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General discussion

ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?

Sep 20, 2004 6:08AM PDT

Hi there,

I'm a web / print designer about to get my first notebook. I usually like to run at least 3 out of 4 of my 2D graphics-intensive apps Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, and Dreamweaver) in addition to MS Office simultaneously, although I don't tend to work with files that are larger than 10MB.

After much research and time spent on great forums like this, I've narrowed my search down to a Toshiba M35-456 (which I can't customize) and the ASUS M6N series which I would customize.

I have already considered and ruled out the Compaq x1000 series, the Toshiba Tecra, VAIO's, and the Toshiba Satellite P25 because they fail at least one of my main criteria detailed below. I've also considered getting something with P4 chip with Hyper-threading since I've heard that this is particularly helpful with apps like Photoshop, but decided against it since it eats up batteries.

I love the 15" Powerbook, but can't afford it.

My main criteria for a notebook:
< 6.5 lbs
> 15" screen
Decent support from manufacturer / reseller
> 1024 x 768 resolution
Great-looking body
Keyboard must feel crisp
<$2000
Good battery life

My questions:
If I'm on a budget, is my money better spent on a faster hard drive (5400RPM vs 7200 RPM)?
Better graphics card (ATI 9600 vs 9700, 32MB vs 64MB), or a faster CPU (Pentium M 1.6 vs 1.7 vs. 1.Cool
RAM: 512 vs 1G?
How much of a difference does the TruBrite technology actually make?

How much of a performance boost would I see with each of these variables? Does anyone have other recommendations?

Thanks much!

Discussion is locked

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 20, 2004 6:22AM PDT

One more thing --- I know that I want the Dothan chip, but what does the L2 system cache (2MB) actually do?

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 20, 2004 6:31AM PDT

The Toshiba M35S456 is an outstanding 15.4" Pentium M Centrino notebook and it weighs 6.2 pounds. It gets 3.5-4 hours using wi-fi or more with that turned off (and Toshiba has an extended battery option also I think) and they have the new Trubrite XGA LCD. The only real negative is that it runs a bit hot on both sides of the touchpad and also under the notebook (notice the raised feet in the back). It will not affect performance but you would be well served getting a Targus Podium Coolpad or similar device to raise the rear of the notebook a bit (and it swivels as well) if you get this.

I guess you discounted the Compaq X1000 series (and sister HPZT3000 series)as you do not like HP/Compaq service as these notebook are fully customizable at HPshopping (I actually bought a prebuilt Compaq X1360US at Circuit City in direct comparison with a Toshiba M35S320 (no Trubrite at that time).

Note that all the HP notebooks just added the Briteview LCD on the custom order website last week (same as Trubrite on the Toshiba). So, if you look in the store the Toshiba looks better as the HP prebuilts don't have it yet.

You max out on the video at 64mb dedicated with either the HP (ATI 9200) or Toshiba (Nvidia). It is highly recommened to get the 64mb (not the 32mb)as some games will work on 64mb and not 32mb. This is not upgradeable later. Other notebooks like the Acer 2025 and Dell 8600 have 128mb dedicated available but 64mb is good for most.

Note that you can get a $100 custom order rebate on the HPZT3000 or Compaq X1000 series through 12/1/04 and also a 6% student APP discount if qualified or a 12% employer EPP discount if qualified. You just missed a $100 instant discount that expired last week (end of back to school).

Look for custom ordering the Toshiba possibly online also as you can customize it there.

I have seen the Toshiba M35S456 (which as a DVD burner multiformat) on sale for as low as $1799 after rebates recently (retail is $1999).

The only thing the HPZT3000/Compaq X1000 does not have that the Toshiba does now that the XGA Briteview is available is that the HP DVD burner is DVD + only (not DVD -).

But many people order the CD-RW/DVD ROM anyway and use a desktop to burn DVD's or get an external DVD burner cheaper than the added cost in the notebook.

