i'm in the market for a laptop, but do not know much about them. what brands should i look into? dell seems to have decent prices, but i've heard some people that don't like them. with all of you in architecture like me, i figured this is the place to ask.
what i'm thinking...
2 ghz processor
2 mg ram
60+ gb hdd (looking to buy 250+ gb external)
what else should i consider when making a purchase? where should i purchase from? any help is much appreciated.
get a much larger hard drive than 60 gigs! I've go for at least 200. They are so much cheaper than externals and are much faster, in general. That processor seems pretty slow, too.
2 gigs of ram, right?
a decent graphic card should also be included
I like my Dell's. Good support, great prices. Go to www.techbargains.com to find great coupons on Dell
right now, the core duo is pretty much the only processor option for a laptop (it's a big improvement over everything else out there).
I think your fine with a 60GB + external. storage drives don't need to be fast. wait for best buy/compusa/staples/officemax etc. to put an external on sale. look for $0.60/GB or better. firewire is better than USB2, if you can find it.
it's much cheaper to buy the minimum possible ram and upgrade it yourself.
extended warranties are pretty much a necessity nowadays.
assuming a price range given the specs you've listed, I'd be looking at:
-the IBM t60p (.edu loophole to save 30%)
-the macbook pro (bootcamp windows)
-the dell m90 (prices vary wildly depending on coupons. watch prices and deal sites for a few weeks to get a feel for what's good and what's not. end of quater is usually the best)
-the HP Compaq nw9440.
of the four, IBM and apple have the best customer service (IF you have an apple store near you)
oops, missed the laptop part, so yeah, you can't get too much more (although Dell has a 7200rpm 100gig drive I'd opt for, personally).
That's a good system. Did you apply the $750 off coupon? Seems like you could get it much cheaper than that. There is almost always one available check www.techbargains.com for it.
Look at www.laptopforums.com for great user comments and links. Good details from people that own the machines.
Sony has a new laptop line coming out soon that looks really sweet. I've heard their support sucks, though (Apple's may be good, but from what I've heard, it takes several days, at best, to get your machine back - not acceptable for business, imo, at least for me)
is the 7200rpm over 5400rpm that essential? i don't even know what it's for. does that affect saving speed? it's another $175 i don't know if it's worth it.
i didn't check techbargains.com, i'll do that now.
does it matter where i purchase it from? if i get the dell, should i go to a store, order online right from dell, does it matter?
buy the ram elsewhere and you'll get the price way down.
7200 RPM is worthwhile, but if the upgrade is $175 it might be cheaper just to get a replacement drive from newegg or something, then put the original drive in a $35 USB/firewire case
I just looked at the dell config page, buggers don't even give you an option for a single 1GB dimm or anything less than 1GB. it's also the slow stuff (that processor and chipset should be running ddr667). shady, shady. In the past you could bottom out the ram (single 256 or so) and save a bunch.
so I guess you can save $50, or more if you can convince them to send it with less ram for less money (worth a call, maybe), or, I suppose you could hock the 2x512MB modules on ebay and make back a little bit more.
installing ram should not void a warranty (that would be stupid), but you might want to read the fine print.
It depends on what you want to do, too. I HATE opening my computers, so saving $50 to mess with them isn't worth it to me in stress. I buy them with what I need, then maybe add a hard drive later on, maybe more ram, but I've found it to be sooooo much easier to buy and never think about again.
Ram is certainly easy enough to replace, although I haven't done it in a laptop, but to me, saving $50 for such a hassle just ain't worth it (you have to find the other ram, pay for it, ship it, etc., then if there is ever anything wrong, and I have had ram replaced by Dell, then you are sol).
All depends on what you like to do. I don't change my oil in my car, either. For $12 I'd rather someone else do it, but I have good friends that wouldn't think of it.
You have to figure that out for yourself.
Play with the coupon, call if you have to, it does work. I just applied it the day before yesterday. Do that, and you save another $350 and it more than pays for these upgrades.
They also have a 30% off coupon for $999+ computers. I'd call them.
is that what they said? usually the $750 is pretty standard with no limits.
