OK so I know people are sick of the laptop delima (shouldn't we all be on desk tops if we're rendering?) but I have problem.
I am doing a lot of field work and have great desktop at home that can crank out pretty renderings and graphics but need something to take with me to other offices.
I currently am using a Sony Vaio thats an old gen. P4 and it sucks.
I think Dells Latitude 680D is nice, but the Radeon X300 graphics card has been slammed by everyone. I figured I could make it work with a gig of ram, but that won't do too much on the graphics end.
I don't plan on rendering with it, but it does need to be fast, light, and be able to handle ACAD 2005 (my sony can barely load it).
Get a Dell 9300 with a coupon, you should be able to get it for $1500 (a basic model). Maybe one of the lesser models if you want to deck it out.
Make sure you get a 35% off coupon, they offer the regularly.
This is part of what I hate about laptops. With my Dell workstation I swap parts out and upgrade easily, but the laptops (especially the ones with integrated gfx cards) are like MACs- no easy DIY interface.
I just want light, cheap, and with a decent graphics card, but as I am finding that is pretty tough to get.
Have an HP 7000 (2 years now). Machine is been pretty good. I run mostly, Illustrator, Photoshop, Maya, Rhino, Mastercam and Autocad. Pretty heavy stuff and it works well. (paid more than 1500 of course because I got a 256 Nvidia card and some other bells and whistles.
**Funny but today is been acting up and crashed twice while working on a model**...a little pissed off but I recomend the machine nevertheless.
Have an HP 7000 (2 years now). Machine is been pretty good. I run mostly, Illustrator, Photoshop, Maya, Rhino, Mastercam and Autocad. Pretty heavy stuff and it works well. (paid more than 1500 of course because I got a 256 Nvidia card and some other bells and whistles.
**Funny but today is been acting up and crashed twice while working on a model**...a little pissed off but I recommend the machine nevertheless.
I just got a sony Vaio FS660/w. Any thoughts on what I should expect?
Im on a crazy payment plan at Best buy and a little nervous about how it will perform in the future. Im in 3d Grad school by the way and run Maya 7. Peace and love.
I currently have a Sony Viao and want to heave it into the pacific (the only thing stopping me is that I am in Downtown.
3ifs- Ive looked at the new viaos- the NVIDA seems pretty solid and I can customize the dims so that I am running a gig of ram. How is the new WXGA? It looks cool, but how is it for ACAD (I may have to do the occasional drafting bit on the road).
BOTS- I've always been against the HP/Compaq thing, but know people who love them. How is it for CAD/photoshoping? I have a nice dell graphics work station in my studio so I don't need rendering capability.
WXGA is sweet, esp on the 13.5" screen, as it crams a lot of pixels into a small area. ACAD is great, no issues, except that i am used to a 21" CRT for cad, so anything else isn't as good... i have always thought CRTs are superior for cad.
the S series laptops from sony are so nice. magnesium case, very reasonably sized - small but not too small, lightweight... its worlds apart from the old vaio we have in the office.
my personal qualifications for a laptop were (in no order)
+ lightweight
+ stylish case and details
+ non-intel integrated graphics
+ centrino (for battery life)
+ at least 1280 x 800 screen resolution
+ runs autocad (sorry apple)
+ capable of holding 2GB ram (i am at 1.25GB right now)
as far as gateway is concerned, i have heard rumors that they are on the way out... so i avoided them.
the best advice i can give for buying a laptop is go and play with them. get a feel for the keys, mouse, buttons, ports, etc. don't buy anything you can't touch and feel first. i went and played with toshibas, HPs, gateways, pretty much everything... and the sony felt the best to me in terms of quality and design.
anyone clued into any advances around the corner? I am thinking dual core processors, beter mobile vid card, 64-bit. I know laptops have it now, but they seem heavy as hell. Wondering what is coming in 2006?
why no one got a dell???, i am going traveling for couple of months and i need something that will have warranty in a different country.
So I was thinking a computer from a company that sell computer in the places i am going to, until now i think mostly Dell, Sony and HP
My main concern is price and must run CAD, Photoshop and rhino without any problems...
You get the most with a Dell, no question. I've been comparing 9300 (17 incher) to Sony, and typically the Sony comes in at about $600-800 more.
The only advantage Sony has is the screen, it's simply the best out there. But the reliability, customer service, and cost put it at the back of the pack.
