and it's very, very nice. I stuck another gig of RAM in there and it runs really well. I have Photoshop CS2 and it runs quick and it also plays Battlefield 2 on High or Highest settings so I feel like I did pretty well for the price.
I wonder how complete that list is. Dawn of War: Dark Crusade is so awesome. Decisions.
Well, Gametap works now for sure. So the list is old.
I bet DoW works fine now.
I've run Dark Crusade quite a bit on Vista. It works great.
App compatibility is a concern though. There is a "run as" compatibility mode, but if an older program was sloppily made to require all sorts of admin priveliges, Vista will kick its ass. Drivers still aren't up to speed, too, so running it on a primary gaming machine is pretty pointless.
If you use a machine for lots of multitasking, Office 2003/2007 (especially 07, which is sex), Photoshop (especially CS3), or crappily-coded proprietary RAM heavy programs, Vista keeps it all in line, and is a *lot* more stable than XP. None of those stupid hangs after waking up, and big PDFs won't crash it.
Really, though, be prepared to put in XP. Vista is vastly different, in many ways, so if you're not ready for a lot of the differences, it can be vastly frustrating.
I wonder how complete that list is. Dawn of War: Dark Crusade is so awesome. Decisions.
Well, Gametap works now for sure. So the list is old.
I bet DoW works fine now.
I've run Dark Crusade quite a bit on Vista. It works great.
App compatibility is a concern though. There is a "run as" compatibility mode, but if an older program was sloppily made to require all sorts of admin priveliges, Vista will kick its ass. Drivers still aren't up to speed, too, so running it on a primary gaming machine is pretty pointless.
If you use a machine for lots of multitasking, Office 2003/2007 (especially 07, which is sex), Photoshop (especially CS3), or crappily-coded proprietary RAM heavy programs, Vista keeps it all in line, and is a *lot* more stable than XP. None of those stupid hangs after waking up, and big PDFs won't crash it.
Really, though, be prepared to put in XP. Vista is vastly different, in many ways, so if you're not ready for a lot of the differences, it can be vastly frustrating.
What's involved in having an XP and a Vista install on the same machine? I've never dual-booted before, so I have no idea what to expect. Do they each only have access to files on their own partitions, or are programs just installed separately to either of them?
It is small, lightweight, and has some nice features like a built in webcam and wifi-finder (SO nice for on campus).
The only thing that is not to like is that it runs on vista. Vista isn't all that bad though, it has really grown on me. I turned off all the extra junk so it looks pretty much like XP again and it runs really well. Plus it is really secure.
I actually just got my brother an Inspiron 1501, the same one that Odium suggested, with XP - for him to go to university with. Be prepared to spend a good twenty minutes or so when you first get it scrubbing all the Dell crap off it, but it's a very nice machine. The battery life hovers around the five hour mark from what I've seen, and that's after power cycling - obviously less if you're straining it. I'd recommend it.
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@vgreminders - Don't miss out on timed events in gaming! @gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
I'm not sure if you meant the newest onboard solution specifically for Macbooks in which case that link is probably not so relevant, but thats a pretty good general thread to watch, the OP in it is regularly updated as new video cards come out for laptops. Its a bit games focussed, but the OP mentions wanting to run Photoshop, so he'll need a decent video card in his machine anyways.
Hmm. Cards is probably not really the right term for laptops, since you can't exactly pull them out and change them in the overwhelming majority of cases.
Xenogears: The only laptop that comes close to Apple's build quality are Lenovo Thinkpads. Please don't say Dell, or I will have to kick you in the nuts.
Xenogears: The only laptop that comes close to Apple's build quality are Lenovo Thinkpads. Please don't say Dell, or I will have to kick you in the nuts.
Years and years of repairing stupid shit that goes wrong on various laptops (including macs!) shows no marked improvement on build. They all have their little quirks. Some models have a tendency for the headphone jack to come loose, and not just by people tearing out the headphones, I mean just a little bit of wiggle. Some older model iBooks have keyboards that are a shade too big for the slot and start bowing after a year or two. Some develop this weird crack almost like the DS Lite on the hinge.
