Battery Life / which model?

Hello,

I am trying to decide on which laptop to buy. It seems that HP has the best for the money (using the educational discount), but I am trying to decide between 3 models.

I like the zd7000 with a 3.06Ghz processor for the big screen/lots of power etc. However, I have read that I would be lucky to get 2 hours batt. life out of it.

Next is the zt3000. Apparently these give 3.5-4 hours batt. life, but have less power with the PM processor (significantly less?), and no 17" screen. I thought I would go for the 1.5 Ghz processor. Where is the point of diminishing returns with PM's (extra speed not worth extra cost)?

The other choice is the zx5000. Seems to be a compromise between the other two. It seems that the only difference in this and the zd is the lack of the huge screen and the P4-M processor availability. I have looked all over for a review of this computer that includes battery life, but have not found it. What kind of battery life do some of you with this model get? And with what specs?

I will mostly use it as a desktop, but need to transport from between home and offices frequently. I think it will be plugged in most of the time, but I have never had a laptop, so I may end up wanting to use it on battery more than I expect, so it would be a nice option to have. I intend to use it mostly for engineering related work: CAD, Math programs, etc.

Thanks in advance,
srt

 

srt-
I have the zd7k with the stats listed below. I can get around 2.5 hours out of my battary if I turn down the screen brightness. I personally like the less bright screen. You almost need a pair of sunglasses at the highest brightness. I did buy the extra battery, but so far haven't needed to use it. I don't know specifics about the other models but I have read that HP estimated times usually are about 1 hour higher then what you will experience in actual use. Also consider whattype of peripherals you will be using since many USB devices help drain your battery quicker.

HP zd7000 :: 17" WVA WXGA+ (1440 x 900) :: P4 3.06 GHz with HT :: 512MB DDR :: 64MB GeForce FX Go5600 :: 54G Wireless :: 60GB 5400 RPM HD :: XP Pro

 

SRT,

I've been going through the same comparisons, hp's, Toshiba's, Dell's, etc. and have FINALLY settled on the hp zt3000...for the battery life, power (the Centrino 1.4 gig is actually equal to a bench mark of a P4 2.8 gig so don't be misled by the different ratings) and size.

I actually bought a hp 7000 w/the 17" screen. Nice but way TOO big! [:0] And heavy to boot! I took it back the next day. [ ]

So I'm ordering the zt3000. The 15.4" screen is just as good and it's much lighter (by almost 4 lbs.) If you do too, you might want to consider upgrading to the 64 meg video card. I visited a local retailer to get a feel for them and they had one with a 32 meg card next to one with a 64 meg card (same basic model otherwise). The difference in screen brigthness and clarity was obvious. I'm also ordering a WSXGA+ screen which should look even better.

Hope that helps and good luck! [ ]

Cheers,

Rich