If Dell comes out with a better screen, they'll have the best package, regardless of price. For now, it's the best for the cost.
No other company offers the bang for the buck, with support, that Dell does. Just make sure you get it with a coupon.
It's also pretty light (8,5 lbs or so)
Dual core, hopefully by Xmas
Huge Storage increases, hopefully by Xmas (think 2-3x what it is now)
The rest will be more incremental. The graphics cards are already pretty smokin' (and pretty expensive - they've got the Geforce 7800 out now)
N-E Ways!!!!! When I started my college career in 3d arts I called Dell and asked about their latest model (desktop) at the time. 8100 series was there newest pc. They sold me one for around 2.590. It would crash and burn over and over during my 1st year when I was just learning Maya 4. Then the hard drive went and I was still under warranty so I got a new one. Well, they came and installed it but I never got my hours of work out of it. I had a pc specialist work on it that had no connections to Dell and he let me in on the secret that all the parts including mother board and ram and drives are specifically made by those part companies for Dell pc's out of their cheapest materials. That why they have the money to have you talk to someone in india when you need "support".Then the mother board went within the same year!! All in all I had about four years of problems during my BA and my 2.590 dollar pc was sitting at home while I was practically living in the lab at school! My parents wouldnt let me live it down so I had to by my Sony Vaio @ Best Buy myself on my credit. I will NEVER BY DELL ANYTHING AGAIN!!!!! Maybee this is why no one else is either buddy. My laptop was cheaper and its performance so far has been superb.
that guy didn't know what he was talking about. If you open up your Dell, you'll see the parts are the same ones you buy from somewhere like BestBuy or NewEgg - they are the exact same models. You can ask who makes the parts - it varies.
I've got Western Digital and Seagate hard drives in my 3 machines (ones 6 years old and NEVER had anything fail on it).
My sis has a 8100 and hasn't had a problem with hers, either.
I am not suggesting they are flawless - certainly not. But if you use the coupons, you'll save hundreds, maybe a thousand, off a comparable laptop.
Personally, I wouldn't listen to any one person, especially if they had problems and paid more than they should have (I talked the salesperson at Dell down about a grand on my newest workstation - a dual 3.4). Just do your research and compare prices, with the coupons. Read up on tech support (Sony has pretty much the worst out there), etc. Check out that www.laptopforum.com site, I've found it very helpful. They've got every machine on there, including many I've never heard of - very informative.
I'll leave it at that, I think I've pumped Dell up enough. So don't listen to me alone, and don't let any one opinion sway you.
toshiba is alot like HP/Compaq (same base designs, even) - the lower end models are pretty worthless, but they have some OK stuff towards the higher end. I'd be looking at fujitsu in that price/value segment though.
One thing to keep in mind is that overall laptop build quality has pretty much tanked across the board - the cuthroat competition has led to alot of corner cutting.
generally speaking, if you're on a tight budget, dell is the best value. if you have more to spend, and need a really portable, really durable laptop backed by top notch support, IBM is pretty much king.
Personally I'm hard enough on my laptops and have had enough bad experinces with dell that I'll pay extra for IBM quality.
If you're going to use it heavily (multi-tasking and/or rendering), waiting on dual core would be a very smart move.
manamana, are ibm's really that good? im eyeing the IBM T43P
My only concern is about the bland looks, but of course the performance is going to trump that.
Have you used any IBM laptop? do they run really hot ?
I have a T41p. after owning and using it, I will never consider buying anything else unless lenovo really farks things up. I'm going to sound awfully fanboi-ish here, but this is what I think:
there's a fit and finish to IBM laptops that I have yet to see from any other designer (except maybe apple). everything just works like it's supposed to, no BS. It's the non performance related aspects that make an IBM worth the extra cash to me. the t-serries is thin, light (to me, <5.5 lbs is light, and >7.5 is a brick), great battery life, great keyboard, and built like a tank. tasks you would have to fight with a dell over (like hooking up a projector) are done in a couple keystrokes on an IBM. It's just much easier to own and use than the dell I ran into the ground before getting the IBM.
I think the black is great, looks wise, actually. dell changes styles so often that they look dated very quickly. IBM's designs are pretty timeless- simple, well engineered, and nothing more. To me it looks like a professional tool rather than a plastic toy.
heat- my t41p gets warm, obviously, but it's never been an issue for me.
