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High-End Business Notebooks - Page 2

post #21 of 31
7/24/06 at 12:15pm
Actually whoever said that Alienware doesn't have any buisness laptops is wrong. Alienware has the Sentia series. They have core duo, but they aren't shipping til like early august
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post #22 of 31
7/24/06 at 12:16pm
Thread Starter 
The last poster did an excellent job of summing up the important points for a high-end business notebook. For me, a high-end graphics card is also on the list.

I'd say Asus will probably lag on the support/replacement/standardization issues as well as docking capabilities.

I think what I'm finding is that there is a very specific kind of business person that needs a notebook that no one really makes. It seems like a great spot in the market for someone to try and fill. It's good to see that I'm not alone - I've seen at least two other posters who feel my pain.
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post #23 of 31
7/24/06 at 12:40pm
Out of the OP's choices, I'd go with the Dell. But there are sleeker Dell models out there....I'm not familiar with the specifics when it comes to Dell computers, but do any other models offer what you need for business?

I wouldn't go with the Apple...They have an inefficient cooling system now that they're running hotter with PC hardware, and if using them clashes with the services you provide, definitely don't go Mac in this case.
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post #24 of 31
7/24/06 at 1:17pm
I would also go for the dell... The D620 or the D820 can be bought from the outlet for a killer price... instead of spending $2K you can get a very decent machine for $1200 or even less, wich allows for quicker upgrades and less worries
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post #25 of 31
7/24/06 at 2:05pm
asus a8jm also outputs dvi but can't dock
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post #26 of 31
7/24/06 at 10:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by doggie96
so no asus because of the port replicator?

No port replicator, no DVI connection, no quick turnaround for support.

Let me give you an example of what happens when a Thinkpad requires depot service.

Day 1 - You call them a verify that there is a problem and it requires depot service. Let's say the hard drive fails.

Day 2 - You receive a box to ship it back in via Fedex.

Day 3 - Fedex picks it up - Lenovo pays the shipping both ways.

Day 4 - Depot receipt and repair and shipped back to you.

Day 5 - You receive it back via Fedex.

Five days max for depot service. Ask Asus if they will provide this type of support at no extra cost. It's probably why IBM sold out to Lenovo.
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post #27 of 31
7/24/06 at 10:31pm
I'm on my way to Minneapolis tomorrow and taking my Dell D820 along with my Ultrabay battery because I expect to be spending 5-6 hours on battery power 2 or 3 days out of the 5 that I will be gone.

I'm not crazy about having to carry a 6 to 6.5 pound laptop through the airports and around town, but I love the screen, keyboard, trackpoint, and speed. I guess I make the sacrifice of carrying the extra weight but would love to find one that is a pound lighter. I'd also like to have a brighter screen.

This seems like a niche that no one wants to fill. Cost is not a factor if I could find what I wanted. The closest laptop to the business model that I was looking for was a Samsung model that Dynamism had on their site for a while. For some reason, it never arrived?
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post #28 of 31
7/25/06 at 12:09am
Thread Starter 
I'll be lugging my D810 to Kansas City and Fort Walton Beach the week after next.

Isn't it amazing what we're willing to lug around in order to keep our high resolutions and speed?
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post #29 of 31
7/25/06 at 3:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by njstehle
I'll be lugging my D810 to Kansas City and Fort Walton Beach the week after next.

Isn't it amazing what we're willing to lug around in order to keep our high resolutions and speed?

I decided to synch my D820 to my D620 last night because I just couldn't bear the thought of lugging the D820 around on my trip to Minneapolis. So I've got my D620 with me and I really appreciate the smaller size and weight. I could actually use it on the plane.

Anyhow, on the flight here, I was watching a video podcast on my video ipod and it locked up. Just a blue screen that didn't react to anything.

So I stopped at the Apple store in Mall of America and the guy fixed it in about 10 seconds flat. Showed me how to reset it should it happen again. Wow, really nice service.

I told him I was going to look around and he said "just let me know if you have any questions at all". I told him I was a PC user and he said, "Welcome, you're not the first one in today by a long shot."

So, I looked at the MBP and I have to say, the size and weight is perfecto. I'm going to give it serious consideration as soon as Apple starts shipping them with the Merom chip.
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post #30 of 31
7/25/06 at 4:17pm
Thread Starter 
jjfcpa,

I am a Mac user at heart. I used a Mac from 2001-2004. In 2004, I came on board at a company that runs a very modern Windows platform. Though I enjoy working with Server 2003 for the skillset that it gives me, I must admit I've wanted another Mac quite a bit since the MBP came out. The idea of running Windows by day and having a secret Mac affair at night is appealing. That having been said, the political ramifications are more than I'm willing to put up with. I am the Support Manager, and therefore the first person responsible to users and executive management. Perception is more important than even performance. The MBP is everything I want except NBD service and docking capabilities. I'd sacrifice those to have the form factor I prefer. I just can't afford to spend the capital on it, though. I'd rather spend it on pitching the new accounting system or arguing for higher salaries for IT employees - specifically this IT employee.

BTW, the secret to Apple's support is finding the guy like the one you mentioned at Mall of America. They give their people the ability to make the customer extremely happy... you just have to find the right guy. I guess that's the case with any manufacturer, though. My company had amazing relations with Dell under our first sales rep. When she was promoted, we got a new, incompetent one. We're slowing moving towards HP, now. People make all the difference.
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post #31 of 31
7/25/06 at 9:51pm
njstehle

I sympathize with your situation. I can see where using a MBP might be a real issue under the circumstances, but then again, I have a strong feeling that Apple is trying to break the mold that they are JUST an OS X platform.

I recently read that they now have 12% of the notebook market. That's HUGE in my opinion and when Leopard comes out, I'm guessing they will make it even more seemless to run Windows. I think in the next 6-12 months Apple will continue to gain market share and will slowly win over more mainstream users... maybe even some business users like us.

Personally, I'm a software developer and I've got my own company, so I can use whatever I want. Except for one problem, I've got to stay as close to my user base as possible, and right now, I'd guess there are very few of them that are using Apples.

I also do quite a bit of work for a local company that I provide both software and hardware to. Might look kind of weird if I supply them with Dell's and then I walk in with an Apple...?

I'm anxiously waiting to see what they do with the Merom chip and what Leopard adds to the mix.

I'm glad to see you start this thread, because it's one that I have always been interested in.
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