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Scrivs is getting a laptop
Thursday, Feb. 24 2005 | Author: ScrivsI just have no idea what to get. I am not a big fan of laptops simply because I prefer the way everything is laid out for me on my desktop, but with SXSW and this craving I have to do work outside of home I am in the market for one. Windows, Linux, Apple, it doesn’t matter. I just want to hear your recommendations and why.
No flamewars please.
And to make this even crazier, if I buy the laptop you recommend I will paypal you a whopping $20 to show my thanks for helping me (so make sure you use a valid email address when commenting). Of course this only counts towards the first recommendation, because I am not paying $2000 to the first 100 people who tell me to get a 17″ Powerbook.
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33 Responses for "Scrivs is getting a laptop"
February 24th, 2005 at 10:23 am
1I just got a 15″ Powerbook, and I have to say it’s the best computer I’ve ever owned bar none. The display is much sharper than my 21″ Sony CRT, the keyboard is just amazing and with the new trackpad scrolling feature my number one gripe against using a trackpad is now gone.
I have a G5 at work and even though it’s an incredible machine from a performance perspective, I actually prefer the Powerbook. The attention to detail is amazing - where the Powermac feels like a 1000 horsepower tractor - the Powerbook is more akin to spaceship or racecar filled to the brim with cutting edge technology.
February 24th, 2005 at 10:30 am
2I’d recommend a Windows running laptop, because getting assistance for it is already hard enough.
The laptops that stand out between all Windows laptops are the SONY ones, yes I know, they are expensive as hell, but recently they release one which caught my eye, and I’m just waiting for it to have a portuguese keyboard to buy it, it’s the SONY VAIO F series.
Why the SONY one? Well, mainly because of it’s screen, it’s an amazing piece of hardware, their Xblack technology *really* makes a difference. I have a year old 17″ Samsung TFT at home, and one day I was walking past some laptops at a local store and when I saw the SONY one, even though I didn’t even see what laptop it was, I was mesmerized by the sheer quality of the display, ok enough about bragging it and more about the tech specs.
They change because they have slight variations of the model, but most of the models come with this:
XP Pro/Home w/ SP2
80/100 GB HD
NVidia GeForce 6200 with TurboCache
DVD-RW Drive (Records DVD+R -R -RW)
And it costs between â¬1600 and â¬1900 here in Europe. In America the price is similar in dolars (1600/1900 dolars).
It’s a good enough laptop for a desktop replacement but it’s thin and light for transportation also. Another thing that always sticks out in the SONY laptops is the design of it, they always look great, of course that the least they could do for the price they ask for some stuff :P
I hope you find this laptop interesting if it’s in your price range.
(PS - I haven’t gotten a reply yet from you Scrivs unless it got mixed up with junkmail)
February 24th, 2005 at 10:49 am
3I’d recommend a 12″ Powerbook for you, Scrivs. I’ve got hte 15″ and it’s a great, great machine. The only downside the to 12″ is the screen resolution, but being a second or third computer for you, I doubt this is an issue (you probably won’t be doing a ton of design work on it). It’s small and light, and perfect for taking places like SXSW. :)
February 24th, 2005 at 10:52 am
4Since you have an Apple desktop now, I would recommend an Apple laptop.
Specifically:
12-inch Combo Drive Powerbook
Main reason: full-size keyboard. But also the 60gig HD, and the standard 512 RAM.
You should just get the low end, since you prefer working on the desktop anyway, but the 60gig HD will allow you to essentialy have both machines have the same things on it that you need.
You could add 75$ and get 768 RAM, but for what you are doing the standard equipment should suffice.
February 24th, 2005 at 10:57 am
5I’d say a 12″ iBook. It’s probably the best value laptop out these days. You don’t seem to need too much horsepower on the road (I’m assuming this is for things like e-mail, note-taking and web surfing), so why spend the money on a Powerbook that won’t get as much use as your desktop systems?
February 24th, 2005 at 11:15 am
6ditto to vinnies suggestion, that thing just looks awesome, is the perfect size to cart around in the heat - and you know its going to do pretty much everything your desktop will do
February 24th, 2005 at 11:25 am
7I would recommend an HP laptop. They’re nice machines and are generally cheap for their features. I’ve called HP support a couple of times and they’ve been really helpful too. I’d say get a widescreen one with some power. HP.com –> zv5000z series. Starting at $774 isn’t bad when you consider the machine you’re getting.
February 24th, 2005 at 11:37 am
812″ powerbook is the way to go. I love mine. It’s small enough that I can take it anywhere. Also with this being probably the last revision of them, you’ll get the most stable and problem-fee version before the G5 powerbooks come out.
