laptops ahoy!

[Bloodfire]

So earlier I asked for suggestions on computer desks. I finally did settle on a Galant, so, I am happy for that. Now I seek a mobile solution to my PC life. I am seeking a laptop, to use primarily for school or whenever I am on the go. I am pretty fond of ASUS computers but, am willing to try other brands if I am convinced of their merit. When I shop for computers all I see is "black and white", it's either a high- end or a low-end computer. I have difficulty finding a computer to be "in the middle". I am not concerned with it's lifespan as I am very dedicated to the care and maintenance of my electronics.

The job I want this laptop to do is not too demanding. Internet, word processing, programming with Visual Studio 2010 and HTML kit, some light gaming i.e. Starcraft 2, and streaming i.e. netflix, zune, hulu.

If the community has any suggestions I welcome them with open arms. Price does not matter, for now.

Thx in advance.

[The Stig]

Is Starcraft 2 considered light? It only got released not too long ago, I'm unsure how customisable the options are.

To put it simply, netbook will do what you need, except Starcraft. We just need to work out the needs of it realistically (I haven't played this game) and someone can easily throw you a recommendation that's not outrageously expensive.

[Bloodfire]

well atm I am looking at this guy:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834220834

is a bit pricey but it will more than get the job done. Though does anyone feel it's a bit overkill?

also netbooks are only good for me if I am on a tight budget, plus smaller screens are not my thing.

additionally, would it be a good idea to maybe swap the HDD in the laptop to an SSD?

[The Stig]

Overkill, yup

But it'll do for sure if you're not afraid. I have a liking to ASUS's high end gaming laptops. They all look cool and are well priced for the spec. Not portable though unless you're well endowed in that area. I estimate that to be 5kb minimum.

Don't swap, but install both if possible. OS and crucial stuff gets put on SSD, everything else to the HDD.

[Cephius]

Keep an eye on techbargains: http://www.techbargains.com/catsearch.cfm/0_3_0 they watch for discounted laptops from the major brands. Can usually find a pretty decent deal.

[Bloodfire]

Don't swap, but install both if possible. OS and crucial stuff gets put on SSD, everything else to the HDD.

install... i thought laptops only have enough room for one hard drive. What am I looking for in the specs list to know if I can install an SSD?

[Omniyoji]

Normally you'll be able to install a 2nd hdd in the ODD (burner) bay using an optical bay caddy.

Here's a random seller

http://newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?...=index&cPath=2

Here's some info:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hard...bay-caddy.html

[The Stig]

Don't do it if you don't feel too confident, not worth the hassle if you open the thing and mess things up. That was just a suggestion. You'll really be fine with just the default 500gb, unless you absolutely must have the best speed.

[Elesirdur]

Aside from the gaming options, I would give my very highest recommendation to the ASUS Eee PC 1015PEM http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=4Bf6sc0o5FMGABzh What's special about this one is the dual-core N550 Pineview CPU. With 1 GB of RAM it's still great, but slap in an extra stick of RAM and you're golden. However, if you do want a more standard-sized laptop, the netbooks might not be what you're looking for. Just my $0.02.

[Mjd]

I've been thinking of getting this baby for school/work (Juneish)

Also, be careful with newegg.

-I'm not going to game (a lot) on it, I just like the fact it has a switchable VGA. Some opinions on it? :3

-I'm also pretty sure there will be better deals on laptop when I'm ready to get it, but I figure this is what you're looking for.

[Gredival]

well atm I am looking at this guy:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16834220834

is a bit pricey but it will more than get the job done. Though does anyone feel it's a bit overkill?

also netbooks are only good for me if I am on a tight budget, plus smaller screens are not my thing.

additionally, would it be a good idea to maybe swap the HDD in the laptop to an SSD?

