Help needed: new laptop for chix0r

C

Clownboat

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 25, 2004
Messages
322
Hey guys, I'm sorta new to the laptop scene. I would never consider getting one, but my girlfriend is looking to get one and wants my help spec-ing one out (or whatever you do with laptops). I was wondering if I could get some advice as to the manufacturer/retailer/model/whatever that would be best. The guidelines are as follows:

Intel CPU (can't get an Athlon 64... don't ask why).
DVD drive with CD burning capability (CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo is fine).
Decent amount of RAM or decent expansion capability (I can install my own no problem).
Integrated wireless (for campus network) and Ethernet port.

The laptop will mostly be used for websurfing, IMing, document stuff, music downloading, DVD movie watching... you know, typical girlie stuff. :D Further guidelines:

Integrated graphics not a big deal; just has to get the job done. She's not a gamer.
Should have decent multitasking performance.
A screen that is not painful to look at (I don't want to have to buy her a spare LCD).
Ideally, it should be as thin/light and thermal-/battery-efficient as possible. She's a chick; loud noises and heavy things scare her. :rolleyes:

Now within these criteria, I want this thing as CHEAP AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. She's not made of money. :(

Now this is where you guys come in. I have no idea what kind of prices are good these days, what kind of technology I should expect, what manufacturers are good, the difference between a Pentium 4 and a Pentium M, what Centrino is, etc. I can spec out a desktop system for whatever purpose you desire, but I'm out of my element here. If you wonderful [H]ers can help me get a decent system (at the right price) for my girl, I would be eternally grateful.

And of course, it will be folding for Team 33 24/7. ;)

P.S. - It can't be an Apple. As much as I love their laptops (and I get a decent discount on them), I would have no idea how to fix it, customize it, or tweak it. She's not familiar with Macs either, and you know how eager you girlfriends/wives are to learn new things about computers...
 
Yeah, right around the $1000 mark or less seems good. It's sort of short notice so I'm not exactly sure what she's willing to spend, but I will ask her today.

Thanks for the suggestion, too; I'm especially glad it's not hideous like most of the midrange Dell/HP/Toshiba POS's I've seen in the last couple hours. The only really good-looking one I've seen was the Dell Inspiron 6000, but it seemed to give a lot less CPU bang-for-buck than the HPs.

Also, thanks are in order for this not being a Celery. :rolleyes:
 
with macs you are missing out on alot of software, maybe even some software needed for school, unless your school is all macs, i recommend an Pentium M processor for better battery life, if you get a P4 it will burn a hole in your leg

if you want something small compact light and sexy i recommend the Asus S5N
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=34-220-057&depa=0

#########################
Specifications:
Part#: S5N
CPU: Intel Pentium M 1.5GHz
Display: 12.1" TFT
OS: Windows XP Professional
Memory: 256 MB DDR 333 SDRAM
Graphics: Intel 855GME internal graphics
HD: 40GB
Optical Drive: External USB 2.0 Slim DVD/CD-RW Drive
Communication: 56K Modem,10/100 LAN, Wireless LAN(802.11b/g)
Ports: 3 x USB2.0, 1 x 1394, PC Card slot, Audio ports, VGA
Average Battery Life: up to 7.6 hours (with 90W battery pack)
Dimensions : 10.83" x 8.8" x 0.9"(WxDxH)
Weight: 2.8 lbs
Manufacturer Warranty: 2 years
#########################

you can ALWAYS upgrade the ram, i think you can even do it before you get it shipped so you have 512 (512 should be min nowadays), comes with a wireless mouse!

it looks like a Mac because its white in color (not saying mac patented the color for laptops but its more common to see mac in that white spunk color)
 
if 1500 is too much for you try this

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1208295&CatId=1074

it is an acer laptop, widescreen, i doubt you can beat this laptop for 1000, check the specs

Operating Systems Microsoft® Windows® XP Home

Platform Learn More Notebook PC

Expansion Ports 1 - Type II PC Card Slot

Processor Brand Intel

Processor Class Pentium® M Processor

Processor Speed 1.5GHz

Additional Technologies Intel Centrino Mobile Technology

Memory Type DDR

Memory Size 512MB

Memory Speed DDR333 (PC2700)

Memory Slots (Total) 2

Memory Slots (Available) 0

Capacity 80GB

Optical Drive Type CD-RW / DVD-ROM Combo Drive

Graphics Description Integrated Graphics

GPU/VPU Intel 855GME Chipset

Video Memory N/A

Communications Description Integrated Modem
Integrated LAN
Integrated Wireless LAN

