Does anyone have much experience with laptops here?

sionthefly · 05-01-2007, 02:55 PM

I am looking into buying a new notebook for college and I cant decide which one would be best. Im leaning towards the Dell Inspiron E1405 and the Macbook right now. Has anyone had any experience with these laptops? Are there any others out there that I should be considering? Thanks for the help!

Ryd1ZZ · 05-01-2007, 03:05 PM

It really depends on what your going to use it for, you said school but are you anticipating any gaming or movie editing? How much money do you want to drop on it? Will you be traveling alot with it or will it be stationary most the time? just some questions to help you pick a good one for your needs and budget. BTW I am in IT and have played/worked with computers for about 6-7 yrs(since I was 14 or 15, now 22).

sionthefly · 05-01-2007, 03:11 PM

I want to do a little gaming I suppose. nothing to extreme. I like to play WofWar Craft sometimes and i like GTA. But i do most gaming on the 360. I want to keep the price tag as close to 1000 as possible. if i have to go a little over thats fine, but if i can stay under thats even better. The computer will most likely be traveling from my house to class from time to time. thanks for your comments.

Ryd1ZZ · 05-01-2007, 03:37 PM

At this point your going to have to decide if you want a smaller screen but lighter weight(easier for travel) or bigger screen and more power but heavier and more of a stationary option.
Other than that, make sure it has at least 1gig of RAM, and you probably will not find one with dedicated video memory in this price range but you should look around a bit. Any more questions, post 'em up...

Way2Short · 05-01-2007, 03:41 PM

I just bought a dell E1505. I just a typical dell laptop which I don't mind. It has a 1.7 duo core processor with a 80 gb hd and 2 Gb of ram. Do you think this is a good laptop E1405? I am also using it for college.

jonebone · 05-01-2007, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryd1ZZ

At this point your going to have to decide if you want a smaller screen but lighter weight(easier for travel) or bigger screen and more power but heavier and more of a stationary option.
Other than that, make sure it has at least 1gig of RAM, and you probably will not find one with dedicated video memory in this price range but you should look around a bit. Any more questions, post 'em up...

Don't get a MacBook. Why? There were various programs I had to install on my computer during my college career and many of them were windows only compatible... sad to say.

I'd honestly go with 2 gigs of RAM, 1 is kinda skimpy and you'll just be upgrading when you're a sopho or junior. Especially if you get Vista installed on the laptop (which odds are, it'll come factory installed), its a memory hog and takes up 500-600k just by itself...

<--- Computer Science major, also have worked on / played with computers for 8 years (15-23 now)

Way2Short · 05-01-2007, 03:42 PM

does that duo core really multiply it by 2 or something? I heard it was to run two items at the same speed or something.

sionthefly · 05-01-2007, 03:44 PM

This is kind of what im looking at right now in the inspiron tell me what ya think:

Intel® Core™ DUO T2350 (1.86GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium
14.1 inch Wide Screen XGA TFT Display with TrueLife™(glossy)
2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM
80GB Sata Hard Drive

it weighs in at about 5lbs. is that a lot for a laptop?

Way2Short · 05-01-2007, 03:45 PM

^^ how much? any link?

sionthefly · 05-01-2007, 03:47 PM

the only thing i can really get on reviews about this computer is that some people love the screen with the TRU-LIFE Glossy thing and some hate it with a passion. other then that people seem to like it. Would this set up be worth it?

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...=DNCWFA1&s=dhs

jonebone · 05-01-2007, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Way2Short

does that duo core really multiply it by 2 or something? I heard it was to run two items at the same speed or something.

Sorta. A 1.7 GHz Core 2 Duo processor can do operations in parallel (2 operations at the same time on each side of the chip), effectively making it compared to a 3.4 GHz Single Core chip.

I forgot to mention that you should only buy a laptop with a Core 2 Duo (Intel) processor. Currently, they are far ahead of AMD in the processor battle, although AMD is supposed to have new chips coming out this summer that will rival the Core 2 Duo technology.

Way2Short · 05-01-2007, 03:51 PM

^^haha when I was looking for my laptop, I just didn't like the sound of the AMD so thats why I didn't buy it. I didn't do any research except that it didn't sound good.

jonebone · 05-01-2007, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sionthefly

This is kind of what im looking at right now in the inspiron tell me what ya think:

Intel® Core™ DUO T2350 (1.86GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium
14.1 inch Wide Screen XGA TFT Display with TrueLife™(glossy)
2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM
80GB Sata Hard Drive

it weighs in at about 5lbs. is that a lot for a laptop?

According to DELL, that setup costs $1,003, which is right in your budget. If you are attending college, you'll most likely get free anti-virus software through the school, so you won't need that. You'll definitely need Office though for school-projects. I'm not encourging software piracy, but I bet you'll be able to find that program (along with many others) for free on your school's network...

EDIT: My build used the Core 2 Duo T5500 chip, don't get the T2350 chip (its not NEARLY as good).

