Toshiba U305 vs. Dell m1330 vs. Lenovo x61

Which one to choose?

W/ this coupon:
http://bensbargains.net/merchants/91/Lenovo_Coupons/

the lenovo is around the same price as the U305 but its screen is smaller and has a smaller resolution.

The m1330 seems the most appealing to me, but it is the most expensive.

I will be using this laptop for college : word processing/internet browsing, I think the 12" screen on the lenovo might not be the best (love the fact that its <4 lb's though...)

Thanks a bunch guys, need to make a decision fast, the lenovo's coupon is expiring soon

 

I can’t comment on the Lenovo, but I have gone through three machines in the past month that address your situation. All have been configured with 2GB of ram and Vista HP.

I started with an HP Tx1000 (a 1320 sku, which has the AMD TL-60 2Ghz), to be precise, which was $1k after rebate. Pro’s small, fairly responsive, generous HDD. I liked the touchpad the best of all three. This has a 12.1” screen, and was the touch screen variant. I returned this one for three reasons – 1. Screen was grainy (touchscreen effect, and unavoidable) 2. Screen was too small for my (significantly older than your) eyes. 3. Integrated video (GF 6150, I believe), was too slow for me (heavy digital pic use). Performance was acceptable for office applications, games were a slideshow.

I next bought the U305, specifically an S7432 (T2310 CPU) - $800, but went on sale for $700. It was significantly heavier and bulkier than the HP (and is bulkier and flimsier than the M1330 LED). I returned this one for two reasons – the keyboard felt quite flimsy, and exhibited a good deal of “flex”. It simply feels cheap, overall. Second, the outlet for the CPU heatsink on the left side of the keyboard was too hot, and was unacceptable for me. Again, for office applications, performance was not a problem. The U305 also had integrated video, X3100, and was appeared to have significantly better performance with pics than the HP.

Finally, I bought the M1330, with a T7100, Discrete Video, and the LED screen, and I’m keeping it ($1300). Performance in all areas is significantly better (it should be, mind you). The keyboard “feels” far better to me than either of the other two (again, I’d prefer the HP’s touchpad), and it can game if necessary. I purchased through the outlet, so I didn’t pay the full boat for this one – I couldn’t justify it otherwise. Build just felt better. Very, Very happy with the M1330 so far.

So of these three, all are likely suitable for your expressed needs, depending upon your eyes.

 

Think you posted this twice...

 

Thanks so much for your response man, i really appreciate the time you spent to tell me all this.
I've heard really good things about the x61's keyboard though, but it seems like everyone really likes the thinkpad's keyboard.

I'm far from picky though, I"m using a five year old toshiba satellite with MAJOR keyboard flex and i'm fine with it (probably because the laptop was practically free that i don't complain but...)

What other than the keyboard flex did you not like about the toshiba?

I'm also going to be using this laptop exclusively for school stuff so I don't need a dedicated graphics card, but I would like a c2d, 2gb ram, vista.

If the m1330 were cheaper, It would have already been mine

I posted it on each brand's forum to avoid any bias I could. I hope that doesn't hurt anyone

 

I could have lived with the keyboard flex, but the heat really was a non-starter, due to how i have it set up next to my desktop. It basically blew all over my right hand, when working with both boxes.

Beyond that, I like it. It looked slick - the metallic blue is quite a deep hue, and looks almost black.

I probably would have kept it, but ... I discovered the outlet, which put the M1330 at the upper range of what I wanted to spend (with the goodies I wanted), whereas the Toshiba was at the lower end.

 

ic, that makes sense then. I'm not too picky about heat though, as long as the keybaord doesn't get toasty or anything.

What about the overall build quality, besides the keyboard flex?

 

Check out the M1330 - call Dell to see if they have a special deal for your school - it's a great machine and with a 3 yr warranty, you can't go wrong.

 

there is a deal w/ my school but I really don't like it. It seems like I can actually save more money w/ my own configuration