Interface Type Infrared Port
Integrated Intel PRO Wireless 2200 802.11b/g
RJ-11 Phone Connector
RJ-45 Ethernet Connector

Width 14.3"

Height 1.5"

Depth 11"

Weight 6.5 lbs

Display Type WXGA with Crystal Bright Technology

Viewable Screen Size 15.4"
 
corebreach said:
You know when you say don't ask people are more tempted to ask why. :D

Is a $949 too much? If not, this is probably exactly what she's looking for:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=34-115-181&depa=0

Granted it is Acer (typically a low-end brand) but if it has to be as cheap as humanly possible there's probably no competition for value.
Click to expand...

thats pretty funny, i find acer better quality than dell toshiba and hp, they are not crap quality anymore (they used to be like 8 years ago), if you look at their laptops now they have the ferarri (even has real carbon fiber on it), the travel mate 8100 (nothing and i REALLY MEAN nothing can beat this laptop for speed and price), the aspire 2xxx series,. these laptops are vastly superior to dell comcrap and toshiba,

IMO the lowest quality laptops are dell, toshiba, compaq, hp and sony, all they do is put low end components in it, look at the HDD speeds, they are all 4200 rpm, how cheap is that? theres NOTHING cheaper than those crap HDD's they put in, most of the ram in their midline laptops are all slow ass 2100 noname memory sticks, these companies cut corners in every possible way, for 2600CDN in the sony laptop you only get 2USB ports and some shitty radeon 9200 video card, if you think about it, how exacaly do you see that laptop worth 2600? its not even worth 1500, for 1500 you can get a faster computer with 6usb ports
 
That looks pretty nice, although it's a bit up there in price (especially considering I would need to buy another memory module, because 256 MB just won't cut it these days).

I'm a bit unfamiliar, to say the least, with the Pentium Ms. I know are much more environmentally sound than P4s (better thermal properties, lower power, etc.), but what kind of performance can I expect from them? Is there a desktop chip (say, an Athlon XP or something) I could compare the 1.5 M to, just to get an idea of its power?

I know this is just an Internet box and a fricking P2 would be fine for it, but as a performance junkie I have trouble thinking in those terms. :)

EDIT: Now that second Acer looks like more of a winner... Seems really strange it would be $500 cheaper when it's got a better screen and twice the memory.

EDIT: After only a couple hours of looking, I totally agree with that assessment of Dell/HP/Sony/etc.
 
1.5GHz Dothan --> 2.4 GHz P4
1.6GHz Dothan --> 2.8 GHz P4
1.7GHz Dothan --> 3.0 GHz P4
1.8GHz Dothan --> 3.2 GHz P4
2.0GHz Dothan --> 3.4 GHz P4

this is true in benchmarks, the P4 is actually a little faster in a couple more categories but when you compare the battery life of the 2, the P4 is left so far behind its not even funny,

P4 batt life is 1.5hrs the PM is 4-8, i have a pentium M myself and it really hauls, but unfortunatly its expensive, the 2.0ghz dothan is 600CDN just for the cpu, the P4 requires a deticated fan for the cpu on the laptop the pentium M can share a fan with the video card heatsink so you can imagine how much LESS heat a pentium M puts out
 
Thanks for the clarification on that.

The Acers look pretty good. I'm still open to more brand suggestions, but it's bedtime for me. If I can get Acer's site to work in the morning, I'll look into it further. I'll also hit you guys back with the GF's preferred pricepoint, hopefully sometime tomorrow (today on the East coast).

Thanks a lot for all your help. With any luck I will soon be able to spend TIME with her instead of fucking around with her computer. (VERY long story.)
 
klowngoblin said:
thats pretty funny, i find acer better quality than dell toshiba and hp,
Click to expand...
What I meant to say was they are typically thought of as low-end. Personally, I have a BenQ LCD and I couldn't be happier with it.
 
corebreach said:
What I meant to say was they are typically thought of as low-end. Personally, I have a BenQ LCD and I couldn't be happier with it.
Click to expand...


yeah alot of ppl think that acer is crap and it was but they made a pretty good come back
 
klowngoblin, you're really putting your foot in your mouth there man. The current crop of Dell Laptops all have 5400 RPM hard drives (with the exception of their uber cheap models) They use Infineon or Micron memory for the most part (I've found a couple sticks of Samsung in em too), I've yet to see a "no name brand 2100" module in a Laptop I've worked on. Since I've poked holes in two of your cost cutting theories about Dell's Laptops, care to enlighten me some more? I also wouldn't call using 4200 RPM drives a cost cutting measure, I put a 40GB Samsung 5400RPM drive in my Inspiron 8200 which formerly housed a 4200 Travelstar. I'm kinda wishing I'd bought another 4200 RPM drive because my battery life has been reduced by a significant factor. I wouldn't take anything higher than a 5400 RPM drive in a portable for the sole fact that the faster spindle speed drive = less battery life. This isn't taking into account the increased heat produced by a 5400 RPM hard drive (which I've actually received complaints from customers on).

