[hyeminnie]

i've decided to get a gateway tablet (since it's the only thing in my price range...)

do you think this is a good deal?

# 14"-diagonal widescreen WXGA (1280 x 768) TFT LCD screen with Digitizer & Pen
# Intel Core Duo processor T2050 (dual-core)
# 2MB L2 cache
# Up to 533MHz frontside bus
# 1.0GB of PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM (2 x 512MB, the maximum memory configuration for this system)
# 120GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive
# DVD±RW drive with DVD±R Double Layer support, to burn and play DVDs and CDs
# Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g) wireless LAN
# Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000Base-T) port
# 56K V.92 modem
# 3 USB 2.0 ports
# 1 FireWire (IEEE 1394) port
# 5-in-1 memory card reader (reads SD, MMC, xD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro)
# PC Card slot: supports Type I/II, CardBus
# Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with up to 128MB of shared memory
# Built-in speakers, with microphone jack and headphone/audio out jack
# 6-cell lithium-ion battery, providing up to 4 hours of operation
# Dimensions: 1 3/8"H x 13 9/16"W x 11 1/2"D
# Weight: 6.86 lbs

all for $1,150

[Godotology]

i've decided to get a gateway tablet (since it's the only thing in my price range...)

do you think this is a good deal?

# 14"-diagonal widescreen WXGA (1280 x 768) TFT LCD screen with Digitizer & Pen
# Intel Core Duo processor T2050 (dual-core)
# 2MB L2 cache
# Up to 533MHz frontside bus
# 1.0GB of PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM (2 x 512MB, the maximum memory configuration for this system)
# 120GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive
# DVD±RW drive with DVD±R Double Layer support, to burn and play DVDs and CDs
# Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG (802.11a/b/g) wireless LAN
# Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000Base-T) port
# 56K V.92 modem
# 3 USB 2.0 ports
# 1 FireWire (IEEE 1394) port
# 5-in-1 memory card reader (reads SD, MMC, xD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro)
# PC Card slot: supports Type I/II, CardBus
# Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with up to 128MB of shared memory
# Built-in speakers, with microphone jack and headphone/audio out jack
# 6-cell lithium-ion battery, providing up to 4 hours of operation
# Dimensions: 1 3/8"H x 13 9/16"W x 11 1/2"D
# Weight: 6.86 lbs

all for $1,150

for a tablet, that's not too bad. they didn't offer a Core 2 Duo version though?

[abyssesour]

is the vista requirement really high?
i heard that 1gb will definitely not be enough for vista.
it will run, but just slower.

vista will be releasing 5 different versions on 30th January 2006 worldwide. 1gb of ram is the minimum requirement to run vista and in order to have the "aero" look and additional features, you'd have to use the higher-end models. even the home version will still be running the windows classic look.

vista won't be compatible with all kind of computer brands as well and it's pretty costly to upgrade to vista.

[hyeminnie]

for a tablet, that's not too bad. they didn't offer a Core 2 Duo version though?

i don't think so. there was another tablet they were selling, but it's like 40 gig, and 256mb of ram.
also for the tablet i'm getting it said that it has Windows Vista™ Premium ready.

[David]

Should I complain to Dell if they only gave me 896 MB of ram instead of 1 GB of ram? I don't know if this is getting too technical but a difference of 0.125 GB seems to bear some significance in the performance of my notebook.

[tru__minute]

ahh.. can someone help me decide whether or not i should purchase this laptop? i have.. 2 days to make my decision..

Dell Inspiron 6400 notebook / E1505

Processor
Processor type Core Duo
Clock speed 1.6 GHz
Processor manufacturer Intel

RAM
RAM installed size 1 GB
RAM technology DDR2 SDRAM

Storage Hard Drive
Hard drive size 120 GB
Hard drive 120 GB

OS Provided
OS provided Windows XP Media Center 2005

Optical Storage
CD / DVD type CD-R / DVD-ROM combo
CD / DVD drive CD-R / DVD-ROM combo

Video Output
Graphics processor Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950

Display (Projector)
Display (projector) diagonal size
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition
Dell Wireless 1500 (802.11n)

i won't be doing a lot of travelling with the laptop, and it'll mainly be used for multitasking, photos, photoshop.

kind of hard to make the decision after reading some reviews, and some people say it's good, some people say dell's laptops are horrendous.. :\

enlighten me?

thanks guys

editt//
answer to albert: the laptop comes to a total of $857.60CAD
it doesn't come with vista, only XP(home), however.. i don't really want vista

[awdark]

^Listen to range he knows this stuff a lot better than me, I just know that in terms of specs it sounds good. To determine the value of the laptop you should share the price you can get it for. Also, make sure you check the box for the free vista upgrade make microsoft pay for making us wait so long for vista!

