Is a Ultraportable right for College??

dC0m

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Hey all,

I recently got admitted to UC San Diego which I plan to attend in the Fall. As any other student, I will need a computer/laptop for my studies. I don't want to lug my rig down to SoCal, so I'll probably leave it at home. I do have a laptop; Dell Inspiron 1525 which is a 15.6" but I think it's a bit bulky to lug around campus.

Here the requirements I think I will need:
-Budget: $500 - $700; keep it low for a student..
-Portable (11" - 14" range)
-Somewhat light & thin, unlike my Dell
-Great Battery Life (6+ hours on a single charge?)
-Can handle 720p and maybe even 1080p videos
-Enough power to handle lots of web browsing, video playback, word processing, and moderate multitasking (work + web + music + skype?) (no Atom)
-Must last 2-3 years without being replaced (starving student = no laptop replacement anytime soon..)
-No Apple Macbooks (I absolutely hate Apple)

I've read a few thread and looked up a few videos and here's some choices I came up with:

-Lenovo x120e
-HP dm1z

The Lenovo appealed to me more in terms of build quality, keyboard friendly-ness, and specs. If it do end up getting it, I'll probably upgrade the RAM to 4 or 8GB, upgrade to HD to a 7200RPM drive or a SSD (throw nonessential files on external HD) and hook it up to a monitor when I'm in the dorm. Which brings me to my next question;

Assuming I do get a x120e or an ultraportable of the like, when I hook it up via VGA or HDMI (depending on what's supplied), how's the quality like? Will I be stuck with the same 1366x768 resolution that the laptop screen uses? I plan to use a 20 - 22" Widescreen as my dorm monitor.

Last question; Is a ultraportable suitable for my situation? Should I reconsider and get something with more power (perhaps i3 / i5) and bigger in size? This will be my main rig down there and will have to last through several semesters of hard work. Feel free to throw in other suggestions.
 
For the screen, you can run it at a totally different resolution (and even refresh rate) just fine. I hook my Dell Latitude onto my CRT via VGA occasionally for photo editing (my Dell's screen is mediocre) and I can run the CRT at 1024x768 @ 85Hz while keeping the main monitor at 1280x800 @ 60Hz.
 
i use a 12.1" daily for school work, and its fine......look at getting a 2nd monitor though for the desk, more monitor space will help with research/papers
 
You can run any external display just fine at native resolution with HDMI or VGA. (Up to 1920x1200 should work fine). You wouldn't be able to jump to anything bigger then that though since you'd need a dual link connection for something high res like a 30" (2560x1440) but doesn't sound like thats an issue.

Sounds like an ultraportable is fine. Your most demanding task you listed is playing back video so your CPU requirements are pretty low. You would probably be able to get by just fine on a dual core Atom CPU with a Broadcom HD accelerator for the video. Something worth considering (just remember you'll have a hard time getting 6 hrs of battery out of a lot of those machines without adding an extended battery)
 
I say go with the Lenovo. They are good, sturdy, simple yet strong laptops.

And like everyone has said, there will be no issues hooking it up to another monitor. =]
 
I would personally highly recommend the Lenovo x120e. I purchased one for work and all I can say is wow. I get about 5 hours of battery with the extended battery (brightness almost all the way up and wifi on) and for everything except gaming it preforms amazingly well. Mine is the e-350 with 4GB of RAM and I dropped a Seagate Momentus XT 500GB with windows 7 pro on it. When not in the field I have it driving a Dell 2408WFP @ 1920x1200 with no issues. I would definitely recommend if you are going to have a laptop that small that you have a large monitor in your dorm to hook it up to. It makes day to day tasks a lot easier.
 
personally, I keep my laptop in my room all the time... for me, it's a more of a distraction :confused:
 
personally, I keep my laptop in my room all the time... for me, it's a more of a distraction :confused:

exactly


imo you should not bring a laptop to campus.
why do you need it? to game during lectures and go on facebook?