Dell gets 'tops from a dozen different manufactuers. Some are crap, some are amazing for the price.
Also: Is it worth it to get Office 2007? I mean, it's $150, that seems a bit much for an office suite. Right now I'm using OpenOffice and Abiword.
Also it's $200 for 2 gigs of ram in it. I'll be able to go with the default amount and buy new later for cheaper, right?
Get open office, forget office 2007. I'd go for big battery and not worry about RAM, if it was me.
I am typing this from an Inspiron 710m at the moment, and it works fine and has worked fine for me for over a year. No reason to get something way too expensive if you can get something fine for less money and spend that money on books instead.
Also: Is it worth it to get Office 2007? I mean, it's $150, that seems a bit much for an office suite. Right now I'm using OpenOffice and Abiword.
Also it's $200 for 2 gigs of ram in it. I'll be able to go with the default amount and buy new later for cheaper, right?
If you're already using OpenOffice and Abiword, I doubt you need Office. As for the ram, make sure to select the 1 Gig 1 Stick option, so all you'll have to do is buy another 1 gig stick.
Remember that there is no warranty on the planet that will cover the average shit that happens in at that special time in a person's life. Laptops at school get shit spilled on them or stolen all the time, so the cheaper the better. Mactops are many things, cheap isn't one of them.
Not true. The Dells have an option for completecare (other mfgs may have something similar, don't know since I have a Dell) which is essentially like an insurance policy for accidental damage. I can't recommend this highly enough. You'll thank me right after you get over the shock of an idiot dumping a full cup of beer on your system.
Oh, and I would hold off on buying an Office Suite (if you don't go the Open Office route) until you get to school. Your campus bookstore will have it at super cheap educational discount prices.
Yeah, so far I have not been particularly impressed by my Macbook's build quality. Sure, the engineering is peerlessly beautiful, but the build quality is so-so.
Oh, and I would hold off on buying an Office Suite (if you don't go the Open Office route) until you get to school. Your campus bookstore will have it at super cheap educational discount prices.
This is the correct answer. I get a ton of software free at my school, including Office 2007, Mathematica, and Vista Enterprise. Don't buy any software until you get there.
On Vista: I like it. It's compatible with all the stuff I've used with it so far, and haven't had to struggle with anything. It also starts up much faster than my XP partition. The interface is real shiny, too. Transparency effects are hot. And oh yeah, something about more security or whatever. But really, it's all about the shiny.
I'm not sure I'd pay for it, but free, there's no reason not to use it. I dual-booted my laptop, and if my games weren't installed on the XP partition, I'd probably just keep it on Vista all the time. When dual-booting, you can access all files on either partition. It's a good solution.
Remember that there is no warranty on the planet that will cover the average shit that happens in at that special time in a person's life. Laptops at school get shit spilled on them or stolen all the time, so the cheaper the better. Mactops are many things, cheap isn't one of them.
Not true. The Dells have an option for completecare (other mfgs may have something similar, don't know since I have a Dell) which is essentially like an insurance policy for accidental damage. I can't recommend this highly enough. You'll thank me right after you get over the shock of an idiot dumping a full cup of beer on your system.
Oh, and I would hold off on buying an Office Suite (if you don't go the Open Office route) until you get to school. Your campus bookstore will have it at super cheap educational discount prices.
No kidding. What a world we live in. I bet its damn expensive though.
On the second point I can't agree more, look into what sort of educational discount you can get on software as I was fortunate to get quite a bit of choice software for a near steal when I went to school.
Dell's new Inspirons are awesome for the price, and they've finally updated the design so they're not fuck-ugly like they used to be. You can get a fifteen-incher with a 256MB GeForce 8600 videocard for like 1400 bucks, and that'll shred through pretty much everything you throw at it. They are a little bulky though, and the screen is only 1280x800.
Remember that there is no warranty on the planet that will cover the average shit that happens in at that special time in a person's life. Laptops at school get shit spilled on them or stolen all the time, so the cheaper the better. Mactops are many things, cheap isn't one of them.