I recommend the following for any Pentium M notebook:

Get the cheapest Pentium M Dothan available with the 2mb L2 system cache -- that is the Pentium M 725 1.6 on the HP or the Pentium M 735 1.7 on the prebuilt Toshiba M35S456 -- the Pentium M 1.8 745 and Pentium M 2.0 755 are too expensive for their performance gains (And HP shopped selling the 1.Cool.

Get at least a 5400rpm hard drive -- the HPZT3000 60gb 5400 hard drive is only $25 more than the 4200 rpm hard drive. It is up to 50% faster in seek times.

Get 64mb dedicated video at least ($50-75 more above 32mb on HPcustom)

Order 256mb RAM and add 512MB PC2700 notebook RAM yourself later (to empty 2nd slot) for under $100 to get 768mb for less than you will pay to preorder 512mb.

Look at X1000forums.com for all ordering discounts and specifications for the HPzT3000 or Compaq X1000 or notebookforums.com for the Toshiba.

The Asus seem to have good build specifications but they are a smaller notebook manufacturer so you will have to decide if their parts and service will have what you need down the line if necessary.

Also, HPshopping has 1 year no interest financing available online....

I really like the Toshiba M35S456 myself as well but that is not customized and now that the HPZT3000 has the Briteview LCD available the Toshiba is only superior if you want a multi-format DVD burner.

The Keyboard fell on the HPZT3000 is also somewhat better. Try both at Circuit City (but the HP briteview LCD won't be there yet) and read the reviews and consumer postings here at Cnet

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 20, 2004 6:38AM PDT

Most consumers love the Trubrite / Briteview LCD as it makes an extremely sharp and bright LCD compared to the normal LCD's without it.

The only drawback is the thin glass layer can cause reflections so if you use it at a workplace with harsh overhead flourescent lighting or where light will hit the LCD from behind you (from a window or outside) you might now want that.

You can order either at HPshopping -- also you can order the SXGA or UxGA higher resolutions (but Briteview and Trubrite are only XGA).

The new Dothan chips have a new manufacturing process that allowed smaller transistors compared to the original Banias Pentium M chips --thus, they were able to double the L2 system cache from 1mb to 2mb. Also, the Dothan chips use slightly less energy than before.

The L2 cache is on the cpu and is much faster than your system RAM or the hard drive. Frequently accessed web pages or programs are stored and launch much faster (so they have doubled the size of this L2 cache).

I use my notebook at home in front of my widescreen Hitachi 57" HDTV so I would definitely get the HP Briteview or Toshiba Trubrite if ordering now but the older type of LCD does cause less glare and when reading white screens like this for a long period of time it causes less eye strain.

You can of course lower the briteness of any of these LCDs to save battery life and conserve your eyes in low light conditions.

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 20, 2004 8:21AM PDT

512mb RAM is find for many people but as I said if you want to go to 768mb order 256mb and add 512mb RAM yourself (I got 512mb Kingston PC2700 Kingston memory at Fry's Electronics on sale for 69.99 after rebate) or if you think you might want 1mb --

then get 512mb RAM 1 stick and then you can add the 512mb RAM later to get 1mb for less.

Memory intensive programs like Photoshop, etc (video editing) would benefit from more RAM.

Note, that if the Toshiba prebuilt RAM is 256 X 2 you won't be able to upgrade RAM without throwing out 1 or both memory modules.

My Compaq X1360US came with 512mb 1 stick (even as a prebuilt) so I was able to add 512mb RAM to go to 1GB with no cost.

You can specify how much memory you want when ordering custom from HP or Toshiba.

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 20, 2004 8:38AM PDT

Ken, thanks for such detailed advice! I've seen the Compaq and HP at Best Buy and ruled out the Compaq for looks, the feel of the keyboard, and because a friend experienced awful customer service when he had a driver failure on his new x1360 notebook. I know the HP machines are more or less identical under the hood, but again, I don't like the way they look. I'd seriously considered these options because of the substantial price break you mentioned, but decided in the end that it was worth the extra money for me to love the way the keyboard feels.

