrated and discrete in case you do want to run applications with heavy graphical content. I might in the future. I figure if it works as advertised it may be worth it. Makes me wonder if Lenovo puts both a graphic card and an Intel graphics accelerator 4500 and then allows you to switch. Another thing I wanted to ask is Lenovo's plastics on the T400. Are the plastics on this laptop flimsier than the T42's or T61's? It seems like it. What about that Asus next to the T400?

Any observations, memory recommendations including hard disk capacity and speed, battery and optical drives are welcome.

Thanks.