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General discussion

Help - best light notebook for student?

Oct 9, 2004 2:46PM PDT

Hi! I'm a colllege student who needs help choosing a notebook/laptop to use on campus. I have to carry it around for about 7 hours a day, and I have back problems. So I need something very light, wireless / wi-fi internet capabilities, and basically just enough memory & speed for using the internet and Word. The size of the screen doesn't matter. So please help finding the lightest notebook for the least $. Thanks!

Discussion is locked

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Re: Help - best light notebook for student?
Oct 9, 2004 6:46PM PDT

At work the hospital administrators use the ibm thinkpad x40 it's light as hell. It's a little pricey but it's light and the battery will last about 5+ hours.
-andrew

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Re: Help - best light notebook for student?
Nov 26, 2004 10:09AM PST

Thanks Jedisolo,

I'll look into that. If anyone's got any more suggestions I'd really like to hear them. Thanks!

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Re: Help - best light notebook for student?
Nov 26, 2004 10:42AM PST

Well no laptop is going to last you all 7 hours. I know, I'm on campus some days from 8:30 in the morning till 10:00 at night. You'll have to carry your adapter with you.

If you're looking for thin and light, the IBM's a choice, but so's the very light Compaq V2000, and it's not that expensive.

You definately want something with Centrino. The Dell 700m is very small and VERY light but its battery "only" lasts 3.5 hours, which is a slouch considering it only has a 12.1" widescreen. Compared with that the Dell 8600 I'm getting (yipee) gets about 4 hours with a larger screen (15.4" Widescreen).

From what I've heard, you just can't beat an IBM for battery life. However, I must warn you, WiFi will shorten battery time in any computer.

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Re: Help - best light notebook for student?
Nov 29, 2004 11:53AM PST

Ryan:

I assume you are choosing the Dell 8600 for the Hitachi 7200rpm hard drive option and the 128mb Dedicated video RAM with the ATI 9700. This is one of the few that has it (Acer 2000 series does if you can find it).

But the case integrity (case can actually crack if you pick up the notebook off center) is not great and also the notebook weighs 6.9 pounds with the 15.4" widescreen as the case was not originally designed for the Pentium M Processor. (The Compaq X1000 and HPZT3000 are 6.5 pounds and thinner but don't have the ATI 9700 video with 128mb).

Also, the Dell keyboard fell is much worse than the IBMS and not as good as the HPZT3000 / Compaq X1000 either.

If the ATI 128mb dedicated video is your highest priority than buy the 8600 (and the Hitachi 7200rpm hard drive). You can put in the Hitachi 7200 rpm in the HPZT3000 but they only sell the 5400rpm hard drive directly).

Dell has mall kiosks so find one to test the keyboard and case integrity before buy one of these.

Otherwise, the components inside are loaded on the 8600 but at a price ............

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Re: Help - best light notebook for student?
Nov 29, 2004 10:57PM PST

Welcome back Ken! Sorry to say, what's done is done. You can read about it here:

http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-7587-0.html?forumID=69&threadID=47833&messageID=567591

As I mentioned before, I'm on a tight budget and spending over $1100 was not an option. The short story is I got the 8600 with a 1.5 Dothan, the 5400 RPM hard drive that would've cost me more in the X, the widescreen I was looking for, dedicated video Ram on a fully DX9.0-compatible GPU (I got the GF FX 5200), for $899. And I still shed a good pound and a half off of my current laptop's weight. Plus I won't have to lug around the AC Adapter much either.

Honestly, .4 pounds doesn't make that much difference to me. My mom has a Dell 600m and I assume it's the same or similar keyboard . . . I love that one. About the case, I guess we'll have to see about that, but I'm very careful with all my notebooks. I think most of your points are valid for you, but for example, weight tolerance and keyboard feel is a personal preference.

In any case, I got a high-performing laptop with my wide-angle-wide-screen, for my perfect price.

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Still searching
Jan 13, 2005 4:44PM PST

Well I'm still looking...I want something under 5 pounds w/CD built-in, wireless, good speed, 40GB+ harddrive, 512, 5+ hrs battery life. Any more suggestions please?

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PS
Jan 13, 2005 4:53PM PST

P.S.

Also, I've stopped including price in the decision process for now. Also service doesn't matter as I can fix it myself. Please if someone is really thrilled with their laptop or knows of a really great one, PLEASE tell me -- I will never buy one at the rate I'm going because I compare every single detail obsessively. And classes resume in a few days....EEKS! What would you go with???

