Is this the right notebook for me? (Dell 1737 studio)

Sounds like you only need 3GB RAM and a C2D 2.4GHz+ CPU for your 1000 threads mutitasking. I mean besides that, any computer manufactured at 1999 can do all that stuffs you just mentioned :P Or if you want 4GB RAM if you plan to go 64bits OS.

Since you don't do gaming you do not need discrete graphic card based laptop and that saves you alot money. Alienware and XPS are too much for you since you're not a gamer.
But go ahead if you don't mind the price.

The laptop you put up i wouldn't recommend for your usage style. 2.0GHz is not enought.

The CPU is great, 2GB RAM is enought. And it has a dedicated graphic card which you don't need, but i compared with the CA Dell Studio series and seems like that HP/Compaq option is cheaper since its 17inch display with a dedicated graphic card.

I recommend you use Windows 7 then XP and Vista. XP is outdated and no longer supported by Microsoft, and the security features are very last generation. Vista is buggy, it comes with troubles and troubles, it also bloats your HDD up. Windows 7 on another hand is really good with up-to-date security and stable as XP.

Microsoft released a news for users who purchased new laptop that comes with Vista after June or July is eligible to have free upgrade to Windows 7 whens its out. That procedure however i'm not very sure, i suggest you ask the seller about it.

Keith

I disagree that the Studio CPU is too slow. RAM is more important for the kind of multitasking most people do, not CPU speed. You see most people do static multitasking. That is even with 10 IE windows open and 7 office apps maybe listening to tunes. All that is using the CPU is the music and whatever office app or IE window you are currently using. Seven office apps you are only using one real time not stressful on the CPU. What is the other kink of multitasking? Encoding a movie, compressing a WAV listening to tunes watching 3 video clips and defragging the HDD. Now that said your HDD is going to be the bottleneck anyway. So CPU does not matter with these two and multitasking.

You said you like the color of the studio and it is what $500 cheaper? I say get it.

2GB RAM is enought for apps especially if you going to use Windows 7 and i don't think that 160GB 7200RPM will be some serious bottleneck.

But having 10 browsers running at same time will hog CPU continuously and having Antivirus, IM, music player running will hog more. I see a balance on HDD speed with RAM so is alright, CPU will be the bottleneck when comes to multitasking. And CPU is highly required multitasking on Windows 7.

NEX I need to know what you base this on? I have to question your knowledge. As I said I don't care how many IE windows you have open and how many office apps you have open. You can only actively use one at a time. Most people do not do real time multitasking. You need to understand that to continue.

Just for kicks even though I know what I am talking about tested. I opened 10 IE windows one had 10 within 1 window I then opened office apps, text, spreadsheet, presentation. My antivirus is active. Yes it does spike when I open these. But with all this open CPU usage is from 1% to 5%.

So for kicks and to try and convince some one who really does not seem to understand I also opened 3 video files. One Winamp, Media Player and DivX all at the same time with everything else running. When the videos where opening yea 53% but once playing CPU usage about 22% on a 2.53Ghz CPU.

I must seriously ask what your knowledge is from? It is just clearly wrong. I wish I could be more polite but you have simply repeatedly misstated things. I tried to offer insightful examples to let you consider. I even came up with a ridiculous example hoping to show you. But you make me actually do insane real world multitasking and you are still wrong.

For the third time, were do get your info from? It is wrong.

The opened broswers are still operating but on background. It continue to consume CPU resources. That ofcouse if you browse on a plain HTML text document there's nothing to be process with the CPU.

Try launch 10 http://www.2advanced.com on your computer and minimize it, play WMP music and MSN messenger and read status on Task Manager and you'll understand.

Ofcouse you can't do 10 office word at the same thing i'm sure everyone awares of that. My knowledges are based on experiences and logic on how software react to hardware.

EDIT: And i guess you haven't actually been edit or open a 700KB coded forum site before.

I opened 10 of that link plus kept my current with 10 open inside already. I saw CPU go up to 30% but hung closer to 15%.

You are just wrong. And to have any delusion an Internet connection can overload the CPU? Just further example of your confusion. HDD is the same. It is the slowdown vs a CPU. Even a 2Ghz one. That is just fact.

I think you just don't understand the fundamental relationship between system components.

You give your best example of how to intentionally jam the system. Cool but I don't even see it doing that.

You are wrong. This is not the place for me to explain the basic functions of components. But it is a known fact that 90% of the time more RAM and faster HDD gives better performance vs a CPU upgrade. This is the same. Sorry but that is the way it is. Also your crazy examples need more than 2GB's of RAM and that just shows how you really don't get it? Sorry but the truth?

Edit: I don't do plain text, weak comment!

Well richboy lucky enough to have 2.8GHz so is 30% peak load, and you're just here to prove me wrong that CPU isn't that nessesary or by what? You just made up the delusion part yourself which i i laughted. I'm saying the CONTENTS can use your CPU resources and i don't know how you thought like that. And i proved that.

