New Laptop

[adqttr]

I currently have a 2 year old dell inspiron 1150 (768 MB ram, 2.6 GHz Celeron CPU, basic crappy laptop graphics) and when i try to watch movies on it, I the video always slows down and the audio keeps going normal, then the video will occasionally go really fast. Its the most annoying thing ever when trying to watch anything.

I want to get a new laptop, and i want to make sure that it doesn't have this same problem. Does anyone know why this problem is happening? Ram? Processor? Graphics Card?

P.S. If someone had an idea how i could make my laptop play videos right, I would be open to hearing it as well.

 

[Brainonska511]

First, what's your budget if you do go for a new laptop?

Does this problem happen when you are running anything in the background or does it occur when it is the only program running as well?
Is this with all kinds of videos or is it a specific type (Flash, DVD, DViX... etc)?

I think it sounds like a processor issue. The RAM should be enough, maybe a little more since you are using integrated graphics, but the majority of the problem sounds like it is the processor.

 

[adqttr]

For my new laptop, I have looked at mostly ibm's because i work there so i can get a discount. I don't have a exact budget yet, i am going to have to wait till the end of the summer so, i know how much money that i can spend. I have also looked at sony vaio laptops and although they look expensive they look very nice.

I kinda want to get one with a pentium M processor or something of similar coolness, because i leave it on all the time and don't like when it gets hot. But would that processor be similar to the one i have?

if anyone has a laptop they like i would love to hear your suggestion. thanks

 

[TheStu]

I love my macbook, and even when left on all the time it doesnt heat up. If I am doing serious work with it, sure it will heat up, but just sitting here, not so much.

A Core Duo or Core 2 Duo will be just fine, you dont need to undercut yourself with a Pentium M in the hopes of saving a few degrees.

 

[adqttr]

Mac isnt a choice for me because i need to use it to do some work and such.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: adqttr
For my new laptop, I have looked at mostly ibm's because i work there so i can get a discount. I don't have a exact budget yet, i am going to have to wait till the end of the summer so, i know how much money that i can spend. I have also looked at sony vaio laptops and although they look expensive they look very nice.

I kinda want to get one with a pentium M processor or something of similar coolness, because i leave it on all the time and don't like when it gets hot. But would that processor be similar to the one i have?

if anyone has a laptop they like i would love to hear your suggestion. thanks

Any laptop with 1GB+ of RAM and a Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, or Turion 64 X2 should be suitable to what you want to do. Vista Home Premium or Ultimate or XP Home/Pro if you want video watching (since Business edition does not have the DVD player built into it)

 

[IlllI]

Originally posted by: adqttr
Mac isnt a choice for me because i need to use it to do some work and such.

you can boot windows from a mac now

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: clandren

Originally posted by: adqttr
Mac isnt a choice for me because i need to use it to do some work and such.

you can boot windows from a mac now

You can, but I would only buy a Mac if you planned on using OSX as the primary operating system.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: clandren

Originally posted by: adqttr
Mac isnt a choice for me because i need to use it to do some work and such.

you can boot windows from a mac now

Wow, at least some one took the high road, I thought he was saying that one cannot do work on a mac, that they are just there to be pretty or something.

 

[adqttr]

Nah i mean i work on linux systems for a living, so i want to be able to dual boot into either linux or something else, i am pretty sure you cant do that will mac

 

[TheStu]

You can triple boot it if you want, you just need rEFIt, and some linux know-how which it sounds like you do. I had a triple boot of Windows, OS X, and Ubuntu for about a week before I realized that all the stuff that out prof had us install Ubuntu for I could do from OS X easier, faster and without a restart. So i got rid of linux, but still dualboot Vista and OS X.

Just Google "triple boot macbook" and you should find quite a few guides that will get you on the path.

Or, if you don't want to bother with all that, you can always virtualize. Get about 2 GB of RAM and you can virtualize anything and OS X won't slog down.