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+--- Thread: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. (/showthread.php?tid=8305)
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - ViPER1313 - 07-14-2009
The difference is .9 pounds, but the screen and keyboard on the Dell are 1in larger as well. One more thing to realize is that you cant replace or swap the battery on the Macbook if it dies - you can always carry a spare 9-cell around for the Dell that you picked up on Ebay for cheap if you need to do a 2+ hour presentation and don't have power.
Did I mention I threw in a leather bag in that Dell configuration above?
Macbook:
Height:
0.95 inch (2.41 cm)
Width:
14.35 inches (36.4 cm)
Depth:
9.82 inches (24.9 cm)
Weight:
5.5 pounds (2.49 kg)1
Dell:
Width: 15.15" (384.9mm)
Height: 0.95" (24.1mm) front / 1.34" (33.95mm) back
Depth: 10.02" (254.6mm)
Weight: Starting weight of 6.4 lbs. (2.91 kg)10(16" WLED display 6 cell battery). Weights will vary depending on configurations and manufacturing variability.
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - BLINGMW - 07-14-2009
pretty hard to argue against a warranty like that.... I can't understand how companies can offer that and still make $. Maybe it's a slice of proof that most people are really good and honest even when you give them easy options to be dubious? :dunno: There's got to be a study in there somewhere....
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - .RJ - 07-14-2009
WRXtranceformed Wrote:Total before discount is $2998.00
Does it come with wheels and a motor?
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - ViPER1313 - 07-14-2009
BLINGMW Wrote:pretty hard to argue against a warranty like that.... I can't understand how companies can offer that and still make $. Maybe it's a slice of proof that most people are really good and honest even when you give them easy options to be dubious? :dunno: There's got to be a study in there somewhere....
It doesn't cover everything:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/services/client_support/completecare_svc?c=us&l=en&cs=19">http://www.dell.com/content/topics/glob ... l=en&cs=19</a><!-- m -->
Mainly theft. They are very liberal on what they will repair so far as intentional damage vs. non-intentional damage.
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - Mike - 07-14-2009
i don't understand the need for the .5GHz jump from the base MBP or the need for a 500GB hard drive. could have saved $1300.
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - WRXtranceformed - 07-14-2009
This is why I have you guys here, I don't know shit about computers. A lot of you guys work in the industry so I know you'd have some good input
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - Evan - 07-14-2009
You really arent buying any kind of better reliability with the apple laptop. The aluminum chassis is pretty bling but thats not what keeps the computer from breaking. Also keep in mind that Apple obsoletes their hardware very quickly. Not too long ago they switched to Intel chips and already the newest version of OSX doesnt support the older IBM chips.
Im not intimately familiar with the mac that you like, but the new mac laptops have issues like few USB ports and non removable batteries. does yours have an optical drive?
WRXtranceformed Wrote:Portability is really important.
personally, if I were you with your needs and wanted the laptop right now this is the laptop I would buy. I have been beating on a cousin of it at work for the past couple years and it has been rock solid. And fwiw, Im even impressed with the build quality of Anne's lowend $400 Compaq(HP) laptop.
this also comes with a free upgrade to Windows 7 and a spare battery
HP dv4t
14.1" screen, 5.0 lbs
Color Espresso Black edit
Operating system Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit) edit
Processor Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T9550 (2.66 GHz, 6 MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB) edit
Memory 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) edit
Hard drive 500GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection edit
Graphics card 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G 105M edit
Display 14.1" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen (1280 x 800) edit
Primary optical drive LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support edit
Personalization [For LED Display] Webcam Only edit
Networking Wireless-G Card edit
One 6 Cell and One 12 Cell Lithium Ion Batteries edit
HP extended service plans 2-year HP Accidental Damage Protection with Pick Up and Return
$1,594.97
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - WRXtranceformed - 07-14-2009
Just left you a voicemail Adam. Here's an XPS 16 I spec'd out, what do you all think?