And do mean you need more than 2GB RAM for those casual operations? He's not even using heavy programs afterall even Ps only allow one process stances.

My experience there's never a need for for casual user required more then 2GB. Java based game servers use up 600MB of data and together running the game client 400MB to take full advantage of 2GB together with the OS however certainlly all the times CPU is the bottleneck for multitasking. The datas that are being loaded before but not being used are still stored on RAM as cache but overall the data has been discarded but still can be fetched if requested before get squeeze away by other data.

Also i like to remind you large RAM amount also required more CPU processing and i hope you do know why. And i do not see the proper reason that makes you going upside down. You simply misunderstood.

EDIT: Oh hey forgot to mention if the comp is using LAN network downloading on full speed it does HOG ALOT CPU! Unless you have NIC card not intergrated LAN port.

I think you just said part of my point. Actually my main point. RAM? You can call it cache don't care. RAM is the most important for multitasking for 90% of people. I called it static multitasking. Whatever I don't need to dig at you. But read my original posts.

Richboy? I do seriously take that as a compliment. I wish I was. I bought my notebook in 10/08 for $1199. But thanks. Also I would be happier if you accept some of what I say not that I am right. I did not say any of this to 1 up you. Your passion is noted. I just want OP to get the best info so they can purchase the best. Nothing more.

Depending on what sort of multitasking you're talking about, i do not see any RAM intensive multitasking, well atleast that's something i do not know and you can tell me about. I was like you when i use XP back in the old time. I thought RAM is the most important I greedy upgraded my old system to 2GB and find it uses no more then 400MB on my optimized XP. And here i show you a screenshot when i fresh installed Win7RC and optimized it 2 months ago. Well i guess we're on different page anyway. RAM for me is for relaunching apps and store them on RAM, faster because there's no need for reload data from HDD. And i'm saying 2GB is enought for casual user like him. Unless he want to load OEM bloatwares you know..



Well richboy, atleast you can affort a gaming lappy but not me as i needed one too.

Consider I agree with that. You optimize your RAM? By optimize you free? Unused RAM is wasted. Consider not optimizing when you have 2GB's on XP. 512MB's maybe. It is all about avoiding the page file.

I used several words to describe what most people call multitasking. It is not CPU intensive. It just is not. OP will be fine with 2Ghz.

I had an AMD 1.6Ghz dual core it did all this multitasking fine also on XP with 2GB's RAM.

I really think the Studio is fine for OP.

I learned to optimize RAM because back then i was very poor i only have a single 512MB RAM stick and i had to optimize it. Learned as much i can to rip anything that i do not need off the RAM, so i can play heavy-duty games Lineage2, Battlefield 2, Oblivion etc slight faster.

I'm not trying to reserve RAM now as i have plenty, is just becomed an old habit dislike non-critical processes that i don't need being loaded. There i reserved it and only take full advantage when i needed them (mostly for games). But the fact, windows use the reserved space as a cache for anything, so is not entirely a waste afterall. You should already know the different between programs occupied and cache.

I had Turion64 X2 1.6GHz with XP Pro SP2/3 as my previous laptop, it works good speed without lag. But then it overheated and burnt out because XP always throttle the CPU/Chipset on full. Later short while i got this Dell laptop and comes with OEM Vista and i learnt about power saving feature. As i cannot affort to lost my final computer i set to custom power saving mode until now, everythings seems less stressful, there's no loud sonic noise generate from it and hell alot less heat.. I can only go back to full speed when i have this heatsink cleaned and really need the full speed.

While i upgraded to 3GB RAM month ago i find the CPU usage become slightly higher. That i can only assume the CPU read larger RAM address-table.

I still assuming 2.4GHz is the good speed for him as i stated before. Ofcouse the higher speed the better. Since there's aways have to have a bottleneck on hardware component, just depending which part you choose to have it bottlenecked. I find it CPU is important for me.

If you agree with me CPU is not an issue. If you agree with NAS it is. But I think NAS came around or got tired you have to ask him. I do think he gets my points.

2Ghz CPU is fine RAM is what matters for the type of "multitasking" you do.

Just wait someone not so close to this debate might offer a better overview.

But I do know I am correct. Sorry not trying to be a jerk. But I do know what I said.

If you like the Studio I say go for it much cheaper and you like the looks. I don't know about that model of HP. But HP's have a rep for overheating and frying the MoBo.

Edit: Oh and any of my discussion about RAM was meant in a general sense. I noticed NAS focused on the amount of RAM. I was not addressing NAS's opinions on the correct amount of RAM. That was my oversight. I apologize to NAS if that is what I confused him with. I only meant as a general RAM is more important not that say 2GB's is not enough. It could be?

Keith this is simple, overall all this talk with powerpack; I'm just saying CPU is important for multitasking and he's saying RAM is important for multitasking.

I'm saying 2GB RAM is enought for casual users (non-gamer, hacker), but need 2.4GHz multitasking especially if you like Aero, because i noticed you want some nice laptop visual. But actually i'd like to hear more about your multi-tasking doing before any decision.