Way2Short · 05-01-2007, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonebone

Sorta. A 1.7 GHz Core 2 Duo processor can do operations in parallel (2 operations at the same time on each side of the chip), effectively making it compared to a 3.4 GHz Single Core chip.

I forgot to mention that you should only buy a laptop with a Core 2 Duo (Intel) processor. Currently, they are far ahead of AMD in the processor battle, although AMD is supposed to have new chips coming out this summer that will rival the Core 2 Duo technology.

does this mean that if you run ONE program, it will work at 1.7 ghz?

phantazma · 05-01-2007, 04:16 PM

If you want to game a little bit, you NEED to get a dedicated graphics card.. not the crappy integrated graphics.
This is what I have:

Dell Inspiron 1705
Core 2 Duo 2.0Ghz processor
Geforce 7900 GS video card
80GB SATA hard drive
2GB DDR2 667Mhz RAM
17" widescreen glossy monitor display

Total cost me around $1300. If I didn't get such a nice graphics card, it would lower the cost to about $1100. With Dell, you can ALWAYS find $500 instant coupons online, but you have to have a total of $1500 on a laptop. So build one for $1500, -$500, and you'll pay $1000 with free shipping, which is perfect for you.

On my laptop, I am getting 60+ FPS on World of Warcraft.

General recommendations:
-Get a Core 2 Duo processor, as it beats all AMD dual core processors at the same price. Having 2 cores doesn't double the speed, but it does increase it by 50% or so, because most programs doesn't utilize both cores efficiently.
-Get 2GB of RAM, but buy it separately. For example, my Inspiron comes with 1GB of RAM (2x 512MB sticks), but to add 1 more GB of RAM cost $200. So I just bought 2x 1GB RAM from Frys.com for about $100. Not only did I save $100, but I can also sell my (2x 512MB) RAM that came with the laptop on ebay.
-The glossy screen makes the colours a lot more vibrant, but the glare kinda sucks sometimes.

Ryd1ZZ · 05-01-2007, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sionthefly

the only thing i can really get on reviews about this computer is that some people love the screen with the TRU-LIFE Glossy thing and some hate it with a passion. other then that people seem to like it. Would this set up be worth it?

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...=DNCWFA1&s=dhs

Deff. do the $40 upgrade for the processor and maybe the 2gigs or RAM upgrade as well. I wouldn't get your hopes up for gaming on this thing either, it will prob. do it but not very fast and sharp like a nice desktop.(true for just about any smaller notebook, you won't get a powerfull notebook until you hit the $1500+ price range) Also if you plan on keeping alot of data(music, movies, pr0n, pics, ect.) you might want to up your HDD as well.
Just some suggestions and thoughts...keep looking around, there are other good companies than dell for computers. plus Dell will load you system w/ a bunch of BS software trials(hate that).

***darna*** · 05-01-2007, 05:42 PM

i have the dell e1405. i do a little bit of gaming, downloading videos and music, photos. seems ok, no problem so far.
i kinda like it cuz the screen is not too big but not too small, just the perfect size. also, i think it's cheaper than most brand (not too sure, mine was a gift from my gf) w/ the same capabilities.

i would recommend it.

CivicChris · 05-01-2007, 05:44 PM

I have the new MacBook. I LOVE it. I will never own anything non-Mac again.

Skyline4life · 05-01-2007, 05:59 PM

my advice..I'm one of the PC techs at staples and DO NOT get a dell..

***darna*** · 05-01-2007, 06:09 PM

^^why not? care to explain?

05-01-2007, 02:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
sionthefly Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: SoCal High Desert Age: 22 Posts: 60 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Does anyone have much experience with laptops here? I am looking into buying a new notebook for college and I cant decide which one would be best. Im leaning towards the Dell Inspiron E1405 and the Macbook right now. Has anyone had any experience with these laptops? Are there any others out there that I should be considering? Thanks for the help!

05-01-2007, 05:42 PM	#17 (permalink)
*darna* Tang Na! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: anaheim Age: 34 Posts: 2,612 christian iTrader: 6 / 100%	i have the dell e1405. i do a little bit of gaming, downloading videos and music, photos. seems ok, no problem so far. i kinda like it cuz the screen is not too big but not too small, just the perfect size. also, i think it's cheaper than most brand (not too sure, mine was a gift from my gf) w/ the same capabilities. i would recommend it. __________________ *The last time I was inside a woman was when I went to the Statue of Liberty*

05-01-2007, 06:09 PM	#20 (permalink)
*darna* Tang Na! Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: anaheim Age: 34 Posts: 2,612 christian iTrader: 6 / 100%	^^why not? care to explain? __________________ *The last time I was inside a woman was when I went to the Statue of Liberty*

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05-01-2007, 03:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
Ryd1ZZ Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: SoCal Age: 23 Posts: 540 Ryan iTrader: 1 / 100%	It really depends on what your going to use it for, you said school but are you anticipating any gaming or movie editing? How much money do you want to drop on it? Will you be traveling alot with it or will it be stationary most the time? just some questions to help you pick a good one for your needs and budget. BTW I am in IT and have played/worked with computers for about 6-7 yrs(since I was 14 or 15, now 22).

