New laptop purchase - input sought

L

laserbeam

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
168
Hi,
I'm after a new laptop and have some requirements that I'm hoping users here can comment on and assist with recommendations etc:

- Not a small screen: 15-17": edge to edge display preferred, high quality(bright) and non-reflectve
- Screen resolution conducive to software development work (1600x1200 min but would prefer higher)
- Powerful and future-proofed(ish) CPU: Core i7 or i5 preferred
- Enough RAM to serve the processor (4GB+)
- Max battery life, given the spec.
- Backlit keyboard: I sometimes work in dark places
- Design: Not to look like it was designed for a spotty teenager. Understated and classy hits the spot.
- Graphics: I am not particularly bothered about games. I have a desktop for that.

Optional:
- I am leaning towards thinking a built-in optical drive isn't necessary. Note sure.
- Ability to take dual disk drives.
- SSD would be nice, if it makes sense.

All comments and queries welcome.

Regards,
Dave

p.s. I am a little concerned about how long a machine will last. Would be interested in user experiences.
 
gentechpc.com
xoticpc.com

you can customize your laptop with SSD, blu ray, more powerful cpu...etc....
 
Maybe this is more of a games machine oriented forum than I thought.


Regards,
Dave
 
Most built-in SSD options are overpriced, from what I've seen (and more often than not what they offer are Samsung drives, not really the best performers); on that end you're better off installing it yourself if you really want one... And I'm talking about OEM options here (from HP, Lenovo, etc). Looks like boutique vendors (such as those linked above) that will pre-config a laptop for you actually give you more choices and the prices are not half bad, but why pay a middle-man to take an ASUS laptop and replace the drive on it for you then re-sell the whole thing unless you're not terribly hands-on?
 
Hi,
I am hands on but really don't consider the laptop market to offer enough credible choice to make diy worthwhile to me(yet). This machine isn't intended to be a play thing. It will be a high performance and predominantly business oriented workhorse.

Right now I'm leaning towards HP Envy 15-1100 or Dell Studio 15.

it's funny but this will be the first time I've ever bought a machine from a vendor. But I just don't think the custom self-built laptop market is ready for prime time. Primarily that's a function of cost vs benefit and that's driven by the lack of real choice and competition in the market place.

That said, I hear what you say about the SSD's. I have been thinking to leave those out and add them in later myself as an upgrade later on.

Regards,
Dave
 
I wasn't really talking about custom DIY laptops at all... You can replace the HDD on any OEM laptop pretty easily, it's like a 2 min. job on the hardware side and a 10 min. job to clone it... 99% of them have a lid and a handful of screws to take the HDD out if you wanted to replace the built-in one w/a SSD... I'm just saying, doing it that way is usually cheaper and/or you'll get a much better SSD.

The demand for SSD isn't high enough yet that most consumers are in any way educated about what entails a good or bad one, even amongst enthusiasts, so many OEMs (if not most) are just using their existing contracts w/other HDD manufacturers (basically Samsung) to offer a few SSD options, but the best ones out there aren't coming from HDD manufacturers right now (rather Intel, companies like OCZ employing controllers from SandForce/Indillix, soon Micron/Crucial, etc.).
 
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