New Work Laptop...

[SmoiL]

Thanks to new cashflow the time to get a new laptop at work is near. Budget is for the most part not an issue so I've been checking out some new toys and am wondering what the fine folks at ATOT might reccomend.

Requirements:
Kickass machine
Long battery life
The lighter the better

I've been looking at the new flock of A64 machines and am impressed, likewise the new M Pentium is coming out soon and should be good for batterylife. Any suggestions?

 

[wnied]

Dell Latitude D600 with the widest screen, the max ram and any other bells and whistles they offer.

~wnied~

Hey, you said budget wasnt an issue.

 

[sciencewhiz]

IBM T41 (or T41p) depending on your graphics requirements.

 

[Mattster]

I second the IBM T41. Using one here at work for the last 3 months (top of the line model with 1GB of RAM & 7200RPM HDD!). No complaints at all and it handles everything I have thrown at it so far.

Also had my hands on a Dell Latitude D600 and was not impressed at all. Touchpad was not very smooth and the other pointing device is set into the keyboard a bit much for my tastes. The keyboard itself just does not have the springy feel to it either....

My .02

Matt

 

[preslove]

Dell inspirons always make me go yuck, latitudes eh, and ibms yay! I've never used a T41, but all the IBM notbooks I have used have impressed me whereas no dell lappy has ever engendered anything above ambivalence in me. Dell's the wal-mart of the computer world..

 

[notoriousformula]

whats ATOT?

 

[SmoiL]

Sorry about the ATOT, I read the Off Topic forums too much and I guess that was ingrained in my mind. Thanks for the input....hopefully IBM will be quik to incorporate the new M P4.

 

[loup garou]

What do you plan on using this system for?
I never understood if you're purchasing a system for work and have a large budget, why bother with a high powered machine, unless you're doing some serious database/dev/image work? If all you're doing is email/web/office apps, and you plan to travel with the system, thin and light is the way to go!

That said, the Latitude X300 is an amazing little system and is a vast improvement for Dell in terms of materials and design.

 

[JammingJay]

Originally posted by: Mattster
I second the IBM T41. Using one here at work for the last 3 months (top of the line model with 1GB of RAM & 7200RPM HDD!). No complaints at all and it handles everything I have thrown at it so far.

Also had my hands on a Dell Latitude D600 and was not impressed at all. Touchpad was not very smooth and the other pointing device is set into the keyboard a bit much for my tastes. The keyboard itself just does not have the springy feel to it either....

My .02

Matt

 

[Mattster]

Originally posted by: SmoiL
Sorry about the ATOT, I read the Off Topic forums too much and I guess that was ingrained in my mind. Thanks for the input....hopefully IBM will be quik to incorporate the new M P4.

Actually, you might be a little confused about the processor designation. There is no M P4, per sei. The is the P4m (standard P4, mobilized) and then there is the Pentium M. This is the newest chip they have out for laptops and it includes 1MB of on-board cache. It is a totally redesigned, built from the ground up processor. Their marchitecture is somewhat confusing, but I'll lay it out here:

- You may have seen ads or references to Intel Centrino. That is the Pentium M processor, combined with the Intel 2100b Wireless adapter.
- You may also see laptops with just the Pentium M sticker on them. Those use the Pentium M chip of course, but choose another vendors Wireless solution.

The T41 lappy that I use has the Centrino combination, which is not bad. I have used other Thinkpads with different wireless solutions, and been equally as happy with them.

IBM has a whole range of laptops with the Pentium M. The new X40 series has the Pentium M processor in it, but its a slightly different model (ultra-low voltage model, codenamed Dothan). It runs extremely cool (my job has perks).....

Matt

 

[notoriousformula]

whats ATOT? Actual Time Over Target OR Actual Take Off Time ?

 

[yak8998]

Originally posted by: Mattster

Originally posted by: SmoiL
Sorry about the ATOT, I read the Off Topic forums too much and I guess that was ingrained in my mind. Thanks for the input....hopefully IBM will be quik to incorporate the new M P4.

Actually, you might be a little confused about the processor designation. There is no M P4, per sei. The is the P4m (standard P4, mobilized) and then there is the Pentium M. This is the newest chip they have out for laptops and it includes 1MB of on-board cache. It is a totally redesigned, built from the ground up processor. Their marchitecture is somewhat confusing, but I'll lay it out here:

- You may have seen ads or references to Intel Centrino. That is the Pentium M processor, combined with the Intel 2100b Wireless adapter.
- You may also see laptops with just the Pentium M sticker on them. Those use the Pentium M chip of course, but choose another vendors Wireless solution.

Close, but not exactly.
The Centrino package also includes the chipset (855 I think?).
And the P-M isn't ground up much at all, its a hybrid PIII/P4, I'm pretty sure it has the PIIIs pipeline, but thats all I can recall off the top of my head. You were correct on the rest tho

 

[Ronin]

A Centrino based laptop with a 7200RPM HD and a 9600 Mobility (if for some reason at work you need to do any sort of 3d rendering).

 

[Confused]

Originally posted by: notoriousformula
whats ATOT? Actual Time Over Target OR Actual Take Off Time ?

ATOT = AnandTech Off Topic


Confused

 

[SmoiL]

Thanks for the heads up on the different proc's (i.e. P4m and Pentium M) as well as the info on Centrino. I sorta had a general idea on what was going on but it clears it up more. As far as work tasks; a fair amount of database programming, web design/updating with a splash of Gimp/Photoshop, O and some MS apps thrown in as well. In addition to dual boot linux/xp it would make things easier to have the power available to comfortably use VMware.

I noticed the Dothan is to be released in Feb. and sports a 2meg cache @ 31W running fullspeed . Seems to be worth the wait.