Not true. The Dells have an option for completecare (other mfgs may have something similar, don't know since I have a Dell) which is essentially like an insurance policy for accidental damage. I can't recommend this highly enough. You'll thank me right after you get over the shock of an idiot dumping a full cup of beer on your system.
No kidding. What a world we live in. I bet its damn expensive though.
Actually, last time I checked it was ~$120 or so to tack it onto the system, regardless of the length of normal warranty you pick. Made it a no brainer choice for me.
Dell's new Inspirons are awesome for the price, and they've finally updated the design so they're not fuck-ugly like they used to be. You can get a fifteen-incher with a 256MB GeForce 8600 videocard for like 1400 bucks, and that'll shred through pretty much everything you throw at it. They are a little bulky though, and the screen is only 1280x800.
The problem there being that I only want to spend like $600.
Don't buy a shit, cheap laptop unless you don't want to be able to use it wherever, whenever. Shit, cheap laptops first and foremost have shit, cheap batteries that will not hold a charge after a couple of months and you will be permanently tethered to your power cable. Secondly, they are invariably bulkier thus negating what little portability benefits they still have after the battery dies.
Idon't know if you can still get them but I've just got my Dad's old 12" powerbook. It's tiny. I'd say it's the perfect thing for taking to college so you can work on things in between classes. It's powerful enough for Photoshop CS2, the battery life seems really good so far and it's extremely portable. If this was for a more permanent venture where you basically need a portable desktop, I'd recommend something with more oomph, but as something for doing the odd bit of work on a small laptop like this would be perfect. For similar size and specs, look at the Viao as well. They used to make really dinky ones of those. My brother also has an incredibly slimline laptop for work. It's practically a palmtop, screen must be only about 9" but really clear and extremely handy. I think it must be a Fujitsu/Siemens or something. That was probably pretty pricey for what it is though.
Also: Is it worth it to get Office 2007? I mean, it's $150, that seems a bit much for an office suite. Right now I'm using OpenOffice and Abiword.
Also it's $200 for 2 gigs of ram in it. I'll be able to go with the default amount and buy new later for cheaper, right?
If you're already using OpenOffice and Abiword, I doubt you need Office. As for the ram, make sure to select the 1 Gig 1 Stick option, so all you'll have to do is buy another 1 gig stick.
Listen to this! ^
So far a few people have said to get 1GB and upgrade to 2GB later, but make sure your choices allow you to choose a single stick of 1GB! Sometimes 1GB (and no description) means 2 512MB sticks which give you NO room for upgrades without removing the RAM and replacing it. So if it doesn't specify, spend the extra ahead of time unless you want to buy 2GB of ram later and not just 1.
And it may be expensive, but it will probably be worth buying the extended warranty with accidental coverage. ANYTHING happens to your laptop and they will fix it. Liquid damage, you drop it, your friend plays drums on it, whatever. Especially if you want this to last you all 4 years.
Also: Is it worth it to get Office 2007? I mean, it's $150, that seems a bit much for an office suite. Right now I'm using OpenOffice and Abiword.
Also it's $200 for 2 gigs of ram in it. I'll be able to go with the default amount and buy new later for cheaper, right?
If you're already using OpenOffice and Abiword, I doubt you need Office. As for the ram, make sure to select the 1 Gig 1 Stick option, so all you'll have to do is buy another 1 gig stick.
Listen to this! ^
So far a few people have said to get 1GB and upgrade to 2GB later, but make sure your choices allow you to choose a single stick of 1GB! Sometimes 1GB (and no description) means 2 512MB sticks which give you NO room for upgrades without removing the RAM and replacing it. So if it doesn't specify, spend the extra ahead of time unless you want to buy 2GB of ram later and not just 1.
And it may be expensive, but it will probably be worth buying the extended warranty with accidental coverage. ANYTHING happens to your laptop and they will fix it. Liquid damage, you drop it, your friend plays drums on it, whatever. Especially if you want this to last you all 4 years.