Just get applecare if you get an apple laptop.
February 24th, 2005 at 11:40 am
9I would recommend a HP dv1000.
It’s light, small, fast, easy to carry, etc.
Besides being a windows machine, i don’t see any drawbacks (and, ubuntu linux is just a 500mb download away).
I don’t fancy 12″ screens, this one comes with a widescreen 14″ which seems portable enough to me.
February 24th, 2005 at 11:58 am
10I would recommend a model from the IBM T42 range; they represent the perfect balance of performance, build quality and weight. HPs are cheaper but way too cheap looking; Sony Viaos are truly beautiful but are too heavy and too noisy; PowerBooks are probably a better choice if you want to stay Apple but nothing brings me more geeky admiration from colleagues and clients who are ‘in the know’ (i.e. they know almost enough IT to be dangerous) than my good old IBM laptop.
February 24th, 2005 at 12:17 pm
11The 14″ iBook is where its at. Great value at $1299 (US) and the iBooks don’t seem to get as hot to the touch as Powerbooks do. Additionally, I’ve found my iBook to be quite durable, which is important because I leave the house with it at least once a day.
No matter which Apple you get :) I recommend the Tucano folder line (i.e. laptop sleeve), as they add an extra level of protection from scratches and look sleek.
February 24th, 2005 at 12:17 pm
12When I was looking for a new laptop last summer, I knew I wanted a mac. The iBooks seemed to low-grade for the type of work I use mine for (Photoshop, Illustrator, the occasional DVD/Video editing), so I knew I was going to go with a Powerbook.
I had originally wanted the 15″ thinking that the 17″ would be too big to use comfortably as a portable computer.
My boss ended up getting me a 17″ even though I requested a 15″, and I have been thoroughly pleased with it. It really isn’t any bigger front-to-back than the 15″, it is just longer . But it makes for a nice place to rest my hands when using it in my lap and the screen is just amazing.
Go with the 17″. I would agree with Derek on the Applecare. Laptops are more prone to problems than desktops just because they get moved around so much. Applecare helps take care of ya for the long haul.
February 24th, 2005 at 12:57 pm
13Thirding AppleCare. If you have an Apple Store nearby (as is the case for me in Austin) you can drop your computer off and skip out on shipping charges.
February 24th, 2005 at 1:11 pm
14Don’t get an Apple laptop. I really love them — they’re the best laptops ever. But overpriced. In just a year your laptop will have lost its new lustre, you’ll be drooling at models that are twice as fast, and you’ll be stuck with a grossly devaluated Powerbook. Do yourself a financial favor and get an HP. You already have a sweet Mac at your desk, which can satiate your Apple craving. For the go, get an HP and save yourself the money while maintaining a great PC. TigerDirect has the best prices on them.
February 24th, 2005 at 1:15 pm
15Oh yeah, and for the competition: HP Pavilion zt3349cl Intel Centrino 1.5GHz / 802.11b-g Wireless / 15.4-inch WXGA / 512MB DDR / 80GB HDD / DVD+RW for $1229.
February 24th, 2005 at 2:06 pm
16Are you a volunteer or staff for SXSW? I’m a regular volunteer, doing DV Editing this year.
February 24th, 2005 at 2:18 pm
17Neither. Just a n00b looking to get his party on.
February 24th, 2005 at 2:30 pm
18Of course, I’m going to recommend my own laptop.
http://usa.asus.com/products/notebook/m6series/m6000n/m6000n_overview.htm
You can get it pretty stripped down (almost barebone) so you start out with:
-15.4 inch widescreen (1280 x 800)
-ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64mb
-DVD + CDRW or DVDRW
-4 usb 2.0, 1 firewire, SD slot, 1pc card slot
From there, I bought from various places (whoever was cheaper):
-Processer: Centrino 1.7 banias (dorthan wasn’t available at the time of purchase, but you can do 2.0 dorthan now)
-Ram: 2 x 512mb DDR 333
-HD: 60gig 7200rpm hard
That setup cost me $1700 exactly a year ago. Unfortunately, laptop hardware prices didn’t drop much in a year, so I donno how much better you can do.
Around the same time, my friend bought a 15â� powerbook, and hereâs the comparison:
Display: same
Graphic card: same
Ram: same
Thickness: same
Weight: same (as far as we could tell without a scale)
Connectivity: similar, but Asus with a slight edge.
Processor: apples and oranges
Battery life: Asus. It averages 3.5hrs with cd spinning fulltime, which is about 2dvds.
