stevestojan Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I am shopping notebooks, and am leaning towards a dell. However, I have heard from numerous sources that IBM think pads are the way to go. What I am looking for is the following: I am not a gamer, so an expensive graphics card or dedicated graphic card memory is not all that important (I can used shared RAM) I will use it mainly for 4 applications: Firefox to surf the web, Access, Excel, and a DVD playing program. I want something that is FAILY light.. (under 7 pounds, and the lighter the better). A good battery life is VERY important as well. Also, the option to turn WiFi on and off is important (again, for battery life). NOw, I was pretty set on a Dell, until i looked at reviews on CNet and such that say IBM makes a primier machine. The problem i, reviews on websites that show advertising for the genre of product they are reviewing kind of makes me suspicious... Anyway, I have looked at IMB Think Pad R40. The one i have looked at has P4M 2.4, only 256 Ram, but I can upgrade that, and according to CNet (but again, i want other opinions) has a great battery life. Dell has, of course, the name, and has a 700m, which is very small, but i couldnt find a review for the life of the battery.. anyway, let me know what you all have, how you like them, etc, etc... Oh, and I've heard good things about Toshiba, so if you ahve one of those, let me know as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tux of Borg Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I have an IBM thinkpad. I bought it 2 1/2 years ago and have had no problems with it. Can't tell you how it does with games because i'm not a gamer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 I have an IBM thinkpad. I bought it 2 1/2 years ago and have had no problems with it. Can't tell you how it does with games because i'm not a gamer. 215970[/snapback] do you know what model it is?? and have you used IBMs tech support at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony P Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Dell, Dell, Dell...Did I mention that I think that you should buy a Dell??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 Dell, Dell, Dell...Did I mention that I think that you should buy a Dell??? 215976[/snapback] I've heard nothing but good about the comps themselves, but heard the customer support is lacking... true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony P Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I've heard nothing but good about the comps themselves, but heard the customer support is lacking... true? 215983[/snapback] I haven't had to use their support yet but am told that Dell is moving much of their toll-free support back to the USA due to a lot of complaints about their off-shore support staff (like: I can't understand an 'effin' word you just said!) Hardware is top 'o the line IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hornell Kid Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I've heard nothing but good about the comps themselves, but heard the customer support is lacking... true? 215983[/snapback] I have a dell, but I would rather have a sony viao with a High Def screen or an apple ibook or powerbook. they would be perfect for what you would be useing it for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 I have a dell, but I would rather have a sony viao with a High Def screen or an apple ibook or powerbook. they would be perfect for what you would be useing it for. 215996[/snapback] I'm not going Mac.. sorry, just cant. But I had considered the Viao, but it just seems for the same specs, I would be paying a couple hundred more with the Sony.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 No computer company has terrific support for the individual user. You simply don't spend enough money to warrent it. That said, the choice between the 2 is a tossup. As long as you get the Complete Care Warranty with the Dell, that is what I would pick. For the record, I have both. I have a high end IBM Thinkpad that my company bought for me that was nearly $5K about 4 years ago. Works flawlessly. However, it hasn't shown itself to be worth the cost difference against my Latitude D600. A bees' dick worth of difference, really. The biggest problems I've had with IBM is actually getting the friggin' things. They're virtually always on backorder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geggytah Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 i've had my HP pavilion ze4500 for close to a year now and have had no problems what-so-ever. very satisfied with HP overall and i would definately buy from them again. www.ecost.com is a great site for finding computer deals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cripes Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 You can get great battery life with some Dell models if you get the 12-cell lithium ion, but it'll be heavier (over 8 pounds). The base model Dell 5160 with a 12-cell (and a Pentium M, not Celeron) is $950 right now. For a lighter model, keep looking on Dell Outlet for the 600m (about 5 pounds). I saw one tonight with a Pentium M 1.6, 512 mb, DVD/CDRW, wireless for $900. You're not going to beat that. If I'm not mistaken, I think Dell's the only one you'll get free lifetime tech support (I last bought a Dell two years ago). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony P Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I have a dell, but I would rather have a sony viao with a High Def screen or an apple ibook or powerbook. they would be perfect for what you would be useing it for. 215996[/snapback] I respectfully disagree, having had both in the past 18 months. While the Sony had superior graphic and picture quality, it was less than perfect for real business uses like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, etc. My Sony was ok but I find my new Dell just, well...better. It's faster, smoother and just feels better when using regular MS programs. However, this just could be a XP vs. 2000 Professional issue too. Bottom line: I loved my Sony but really love my Dell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 well, one of our fellow posters who works for dell pointed me to a good model that would fit my needs. But I always like to research everything possible before making a decision on things like this... Keep the opinions coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 IBM Thinkpad T30.... 1.8G P4, 512-Ram, WXP-Pro, CD Burner w/DVD. Great machine! Tech Support is very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geggytah Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 this laptop is a refurbished model, but seems to be pretty loaded for under 1,000 dollars. i bought mine through ecost as a refurb model and like i said, have had no problems. looks and runs like no one else touched it but me. http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp...0&Action=Detail a brand new and more mobile but less "hooked up" laptop could be : http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=599415 OR http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=514013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hornell Kid Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I respectfully disagree, having had both in the past 18 months. While the Sony had superior graphic and picture quality, it was less than perfect for real business uses like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, etc. My Sony was ok but I find my new Dell just, well...better. It's faster, smoother and just feels better when using regular MS programs. However, this just could be a XP vs. 2000 Professional issue too. Bottom line: I loved my Sony but really love my Dell. 216010[/snapback] If a laptop today cant handle Office it shouldent be on the market. I have to say dell is good though. i kick the crap out of mine and it keeps on ticking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevbeau Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 I have an IBM T30 for work. If you travel a lot I would recommend an IBM, as in my experience, they tend to be sturdier and take a lot of abuse...but you will pay for it. For personal use i have a custom HP zt3000. I've had it for about a half a year and no problems so far. The nice thing about it is that it has a Hi-Def 15.5" screen and weighs about 8lbs. Also, if you're looking at battery life, consider Intel Centrino technology. I know it's marketed as 'wireless" tech, but Intel was able to create a processor that operates at lower temps, which means less need for heat sinks (size & weight) and a reduction in the amount of time the cooling fan has to run (noise reduction and battery life). I have a Dell desktop with a 2.8mhz processor and my HP laptop with a 1.7mhz Dothan processor runs faster. I have a buddy (MicroE engineer) who works for Intel, who explained the whole deal to me. I was skeptical on the whole Centrino deal, figuring it was marketing BS, but I can watch two DVDS back to back on an airplane and still have battery power left. Also, the battery will last 3hours plus with wireless card turned on. Most laptops at least have an option to get an internal wireless G card, so that shouldn't be a problem. My HP has an internal G card with a push button on/off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony P Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 If a laptop today cant handle Office it shouldent be on the market. I have to say dell is good though. i kick the crap out of mine and it keeps on ticking. 216037[/snapback] I also understand that Dell uses more "off the shelf" components while, Sony, HP and IBM use more proprietary components making them more expensive and difficult to repair. Someone with better understanding than me should comment but that's again, what I'm told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted January 24, 2005 Author Share Posted January 24, 2005 If a laptop today cant handle Office it shouldent be on the market. I have to say dell is good though. i kick the crap out of mine and it keeps on ticking. 216037[/snapback] I would most likely be using openoffice anyway ( isaid access and excel, but i use access and openoffice's spreadsheet app)... not that it matters (i dont think) but you're right, I am gonna get a brand new one, not a refurb, so it better be able to handle office aps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarthur31 Posted January 24, 2005 Share Posted January 24, 2005 Steve, you're going to need a pretty good graphics card if you want to watch DVD movies on a notebook. Don't settle for anything less than 64 mb. Personally, I'd get a laptop with 128 mb video ram. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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