4000 could be used in a couple of hours
call them, make sure, or wait for the next one (three's a new one every 2 weeks or so). Also, when you call, tell them what you want. They can give you a 'manager's discount', which is usually about the same (at least they offered it to me).
anybody know how the tv tuner works? do i only get the same channels that i get for the rest of my house? i don't have cable tv, so will i only get basic channels?
for the screen, what's the difference between XGA Display and UltraSharp SXGA+ Display with TrueLife? is it worth $70?
for the graphics card i have the upgraded 256MB ATI MOBILITY RADEON X1400 HyperMemory, instead of Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950. is that necessary? i don't play games, but i figure it might help with renderings.
that's not a very good deal, even at $1900. hell, you could setup a macbook pro with better specs for not much more.
the thing you have to keep in mind is the amount off doesn't really matter with dell. they'll jack up the prices when they have better coupons and more or less cancel them out. it's only rarely that you get a really great deal. wait for end of quarter stuff, it'll get better.
but for your questions:
sxga+ is higher resolution. it's definitely worthwhile.
graphics card won't help with renderings. might help with managing viewports, but hypermemory....
TV tuner will be able to pick up whatever you plug into it. if you plug in some rabbit ears, you'll get whatever the rabbit ears can pick up
i was looking at the m90 and t60p, i wasn't aware that lenvo gave a student discount, they'd do that on one computer? can you expound at all?
i was going to go with the m90, but at $2100 after the 30%, the t60p seems like a no brainer.
how are those frogs doing? i ended up getting the precision m60, don't really have an opinion of it yet, but it looks pretty sharp. here's what i ended up getting...
2 ghz processor
2 mb ram
100 gb hd @ 7200 rpm
512 nvidia graphics card
sxga+ (i really didn't know the difference during the purchase, but the "plus" looked good) 15.4" screen
cd/dvd burner
3 yr warranty (with accidential breakage - for the random coffee spill)
i am not even going to say how much i paid, because it was a lot. if you're at all worried about aesthetics i would go with the precision over the inspiron. i wanted the 17" screen, but considering how small i am, i got the 15.4" for extra portability. you might consider doing the same ;p
There are quite a few lenovo discounts to be had...most of them require a little legwork, however.
The best discounts I've ever seen are through harvard - sometimes upwards of 40%. So if you know anybody there, call in a favor.
A number of other schools have discounts in the 30-35% range. Some of them make the discount available to members of the alumni association...which you don't actually have to be an alumni to join, it's just a fee (~$50) [that's the loophole I was talking about]
The one I always hear about people using is ohio state, and I'm told the discount is 34% info here
But before you plunk down the $55 for an alumni membership, I'd give IBM (not ohio state) a call and make sure the configuration you want is available to OSU alumni association members. have the model number in mind (2007-93U or whatever). virtually everything should be available, but sometimes they change things around year to year.
There are also decent prices through resellers like this one These are probably the least hassle, and have the added benefit of no tax for most states, which might make it about even with an .edu deal, depending on tax in your state.
i care about looks, but only so much. the inspiron looks ok to me, not the best, but i'm not looking to shell out the money on a precision. if i was really going to looks i'd get a vaio.
mana- why did you say that Dell looked expensive? The IBM's (from your link) that I am looking at seem to be about $700 more (even if you took 30% off, they'd still be more than the Dell).
I am just wondering, not trying to be difficult. There are two reasons I go with Dell: #1 - service and tech support #2 price. I have yet to see anyone compare to either of those but am always looking for options.
MArch06 - you are not comparing apples to apples. The M90 is a 17" machine, the t60p is a 15" (not widescreen, which I think looks better). HUGE difference there.
Personally, I like the Dells, as everyone knows. But look around at reviews, too.
Lastly, if you can wait, the end of July Intel shoudl be releasing new chips. So you can either opt for the highend or save more on the current processors. From what I've read, the new ones may be worth the cost.
What I meant was, it's not a good deal for the specs he listed. The t60ps I linked for March06 are in a whole 'nother class from what makes is talking about. the laptop makes listed would be a good deal at around $1400.
March06:
I am partial to thinkpads, for a variety of reasons. Not having to deal with dell's phone system is one of them (trace knows I find dell's customer service abominable). They also tend to be lighter weight with better battery life for the same performance. There is a fit and finish to thinkpads that I think is unmatched from dell, apple or anyone else - everything feels solid and professional and well-executed. The black magnesium ages well - it never looks dated, and is fairly difficult to scuff up.
