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Notebook for IT Major

post #1 of 9
4/2/07 at 3:52am
Thread Starter 
Wanted to get some opinions on which laptop I should purchase for school. I will be using the laptop for web design, java programming, networking, database, and digital media. I would like to keep the price as minimal as possible, not exceeding $2,000.00 I do not play games all that much, but would like to have the option to. I would prefer to have built in wireless, excellent screen, and be able to multitask without any noticeable lag. I would also like to be able to upgrade as many components as possible in the future.


Any suggestions?
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post #2 of 9
4/2/07 at 9:01am
I would look into the E1705 or maybe go to the Dell Outlet Store and look into getting a fefurb M1710. You could get one under $2000 and it owuld both be a gaming computer and would nto be out of your price range.
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post #3 of 9
4/2/07 at 12:35pm
Thread Starter 
What do you guys think of this?

System Price:$1,329.00
Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
Memory
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 677MHz (2 DIMMs)
Hard Disk Drive
160 GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Video
256MB ATI MOBILITY RADEON X1400 HyperMemory
Media Bay
8X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability
Certified Refurbished
Certified Refurbished
Base
Inspiron 9400/E1705 Notebook: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7200 (4MB Cache/2.00GHz/667MHz FSB)
Hardware Upgrade
9 Cell Primary Battery
Software Upgrade
McAfee SecurityCenter with VirusScan, Firewall, Spyware Removal, 36-months
Corel Paint Shop Pro XI - Advanced photo editing
Microsoft Works 8.5
NoteBook Screen
17 inch UltraSharp Wide Screen UXGA Display with TrueLife
Network Interface Card
1390 Wireless Card
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post #4 of 9
4/2/07 at 12:58pm
Thread Starter 
Since portability is an issue (carrying the laptop between school and work everyday) do you guys think that a 17in monitor is too big. I might play a game on the laptop twice a year, if that. I was looking at the Dell m1210, but 12 inches is a lot smaller than my 17 inch monitor at home. Any suggestions. Also, if you can include the specs that would be good for my usage.
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post #5 of 9
4/2/07 at 3:01pm
Hey plowmads,

I have anb M1710 and I carry it with me everywhere. I put it in a Targus XL backpack and usually have 2-3 books, some notebooks, a spare battery, power brick, all kinds of cables like USB and such, some calculators, and some other random stuff. If you would like I can go throw it all on a scale but its around 30LBS I am sure. Its not that bad though because its in the bookbag. I had an over the shoulder bag and the weight was just rediculous.
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post #6 of 9
4/2/07 at 5:22pm
Thread Starter 
Does the M1710 have built in wireless, I see there are a few options. Is there any difference betwen the Intel and Next-Gen. I will be using this 95% of the time wireless. Also is the price difference worth going from Centrino to Dual Core 2.
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post #7 of 9
4/2/07 at 6:13pm
Some things to take into account with the 17" monitor. Well, one thing really. Battery life. Both the screen and wireless will drain your battery pretty quick. I have a Toshiba P105-s9339, and I get right at about 3 hours of batt. life with Vista in powersave mode. This machine came with a slower HDD as well; a faster HD will also add to batt. drain, as will a faster processor.

That being said, my laptop absolutely rocks! Screen is beautiful, laptop screams through everything I throw at it, including video rendering. I'm not a gamer, but I am gonna put Doom3 on and see how it runs.
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post #8 of 9
4/2/07 at 7:23pm
Thread Starter 
Please give any feedback wether this would be a decent configuration. Meaning performance and battery life. (most likely going with dell m1710)

Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate
Memory
2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 677MHz (2 DIMMs)
Hard Disk Drive
100 GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM) originally wanted 7200rpm, but want to conserve battery life.
Video
256MB ATI MOBILITY RADEON X1400 HyperMemory (would i notice the difference between 256 and 512 since i am not a gamer, do web design)
Media Bay
8X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability
Base
Inspiron 9400/E1705 Notebook: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7200 (4MB Cache/2.00GHz/667MHz FSB)
Hardware Upgrade
9 Cell Primary Battery
NoteBook Screen
17 inch UltraSharp Wide Screen UXGA Display with TrueLife
Network Interface Card
Next Gen
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post #9 of 9
4/2/07 at 7:56pm
That seems good but not look at 15" notebooks. I mean I'm assuming that because this is for college that your gonna be walking around with it a lot. You don't wanna have to carry around a huge 17" laptop every day do ya'? Why don't you look at the Asus G1 or Thinkpad T60? Those laptops will be more then powerful for you. You can get better specs then that E1705 for not too much more.
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