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Laptop Build Help
Darkwyndre
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Ok so,
I've got a class this fall that requires a laptop, and the instructor will not accept me using my iPad instead. So, I've got to shop for a laptop. I've been looking at a bunch of different vendors, and what I'd really like to get is a MacBook Pro 17" and dual boot ... but even with educational discount, it's $2300 without a good warranty, and another $400 if I want accidental fall/spill/screen damage protection. Kind of pricey ... and from what I can tell it's still the 1st generation i7 processors (they don't specify anywhere that I can see).
I have a buddy who has the 17" model and it's really lightweight and the screen is incredible (1900x1200 resolution) but I'm balking a bit at spending that kind of bread for a laptop. I can get a Dell XPS 17" (at 1920 x 1080) for about $700 cheaper, including Dell's 4 year super warranty (covering everything short of the second coming), and it sports a sandy bridge mobile i7 and roughly equivalent parts as the Macbook pro ... but will way an ass ton.
The reason I got the iPad in the first place is because the laptop my wife and I shared was too heavy. I am crippled and confined to a wheelchair so when I pack up my bag and put it on the back of my wheelchair, I have to support the full weight with one arm at a very awkward angle, and I hurt my shoulder repeatedly doing it with the heavy laptop. So ... weight is a concern for me.
I spend a very long time at the university during the semester ... generally I have classes at 7:40 a.m. and due to my wife's work schedule it's often as late as 10 p.m. before we head home ... so I'd like to be able to use the laptop for more than just the bare minimum.
What is required for the course is as follows:
Dual core processor (at least)
4 GB Ram
Windows 7
The resolution is listed at an old square resolution (1280 x 1024), so I suspect I should be looking for a 1920x1080 screen.
It seems to me looking around that getting the resolution is the hardest part, and by necessity most of the laptops with a good screen also have many other pricey features. So, if I have to spend, I'd like to get the best bang for my buck.
Things that matter: weight and I would like to be able to play games during my downtime reasonably well. I play RIFT mostly ... and I can't tell what the mobile GPU's are actually capable of compared to the desktop cards that I'm very familiar with.
I'd rather avoid paying as much as the MacBook pro would cost ... but if there isn't anything reasonable that can meet my needs ... I'll pay it if it's worthwhile.
I really need whatever I buy to have an ironclad warranty (preferably for a lengthy amount of time). Sometimes I get caught in the rain going from class to class, and I have taken a spill or two out of my wheelchair going down some steep angled sidewalks at the campus, so I can't simply just be very careful with the laptop and take my chances. Better able to get it repaired/replaced if needed.
Sorry for the novel of a post ... I just need a good laptop and need to get the most for my money. This laptop will likely mean I do not upgrade or buy a new desktop for several years, so I want to get the most for the least. Hopefully someone with some laptop knowhow will stop by and help me
***EDIT***
I found This Laptop at newegg which seems like a really good price for what the specs say. I'm guessing there has to be a catch.
I've got a class this fall that requires a laptop, and the instructor will not accept me using my iPad instead. So, I've got to shop for a laptop. I've been looking at a bunch of different vendors, and what I'd really like to get is a MacBook Pro 17" and dual boot ... but even with educational discount, it's $2300 without a good warranty, and another $400 if I want accidental fall/spill/screen damage protection. Kind of pricey ... and from what I can tell it's still the 1st generation i7 processors (they don't specify anywhere that I can see).
I have a buddy who has the 17" model and it's really lightweight and the screen is incredible (1900x1200 resolution) but I'm balking a bit at spending that kind of bread for a laptop. I can get a Dell XPS 17" (at 1920 x 1080) for about $700 cheaper, including Dell's 4 year super warranty (covering everything short of the second coming), and it sports a sandy bridge mobile i7 and roughly equivalent parts as the Macbook pro ... but will way an ass ton.
The reason I got the iPad in the first place is because the laptop my wife and I shared was too heavy. I am crippled and confined to a wheelchair so when I pack up my bag and put it on the back of my wheelchair, I have to support the full weight with one arm at a very awkward angle, and I hurt my shoulder repeatedly doing it with the heavy laptop. So ... weight is a concern for me.
