"Data Girl" <> wrote in message
news:ljsEh.21756$.. .
> The other day, I posted a question regarding what I should look for in a
> new laptop. Here are the specs I have decided on:
>
> * Intel Core 2 Duo or Core Duo (seems to be higher in regard than Athlon
> X2).
> * 1 GB RAM (I'd prefer 2 GB, but seems to only be bundled with models a
> step higher than my price range of $800 - $1000).
> * I'm not all that interested in HD size, any size over 80mb, but I am
> looking for >= 5,400 rpm.
>
http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/02/...cpus_explored/
Definitely stick with the Core 2 Duo. They are MUCH faster than the Turion
which is slower than even the Core Duo. I have a Turion and do really like
it, but it's not a speed demon. With the Core 2 Duo out now though it
doesn't make sense to buy anything else due to the performance being so much
greater.
> Here are my remaining questions:
>
> At Best Buy and CompUSA, I was most impressed with the HP Pavilians. Some
> models are in my price range, their specs are competitive, and the
> monitors look good. I've seen some low priced and well equipped Acer
> models as well, but I've also heard that Acer is not held in high regard.
> Also, I saw some affordable Gateway models. HP, Acer, Gateway, Sony: what
> are your general opionions on brand?
>
I have an HP and I do love their LCDs. Toshiba also has very good LCDs.
The HPs have the full keyboard which you will like. Dell has the half
keyboard and it absolutely sucks to use.
> Basically, what is the difference between a Core 2 Duo and Core Duo?
> Specifically, is a Core 2 Duo T5500 (1.66 Ghz) "faster" or at least
> capable than a Core Duo T2600 (2.16 Ghz) when multitasking a couple of CPU
> hogs like MS Office and Visual Studio.NET ?
>
Stick with Core 2 Duo. It's 64-bit and it's dual core which will be
requirements in the near future. Always better to future proof. If they
are too expensive, then get the Turion X2 which has the same features but
not nearly the performance. The Core Duo (and also going by Pentium at the
very lowest end) is a 32-bit dual CPU architecture that is 1 generation
behind the Core 2 Duo. It is slower and only 32-bit so only buy a system
with a Core Duo if you only want to use it for the next couple of years.
> As I mentioned in my previous post, my employer requires that our laptop
> run XP Professional. Attempting to purchase a new laptop (or refurbished)
> laptop with XP Pro severely limits my options. A dealer may have 1 or 2
> models in stock with XP Pro, but it's never the component configuration
> I'm looking for. So, I'm going to get something with Vista Business, buy
> XP Pro off of eBay, then wipe down the laptop and install XP Pro. In
> another year or so, I'll wipe down again and re-install Vista when our IT
> director trusts it enough to allow it on our network.
> Anyway, my question is whether or not there could be an issue with
> installing XP Pro on these latest generation of laptops, assuming I start
> fresh with a re-formatted HD ?
If it's XP, then you are probably stuck with Core Duo systems unless you can
find some refurbished Core 2 Duo and Turion systems out there. These
laptops come preconfigured with drivers, etc. so they are a bear to change
OS's on.
> Regarding laptop monitors, I can see a monitor on display and tell if it
> looks good, but I don't know it's capability for things like watching DVD
> movies or using a HD tuner. There is so much variation and buzz words:
> WXGA, SXGA+, UXGA, TrueLife, widescreen, TFT, etc. What should I be
> looking for in a moderately priced laptop?
>
Most of the wide screen laptops have almost the same format as wide screen
DVD's in aspect ratio. The only other thing to look for is brightness,
contrast ratio. In general, the more letters, and the higher down the
alphabet you go, the better the screen. Look at the video system more than
anything. Not all laptop video cards are made the same. The one's with
onboard graphics are generally cheaper and don't display full screen DVD's
with the best of clarity. What they can do is save you on battery power
quite a bit though, so you can run through 2 DVD's on 1 charge if you have a
long flight. The one's with the really good video cards (look for nvidia
cards with their own memory, not shared memory) will suck your battery dry
so you'll only get 1 DVD watched out of them on a single charge. The good
news is the DVD will play like it does on your High Def TV.
> When I'm looking at a laptop on display, is there a system performance
> utility bundled with Vista or something I can run from the command prompt?
> Perhaps something I that will measure the model's comparative CPU / IO
> speed, internal specs, etc. I guess I could carry something on my USB
> drive and plug in, but I don't want to install it.
I/O is about the same, they all have USB, and some will give you options for
firewire if you want to connect external drives. Some also have multiports
for micro and mini SD and other digital media. The biggest thing you want
to make sure it has is wireless access so that you can get on the net at an
airport, coffee shop, or wherever else they have wireless. Make sure it's
the latest standards and make sure it's built in (most are)!
I've had great luck with HP these days as far as laptops go, so I'll give
them the thumbs up. I also like what Apple has now, but they are MacOS
which doesn't fit your criteria.
Similar Threads
Linear Mode
