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Wants vs. Needs -- Acer, Compal, Sony, other(?) for grad school; best bang for buck?

Poll Results: Which is best for a business grad school student/reservist plus DVD view, no gaming?

 
  • 8% (3)
    Acer TravelMate 8006LMi
  • 17% (6)
    Acer Ferrari 3200
  • 11% (4)
    Sony Vaio A-series custom 15"
  • 38% (13)
    Compal CL56
  • 23% (8)
    other
34 Total Votes  
post #1 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:32pm
Thread Starter 
NOTE: If you don't want to read the whole thing or comment in a reply, please at least do the survey, but feel free to do both!

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Oh, my. I started shopping for a laptop because I'm returning to school this year (Big 10 school, MBA program) and it is required to have one. The minimum requirements are relatively low (Pentium M 1.4 or equiv., 512 MB, 40 GB HDD, 802.11g, 56K modem, 10/100 Ethernet, USB 2.0, Firewire, CD-RW, Win XP, Office 2003), but of course, I want more.

At first I thought I knew what I wanted (Dell 8600), but then I started reading reviews and the forum and am now turned off to that and think I can get much more value (bang for buck) with something else. I stumbled on the Acer on my own, but had big questions about them and heard bad things about them, so I wrote them off at first. Then I heard a bunch of good about them. Is the truth somewhere in between?

Then I came here and everything went into a tailspin. Now I'm checking out all sorts of things I've never heard of and I'm interested. So, time to ask for specific help.

I think I have it narrowed down to the systems below, but need your advice, oh wise forum members. I want to get a system to last me about 3 years, but don't want to spend a fortune if I can avoid it. I also don't want to shell out bucks for more system than I need.

Some keys about my intended usage:
  • Predominantly school/business stuff; some web programming and graphics.
  • I don't care at all about gaming.
  • I plan to watch a fair share of DVDs on this because I'm also in the military reserves and have down time on drill weekends. (S-video or composite out is nice.)
  • Battery life is nice, but not ultra-important provided I can get an air/auto power adapter.
  • I'd prefer a normal monitor to the widescreen (I don't mind the black bars during movies), but it's not a sticking point.
  • Weight and size are important as I'll be carrying this around a lot.
  • I normally use a split ergo-keyboard, so I don't think Acer's would bother me at all (and I might actually prefer it).
  • Wireless range is important as I'll be using that at school and home.
  • I don't care about DVD burning unless I can make (back-up ) copies of my movie DVDs with it, which I believe I'd want to do with a dual-layer burner in my desktop.

It's obviously impossible to research all options, but I've done quite a bit and think I've narrowed it down to a decent selection. I'm still open to other suggestions, though. (I'd like to stay with the Celeron or AMD mobile processors, so that seems to rule out the Sager systems.) For my needs, what would you advise?
  • Acer TravelMate 8006LMi (my current top choice, but do I need all that?)
  • Acer Ferrari 3200 (a bit less than the 8006 and oh-so-nice looking)
  • Sony Vaio A-series 15" customized (I love that display!)
  • Compal CL56 (is this thing really the deal it seems to be? I've never heard of Compal-what is their support/quality like?)

Are there any others I've missed that I should consider?

One nice feature with the 8006 is the SmartCard reader. Those chips are embedded in military ID cards now, and would be nice to use right there to access e-mail and other stuff with that (if it works with my ID card), but not essential.

Getting Windows XP and Office 2003 are not an issue, so that won't influence my purchase decision (in some ways, prefer to save money by not having them come with the system).

How much of a difference will I see between wireless 802.11b, g, and super-g (or whatever that 108MBps is called) when I'm running in off cable modem at home and g-wireless or Ethernet LAN at school? (Which wireless should I get for home -- save money with the b, or will I see any difference with g?)

I plan to get the combination wireless mouse and keypad from Targus, and a memory stick/MP3 player, so that kills 2 USBs off the bat so I prefer a minimum of 3 USBs (and prefer side placement to rear), but not a sticking point.

Finally, considering my usage, do I really need more than the minimum requirements, or can I save a nice bundle of cash by going with those? Will I see much difference between a 1.5 or 1.6 GHz processor as opposed to the 1.8 or 2.0 included in these systems (as options in some)? Will HDD speed mean much to me? Will GPU memory make any difference to me? Will I notice a difference between 512 MB and 1 GB of RAM? What about FSB speed between the AMD and the Pentium?

Sorry for the long post, but wanted to kill it all with one post. Mega-Thanks in advance for your replies and advice. I will gladly follow-up with reviews, specs, photos, etc., if interested after my purchase.

Sey
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post #2 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:41pm
You have really low standards for a laptop!

I'm not being critical, but that will make it easier finding the right notebook for you.