And P.S the increase in performance I got over the 4200 RPM drive wasn't worth the loss of a HALF HOUR of battery life.
 
You may want to take a look at the Dell 700m. I think it'll suite your gf's needs quite well.
 
Mr_Evil said:
The current crop of Dell Laptops all have 5400 RPM hard drives (with the exception of their uber cheap models)
Click to expand...
Well, we're not looking at the expensive models in this thread. All the Dells I checked out made you pay a lot extra if you didn't want a 4200 RPM drive. But anyway, we're not here to argue about different companies, I was just looking for suggestions on good ones.

I talked to my girl just now and as I suspected, around $1000 or less should hit the sweet spot. /looks at 700m

EDIT: 700m looks pretty good... You don't get much for $1000 though. Perhaps the 6000? With that you can get a 15.4 inch WXGA screen, 533 MHz FSB proc, and dedicated graphics, and it ends up being about $80 less. How's that one?
 
Seriously consider this for what she needs...
IBM R series.
http://www-132.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/s...=1&langId=-1&dualCurrId=73&categoryId=2302836

Pretty decent price, given the features are lacking compared to comparably priced units but the thing is built very solidly from what I can tell from using one. Also it runs very coo, the hand rests don't get hot like most laptops i've used. It has a great look and feel and even had the "thinklight" :)
 
Don't forget Celeron isn't a dirty word when you're talking about a Celeron M. The P3 derived architecture of the Dothans isn't like a P4. It doesn't need a massive cache to run well, but has 512k anyway. Given equal clocks, Pentium M vs. Celeron M is more like Barton vs. a t-bred than P4-based Celeron vs. P4.
Since she doesn't game, a Celeron M should have enough kick to get the job done, and would save you some $$$.
 
viper11885 said:
You may want to take a look at the Dell 700m. I think it'll suite your gf's needs quite well.
Click to expand...

I'd like to second that recommendation based on it's cost but mainly based on it's size and weight. Depending how mobile she will be with it I think the 700m is a good choice considering it's weight. Make sure she can handle the resolution of the WXGA though.
 
She's not much of a resolution freak; in fact I only just recently got her to switch to 1024x768 :p. This kind of makes me a bad person to be finding her a machine, because

1. I have somehow developed the idea that non-widescreen laptops are ugly, and
2. Everytime there's an option to upgrade to WSXGA or (god forbid) WUXGA, my mouth waters.
 
I would really get a dell. They have tons of coupons that they send out for free. If you check the hotdeals forum just recently there was a deal where you could get:
Inspiron 6000 Notebook $899 shipped
New Inspiron 6000 Notebook 6.6lb using Intel Sonoma chipset (Support DDR2, 533Mhz bus processors, etc)
Pentium M 715 1.5Ghz
512MB DDR2
30GB, DVD
15.4" Wide XGA Screen
plus $150 in options

With a freely posted $500 off coupon. A few months ago they had 750 off 1500. Combined with some other deals I got my laptop for ~700 (Actually I got 2 and sold 1).

They usually post coupons once a week... so you can get a pretty nice notebook for under $900 with all the requirements you listed. Oh, and at least 1 year warranty.
 
Clownboat said:
She's not much of a resolution freak; in fact I only just recently got her to switch to 1024x768 :p. This kind of makes me a bad person to be finding her a machine, because

1. I have somehow developed the idea that non-widescreen laptops are ugly, and
2. Everytime there's an option to upgrade to WSXGA or (god forbid) WUXGA, my mouth waters.
Click to expand...

Take her to Best Buy or some place where she can see/feel the difference between the type of screen/weight of a 700m and the 6000. Sony will most likely have a WXGA laptop at a store and there's always a 15" type laptop to look at in a store. Besides price it's a weight difference between the two which your gf will have to decide if she is going to be very mobile with it. In any event decide what she wants then wait for a deal and get it.
 
i dont think any sony is within her price budget, and no sony has good performance/dollar but they do look nice.
 
klowngoblin said:
i dont think any sony is within her price budget, and no sony has good performance/dollar but they do look nice.
Click to expand...

I mentioned sony because most likely if a store has a WXGA laptop on display it's a sony. This just so she can see/feel the difference between different types of laptops since Dell's are not available for viewing in person as easily.
 