The Toshiba M35 isn't customizable online, and I don't love the idea of paying for a slower (4200rpm) 80G hard drive which is bigger than I need, and a DVD burner which I also don't need. I'd also have to pay for additional RAM, and would walk out the door paying more for the system than an ASUS system (which I've only heard good things about). Otherwise the M35 would have been my dream machine.

Thanks again for your other configuration advice --- so you think I will feel a greater performance boost from a faster hard drive, not a faster CPU?

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 20, 2004 11:08AM PDT

I don't know what driver problem your friend had (as I had the Compaq X1360US as well) but I had an issue when I first got the notebook as it had the F33 bios. What happened is that if you were typing fast and you used the Shift and the : or ; keys (as you would in normal letter typing in an e-mail or letter) it would cause the notebook to immediately shut down.

I found out about this issue immediately by discovering the outstanding X1000forums.com (over 10,000 registered users just for the X1000/ZT3000/business HPnx7000 which are all the same notebook platform).

I found immediately that an updated bios F34 would solve the problem and I immediately downloaded it from the HP/Compaq website.

I have had no problems whatsoever since.

I have also downloaded all the updates posted for the Intel 2200b/g wi-fi , the Intel Proset wi-fi utility, the ATI video card driver, the synaptics touchpad driver,etc.

Any desktop or notebook has driver and bios updates and at least the X1000forums.com notified me immediately that there were others with the same issue.

At the very least you had better confirm that Asus has some sort of website that allows easy downloading of drivers and updates as HP/Compaq and Toshiba have.

By the way, I had a few drops on my D-link wi-fi (router on 2nd floor), Compaq X1360US on first floor) but after downloading the new bios from D-link and the updated Intel 2200 driver and Intel Proset driver updates from the hpshopping website I have not had a single dropped connection since.

If you tried the keyboard and did not like it that is what is most important (how it feels to you) but actually people at X1000forums.com (and numerous reviews) have stated one of the pluses of the HPZT3000 or Compaq X1000 is the keyboard response. IBM is better but I don't know what else you are comparing it to.

If you read X1000forums.com, you will see that many there buy the cheapest 4200 rpm hard drive possible (which used to be 30mb, now it is 40mb) and they order the screaming fast Hitachi 7200rpm hard drive from Newegg for around $200. This hard drive is available as an option on the Dell 8600 (as is the 128mb dedicated video) but the Dell has a horrible case (too thick and heavy) and keyboard.

At any rate, yes people have confirmed that the primary bottleneck is the hard drive. Buying a 1.6 725 Dothan through a 2.0 755 Dothan is negligible.

You will get the best reponse with the 1.6 725 Dothan, a 5400rpm hard drive or better yet the 7200rpm hard drive and the larger RAM amount if desired.

Note that when you order prebuilt the machines on the shelf often don't have the most up to date bios and drivers. The issue I had was corrected by the posted 5/8/04 F34 bios -- I bought the notebook from Circuit City on 5/22/04 but it had F33. If I had ordered custom I would have had the updated F34 bios when I received the notebook (from Shanghai China via Fed Ex) and I would not have had the issue at all.

If you friend had read X1000forums.com he may have been able to resolve the issue by himself. Of course the India HP/Compaq call center is bad and so is the one from Dell (and Sony rated dead last in support).

I did not have to call HP to resolve my problems. I have resolved every issue I have had with my colleagues at X1000forums.com

Take a close look at the Acer 2025 --- it is built off the same platform as the X1000 -- it weighs 6.6 pounds to the Compaq X1000/HPZT3000's 6.5.

Acer also only sells prebuilts in the US (over the internet)but I think one of them may have a 5400rpm hard drive. One of the models has a 128mb dedicated ATI 9600 video card as well so people at the forums have been drooling over that.

Only you can determine if Asus has the service and future parts you may require but I can tell you I have never seen one anywhere on the West Coast of the US (but I hear they sell them in Canada).

Fujitsu even has models for sale in Fry's Electronics in Northern CA but no Asus.