Would it likely be cheaper to get 1 GB and buy an extra 1GB later from not-Dell, or get 512 and buy two sticks of 1 GB later from not-Dell?
Macbook build quality is most certainly superior to 90% of the major manufacturers. Saying otherwise is turning a blind eye to the amazing features it possesses, like a completely flush bottom (and sides, and top), lack of any bumps or protrusions which can get snagged or break off, the magsafe connection, magnetic latch, etc. It's design is far superior to it's competitors (other than some guys like lenovo), and you pay out the ass for it. But it's damn worth it.
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Xenogears: The only laptop that comes close to Apple's build quality are Lenovo Thinkpads. Please don't say Dell, or I will have to kick you in the nuts.
Save for the shitty monitors, Lenovo ThinkPads eat everything else for breakfast in terms of build quality. You could pick one up and hurl it at the wall like a frisbee and still recover all your data. They have other drawbacks, sure, such as mediocre pricing and lackluster screens --- but the lenovo build quality is second-to-none.
I'm going to be a sad panda when I turn my work-issued T43 in (but happy too because I got a better job).
EDIT: ThinkPads especially shine in a corporate environment where everybody has the same model. Then IT's idea of "fixing" your laptop is to swap your still-intact hard drive with the hard drive in a brand new laptop with the same specs. You're up and running the same afternoon and they just send your old broken laptop in for warranty replacement. As a personal computer, you can't quite achieve the same level, but you can be assured that your data will be protected if you ever drop the thing.
October? I'm pretty sure microsoft has some sort of policy that they continue support after a final service pack for 2-5 years or something. And service pack 3 hasn't been released yet.
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October? I'm pretty sure microsoft has some sort of policy that they continue support after a final service pack for 2-5 years or something. And service pack 3 hasn't been released yet.
That's what I've heard, and I think it means Automatic Updates, official patches, and things of that sort, while general tech support will still be acceptable.
Also, this may be for XP SP2, as I wasn't aware a SP3 was on the way.
Macbook build quality is most certainly superior to 90% of the major manufacturers. Saying otherwise is turning a blind eye to the amazing features it possesses, like a completely flush bottom (and sides, and top), lack of any bumps or protrusions which can get snagged or break off, the magsafe connection, magnetic latch, etc. It's design is far superior to it's competitors (other than some guys like lenovo), and you pay out the ass for it. But it's damn worth it.
I consider that more engineering rather than build quality. I think Apple's engineering is second to none. But the build quality isn't great. My trackpad button's feeling pretty loose already. the plastic macbooks are made of doesn't inspire any confidence. If i press too hard in the area under the keyboard (sometimes even when i just put my hands down), it flexes very easily and makes clacky sounds. The screen hinge is not that great, mine creaks a tiny bit and i dont feel it holds the screen in place that well. the lcd screen is really bad for the cost. it has horrible vertical viewing angles. the keyboard is on par with most other laptops, i.e. not very good.
October? I'm pretty sure microsoft has some sort of policy that they continue support after a final service pack for 2-5 years or something. And service pack 3 hasn't been released yet.
That's what I've heard, and I think it means Automatic Updates, official patches, and things of that sort, while general tech support will still be acceptable.
Also, this may be for XP SP2, as I wasn't aware a SP3 was on the way.
I don't really think they can end support yet. Not with all the corporate users who still use XP.
Don't buy a shit, cheap laptop unless you don't want to be able to use it wherever, whenever. Shit, cheap laptops first and foremost have shit, cheap batteries that will not hold a charge after a couple of months and you will be permanently tethered to your power cable. Secondly, they are invariably bulkier thus negating what little portability benefits they still have after the battery dies.
Or, he could ignore your unsound, bullshit advice, and just listen to actually informed people like me, posting on my "shit, cheap" year-old Inspiron 1300 laptop with 4 hours of battery life left at 73% (at the moment.. you do the math).
Protip: Don't make shit up, when other more informed people are here to call you on your bullshit.