HD speed: Asus faster
Looks: Powerbook is cuter, but Asus looks pretty slick too (black with chrome finishing). However, Iâll give the edge to Powerbook for that damn backlit keyboard.
But the above differences are not much, so it comes down to OS and price. I chose Asus because I needed to run Windows, and several hundred bucks could buy me a whole lot of beer.
I will warn you though that Linux support for ATI Mobility Radeon (on both Asus and Apple) flat out sucks.
2pesos
February 24th, 2005 at 5:05 pm
19I think that you have to remember one thing, Laptop can never replace Desktop in terms of power, graphics, and sound. Desktop will always have a lead, so getting a laptop is only way to assist you on the road, or with you move around from room to room basis.
I think that a light laptop would be ideal, and it has to have good batterylife. Everything else, is just luxury I guess. Everything else are just like an American Muscle, wicked at straight road, worst in the others. :)
Anyway, I do not want to brag, or to advertise, but I am currently have a laptop for sell too, if you are interested, you can contact me through email. I do not like to spam this website with Ads :)
February 24th, 2005 at 6:41 pm
20I’d say to get any of the IBM notebooks. Personally I’ve found them to be the most reliable though maybe a little bit pricy.
I’ve found sony vaios look beautiful except they run like shit.
Macs are nice but I’m personally more of a PC person so I prefer the IBM.
February 24th, 2005 at 7:17 pm
21you really need to be a little more verbose about what you actually will do with the laptop. sure you can just randomly pick a laptop, and then an os.. but will it do what scrivs wants it to do?
what sxsw are you talking about?
if you want to run linux, http://www.linux-laptop.net/ is a good research tool.
February 24th, 2005 at 10:02 pm
22If you plan to do some gaming on the laptop, you can’t go wrong with Alienware’s selection:
http://alienware.com/
February 24th, 2005 at 10:45 pm
23Last week I bought a Toshiba Portege M200 Tablet PC. It’s a convertible notebook/tablet, and I ABSOLUTELY love it. If you’re looking for a new notebook, I strongly recommend that you at least play with a tablet first.
I was going to buy a normal 15″ widescreen notebook, then a friend convinced me to try out his tablet, and I was hooked after about 20 minutes.
The fact that I can use it like a normal notebook is great, but some tasks are just so much easier and more fun when using a tablet.
* IMing for one — i can draw little pictures to friends, and handwriting is more personal.
* reviewing work documents — i used to print them out and annotate with a red pen. Now I do it on screen and email the results back.
* Digital doodling — I annotate photos and pictures for friends with the pen.
* Filesystem organising — organising my photo collection and music collection is more fun and intuitive with a pen.
I could go on, but you really should just try it out for yourself.
February 25th, 2005 at 12:30 am
24Few things about the above posts.
Alienware: Great, but overpriced–and i dare say, even more than powerbooks.
IBM: Time proven and reliable as hell. And I still prefer that little trackball over touchpad when I’m typing. But discontinued, or going to be very soon.
Sony Vaio series: They come with pretty nice softwares. But most of the softwares aren’t worth studying / learning because it’s Sony only. Hardware wise, Sony is overpriced.
February 25th, 2005 at 2:26 pm
25My 12″ Powerbook makes me oh so happy. If this is truly just an extra computer for portability sake, that’s probably the way I would suggest going. Ultra small. Ultra portable.
February 25th, 2005 at 8:22 pm
26I’m quite surprised nobody has recommended the 17″ Powerbook, which is what I thought of, even before reading your note.
This laptop is both large, and light. We all know you like Apple more (:P), and a large monitor can never hurt. It’s thin and light, but also not ugly like my friend’s 12″ mode.
February 25th, 2005 at 9:45 pm
27I saw Dell has this one, Inspiron XPS Gen 2, which is considered pretty nice for mobile gaming, and if it’s good for gaming, it’s pretty good for everything else:
http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspn_xps2?c=
February 25th, 2005 at 9:45 pm
28The URI got cut off, here’s the TinyURL version:
http://tinyurl.com/6e29k
February 25th, 2005 at 11:34 pm
29I, personally, am a bang for your buck kind of guy, and also a safety net kind of guy. That’s why I bought me a Cheap Dell laptop. (mine is the inspiron 1150, btw) It has enough speed to do anything but games with speed to spare, but i got mine to, you know, DO stuff.