I've always thought widescreen was kinda silly on a notebook - it's more awkward to carry around (one dimension significantly larger than another) and always feels "squashed" when I use one. Most people disagree with me on that, though.
intel's new notebook chips won't be shipping before early september. desktops are another story.
trace-
im fully aware that im not comparing apples to apples...but from my point of view the difference is a personal one. 17" vs. 15" has no bearing on the computers performance or how well its built etc. part of me would rather a bigger screen, but as manamana said the thinkpads are just built really well and i too hate dell's phone support...although the m90 is a business computer so the support is better then it would be on the home side of dell. build quality is also better.
MArch06 - you should look at the M65, then, as that's the smaller unit.
you both really don't like the biz support? I can understand hating the consumer/home side, as I hate it as well, but with the Gold Tech support, I've never waited more than 5 minutes, if at all, and never reached anyone that hasn't solved my problem. Always a US guy/gal, too.
I, too, would consider an IBM if they updated their screens and prices came down. Give me a hires 17" screen and good price and I'd give'em a shot.
I don't love Dell's so much, as it may seem, just that I look for new computers fairly often and haven't seen anything comparable. I have not, however, seen an IBM in person.
I think the build quality of the Dell is good, but I have no doubts that IBM and Apple are superior.
Yup, seems the damn chips for the laptops won't ship until August. Figures, just when I actually need a new machine soon. Looks like it will, however, cause the older chips to plummet in price. Might try bargaining with 'em. I know Dell's biz side, should you go that way, can negotiate.
i hear you with dell...i like the m90 or m65 for that matter...there is just that allure with the thinkpad. but without a discount i can't really justify spending $3000. i sometimes wonder if i should spend $2500 on the m90. i wonder if i'd be better of with an e1705 built from the home side for $1700...that should be fine for two years. i really don't know sometimes.
do you guys have any opinions on this debate....the computers change everyday, should i spend more than $2000 debate?
that's my debate too, as a matter of fact. My strategy, and don't tell anyone this ;-) is to tell the biz side folks that I want 30% on the M90 or I'll buy the e1705 with 30% off. They probably won't do that, but they do have some negotiating space, especially if you buy other things like external hard drives, etc. I got them to give me bunch of stuff on my last workstation.
I've also thought about going cheap, then waiting for the new machines/processors to settle in, and replacing in 9 months or something. I spec'd out a nice machine for a friend of mine for about $1400 that I coudl have lived with with one or two upgrades (video and ram, but it still came with 1 gig).
They always get better. Now, if Apple would give 24hr oniste service I'd have no trouble paying more for their machines. I keep meaning to find out about their 'pro' or 'advantage' or whatever it's called service.
We'll see. Let me know what you decide. I'll be making the decision to wait or buy in the next two weeks. Those new processors do sound great, so if you haven't read about them, look around. Multitasking is supposed to be great, which is about all I do.
multitasking is definitely key.
and do you mean the new 64-bit? im not very well educated about the difference, except perhaps that it is analogous to nintendo and super nintendo.
i don't start school in until aug, so i have every intention of waiting until then...even though im itching for one now.
Dell's business tech support is good once you get someone knowledgeable on the line...problem is that always seems to take forever...dell is a huge company, and the phone system is equally massive. you go through a half dozen touchtone menus, then go through the charade with the tier 1 idiot reading from a manual, then wait for them to transfer you to tier 2....and god help you if you need something that requires a supervisor's authority. IBM's system has always felt felt more efficient and professionial, but I don't doubt that it has something to do with the SIZE of the system being significantly smaller.
on whether or not it's "worth it" to spend more...if you're going to be in a situation where you're relying on your laptop day in and day out, it's worth it, just in terms of less hassle. I bought my t41p when I was in that situation, and it felt like a godsend at the time - $2200 very well spent. Now (2.5 years on) that isn't so much the case, and it feels rather excessive for what I use it for.
next gen stuff will get announced in late august, and won't be shipping in any great quantity till sept...so if you need it early on, you might not be able to wait.
not sure about their regular biz tech support, but the Gold Tech support, that came standard with my workstations, is a direct line. There aren't any, or maybe one, touch tone selections. It usually takes me 5-10 minutes from the moment I pick up the phone to the moment I talk to someone. They've helped me reconfig my RAID, install hard drives, instal processors, all things that aren't normal coverage items. So I have a lot of faith in them.