if you have an hour or two between classes, go talk with ppl, study, or go to a computer lab.
 
exactly


imo you should not bring a laptop to campus.
why do you need it? to game during lectures and go on facebook?

if you have an hour or two between classes, go talk with ppl, study, or go to a computer lab.

notes possibly? I use my tablet/laptop for notes in pretty much every class (with the exception of me proving you right atm with being on [H]ard during my physics lecture :D ), however it has come in handy plenty (then again its a tablet for me, not a normal laptop)
 
I'd also go with the x120e. For your budget you can even get a couple of nice upgrades for it and have a solid little laptop for a few years. Maybe could sell your Dell and pick up a monitor for your dorm room.
 
Laptops are nice for labs and group work around campus. I rarely brought it to class.

That said, as long as it's under 17" I think it's portable enough.

Also, be a man and bring your rig to college :p
 
the lemovo x series are great... the x220 will be out soon, but it is slightly over your budget.
 
I'd recommend getting a T410, I think it's the perfect size. The new T420 came out the T410 has been on sale like crazy. I just bought mine with a 3yr warranty, 1440x900 res screen, 9 cell battery and discrete graphics for 850 shipped.

I carry the T410 to class with me every day, with the 9cell battery it lasts all day, and thanks to the higher res(1440x900), you can do work on it very easily. Minimum 2 word documents open side by side at a time. Usually 1 for directions and 1 for working on.

I've noticed that my computer usage has shifted throughout college. Freshman and sophmore year I moved my 15" laptop form my room once. When that broke, I got a desktop for junior and senior year. Now that I'm in graduate school, I tend to be writing papers more, and having to constantly transfer documents between campus pcs and mine was driving me insane, so I switched to a work laptop again (The previously mentioned T410) and am loving every minute of it. I couldn't go back to only a desktop now. It goes everywhere with me.

During this time, I also tried out a netbook. Total waste of money, they are so slow and the resolution is so small I only used it for two things, browsing the internet on the john and looking up drink recipes while boozing.
 
imo you should not bring a laptop to campus.
why do you need it? to game during lectures and go on facebook?

if you have an hour or two between classes, go talk with ppl, study, or go to a computer lab.

I dunno, maybe so you can do homework you need a computer for when the library/computer labs are closed? Or even just so you have the convenience of being able to do homework that requires a computer in your dorm room. Also, I like to take my laptop to the Student Union and lounge in the engineering building all the time. It's convenient.
 
Nice getting into UCSD, I also got admitted for Fall '11 (transfer from cc) :) so I've been looking around for laptops too.

Right now, I've been looking at this one, Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T-7459, but it seems it just recently went out of stock and I havent found very many reviews on it, but it looks pretty nice.

I did notice that UCSD has the Lenovo x120e at the student store for $420. Not sure how that compares to other prices because I cant find it anywhere else but it may be worth checking out.
 
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I use the Lenovo X201 and its great. Perfect weight and the screen size is just right imo.

I use it to take notes in most of my classes as well as in all my labs. I just find it easier to take notes on my laptop rather then using a notebook. Its also nice to have between classes to browse the web and maybe do a little homework while you are waiting for your next class. Lenovo also has a really cool dock that you can keep a keyboard/mouse/monitor plugged into and just drop it in there and use it like a desktop.
 
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Wow, thanks for all the responses!

While a x220 and T410 would be nice, it's slightly out of my budget which I'm trying to keep low.

I think the most appealing choice to my now is the x120e. I'm trying to located a base model (possibly without OS) to save money. I can upgrade the ram to 4GB myself. Now, the other question is SSD or HD? With my tight budget, I can possibly squeeze in a small SSD (32 - 64GB) which would be solely for apps. Music, docs, and other non-essentials would be put on an external drive. On the other hand, I could go with a fast HD, something like a WD 500GB Cavier Black, which would house everything. Which option would be best for a student who's going to do a lot of web browsing, media playback (music, videos from HD & online), word docs & powerpoints, online chat (aim + skype), and maybe some light gaming on weekends?

