All laptop related queries here!!!

[Aniruddh]

sorry folks i m really troublein u guyz a lot but as dis will be my 1st lappy and dat to buyin from US so a bit confused,and excited at the same time a bit scared as if somthin goes wrong then i really wont b able to any thin.
@sumitava_b
well ya b4 i thought of goin for a TV-Tuner wid remote but now i wont.
now i hav com down to 3 options and all the 3 options r gud and most importantly in my budget 2,All da 3 will cost me sum where around 1600$-70k hehe...here goes
NO.1 My 1st Choice:-
Sony VAIO® FS690
15.4" WXGA TFT with XBRITE Technology
Wireless LAN (802.11 a\b\g)
NVIDIA GeForce Go 6200 128MB with TurboCache
Intel Pentium M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz)
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
CD-RW/DVD Drive
512MB DDR-SDRAM (DDR333, 256MBx2)
60 GB Hard Disk Drive 5400rpm
Double Capacity Lithium-ion Battery (BPL2)
Sony VAIO® Optical Mobile Mouse (Black)
Folding Travel Speaker..
(Total-$ 1,569.98 =$ 1,600.00.MAX)

No.2 My 2nd Choice:-
Dell Inspiron 9300
Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730 (1.60 GHz/2MB Cache/533MHz FSB)
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
17 inch UltraSharpâ„¢ Wide Screen XGA+ Display
512MB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz 2 Dimm
128MB ATIsâ„¢ Mobility Radeonâ„¢ X300
40GB Hard Drive 5400rpm
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 Internal Wireless (802.11 b/g, 54Mbps)
9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery (80 WHr)
Dell Wireless 350 Bluetooth Internal(2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate)
Dell A425 Speakers
Total-$ 1600 MAX

No.3
Toshiba Tecra S2-S511TD Intel® Pentium® M Processor 740 (1.73GHz, 2MB L2, 533MHz), Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional (SP2), 512MB PC2700 DDR333 SDRAM (256MBx2), 15" XGA display (1024x768), NVIDIA® GeForce™ Go 6600 w/dedicated 128MB DDR SDRAM, 40GB HDD (5400 rpm), DVD/CD-RW Multifunction drive, Bluetooth (v1.2), Li-Ion Battery (6-Cell, 4300mAh), Microsoft® Works, 1-Year Standard Limited Warranty.
Total-$ 1600 MAX.

So guyz which one is the best for me?i saw the pics of all the 3 models but i really liked the sony model it was lookin gr8.so which one u think is the best?i need to decide within a week as my cousin to whom i m gonna ask for the lappy her parents r goin to US nxt week so i hav to giv them the cash so that i'll get it nxt month wen they come bak.

 

[suave_guy]

ok...

sony lappy looks decent but it has 15.4" widescreen which is smaller in comparison to dell 9300 which has 17" widescreen and toshiba doesnt have widescreen at all...so dell 9300 is a clear winner here....

looks wise sony is impressive but dell is equally good....

battery wise also dell is a winner...

in terms of gaming performance there's no match for toshiba but if i were u i'll never pick this particular toshiba model....reason is that widescreen is now a must have...its a sort of trend which shud not be missed/ignored...besides buying a laptop just for gaming is not a much recommended step...

in terms of software and cds again dell is ahead...

dell has a better performing RAM then the other two models...

so in my opinion dell 9300 is the winner out of ur shortlisted models...

one suggestion...dont go for external dell speakers....instead go for good quality headphones, like sennheiser(easlily available in US) or get altec lansing AHP512i headphones from india itself...

ENjoy...

 

[godzi_85]

ok guys my uncle wants laptop for under 30k .. any models/brands avaILABLE here india forthat price?
and also will i get a lappy for under 30k in the US(do`nt want refurbished)
the main thing i want in the laptop is a dvd writer.. hmm also can i buy a laptop now with a cdrw only and later add a dvd writer??????????????????

 

[nebeldunkel]

RE:

What is the highest amount of video ram available on a laptop in the current market?

I am talking to a dealer in the US who has a Sony Vaio Laptop with a 256MB ATI Radeon card. I have seen only models with 128MB so far but this one has me amazed so I was wondering if there may be custom made ones if not already available in the market with 512MB models.

 

[Aniruddh]

well yaa i hav seen gpu upto 256mb in a lappy,NVidia go 6800 256 mb in sony,dell as well as in toshiba.dun know bout 256MB ATI but i guess ya its der i mean available.but neva eva heard bout 512MB gpu in a lappy.

