i had the last thread saying i was a college student..

and i was wondering what kind of laptop i should get... and most of you guys said to wait for the santa rosa to come out... has it come out yet? and can i customize the dv6000t with the santa rose stuff that came out?

thanks again guys

 

yeah its out but if u want a dedicated graphics card, those options may not be out yet

 

Why not??

If you look at the main page of this site, it shows the previews of the new HP lineup that will have Santa Rosa. Those are the dv2500, dv6500, and dv9500.

All those have dedicated cards available...

 

HP, and most manufacturers announced Santa Rosa refreshes of their models today. The HP dv6500 is now available at HPShopping.com.

 

so with all the santa rosa options being out, you can only get them with the newer hp models such as the 6500 etc? you cant just get the old dv6000t and get the santa rosa features?

and also, when you get the 6500 (the new one i believe) do you need to customize it to get the santa rosa stuff or does it already come with the santa rosa (if i were to just buy "recommended")

 

Umm...no, I did not see any dedicated graphics card options available for the dv2500, dv6500 and dv9500 models. The only option, as of now, is the X3100, which is integrated.

 

also, i went to HPshopping and i clicked on the "recommended" for both the 6500 and 2500 and they both come out to 1700 bucks!! why would they be the same price?!

and could someone answer my previous questions in post #5?

 

i also customized my dv2500 and it comes out like this.. let me know what other stuff i should have or if i added somthing to my laptop that i SHOULDNT HAVE!. also, let me know which of these accessories are part of the santa rosa... cause i dont know really what is the santa rosa.. i heard a new processor, a new screen, and some other things are part of the santa rosa.. so i have these things in this?

Operating System Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
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Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz/4MB L2Cache)
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Display 14.1" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
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Graphics Card Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
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Personalization HP Imprint Finish (Radiance) + Microphone
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Memory 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
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Hard Drive 120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
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Primary CD/DVD Drive DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
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Networking Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
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TV & Entertainment Experience No TV Tuner w/remote control
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Primary Battery 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
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Productivity Software Microsoft(R) Office Basic 2007
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Security Software Norton Internet Security(TM) 2007 - 15 Months
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Santa Rosa is an updated Core 2 Duo processor (the T7300 in your list there), a new chipset/GMA, which is the Graphics Media Accelerator X3100. That's all, as per your list.

 

No you can't because there are many differences (for example the Santa Rosa CPU's have different sockets.)
It seems that a dedicated GPU is not out yet, the X3100 while is promised to be a very good GPU is still an integrated solution and it's very very unlikely that you would be able to switch to a dedicated GPU later.I suggest you at least wait for the first X3100 benchmarks to come out before going for an integrated GPU.

 

ok thanks!

anything else that i should add to my list thats part of the santa rosa? its the 2500, or is that good right there?

 

The wireless card you have is the older model, which is the 3945ABG.

If you want one more thing to be Santa Rosa, I suggest selecting the Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network w/Bluetooth option.

You'll get added wireless N (draft) support with that wireless card.

 

another thing,

what kind of wireless speeds are usually for a big college? since im going to be using wireless in my college what kind of download and upload speeds should i be expecting?

thanks again

 

Most college have wireless G and probably won't be revamping to work with draft-N for a long time because draft-N is still a draft specification and there won't be enough student demand because no one has it yet. In fact, the only thing draft-N is good for in the present is if you yourself have a draft-N wireless network at home. No wi-fi spots use it at all.

Stick with the 3945ABG card instead of the newer 4965AGN, which IMO is a waste of money, at least for now.

 

doesnt the new 4965AGN have two aerials instead of one? wudnt not getting it with a new laptop make it harder to setup later?

 

if i got the 4965AGN would i still be able to access wireless internet because of the draft-N? or will i get the same internet connection with both?

 

i will probably be buying this laptop in 2-3 months

 

You will get the same internet. The 4965AGN is completely backwards compatible.