See if you can find a way to see one in person..that's what really convinces alot of people.
and you can save a good chunk of money on an IBM if you are or know:
someone who works for IBM or lenovo
someone who's affiliated with harvard (or other colleges, but harvard gets by far the best deals)
someone who owns IBM stock
For rebates, etc. check www.dealstudio.com or www.pricescan.com
I find there are a LOT of rebates available online for laptops and hardware if you look around. I came across a Dell discount for $750 once time, and it combined with i think a 20% off discount. Just look around.
I have a Dell 700M, the very tiny laptop, I love the way it looks, I have it hooked up to a Dell 24" widescreen monitor and wirelss mouse+keyboard, works great. I do CAD, rendering, PS, all that on it.
3ghz processor, 1 gig ram.
I've had a 17" HP with 1.5gig ram and a 3.4mhz chip for about six months, it's a battery powered hand-dryer, after washing my hands I dry them on the side vents! An absolutely fantastic feature, however the battery only lasts about an hour.
Don't get a laptop with a pentium chip, although I'm sure computer designers loved the challenge of making a chip designed for a desktop work in a laptop... a coworkers desktop has the same chip as my laptop and the heat sink on it is 6x6x6 inches with two fans.
thanks trace. once again, i'm venturing into laptop land. this time for a xps or 9300 system. i know that most coupons are limited to a certain number. don't they post the coupons thrusday morning? i'm hoping to catch a special like the one monkeyboy got this past summer (see laptop faceoff thread) i've also ventured over to boxx and alienware though they've been running about $500 more than dells.
i just got off the phone with a dell rep in the epp (employee purchase program - being a student i qualify) basically asking if they offer any specials on that end. they just got through offering a %34 on all machines in early oct. but won't offer anything like that again until feb.
An important thing to remember when watching the dell coupons is that they jack up the prices when the really high $$ coupons go into effect. keep track of final prices after tax and shipping (if applicable) rather than the $ or % off amount.
many times the best sounding deals wind up being worse than the mediocre-sounding ones.
To update everyone on my lap adventure (i started the thread afterall). I ended up getting a Sony Vaio VGN580. It has one of the new WXGAs and it is amazing. So far it can handle anything and I don't mind the smaller screen as the wide format makes up for it somehow. At 4.3 lbs I can take it anywhere. I also bought an extra gig of ram, so now it is screaming. Since I already have a workstation at my office, this has set me up for presentations and jobsite discussions. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for small and light.
do you think a p4 processor is faster than a pentium m processor of the same speed? I know pentium m like 1.5 ghz is more or less the same thing as a p4 3ghz processor. The question is, do you think there is a diference between the two? should one get the p4 (i heard it could handle stuff better) thanks for any help
i use an ibm thinkpad t42p. and i feel the same way mana feels about his/her thinkpad. i love the design, the fit, the performance. the "p" series comes with an awesome video card designed specifically for CAD and 3d modeling. i have no problems running rhino, maya, autocad on it. it can even render but i usually use my desktop for that. the build quality is second to none, definitely up there with apple, the look and finish is elegant,understated, and very beautiful in my opinion, runs cool, extremely portable (i got the 14.1" version), and has long battery life.
the first dual core pentium M, and the most interesting processor intel has come up with in a long time. My engineer buddies have been talking about how great it's going to be for almost a year now-hopefully it lives up to the hype.
last I heard it was slated for launch in december and wide availibility in Jan.
From what I hear, a P4 is more robust than a PM. The front side bus is wider on the P4. If you aren't concerned about the battery life and don't mind something a little larger, I think the P4 will perform better. Just for quick numbers a website benching various mobile processors used SiSoft Sandra 2004 SP1 - CPU Arithmetic Benchmark and came up with the results that an Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz had a score of 9824, AMD Athlon64 3700+ (2.4 GHz) was 10400 and Intel Pentium-M 755 (2.0 GHz) was 7820, a higher score being better.
outcome: pentium m is far more efficient, cooler, quieter (and the laptops are usually far lighter)
Yonah, then Merom dual core will blow both ofthem away...
In terms of Laptop makers, Mobile mag recently rated Toshiba no. support.
