Laptop Opinions

[justin_wagz]

I have been looking into getting a new laptop and I would like to hear some opinions about which laptops are good, and about how much they will cost. Here are a few features I want:

- Some type of docking station capabilities
- ultra-thin and portable (i'm taking it to college)
- built-in 802.11b wifi

I have been looking at the Dell Latitude x200, and Dell Inspirion 300m, however I would like to know about any other options that are out there. ANY AND ALL OPINIONS ARE WELCOME!

[ECA]

802.11b wifi
g is better...faster...

[justin_wagz]

Thank you for pointing out the obvious. Remember I asked for opinions on Laptops that different companies make, not to point out that 54Mbps is faster than 11Mbps!

[gr00vy0ne]

Is there a reason why you need docking station capabilities? Also, what is your price range?

Also, do you have a preferred screen size?

There are a ton of thin and light laptops in the market place and many are configured differently. For instance, on the "fully loaded" ultraportable side, there's the Sony TR series and the Fujitsu P50x0 series at 3.5 pounds or less and with 10.6" widescreen LCDs. These are 2 spindle designs (with HD and built-in optical drives).

There's also a few 12" models to look at. ASUS, Sony, and Averatec make some.

Moving up to the 14" range, there's a decent choices like the Dells you mentioned or even the Sony Z1 series.

So, there's actually too many models to list...so, if you can narrow down your requirements then it's easier to find the right one for you.

[ECA]

And for what use, would be nice...

[justin_wagz]

The reason I wanted docking station capabilities is to use my 21 inch monitor and keyboard i'm used to when i'm in my dorm at college. And I wanted it to be ultra portable so that I didn't have to lug around a honking 10 pound brick to classes with me. I can do without the docking station and just manually plug the monitor and such in everytime.

For screen size I am willing to live with one as small as 12 inches but i think the 10 inches would be too small for me. And just a correction the Dells that I mentioned are actually 12 inch screens and not 14 inch screens.

I'd like for it to have 40GB or more of Hard Drive, 256MB of RAM(and the ability to upgrade it), I really don't do much gaming so I don't need the latest video card, or surround sound.

I really like how the Dell's I looked at were 1 inch thick and about 3 pounds. And i am willing to go with the 1 spindle design to achieve this, But at the same time if the Laptop isn't that much heavier or thicker and it is a 2 spindle design, it would be nice to have those built in.

CD-RW is a must and i'd would also like DVD but its not as vital(on the 2 spindle designs) For the 1 spindle designs it is easy to get these externally.

And Lastly for a Price range i'd like to keep the price under $1500, obviously the lower the better, but going to low starts to compromise features. I'm willing to buy it used off ebay in order to keep the price down.

I hope this information helps, if you can just give me a brief overview of the different laptops you think would suit me best and the model number I can research the rest on my own. THANKS A TON FOR YOUR HELP!!!!

[Gatorhardware]

ASUS makes a nice 12.1" centrino laptop. The Centrino uses less power and you can get it with the DVD/CDRW combo drive. It does not have a PS2 port but does have 3 USB 2.0 ports for a keyboard and mouse if you dont want to use the onboard ones while you are hooked up to your 21" monitor.

We have taken them down from our site as of right now due to new models coming in but they sell for about $1399.

[ECA]

Also watch prices...
They should all drop before Summer, then become solid.
AFTER summer they will either be solid, or go up for xmas.
New versions always come out in the fall, and spring.

[justin_wagz]

What is the model number of that Asus you mentioned? (Gatorhardware)

[justin_wagz]

About the price...I think that I would be willing to go all the way to $2000 so if you know of any other good options in that range...please let me know!

[ECA]

9520= 5200 Geforce.

[Gatorhardware]

If you are wanting to spend just a bit more I have a better model for you. First to answer your question the Asus model was the M5N. The other one I am talking about is made by compal. It is a 15" with a built in ATI M11 9700 video card. It has the 1.4 centrino, 512ram, Pro2100 wifi, winxp home, 40gb, free bag, 1yr warranty, and it is rated at 5.9lbs with the battery. Not the lightest but still pretty light. This one runs $1499 while we have the rebates this month.

[richardnovak77]

i would run over to www.cnet.com and search. they have tons of reviews for laptops, plus user comments, as well as "value for the money" ratings.

[jf03cg]

Try the IBM Thinkpad X Series. They start from $1,349, and wiegh about 3.6 lbs

[animekenji]

ECA,

802.11.g is overkill for most people. I use a 802.11b router with my cable modem, and running out of bandwith is not a problem. My over the air connections run just as fast as my wired ones.

[ECA]

but isnt the g downward compatible???