**VANITY**Looking for a laptop, see thread for details**VANITY**

None | Today | None

[dit_xi]

check out the Sager NP5792, very reasonable with a great GPU and screen.

[gotribe]

You could almost buy 2 of what you want for $2000 - I’m assuming you want some software.

[Michael Barnes]

Many thanks!

[Michael Barnes]

Interesting you mention about MS being shipped with it. I don’t want MS loaded at all. Do any of the vendors even support that these days?

[Tainan]

check out Samsung models. Quality, technology and dependability.

[grwcfl537]

Do any of the vendors even support that these days?

Yes, but you have to use specialty retailers. Most big box places have deals with M$ or with makers who have deals with M$. With desktop, it is easy enough to put together a good system with name parts and use any O/S. Harder with laptop. I just wiped disk and started over.

Mel

[1rudeboy]

I'm looking for a laptop with the following minimum specs:

OS: Windows Vista
CPU: Intel Pentium® IV 2 GHz or AMD XP 2000+ MHz
RAM: 2048 MB
HD space: 8.0 GB
Video: 256MB GeForce 7950 or higher, ATi Radeon X1900 or higher and Similar chips from other manufacturers
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Drivers: DirectX® 9.0c (included) and latest video drivers
Screen resolution: 1024x768.
Audio hardware must be Direct Sound compatible.

I don't know squat about any of this stuff, except to know the graphics card makes this rig almost impossible to find for less than $2K, if at all. Yes, it for a game (not a first person shooter, but a game nonetheless). I can load the Office-type software later.

[Spktyr]

It’s only slightly more than your price ($2K) and you’d have to install Vista on it, but:

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?nplm=FB075LL/A

If you want to go “cheap”, http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/vostronb_1500?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~tab=bundlestab

But you’ll have to up option everything and in the end it’ll be almost as much.

[Hyzenthlay]

Apple actually has this nice thing called ‘boot camp’ that’s specifically designed to make it possible for your computer to run Mac OS X and whatever else you can install on an intel-based computer. OS X Leopard also has a nice system-backup application, and although it might be a little more on the expensive side everything runs so smoothly, I can’t ever remember having any hardware or software issues with my Macbook.

[Michael Barnes]

Well, I ended up with an HP Pavillion dv9000. I simply could not pass up the deal. Came with everything I wanted (plus a few bells and whistles). I upgraded to 4GB RAM.

It came pre-loaded with WinVista. I played with it for a few hours today, what a totally convoluted OS. XP or 2000 is far more superior. Best I can tell, all Vista does is hog up resources trying to look pretty. ugh. Took about 2.5 hours to create the recovery disks (in case I ever decide to sell it). I got RHEL up and running on it very quickly..Only problem was with my installation number. So, gotta work on that..For the time being, it will be back to SuSE until I have all the functionality with RH.

All in all though, I am very impressed with this laptops capabilities. Price wise, I walked out the door (with accessories and extended warranty) a little over $1100.00

Thanks to everyone for their input!

[Chickensoup]

Bill, I also need to purchase a laptop. I need one that will run windows, and essentially the xp suite as well as dictation software. I am putting my case files on line and want to do it with dictation. I read that Dragon needs up to four gig of RAM to run efficiently. The only thing I see out there are gamer laptops with more than I need. Any ideas?

[Chickensoup]

bump

[The South Texan]

Macbook.

Skip the Redhat and Windows nonsense.

[Billthedrill]

If you're using the current version of Dragon (9.5), don't worry about 4GB of RAM - the only platforms it runs under (Win2K, XP, and Vista) don't address more than 3 GB of RAM anyway (unless you're running a 64-bit version of the OS, which presents its own challenges and isn't necessary according to Dragon's blurbs). I'd go with at least 2 GB, though.

There are a lot of good models out there. I'm running a Dell Latitude at the office - Dell Small Business Site - which I like a lot. It's a reasonably priced, middle-of-the-road model that provides a benchmark for the others. At home I'm running a slightly pricier Sony Vaio which has been a workhorse for several years. A good friend swears by his Toshiba Satellite. I'd consider any one of them and there are a lot more out there that are probably even better that I haven't any direct experience with.

I mention Dell because right now you can still get XP with it, but you have to specify that when you buy it. You can also purchase it separately from half a dozen vendors. Don't be too put back by all the negative press on Vista - I'm running it on the Latitude and it runs just fine. If you do get it on your box and want to replace it with XP, slick the disk and do a fresh install from media is my advice.

I really like the new Mac laptops a lot. Dragon says it doesn't run on Mac computers, which is probably not entirely true anymore but takes a bit of kludging with XP as a guest OS. I'd leave that to hobbyists and geeks. If you had to call tech support and admit you'd levered it onto a Mac they might not be very helpful.

For your application I'd also recommend dropping a hunnert buckaroos or so on an external USB hard drive. Throw a copy of your case files on there and you have instant backup that you can attach to anything you want. You laptop gets ripped off or dropped from a roof at a wild all-night orgy, no problemo.

Well, I have to think about that stuff, anyhows... ;-)