The Toshiba Tecra/Qosmio can kick ass, Acer Travelmate 8100 good, Asus has some sweet machines (they in fact make the chasis for many other mfrs.) and Sager will give you ass-kickenest laptop this side of Falcon/Voodoo, also HP/Compaq will do...check it.
Toshiba, eh? That 17" Qosmio gets top marks at PC Mag, too. Excellent screent.
That's my problem with the 9300 and XPS - the screens are no comparison for Toshiba's or Sony's. Really, it's night and day. That's why I sent mine back. I may get another one later on, we'll see. I know they just had to replace TONS of screens and switched manufacturer's (LG and Samsung - both make great monitors, so I don't know why Dell's sucks). Others don't care as much, but for graphic/web design work, I do care.
I got 35% off when I bought it. Just be aware that they charge a restocking fee and I am still battling them over the 15%. Really annoying, and if they don't give it back, as I went through tech support for hours trying to resolve my screen quality (which could have only been my machine), it should have been a ttechnical refund.
I wouldn't listen to the salesperson, can't imagine they'll stop the coupons. But wwhen I first called, a salesperson tried to convince me to do the 'managers' discount, which was almost the same as the 35%.
Them dual cores, coupled with the new generation of high capacity storage laptop harddrives, will be great.
the voodoos and sagers are sweet looking machines (sagers seem to be pretty affordable)
i'm thinking instead of getting some monster weighing in at around 8-10 lbs. i'll try and get a smaller machine with some serious punch (the smaller dell xps m170 - maybe a sony viao - again the sager and voodoos look pretty sweet)
Pomotrash, have you tried running maya on your new Sony? Amazing display and weight makes the Sony a really smart choice.
I'm in a similar situation in terms of having a desktop for rendering at work and the 1500 price point. The only difference is that I will be out of the office for extended periods of time and will want to run maya and autocad. I've been considering a refurbished Dell M70 b/c of the graphics card. Has anyone else considered the M70 or VGN-580?
dell xps m140 (smallest but limited on vid card options)
sager 5320c, 3880c (most options, largest and heavest of the bunch)
voodoo 522 (lightest and slightly larger than dell, most expensive)
basic specs are:
pentium m 760
2GB Ram
80GB 7200 rpm hd
dvd+rw drive
video card
integrated wireless
bluetooth module
xp professional
office basics
5-1 flash reader
i'm open to recommendations and or comments from people who might own one of the 4 models (esp sager and voodoo). i currently have a dell and am pleased with it. i'm more seriously looking at the m140 but the fact that they don't offer a better video card option is disappointing.
So far no complaints with the unit. The WXGA is unreal. It is so bright.
People freak out when they see stuff on it. The only problem is that now when I use my graphics workstation at my studio the cheap 21" TFT flatpanel makes me want to kill myself its so dull.
I only paid 1500.00 for the Sony and I don't regret it one bit. I put a gig on top of the 512mb it had and it is pretty darn fast.
I don't even miss the extra screen height. The shorter but wider screen is a big difference.
My only complaint is that there seem to be bugs in the windows XP pro op, but I think it has nothing to do with the laptop.
another laptop thread.
OK so I know people are sick of the laptop delima (shouldn't we all be on desk tops if we're rendering?) but I have problem.
I am doing a lot of field work and have great desktop at home that can crank out pretty renderings and graphics but need something to take with me to other offices.
I currently am using a Sony Vaio thats an old gen. P4 and it sucks.
I think Dells Latitude 680D is nice, but the Radeon X300 graphics card has been slammed by everyone. I figured I could make it work with a gig of ram, but that won't do too much on the graphics end.
I don't plan on rendering with it, but it does need to be fast, light, and be able to handle ACAD 2005 (my sony can barely load it).
Any ideas?
oh and I need it for 1500 or less.
good luck
3 words:
DELL IS SHIT
the hp whatever whatever seems to be popular
mid-lower end or older IBM t series? I think you could get a T41p on ebay or through a reseller for $1500 now.
incidentally I'll be selling mine shortly...
fujitsu might have something as well
acer
Get a Dell 9300 with a coupon, you should be able to get it for $1500 (a basic model). Maybe one of the lesser models if you want to deck it out.
Make sure you get a 35% off coupon, they offer the regularly.
Check out www.techbargains.com and www.laptopforums.com
Thx. all.