The home side is barely worth calling.
You think it'll be that long? I've been reading that the chips are estimated to ship to the OEMs (I am sure Dell's at the top of the list) July 23, I think, then another month to test and ship. But they haven't set a firm date, so I guess it could take longer.
The debate of needing/wanting the best is something I am not sure about, either. I render on my workstations, but it'd be nice to be able to use the laptop on trips to render....could probably get a decent laptop and a decent workstation/render slave for the price of a top end laptop....hmmmm
so i placed a call to berkeley and they can get me this computer...very good price, but i wonder about the HD speed [i'd like 7200], the video card [want 256mb]...and i suppose i can always buy more RAM later. what do you guys think?
2007-04U ThinkPad T60 - 15.0" SXGA+IPS - 2.0 GHz Core Duo
Your Price: $1979
Ports Three USB 2.0 / external DB-15 monitor/infrared; RJ-11 (modem)
RJ-45 (ethernet) / no keyboard, mouse, serial ports, parallel port,
1394 or S-video (use USB).
Video graphics ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 M54 / PCI Express x16 / 128MB
March06: not so great - the same config through osu would be $1,638.69 (+$55 for membership)
trace: I've delt with various business support levels (including gold-uber-diamond-whatever), and while it's better than other support levels (you are so right about the home side of things), the best experience I've ever had with them still wasn't as easy or efficient as the worst experience I've ever had with IBM's freebie support. But like I said, I don't think it's that dell doesn't try or doesn't care, I think it's that dell's orders-of-magnitude larger market requires and orders-of-magnitude more complicated support system.
The mobile chips will take longer to hit the market because intel can take their sweet time unloading the previous gen moile stuff. they're way ahead in the mobile market, but trailing miserably in the desktop and server markets. they're having a firesale on the old desktop chips right now, and moving towards getting the new stuff out ASAP. They just don't need to do that with the mobile chips.
Has IBM's tech support changed (for better or worse) since Lenovo bought them? I've been kind of surprised Lenovo did basically nothing to the line. I had hoped they would push for more competitive machines at the highend/business (ie better screens, larger screens).
I coudl certainly live with the black, although I still lust after them Apples.
so tempted to get an apple for grad school. too pretty. i've had 2 IBM laptops and they've been good but this was all pre-lenovo. don't know how things have changed.
I know that lenovo wanted to make a bigger push for the mainstream market...they've gotten a deal with office depot to sell computers, as well as introduced some lower-end models, which conspicuously don't carry the thinkpad moniker.
I can't say anything about support, I've only had to call once since the transition, and it was just to ask how much it would cost to extend my warranty.
my girlfriend bought a macbook pro about a month ago...it's nice, though I definitely like the OS more than I like the hardware. that's such an odd feeling.
Jun 20, 06 1:58 pm ·
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Computers
i'm in the market for a laptop, but do not know much about them. what brands should i look into? dell seems to have decent prices, but i've heard some people that don't like them. with all of you in architecture like me, i figured this is the place to ask.
what i'm thinking...
2 ghz processor
2 mg ram
60+ gb hdd (looking to buy 250+ gb external)
what else should i consider when making a purchase? where should i purchase from? any help is much appreciated.
get a much larger hard drive than 60 gigs! I've go for at least 200. They are so much cheaper than externals and are much faster, in general. That processor seems pretty slow, too.
2 gigs of ram, right?
a decent graphic card should also be included
I like my Dell's. Good support, great prices. Go to www.techbargains.com to find great coupons on Dell
right now, the core duo is pretty much the only processor option for a laptop (it's a big improvement over everything else out there).