So am I right to assume that the most important features to you is portability/size/weight of a laptop, normal 4:3 ratio LCD screen?

wireless performance is not really so much the notebook maker, but more of the type of card you use (unless your notebook uses only 1 wireless antenna instead of 2)
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post #3 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:43pm
How much of a difference will I see between wireless 802.11b, g, and super-g (or whatever that 108MBps is called) when I'm running in off cable modem at home and g-wireless or Ethernet LAN at school? (Which wireless should I get for home -- save money with the b, or will I see any difference with g?)

none, as wireless g TURBO 108MBPS can only be taken advantage of if you have a wireless caess point that supports "TURBO" and is of the same manufactuerer...

for example to run 108mbps turbo speed you need a linksys g turbo card and a linksys g turbo wireless acsspoint... if you have a diffrent brand like a netgear turbo acess point it wont work @ that speed
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post #4 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:45pm
Will I see much difference between a 1.5 or 1.6 GHz processor as opposed to the 1.8 or 2.0 included in these systems (as options in some)?

no you wont and you are right to suspect that you will save more money by going with the lower one, as the performance increase is negligable. it will handle what you need it to do either way. I'd only recommend that you save money by going with an economicaly priced CPU and getting a 7,200rpm HD (fastest speed) because you will see more of a performance gain for your $$$. and again with the ram, 512mb is perfectly fine if you are working on a budget. you will not see a vast performance increase with 1gb vs 512mb ram unless you intend to be doing ALOT of multitasking with big programs.

if your not a gamer, GPU or video ram wont mean didly
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post #5 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:49pm
all of those systems you listed will suit your needs. my advice to you to come to a decision process is find the system that is within your price range, is something you can aesthetically live with, and pay close attention to the little details/design features of periphials/layout etc to help you come to a decision...

I stress the little/minor things because all of those systems will do what you need it to do.

edit you probably never heard of compal, because they are not mainstream in the united states like dell/sony/hp/compaq. they are a large and well established company in taiwan that makes various electronic products... it just so happens that the cl56 is popular because it was one of the first pentium-m notebooks to come out with 9700 128mb mobility video card. it has alot of positive reviews on this forum, and if you do a little research on here it probably has the most detailed information of any other laptop in this "general" notebook catagory... you can find numerous pictures, benchmarks, lil quirks of the laptop etc. for warranty purposes you can get a compal fixed/repaired at the US distrubuter site for compal electronics... contact your reseller about it, usually they will have you ship it back to the reseller and the reseller ships it to the ditributer for service...it works pretty much the same way you'd get a laptop serviced @ dell or sony
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post #6 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:50pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by rincewind
You have really low standards for a laptop!

I'm not being critical, but that will make it easier finding the right notebook for you.
LOL -- well, the school has low standards. I'm just trying to save $ and not buy more than I need, otherwise I'd get a fully-decked-out system (probably Sony for the nice display) just to say I had it. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to spend $2,500 or so for a super machine, but only if it will be worth it to me in my use. It's only worth the extra money if I see a difference, right?

Quote:
Originally Posted by rincewind
So am I right to assume that the most important features to you is portability/size/weight of a laptop, normal 4:3 ratio LCD screen?

wireless performance is not really so much the notebook maker, but more of the type of card you use (unless your notebook uses only 1 wireless antenna instead of 2)
Yeah, I'd say portability is important, but I also want a nice-looking display as I will rarely if ever be using a different monitor. I still want good performance, too, but just don't know if it would make much difference to me as a non-gamer for some of the differences between top-of-the-line and the minimum requirements. The 4:3 screen is moreso out of size/weight concern than any real preference.

As for the wireless, I do want it built in to the machine -- less to hassle with. I don't have any Bluetooth or FIR or Firewire accessories now, but who knows in the future. My question with wireless is moreso about what I should by for my home access point. I've heard that at home, I'd never see the difference between an 802.11b access point or an 802.11g access point because the cable access coming in isn't even at 56MBps, but I don't know the specs on all that yet (don't have it yet). Range is also somewhat important because I'd like to be able to work out on the deck, too, but we're only talking about 50m max through a couple walls.

Thanks for the already quick reply!

Sey
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post #7 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:55pm
what res do you need, and how big of a screen
xga vs. sxga+ ?
12'' or 13.3'' or 14'' or 15'' ?
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post #8 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:57pm
Thread Starter 
Wow, thanks a ton for all the good advice already. I have several weeks still to buy, so I'll pay attention for a long time yet and update as I decide.

I had one other question concerning hard drive size. I've been advised to go 80GB, but they usually don't come in the higher speed you recommend. How important is that speed? As for what I'll be storing, I plan to put a bunch of MP3s on there and then just the regular school/business files. I also work on a few web sites, so Macromedia Studio MX will be on there with the web sites' local files. (They are small, private sites, though, nothing major.) I'm thinking 60GB would probably meet my needs easily. Any advice?
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post #9 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:58pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aikeo
what res do you need, and how big of a screen
xga vs. sxga+ ?
12'' or 13.3'' or 14'' or 15'' ?
I'd prefer a 15" or so and also would prefer SXGA+ to standard XGA. I'm not adverse to going all out with UXGA, though, either, if it's worth the $$$.

