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Notebook choice help

J

Jfkfhhfj

Limp Gawd
2FA
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
255
Hey [H] i need a little help choosing a laptop for school.

My old laptop is a Dell inspiron 1520, 2ghz core 2 duo, 3gb memory, 320gb HDD and a 8600m. its a good laptop, but its showing its age and because a screen hinge broke, its probably better to just get a new top instead of fixing it (its about 60$ for a new lcd back panel)

So i'm looking into a new laptop and one of the main features i want is touch. I'd also like to get a laptop that is a bit faster than the one i have.

I do alot of cad work and touch is very useful to have in a laptop as well as for handwriting and whatnot.

The three laptops i've broken it down to are:

Hp Pavillion Dv6t Select Edition:

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-450M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)with Turbo Boost up to 2.66 GHz
1GB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5650 switchable graphics [HDMI, VGA]
FREE Upgrade to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
FREE Upgrade to 640GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard) - Up to 5 hours of battery life +++
15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1366x768)
TouchScreen with HP TouchSmart's intuitive multi-touch applications (includes HP TrueVision Webcam)
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
Intel Wireless-N Card
Backlit Keyboard with Fingerprint Reader

Cost - 1000$ shipped w tax.

Pros:
- Cheapest and fastest
- Light and powerful
Cons:
- I've never bought from HP before always Dell
- Less upgradeable
- Hp's are pia to service compared to dell


The other laptop i am considering is the Dell Studio 17:

Intel® Core™ i3-370M 2.4GHz (3M cache)
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bi
4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR3 at 1066MHz
640GB 5400 RPM SATA Hard Drive
85 Whr Lithium Ion Battery (9 cell)
ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5650, 1GB with TV Tuner
Intel© Centrino© Advanced-N 6200
17.3” HD+ (900p) Bright LED Display with TrueLife™ and Camera
Dell Wireless 365 Bluetooth Internal (2.1)
8X Slot Load CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive) edit
Back-lit Keyboard

It goes for 1200$ shipped I might be able to negotiate down a bit more.

Pros:
-Upgradeable, has two hdd bays might be nice to have a secondary SSD for the os
-Big screen, nice for viewing movies with friends in my dorm

Cons:
-Worse deal
-A little to heavy

Im also considering the HP tm2 tablet, which goes for 900$ shipped with the bells and whistles. I would like the tablet form factor, but the tm2 is just too slow.

My main questions:

How is the build quality and service with HP laptops? i've had to fix way too many of my friends and have a bad view on them

How huge is the Dell studio 17?

Is there anyway i can test the multi-touch of these laptops to see how it affects my performance with my cad software?

Which laptop would you choose and why?

And are there any other touch laptops that are a better deal?

Should i just suck it up with what i got and wait until grad school?

I really appreciate the help anyone has to offer. I'm really leaning towards the HP laptop, but i figured i'd look for feedback before venturing into this territory.

Thanks guys!
 
with only a $200 diff, I would take the Dell. the 1366x768 resolution on the hp is a deal breaker for me.
 
Yea... unfortunately, 200$ is alot to chew and even then, the HP is still a better laptop. If the HP had an upgrade for a better screen i'd totally grab it.
 
Pick up a used HP Elitebook tablet from Ebay. There are quite a few (last I looked) off lease from large corporate clients with 2+ years remaining on warranty for very reasonable prices. That's how I got my 2510p, and I love it. Far better built than the Dell and consumer-level HPs you're considering, the same price or cheaper. (EDIT: though your discrete graphics requirements may be an issue. Anyway, look in to it, may be worthwhile)
 
Thanks for the heads up, thats very temping. I just have to find one with the right hardware and price point.

The biggest issue i have with the tablet form factor is just since they're meant to be portable, you get more expensive low power components. I would like a tablet, but i don't mind a big hulking laptop since i keep it in my backpack.

ugh... if bing cashback only still existed >.<.
 
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