I think your fine with a 60GB + external. storage drives don't need to be fast. wait for best buy/compusa/staples/officemax etc. to put an external on sale. look for $0.60/GB or better. firewire is better than USB2, if you can find it.
it's much cheaper to buy the minimum possible ram and upgrade it yourself.
extended warranties are pretty much a necessity nowadays.
assuming a price range given the specs you've listed, I'd be looking at:
-the IBM t60p (.edu loophole to save 30%)
-the macbook pro (bootcamp windows)
-the dell m90 (prices vary wildly depending on coupons. watch prices and deal sites for a few weeks to get a feel for what's good and what's not. end of quater is usually the best)
-the HP Compaq nw9440.
of the four, IBM and apple have the best customer service (IF you have an apple store near you)
here's what i'm looking at now.
dell e1505 dual core:
15.4" wide screen, 2ghz processor, 2mb ram, 80gb hd 5400rpm, 8x cd/dvd burner, 4yr warranty
$2099
is dell a good company to purchase from? would that be a decent system, is there anything i'm missing that i need to consider?
one thing i'm not sure about is standard programs. nowhere do i see if it comes with programs like word or excel.
i was looking at vios too. man are they nice looking. i totally want one, but for an equally powerful system as the dell, it costs a few hundred more.
oops, missed the laptop part, so yeah, you can't get too much more (although Dell has a 7200rpm 100gig drive I'd opt for, personally).
That's a good system. Did you apply the $750 off coupon? Seems like you could get it much cheaper than that. There is almost always one available check www.techbargains.com for it.
Look at www.laptopforums.com for great user comments and links. Good details from people that own the machines.
Sony has a new laptop line coming out soon that looks really sweet. I've heard their support sucks, though (Apple's may be good, but from what I've heard, it takes several days, at best, to get your machine back - not acceptable for business, imo, at least for me)
is the 7200rpm over 5400rpm that essential? i don't even know what it's for. does that affect saving speed? it's another $175 i don't know if it's worth it.
i didn't check techbargains.com, i'll do that now.
does it matter where i purchase it from? if i get the dell, should i go to a store, order online right from dell, does it matter?
it will not let me apply the $750 discount. apparently there's already a $400 discount on that laptop.
buy the ram elsewhere and you'll get the price way down.
7200 RPM is worthwhile, but if the upgrade is $175 it might be cheaper just to get a replacement drive from newegg or something, then put the original drive in a $35 USB/firewire case
i could downgrad the ram from 2gb to 1gb and save $200. ur saying i could then get that replaced with 2gb for under 200? would that void the warranty?
I just looked at the dell config page, buggers don't even give you an option for a single 1GB dimm or anything less than 1GB. it's also the slow stuff (that processor and chipset should be running ddr667). shady, shady. In the past you could bottom out the ram (single 256 or so) and save a bunch.
ddr533
so I guess you can save $50, or more if you can convince them to send it with less ram for less money (worth a call, maybe), or, I suppose you could hock the 2x512MB modules on ebay and make back a little bit more.
installing ram should not void a warranty (that would be stupid), but you might want to read the fine print.
It depends on what you want to do, too. I HATE opening my computers, so saving $50 to mess with them isn't worth it to me in stress. I buy them with what I need, then maybe add a hard drive later on, maybe more ram, but I've found it to be sooooo much easier to buy and never think about again.
Ram is certainly easy enough to replace, although I haven't done it in a laptop, but to me, saving $50 for such a hassle just ain't worth it (you have to find the other ram, pay for it, ship it, etc., then if there is ever anything wrong, and I have had ram replaced by Dell, then you are sol).
All depends on what you like to do. I don't change my oil in my car, either. For $12 I'd rather someone else do it, but I have good friends that wouldn't think of it.
You have to figure that out for yourself.
Play with the coupon, call if you have to, it does work. I just applied it the day before yesterday. Do that, and you save another $350 and it more than pays for these upgrades.
They also have a 30% off coupon for $999+ computers. I'd call them.
i tried all the coupons. the coupons are only good for 4000 uses, could that have been used up in the couple of days its been available?
is that what they said? usually the $750 is pretty standard with no limits.
