Looking at new laptops...
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From: Georgia on my mind...
Looking at new laptops...
...and I was wanting some advice from you computer saavy folks before I hit the "Check out" button.
I'm in the market for a new laptop to run some diagnostic software at work, therefore, it's going to be a dedicated machine. But, me being me, I also want to know that I'm getting plenty of horsepower to do whatever I want should I decide to use it for something else, or if the software ever changes.
I'm looking at a Dell Latitude D510 . There are reasons that I'll detail later that'll explain why I'd really prefer a Dell, but anywho. Of course, me being me, I get all screwed up when I see options that say "more!" More hard drive space, more RAM, more processor speed, more, more, more. Will I really notice a difference from the 1.73 Ghz Pentium M compared to the 1.86 Ghz M? Will I really notice a difference from having 256MB of DDR2 SDRAM compared to 512 or 1GB? And just what the hell is a "DIMM" anyways? The laptop I'm running now has a 40 gig hard drive and I've got a ton of music on it with no adverse effects that I can see, but would it be preferable to go bigger?
I'm trying to keep the whole thing under $1K. The minimum requirements for this software is a 1.4 Ghz Pentium M, 512MB RAM, and a DVD-ROM drive. Would I really notice a difference worthwhile to consider getting the slightly faster processor? I noticed on Dell's site that the bus speed of both of them are the same, and someone told me that bus speed is the number I should be paying attention to, not necessarily the processor speed itself. I know I should really be asking people who are running this software and get their opinions, but the problem is it's still sorta in it's beta phase and won't be available for widespread release until sometime this month or next I think, and the cables required for it are on a 2-3 month backorder anyways. I'd really prefer to get a Dell, since I've already got a Dell pocket PC that runs a variant of this software, and I've got a revolving account with Dell. I don't want the bare *** minimum to get by, but I also don't want to spend more for something that I wouldn't really benefit from.
Help!
I'm in the market for a new laptop to run some diagnostic software at work, therefore, it's going to be a dedicated machine. But, me being me, I also want to know that I'm getting plenty of horsepower to do whatever I want should I decide to use it for something else, or if the software ever changes.
I'm looking at a Dell Latitude D510 . There are reasons that I'll detail later that'll explain why I'd really prefer a Dell, but anywho. Of course, me being me, I get all screwed up when I see options that say "more!" More hard drive space, more RAM, more processor speed, more, more, more. Will I really notice a difference from the 1.73 Ghz Pentium M compared to the 1.86 Ghz M? Will I really notice a difference from having 256MB of DDR2 SDRAM compared to 512 or 1GB? And just what the hell is a "DIMM" anyways? The laptop I'm running now has a 40 gig hard drive and I've got a ton of music on it with no adverse effects that I can see, but would it be preferable to go bigger?
I'm trying to keep the whole thing under $1K. The minimum requirements for this software is a 1.4 Ghz Pentium M, 512MB RAM, and a DVD-ROM drive. Would I really notice a difference worthwhile to consider getting the slightly faster processor? I noticed on Dell's site that the bus speed of both of them are the same, and someone told me that bus speed is the number I should be paying attention to, not necessarily the processor speed itself. I know I should really be asking people who are running this software and get their opinions, but the problem is it's still sorta in it's beta phase and won't be available for widespread release until sometime this month or next I think, and the cables required for it are on a 2-3 month backorder anyways. I'd really prefer to get a Dell, since I've already got a Dell pocket PC that runs a variant of this software, and I've got a revolving account with Dell. I don't want the bare *** minimum to get by, but I also don't want to spend more for something that I wouldn't really benefit from.
Help!
Senior Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 534
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From: Louisiana
I recommend looking at http://www.http://www.sagernotebook.com/index.html .
I have one thats about 2 years old and love it. Yes, you'll notice a much bigger difference with more ram than a slightly faster processor speed. Hard drive size depends on what applications you're going to run. XP Pro, Microsoft Office, and whatever application software you're going to run for work. Also take into account any games or music you wish to load. 40 gigs does me fine, but it may or may not be enough for you. I recommend a DVD/CR-RW combo drive also. Those come in real handy. Instead of buying a dedicated monitor and playback device for my truck on long trips with the family, I put a power convertor in the truck and set my laptop on the console. Instant pacifier for the kids. They can watch movies the whole trip.
Also, unless you're running very math intensive programs such as CAD or 3d rendering software, I'd go with AMD over Intel any day.
I have one thats about 2 years old and love it. Yes, you'll notice a much bigger difference with more ram than a slightly faster processor speed. Hard drive size depends on what applications you're going to run. XP Pro, Microsoft Office, and whatever application software you're going to run for work. Also take into account any games or music you wish to load. 40 gigs does me fine, but it may or may not be enough for you. I recommend a DVD/CR-RW combo drive also. Those come in real handy. Instead of buying a dedicated monitor and playback device for my truck on long trips with the family, I put a power convertor in the truck and set my laptop on the console. Instant pacifier for the kids. They can watch movies the whole trip.
Also, unless you're running very math intensive programs such as CAD or 3d rendering software, I'd go with AMD over Intel any day.
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Technical Article Contributor
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From: Georgia on my mind...
The cheapest Sager is $1500...out of my price range.
I'm trying to stick with Dell, since I've already got a Dell pocket PC, and I didn't mention this in my original post, but Dell and Panasonic are the only PCs that have been tested and are currently supported with this software.
And while they look good, I've never heard of Sager notebooks. I don't want to buy something that I might have a problem with getting fixed later on down the road.
I'm trying to stick with Dell, since I've already got a Dell pocket PC, and I didn't mention this in my original post, but Dell and Panasonic are the only PCs that have been tested and are currently supported with this software.
And while they look good, I've never heard of Sager notebooks. I don't want to buy something that I might have a problem with getting fixed later on down the road.
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Joined: Aug 2003
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From: mississippi
I would buy a Dell simply because of their warranty and service. I currently have one and won't buy anything else.
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From: FL
IF you're looking for a garunteed laptop that will work with what you're using then go Dell. They make good laptops and usually have pretty good support. If you're looking for most bang for the buck then an AMD Turion powered machine is a nice setup. http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/..._12651,00.html Dell unfortunately is tied at the hip with Intel, so that's all you're gonna get from them. Again, they are a solid machine.