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 20, 2004 11:12AM PDT

The Toshiba M35 looks a bit better than the X1000/ZT3000 as it is all in silver inside but Toshiba has an all plastic interior and LCD lid (So the silver paint can fade) wheras the Compaq X1000 has a plastic desk as well but the lid is aluminum so that is actually a plus and also very rigid.

You should just get an all aluminum Apple Powerbook if you really think the Compaq X1000 (half silver/ half black inside/silver lid) or HPZT3000 (all black inside, silver lid)really does not meet your aesthetic needs.

But you will pay for it.

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 20, 2004 11:54AM PDT

You are right --- in vain, I have been looking for the Powerbook aesthetic on a PC, and I think the ASUS has come closest with its brushed metal and translucent keys. What can I say? Aesthetics is what I do for a living, so I darn well should value it Happy.

I didn't realize that swapping out the hard drive myself was an option as I am not very technical. Is this a common thing to do? Same with the RAM. I thought DIMM's had to come in pairs, but I noticed that you recommended getting the default 256, and then putting in the 512 separately. How does this work?

I assumed that I would essentially be paying for something I don't need (as is the case with the XP Home Edition which they force you to have), but looking at my configuration again, I've realized that I would get the most for my money with the Compaq (through the rebates you mentioned earlier), AND the sick WSXGA+ 1680x1050 resolution which I can't get with the ASUS or the Toshiba. Running large fonts on that resolution, you get an amazing amount of real estate without compromising perspective. Sigh.

I did notice that the Compaq X1000 uses an ATI 9200 graphics card. Is this much slower than the 9600? What are the main differences?

As for the body of the Compaq, my friend has gotten his LCD lid quite scratched up...

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 21, 2004 4:23AM PDT

Yes, the hard drive is extremely easy to swap out -- just remove screw under the notebook, pop out the hard drive, take the proprietary connector off the end of the cable and switch it to the new one -- and pop it in. The work is whether you want to buy an external enclosure to move your data (using Symantec Ghost or another program) from one hard drive to another or just load Windows XP or XP pro from scratch on the new hard drive (and you reload drivers from the drivers CD supplied by HP/Compaq).

You will see entire threads on the Hitachi 7200 hard drive and using an external enclosure (as some people keep using the original 4200 hard drive in an external enclosure from Newegg, etc.

2) The memory slots do not need to be matched pairs as some older desktops were. They need to be the same speed (PC2700 notebook RAM 333mhz) or the system will default to the slowest RAM module. The 1st memory module is under the keyboard so some people have swapped that but it involves taking out the keyboard. The 2nd memory module is extremely easy -- just take off 1 screw under the notebook, pop off the lid, (use grounding strap or hold a large metal object when handling RAM and also unplug notebook and remove notebook battery) and pop in the RAM module (fits one way only with center notch) and you are done.

Yes, you can get 768mb RAM total and that is what most students on a tight budget get (order 256mb RAM from HP and add 512mb RAM stick for $70-90 range on sale from Kingston, Crucial, etc. later.

Yes, the ATI 9700 is a superior video card to the ATI 9700 and that is why some people have been eyeing the Acer 2025 which has the 128mb video dedicated option. Also, the Acer Ferrari model (Ferrari red) has that option and looks slick if you are into that.

You can see at the gaming forum at x1000forums.com that they were able to get Doom 3 running by adjusting down the settings as well as other popular games but if that is the highest priority get a notebook with 128mb dedicated RAM.

Yes, a lot of people order the SXGA resolution and that is a good compromise as UXGA is extreme. Note, that there are several LCD manufacturers (Samsung, LG, Hitachi) and the Hitachi SXGA has a lower refresh rate. So people order and keep their fingers crossed and use a Knoppix CD burning program to determine which LCD panel they receive - some return the notebook to get another one within 30 days (30 day return period) if they get the Hitachi. See X1000forums.com (pinned LCD thread in General) for details.

Note, however, that most notebook manufacturers use various LCD companies (this same issue is on Dells) so people here have just determined a test to find out whether they get a superior LCD or not (you want Samsung or LG).

