Subnotebook recommendations...?? ----- Original Message ---- From: rbw <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Main Discussion List for KPLUG <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 12:05:24 PM Subject: Re: laptop advice wanted
James G. Sack (jim) wrote: > David Looney wrote: > >> James G. Sack (jim) wrote: >> >>> ..so I think I'm finally going to break down and get a laptop. >>> >>> My wife, Barbara, is going on a genealogy trip next month and wishes to >>> take some notes on the go. She's made a suggestion that is hard to >>> resist. She thinks she could share one of these things with me, since >>> typically either of us needs the portability at different times. She >>> even thinks she might use this opportunity to jump into a Linux >>> environment -- no dual boot needed, even! >>> >> http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/linux_3x?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs >> >> Dell now selling E1505N 15" dual core pentium with XGA widescreen for >> $599 and Ubuntu pre-loaded ! >> >> > > Yeah, I saw that. The base system is a Pentium T2080, but not a Core 2 Duo. > > LB would say I am being wildly indulgent, but I was kinda wanting to > indulge myself with some Core 2 Duo snappiness. That adds only a $100 > bill, but if you want to upgrade memory or hard disk, they make some > visibly extra profit on that. > > Right now, I'm thinking their attractive prices really only stay > attractive at the low-ball end. Also I'm a bit worried when I see > remarks advising service contracts. My standard practice is to > self-insure things like tires and computers. > > OTOH, I _just might_ end up deciding to go CB and figure if it lasts 2-3 > years without raising huge hardware-envy issues, that might be ok. > > Thanks, > ..jim > > > Jim, I have been looking at the specs for laptops also in anticipation of moving up from my Fujitsu Lifebook 2210C which has a 1.8Ghz M processor and 768Mb (Max'd) of RAM and which I have been using instead of a desktop since early 2003. I push it hard by running XP in VMWare to run some required network apps at work and a typical list of GBF desktop apps in Linux. The things that are on the top of my radar are Duo 2 Core processor and max RAM at 4Gb. Next in line is the 7200rpm HD >=80Gb and then finally the wide format 17" screen. Regarding the CPU the following charts show that the "L" series Intel Duo 2 Core processors are half the wattage drawing power as the "T" series. I think I am going to hold out for the "L" series CPU's. I could probably get away with the 35watt "T" series CPU's since I am almost always plugged into the wall but waiting a bit longer will help save up to max out the RAM to 4Gb right off the bat. I haven't seen anywhere anyone can actually buy a laptop with one of these "L" series CPU's yet, have you? http://www.anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.aspx?i=2985&p=2 http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2808&p=3 (In this second chart note how the only CPU w/o virtualization in the CPU is anything with the "T5500" on it... Maybe that's why they are so cheap... I want that L7500...) I saw a couple laptops at FRY's (all "T" series CPU's BTW) that came with 2Gb of RAM at a price point of @$1,000 with RAM upgradeable to 4Gb. I was thinking the same thing someone else mentioned... 'Is that 2 slots w/ 1Gb ea.? and how much is a couple pieces of 3rd party 2Gb notebook memory?' My specs are largely because I want all that RAM and all that CPU power (at low, low wattage) to fully make ZEN and VMWare etc. really run through its paces. For me one of the major factors is marginalizing every operating system to a special case instance (translation: M$ can't affect me anymore) which Linux already gives us the ability to do (see the small Linux distro tread ;^) subject to available hardware. Virtualization goes a very long way to making even hardware a moot point. There are several other things I would want to see if they were possible beyond this ZEN virtual network magic but I'm only 1/3rd the way to building up my savings so I have time to query those things. Let us know what you think and how it goes... rbw -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