05-01-2007, 03:11 PM	#3 (permalink)
sionthefly Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: SoCal High Desert Age: 22 Posts: 60 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I want to do a little gaming I suppose. nothing to extreme. I like to play WofWar Craft sometimes and i like GTA. But i do most gaming on the 360. I want to keep the price tag as close to 1000 as possible. if i have to go a little over thats fine, but if i can stay under thats even better. The computer will most likely be traveling from my house to class from time to time. thanks for your comments.

05-01-2007, 03:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
Ryd1ZZ Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: SoCal Age: 23 Posts: 540 Ryan iTrader: 1 / 100%	At this point your going to have to decide if you want a smaller screen but lighter weight(easier for travel) or bigger screen and more power but heavier and more of a stationary option. Other than that, make sure it has at least 1gig of RAM, and you probably will not find one with dedicated video memory in this price range but you should look around a bit. Any more questions, post 'em up...

05-01-2007, 03:41 PM	#5 (permalink)
Way2Short Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 1,894 iTrader: 22 / 100%	I just bought a dell E1505. I just a typical dell laptop which I don't mind. It has a 1.7 duo core processor with a 80 gb hd and 2 Gb of ram. Do you think this is a good laptop E1405? I am also using it for college.

05-01-2007, 03:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
Way2Short Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 1,894 iTrader: 22 / 100%	does that duo core really multiply it by 2 or something? I heard it was to run two items at the same speed or something.

05-01-2007, 03:44 PM	#8 (permalink)
sionthefly Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: SoCal High Desert Age: 22 Posts: 60 iTrader: 0 / 0%	This is kind of what im looking at right now in the inspiron tell me what ya think: Intel® Core™ DUO T2350 (1.86GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB) Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium 14.1 inch Wide Screen XGA TFT Display with TrueLife™(glossy) 2GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHZ, 2 DIMM 80GB Sata Hard Drive it weighs in at about 5lbs. is that a lot for a laptop?

05-01-2007, 03:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
Way2Short Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 1,894 iTrader: 22 / 100%	^^ how much? any link?

05-01-2007, 03:47 PM	#10 (permalink)
sionthefly Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: SoCal High Desert Age: 22 Posts: 60 iTrader: 0 / 0%	the only thing i can really get on reviews about this computer is that some people love the screen with the TRU-LIFE Glossy thing and some hate it with a passion. other then that people seem to like it. Would this set up be worth it? http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...=DNCWFA1&s=dhs

05-01-2007, 03:51 PM	#12 (permalink)
Way2Short Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Age: 21 Posts: 1,894 iTrader: 22 / 100%	^^haha when I was looking for my laptop, I just didn't like the sound of the AMD so thats why I didn't buy it. I didn't do any research except that it didn't sound good.

05-01-2007, 04:16 PM	#15 (permalink)
phantazma Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 142 iTrader: 1 / 100%	If you want to game a little bit, you NEED to get a dedicated graphics card.. not the crappy integrated graphics. This is what I have: Dell Inspiron 1705 Core 2 Duo 2.0Ghz processor Geforce 7900 GS video card 80GB SATA hard drive 2GB DDR2 667Mhz RAM 17" widescreen glossy monitor display Total cost me around $1300. If I didn't get such a nice graphics card, it would lower the cost to about $1100. With Dell, you can ALWAYS find $500 instant coupons online, but you have to have a total of $1500 on a laptop. So build one for $1500, -$500, and you'll pay $1000 with free shipping, which is perfect for you. On my laptop, I am getting 60+ FPS on World of Warcraft. General recommendations: -Get a Core 2 Duo processor, as it beats all AMD dual core processors at the same price. Having 2 cores doesn't double the speed, but it does increase it by 50% or so, because most programs doesn't utilize both cores efficiently. -Get 2GB of RAM, but buy it separately. For example, my Inspiron comes with 1GB of RAM (2x 512MB sticks), but to add 1 more GB of RAM cost $200. So I just bought 2x 1GB RAM from Frys.com for about $100. Not only did I save $100, but I can also sell my (2x 512MB) RAM that came with the laptop on ebay. -The glossy screen makes the colours a lot more vibrant, but the glare kinda sucks sometimes.

05-01-2007, 05:44 PM	#18 (permalink)
CivicChris Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Baltimore Posts: 385 Chris iTrader: 0 / 0%	I have the new MacBook. I LOVE it. I will never own anything non-Mac again.

05-01-2007, 05:59 PM	#19 (permalink)
Skyline4life Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Buffalo Grove, IL Age: 19 Posts: 2,945 Evan iTrader: 0 / 0%	my advice..I'm one of the PC techs at staples and DO NOT get a dell..