Also note that you can order Windows XP professional preinstalled from HP/Compaq. So, if you don't want to mess around you can order the 5400 rpm hard drive and Windows XP professional custom order at hpshopping.

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 21, 2004 4:27AM PDT

A lot of people prefer the all black HP interior on the ZT3000 (touchpad is silver) but the LCD lid is still silver. Compare the pricing on both the X1000 and ZT3000 as it is often somewhat different and sometimes different discounts are offered (you can get a $100 custom order rebate though on either notebook -- not on order screen -- get it from hpshopping home page under mail in rebates link).

If you want 1gb RAM then order 512mb 1 stick -- this is what I ended up with as I did order a prebuilt X1360US with 512mb RAM (and fortunately it was 1 stick)but many people are happy saving the money with 256mb and going up to 768mb RAM.

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 21, 2004 2:27PM PDT

This is all great advice. I went into a retail store and took a closer look at the resolutions offered by Asus today (on other laptops since Asus isn't available in stores), and realized that I really want the widescreen, but the resolution Asus offers in the United States (WXGA 1366x76Cool won't be enough to feed my voracious appetite for screen real estate. The panels on the graphics applications just take up too much space.

You roped me into checking out the X1000 series from Compaq again, and I must say, the WSXGA+ really does make a tremendous difference. This, coupled with the current discounts offered on the website, have made it very hard to resist buying the Compaq. I noticed that you mentioned the employer discount for Compaq, and you seen to be pretty enthusiastic about your notebook. Just curious, do you work for them? Happy

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 22, 2004 9:56AM PDT

No, I own a prebuilt X1360US (Pentium M 1.4 Banias bought at Circuit City in May of 2004).

I am not an HP employee just an enthusiastic X1000forums.com member.

I had a software problem with the notebook and found the X1000forums.com -- this forum makes me very happy I bought this notebook as every issue I have had has been solved from logging into the forum.

The forum covers the Compaq X1000 (which came out first), the HPZT3000 (same but all black inside with silver touchpad) and the business HPnx7000.

Since I got a prebuilt I only got 32mb dedicated video RAM but you won't make that mistake getting it custom (64mb for only $50 more).

The Toshiba M35S456 got Trubrite first but now the HP and Compaq have Briteview available across the line (XGA only).

If you are interested in the SXGA resolution read the General section pinned topic (at top of general section)for LCD manufacturers -- you can get a LG, Sansung, or Hitachi with SXGA but you don't want the Hitachi (slower refresh rates). You won't know until you get the notebook and run the Knoppix CD (see X1000forums.com) what you have in SXGA.

But Dell and others have the same issue (they can stick in any 15.4" LCD panel - they don't make it themselves)-- but X1000forums.com shows you how to test it and find out which panel you have.

You have a 30 day return policy (return shipping paid) if you want the SXGA LCD and want to order that.

I actually have a lot of Toshiba products (TV's, DVD's, etc) and my wife had a Toshiba Techra at her accounting firm for years (and no problems with any device).

But you can't customize the M35S456 and it is runs hotter.

The HPZT3000/X1000 will not even run its fan at all in normal wi-fi surfing or Microsoft office operation. It is completely silent so it is ideal for using in a quiet room (of course fan will come on when using the CD-RW or hard drive extensively, etc).

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 22, 2004 9:58AM PDT

Just make sure you realize that the $50 HP rebate or the $30 Compaq rebate are not the best deal. You can find the $100 custom order HP rebate or the $100 custom order Compaq rebate (both good through 12/1/04) good for ANY HP or Compaq custom order notebook (Hpshopping.com) -- find this at the mail in rebates link at the bottom left of the hpshopping homepage (1 in HP notebooks section, 1 in Compaq notebooks section).

As you can only send in 1 UPC code you can get only 1 rebate but that is more off then they advertise on the order screen.