Obsidian Black with Leather Accent
PROCESSOR Intel┬« CoreÔäó 2 Duo T9800 (6MB cache/2.93GHz/1066Mhz FSB)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-bit
OFFICE SOFTWARE Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007 - Word, Excel + PowerPoint (<--- If I can find my CD I'll get rid of this)
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 4 yr In-home Service after remote diagnosis + Complete Care
HD DISPLAY Edge-to-Edge FullHD Widescreen 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP
MEMORY 6GB DDR3 SDRAM at 1067MHz (2 Dimms)
HARD DRIVE 256GB Solid State Drive
INTERNAL OPTICAL DRIVE BluRay Disc Combo (DVD/CD read/write + BD read) Slot Load Drive
VIDEO CARD ATI Mobility RADEONÔäó HD 4670 ÔÇô 1GB
WIRELESS CARDS Intel® 5300 WLAN Wireless-N (3x3) Mini Card
SOUND OPTIONS Soundblaster X-Fi Hi Def Audio - Software Enabled
BLUETOOTH Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module (2.1+EDR)
My Accessories
SECURITY SOFTWARE McAfee 15 month
DATASAFE ONLINE BACKUP Dell Online Backup 2GB for 1 year
My Software & Accessories
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
BATTERY OPTIONS 6-cell Battery
Integrated NETWORK ADAPTERS (NICS) Integrated Gigabit (10/100/1000) Network Card
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 9, Multiple Languages
LCD and Camera Edge-to-Edge FullHD Widescreen 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP
Labels Windows VistaÔäó Premium
Processor Branding Intel┬« CentrinoÔäó 2
REMOTE ACCESS Dell Remote Access, free basic service
Total $3486, assuming the 30% discount still applies or if it's changed, that would be roughly $1045 off or $2441. Much better deal? Anything I could live without to save a few hundred bucks?
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - WRXtranceformed - 07-14-2009
Evan Wrote:You really arent buying any kind of better reliability with the apple laptop. The aluminum chassis is pretty bling but thats not what keeps the computer from breaking. Also keep in mind that Apple obsoletes their hardware very quickly. Not too long ago they switched to Intel chips and already the newest version of OSX doesnt support the older IBM chips.Nice, that's a really good rate even though I wouldn't get a discount on it. If you can get the screen a few inches wider that would be ideal.
Im not intimately familiar with the mac that you like, but the new mac laptops have issues like few USB ports and non removable batteries. does yours have an optical drive?
WRXtranceformed Wrote:Portability is really important.
personally, if I were you with your needs and wanted the laptop right now this is the laptop I would buy. I have been beating on a cousin of it at work for the past couple years and it has been rock solid. And fwiw, Im even impressed with the build quality of Anne's lowend $400 Compaq(HP) laptop.
this also comes with a free upgrade to Windows 7 and a spare battery
HP dv4t
14.1" screen, 5.0 lbs
Color Espresso Black edit
Operating system Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit) edit
Processor Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T9550 (2.66 GHz, 6 MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB) edit
Memory 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) edit
Hard drive 500GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection edit
Graphics card 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G 105M edit
Display 14.1" diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen (1280 x 800) edit
Primary optical drive LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support edit
Personalization [For LED Display] Webcam Only edit
Networking Wireless-G Card edit
One 6 Cell and One 12 Cell Lithium Ion Batteries edit
HP extended service plans 2-year HP Accidental Damage Protection with Pick Up and Return
$1,594.97
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - Evan - 07-14-2009
1920x1080 is tiiiiny text on a 16" monitor. Id drop it down 1 resolution notch to save some money.
SSD is super fast but also super expensive and not really necessary, especially if you are already backing up.
the X-Fi for laptops is essentially BS. better to get an external EMU if you want to do audio work on a laptop.
you really going to watch blurays on your laptop? i have one on mine and havent used it once.
that video card is probably over kill. take it down 1 notch (As long as its not integrated) unless you plan on playing games on it.
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - WRXtranceformed - 07-14-2009
Nice, switching HDs to the higher rpm 320gb saved me a couple hundred. The X-Fi is only +$25 and the upgraded video card is $100 more.
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - Apoc - 07-14-2009
removed, better deal below...
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - Apoc - 07-14-2009
Shit, I might even get this for myself...
