NotebookForums.com › Forums › General Notebook Discussions › Notebook Forums - General › I can't find ANYTHING I feel 100% with...
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

I can't find ANYTHING I feel 100% with...

post #1 of 45
6/17/04 at 7:30am
Thread Starter 
Here's the deal...I had been looking at the Dell Inspiron 600m, but the more I read and the more I shop, I become less convinced that it's really what I want. I'm not real big on the blue plastic and I wouldn't mind having a faster hard drive and more powerful GPU. I like the Dell Latitude D600, but it still has the hard drive and GPU shortcomings of the 600m. The Inspiron 8600 is an option, but it's at the upper end of my price range and features the same blue crap as the 600m. The Latitude D800 is nice, but I can't get it with ATI video, and both the 8600 and D800 are probably more than I can afford.

I've been looking at the Compal CL56/Voodoo/PowerPro 5:6 and I like what I see, but I need more information. I'd like to hear from people that actually own one of these things and get their take.

Ideally, I'd be looking at a Dothan chip, 1GB RAM, 128MB Radeon 9700, 7200RPM hard drive, 15" screen, CD-RW/DVD-ROM, etc, etc...
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 45
6/17/04 at 10:14am
search for "cl56 review" and you will pull up lots of stuff
many people have bought this machine and really like it
i'd say more but so many others have written it down in much better detail
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 45
6/17/04 at 12:15pm
Welcome to the wonderful world of notebook computing!
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 45
6/17/04 at 1:13pm
lol ditto.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 45
6/17/04 at 1:23pm
Aamsel and I both have been at this for over a month now, and im no closer to finding "exactly" what i want.

Sometimes knowledge is not a good thing. If i didnt know what i do about these things, i could go to Best buy, grab a emachines 6809 for $1500 and be happy as a pig in poo.

Dell is offering 20% off again today, i think ill probably end up going with that. Even though i really dont want a dell, it does have what i want for a good price.

1.8ghz Dothan
15.4" sxga+
128mg 9600p
1x 512mb ram
7200rpm 60gb
3 yr complete care

For right at $1900

The nc8000 i had configured with similar specs was on the wrong side of $2700.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 45
6/17/04 at 1:27pm
those are good specs for the dell and a great price, but how's the size/weight?
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 45
6/17/04 at 1:37pm
Its not a DTR, but its not quite "thin and light"

Its about the same size as a nc8000, and about 7.3lbs with batt i think.

4ish hour batt life.

Its pretty darn ugly though, maybe not as bad as a cl56, but close =)
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 45
6/17/04 at 2:44pm
If you want a Dell....
$1,900 with Complete Care is a HELL of a deal, really. That is like a $300 add-on to the warranty, and covers absolutely everything other than theft or intentional damage.
I just came off a really bad experience with a Latitude but:
You may not have issues, and I might not have issues with another Dell.
I don't think they are the quality of the Business HP, or what I thought the IBM's were, but, that is a great deal at that price.

BTW, HP does call the nc8000 a DTR. Not sure why, maybe it just looks so darned "beefy" that they call it a DTR. Either way, looks like I am going to own one, if I don't find a better answer within a day or so.
Also, you can't configure an nc8000 with a 60Gig 7200, you have to get the nw8000 with 128MB Fire2GL to get that drive. I assume that was your pricing??

For me, the Dell is a very, very good price, but I just can't make myself by another one at this time. Pretty tempting though.

Andrew
Austin, TX

Quote:
Originally Posted by Roarak
Aamsel and I both have been at this for over a month now, and im no closer to finding "exactly" what i want.

Sometimes knowledge is not a good thing. If i didnt know what i do about these things, i could go to Best buy, grab a emachines 6809 for $1500 and be happy as a pig in poo.

Dell is offering 20% off again today, i think ill probably end up going with that. Even though i really dont want a dell, it does have what i want for a good price.

1.8ghz Dothan
15.4" sxga+
128mg 9600p
1x 512mb ram
7200rpm 60gb
3 yr complete care

For right at $1900

The nc8000 i had configured with similar specs was on the wrong side of $2700.
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 45
6/17/04 at 4:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roarak
Dell is offering 20% off again today, i think ill probably end up going with that. Even though i really dont want a dell, it does have what i want for a good price.
If you don't want a Dell, don't buy it. There's nothing worse than getting tired of your new purchase 3-6 months down the road and thinking that you should've bought something else.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 45
6/17/04 at 4:26pm
Well, if i could find the specs i want from any other place, i wouldnt buy it. But since thats not the case, my choices are limited.

specs/performance > asthetics
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 45
6/17/04 at 4:44pm
Why don't you check a compal 56. Powerbooks has similar specs and you get a better memory card. The Ati 9700 pro i think.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 45
6/17/04 at 4:55pm
Bad verticle viewing angle on the screen, and im really wanting widescreen.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 45
6/17/04 at 4:58pm
I've been looking at the Compal CL56/Voodoo/PowerPro 5:6 and I like what I see, but I need more information. I'd like to hear from people that actually own one of these things and get their take.

Owner reviews:
http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=24218
http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=25290

Photo gallery:
http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=24217
http://notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=25763

Reply
Reply
post #14 of 45
6/17/04 at 5:13pm
compal powa
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 45
6/17/04 at 5:45pm
Is it the 8600 you are looking at?
Andrew
Austin, TX



Quote:
Originally Posted by Roarak
Its not a DTR, but its not quite "thin and light"

Its about the same size as a nc8000, and about 7.3lbs with batt i think.

4ish hour batt life.

Its pretty darn ugly though, maybe not as bad as a cl56, but close =)
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 45
6/17/04 at 5:47pm
Aamsel, yeah it is.
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 45
6/17/04 at 5:48pm
How is the compal ugly? Its sleek and styly
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 45
6/17/04 at 5:54pm
Personal preferance i guess.

To me it screams Fisher Price "My First Laptop"

I dunno why i dont like the looks of it, there is no denying its one of the best performers out there right now in the P-M class.
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 45
6/17/04 at 5:55pm
Ha Ha. Although a fisher price laptop be interesting.
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 45
6/17/04 at 5:59pm
the cl56 looks are really growing on me have you ever seen one in person
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 › I can't find ANYTHING I feel 100% with...