Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
I'm in full on research mode with high hopes to pull the trigger early January 2008. details ...
1) What is your budget?
prefer to stay under 1500. The system I'm interested in (spec below) is currently around 1200.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.
U.S. Texas.
4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
I like Dell, but I'm open to suggestions
5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
programming in .net, sql server. web surfing, watching movies.
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
probably take it with me frequently.
7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
I'm not much of a gamer. I doubt I'd play anything that would stress a modern laptop.
8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
unknown. I'd like 3 +
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
Online is fine with me.
10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
windows xp.
Screen Specifics
11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
widescreen
12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
Widescreen
d. WXGA or WXGA+ - 1280x768/800 or 1440x900; Wider viewing version of XGA, good for movie viewing or spreadsheets.
13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
glossy. I've used matte screen laptops and didn't like them.
Build Quality and Design
14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
not really.
15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
I plan on using this laptop until I can't stand the sight of it (and then another two years just to make a point).
Notebook Components
16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 200GB?
100+ gb
17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD, Blu-Ray or HD-DVD drive?
would prefer dvd burner.
OK ... so this is the system I'm looking at.
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo T7250 (2.0GHz/800Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Genuine Windows® XP Professional SP2
14.1 inch Wide Screen XGA+ LCD Display with TrueLife™
2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz, 2 DIMM
160GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
8X CD/DVD Burner w/ double-layer DVD+R write capability, w/ Roxio Creator
128MB NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8400M GS
Dell Exclusive MediaDirect™ Instant Play Software Application
Dell Wireless 1490 802.11a/g Wi-Fi Mini Card
Integrated 2.0 mega pixel Web Camera
Integrated High Definition Audio
9 cell battery.
I'm mostly going to be doing the simple stuff. web surfing, watching movies, reading ebooks, listening to music - podcasts. Nothing heavy. The only thing I do that might stress this system is when I'm working in .net or sql server. This won't be my primary working system. Mostly I'll work from a desktop, but I like to work on code away from the office. Do any of you use your Vostro's for day to day coding tasks? Is a 2.0 ghz processor enough (or overkill)?
I figure I can upgrade the ram any time and 160 gig hard drive is plenty big enough. I just don't want to get stuck with an underpowered processor from day one. On the flip side, I'm to cheap to want to get way more processor than I need. I was thinking a 2.0 gig processor is a good middle of the road starting point.
Any comments / suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Vostro 1400 Configuration.
Discussion in 'Dell' started by TimCost, Dec 2, 2007.