Should I complain to Dell if they only gave me 896 MB of ram instead of 1 GB of ram? I don't know if this is getting too technical but a difference of 0.125 GB seems to bear some significance in the performance of my notebook.

Shared video memory, notice how your integrated video says 128mb shared...

EDIT
impolite to make a reply without useful data
but \/ <- thats pointing to the post below.

MM yeah Thinkpads... I doubt I can ever get a laptop thats built as nicely as my thinkpad... I abuse it like crazy and its still in pretty good shape (probably why my hdd died... )

[Godotology]

i won't be doing a lot of travelling with the laptop, and it'll mainly be used for multitasking, photos, photoshop.

kind of hard to make the decision after reading some reviews, and some people say it's good, some people say dell's laptops are horrendous.. :\

lol @ awdark.

anyways, Dell laptops differ in quality and market depending on line.
Inspiron - cheapest built, cheapest price
XPS - higher end components, pricier
Latitude - better built using fancier material, geared towards businesses, more expensive.

That model above is basically a good budget notebook. its a bit thick and big as most 15.4" are, so as long as you don't travel alot it's all good. Of course, like I said, its a budget notebook.. don't expect scratch resistant lids, non fading palmrests, or stronger and sturdier hinges like on a Lenovo Thinkpad.. but for its price you get alot and thats why alot of people buy Dell. oh yeah, the lack of video card isnt good for 3d gaming, but if you don't do that, its no issue.

[tru__minute]

^ alrighty, thanks a bunches you guys

[dabrain]

since i dont live in the us i wanted to ask how much the LG S1 series cost in the us.

and uh .... i am not rele sure whether i should buy the core duo T2500 or the core 2 duo T5600

[vannushka]

Hi Range. I saw a similar question regarding the weight of laptops. My laptop is 13.3inch and weighs around 3-4 pounds (i know it's 1.8kg). Is that considered "portable"?.

[Godotology]

Hi Range. I saw a similar question regarding the weight of laptops. My laptop is 13.3inch and weighs around 3-4 pounds (i know it's 1.8kg). Is that considered "portable"?.

yes, sounds like its a Sony SZ. mines is also 13.3 but is about 4.5 lbs.

[DKYang]

since i dont live in the us i wanted to ask how much the LG S1 series cost in the us.

and uh .... i am not rele sure whether i should buy the core duo T2500 or the core 2 duo T5600

LG isn't sold in stores in the U.S. You can buy it online, go to this site for more info: http://forum.notebookreview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29.

Minimum cost is about $1000, just like the Macs.

Core 2 Duo is more future proof.

[Godotology]

since i dont live in the us i wanted to ask how much the LG S1 series cost in the us.

and uh .... i am not rele sure whether i should buy the core duo T2500 or the core 2 duo T5600

LG doesn't technically sell in the US, but companies like MilestonePC.com sell them. The cheapest model is $1299. The warranty is a global warranty. The reason why is because LG had a non compete agreement with IBM which expired a year or two ago, but they never announced any intention to move into the US market..similarly Samsung has a noncompete with Dell.

[dysfunkti0nal]

So Range
I'm thinking about buying a laptop, and a friend of mine is selling his Dell D420 to me for about $900, do you think its worth it? Its only 2 weeks used. I believe he upgraded the HD and its dual core.

[Godotology]

So Range
I'm thinking about buying a laptop, and a friend of mine is selling his Dell D420 to me for about $900, do you think its worth it? Its only 2 weeks used. I believe he upgraded the HD and its dual core.

ask him why he's selling it and find out the exact specs as little changes can cause a big price difference

[azzer]

These are 2 laptops I'm considering... mainly for the portability factor. I don't game, but I do want "speed" (like not having to wait for things to load and stuff).