 

[super_i_man]

Aniruddh: Dell is good, but the 17" is a little bit big to carry around. See the dimentions like width, height. Someone mentioned that Dells battry is good and they are offering 9 cell just because as I see it larger the TFT more power it will consume. Also I wont suggest a lappy for gaming, you will end up buying a keyboard!! I have seen some of my friends in the US have taken 12" ones for personal use. The 12" also have good configs. One advantage that I see with 12" is that you get components that are designed especially for lappys and are small and consume less power. THIS IS WHAT I HAVE UNDERSTOOD, IF I AM WRONG PLS CORRECT ME.

 

[super_i_man]

ok guys my uncle wants laptop for under 30k .. any models/brands avaILABLE here india forthat price?
and also will i get a lappy for under 30k in the US(do`nt want refurbished)
the main thing i want in the laptop is a dvd writer.. hmm also can i buy a laptop now with a cdrw only and later add a dvd writer??????????????????

LAPPY UNDER 30K: Acer has one for 31500 (full cost with taxes and octroi in Mumbai.) Compaq also has models for 33500* (taxes extra)

DVD Writer: This config will go above Rs 80,000 in India. I think it may be possible to attach a USB or in IBM models an UltraBay DVD writer.

 

[indro]

World's Fastest Laptop ,

*img.hexus.net/v2/systems/Dell/XPSGen2/Top2S.jpg
*img.hexus.net/v2/systems/Dell/XPSGen2/DVIs.jpg
*img.hexus.net/v2/systems/Dell/XPSGen2/Side2S.jpg
*img.hexus.net/v2/systems/Dell/XPSGen2/ScreenS.jpg

Specs are -

System Name Dell Inspiron XPS Gen 2
Processor Intel Pentium M 770 - 2.13GHz - 2MB L2 cache
Motherboard Intel i915PM (dual-channel support, PCI-Express)
Memory 1GByte (2x 512MB) DDR2 PC4200 SODIMMs
Hard Drives Fujitsu MHU2100AT 100GB, 8MB cache, 4,200RPM
Screen 17" WUXGA (1920x1200)
Graphics card NVIDIA GeForce Go 6800 Ultra (450/1100)
Optical drive Sony DW-D56A
Optical drive characteristics 8x DVD-R, 8x DVD+R, 4x DVD+RW, 4x DVD-RW, 2.4x DVD+R9, 24x CD-R, 10x CD-RW, 8x DVD-ROM (read)
Sound Intel High-Definition Audio
Modem Conexant D110 MDC
Networking Broadcom 5702 Gigabit LAN, Intel 2200BG 802.11b/g Wireless, Bluetooth, FireWire
Ports connectivity 6x USB2.0, 1x 4-pin FireWire400, modem, RJ45 LAN, S-Video, DVI, HD15, PCMCIA, line-out (audio), microphone-in
Operating system Windows XP Home SP2
Weight 3.9kg (without charger)
Dimensions 394mm (w) x 288mm (d) x 42mm (h)
Warranty Dell 1-year next business day
Price £2099.99 (as at 14/06/05))
Shipping Included in price
Other notables Integrated SD card reader

 

[Aniruddh]

ooh man this lappy is awesome with dat config specially wid go6800 ultra gpu except for dat 4200rpm hdd but i guess for 100 gb hdd 4200rpm is only available.price on the higher side but its worth it wid dat kinda config.can i get dat in US for 70k??

 

[Aniruddh]

i know i wont get dat for 70k not eva in china.
@super_i_man yaa eva i m not soon keen on 17'' inch lappy as it b hard to carry around.bulky.but i guess as i'll b playin games so it will b a gud choice.i liked the sony vaio the most but the thing wid it is that it has a 333MHz ram and dell has a DDR2 533 which will b quite fast and is the latest one.but i m juz scared of dell service as i will b gettin it from US so here in india dell people r gonna help me out or not if sumthin goes wrong or they r gonna say as u hav bought it from US so u hav to send it der itself for the servicing dats the only issue and a big one.but wen it comes to sony at worst they r gonna take hell of a money from me to repair it or to help me out while in trouble but it is sure wid dat i wont hav any problem as der r loads of service centre here so it wont b a problem.and ya dell has a direct support no dealer nothin so 4 me its a bit risky for,ofcourse not for the one who hav bought it from india.so plzz friends temme wat shud i do?now left wid 2 options no more toshiba wid that 15'' and eva now i dun feel like goin for it.suave u think i shud go for dell,eva i'll like to go for dell but wat bout the service and all???

 

[super_i_man]

@indro: what a beauty, great. I dont think in India they will have it. And the cost will go to the sky. I also saw the dell india site and they dont have that model.