4000 could be used in a couple of hours
call them, make sure, or wait for the next one (three's a new one every 2 weeks or so). Also, when you call, tell them what you want. They can give you a 'manager's discount', which is usually about the same (at least they offered it to me).
thanks for the info. i just got back from camping and dell's having 30% off. this is what i'm looking to get:
2 ghz processor
2 mb ram
60 gb hd @ 7200 rpm (will buy huge external later)
here's the questions...
anybody know how the tv tuner works? do i only get the same channels that i get for the rest of my house? i don't have cable tv, so will i only get basic channels?
for the screen, what's the difference between XGA Display and UltraSharp SXGA+ Display with TrueLife? is it worth $70?
for the graphics card i have the upgraded 256MB ATI MOBILITY RADEON X1400 HyperMemory, instead of Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950. is that necessary? i don't play games, but i figure it might help with renderings.
oh, and it's originally $2691, and is $1896 after the discount.
that's not a very good deal, even at $1900. hell, you could setup a macbook pro with better specs for not much more.
the thing you have to keep in mind is the amount off doesn't really matter with dell. they'll jack up the prices when they have better coupons and more or less cancel them out. it's only rarely that you get a really great deal. wait for end of quarter stuff, it'll get better.
but for your questions:
sxga+ is higher resolution. it's definitely worthwhile.
graphics card won't help with renderings. might help with managing viewports, but hypermemory....
TV tuner will be able to pick up whatever you plug into it. if you plug in some rabbit ears, you'll get whatever the rabbit ears can pick up
manamana-
i was looking at the m90 and t60p, i wasn't aware that lenvo gave a student discount, they'd do that on one computer? can you expound at all?
i was going to go with the m90, but at $2100 after the 30%, the t60p seems like a no brainer.
hey makes-
how are those frogs doing? i ended up getting the precision m60, don't really have an opinion of it yet, but it looks pretty sharp. here's what i ended up getting...
2 ghz processor
2 mb ram
100 gb hd @ 7200 rpm
512 nvidia graphics card
sxga+ (i really didn't know the difference during the purchase, but the "plus" looked good) 15.4" screen
cd/dvd burner
3 yr warranty (with accidential breakage - for the random coffee spill)
i am not even going to say how much i paid, because it was a lot. if you're at all worried about aesthetics i would go with the precision over the inspiron. i wanted the 17" screen, but considering how small i am, i got the 15.4" for extra portability. you might consider doing the same ;p
There are quite a few lenovo discounts to be had...most of them require a little legwork, however.
The best discounts I've ever seen are through harvard - sometimes upwards of 40%. So if you know anybody there, call in a favor.
A number of other schools have discounts in the 30-35% range. Some of them make the discount available to members of the alumni association...which you don't actually have to be an alumni to join, it's just a fee (~$50) [that's the loophole I was talking about]
The one I always hear about people using is ohio state, and I'm told the discount is 34% info here
But before you plunk down the $55 for an alumni membership, I'd give IBM (not ohio state) a call and make sure the configuration you want is available to OSU alumni association members. have the model number in mind (2007-93U or whatever). virtually everything should be available, but sometimes they change things around year to year.
There are also decent prices through resellers like this one These are probably the least hassle, and have the added benefit of no tax for most states, which might make it about even with an .edu deal, depending on tax in your state.
hope that helps.
very much, thank you!
assuming money isn't the issue and neither is screen size, do you have any opinions on the m90 vs. the t60p?
hey shay, frogs are great ;)
i care about looks, but only so much. the inspiron looks ok to me, not the best, but i'm not looking to shell out the money on a precision. if i was really going to looks i'd get a vaio.
mana- why did you say that Dell looked expensive? The IBM's (from your link) that I am looking at seem to be about $700 more (even if you took 30% off, they'd still be more than the Dell).
I am just wondering, not trying to be difficult. There are two reasons I go with Dell: #1 - service and tech support #2 price. I have yet to see anyone compare to either of those but am always looking for options.
MArch06 - you are not comparing apples to apples. The M90 is a 17" machine, the t60p is a 15" (not widescreen, which I think looks better). HUGE difference there.
Personally, I like the Dells, as everyone knows. But look around at reviews, too.
Lastly, if you can wait, the end of July Intel shoudl be releasing new chips. So you can either opt for the highend or save more on the current processors. From what I've read, the new ones may be worth the cost.
What I meant was, it's not a good deal for the specs he listed. The t60ps I linked for March06 are in a whole 'nother class from what makes is talking about. the laptop makes listed would be a good deal at around $1400.
