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General discussion

what is the best light weight laptop?

Sep 3, 2004 11:27AM PDT

I travel 100% of the time and I want to get a new laptop that is really light weight. I don't play any games and I doubt I would use a DVD for movies.

My work is mostly on the Internet and financial software. Also I am at that magic age where the eyesight is bit dim. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Discussion is locked

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Re: what is the best light weight laptop?
Sep 3, 2004 12:01PM PDT

You have not specified the lowest LCD size you will accept.

Of course you could get a Sony or an Apple with a 12.1" LCD and those are incredibly light. But those are not ideal for use outside of an airplane unless you get an external keyboard and/or monitor.

A lot of business level notebooks like the IBM's (great keyboards and light in noteobook that shines down on keys in airplane) and the HPnc6000 (business)--8.5 Cnet rating-- and Toshiba Techra series are 14.1" and about 5.5 pounds. But I think you may be saying you are willing to go smaller.

Fujitsu makes a nice 13.3" model. You can see this at Fry's Electronics if on the west coast or see them online (they are still made in Japan which is rare).

Sony has a plethora of smaller screen notebooks but they came in LAST in notebook and desktop service in a recent PC magazine poll. And, Sony's are always pricey for what you get unless you are totally in love with a product size and appearance no one else has (like the Sony ultralights from Japan which are not even sold here yet).

I would recommend you look for an Intel Pentium M (Centrino) notebook with a 13.3" or 14.1" LCD but you what size you actually want.

Stick with the standard XGA LCD resolution for your eyesight (not the more extreme SXGA or UXGA) -- this is the standard 1024x768 resolution.

Keep in mind if you get a true airplane ultralight like a 12.1" the size will be straining your eyes as well.

Many of these smaller notebooks have integrated (Shared video memory) video memory but if you really don't play any games or use demanding software it will be ok. But you can get the superior dedicated video RAM (also does not use up your RAM) on a 14.1" notebook like I mentioned at the top.

By the way, IBM came in #1 in that survey (Apple was not included or they would be there) as their notebooks are built more ruggedly and they have better service (they don't sell any consumer notebooks).
They will cost more than HP or Toshiba but they will stand more vibration and accidental drops.

Dell, HP, and Toshiba finished in the middle of the pack nearly equal but way above Sony.

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Re: what is the best light weight laptop?
Sep 3, 2004 12:11PM PDT

As you said you won't watch DVD's you would not appreciate the 15.4" widescreen Compaq X1000 series I have (same as HPZT3000 series). That weighs 6.5 pounds and it is light enough to carry in a notebook backpack but for your stated uses I think you want to go smaller (although the widescreen is excellent for spreadsheets as it displays more columns -- and some people with eagle eyes order SXGA or UXGA to get even more on the screen). This is an Intel Pentium M Centrino notebook.

If you do want to consider this size see X1000forums.com. Order an Intel Pentium M 1.6 725 or larger (715 ok but 705 is not) as that has double the L2 system cache now --2mb versus 1mb (2mb are Dothan cpu's, 1mb are Banias Cpus (older chips). You will get 3.5-4 hours of battery life using wi-fi and longer with it turned off (up to 5 hours or more). Two other excellent 15.4" widescreen models are the Toshiba M35 series and the Acer 2025 (all between 6.2 pounds and 6.6 pounds)

If you go down to a 14.1" LCD or smaller you should get even better battery life (and also if you turn down the brightness on the LCD you will save battery life).

But as more of a business user I think you might make out best at the 14.1" LCD screen size or 13.3" screen size at the smallest.

No matter what you order consider a 5400 rpm hard drive (at least on the 14.1" size or 15.4") as that will speed up your program access by up to 50%.

And, you can save money by ordering custom (IBM, HP/Compaq, Toshiba, or Dell) 256mb RAM or 512mb RAM 1 stick and then putting in your own 512mb Crucial, Kingston, etc RAM module later for less (to go to 768mb RAM or 1GB RAM) - remember you have only 2 RAM slots in a notebook.

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Re: what is the best light weight laptop?
Sep 4, 2004 7:31AM PDT

This is really a subjective question, but here's my 2 cents. I have a HP Pavilion ZU1175. The laptop sits in a carrier that includes a DVD and CDROM, but detaches from that and is a mere 3.5 pounds. Granted, that has a small 13+ inch screen. I've had it for a few years, and it's come in handy when I've had the use of only one arm.

I had looked at the Sony's, and they looked and felt very cheap.

Trying to find a light laptop that has a large display is going to be difficult. You must sacrifice one for the other.

I have a new laptop with a larger display, but it is a beast to carry around. I still use my ZU1175 quite a bit, and my plans to sell it have stalled. I just can't seem to part with it.

Look around at various models. Compaq's are usually tanks. When I last went looking at laptops, I didn't find one that was less than 7.5 lbs that was worth a second look. It really depends on what you are willing to sacrifice to get a laptop that is easy to lift and work with. However, the ZU1175 is my choice if I am moving around. I can always put it in the base if I need to access a CD/DVD. Even then, it's about 7 lbs with everything. That said, it's a bit old and slower, but I don't really notice the difference since I don't play games on it. I have had times where CPU usage has gone > 60%, and that is what prompted me to buy a new, larger, heavier, faster laptop. However, it is quite a difference trying to lug around a 9 lb laptop vs a 3.5lb laptop.

Again, the best thing to do is to go to the Computer shops - look at the laptops and then lift them. You'll probably be best off by viewing each and then seeing what you are willing to sacrifice for light weight.