Dell Home has coupons for Inspiron 8600, 700m, 600m, 6000, 1150, and 1000 laptops. Free shipping. Expires 3/3 5:59am CST or after 3000 uses whichever comes first. Thanks technxd0tcom.

* $500 off $1399: CG3VLZX4?Z$796
* $600 off $1699: 5?NZT7QZ8$CTTN
* $750 off $1999: 2?KC764LWR8$WQ
* Inspiron 6000
$1399 - $500 = $899
PentiumM 1.5GHz, 15.4" WXGA, 512MB, Radeon X300 PCI-E
* Inspiron 700m
$1299 + $100 upgrades - $500 = $899
Pentium M 1.6GHz, 12.1" WXGA, 4.1lbs
* Inspiron 600m
$1119 + $280 upgrades - $500 = $899
Pentium M 1.6GHz, 14.1" XGA, 4.98lbs
* Inspiron 8600
$1397 - $2 upgrades = $899
Pentium M 1.6GHz, 15.4" WXGA, 6.9lbs
 
Ripped from slickdeals.

Dell Home has coupons for Inspiron 8600, 700m, 600m, 6000, 1150, and 1000 laptops. Free shipping. Expires 3/3 5:59am CST or after 3000 uses whichever comes first. Thanks technxd0tcom.

* $500 off $1399: CG3VLZX4?Z$796
* $600 off $1699: 5?NZT7QZ8$CTTN
* $750 off $1999: 2?KC764LWR8$WQ
* Inspiron 6000
$1399 - $500 = $899
PentiumM 1.5GHz, 15.4" WXGA, 512MB, Radeon X300 PCI-E
* Inspiron 700m
$1299 + $100 upgrades - $500 = $899
Pentium M 1.6GHz, 12.1" WXGA, 4.1lbs
* Inspiron 600m
$1119 + $280 upgrades - $500 = $899
Pentium M 1.6GHz, 14.1" XGA, 4.98lbs
* Inspiron 8600
$1397 - $2 upgrades = $899
Pentium M 1.6GHz, 15.4" WXGA, 6.9lbs
 
Inspiron 700m - You can get it for really cheap sometimes from dell (they have a deal going right now). Nice widescreen glossy display, easy on the eyes, only 4.1lbs, about 4-5 hours of battery life, its everything you could need.

I got mine for about 900 with all the upgrades, basic system would have been 750.
 
The Inspiron 700m is starting to look very good. Dell got rid of the free 512 MB RAM upgrade (from 256 MB) and is now instead giving a free upgrade to DVD/CD-RW (which is exactly what I wanted) and 60 GB HDD (from 40 GB, which is also good).

Four questions:

1. Is the 8-cell battery upgrade worth it?
2. Seeing as Dell has deals practically year-round, how do I know when it is a real good time to get one? (i.e. I've heard of crazy deals like $750 off $1500 in the past)
3. Do I only have two SO-DIMM slots available?
4. Should I just fork over the $50 to Dell for the second stick of 256 MB, or is it feasible to pay a little more for a 512 MB stick of Corsair ValueRAM or something (i.e. will it run alongside the included 256 stick)? Will installing that void the warranty?

EDIT: How's this look, and tell me if there's a chance to get it cheaper down the line.

Inspiron 700m (12.1" WXGA)
1.8 GHz Dothan @ 400 FSB
512 MB DDR33 (2 x 256)
60 GB 4200 RPM HDD
24x CD-RW/DVD-ROM
Intel 2200 802.11b/g wireless
8-cell battery

Total: $1008
 
1)it depends how mobile she's going to be... that's up to you
2)the $750 off $1500 was at the end of dells fiscal year.. (or quarter.. i don't remember) Their sales were probably low, so I wouldn't hold your breath for another one of those to come up..
3)Yea, most dells (or maybe all) only have two memory slots.. higher end notebooks (alienware, sager, voodoopc) have 4x
4)512MB + 256MB.. Not cool.. Total memory 768MB.. It's an oddity, unmatched, uncool.. The system will see it, use it to the best it can, but will always have fault with it unbeknownst to the user.. Once you get past the 128MB line, you should not mix memory amounts.(this is not true for multiples of 512 (512x3 is fine, and so is 1gb+512.. but the 512+256 is not a good thing) also, I'm almost positive that installing your own memory will NOT void the warranty, but you could always shoot dell a email, or check their FAQ
 
Clownboat said:
The Inspiron 700m is starting to look very good. Dell got rid of the free 512 MB RAM upgrade (from 256 MB) and is now instead giving a free upgrade to DVD/CD-RW (which is exactly what I wanted) and 60 GB HDD (from 40 GB, which is also good).

