Time for New Lappy

[rileychris]

OK, so I am going to be buying a new lappy sometime between now and mid July. I am starting an executive MBA and they require that I have a laptop running the following:

Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Office 2003 Professional
> 2 ghz processor
> 1 gb ram
DVDROM
> 64 mb video ram
ethernet/wireless/headset required

I have to be able to install / run:

Microsoft Windows Update
Microsoft Windows Defender
Adobe Reader
Camtasia Player
Flash Player
Sun Java
QuickTime
RealPlayer
McAfee AntiVirus
Centra
Excel AddIns (Sensit and Treeplan)
Regress
Premium Solver
VPN (Fuqua Virtual Private Network)
WinZip
WS_FTP (File Tranfer Protocol)



NOW TO THE FUN PART:

I want to be able to play WarCraft3 and StarCraft 2 (when it comes out).

I am thinning that a 15 - 15.4 " screen
Core2Duo
2gb Ram (upgrade after purchase if necessary)
possibly go8600 (will I need this for StarCraft 2 ?)

Can I make this happen with a MacBook Pro?
Do any of the IBM Lenovo's come with gaming graphics cards?
When will we see go8600's from Dell?

I was also looking at some of the ASUS machines they have at NewEgg.

I know there was a somewhat similar thread lately but I didn't want to derail that one. I would really appreciate some suggestions.

 

[TheStu]

The MacBook Pro exactly fits the bill. You can install Win XP onto it, so that covers those requirements, and has all the hardware requirements that you set. Plus, since you are using it for school, you can more ethically justify applying the student discount to it, and get it for $1799.

 

[rileychris]

Would this be as a dual boot, or as a primary operating system? I really don't know much about Macs, but thought you had to emulate to run PC software.

Will I be able to run the version of office that I need to?

Thanks

 

[Brainonska511]

The MBP could run XP/Vista using BootCamp (which basically allows Windows to run natively on the Mac). The only bad thing is XP/Vista becomes an added cost to the notebook since you have to supply it on your own. I would also say, only get a Mac if you plan on using OSx as your primary operating system.

An 8400M would run SC2 and WoW. Blizzard wants to make it so SC2 can run on as many systems as possible.

How about one of these:
F3S - 8400M G with a 15.4" WXGA screen for $1300, or you can upgrade to the F3SV with the 8600M and a 15.4" WXGA+ or WSXGA+ screen for an additional $200-$300.
W7S - 8400M G with a 13.3" for $1450
A8SC - 8400M G with a 14" WXGA screen for $1300.

 

[luminousmidnight]

Originally posted by: rileychris
Would this be as a dual boot, or as a primary operating system? I really don't know much about Macs, but thought you had to emulate to run PC software.

Will I be able to run the version of office that I need to?

Thanks

Virtual PC is now extinct.

Boot Camp allows for you to run Windows natively. Parallels allows for virtualization, rather than emulation.

Thanks to your school's stupid requirements, however, I'd say getting a new PC laptop is probably your best bet.

 

[bcterps]

Macbook Pro would meet your needs, you could also consider the yet unreleased Thinkpad T61p (the current T61 is a tad underpowered for what you want), or something similar from Asus (A8SC, G1S, or upcoming F8) or HP (8510p, coming out by the end of June).

Dell will be doing a Santa Rosa refresh on the Inspiron line in the next month, that's when you'll see the 8600 nVidia cards available.

I'm in the market for a very similar machine, although I really want a 14.1" notebook, and not at 15.4" if I can help it. I'm really hoping that the F8 from Asus meets all of my needs, but it wont be released for some time, and I might need to pull the trigger earlier. I'll probably end up buying something in July when a few more models have come out (HP 8510p, T61p, Dell's Inspiron refresh, etc.)

 

[rileychris]

Thanks for the input all.

Here is what I am leaning towards at the moment:

ASUS F3SV-B1

Any Idea when the Lenovo T61p will be out?

I am really looking for med-high graphics + decent battery life and meeting the school requirements.

I have an hp laptop now and dont really care for it. I probably won't go there again. I have never owned a Dell or Mac. Dell seems to offer a lot of value and the MACs are very aesthetically pleasing.

I would go the Mac route if I was confident I could get all the software I lsited to run.

 

[bcterps]

The T61p should be released by the end of June. What do you define as decent battery life? Remember, GPU is probably going to have the biggest effect on battery life, so the more powerful your GPU, the less battery life you're going to get. If you're looking in the Med-high range (8400+ or equiv), I wouldn't expect more than 3 hours of battery life. Dell does offer a lot of value, but their build quality and service has dropped a notch, I think HP easily beats them in both departments right now.

Regarding the Macbook Pro, using Bootcamp is running Windows natively, so you should have zero compatability problems with your software. You'd just have to factor the price of another OS into your purchase. I'm really tempted to pick up the MBP as well, just to try out the OS, but cost is an issue.

 

[gus6464]

Windows XP through universities is dirt cheap. I got XP Pro 32bit and 64bit last year for $27 through my school.

 

[rileychris]

Yeah, I can get XP cheap. More worries about compatibility issues with software for school and games I want to play.

 

[gus6464]

As far as software compatibility it will be nonexistant because through bootcamp you are running windows xp just like you would on a dell or thinkpad.

 

[rileychris]

Does bootcamp come with the Mac or is that a separate purchase?

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: rileychris
Does bootcamp come with the Mac or is that a separate purchase?

Neither. It is a free beta download from Apple's Website. Although it is a beta, it is very polished and easy to use. Strictly speaking it isn't necessary, but it is helpful, and provides you with XP and Vista drivers for pretty much everything in the system. From the trackpad (including 2 finger scrolling and 2 finger right click) to the webcam, even the remote is supported now.

It will be included with Leopard, but that is a ways away.

 

[luminousmidnight]

October is a ways away?

 

[TheStu]

Well, if the person wants the machine right now.. then yes, 4 months is quite some time when compared to NOW.

But, I guess on a long enough time frame, 4 months is immeasurably small

 

[rileychris]

I have to make my new purchase by mid july at the latest.

 

[lazybedone]

Is Fuqua a VPN to be installed? You could use Express VPN instead. You could google it if your interested.

 

[Essence_of_War]

Arise, 8-year old thread

 

[corkyg]

Is Fuqua a VPN to be installed? You could use Express VPN instead. You could google it if your interested.

This Q&A to an 8 year old thread makes no sense at all.