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HPDV1000 and Gateway 14" widescreen in low 5 pound range
Jan 14, 2005 3:50AM PST

Costco has a great price of $1299-150 instant discount (not a rebate) = 1140 on a HPDV1000 series (14" widescreen Pentium M -- 5.3 pounds - DVD+ burner/CD burner, 3.5 hour-4 hour wi-fi life or up to 5 hours battery life otherwise (generally for Centrino notebooks --depends on battery cell size), 54G built in wi-fi, etc.

Also, they have these online at hpshopping.com -- Gateway has a similar 14" widescreen models at Best buy and best buy.com

Both of these have only shared video memory but any notebook under 5 pounds would have that also (not dedicated video).

Check the viewing angle of the LCD from the side as the HPDV1000 has been flagged for a narrow viewing angle but most smaller LCD's will have this issue versus the 15.4" LCD I have.

See DV1000forums.com for best specs and discounts at hpshopping.com custom .

This is 1/3 of a pound over your 5 pound weight limit but essentially this is a 5 pound notebook (not including A/C adaptor).

This has a built in remote control and instant on DVD/CD functions and 2 headphone jacks in the front for the airplane or car for 2.

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Costco Passport coupon for HPDV1000 1/31/05-2/6/05 only
Jan 14, 2005 3:52AM PST

Note, the Costco in store deal for $1299-150 = 1149 (for model including Briteview LCD and DVD burner) is only good from 1/31/05-2/6/05 (Monday-Sunday) -- it is a special Passport coupon mailed out to members recently but you can probably get one of these passport coupon books from the customer service if you are a member.

This discount is occurring now as new Pentium M (Sonoma) models are coming in February.........

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HP/Compaq APP student discount 6% -hpshopping.com
Jan 14, 2005 7:44AM PST

Keep in mind also, Alexandra, that you can get a 6% student APP discount for any HP/Compaq notebook at hpshopping.com (APP student discount) in addition to other discounts if you are a US college student.

See DV1000forums.com for other discounts and best specs.

If you want to get under 5 pounds though of course HP/Compaq does not offer anything but the HPDV1000 series is 5.3 pounds

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go for dell 700 m....unless u like the zt3000 from hp
Jan 14, 2005 1:38PM PST

since you sounded so desperate, i thot i'll give in some comments....i guess the best option for u is pick up a decent config of the dell 700M model. its newly modeled, so u'll get a fresh look on it compared to the otherwise crappy dells. its lighter than 5 lbs and shud suit most of ur needs...and will only make u poorer by abt 1300$
having said that, if u truly want the best, non-ibm laptop, go for the hp zt3000 laptop...i'll challenge you to find anything better and affordablethan this machine in the mkt rite now.
all the best for ur college Happy

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IBM Bye Bye
Jan 15, 2005 1:15PM PST

As far as IBM, they just very recently sold their personal computer division to a company that is not well known at all. So that is the uncertain future of IBM desktops and lappies. That is the end of an era.

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IBM will continue to do service/support for US notebooks IBM
Jan 15, 2005 2:21PM PST

the Chinese company that bought IBM's PC business has been building many of their IBM notebooks all along.

Also, at least for the short term, IBM has committed to keep doing the US service and support themselves and they have also taken a stake in the Chinese company.

IBM made this move as they had lost money on the PC business for 5 years so they just couldn't make a profit with the structure here.

So, if buying a notebook now, the IBM solid cases, best keyboards and self-parking hard drives are still a selling point and IBM is #2 in service (to Apple) in notebooks.

They are more expensive then most, however, for what you get .........

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G'day from Australia...Go for the IBM Thinkpad X or T Series
Jan 14, 2005 6:03AM PST

Hi Alexandra,
As some members have previously mentioned...go for an IBM Thinkpad X or T.
I have an IBM T41p (p=workstation,and not needed for normal computing). Pentium M 1.7, 1G RAM, 60G HDD (7200rpp), Wireless, 6.5 hrs battery, Video ATI mobility fire GL T2 128mb, 1400 x 1050 high res screen etc. It really is great, can;t say enough about it, but just as important is the stuff that other notebooks don't have eg; 3 year wantantee, high quality manufacture/engineering, V.good tech support tel & online, the built in Thinkpad software that helps to keep everything running without missing a beat, such as the hidden backup partition that holds a copy of the original from factory os and software, plus any additional backups you want. Also, They look professional...you don't want to be seen carrying a toy around campus.

Both the X & T series are suprisingly thin and light (you will be hard pressed to find another notebook containing their config, which have the same dimensions. The X series and T series thinkpads are the business line within the IBM range, with the X being smaller and therefore lighter which may be of advatage to you.

Anyway, I'm obviously biased (my last 4 notbooks have been IBM). Good luck with the decision...I know you'l make the correct one Happy.

Have fun at uni (what are you studying?) send me an email when you decide.