March06:
I am partial to thinkpads, for a variety of reasons. Not having to deal with dell's phone system is one of them (trace knows I find dell's customer service abominable). They also tend to be lighter weight with better battery life for the same performance. There is a fit and finish to thinkpads that I think is unmatched from dell, apple or anyone else - everything feels solid and professional and well-executed. The black magnesium ages well - it never looks dated, and is fairly difficult to scuff up.
I've always thought widescreen was kinda silly on a notebook - it's more awkward to carry around (one dimension significantly larger than another) and always feels "squashed" when I use one. Most people disagree with me on that, though.
intel's new notebook chips won't be shipping before early september. desktops are another story.
trace-
im fully aware that im not comparing apples to apples...but from my point of view the difference is a personal one. 17" vs. 15" has no bearing on the computers performance or how well its built etc. part of me would rather a bigger screen, but as manamana said the thinkpads are just built really well and i too hate dell's phone support...although the m90 is a business computer so the support is better then it would be on the home side of dell. build quality is also better.
oops. posted under my roommate.
MArch06 - you should look at the M65, then, as that's the smaller unit.
you both really don't like the biz support? I can understand hating the consumer/home side, as I hate it as well, but with the Gold Tech support, I've never waited more than 5 minutes, if at all, and never reached anyone that hasn't solved my problem. Always a US guy/gal, too.
I, too, would consider an IBM if they updated their screens and prices came down. Give me a hires 17" screen and good price and I'd give'em a shot.
I don't love Dell's so much, as it may seem, just that I look for new computers fairly often and haven't seen anything comparable. I have not, however, seen an IBM in person.
I think the build quality of the Dell is good, but I have no doubts that IBM and Apple are superior.
Yup, seems the damn chips for the laptops won't ship until August. Figures, just when I actually need a new machine soon. Looks like it will, however, cause the older chips to plummet in price. Might try bargaining with 'em. I know Dell's biz side, should you go that way, can negotiate.
i hear you with dell...i like the m90 or m65 for that matter...there is just that allure with the thinkpad. but without a discount i can't really justify spending $3000. i sometimes wonder if i should spend $2500 on the m90. i wonder if i'd be better of with an e1705 built from the home side for $1700...that should be fine for two years. i really don't know sometimes.
do you guys have any opinions on this debate....the computers change everyday, should i spend more than $2000 debate?
that's my debate too, as a matter of fact. My strategy, and don't tell anyone this ;-) is to tell the biz side folks that I want 30% on the M90 or I'll buy the e1705 with 30% off. They probably won't do that, but they do have some negotiating space, especially if you buy other things like external hard drives, etc. I got them to give me bunch of stuff on my last workstation.
I've also thought about going cheap, then waiting for the new machines/processors to settle in, and replacing in 9 months or something. I spec'd out a nice machine for a friend of mine for about $1400 that I coudl have lived with with one or two upgrades (video and ram, but it still came with 1 gig).
They always get better. Now, if Apple would give 24hr oniste service I'd have no trouble paying more for their machines. I keep meaning to find out about their 'pro' or 'advantage' or whatever it's called service.
We'll see. Let me know what you decide. I'll be making the decision to wait or buy in the next two weeks. Those new processors do sound great, so if you haven't read about them, look around. Multitasking is supposed to be great, which is about all I do.
multitasking is definitely key.
and do you mean the new 64-bit? im not very well educated about the difference, except perhaps that it is analogous to nintendo and super nintendo.
i don't start school in until aug, so i have every intention of waiting until then...even though im itching for one now.
Dell's business tech support is good once you get someone knowledgeable on the line...problem is that always seems to take forever...dell is a huge company, and the phone system is equally massive. you go through a half dozen touchtone menus, then go through the charade with the tier 1 idiot reading from a manual, then wait for them to transfer you to tier 2....and god help you if you need something that requires a supervisor's authority. IBM's system has always felt felt more efficient and professionial, but I don't doubt that it has something to do with the SIZE of the system being significantly smaller.
on whether or not it's "worth it" to spend more...if you're going to be in a situation where you're relying on your laptop day in and day out, it's worth it, just in terms of less hassle. I bought my t41p when I was in that situation, and it felt like a godsend at the time - $2200 very well spent. Now (2.5 years on) that isn't so much the case, and it feels rather excessive for what I use it for.
next gen stuff will get announced in late august, and won't be shipping in any great quantity till sept...so if you need it early on, you might not be able to wait.