Sey
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post #10 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:58pm
but I also want a nice-looking display

get the sony. sony xbrite lcd screens are the best hands down.

while all the other laptops you listed are great machines and will do what you need it to do, the sony wins in the LCD department as no other LCD looks as good as it does, aside from the fujtisu clear-view screens.

there is a premium you pay for it and to be fair, if you have a problem with glare... the xbrite does exhbit alot of it, but that is the trade off you get for having a near close to CRT qualiy LCD with very bright screen, rich colors, good viewing angles etc
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post #11 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:59pm
try to get a 7200 rpm drive (fastest) if you can, it will make pulling up your sites and mp3s faster

if you get the sony you're also trading in portability for an awesome screen

7.1 lbs. with standard battery (weight
is approximate and may vary by components)

• Size (W x H x D)
13.5 x 1.5-1.7 x 10.9 (inches)

she's a fatty
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post #12 of 32
6/23/04 at 8:59pm
unfortunetly 80gig 7200rpm isnt offered right now, so the fastest hd you can purchase at the momment is a 60gig 7200rpm hd which is perfectly fine and as you can see from other notebook owners here, its the 'choice' hd to go with
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post #13 of 32
6/23/04 at 9:02pm
whats more important to u better display or better portability / batt life
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post #14 of 32
6/24/04 at 1:49am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aikeo
whats more important to u better display or better portability / batt life
Sorry for the delay...had to step out for some sand volleyball and beer with some friends.

Man, that is a tough call. Can't I have both?

Well, I think I could live with a decent display, i.e. 15" SXGA+ or better, if it meant lugging the thing around every day was going to be easier. I know nothing touches that Sony display, but I think I could live without that to shed a few pounds and get a more comfortable keyboard (some of the reveiws I've read here and elsewhere say the Sony A series keyboard is a bit crammed, and unfortunately doesn't need to be with the extra inch wasted on each side). My wrists get a bit uncomfortable with much typing, so I guess the keyboard would be more important to me, provided the display didn't hurt to look at all day every day. I know that's a round about way of answering that, but it kind or represents my view on this, too. No one issue is so important to me that I can't trade something off on it to gain something in another area.

I guess I'd have to say mobility (size/weight), typing comfort, display, and wireless speed/strength are the four most important issues to me in that order.

Does that shape anyone's opinion differently, or is it still a measure of trade-off between the Sony VAIO for display and the CL56 for all-around value? I do have an offer on the Ferrari 3200 right now for $1962 including shipping, but I'd be willing to save another $500 over the 8006 if the system matches my needs better. Thoughts?

Again, thanks. Maybe some day I'll be able to help give advice to others on this excellent forum. At the least, I'll post photos and a review of the system I do end up buying.

Sey
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post #15 of 32
6/24/04 at 1:52am
get the CL56 imo. while the sony is definitely a great screen, i really think the cl56 sxga+ is perfectly fine so long as you don't need it for presentations.

you can get the cl56s from a variety of places for very decent prices (especially at 1.5 ghz) and have a top-of-the-line graphics card that will last you for years.

the ferrari is also a fine choice but the battery life is lacking compared to the cl56. plus you won't find it for less than $2000. you can get a cl56 system that meets your needs for much less than this.
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post #16 of 32
6/24/04 at 1:58am
hp's are cool really good for the money i have one
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post #17 of 32
6/24/04 at 2:00am
Thread Starter 
You know what? Sony just disappointed me. The only HDD configuration available from sonystyle.com on the A series custom 15" are:
40 GB* (4200 rpm)
60 GB* (4200 rpm)
80 GB* (4200 rpm)
80 GB* (5400 rpm)

What the deuce? That's lame. Pack the best monitor in the world with a crappy HDD!
I think you're right Aikeo. I might be joining the CL56 family soon. LOL!

As for presentations, I'm sure I will be presenting group projects before classmates, not to mention our consulting projects to clients, but if that becomes an issue, we can use someone else's higher-priced computer or one of the school's machines. In either case, it would be done on a projector anyway, so the monitor becomes a moot point.

Still open to comments and ideas, though. (Haven't bought yet.)

What about one of the Acer 8000 series slimmed down (I believe the 8003 and 8002 are available in the US)?

Thx again.

Sey
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post #18 of 32
6/24/04 at 2:01am
why are there 15" so good? my hp came with a 17"....
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post #19 of 32
6/24/04 at 2:08am
sony hardware engineers are idiots lately.
i have no idea how their company continues to make money (just consider sony's attempt at Ipod competition)
annnd that's all i have to say about that
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post #20 of 32
6/24/04 at 2:10am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigBrother
why are there 15" so good? my hp came with a 17"....
Man, I was replying and accidentally hit CTRL-W. Oops! That sucks.

Anyway, do you mean Sony's? Well, on the A series, they have the same monitor technology on the 15 as well as the 17. Both have XBrite and Ergo...whatever it's called. It is definitely way better than any notebook I've seen. To me, it's like watching a flat-panel HDTV screen. However, while I'd love that, I'm more interested in overall value, hence the look at the CL56 and the Acer products.

As for why 15 instead of 17, it's just a personal preference that I don't need to see anything in widescreen so why lug around the extra size/weight?

I'd heard that HPs have really declined in recent years. Is that not true? Maybe it's the HP-Compaq label to stay away from? Which HP model(s) would you recommend?

Thx,
Sey
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