Need help deciding between 1520 and 1720

First Post: well i am having some difficulty picking between the 1520 and the 1720 i have about 1800 to spend and i cannot choose this is basically going 2 be a desktop replacement thats why i want the 1720 but then again i will take it with me on trips that would be why i want he 1520. I will also play a game or 2 on it but not excesively. I have been reading this forum and there seams to be a lot of problems with the 1520's screen and the headphone jack. Which would lead me 2 the 1720. This probably didn't make any cents to u but what i am trying to say is which one would be the best for me.
well thanks for ur help.
-Dillon

 

1520 if you're going to be carrying it around and want some portability. 1720 if you don't care about that and don't mind some additional weight. the specs for each of them as far as i can remember are similar, if not the same w/the exception of screen size/resolution. 15" is plenty for a desktop replacement...i had a 15" compaq for the longest time without a desktop. mind you, the computer was horrible...but 15" is fine. i'm getting a 1520 to take to college.

 

I went with the 1720. I was looking for a desktop replacement with some power to play some games (nothing new.. mostly just half-life 2 and similar). Since I use it at university, I will be taking it onto campus occasionaly, but not everyday. Last year, I found if I needed portability, I could simply just put anything I needed on a USB stick and go on one of the campus PCs. In short, I would suggest the 1720 since it is an incredible laptop, and it doesn't sound like you will be carrying it around with you all the time (therefore weight shouldn't be an issue).

 

Its a personal choice. They are about the same price.

I went with the 1520, because the 1720 just seemed too big. when I'm at home, I'll have it hooked up to a 21" LCD, and I'll just use the regular screen when I am travelling, stuck in hotels, etc, or if I need to bring it to work as another development tool, and dont want it to take up too much space.

So for me, a 17" would have been less useful than the 15". a 14" would have worked even better for me, if it had had the 8600M-gt.

So it all depends on what you are going to do with it.

For me, it was "the smallest I can get an 8600M-GT in"

 

i agree..i would have loved it in a 14".

 

I agree. As a student, carrying a laptop around campus can suck, especially if its weight is only on one shoulder (i.e. a messenger bag). You can always buy a sweet monitor to connect to for home use, and enjoy the portability of the 15.4" when you need to travel! Really though it simply comes down to personal opinion.

 

if you use numbers alot, the number pad can be huge.

as for the headphones and screen issues, I think they occur in the 1520 and 1720 but not sure.

I would go with which ever comes out better priced if you dont need the numberpad

 

if you want a 14 inch 8600gt than the asus f8s is your best friend

 

I went with the 1720 cause i probably won't be running around .... so its gonna stay put at my table and its still mobile to carry it from point A to point B

 

thanks for the help u guys but can i get somemore opionons

 

Okay. I like diet dr pepper better than diet coke, and I think George Bush is an awful president.

 

thanks that helped alot

 

This is a bitter trade off I faced it a few months back when deciding between the e1505 and the 1705, I finally went with the e1705. When I first got it I was a little overwhelmed by its size, it is huge in laptop terms. After a little while though, I started getting used to its size, and I'm so happy now I went with it and not the e1505, because the screen size & resolution gives me so much more benefit that its worth it, not to mention that I got it with a 7900gs which wasn't optional on the e1505 and gives me a little extra juice when I need it.
To sum it up, I think with either one you can't go really wrong. You'll get used to either one, and enjoy it, the e1505 will give some more portability, and the e1705 will be general nicer to use.

 

Maybe not, but it was *funny*- why doesn't anyone (besides mtylerjr, of course) on these boards have a sense of humor?

 

I chose the 1520. I also will be using it with an additional monitor. I usually have 4 or 5 large apps open so I need some visual elbow room. I take the laptop home with me every night. The extra monitor will be for work. I can't believe I had never used the dual monitor option before. I have just begun this week using an ancient Micron 15" CRT. Doubling the size of my desktop is fantastic. It does take a little getting used to since some windows open on the primary display even if the rest of the app is on the other display. But I have gained a huge amount of workspace and I maintain portability. I have a Dell 20" screen on order, it SHOULD arrive about the same time as my computer. I will get even more screen space than the 17 in monitor without the weight and bulk.

 

It all boils down to how and where you want to use it, simply put, if its going spend 90% or more of its life anchored to an outlet on a desk, go with the 1720, ( or get a good desktop and a cheap laptop for the occasional on the go situation ) if you plan on carrying it around a lot ,the 1520 would be a better fit, but over time you might find that a little clunky as well. If you getting it as a play anywhere gaming machine, be warned, batteries and 3d gaming dont mix very well, you need to be plugged in to do any real gaming for an extended period of time.

 

I need a laptop mainly for portable use and so I ve choosen the 1520 since it is the best i could get for my requirement....

 

I bought the 1720 because of the numeric-keys...