*felt far, not felt felt
not sure about their regular biz tech support, but the Gold Tech support, that came standard with my workstations, is a direct line. There aren't any, or maybe one, touch tone selections. It usually takes me 5-10 minutes from the moment I pick up the phone to the moment I talk to someone. They've helped me reconfig my RAID, install hard drives, instal processors, all things that aren't normal coverage items. So I have a lot of faith in them.
The home side is barely worth calling.
You think it'll be that long? I've been reading that the chips are estimated to ship to the OEMs (I am sure Dell's at the top of the list) July 23, I think, then another month to test and ship. But they haven't set a firm date, so I guess it could take longer.
The debate of needing/wanting the best is something I am not sure about, either. I render on my workstations, but it'd be nice to be able to use the laptop on trips to render....could probably get a decent laptop and a decent workstation/render slave for the price of a top end laptop....hmmmm
trace/manamana-
so i placed a call to berkeley and they can get me this computer...very good price, but i wonder about the HD speed [i'd like 7200], the video card [want 256mb]...and i suppose i can always buy more RAM later. what do you guys think?
2007-04U ThinkPad T60 - 15.0" SXGA+IPS - 2.0 GHz Core Duo
Your Price: $1979
Processor: Intel Core Duo T2500 2.0
Display: 15.0" SXGA+IPS TFT
Hard Drive: 100 GB (5400 rpm)
(Shock Mounted Hard Drive/Active Protection System)
Memory: 512 MB
Ethernet: Integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet (Centrino)
Modem: Yes
Wireless Centrino a/b/g
Ports Three USB 2.0 / external DB-15 monitor/infrared; RJ-11 (modem)
RJ-45 (ethernet) / no keyboard, mouse, serial ports, parallel port,
1394 or S-video (use USB).
Video graphics ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 M54 / PCI Express x16 / 128MB
Secure Chip Yes
Fingerprint Reader Yes
Optical Drive DVD-ROM/CDRW - 24X/24X/24X/8X21 speed/removable
from Ultrabay Slim Combo Drive
LiIon Battery 6 cell (up to 6 hours)
OS Preloaded Wndows XP Pro
Weight Approx 6.3 lbs
Warranty 3-yr Depot
March06: not so great - the same config through osu would be $1,638.69 (+$55 for membership)
trace: I've delt with various business support levels (including gold-uber-diamond-whatever), and while it's better than other support levels (you are so right about the home side of things), the best experience I've ever had with them still wasn't as easy or efficient as the worst experience I've ever had with IBM's freebie support. But like I said, I don't think it's that dell doesn't try or doesn't care, I think it's that dell's orders-of-magnitude larger market requires and orders-of-magnitude more complicated support system.
The mobile chips will take longer to hit the market because intel can take their sweet time unloading the previous gen moile stuff. they're way ahead in the mobile market, but trailing miserably in the desktop and server markets. they're having a firesale on the old desktop chips right now, and moving towards getting the new stuff out ASAP. They just don't need to do that with the mobile chips.
hmmmm...and what you're saying is i just give them $55...i don't need to be affiliated with the school, at all?
oh man, im dying. 34% off my dream computer = $1900. that's pretty nice. i always wanted to be a buckeye.
Has IBM's tech support changed (for better or worse) since Lenovo bought them? I've been kind of surprised Lenovo did basically nothing to the line. I had hoped they would push for more competitive machines at the highend/business (ie better screens, larger screens).
I coudl certainly live with the black, although I still lust after them Apples.
how do you like them apples!!
so tempted to get an apple for grad school. too pretty. i've had 2 IBM laptops and they've been good but this was all pre-lenovo. don't know how things have changed.
I know that lenovo wanted to make a bigger push for the mainstream market...they've gotten a deal with office depot to sell computers, as well as introduced some lower-end models, which conspicuously don't carry the thinkpad moniker.
I can't say anything about support, I've only had to call once since the transition, and it was just to ask how much it would cost to extend my warranty.
my girlfriend bought a macbook pro about a month ago...it's nice, though I definitely like the OS more than I like the hardware. that's such an odd feeling.
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