Can anyone comment on the x120e, specifically, the build quality?

Is there any other models/makes/alternatives a student like me should look into? I have a few months before college so this is my time to research.
 
Personally, I'd look for a used X200T. Having a flip tablet in classes is so valuable, especially if you use onenote. Greatest note taking device ever.
 
I really don't think a SSD is worth it. Especially if you are gonna go cheap. I'd reccomend getting a fast 7200rpm drive they're fast enough. My T410 with a 7200rpm is as fast as my desktop with a corsair black.
 
A ssd wont be worth it, but a tablet/convertible would be a good idea :D the tm2(on sale of course, or with discounts) is a good choice in your price range (or as suggested the x200T)
 
If you're not an engineering student an ultraportable should have all the performance you'll need for school. The main liability is that it's IGP will be more or less useless for gaming on. If you take your desktop with you that's not a problem. Otherwise I'd look at least one step up the ladder for low end gaming laptop. IF you have to buy now something with a 55xx mobility GPU or better, if you can wait until late summer AMDs llano will be available and have a 320SP IGP. Bumping up 1 level to a 5830m (800SP) or a equivalent would get you much better longevity for gaming, but will likely blow your budget by a few hundred bucks and cut into your battery time significantly.
 
Just throwing more options, ASUS U31JG-XA1 $699 13.3'' 1366x768 + i3 380m + Nvidia 415m optimus, should be pretty decent portable laptop, should handle video requirements fine, and even play some games if you decide to (low settings), should also have good battery life with optimus switchable gpus. The only thing i would change in time is the hdd which is a 5400rpm drive, should be fine for now, but a new ssd should make the laptop really nice, like a Intel G3 320.
 
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HP dm1z is my suggestion
Mine as well, I have yet to get under 7 hours of battery life on mine with brightness at 50% (over that and it is too bright for my eyes) wifi and bluetooth always on.
I like how it is more balanced and easier to hold than the x120, though the x120's keyboard is a thing of beauty. Make sure if you go the x120 route to not skimp on the battery, long life+e350 or don't bother.
 
Hm.. the dm1z's looks doesn't appeal to me as much as the x120e does. The x120e has that "classic, business" look and rigid build quality from what I've heard. Plus, it's got a pointing stick (or trackpoint / track stick for non Lenovo users), which I've always been a fond of.

I think with either route, I'm going to go with a 6-cell battery. Can't skimp out on that.

For dm1z owners, how's the overall build quality? Is the dm1z worth the price and which configuration did you guys go with? What do you dislike about the dm1z?
 
Hm.. the dm1z's looks doesn't appeal to me as much as the x120e does. The x120e has that "classic, business" look and rigid build quality from what I've heard. Plus, it's got a pointing stick (or trackpoint / track stick for non Lenovo users), which I've always been a fond of.

I think with either route, I'm going to go with a 6-cell battery. Can't skimp out on that.

For dm1z owners, how's the overall build quality? Is the dm1z worth the price and which configuration did you guys go with? What do you dislike about the dm1z?
I went with the "base" config, if I need more memory down the road it takes about 5 seconds to get to the memory on the PC.
Build quality is quite good, 0 keyboard flex no matter how hard I try. Solid feel and great fit and finish. I am not a fan of the trackpad, though with some tinkering it is far better than it was from the factory. Fences is really neat tbh, I didn't think I would use it as much as I find myself doing.
The trackpad is my only grumble with the computer, just like with the x100 I owned before (I disabled the eraser head cause it would creep across the screen after use). The x100 definetly felt more substantial, but again the battery sticking out the back was a killer for me as it made the whole PC feel incredibly unbalanced and also made it have a pretty large footprint, I can't for the life of me understand why they continue to cling to making the battery that way.
 
one plus about the x120e is it has cellular data built in (although GPS addon is EXPENSIVE)
 
^go look at the website, it shows cellular data card built in (GSM) and you can upgrade it to include a GPS for $128
 
I chose a 13" dell w/ a c2d for my g/f a couple years back. She was a psych major and said it worked great. I would've gotten an external monitor too, but I guess she didn't mind.