Model: W5F ASUS BRANDED NOTEBOOK WHITE CARBON FIBER COMPOSITE
CPU: YONAH Pentium M T2300E 1.66GHz 2MB Cache, 667FSB Intel 945
Display: 12.1" TFT WXGA (wide screen) 1280x 800 with Crystal Shine
System Memory: 1GB DDR2 533MHZ(2X512) (1 SLOT OPEN) MAX 1GB
Video: SHARED 128MB with Built-in 1.3MP CAMERA
HDD: 100GB 5,400 RPM
CD-ROM/DVD: DVD+-RW SUPERMULTI DRIVE DUAL LAYER (NO FDD)
Battery: Li-Ion Battery life 4 hrs 6-cell
Network: 56Kbps,10/100,1xiEEE 1394 port+3USB 2.0,802.11ABG,SVID OUT
Pointing Device:Touch Pad *4-in-1 card reader & BLUETOOTH**
Weight: 4.0Lbs
OS Preload: WINDOWS XP HOME

OR

Sony Vaio C-Series VGNC190CPP

Processor: Intel® Centrino® Duo Mobile Technology Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T5600 (1.83GHz1 , 2MB L2 Cache)

Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional Edition with SP2

Front Side Bus Speed: 667MHz

Chipset: Intel® 945GM

Hard Drive: 120GB2 5400rpm Serial ATA

Integrated Wireless LAN: Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection (802.11a/b/g)3

Bluetooth®: Integrated Bluetooth® Technology10

LCD: 13.3”9 WXGA display (1280x800) with XBRITE™ Technology

Memory: 1GB PC2-4200 533MHz DDR2 (Expandable up to 2GB)

Optical Drive: DVD+R Double Layer / DVD±RW Drive4

Modem: Integrated V.92/V.90 Modem (RJ-11)

Ethernet: 10Base-T/100Base-TX Fast Ethernet (RJ-45)

Multimedia Card Reader
Supports Memory Stick DUO™ media with MagicGate™ functionality5, One ExpressCard™/34 Slot, 5-in-1 Memory Card Adapter (VGPMCA20) supporting Memory Stick®, Memory Stick PRO™, Secure Digitial, xD-Picture Card, and MultiMediaCard (MMC)

Audio: Windows® sound system compatible

Graphics Interface: VGA out w/ Smart Display Sensor

Inputs and Outputs
1 x 4pin i.LINK® connector(IEEE 1394)6
2 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x VGA out
1 x Headphone Jack
1 x Microphone Input
1 x Memory Stick Media slot
1 x DC in
1 x Ethernet Port
1 x Modem Jack
1 x Port Replicator connector
1 x S-Video Output

Pointing Device: Electro-Static touch pad

Keyboard: QWERTY, 86 keys with 2.5mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch

Power Requirements: 110W+10%

Battery: Lithium-ion Battery (VGPBPS2C)

Estimated Battery Life: 3.0-4.5 hours7 (Standard Battery)

Graphics: Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 128MB Dynamically Shared (RAM/Video) Memory

Weight: 5.07 lbs. with standard battery (weight is approximate and may vary)

Dimensions: 12.98”(W) x 1.45”-1.47”(H) x 9.28”(D)

I'm leaning towards the VAIO but I'm not sure. Some input?

Thanks!!

[DKYang]

I say go for the Sony VAIO. It has more functions and has a better processor, I think, plus the Core 2 Duo is 64 bit. Also, Professional is better than Home. If you can, I would upgrade the hard drive to 7200 rpm because it is faster.

[dabrain]

core 2 duo isnt 64bit. only64bit extension

[Godotology]

These are 2 laptops I'm considering... mainly for the portability factor. I don't game, but I do want "speed" (like not having to wait for things to load and stuff).
OR
I'm leaning towards the VAIO but I'm not sure. Some input?

Thanks!!

The W5f above is a slightly older model, there already is a W5f refresh that has the core 2 duo. In addition, Asus Ensembles are usually at a set spec while the Sony C can be configured at SonyStyle.com. If you go for the W5, I believe btotech.com is the cheapest, and there might be a rebate coming out for the W5f after Dec.10. the Sony C is a nice machine, but its considerably thicker and heavier (its supposed to be Sony's lower end option for those who cant afford the SZ).. the keyboard, like most Sony keyboards, is something you have to test yourself at a store.. its quite different. some like it, others hate it. Both laptops will come with bloatware that will slowdown your computer, requiring you to remove some of them (the worst bloat is usually Norton's trial crap). However as far as ultraportable goes, the IBM X60 is considered the best by most professionals.. its what most of the admins and several mods at our other forum prefer, due to its lightness, sturdy build and great keyboard. of course some may be turned off by its standard ratio matte screen and lack of internal optical drive.