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General discussion

...so now what? I really need some help and suggestions.

Jan 31, 2005 2:49PM PST

Okay, I'm about to graduate from college in May. I'm a web/graphic designer and once in a great while do minor 3D work.

The University I attend made us lease 14" Apple iBooks, however since I'm no longer a full-time student, I'm not eligible to rent one.

That's where my problem begins. This time last year I built my first PC, specifically to run the Adobe and Macromedia suites with ease, since the University wanted me to pay almost $600 to lease the laptop again this semester, I figured I'd just buckle down and buy the software for less then what they wanted for the laptop. For under $600 I got the Adobe Creative Suite and the Macromedia Studio MX Suite, they run like a dream on my PC. I couldn't be happier.

What would take me almost a week to do on the iBook with only 256MB, I accomplished in a day and a half on the PC with a GIG of ram. On top of being a student, I work 41 hours a week at a local TV station, so I'm no longer able to bring my homework/projects to work and finish them while I'm there.

Since this semester is my "portfolio semester" I really need a laptop more than ever so that I can continue to work to pay for school, bills, etc and still get school done. Last week my parents offered to buy me a laptop for a graduation gift, an early one due to me needing it more than ever. Trust me I realize I'm lucky and very thankful for that offer.

So I need help deciding which way to go, this is what I've come down to. Like I said, I do a lot of web design and a lot of Photoshop work and Flash work. It was a very painful experience on the 14" G4 iBook due to the 256MB.

I am looking for something that has a solid processor, something strong enough to run Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver, iTunes or Winamp, etc all at the same with no hiccups. With that being said, I need AT LEAST 512MB, but prefer a GIG of ram. Video cards I'm not so sure when it comes to laptops, at home I've got an ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB and it's fantastic. So you guys can help me choose the video card on the laptop.

A large screen would be nice too, I want at least 14", and am tempted to go with a 17" screen because I HATE 1024x768, which is one thing I did not like about Apple, even their high end models, many seem to only have 1024. DVD Burner is not necessary, I've got one on my PC at home, and I don't need a HUGE Harddrive, but would like one that is fast or at least the best midground of the two. 120GB at home is plenty.

After all that, THANK YOU for staying with me to this point, I've kind of come down to 3 models or so, but am definately open to suggestions.

1. HP ZD8000 - At the moment, leads the pack when it comes to my choices after reading reviews online, talking with an IT friend, and it seems I get a lot more for my buck when I configure the same or similar systems with Dell and Apple, it comes out to 400-1,000 dollars cheaper to buy the HP.

2. Dell Inspiron 9200 - Solid stuff from what I've heard, but the price is much higher than the HP and the stats don't seem to be worth the price, am I wrong?

3. Apple G4 Powerbook - I still love Apple, but their prices kill me, $2,900 for a 17" Powerbook? Are you joking? Please tell me that there is a good reason to go with the Powerbook over the HP and Dell. I wouldn't touch the 17" powerbook, price is too high, but a 14" or 15" might be an option. The other major downside is that at this point, I would almost rather have the same OS so I can transfer files from my home PC to my Notebook with less problems.

I know that all of the above models are HUGE and weigh a ton, with Apple being the exception. But at the moment, I'm not too concerned about travel issues, I won't be bringing it to class, it will be just from home to work. And that is a 10 min drive and 1 min walk each way. (Plus I have outlets at my desk where I can plug it in...I get paid to watch TV..yea it's rough I know I know) Also, I know Apple has better support than both Dell and HP and people have their own opinions and experiences with both Dell and HP support, I hear "no they're good" or "they suck!!" for both sides.

The last thing is, since this is a gift, my parents don't worry about price, but even at that, I do not want to try and bankrupt them with this, I would like to keep the price around $1,500-$2,000. I'd feel bad otherwise.

With everything I just babbled about, can you guys give me a hand and some suggestions? Thanks a ton guys for staying with me and helping out, it's greatly appreciated. I need to make a decision soon so I can continue to go on with this semester in an easier fashion.

What do you think would be suitable for my needs?
Am I doing overkill with those 3 models?
What would you suggest?
Thanks again guys.

Erik

Discussion is locked

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Bump
Feb 1, 2005 10:34AM PST

Please give me some input. Really need to make a decision soon. And I'm clueless.

thanks guys.

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hp zd8000
Feb 1, 2005 11:02AM PST

i've read some very good reviews on the hp zd8000 you mentioned...i checked out hp's site and customized one with the thing you asked for and it came out to $1823 after a $50 mir...
for that your get:

Windows XP Professional

Pentium4 processor 540 w/HT Technology

17" WXGA+ BrightView Wide Viewing (1440x900) *$75 more gets you the (1680x1050) 17" screen

1.0GB DDR2 SDRAM, 400MHz (2x512MB)

60 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive

DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive

128MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) X600

54g(TM) Integ. Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN & Bluetooth

hope this helps and hopefully others will chime in as well...

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thx
Feb 1, 2005 2:00PM PST

Thanks for the response, I appreciate it.

Yea I've configured a few different setups on the ZD8000 and come from anywhere betwen $1,600 and $2,000.

The main thing I'm stuck on deciding on, if I go with the HP...is the vid card. Will the 256 make a HUGE difference with it? $50 bucks isnt that much to pay extra for a better vid card if I should go that route.

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dell 9200 is Centrino and offers higher battery life
Feb 2, 2005 3:56AM PST

The Dell 9200 is a better mobile machine, it's lighter, and it will give you more battery life than the zd8000. That's why it costs more.

The Pentium M processor also won't disappoint but I would wait for them to give you a Sonoma version.

Anyway, if you don't care about 10+ lbs weight and low battery life, go with the HP. Just don't blame me for your Chiropractic bills.

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ZD8000

The ZD8000 isn't really a "laptop" computer other then it's mobile. It's designed as a replacement desktop. No it's not good for travlers it's heavy especially dragging the ac adapter along. And it gets hot and low battery life, but if you really just want to move it around in your home or take on vacation this computer is great and the screen is worth the money. I brought this over the weekend and couldn't be happier. But it's not the lap for everyone it depends on how you are going to use it.

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.so now what? I really need some help and suggestions.
Feb 1, 2005 2:58PM PST

I purchased a sony vaio Z1wap
light weight 512 gb memory
ati readethon 64 shared memory
802.11 a/g centrino built in
2 usb ports, memory stick
(made for media)
also built in fire wire and Blue tooth
I run a full version of Photoshop 7
office and...
ftp my digital images up to my webserver( MAC G4 )
if need be the battery will deal well with 2 or more hours (stuck in my car in traffic test)
60 GB hard drive ( win xp pro)
it comes with a bundle which I suggest you delete and then run the recovery wizard immeaditally
3.6 pounds of killer laptop
magnesium case( plastic top) ( silent keyboard) ( very nice) passive screen brite and sharp
i suggest a wireless mouse ( or ) Usb optical
I got a cd cdrw, but I suggest a dvd r rw..
you will have to check sony style for pricing
I got mine on sale


do NOT get a dell I got that first and the paint near the mouse pad wore off in less than ten days. and it weighs better than ten pounds ( the finance plan is revolving you can never pay it off with minumum payments) ( im a poor kid)

I could not afford the IBM x40 sigh
so good luck