Overkill imo. That's definitely in the high end as you described it. The entry level of the high end, for sure, but I'd consider over $1000 in the high end and more than simply a laptop for school and light gaming

The G73 is a good performer and has great value per dollar. The question is whether you want to spend for that performance, especially at the expensive of portability/mobility. The downside of power is always size/weight. When I first started school I rolled with a 17" desktop replacement and I regret it to this day. I hated carrying it to class and I never really gamed much outside my dorm/apartment. I think you need to consider just how much gaming you will actually do on the go and how much that is worth to you in the hassle of carrying around a beast laptop.

I think with a machine like the HP Envy 14 you could get a decent sized screen, enough power for SC-II on medium settings, good battery life (switchable graphics and can get the extra battery add-on which literally doubles battery life), and much better mobility for under $1000 (shop around for deals).

I've been thinking of getting this baby for school/work (Juneish)

Also, be careful with newegg.

-I'm not going to game (a lot) on it, I just like the fact it has a switchable VGA. Some opinions on it? :3

-I'm also pretty sure there will be better deals on laptop when I'm ready to get it, but I figure this is what you're looking for.

Unless the size of the screen is an absolute deal breaker for you, get the Alienware m11x r1.

Dell is always trying to unload these since they released the r2 model with the i-cores so they always float around $600, less on days like Black Friday and you can get discounts through Dell University or Dell EPP sometimes.

Use the savings to upgrade to an SSD (replacement of parts is covered by the Alienware specific warranty). I think the best thing you can do to make a laptop perform better relative to what you would want out of a laptop, especially an ultraportable, is to upgrade to an SSD.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-542-_-Product

You end up with an SSD and a better graphics card. You can shell out the $40-50 for upgraded ram through Dell itself, or since you're replacing the HDD anyway order 4gb from Newegg for $40 and Craigslist the 2gb that come with the laptop.

[Isiolia]

Unless the size of the screen is an absolute deal breaker for you, get the Alienware m11x r1.

Dell is always trying to unload these since they released the r2 model with the i-cores so they always float around $600, less on days like Black Friday and you can get discounts through Dell University or Dell EPP sometimes.

While I don't disagree, if "Juneish" is a timeline, there's a fair chance that either SU7300 machine will be off the market, or at least have lower prices on the newer models.

[Gredival]

While I don't disagree, if "Juneish" is a timeline, there's a fair chance that either SU7300 machine will be off the market, or at least have lower prices on the newer models.

I don't think the SU7300 will sell out by June, but I do agree that a price cut could be impending since there are rumors of an r3.

However there are distinct advantages/disadvantages to the r1 vs. r2. I only recommended the r1 since I figured that it was more in line with what he wanted given the Asus he was looking at.

[Isiolia]

True, the R1 has been sold alongside the R2 since last fall or so (at least, that's when my brother bought his R2), and offers better battery life still.

I just mean that the SU7300 as a whole is a bit long in the tooth, and seems to be getting phased out of new models accordingly. IE, if you look at other Dell models where they used it, like the Vostro v13, the SU7300 version remains for the previous version as the only CPU (used to have Celerons as low end), but the v130 replacement has Celerons with an i3-380UM as the upgrade. It wouldn't surprise me if they're just using up existing supply, and then shift to using something newer. The ~$600 price point for the R1 (and the $349 for the SU7300 v13) already reflect a decent price cut as compared to the fall.

[Bloodfire]

@ Gredival

I like your suggestion, I am gonna use it to help determine, the best laptop. It is true I figured that asus was a bit overkill. Screen size aint a dealbreaker till it drops below a certain point, namely 15 inch, other than that I'll take anything, as long as it has a decent GPU for starcraft 2, and I can properly upgrade the memory and HDD. Oh and all the good ports like VGA, HDMI, and ESPECIALLY the ethernet jack need to be on the left side or the back. hate it when they put them on the right for some reason.

anyway thx for the input Gredival, i will look into this.

[Mjd]

Unless the size of the screen is an absolute deal breaker for you, get the Alienware m11x r1.

Dell is always trying to unload these since they released the r2 model with the i-cores so they always float around $600, less on days like Black Friday and you can get discounts through Dell University or Dell EPP sometimes.