Four questions:

1. Is the 8-cell battery upgrade worth it?
2. Seeing as Dell has deals practically year-round, how do I know when it is a real good time to get one? (i.e. I've heard of crazy deals like $750 off $1500 in the past)
3. Do I only have two SO-DIMM slots available?
4. Should I just fork over the $50 to Dell for the second stick of 256 MB, or is it feasible to pay a little more for a 512 MB stick of Corsair ValueRAM or something (i.e. will it run alongside the included 256 stick)? Will installing that void the warranty?

EDIT: How's this look, and tell me if there's a chance to get it cheaper down the line.

Inspiron 700m (12.1" WXGA)
1.8 GHz Dothan @ 400 FSB
512 MB DDR33 (2 x 256)
60 GB 4200 RPM HDD
24x CD-RW/DVD-ROM
Intel 2200 802.11b/g wireless
8-cell battery

Total: $1008
Click to expand...

1. 8cell is wayyyy worth it. 4 cell is only like 2 hours of battery life. 8 cell is 4-5 hours
2. This deal now is alright. I say jump on it because they are nearing end of quarter (april i tink)
3. Two. One easy access on the bottom, one slightly harder under the keyboard
4. Buy from someone other than dell. You save money. I put a 512 in with my 256 just fine.

Try to get a 5400 RPM drive if you can. 4200 is too slow, and she probably won't need 7200 rpm. Also, if it helps, my girlfriend loves my laptop. All girls love it, so will she.
 
I've checked out the HDD options for several Inspirons (not the high-end ones obviously), and it's basically 4200 RPM drives as far as the eye can see (with the odd 60 GB 7200 RPM option on some systems). If Dell used to offer 5400 RPM drives, they probably stopped to save a quick buck. :rolleyes:
 
Actually. When I bought my laptop it just said 40 gig. I called and asked, they said it would be 4200 rpm. But when it got here, it was a 5400 rpm. I think the only hd that is 4200 rpm from dell nowadays is their 30 gig's. The page that shows hd speed and size is wrong outdated i believe.
 
Shinji said:
Actually. When I bought my laptop it just said 40 gig. I called and asked, they said it would be 4200 rpm. But when it got here, it was a 5400 rpm. I think the only hd that is 4200 rpm from dell nowadays is their 30 gig's. The page that shows hd speed and size is wrong outdated i believe.
Click to expand...

I just received mine and it was supposed to be 4200 rpm too but it's 5400, so I think you're right.
 
Good to know. Kinda strange that Dell would be lazy enough not to update the page, especially when it's probably costing them money (i.e. people thinking they're cheap for having 4200 RPM drives).
 
Shinji said:
Actually. When I bought my laptop it just said 40 gig. I called and asked, they said it would be 4200 rpm. But when it got here, it was a 5400 rpm. I think the only hd that is 4200 rpm from dell nowadays is their 30 gig's. The page that shows hd speed and size is wrong outdated i believe.
Click to expand...

I bought a used 40GB Laptop Drive from a member here and it was a 5400 RPM drive too. It was out of a D600/600m

j514. You're incorrect, not since EDO and RAMBUS have you ABSOLUTELY had to have congruous memory modules. Ever since the good 'old DIMM was introduced you can install the memory in just about any configuration you want (so long as the mobo supported the size of the modules) Having congruous modules only matters if you're running dual channel. The 700m last I checked is NOT a dual channel lappy....and even if it were, the Laptop would run fine just with less performance (because there'd be no Dual channel). My inspiron 8200 has had a 128MB module in it and 256MB module in it for TWO YEARS and I haven't had a single problem because of it.
 
I didn't mean that you'd have noticeable problems... i said there would be problems unbeknownst to the user...i.e. performance problems. However there's no real way to test this being that there's no other way to make 768MB besides 512 + 256 in a two slot laptop. So because i have no hard evidence, i'll just say this GET 1GB!!!!1one

EDIT: Evil.. give the laptop moreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it wants more ram!! feed it. :).. (i have a 2y/o inspiron 8200 as well.. what options did you get?)
 
Clownboat said:
I've checked out the HDD options for several Inspirons (not the high-end ones obviously), and it's basically 4200 RPM drives as far as the eye can see (with the odd 60 GB 7200 RPM option on some systems).
Click to expand...
The HDD summary page has been wrong since october. I have no idea why dell refuses to fix it. All the hard drives are 5400RPM except the 30GB and 60GB 7200RPM.
 
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