Furthermore, I'm curious to see where you pulled this "shit, cheap batteries" truthiness from, since anyone familiar with the whole sony debacle last year would know that all laptop batteries pretty much come from the same place.
I'm on my macbook right now, and I don't have any flex whatsoever under the keyboard.
I also LOVE the keyboard. It was comfortable and easy to type with the moment I took it out of the box. Much superior to my girlfriends VAIO and my dads dell.
I don't consider "clean lines" and stuff to be build quality. But there are no protrusions, everything is flush mounted and minimalistic, and it has less flex overall than any laptop I've ever touched. Those are what I consider to be the fine points of build quality. I can't speak to how well it withstands drops, because I've never dropped mine, but let me tell you, i'd rather drop my 6-7 lb macbook than the 9-12 lb counterparts with the same screen size made by some competitors.
There is flex in the screen portion, but it is a super light screen, which I like because I don't feel like it's going to tip over when I have it on the couch and whatnot. My gfs vaio is so topheavy that I get nervous tilting the screen back very far.
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Don't buy a shit, cheap laptop unless you don't want to be able to use it wherever, whenever. Shit, cheap laptops first and foremost have shit, cheap batteries that will not hold a charge after a couple of months and you will be permanently tethered to your power cable. Secondly, they are invariably bulkier thus negating what little portability benefits they still have after the battery dies.
Or, he could ignore your unsound, bullshit advice, and just listen to actually informed people like me, posting on my "shit, cheap" year-old Inspiron 1300 laptop with 4 hours of battery life left at 73% (at the moment.. you do the math).
Furthermore, I'm curious to see where you pulled this "shit, cheap batteries" truthiness from, since anyone familiar with the whole sony debacle last year would know that all laptop batteries pretty much come from the same place.
Protip: Don't make shit up, when other more informed people are here to call you on your bullshit.
Oh come on, I can name a dozen laptop models that have batteries you can't even watch a full movie on after 6 months of moderate use.
Nozz on
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My Toshiba Satellite had less than 1 hour on a full charge less than six months after purchase. Yeah. I've asked other people who bought Satellites around the same time, and they've confirmed similar experiances. I hear the newer ones get about 3 hours, but still.
Ignore recoil and make sure that you get something with a decent battery.
Hmm, what's that? I can't understand your language. Must have Mac's cock in your mouth.
I hate people that Apple's build quality is superior than other brands.
It's an electronic piece of equipment, and built by probably the same people who make the other ones. It's still portable, and still has the same chance to break as any other laptop.
Posts
Hrm.
How easy is it to pack a backup battery and change it out? Will most laptops need a screwdriver for that?
If you don't want to spend a ton, don't go for a Mac.
Get a good battery.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220163
and it's very, very nice. I stuck another gig of RAM in there and it runs really well. I have Photoshop CS2 and it runs quick and it also plays Battlefield 2 on High or Highest settings so I feel like I did pretty well for the price.
I've run Dark Crusade quite a bit on Vista. It works great.
App compatibility is a concern though. There is a "run as" compatibility mode, but if an older program was sloppily made to require all sorts of admin priveliges, Vista will kick its ass. Drivers still aren't up to speed, too, so running it on a primary gaming machine is pretty pointless.
If you use a machine for lots of multitasking, Office 2003/2007 (especially 07, which is sex), Photoshop (especially CS3), or crappily-coded proprietary RAM heavy programs, Vista keeps it all in line, and is a *lot* more stable than XP. None of those stupid hangs after waking up, and big PDFs won't crash it.
Really, though, be prepared to put in XP. Vista is vastly different, in many ways, so if you're not ready for a lot of the differences, it can be vastly frustrating.
What's involved in having an XP and a Vista install on the same machine? I've never dual-booted before, so I have no idea what to expect. Do they each only have access to files on their own partitions, or are programs just installed separately to either of them?
It is small, lightweight, and has some nice features like a built in webcam and wifi-finder (SO nice for on campus).
The only thing that is not to like is that it runs on vista. Vista isn't all that bad though, it has really grown on me. I turned off all the extra junk so it looks pretty much like XP again and it runs really well. Plus it is really secure.