Use the savings to upgrade to an SSD (replacement of parts is covered by the Alienware specific warranty). I think the best thing you can do to make a laptop perform better relative to what you would want out of a laptop, especially an ultraportable, is to upgrade to an SSD.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-542-_-Product

You end up with an SSD and a better graphics card. You can shell out the $40-50 for upgraded ram through Dell itself, or since you're replacing the HDD anyway order 4gb from Newegg for $40 and Craigslist the 2gb that come with the laptop.

Wow good look, going to check this out. My only problem is I'm blind as a bat, so screen size does matter a little.

Has Dell gotten better with laptops? I just remember the last one I bought was a giant paper weight. (This was 8 years ago)

[Isiolia]

Has Dell gotten better with laptops? I just remember the last one I bought was a giant paper weight. (This was 8 years ago)

Depends, in part, on the model. From my experience (and part of my job is supporting several hundred laptops, many of which are Dells), they're certainly not worse than the majority of the market. That said, if you're concerned about reliability, Dell has been one of the better companies to deal with as far as warranty work is concerned, provided that you pay for their extended coverage.

Offhand, the M11x R2 (and I assume R1) has the stupid glowing-blue-tip Dell AC adapter, which has a tendency to shatter if you stress it. Not an issue if you actually take care of it though.

[Gredival]

Wow good look, going to check this out. My only problem is I'm blind as a bat, so screen size does matter a little.

Has Dell gotten better with laptops? I just remember the last one I bought was a giant paper weight. (This was 8 years ago)

Try check it out at BestBuy if you need to test run the feel of the screen first. If you wear glasses it should be fine once you get used to it.

I don't think Dell/Alienware is any worse than most other major manufacturers quality wise.

But I'll second Isolia on the quality of their service is pretty high these days. The m11x has had some documented issues with the quality of the LCD hinges and to my knowledge no one has had a major problem getting customer service to honor the warranty with problems related to the hinges. Also Alienware computers are basically considered to be covered to a higher extent (they have a unique warranty that covers customization) and there is a specialist customer service department for Alienware. Should Dell give you any problems ask to be transferred to an Alienware specialist.

Generally I don't think Alienware to be worth it value-wise; Asus wins that. But the m11x is the exception and I think it is the clear dominant model on the ultra-portable gaming market.

[Bloodfire]

@ Gredival

when you say the m11x are you referring to this:

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...enware-m11x-r2

I looked at the specs on this guy and for 1100 it's not bad, but that 11.6 inch screen is killing me

[Gredival]

The model I was recommending to Mjd is the first generation model which is significantly cheaper:

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...alienware-m11x

The sole difference between the models is the processor line. The first generation (r1) uses a Core2Duo SU7300, whereas the second generation (r2) feature mobile i5/i7 CPUs. However to maintain battery life these are ULV versions (also note that the i7 in the r2 machine is a dual core not a quad!)

If you really want to push the machine though, the r2 models can get a lot horsepower if you are willing to employ tools like throttlestop and overclocking. Also the mere fact that the processor is called an i5/i7 gives it much more future resale potential (whether it compensates for the $400 price difference is questionable though)

However the Core2Duo SU7300 is by no means bad despite the fact it is aging. It is more than capable of handing most tasks you would expect of a laptop. The bottleneck in either machine will almost always be the GPU not the CPU. In my opinion, for most practical purposes getting the r1 and using the money saved to upgrade to an SSD is a superior option (through self installation not the overpriced SSD upgrade option). For my home desktop I don't mind a traditional drive at all, but the advantages SSDs are especially noticeable in a laptop.

I recommended the Envy for you since you seemed to be adverse to smaller screens when netbooks were brought up, but the m11x should be able to do everything you want.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ard-_-34157661

This version of the Envy comes with a 14" which is pushing the bounds of portable, but will get you the retail space you want on your screen and comes with an ATI HD 5650 which is slightly better than the GeForce 335M on the m11x. This model from Newegg is cheaper than what you can get at HP's site, but I'm sure there are ways to get it less than sticker through HP. I remember that a few months back Boyiee was able to get an Envy build that curbstomped the m11x r2 in price-to-value.