I spend a very long time at the university during the semester ... generally I have classes at 7:40 a.m. and due to my wife's work schedule it's often as late as 10 p.m. before we head home ... so I'd like to be able to use the laptop for more than just the bare minimum.
What is required for the course is as follows:
Dual core processor (at least)
4 GB Ram
Windows 7
The resolution is listed at an old square resolution (1280 x 1024), so I suspect I should be looking for a 1920x1080 screen.
It seems to me looking around that getting the resolution is the hardest part, and by necessity most of the laptops with a good screen also have many other pricey features. So, if I have to spend, I'd like to get the best bang for my buck.
Things that matter: weight and I would like to be able to play games during my downtime reasonably well. I play RIFT mostly ... and I can't tell what the mobile GPU's are actually capable of compared to the desktop cards that I'm very familiar with.
I'd rather avoid paying as much as the MacBook pro would cost ... but if there isn't anything reasonable that can meet my needs ... I'll pay it if it's worthwhile.
I really need whatever I buy to have an ironclad warranty (preferably for a lengthy amount of time). Sometimes I get caught in the rain going from class to class, and I have taken a spill or two out of my wheelchair going down some steep angled sidewalks at the campus, so I can't simply just be very careful with the laptop and take my chances. Better able to get it repaired/replaced if needed.
Sorry for the novel of a post ... I just need a good laptop and need to get the most for my money. This laptop will likely mean I do not upgrade or buy a new desktop for several years, so I want to get the most for the least. Hopefully someone with some laptop knowhow will stop by and help me
***EDIT***
I found This Laptop at newegg which seems like a really good price for what the specs say. I'm guessing there has to be a catch.
Playstation Network ID : EasySleeze
Darkwyndre on
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Posts
I generally recommend Lenovo T-Series Thinkpads for their build quality. The T420s (slim version of the T420) but its also more expensive than the standard version.
I can't find the resolution in the 15 inch laptops is the problem. The Lenovo series thinkpads are today's version of the old IBM series thinkpads?
I would check the resolution requirements with the person running the class. Unless they have very specific requirements, its unlikely that something that would work on 1280x1024 wouldn't work on a 1680x1050 or 1400x900 monitor (perhaps switched to the square res variants of those in the OS).
Lenovo bought IBMs PC division a while back. They're still generally the highest quality PC laptops you can buy.
I e-mailed my professor and he said that I /can/ go with a smaller resolution, but he would highly advise that I try to be as close to full HD as possible. (This is for graphical work).
So maybe ... I looked at some of the lenovo prices and I wasn't too enthusiastic. I guess my biggest thing now will be, in order of importance:
1.) Screen resolution (full 1080p preferred)
2.) A good mobile GPU. I guess the GTX 460 is still one of the better ones? Or should I go for one of the "optimus" systems?
3.) A good processor that will last
I will almost certainly buy an SSD and install it as the primary OS/applications drive and then get a low power cool running storage drive for storing stuff ... so I guess really I just need the most affordable one possible with the good resolution and good GPU and processor. Blu-ray would be an added bonus (due to the extended amount of time I spend on campus, I usually do not have enough schoolwork to fill the time).
I priced out a Dell XPS 17" today at $1800 including the 4 year accidental damage coverage ... but I have a good friend who also recommended Lenovo ... I just don't know enough about laptops
It has an option for 1920x1080 and is only 15.6". It also has a quad core processor and HD 6450 as the base model. Powerful, full HD, and just over $1k. Have a look at the dual core dv6 as well if you don't need a quad core.
For reference I have a Dell Inspiron 17" laptop. Its a few years old, but I think the comparison still stands. a 17" laptop is more like a portable desktop than an actual portable computer, in that its convenient to move it around without needing to carry separate monitor, keyboard, mouse, and cables, but its not particularly physically portable.
I think I've settled down on the Toshiba Qosmio 18.4" system, and a bag for that size which I will carry on my lap instead of putting the laptop in my backpack.