This is part of what I hate about laptops. With my Dell workstation I swap parts out and upgrade easily, but the laptops (especially the ones with integrated gfx cards) are like MACs- no easy DIY interface.
I just want light, cheap, and with a decent graphics card, but as I am finding that is pretty tough to get.
Thx. for all the leads.
I've just got one of these. Does everything I need including rendering.
HP Compaq nx8220
i just bought one of these:
• Weight
4.3 lbs. with standard battery (weight is approximate and may vary)
• Dimensions
12.3"(W) x 1.18" - 1.39"(H) x 8.85"(D)
mine has an nvidia geforce chipset and i paid around 1550 after rebates...
Have an HP 7000 (2 years now). Machine is been pretty good. I run mostly, Illustrator, Photoshop, Maya, Rhino, Mastercam and Autocad. Pretty heavy stuff and it works well. (paid more than 1500 of course because I got a 256 Nvidia card and some other bells and whistles.
**Funny but today is been acting up and crashed twice while working on a model**...a little pissed off but I recomend the machine nevertheless.
Have an HP 7000 (2 years now). Machine is been pretty good. I run mostly, Illustrator, Photoshop, Maya, Rhino, Mastercam and Autocad. Pretty heavy stuff and it works well. (paid more than 1500 of course because I got a 256 Nvidia card and some other bells and whistles.
**Funny but today is been acting up and crashed twice while working on a model**...a little pissed off but I recommend the machine nevertheless.
I just got a sony Vaio FS660/w. Any thoughts on what I should expect?
Im on a crazy payment plan at Best buy and a little nervous about how it will perform in the future. Im in 3d Grad school by the way and run Maya 7. Peace and love.
Bots, I have the NW8240, and find it flawless running a multitude of software. Lovely.
I currently have a Sony Viao and want to heave it into the pacific (the only thing stopping me is that I am in Downtown.
3ifs- Ive looked at the new viaos- the NVIDA seems pretty solid and I can customize the dims so that I am running a gig of ram. How is the new WXGA? It looks cool, but how is it for ACAD (I may have to do the occasional drafting bit on the road).
BOTS- I've always been against the HP/Compaq thing, but know people who love them. How is it for CAD/photoshoping? I have a nice dell graphics work station in my studio so I don't need rendering capability.
can anyone comment on the toshiba P30 (satellite series)
c/w:
intel P4 3.06 GHz
128 mb ATI radeon 9700 graphics card
cheers.
how do people around here feel about Gateway?
how is the quality in general? i've heard both high praise and complete disgust.....
pomo,
WXGA is sweet, esp on the 13.5" screen, as it crams a lot of pixels into a small area. ACAD is great, no issues, except that i am used to a 21" CRT for cad, so anything else isn't as good... i have always thought CRTs are superior for cad.
the S series laptops from sony are so nice. magnesium case, very reasonably sized - small but not too small, lightweight... its worlds apart from the old vaio we have in the office.
my personal qualifications for a laptop were (in no order)
+ lightweight
+ stylish case and details
+ non-intel integrated graphics
+ centrino (for battery life)
+ at least 1280 x 800 screen resolution
+ runs autocad (sorry apple)
+ capable of holding 2GB ram (i am at 1.25GB right now)
as far as gateway is concerned, i have heard rumors that they are on the way out... so i avoided them.
the best advice i can give for buying a laptop is go and play with them. get a feel for the keys, mouse, buttons, ports, etc. don't buy anything you can't touch and feel first. i went and played with toshibas, HPs, gateways, pretty much everything... and the sony felt the best to me in terms of quality and design.
anyone clued into any advances around the corner? I am thinking dual core processors, beter mobile vid card, 64-bit. I know laptops have it now, but they seem heavy as hell. Wondering what is coming in 2006?
why no one got a dell???, i am going traveling for couple of months and i need something that will have warranty in a different country.
So I was thinking a computer from a company that sell computer in the places i am going to, until now i think mostly Dell, Sony and HP
My main concern is price and must run CAD, Photoshop and rhino without any problems...
Weight is not a big problem
You get the most with a Dell, no question. I've been comparing 9300 (17 incher) to Sony, and typically the Sony comes in at about $600-800 more.
The only advantage Sony has is the screen, it's simply the best out there. But the reliability, customer service, and cost put it at the back of the pack.