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 22, 2004 10:28AM PDT

Ken,

Thanks so much for all your advice. I took a look at the Toshiba machines again, and decided against the TruBrite screens because they just have too much glare. That, and the resolution offered is pretty darn low. I spent a good amount of time in the X1000forums, and finally broke down and bought a customized Compaq x1000. Here were my specs:

Compaq Presario X1000 series customize notebook
- Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition with SP2
- Intel(R) Pentium(R) M Processor 725 (1.6 GHz)
- 15.4" WVA WSXGA+ (1680x1050)
- 64MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) 9200
- 512MB DDR SDRAM (1x512MB)
- 60 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
- FREE Upgrade from DVD to DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive!!
- Intel(R) Pro Wireless 2200 802.11b/g WLAN
- Microsoft(R) Works/Money
- 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- hpshopping in-box envelope

I can't opt out of the Home edition, and the 60G 54000 is the fastest one they have. All this for $1,310.38 (after a mail-in rebate, $25 coupon, and various discounts). A fantastic deal, if you ask me! The best part is, if I decide I don't like it, I can return it for a full refund within 30 days.

But here's where it gets interesting: I still think the Asus M6N is my dream computer because its offers a solid brand, beautiful industrial design, and great specs. The only drawback has been the lower resolution and the higher price tag. They only have SXGA+ for the 15.1" screens and WXGA+ for the 15.4". Since I won't be content until I can have a side-by-side comparison, I bought this computer as well through a vendor that has a no-hassle return policy. Sick, I know, but this is the only way...

Thanks again for all your wisdom!

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 22, 2004 10:29AM PDT

p.s. I opted for 512MB RAM since upgrading to 1GB costs another $175. I'm taking your advice and picking up another 512MB stick off newegg for less than $100.

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 22, 2004 10:38AM PDT

I think you will be happy with this notebook unless you decide you have to have 128mb dedicated video RAM.

1) look at the laptopgellyfish.com site -- I am using these thin gell pads to protect the silver paint from rubbing off. They have 4 different colors but blue is best for the silver wristrest of the X1000 and yellow is best for the black wristrest of the ZT3000.

2) you could have ordered the smallest 4200 hard drive and then have ordered the 7200rpm Hitachi hard drive (about 20% faster than 5400) from Newegg but that would involve reformatting the hard drive and selling the old 4200 or using it in an external case (from Newegg). But many are doing that and you could still do that later if you want (but that costs about $200 more).

3) Make sure you read how to burn the Knoppix program to a CD on X1000forums.com (see pinned LCD manufacturer thread in general forum) so you make sure you have received a LG or Samsung SXGA LCD -- if you get one of those I think you will keep it. If you get the Hitachi it has a slower refresh rate and it is still decent but not as good as the other 2.

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 22, 2004 10:41AM PDT

I thought XP professional was offered as an option on the X1000 or ZT3000 -- did you check both on the custom ordering screen ?

If that is not offered and you will be reformatting the hard drive yourself you may very well want to get the Hitachi 7200 rpm hard drive. However, the 5400rpm is still 50% faster, under warranty from HP and it was only $25 more than the 4200rpm 60gb hard drive to boot.

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 23, 2004 12:14AM PDT

Compaq does offer the Pro edition, but I already have it so I didn't need another version. I wonder if I can just sell the entire hard drive with all the software loaded.

Speaking of which --- I was looking on ebay and hard drives don't look that easy to sell. Is there another place that computer ethusiasts go to for used hardware?

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Re: ASUS M6N vs.Toshiba M35-456 --- notebook for a designer?
Sep 23, 2004 5:17AM PDT

The people at X1000forums.com have been able to sell the hard drives if they purchase an external enclosure and sell it that way (from Newegg).

Also, many people purchase an external enclosure and use the older slower hard drive themselves as an external hard drive (via USB 2.0 or Firewire) to save their music and video files on, etc. Remember you can't boot from an external hard drive but it can be a slave drive.

Note that if you send your computer back for repair it is better to have the original hard drive to put back into the notebook (as that is under warranty) but that is not absolutely essential as others have sold their original hard drives as I noted above.

See the specific threads regarding hard drive upgrades in the Upgrades section of X1000forums.com (may be pinned at top).