@gamefacts - Totally and utterly true gaming facts on the regular!
Laptop video cards @ Notebook review
I'm not sure if you meant the newest onboard solution specifically for Macbooks in which case that link is probably not so relevant, but thats a pretty good general thread to watch, the OP in it is regularly updated as new video cards come out for laptops. Its a bit games focussed, but the OP mentions wanting to run Photoshop, so he'll need a decent video card in his machine anyways.
Hmm. Cards is probably not really the right term for laptops, since you can't exactly pull them out and change them in the overwhelming majority of cases.
MacBook base model with education discount:
- 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
- 1GB memory
- 80GB hard drive1
- Combo drive
$1000. Superior build quality, OS X, ability to run Windows natively, all make it worth it. Integrated video is the only setback here.Yeah, you can pretty much get TWO non Mac laptops, of similar specs, for the same amount of money.
Also, Macs having a superior build quality is an outright lie. They are more or less the same as any reputable laptop.
Why hello new Macbooks.
Xenogears: The only laptop that comes close to Apple's build quality are Lenovo Thinkpads. Please don't say Dell, or I will have to kick you in the nuts.
Which processor should I go for?
Also: Is it worth it to get Office 2007? I mean, it's $150, that seems a bit much for an office suite. Right now I'm using OpenOffice and Abiword.
Also it's $200 for 2 gigs of ram in it. I'll be able to go with the default amount and buy new later for cheaper, right?
Years and years of repairing stupid shit that goes wrong on various laptops (including macs!) shows no marked improvement on build. They all have their little quirks. Some models have a tendency for the headphone jack to come loose, and not just by people tearing out the headphones, I mean just a little bit of wiggle. Some older model iBooks have keyboards that are a shade too big for the slot and start bowing after a year or two. Some develop this weird crack almost like the DS Lite on the hinge.
Dell gets 'tops from a dozen different manufactuers. Some are crap, some are amazing for the price.
Get open office, forget office 2007. I'd go for big battery and not worry about RAM, if it was me.
I am typing this from an Inspiron 710m at the moment, and it works fine and has worked fine for me for over a year. No reason to get something way too expensive if you can get something fine for less money and spend that money on books instead.
If you're already using OpenOffice and Abiword, I doubt you need Office. As for the ram, make sure to select the 1 Gig 1 Stick option, so all you'll have to do is buy another 1 gig stick.
Laptop ram is super cheap now. I saw 2 1 gig sticks for like $60 the other day somewhere.
Not true. The Dells have an option for completecare (other mfgs may have something similar, don't know since I have a Dell) which is essentially like an insurance policy for accidental damage. I can't recommend this highly enough. You'll thank me right after you get over the shock of an idiot dumping a full cup of beer on your system.
Oh, and I would hold off on buying an Office Suite (if you don't go the Open Office route) until you get to school. Your campus bookstore will have it at super cheap educational discount prices.
On Vista: I like it. It's compatible with all the stuff I've used with it so far, and haven't had to struggle with anything. It also starts up much faster than my XP partition. The interface is real shiny, too. Transparency effects are hot. And oh yeah, something about more security or whatever. But really, it's all about the shiny.
I'm not sure I'd pay for it, but free, there's no reason not to use it. I dual-booted my laptop, and if my games weren't installed on the XP partition, I'd probably just keep it on Vista all the time. When dual-booting, you can access all files on either partition. It's a good solution.
No kidding. What a world we live in. I bet its damn expensive though.
On the second point I can't agree more, look into what sort of educational discount you can get on software as I was fortunate to get quite a bit of choice software for a near steal when I went to school.
Actually, last time I checked it was ~$120 or so to tack it onto the system, regardless of the length of normal warranty you pick. Made it a no brainer choice for me.
The problem there being that I only want to spend like $600.