 

Like I said, read the news on the main page of this site:

"The dv2500t, like the dv2000t, is a 14.1" widescreen notebook with BrightView. Following are the basic specs of the dv2500t:

* Processor: Intel Centrino Duo (Core 2 Duo)
* Memory: Up to 2GB Ram
* Graphics: Intel X3100 or NVIDIA 8400M
* OS: Windows Vista
* Optical Drive: 24X DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive OR, Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support (s) OR, LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with double layer support
* Wireless: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection OR, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection & Bluetooth TM, Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection & Bluetooth TM
* Ports: 3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, 2 Headphone out, 1 microphone-in, 1 VGA (15-pin), 1 TV-Out (S-video), 1 RJ-11 (modem), 1 RJ -45 (LAN), 1 notebook expansion port 3, 1 IEEE 1394 Firewire (4-pin), 1 Consumer IR
* Optional built-in web camera
* "Trace" Imprint finish
* Weight: 5.8lbs
* Dimensions: 13.15" (L) x 9.33" (W) x 1.02" (min H)/1.54" (max H)


"he dv6500t updates the hugely popular HP dv6000t (that's been the most popular site on this site for several months now). Like the dv6000t, the dv6500t has a 15.4" BrightView display. The dv6500t also adopts the new "Trace" imprint finish the dv2500t has, in the image above you can see the closeup of this design. Following are the basic specs of the dv6500t:

* Processor: Intel Centrino Duo (Core 2 Duo)
* Screen:15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
* Memory: Up to 2GB Ram
* OS: Windows Vista
* Graphics: Intel X3100 or NVIDIA 8400M
* Optical Drive: 24X DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive OR, Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support (s) OR, LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with double layer support
* Wireless: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection OR, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection & Bluetooth TM, Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection & Bluetooth TM
* Ports: 3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, 2 Headphone out, 1 microphone-in, 1 VGA (15-pin), 1 TV-Out (S-video), 1 RJ-11 (modem), 1 RJ -45 (LAN), 1 notebook expansion port 3, 1 IEEE 1394 Firewire (4-pin), 1 Consumer IR
* Optional built-in web camera
* "Trace" Imprint finish
* Weight: 6.14 lbs
* Dimensions: 14.05" (L) X 10.12" (W) X 1" (MIN H)/1.69" (MAX H)

"You can see that the dv9500t offers a number pad to the right thanks to the increased real estate that comes with a 17" screen notebook. Following are the basic specs of the dv9500t:

* Processor: Intel Centrino Duo (Core 2 Duo)
* Screen: 17.0" WXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1440x900) OR 17.0" WSXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1680x1050)
* Memory: Up to 2GB Ram
* OS: Windows Vista
* Graphics: Intel X3100, NVIDIA 8400M or NVIDIA 8600M
* Optical Drive: 24X DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive OR, Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support (s) OR, LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with double layer support, HD-DVD drive
* Wireless: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection OR, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection & Bluetooth TM, Intel PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection & Bluetooth TM
* Ports: 4 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, 2 Headphone out, 1 microphone-in, 1 VGA (15-pin), 1 TV-Out (S-video), 1 RJ-11 (modem), 1 RJ -45 (LAN), 1 notebook expansion port 3, 1 IEEE 1394 Firewire (4-pin), 1 Consumer IR
* Optional built-in web camera
* "Trace" Imprint finish
* Weight: 7.7 lbs
* Dimensions: 15.16 (L) x 11.65" (W) x 1.57" (H) (approx.)


Now, either that guy lied completely, or there are no dedicated options for these notebooks. Also, just cuz you do not see the option in the "customize" page, doesn't mean that they won't have em. I mean cmon, it's the FIRST day these models are offered...

 

Your a college student. You shouldn't be gaming. Paying for college already makes you dirt poor. So save money and go for the integrated graphics. Besides, your laptop should last longer since your GPU takes in less power. The better the GPU, the more power it takes to meet its demand.

 

There is no proof that notebooks with dedicated gpus last less than laptops with integrated ones. Also, the power that the laptop draws in has no effect on it's longevity. Heat and abuse do...