If Dell comes out with a better screen, they'll have the best package, regardless of price. For now, it's the best for the cost.
No other company offers the bang for the buck, with support, that Dell does. Just make sure you get it with a coupon.
It's also pretty light (8,5 lbs or so)
www.laptopforums.com if you want to read the latest.
Things around the corner:
Dual core, hopefully by Xmas
Huge Storage increases, hopefully by Xmas (think 2-3x what it is now)
The rest will be more incremental. The graphics cards are already pretty smokin' (and pretty expensive - they've got the Geforce 7800 out now)
N-E Ways!!!!! When I started my college career in 3d arts I called Dell and asked about their latest model (desktop) at the time. 8100 series was there newest pc. They sold me one for around 2.590. It would crash and burn over and over during my 1st year when I was just learning Maya 4. Then the hard drive went and I was still under warranty so I got a new one. Well, they came and installed it but I never got my hours of work out of it. I had a pc specialist work on it that had no connections to Dell and he let me in on the secret that all the parts including mother board and ram and drives are specifically made by those part companies for Dell pc's out of their cheapest materials. That why they have the money to have you talk to someone in india when you need "support".Then the mother board went within the same year!! All in all I had about four years of problems during my BA and my 2.590 dollar pc was sitting at home while I was practically living in the lab at school! My parents wouldnt let me live it down so I had to by my Sony Vaio @ Best Buy myself on my credit. I will NEVER BY DELL ANYTHING AGAIN!!!!! Maybee this is why no one else is either buddy. My laptop was cheaper and its performance so far has been superb.
that guy didn't know what he was talking about. If you open up your Dell, you'll see the parts are the same ones you buy from somewhere like BestBuy or NewEgg - they are the exact same models. You can ask who makes the parts - it varies.
I've got Western Digital and Seagate hard drives in my 3 machines (ones 6 years old and NEVER had anything fail on it).
My sis has a 8100 and hasn't had a problem with hers, either.
I am not suggesting they are flawless - certainly not. But if you use the coupons, you'll save hundreds, maybe a thousand, off a comparable laptop.
Personally, I wouldn't listen to any one person, especially if they had problems and paid more than they should have (I talked the salesperson at Dell down about a grand on my newest workstation - a dual 3.4). Just do your research and compare prices, with the coupons. Read up on tech support (Sony has pretty much the worst out there), etc. Check out that www.laptopforum.com site, I've found it very helpful. They've got every machine on there, including many I've never heard of - very informative.
I'll leave it at that, I think I've pumped Dell up enough. So don't listen to me alone, and don't let any one opinion sway you.
any thoughts on toshiba?
toshiba is alot like HP/Compaq (same base designs, even) - the lower end models are pretty worthless, but they have some OK stuff towards the higher end. I'd be looking at fujitsu in that price/value segment though.
One thing to keep in mind is that overall laptop build quality has pretty much tanked across the board - the cuthroat competition has led to alot of corner cutting.
generally speaking, if you're on a tight budget, dell is the best value. if you have more to spend, and need a really portable, really durable laptop backed by top notch support, IBM is pretty much king.
Personally I'm hard enough on my laptops and have had enough bad experinces with dell that I'll pay extra for IBM quality.
If you're going to use it heavily (multi-tasking and/or rendering), waiting on dual core would be a very smart move.
manamana, are ibm's really that good? im eyeing the IBM T43P
My only concern is about the bland looks, but of course the performance is going to trump that.
Have you used any IBM laptop? do they run really hot ?
SOD-
I have a T41p. after owning and using it, I will never consider buying anything else unless lenovo really farks things up. I'm going to sound awfully fanboi-ish here, but this is what I think:
there's a fit and finish to IBM laptops that I have yet to see from any other designer (except maybe apple). everything just works like it's supposed to, no BS. It's the non performance related aspects that make an IBM worth the extra cash to me. the t-serries is thin, light (to me, <5.5 lbs is light, and >7.5 is a brick), great battery life, great keyboard, and built like a tank. tasks you would have to fight with a dell over (like hooking up a projector) are done in a couple keystrokes on an IBM. It's just much easier to own and use than the dell I ran into the ground before getting the IBM.
I think the black is great, looks wise, actually. dell changes styles so often that they look dated very quickly. IBM's designs are pretty timeless- simple, well engineered, and nothing more. To me it looks like a professional tool rather than a plastic toy.
heat- my t41p gets warm, obviously, but it's never been an issue for me.
