Need help deciding between S6231, S7020, S7020D

I am planing on purchasing a notebook for my daughter who is going away to college this fall (acutally, August). She liked the screen size and keyboard of the Fujitsu 6231 that she saw. What is important to her: light weight, close to regular size keyboard, not wide screen, good battery power.

She is a light computer user now, just word processing and internet browsing and watching movies - no games. She is a humanities student and won't need heavy duty science / tech use. She may want to view photos, I don't know. She already has a 20 GB music player (Creative Zen). She will need to keep the laptop at least through college. I'd rather spend a little more now and have it last longer.

I was all set to get her the 6231 and then saw the 7020/D. With that model, she can add a pointer stick which she prefers to the touchpad and she can also get the matte screen as she is bothered by reflections.

Does anyone have advice about what model might be most suitable? Any features/ configuration you recommend getting or not getting?

Thanks a lot-

 

I personally chose the S6231 because of the smaller size. However, if she really doesn't like reflective screens (has she seen reflective screen laptops?) then the S7020 might be the way to go, however the matte finished screen will have smaller looking fonts because of the higher resolution.

I have used both systems, and even though the 7020 is bigger it still very light for its class.

You really can't go wrong with either model. But it sounds to me like the 7020 would be a better fit.

 

I bought an S6231 because of its slightly smaller size and am very happy with it except for one thing -- the Intel wireless card has been nothing but a bother to me. When I have the laptop plugged in, it works flawlessly. When I am on battery, the wireless hardly ever works well. Nothing against Fujitsu, it appears to be Intel's blunder. I'd recommend the S7020D -- it has the Atheros wireless card and you can get it with the higher-res non-reflective screen; in addition, it is only a couple of ounces heavier than the S6231.

Mike

 

If she likes the matte screens then 6231 is out, 7020 is in (only the SXGA+ resolution). If that high resolution seems to be a problem, then I would also consider IBM Thinkpad T43.

 

You've made a good case for the 7000, as noted, make sure to get the D version that comes with the Atheros wireless card.

 

Thanks so much everyone- I am leaning towards the S7020D.

Why would the high resolution screen be a problem? I have been told that you can alter the display so the text is larger. We would need to do that because she prefers what she sees on screens with lower resolution (1024 x ?) Please fill me in on that-

Do you think the battery life is noticeably less for the 7020D than the 6231?

(I will probably have more questions about how to configure it when I look at the details a bit more)

Thanks again-

 

SXGA+ native resolution is 1400x1050. If you change the display settings to go with a lower resolution say 1024x768, then the display will become blurry especially with text. This is a problem for LCD displays not for the CRTs.

 

Battery life is usually 3-4 hours both models

 

Spending more money now will help a laptop remain less obsolete, but it isnt everything you need to think about. Remember to get at least two spyware programs (check out CNet or PCMag.com for suggestions), and get a good warranty. DONT GET NORTON, my desktop hasnt benefited at all from the internet security edition. It may seem like a good deal, but it doesnt do things like block spyware and spam, and itll slow down your computer.

 

Just went through the similar deciding process for my daughter, and chose the S7020D. Weight was a huge issue (chronic back problem), so I did not want the IBM T43, which is close to a pound and a half heavier with optical drive/battery. She preferred the 14.1 to the 13.1" screen, and the weight was essentially the same as the 6231. As for the "glare" screen- we were very concerned about this, and made sure to look at it in a store first. She absolutely did not want the high resolution screen for the font size issue (the same as your daughter). The Fujitsu screen is different than many of the other screens, and while "shiny," glare is not an issue. I played with it under my skylight and with overhead lights without any problem, and personally, if a screen isn't very clear I get nausseated; my daughter is very visually finicky, and she really likes the screen as well. With most LCD screens, taking them out of native resolution will blur things to varying degrees depending upon the manufacturer. While there are some LCD panels which do not suffer from this effect (such as at least some of the Dell flat panel monitors), most if not all laptops do. If you possibly can see the laptops in person, that would be best, because your daughter may find that the crystal view screen is sharp and visually pleasing rather than having a glare issue- at least that was our reaction. I'd also like to concur with what others have said- get the D version- the Atheros client- it is a far better Internet card than the Intel. My husband's laptop is about 6 months old and has the Intel card, and my daughter's S7020D connects faster and overall works better than my husband's in the same wireless environment.
As for configuration- I thought the extra $200 was worth it to get the 2 GHz processor, and went with 768 mb RAM (you can get away with 512, but I thought the extra might be better esp. due to the shared video RAM). The hard drive cost difference is small, so I selected the 80 Gb for the extra few dollars (their music takes up space ). I got XP Pro since I was told that network connectivity would be better (don't know if that is really true or not) and her school strongly rec. it for connectivity. She's using it for law school and will be taking it with her daily, so I also got the modular battery.
If you buy from Portable One (they were great) tell them you want them to check the machine prior to shipping for dead pixels. Others suggested doing that and it was a great idea- that way, you're sure to receive a perfect unit. HTH- good luck

 

Where -can- you go check out Fujitsu notebooks in the flesh? I am trying to decide whether to get the S7020 (CV), the Sony S460, or something else, and it would be helpful to be able to try out the computer. For those who have the S7020, how is the keyboard? I've heard some complaints that it has some flex problems. And it is difficult to get Fujitsus serviced if there is a problem? Thanks

 

I have heard people mention an elctronics store in US and Canada called Fry's carries fujitsu.

 

I called and asked Fujitsu where I could see one in person, and they mentioned only Fry's, J & R, and Datavision. I think J & R and Datavision only have one retail outlet each, in Manhatten, while Fry's is more nationwide but mostly west coast.