help needed with laptop decision

[commie]

Im writing this on a toshiba 3005 series laptop as we speek... migh i mention i just finished with a nice little game of wolfenstein(damn this baby runs it smooth)

1499 on toshiba site for:
850Mhz P3 with speed step*
128MB SDRAM updragable to 512
20Gig HD
16MB Geforce2Go
DVD/CDRW
built in smart media port($60 upgrade for all the other LTs)
built in modem ethernet firewire 3usb
and a S-video out in case u wanna hook it up to a TV for some DVDs
14.1LCD display

Small,light ... feature packed... no prob plugging wireless cards in
Worth every penny i payed for it... twise over

Dells good too tho, I dunno tho, round here retail their like 2 times what the dell site offers em for... and retail is the only way u can get insurance that goes past manufacturers defects(as in i throw this out the window and have a new one today for free!)

 

[lowsodium]

Dude, go with the dell. I've lugged this Inspiron 5000 from OH, to Minneapolis, back to OH, then to Wisconsin, then back to OH, then out to California with no problems! Too bad I got this before the Geforce came out. really kicked myself on that one. $2400 for a 650 to play CS in software mode really bites!

 

[pylorns]

You could always wait till november new dell system comes out 1 gig ram 1.3 ghz system 32mb gforce 2 to go.

 

[hans007]

personally i'd say that the toshiba satelite 3005 blows the doors off the dell, just because it doesnt weigh so much and is just as fast. they both have geforce 2gos, (some of the dells have the 32mb, but i dont think that should be the deciding factor) . the dells are not only ugly, the plastic doors are cheapass, and they are real bulky. especially the 15" screen model, with the extra large overlapping screen bezel.

the new compaq presario 1700s are also nice, p3-1.13 max and they all have radeon mobilitys. Another good one is the thinkpad t21 on ebay, you can get a p3-850 with a rage mobility m3 (slow ass POS card for 3d, but otherwise very good) for around $1300 +tax and shipping.

The reason i'd get a compaq 1700 , toshiba 3005 ($1400 at costco) or ibm t21, is that they are portbale enough that it makes sense to have gotten a laptop instead of a desktop they are all in the 5.5 pound range with an optical drive. if you get a inspiron 8000/8100 (friend has one) you'll never take it anywhere, so you should have gotten a desktop anyways. i speak from experience i used to have a hp pavilion , it was nice, but it weighed 7.5 pounds, and was like 13" x 10.5" x 1.6" , around the size of a dell inspiron and around the same weight too. THe sony fx is about the same too in size, but its 2" thick. the good sony's are the sr series, or the r505s (r505s are steep though).


Personally i have a toshiba portege 3480ct, weighs 3.4 pounds, looks like abook and goes to class easily. its only a p3-600 but it runs winxp and office xp fine, so even a p3-600 should last you a year or 2 years (2 years should be when winxp gets replace, and officexp gets replaced, so you really wont notice it slowing down in the next 1.5 years or so, outside of games)