Studio 15 - 1555
(System Identifier: ZRBRYPD3)
* Studio 15 - 1555 Laptop
* Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
System Price : $859.00
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
4 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz (2 DIMMs)
500 GB SATA Hard Drive (5400 RPM)
512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8600 (2.4GHz, 3MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz FSB)
Integrated 1.3M Pixel WebcamNetwork Interface Card
Intel WiFi Link 5100 802.11a/g/n Draft Mini Card
Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition
Back-lit Keyboard
15.6 inch High Definition (720p) LED Display with TrueLife
8X Slot Load Super Multi (DL DVD+/-R Drive + RAM support)Base
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - ViPER1313 - 07-14-2009
Here is a more reasonable deal. You really don't need to spend the extra money on the processor - the P8600 in my system flies and is compatible with XP compatibility mode in Windows 7. I really disagree about the screen - you can always make fonts larger in Windows. I recommend moving up to Vista Ultimate as well for some of the networking features that don't come in home (although it might not make any difference to you - easy way to save $150.) 4GB of ram should be more than enough too. Definately get the upgraded video card. X-Fi is hype, I was just going option crazy. Go for the 3 years of McAfee for the extra $39 - thats a pretty good deal.
$2,509 before discount, about 300 less if you can find your office discs and don't care about vista ultimate.
My System Details
Intel┬« CoreÔäó 2 Duo P8600 (3MB cache/2.4GHz/1066Mhz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate Edition 64-bit
4 Yr Ltd Warranty, On-site Service, and 4Yr Tech Support
Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007 - Word, Excel + PowerPoint
Edge-to-Edge FullHD Widescreen 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP
4GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1067MHz (2 Dimms)
320GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
BluRay Disc Combo (DVD/CD read/write + BD read) Slot Load Drive
ATI Mobility RADEONÔäó HD 4670 ÔÇô 1GB
Intel® 5300 WLAN Wireless-N (3x3) Mini Card
6-cell Battery
High Definition Audio 2.0
Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Module (2.1+EDR)
Obsidian Black with Leather Accent
My Services & Warranties
3 Year Complete Care Accidental Damage Protection
My Accessories
McAfee 36 month
Also Included
No ISP requested
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 9, Multiple Languages
Edge-to-Edge FullHD Widescreen 16.0 inch RGBLED LCD (1920x1080) W/2.0 MP
Windows VistaÔäó Premium
Intel┬« CentrinoÔäó 2
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - Apoc - 07-14-2009
Why spend $2500? Seems like overkill when he can get more than enough for $900.
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - ViPER1313 - 07-14-2009
Adding all the warranty BS / software adds $750, so you are really comparing a $900 to $1700 machine.
DDR2 vs DDR3
Video card is a hell of a lot faster in the 2nd system
Blue Ray
Much higher quality screen that allows full quality blue ray playback without resizing
3 years virus protection
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - Mike - 07-14-2009
Apoc Wrote:Why spend $2500? Seems like overkill when he can get more than enough for $900.
+1. I've looked in to buying "real" laptops for quite a while and have never needed to break $1500... I also consider myself a "power user" who plays games, does photo editing, often has a million apps open at once. Shit, my netbook can handle all that.
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - Apoc - 07-14-2009
ViPER1313 Wrote:Adding all the warranty BS / software adds $750, so you are really comparing a $900 to $1700 machine.
DDR2 vs DDR3
Video card is a hell of a lot faster in the 2nd system
Blue Ray
Much higher quality screen that allows full quality blue ray playback without resizing
3 years virus protection
You failed to answer to question regarding spending more when he didn't need it. Last I checked, he's using it for work and doesn't need to power the space shuttle or edit movie for a major Hollywood studio.
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - BLINGMW - 07-14-2009
well hell, they're ALL WAAAAYYYY overkill for powering the space shuttle!
Re: New laptop for work. Need suggestions. - Evan - 07-14-2009
ViPER1313 Wrote:I really disagree about the screen - you can always make fonts larger in Windows.I use a 1920 resolution lcd on a bigger 17" laptop every day. Im telling you, it sucks. Even with windows fonts jacked up (which doesnt do much). My coworker has the same resolution on a 15.4" screen and its comical.
unless you are gaming, video cards are essentially irrelevant.
DDR3 1067 isnt faster than DDR2 800, especially when the DDR3 is only dual channel.