@Aniruddh: what does dells site tell about worldwide support. I think that like all others Dell will also provide world wide serviece, I dont think that will be of concern.

 

[Nemesis]

Dell XPS Gen 2 costs upwards of $2200 approx in the US. Dell does NOT provice WorldWide warranty support, at least they don't make that obvious. However, you can ask Dell India if they will service a laptop that you bought in the US. They might charge you money but if they do it, then you can go ahead and buy a Dell.

 

[sumitava_b]

Hmm...Discussions unlimited........

Aniruddh: Dell India support is only for Asia pcific region. It wont cover the lappies from US. Actually they give a code called 'service tag' while selling any product here. That code is necesary to call for support. But u can call them, as nemesis advised, and discuss the matter. If they say yes, then u r lucky.

May be in this case rohanbee wud be the right person to comment, bocz very recently he bought a 9300 from abroad.

And nemesis, u r correct. Some 2-3 months before only, Dell india introduced 9300 long after the introduction of this model in US. So we have to wait for few more months to get XPS gen2 in india.

 

[Aniruddh]

thanx a lot 2 every one.i m really glad to hav so many suggestion thanx a lot for helpin me out but its not ova as dell people wont gemme service if i buy a lappy from US.so now dell is not in my list any more.so v r left wid sony vaio but eva wid dat i doubt..here goes to more lappy from HP.HP will provide me service...
1.HP Pavilion zd8000
– Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition with SP2
– Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 630 w/HT Technology, 3.0GHz
– 17.0" WXGA+ BrightView Wide Viewing (1440x900)
– 512MB DDR2 SDRAM, 400MHz (2x256MB)
– 60 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
– FREE Upgrade DVD+/-RW/R CD-RW Combo w/Double Layer
– 128MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) X600
– 54g(TM) Integ. Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN & Bluetooth
– 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
– Microsoft(R) Works/Money
– Earbud Headphones with In-Line Volume Control
– HP Mobile Remote Control
dis config will cost me sum where around 70k but its not a centrino its a P4 config
2:-HP wid AMD platform
Operating System Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition with SP2
Processor AMD Athlon(TM) 64 4000+ (2.4GHz/1MB l2 Cache)
Display 15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
Graphics Card 128MB ATI RADEON(R) XPRESS 300M w/Hypermemory(TM)
Memory 512MB DDR SDRAM (2x256MB)
Hard Drive 60 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
Primary CD/DVD Drive DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
Networking 54g(TM) Integ. Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN & Bluetooth edit
Primary Battery 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Productivity Software Microsoft(R) Works/Money
Accessories Earbud Headphones with In-Line Volume Control
Optical USB Travel Mouse
dis is cost me around 66k

is Amd gud for lappy?eva P4?wat do u guyz hav to say bout dez 2 lappy?

 

[sumitava_b]

Ok, so dell is out. Between the two config u have given, the 1st one is a beast. U will soon understand why they r giving 12 cell battery instead of 6. Pentium 4 with 17" screen with X600 card !! everything will squeeze ur battery like anything...It will heavy too. But if u r going to work static and generally power-plugged, then its okay.

The biggest negative point with the 2nd config is Athlon. Although athlon rules the roost in desktop section, intel is far superior in lappie section. I am very sure soon amd will catch intel up, but till now, its intel who reigns. Acer ferrari has come up with athlon 64 bit, but I heard that even after that the performance is not worth of the money spent.

My advice is that, u go to www.notebookreview.com and search laptops after giving specific config set.

 

[super_i_man]

The HP with intel is the best. one of my friends has an HP high end config and he never had any problems with it. Just stay away form viruses.

 

[Aniruddh]

well i guess instead of other lappy i shud opt for sony vaio thats the best i can get i feel.

 

[sumitava_b]

Definitely that sony vaio model is winner among three. Al least it has got Centrino platform. If possible, upgrade the processor to Pentium M 750 (1.86 GHZ, 2MB Cache, 533 MHz FSB) and combo drive to DVD-writer (it fully depends on ur requirement, but I am advicicng it bcoz once u bought a lappy, after that upgrading the optical drive is difficult. and u know that age of dvd is coming fast!). Other than these everything is okay.

 

[Aniruddh]

@sumitava_b
well u r rite but the problem is dat if i go for 1.86+dvd-rw for dis i hav to pay 8k more which i think is not worth it and da biggest thin is dat it will go beyond my reach i hav sum where around 70-75k datsy at max so for me dat is not posible.

 

[sumitava_b]

Aniruddh: I mentioned that it depends on ur requirement and also reach. How ever ur config is still superb. Go for it........