See if you can find a way to see one in person..that's what really convinces alot of people.
and you can save a good chunk of money on an IBM if you are or know:
someone who works for IBM or lenovo
someone who's affiliated with harvard (or other colleges, but harvard gets by far the best deals)
someone who owns IBM stock
For rebates, etc. check www.dealstudio.com or www.pricescan.com
I find there are a LOT of rebates available online for laptops and hardware if you look around. I came across a Dell discount for $750 once time, and it combined with i think a 20% off discount. Just look around.
I have a Dell 700M, the very tiny laptop, I love the way it looks, I have it hooked up to a Dell 24" widescreen monitor and wirelss mouse+keyboard, works great. I do CAD, rendering, PS, all that on it.
3ghz processor, 1 gig ram.
i agree with manamana re: IBM laptops... very nicely made. the only disagvantages i can see are price and the screen.
I've had a 17" HP with 1.5gig ram and a 3.4mhz chip for about six months, it's a battery powered hand-dryer, after washing my hands I dry them on the side vents! An absolutely fantastic feature, however the battery only lasts about an hour.
Don't get a laptop with a pentium chip, although I'm sure computer designers loved the challenge of making a chip designed for a desktop work in a laptop... a coworkers desktop has the same chip as my laptop and the heat sink on it is 6x6x6 inches with two fans.
how often does dell offer the 30% coupon for the xps laptop systems?
Fairly often. When I bought one (which I returned), they were offering it at least every other week.
keep an eye on www.laptopforums.com
or www.techbargains.com
thanks trace. once again, i'm venturing into laptop land. this time for a xps or 9300 system. i know that most coupons are limited to a certain number. don't they post the coupons thrusday morning? i'm hoping to catch a special like the one monkeyboy got this past summer (see laptop faceoff thread) i've also ventured over to boxx and alienware though they've been running about $500 more than dells.
i just got off the phone with a dell rep in the epp (employee purchase program - being a student i qualify) basically asking if they offer any specials on that end. they just got through offering a %34 on all machines in early oct. but won't offer anything like that again until feb.
i guess i've just got to watch and wait...
An important thing to remember when watching the dell coupons is that they jack up the prices when the really high $$ coupons go into effect. keep track of final prices after tax and shipping (if applicable) rather than the $ or % off amount.
many times the best sounding deals wind up being worse than the mediocre-sounding ones.
To update everyone on my lap adventure (i started the thread afterall). I ended up getting a Sony Vaio VGN580. It has one of the new WXGAs and it is amazing. So far it can handle anything and I don't mind the smaller screen as the wide format makes up for it somehow. At 4.3 lbs I can take it anywhere. I also bought an extra gig of ram, so now it is screaming. Since I already have a workstation at my office, this has set me up for presentations and jobsite discussions. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for small and light.
do you think a p4 processor is faster than a pentium m processor of the same speed? I know pentium m like 1.5 ghz is more or less the same thing as a p4 3ghz processor. The question is, do you think there is a diference between the two? should one get the p4 (i heard it could handle stuff better) thanks for any help
i use an ibm thinkpad t42p. and i feel the same way mana feels about his/her thinkpad. i love the design, the fit, the performance. the "p" series comes with an awesome video card designed specifically for CAD and 3d modeling. i have no problems running rhino, maya, autocad on it. it can even render but i usually use my desktop for that. the build quality is second to none, definitely up there with apple, the look and finish is elegant,understated, and very beautiful in my opinion, runs cool, extremely portable (i got the 14.1" version), and has long battery life.
at this point in time, I don't think buying a P4 in a notebook makes any sense at all. get a PM or wait a couple months for yonah.
yonah?!
the first dual core pentium M, and the most interesting processor intel has come up with in a long time. My engineer buddies have been talking about how great it's going to be for almost a year now-hopefully it lives up to the hype.
last I heard it was slated for launch in december and wide availibility in Jan.
From what I hear, a P4 is more robust than a PM. The front side bus is wider on the P4. If you aren't concerned about the battery life and don't mind something a little larger, I think the P4 will perform better. Just for quick numbers a website benching various mobile processors used SiSoft Sandra 2004 SP1 - CPU Arithmetic Benchmark and came up with the results that an Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz had a score of 9824, AMD Athlon64 3700+ (2.4 GHz) was 10400 and Intel Pentium-M 755 (2.0 GHz) was 7820, a higher score being better.
