by: Rita Pajarita July 4, 2006 2:01 PM PDT
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Total posts: 22 (Showing page 1 of 1)
How long? (never ending?)
by R. Proffitt 
- 7/4/06 2:58 PM
In Reply to: Do I wait for the Intel Core 2 Duo processors by Rita Pajarita
When that ships, you'll likely hear of the next soon to arrive CPU.
You may be waiting and waiting...
When you find your right spot of money and product, you might want to buy. Then again, why not wait?
Bob
Yes.
by R. Proffitt - 7/5/06 8:55 AM
This is why this issue/problem is a neverending cycle. One can wait for what's next, then when it arrives they find what's next.
Bob
Never ending cycle
by Rita Pajarita - 7/5/06 1:04 PM
In Reply to: Yes. by R. Proffitt
I am in grad school while working full time. Classes are online and on weekends. I have been getting by with my old desktop, but barely. I am looking to buy a laptop to make life easier in regards to school.
I am definitely stuck in the cycle you were talking about. First i was looking at the Sony SZ back in april. Then I heard about the Dell M1210, and decided to wait for that. While waiting for the M1210, I read the story about the Dell Latitude D420, and i thought a business notebook would probably be a better fit for my needs. So I waited for the D420. I can't tell you how mad i was when the D420 was released and Dell only offered the Core Solo processor, plus there was no optical drive. That is when i decided to buy the m1210. And then i read about the Core 2 Duo. I am tired of waiting and am ready to breakout of the cyle.
This is what i am about to order from Dell:
- XPS M1210 Intel Core Duo Processor T2500(2GHz/667MHz FSB)
- Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
- Memory: 2GB Dual Shared Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz (2 Dimms)
- Video Card: 256MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400 TurboCache
- Sound Options: Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition
- Hard Drive: 100GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
- Optical Storage Device: 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) with double-layer DVD+R write capability
- A/V Communication Package (Intg. web cam, Mobile Broadband Antenna, ear buds)
- Network Card: Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
- Wireless Networking Card: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 Mini Card (802.11 a/g, 54Mbps)
- Bluetooth Networking: Dell Wireless 350 Bluetooth Internal(2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate)
- Anti-Virus/Security Suite: Trend Micro PC-cillin with Wireless monitoring and Spyware removal 15-month
- Primary Battery: 53 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
- Additional Battery: 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion
- TV Tuner and Remote Control
- Built in Wi-Fi finder
- One touch media (watch movies and play music without booting the computer)
- Warranty: 4Yr Ltd Warr,At-Home Srvc + Nights and Weekend
Total Price (w/ tax & shipping) = $2,450
What do you think?
My kid is about to buy a laptop for college.
by R. Proffitt - 7/5/06 5:04 PM
In Reply to: Never ending cycle by Rita Pajarita
The compaq V2630US which is all of 549 bucks and lists the usual compliment of ...
512MB memory
80GB hard drive
Burn & play DVDs & CDs via the Double Layer drive
Built-in 802.11g wireless LAN networkability
6-in-1 memory card reader
Model V2630US
It's some 1.8GHz Turion so no slug. Compared to your 2,450, he'll keep nearly 2,000 to replace it in a few years with the next one.
You can go overboard.
Bob
You get what you pay for
by llubosfv - 7/11/06 6:22 AM
In Reply to: My kid is about to buy a laptop for college. by R. Proffitt
I can definatly admit that your system has a better cost:performance ratio, but I would not consider his $2400 system a waste of money by any means. The specs you listed look like the specs that are put on a compter at a retail store. They are the kind that grab the normal comsumers eyes, but don't really say that much about how good the system really is.
512MB memory: That is what Windows XP requires, so that is plenty, right? Well, depending on what your child does, the performance increase from 512 to 1024 can be huge. Also, don't forget that Windows Vista is only a few months away, and 512 will not be good for Vista. Also, your 512 is made up of 2 256 DIMMs, so you can't double your memory by buying just buying a new 512 stick since you would have to take one of you existing 256 out.
80GB hard drive: yes your laptop has 80% capacity of his, so it looks like it is not that different. But yours is only 4200 rpm vs his 7200 rpm. That will make a huge difference in performance.
The rest of the things you listed are pretty standard on laptops now days.
Besides those features you listed here are some other things to compare.:
Graphics Card: His graphics card will allow him to play games with MUCH better performance than yours. Although you card lists 128 MB for the card, that is 128 MB shared memory. Which means if it is using 128 MB, your laptop only has 384 MB for everything else.
TV Tuner: His laptop can be used as a TV. It can also act as a PVR and record TV. Yours can't.
Sound: I'm not sure about how good your sound card is, but his should give him much cleaner sound quality. This makes his laptop a much better choice to be used as a multimedia hub.
Warrenty: This is the biggest advantage his system has over yours. Laptops break. It is a fact of life. Dell's in home service is incredible. I have had motherboards die on my laptops and Dell has been there next day and replaced them. Being at school, this is HUGE. And most of the time it happens after you have had it a while. His laptop will last him 4 years for sure with that warrenty. Your son may be glad he saved $2000 since he may have to spend quite a bit on replacemt parts or a whole new laptop after that first year.
This may sound like I am knocking your kid's new laptop, but I am really not. All I am saying is that you get what you pay for. Just because someone doesn't go the cheap route, doesn't mean he is going overboard. Besides, a person with a 40 GB hard drive and a mobile Sempron could say that your kid has gone overboard too.
Total posts: 22 (Showing page 1 of 1)
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