I think 13" or so is a good compromise between price and performance. Smaller laptops tend to cost a lot more and larger ones aren't that more powerful and are a lot larger.

Personally, I used the first EEE PC to take notes during my non-engineering classes. It worked very well for that. I'd probably go for a very cheap netbook and a desktop. I type well on netbooks so the poor keyboard isn't really an annoyance to me, and since there were computer labs everywhere I only needed to use a laptop to take notes.

Overall I'm not really sold on the glorified 10-12'" netbooks. I think you might as well get a 13" laptop or get a smaller netbook. The full-fledged laptop will stay relevant longer and the netbook will be more portable for less.

[Edit:]
http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-U31JG-XA...O7QQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301161194&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Timeline...TF8&coliid=I11Z5HESF9BIYM&colid=287ORQGESKUK4
http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkP...XKEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301321847&sr=8-1

These are all pretty much what I'm talking about. A laptop around 13" that's in a different hardware league. That way you won't feel like your laptop is slow as shit in 3 years. On the other hand, I got lucky and Dell was having a sale and I got a similar class of laptop for about $549, so it was a no-brainer. I still think for a couple hundred dollars more it's worth it since it'll be useful for longer.
 
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A ssd wont be worth it, but a tablet/convertible would be a good idea :D the tm2(on sale of course, or with discounts) is a good choice in your price range (or as suggested the x200T)

I'm disagreeing. A SSD would be great for college students on the go. With no moving parts, a SSD could survive the constant fumbling around your laptop receives from being in your bag back and forth between classes. A backup copy of your data is always recommended though.
 
I'm disagreeing. A SSD would be great for college students on the go. With no moving parts, a SSD could survive the constant fumbling around your laptop receives from being in your bag back and forth between classes. A backup copy of your data is always recommended though.

To this date the only thing i reget in my 2740p is the drive......there are so many protections now that the "fumbling around your laptop receives" is pretty much invalid......i wish i would have a) spent the extra money to get the 160 gig, or b) gotten the 500 gig drive for it(disk).....the SSD has very little effect on battery life, speed(for the most part), and temps....
 
To this date the only thing i reget in my 2740p is the drive......there are so many protections now that the "fumbling around your laptop receives" is pretty much invalid......i wish i would have a) spent the extra money to get the 160 gig, or b) gotten the 500 gig drive for it(disk).....the SSD has very little effect on battery life, speed(for the most part), and temps....

I'm not discounting your point that shock protection has been much better in recent years. But SSD also helps with faster OS booting and application load times, which equates to less fumbling of the thumbs, tapping of the foot, groans, etc. while waiting for your machine to do it's "thing." Price of SSD here in US is about $1.25/GB usually after rebates. Also can use a cheap portable USB external drive for data storage, about $50 normal price for 500GB.

I'll PM you about your 2740p woes.
 
I'm disagreeing. A SSD would be great for college students on the go. With no moving parts, a SSD could survive the constant fumbling around your laptop receives from being in your bag back and forth between classes. A backup copy of your data is always recommended though.

current mechanical drives can withstand fumbling around as described. It would take some serious knocking around to damage a mechanical drive (ie drop machine while it is on).

My old vostro 1400 has withstood 4+ years of being fumbled around with the 320/500GB hdds intach and this includes 60 miles a day in a backpack on a scooter.
 
Update:

I just purchased a Lenovo x120e from the Lenovo site since they were running a promotion for Visa card users. The end price was $393 taxed and shipped.

Here's the 2nd part of my purchase; upgrading.