Here's the full link
benchmarks
If you want to see a recent,thorough comparison between pentium 4 and pentium :
Is The Pentium 4 A Dead End?
http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20050525/index.html
outcome: pentium m is far more efficient, cooler, quieter (and the laptops are usually far lighter)
Yonah, then Merom dual core will blow both ofthem away...
In terms of Laptop makers, Mobile mag recently rated Toshiba no. support.
The Toshiba Tecra/Qosmio can kick ass, Acer Travelmate 8100 good, Asus has some sweet machines (they in fact make the chasis for many other mfrs.) and Sager will give you ass-kickenest laptop this side of Falcon/Voodoo, also HP/Compaq will do...check it.
sorry,that's "between pentium 4 and pentiumM" and "Mobile mag. rated Toshiba no. 1 in support"...
Toshiba, eh? That 17" Qosmio gets top marks at PC Mag, too. Excellent screent.
That's my problem with the 9300 and XPS - the screens are no comparison for Toshiba's or Sony's. Really, it's night and day. That's why I sent mine back. I may get another one later on, we'll see. I know they just had to replace TONS of screens and switched manufacturer's (LG and Samsung - both make great monitors, so I don't know why Dell's sucks). Others don't care as much, but for graphic/web design work, I do care.
I got 35% off when I bought it. Just be aware that they charge a restocking fee and I am still battling them over the 15%. Really annoying, and if they don't give it back, as I went through tech support for hours trying to resolve my screen quality (which could have only been my machine), it should have been a ttechnical refund.
I wouldn't listen to the salesperson, can't imagine they'll stop the coupons. But wwhen I first called, a salesperson tried to convince me to do the 'managers' discount, which was almost the same as the 35%.
Them dual cores, coupled with the new generation of high capacity storage laptop harddrives, will be great.
the voodoos and sagers are sweet looking machines (sagers seem to be pretty affordable)
i'm thinking instead of getting some monster weighing in at around 8-10 lbs. i'll try and get a smaller machine with some serious punch (the smaller dell xps m170 - maybe a sony viao - again the sager and voodoos look pretty sweet)
Pomotrash, have you tried running maya on your new Sony? Amazing display and weight makes the Sony a really smart choice.
I'm in a similar situation in terms of having a desktop for rendering at work and the 1500 price point. The only difference is that I will be out of the office for extended periods of time and will want to run maya and autocad. I've been considering a refurbished Dell M70 b/c of the graphics card. Has anyone else considered the M70 or VGN-580?
your office is running Maya? How can they afford the additional license for the laptop?
Possibly a rhetorical question, but I had to ask.
dell xps m140 (smallest but limited on vid card options)
sager 5320c, 3880c (most options, largest and heavest of the bunch)
voodoo 522 (lightest and slightly larger than dell, most expensive)
basic specs are:
pentium m 760
2GB Ram
80GB 7200 rpm hd
dvd+rw drive
video card
integrated wireless
bluetooth module
xp professional
office basics
5-1 flash reader
i'm open to recommendations and or comments from people who might own one of the 4 models (esp sager and voodoo). i currently have a dell and am pleased with it. i'm more seriously looking at the m140 but the fact that they don't offer a better video card option is disappointing.
thanks folks.
I don't use Maya. Just 3ds MAX and AutoCAD 2005.
So far no complaints with the unit. The WXGA is unreal. It is so bright.
People freak out when they see stuff on it. The only problem is that now when I use my graphics workstation at my studio the cheap 21" TFT flatpanel makes me want to kill myself its so dull.
I only paid 1500.00 for the Sony and I don't regret it one bit. I put a gig on top of the 512mb it had and it is pretty darn fast.
I don't even miss the extra screen height. The shorter but wider screen is a big difference.
My only complaint is that there seem to be bugs in the windows XP pro op, but I think it has nothing to do with the laptop.
On and the real beauty is that there are almost no ports.
The thing is so minimal. You have a serial, a network port (but the integrated WiFi rules), a power plug, a firewire and 2 usbs.
All of these are spread out over the unit, so you don't have a panel or anything. It is really well designed.
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