Idon't know if you can still get them but I've just got my Dad's old 12" powerbook. It's tiny. I'd say it's the perfect thing for taking to college so you can work on things in between classes. It's powerful enough for Photoshop CS2, the battery life seems really good so far and it's extremely portable. If this was for a more permanent venture where you basically need a portable desktop, I'd recommend something with more oomph, but as something for doing the odd bit of work on a small laptop like this would be perfect. For similar size and specs, look at the Viao as well. They used to make really dinky ones of those. My brother also has an incredibly slimline laptop for work. It's practically a palmtop, screen must be only about 9" but really clear and extremely handy. I think it must be a Fujitsu/Siemens or something. That was probably pretty pricey for what it is though.
Listen to this! ^
So far a few people have said to get 1GB and upgrade to 2GB later, but make sure your choices allow you to choose a single stick of 1GB! Sometimes 1GB (and no description) means 2 512MB sticks which give you NO room for upgrades without removing the RAM and replacing it. So if it doesn't specify, spend the extra ahead of time unless you want to buy 2GB of ram later and not just 1.
And it may be expensive, but it will probably be worth buying the extended warranty with accidental coverage. ANYTHING happens to your laptop and they will fix it. Liquid damage, you drop it, your friend plays drums on it, whatever. Especially if you want this to last you all 4 years.
Would it likely be cheaper to get 1 GB and buy an extra 1GB later from not-Dell, or get 512 and buy two sticks of 1 GB later from not-Dell?
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Save for the shitty monitors, Lenovo ThinkPads eat everything else for breakfast in terms of build quality. You could pick one up and hurl it at the wall like a frisbee and still recover all your data. They have other drawbacks, sure, such as mediocre pricing and lackluster screens --- but the lenovo build quality is second-to-none.
I'm going to be a sad panda when I turn my work-issued T43 in (but happy too because I got a better job).
EDIT: ThinkPads especially shine in a corporate environment where everybody has the same model. Then IT's idea of "fixing" your laptop is to swap your still-intact hard drive with the hard drive in a brand new laptop with the same specs. You're up and running the same afternoon and they just send your old broken laptop in for warranty replacement. As a personal computer, you can't quite achieve the same level, but you can be assured that your data will be protected if you ever drop the thing.
Also, compatibility issues can be solved by either disabling, or manipulating the User Account Control area within Vista.
But seriously, go Vista. And if you get Vista, go 2 gigs of RAM.
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Where did you hear that?
That's what I've heard, and I think it means Automatic Updates, official patches, and things of that sort, while general tech support will still be acceptable.
Also, this may be for XP SP2, as I wasn't aware a SP3 was on the way.
I don't really think they can end support yet. Not with all the corporate users who still use XP.
Protip: Don't make shit up, when other more informed people are here to call you on your bullshit.
Furthermore, I'm curious to see where you pulled this "shit, cheap batteries" truthiness from, since anyone familiar with the whole sony debacle last year would know that all laptop batteries pretty much come from the same place.
I'M A TWITTER SHITTER
I also LOVE the keyboard. It was comfortable and easy to type with the moment I took it out of the box. Much superior to my girlfriends VAIO and my dads dell.
I don't consider "clean lines" and stuff to be build quality. But there are no protrusions, everything is flush mounted and minimalistic, and it has less flex overall than any laptop I've ever touched. Those are what I consider to be the fine points of build quality. I can't speak to how well it withstands drops, because I've never dropped mine, but let me tell you, i'd rather drop my 6-7 lb macbook than the 9-12 lb counterparts with the same screen size made by some competitors.
There is flex in the screen portion, but it is a super light screen, which I like because I don't feel like it's going to tip over when I have it on the couch and whatnot. My gfs vaio is so topheavy that I get nervous tilting the screen back very far.
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Oh come on, I can name a dozen laptop models that have batteries you can't even watch a full movie on after 6 months of moderate use.
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Ignore recoil and make sure that you get something with a decent battery.
Hmm, what's that? I can't understand your language. Must have Mac's cock in your mouth.
I hate people that Apple's build quality is superior than other brands.
It's an electronic piece of equipment, and built by probably the same people who make the other ones. It's still portable, and still has the same chance to break as any other laptop.