My purchased model comes with 2GB of ram. While I know it's okay to mix and match different memory sometimes, it might not always jive together. I'm planning to drop in 4GB of DDR3 ram and hopefully achieve 6GB of total ram. If it doesn't go well, I'll stick to the 4GB alone.

Wifi cards; Back when I was purchasing my Dell, I heard of several cases where upgrading the internal WiFi card can boost gain (Intel 5000 series? boost by a bit?) and/or speeds over WiFi. There are several factors that probably contributed to this rumor; Dell usually shipped their laptops with cheap wifi cards compared to the Intel ones; and perhaps their antennas weren't placed in the best location..
Anyways, I want to know whats a good internal WiFi card for the money. Not too expensive but something under $60 and gets good results.

SSD; I also want to upgrade the 320GB HD to something faster. I've contemplated on a 7200RPM HD, but that would only cause more heat and possibly noise, which I don't want. Perhaps SSD is the answer? I will be loading Win7 Pro 64 bit and apps on the drive and nothing else. Media files will go on a separate flash drive or external HD. What size would be appropriate for my situation? Again, money is a factor and I don't need anything super large, but also, not miniscule. Something along the lines of 64GB would be alright I guess. I did stumble across this and thought it was the best deal I've seen for a 64GB: http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0351760.

Bluetooth; Is a internal bluetooth module even worth it?
 
SSD; I also want to upgrade the 320GB HD to something faster. I've contemplated on a 7200RPM HD, but that would only cause more heat and possibly noise, which I don't want. Perhaps SSD is the answer? I will be loading Win7 Pro 64 bit and apps on the drive and nothing else. Media files will go on a separate flash drive or external HD. What size would be appropriate for my situation? Again, money is a factor and I don't need anything super large, but also, not miniscule. Something along the lines of 64GB would be alright I guess. I did stumble across this and thought it was the best deal I've seen for a 64GB: http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0351760
I personally woudlnt spend that much, as the cpu might become the bottle neck of it, that said my brother does have X25m on his netbook, and its much better than when it was with a normal drive.

Find out if takes 2.5 or 1.8 drives, after find out if takes 9.5mm drives (its the satandard) or 7mm drives (some lenovo are asking for this), if its 2.5 and 9.5mm almost all ssd and hdd will fit. If 64gb is enough for you, the go for Samsung 470 64GB Solid State Drive MZ-5PA064 $129.99, it has very good reads and writes, specially for small ssd, most are crippled a lot on their sequential writes, but samsung 470 is but not as much with 170 mg/s. If you need more space, then Crucial Technology 128 GB Crucial RealSSD C300 Series Solid State Drive CTFDDAC128MAG-1G1 $199, good user reviews and has sata III.

Bluetooth; Is a internal bluetooth module even worth it?
This more up to you, do you have anything that has bluetooth that you want to connect to your notebook??? Headsets, Mouse, Mobile Phone, etc. I personally dont, but it really comes down to each and their needs.
 
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Wifi cards; Back when I was purchasing my Dell, I heard of several cases where upgrading the internal WiFi card can boost gain (Intel 5000 series? boost by a bit?) and/or speeds over WiFi. There are several factors that probably contributed to this rumor; Dell usually shipped their laptops with cheap wifi cards compared to the Intel ones; and perhaps their antennas weren't placed in the best location..
Anyways, I want to know whats a good internal WiFi card for the money. Not too expensive but something under $60 and gets good results.

Anyone know the answer to this question? WiFi card is going to be my next upgrade. I've already purchased a Crucial M4 64GB SSD for the x120e and I'm on the search for cheap 4GB DDR3 SODIMMS.
 
Any of the intel ones will be good, the 6200 Centrino is the top one atm, or was not too long ago.....anyhow i've got one in my 2740p, think its called the 6200 "Centrino" atleast, no reception issues at all, great reception on both the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands
 
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