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General discussion

notebook: help finding/building the perfect laptop for me

Feb 5, 2005 9:56AM PST

i currently have a very bad desktop but instead of buying a new one i would rather a desktop replacement laptop. i want it to be powerful yet versatile. (no room for wires everywhere)

battery life isn't too important because it will be plugged in most of the time but a 12volt should do. here are the main componants i want:

PENT 4 HT with atleast 2.8ghs(800mgz bus speed)
Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Professional
512ram
60 gig 7200 rpm
15.4 but 17" much preferred (17.0" WSXGA+ BrightView Wide Viewing (1680x1050) )
x3 min usb2 slots
cardreader or integrated usb drive would be nice
DVD+/-RW/R & CD-RW Combo (w/Double Layer Support would be nice)
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) X600 (around those lines)
54g(TM) Integ. Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN & Bluetooth
i want it wireless all the way

that about rounds up my laptop wishes
i will chat, browse, work, pics/videos and maybe games- dvd etc.
i prob dont need all that memory but it cant hurt.

if you know of any sites that i can get a notebook like this plz email me/reply. it would be greatly appreciated. the mark doesnt matter nor the price (around 2000 hope no more)ithanks thats it...

thanks alot for your time!

taytay_jordan@hotmail.com

Discussion is locked

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802.11g and Bluetooth on one mini PCI card?
Feb 8, 2005 3:31PM PST

Make sure to let us all know when someone out there gets off their @ss and produces a combination 802.11g and Bluetooth mini PCI. . . While I am wishing, how about a three-for. . . A mini PCI with 802.11a, 802.11g, and Bluetooth all in one! Now that's wireless functionality I'd be willing to pay a premium for. And you can't tell me about interference issues, as my new HP iPAQ hx2750 has both Bluetooth and 802.11b onboard. Cheers!

Craig.

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only 60g for games and video?
Feb 8, 2005 4:36PM PST

Currently, the largest laptop hd's i've seen on the net are 100 gb. i suggest you get the 100 gb because a 60g will fill up quickly. I have a compaq presario x1022AP and am very happy with it and i bought it in november 2003 just to let you in on my background. My laptop has 60 gb and now i'm looking for an external hd to accomodate all the videos, mp3's etc i've accumulated over the past year.

as for your chipset, you don't really need a 2.8 ghz unless you're getting 1.4 gigs of ram to go along with it. 512mb of ram would be great for a 1.x ghz processor, but not for a 2.8ghz. to maximise your processor and keep your system working slick, i suggest 1:1 chip to memory ratio, that way it can handle your 3d gaming, surfing, chatting, and watching videos all the the same time and then some.

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Laptop Recommendations
Feb 11, 2005 12:49PM PST

For a real high-performance laptop, check out the Dell XPS. If that's a little expensive, check out the Dell 9200. It's got a Pentium - M processor, but the base system is only $1300 so you could easily upgrade processors and stay within your budget. As you can see, I like my Dells...
Good luck,
Dave

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check out HP ZD8000 or Compaq x6000
Feb 12, 2005 3:29AM PST

I just got my X6000 and I am really happy with it and it has what your looking for (bluetooth). I went with Comapq as I liked the silver/black case and the build of it over HP. They are both the same inside. I did a custom build on Compaq's website, my specs are below. I have a PC biz, so I ordered it with 1 gig of ram as it was cheaper in the long run than ordering it with one 256 or 512. I wanted top performance, so I went from the default of 2.8 mhz to 3.2 as it was only $100 diff ($25 per 100mhz, cheap!) but the jump to 3.6 was to high. I have no complaints as of yet execpt the power brick is big and heavy which will be a pain when you have to take the laptop somewhere. DVD playing and gaming are awsome! I would recommend you go to local PC store and play with both first as I did. I was also tired of the all black laptop, love the black case top, silver and gray inside and prefer the whey the top closes/feels over the HP. This is my first Compaq and since HP took them over they are 100% better. I used to be a Dell user (inspiron 8200) and have actually support dell PC's at my company but quality has dropped and if you configure a 9200 with the same spces as mine, it was going to cost me $2100.
Customized Presario X6000 Notebook
- Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Professional only $49!!
- Intel(R) Pentium(R)4 processor 540 w/HT Technology
- 17.0" WSXGA+ BrightView Wide Viewing (1680x1050)
- 1.0GB DDR2 SDRAM, 400MHz (2x512MB)
- 60 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
- FREE Upgrade to 8X DVD +/- RW/R & CD-RW Combo!!
- 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) X600
- FREE Upgrade to 54g(TM) 802.11b/g WLAN w/ 125HSM!!
- Microsoft(R) Works/Money
- 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

good luck!

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notebook advice
Feb 12, 2005 5:10AM PST

avoid toshiba

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gent06 notebook advice
Feb 14, 2005 6:32AM PST

hi thanks for the advice but y avoid toshiba?

Thanks,

Taylor

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choices
Feb 15, 2005 8:42AM PST

I've been going through the same research and have discarded the idea of a P4 chip set and am deciding between a P4M and a mobile ADM chip set. One company I find very interesting is ProStar. They seem to pack a lot into their systems. I spoke with a man in Jamiaca who runs a live webcasting / digital photography business who uses ProStar and he couldn't say enough good stuff about the product and the company. I've also talked with a friend who does statewide IT support for our University system and he's completely sold on IBMs... says they'll take a beating and the company continues to provide replacement parts for much longer than the Dells/GWs/HPs. I know this is a consideration as I once tried to buy a replacement battery for an aging HP without any success.

Anyone have opinons on ProStar or IBM notebooks?