NotebookForums.com › Forums › General Notebook Discussions › Notebook Forums - General › zt3000 series vs. Thinkpad R40?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

zt3000 series vs. Thinkpad R40?

post #1 of 10
1/14/04 at 12:39pm
Thread Starter 
I am looking for a 2nd computer for home use and would be doing some programming on it. Here is what I am looking at:

CTO zt 3000 series:
- Pentium 1.4M
- Windows XP Pro
- 256 MB RAM (add 256 more later from Crucial.com for $50)
- 40 GB HD
- DVD drive
- Modem + Ethernet (No wireless - I have a PCMCIA 802.11b)
- 32 MB Radeon 9200
- 15.4 WSXGA+(1680x1050)
Price: 1324.00 - (10% off coupon)=$1191.60

IBM Thinkpad R40 (through Employee Freinds and Family)
- Pentium 1.5M
- Windows XP Pro
- 256 MB RAM (add 256 more later from Crucial.com for $50)
- 60 GB HD
- CDRW/DVD drive
- Modem + Ethernet +802.11b
- 32 MB Radeon 7500
- 15 SXGA+ (1400x1050)
Price: $1511.10 + tax

Any comments/advice on whether I should spend the extra ~$400 for the R 40? I don't care about the extra 20GB in the R40.

Thanks,

Deesang
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 10
1/14/04 at 1:10pm
How can you live with a radeon 7500? IBM has better quality, but I couldn't buy a new laptop with a video card older than my current one. It is a nice computer, but try to find a better videoc card. I'd go with the HP.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 10
1/14/04 at 6:53pm
I have the same situation, but i can get the same ibm for ~$1000 through my school.
What would you chose now?

thanks
jeff
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 10
1/14/04 at 7:54pm
This is off topic, but if you are a Java/C++ programmer, I want to ask you: do you think Java would eventually replace C++ completely?
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 10
1/14/04 at 11:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by deltawalkerl
This is off topic, but if you are a Java/C++ programmer, I want to ask you: do you think Java would eventually replace C++ completely?
Not even off-topic. WAY offtopic

But to get into it, java needs a runtime library, while c++ runs of natively machinecode, alone on that decision c++ is here to stay. Just like people predicting that the .net languages will beat anything else, but that is also in the same situation.

Just my 0.000002$

(Oh and sorry for spamming your question deesang )
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 10
1/14/04 at 11:29pm
By the process of abstraction, the future of Java vs. C++ is basically the future of native code vs. bytecode. Which will prevail? Before I learned Java I thought C++ was the way to go, since it is really fast. Now that I learned Java, and realized how easy it is to program GUIs with SWING, I realized the many benefits of write once, run anywhere. (Win32 API was a nightmare for me). Now I am not even sure which side is better. .Net to me is a joke. It is not good for C++ because the only advantage of C++ is that it compiles to machine code. It is not a good runtime library because it is only on Windows. Such a travesty.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 10
1/14/04 at 11:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by deltawalkerl
This is off topic, but if you are a Java/C++ programmer, I want to ask you: do you think Java would eventually replace C++ completely?
Well, I'm a CS major from UC Berkeley, and from what I've done in the past 4 years, it seems like Java is good in theory but bad in practice. The cross-platform and the memory management is good for when you're learning CS, but when it comes to optimization and speed, all the companies I've interviewed for still want C++ experience.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 10
2/9/04 at 1:43am
There is no better or worse.

They're both part of the same toolbox. Being able to apply the right technology at the right time is what separates the men from the boys.

If you're writing web app code in C++, you're doing it wrong.

If you're writing the next generation FPS in Java, you're doing it wrong.

See? They're both great under certain situations. Sometimes the choice won't always be clear, but they're apples and oranges. Just because they're both 4GL languages doesn't mean squat.

Rob
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 10
2/9/04 at 5:09pm
Microsoft seems to think otherwise. The next generation of Windows and DirectX will be based primarily on managed code and MSIL, which means MS is trying to turn C++ into a language that requires a just-in-time compiler. If everyone listened to Microsoft then compiling to machine code would soon cease to exist.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 10
2/9/04 at 8:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmanjohns
How can you live with a radeon 7500? IBM has better quality, but I couldn't buy a new laptop with a video card older than my current one. It is a nice computer, but try to find a better videoc card. I'd go with the HP.
Non issue. He said it was for programming, not for hardcore gaming and a radeon 7500 is fine for programming.

I would go with the R40. I had an x1000 (exact same thing as a zt3000) and while it was decently nice, keep in mind.
1) the realtek drivers or whatever are messed up, if you do any kind of p2p with multiple uploads/downloads (bittorrent etc.) it will disconnect you randomly unless you use an extremely old driver
2) the support at hp is a joke, believe me. the stories you've heard (if you've never dealt with them) can't give you an idea of who bad they are. The one guy who was competent was the final guy (a case manager not tech support) who gave me a refund for my lemon.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Notebook Forums - General
NotebookForums.com › Forums › General Notebook Discussions › Notebook Forums - General › zt3000 series vs. Thinkpad R40?