The best bit is that for a few bills (150 in my case) you can get a few years of Complete Care, which shakes AppleCare or any other plan like a crying baby. I get 3 years of coverage for spills, surges, bangs, drops, or any other accident. (The web site mentions not intentionally destroying it, and then mentions hammer marks. DO NOT HAMMER THIS BOX!)I have also found Dell’s service to be a lot less painful than Apple’s. I like my computer a lot, and know I can party hardy with it, even if it is about as sexy as Granny Panties. Of course, if you arent a broke loser like me, I know a few folks who got mega-slick Dell’s for less than a powerbook, and got the rockin warranty to boot.
February 26th, 2005 at 10:10 pm
30Dell Latitude X300 with the optional battery : > 5h of autonomy. It’s light and with enough power to handle any task you’de need on the road.
April 18th, 2005 at 4:37 am
31I’m a coder, blogger, and graphic designer. I recently had my Dell 600m stolen out of my car and I had to find a replacement. I decided to look damn hard to find the best possible thing for me. After a long look I had to come right back and buy another Dell 600m. Here are my reasons:
1400×1050 15″ screen. This was the main thing. I know that I want a high resolution screen if I can get it and there’s not much better than the LCD on the 600m.
All the Dell extras: DVD+R burner, centrino, up to 2GB of memory, large hard drives - or the cheap version of all those if you want to save cash.
With a 1.6 Ghz processor and a spare battery that I use in place of the disk drive when I’m on the road I can work on my laptop constantly for six hours or more before plugging in. That includes watching movies and everything.
It’s light, it’s powerful, it has a big screen, it has excellent battery life. What more?
September 9th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
32Hi,
I thought you may be interested in our new product LapLooks. It is creating significant buzz as an Advertisement medium. It is a mini-billboard for Corporate Laptops. Additionally, Consumers love our product. Unlike, some popular stickers, a user buys the frame and can change photos in seconds and as many times as a user wants. Here are some the key points of this product;
Worldâs first mini-billboard for laptops.
The key advantage of this product is CUSTOMIZATION â simply adhere it to the laptop and you can insert any image you want like a photo frame, and change the message in seconds. Stores multiples photos at a time.
Outstanding tool for your sales force, marketing, human resources and client services. Brands your logo, product during important meetings at the point-of-sale. When your sales force is at face-to-face meetings with your clients.
LapLooks catches everyoneâs eyes in seconds. Laptops are used everywhere, meetings, presentations, Starbucks, hotels, airports, friends homes, etc. Branding that stands out everywhere, all day, every day!
Can create a huge word-of-mouth marketing campaign by giving to your customers; they too have laptops and will want to use LapLooks to show off their personality while promoting your brand.
Enabling tool that links Print, Media and Web advertisement to a Clientâs audience in an engaging and fun way.
Available in several popular colors
Lastly, below are sample images. For contractual reasons we canât send our Clientâs logos over the internet, but we would be glad to discuss our growing list of Corporate users.
Check us out in Yahoo, Google, Ebay and of course our website http://www.laplooks.com
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Regards,
Al
Phone: 877 LAPLOOKs
Tell Someone⊠http://www.Laplooks.com
Worldâs First Mini-Billboard for Laptops
September 9th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
33Hi,
I thought you may be interested in our new product LapLooks. It is creating significant buzz as an Advertisement medium. It is a mini-billboard for Corporate Laptops. Additionally, Consumers love our product. Unlike, some popular stickers, a user buys the frame and can change photos in seconds and as many times as a user wants. Here are some the key points of this product;
Worldâs first mini-billboard for laptops.
The key advantage of this product is CUSTOMIZATION â simply adhere it to the laptop and you can insert any image you want like a photo frame, and change the message in seconds. Stores multiples photos at a time.
Outstanding tool for your sales force, marketing, human resources and client services. Brands your logo, product during important meetings at the point-of-sale. When your sales force is at face-to-face meetings with your clients.
LapLooks catches everyoneâs eyes in seconds. Laptops are used everywhere, meetings, presentations, Starbucks, hotels, airports, friends homes, etc. Branding that stands out everywhere, all day, every day!
Can create a huge word-of-mouth marketing campaign by giving to your customers; they too have laptops and will want to use LapLooks to show off their personality while promoting your brand.
Enabling tool that links Print, Media and Web advertisement to a Clientâs audience in an engaging and fun way.
Available in several popular colors
Lastly, below are sample images. For contractual reasons we canât send our Clientâs logos over the internet, but we would be glad to discuss our growing list of Corporate users.
Check us out in Yahoo, Google, Ebay and of course our website http://www.laplooks.com
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Regards,
Al
Phone: 877 LAPLOOKs
Tell Someone⊠http://www.Laplooks.com
Worldâs First Mini-Billboard for Laptops
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