S96J vs. Z96J Battery, Screen.

I'm pretty much stuck, right now. I had initially planned to go for the Z96J. Everything about it is great, except the battery life worries me a bit. I'll be using this thing at school most of the time. I don't know how much access I'll have to power outlets, so a max of 3 hours (based on the reviews I've seen here) is cutting it kind of close... I think. I know I could just buy an extra battery, but I'd rather not have to. Based on S96J reviews, the battery life is a bit better... 4 hours max. I know I could make that work. The choice would be easier if the screen on the z weren't so much better (on paper, at least). This will be my first laptop, so I'm used to high resolutions from my desktop (1280x1024 or 1600x1200). I don't quite know if WXGA will be enough for me.

Argh. I know I haven't really asked a question. But, if any of you have any information that could steer me in either direction, it would be much appreciated. I'd love to be able to save a few hundred bucks and gain a good amount of battery life (if this is exagerated, please chime in), but I need to be sure I'm not giving too much up.

Thanks.

 

Unfortunately, you're bringing some unrealistic expectations to your purchase . Too much power in the '96j models between processor and gpu - you'll never, ever get 4 hours on stock battery config. There really wouldn't be much of an expected battery life difference between the S and Z configs, since they're nearly identical with a couple of exceptions. btw, 1280x1024 is XGA res so you're already using it.

The only way to realistically get 4 hours would be to get a 2nd battery, bring your AC brick to charge between classes or look at a unit with integrated graphics... dedicated gpu systems just can't get to that timepoint on their own .

 

I had a similar quandary.

The screen and battery life seem to be the only differences between the two notebooks. My z96j is on order. So, my bias is with that one.

You should know that battery life is an issue. You are not overstating that problem. As well, recharging a battery is more than a five minute process. So, a "between classes recharge" is just not going to be an option for you.

I have heard that the s96j performs better with higher end games due to the less demanding screen. So, that may make your decision right there. As well, the wxga may be moderate by today's standards, but it will be adequate and may even have a "wow" factor for you if you have used some low end hardware.

I personally do not need to worry about battery life, because I move my computer between outlets and don't use the battery much (my z96j is still on order so I cannot confirm its low battery life). I use a lot of spreadsheets so the finely detailed wsxga is a better trade off for me.

I think if you are determined not to upgrade the battery in the z96j and you are using this for class notetaking, then your decision is made - the s96j is your best option IMHO.

Good luck.

 

The max I have ever gotten in terms of battery life is around 2:45 to 3:00 hrs. Thats with the standard 6-cell. If you need more, go with the 9-cell. Unless you need the X1600 GPU for gaming and other CAD apps, something a little less powerful may help in terms of battery life.