T61 vs. Compal IFL-90 vs. Asus G1s(or A8Js)

Hmm... this review is rubbish and we can forget that the author is "a bit" ignorant but still V1j and a matte screen - doesn't make sence to me.

Otherwise, you were right it would be a perfect notebook but...

Honestly, I don't expect anything better than a regular HD 2600 in this notebook, it's just the most logical.

Guess we will find out soon.


Edit:
There is really a huge space in there.

 

Yea, I don't know how to get rid of it :/

EDIT: Fixed it! Apparently it was showing all the blank lines for each line of code

 

There are other things to consider too, although it depends on how important the features are to you:

1) MBP will cost $250+ to have add 3 year warranty as opposed to a Thinkpad or Compal so that $500+ price difference quickly becomes a $750+.

2) MBP doesn't have a mediacard reader. I for one hate toting around a separate device for my camera's SD card.

3) MBP doesn't have more than 2 USB ports

4) MBP doesn't have a fingerprint reader

5) MBPs are $300 more just to get 256MB for the video card. Yes, I know the CPU and HDD are boosted but those increases are inconsequential and not necessary in my opinion.

 

I think to complete your analysis you should include the standard warranty for each model.

 

I added the stuff you guys mentioned in the above posts.

I'll add warranty stuff if you can provide me with some info:

I'm not clear on what the Apple standard warranty or dead-pixel policy is.
I think Asus warranties are void soon as the processor is upgraded. Not sure if their pixel policy is as well?

Thanks

 

1) Yeah but the fact that Macs are more expensive is as normal as saying the grass is green or the sky is blue. You are paying for the smaller/sleaker style, the magnetic charger, the backlit keyboard, the auto lighting thing, Mac OSX, and other things... the cost is a given... it sucks but that's the way it works.

2) Media card reader, is a regrettable loss, but the value of that depends on how much you use your camera. I use that one chord for my camera (instead of using a card reader) as well as to plug in my cell phone (Razr) so yes it's a big loss but I think it contributes to the size/weight advantage.

3) Having only 2 USB ports is probably the biggest downside. Then again it's a laptop, not a desktop, how many peripherals do you intend to use at once? Mouse + Flash Drive, perhaps you want a game controller too... if you want a million peripherals then you won't need the smaller portability of the MBP right? Plus don't they sell USB port splitters or something, turn 1 port into 2 or more with a peripheral?

4) Fingerprint reader... I've never been able to play with one of those before so I can't really comment on the loss here, but it just seems like it would be great to have, but not as cool as backlit keyboard or hard drive that shuts off if you drop it (thus protecting your data)

5) same as No.1 it's freaking expensive, I can't argue that one, the price sucks, the question though is it worth it?

What I really want to see is a great notebookreview.com review of the new Santa Rosa MBP, especially for things like heat, noise, and battery life. For what I personally need I'm thinking this is winning the argument, it combines the gaming power of the Compal, the appearance of the G1 (in term of being cool) and a tiny bit of the safety of the T1... but it's a mac that can dual boot Windows XP.

Besides for me at least, I'm trying to get this to be a college graduation gift, so the price isn't as much of a factor (for me personally, sorry to everyone reading this who has to pay for their own)

 

Apple has a 1 year standard
Add $350 to make it a 3 year
Add $239 to make it a 3 year (Educational Discount)

Thinkpad has 1 year standard
Add $69 to make it a 2 year
Add $119 to make it a 3 year

Asus has a 2 year standard

 

I thought of another disadvantage, the screen resolution, you get 1440 x 900 which isn't ideal, especially for running programs like photoshop or finale (music notation) where more real estate is good.

One other advantage for college students at least is a free 4gb iPod nano, not that big of a deal but it'll help me talk my parents into paying for it (they get a free mp3 player cus I already have my own I bought last year)

 

Compal has 3 year warranty from the dealer(PowerNotebook and XoticPC). Shipping paid both ways.

 

Ah well you're lucky you are not paying for it yourself, because it would definitely make you wonder about what you're getting.

1) Yes, it is more expensive, but that plays a big part in the whole debate for most wallets. If it was cheaper, this decision would be a no brainer.

2) The lack of memory card sucks. Plain and simple.

3) 2 USB ports would be taken up with a real mouse and an external HDD. I heard the Apple bluetooth wireless mouse works well but I have yet to see that in action.

4) It is a security measure that most laptops have, just like a camera.

I would personally place a 1440 x 900 on a 15.4" as an advantage, but that totally depends on the person and their eyes. Yes, the iPod is good: if all else fails you can just sell it recoup some money from the sale assuming that everyone pretty much already owns one.

But for you Papaslides, I would say go for the Mac. It's not your money right?

 

It's hard to read meaning in text rather than audible words, but I had brought up the source of the money to make a point about my opinion for the MBP against say the Compal IFL-90 (my 2nd choice). So I hope my first impression is wrong and that there was no mockery in that statement. I really do appreciate your feedback, they are all very good points. I am primarily remiss about the USB thing. I can live without a Fingerprint reader, or media card reader, primarily because I've never had either in a machine, so I don't have a problem with alternatives. But I am used to having a lot of USB ports (my PC has 8). Not sure how to think about the USB thing truly.

 

Man - you gotta quit fretting and just pick a machine. You're over analyzing. I think you know the pros and cons at this point. Pick what you think will best meet your need and enjoy your new laptop.

 

Hahahaha I'll admit that made me laugh a bit, probably the best advice thus far. Thanks!

 

Thanks ohmide and Donsell - it's in..but apparently he's already made his decision already lol

 

No mockery intended at all. My apologies if that is how it came out as. I rather enjoy this 3-way comparison with the IFL-90, T61, and MBP becasue there are a lot of factors to consider. I am also in the same boat as I recently sold my desktop system to consolidate everything into one laptop. Unfortunately the more I research, the more the answer goes towards "waiting for a few more weeks".

1) Next Friday I believe is the date that the IFL-90 will reach US shores. This will clear out the debate of an 8600 GT vs. GS for the US market. Also, perhaps more info will come out about the IFL-00.

2) Soon, the T61p will be released and the specs of that system might produce a faster video card; a price comparison will again have to be done at that time. Also, I've read that the shipping date for a lot of the T61s push back into August?

3) Although the MBP just got released and can be purchased "now", it will be interesting to see what the reviews of the video card (128MB vs 256MB) and LED backlighting will say. A good number of people are waiting for Leopard to be released so they won't have to spend another $120 when that comes out.

Decisions decisions.

 

Where did you hear next Friday for the IFL-90? I was hoping this Friday to the dealers and next week to my sweaty little hands.

 

When I was pricing out IFL-90s at powernotebooks.com, you go to "add to cart" and then it says ETA 06/15/2007. I haven't verified this info with Donald though.

 

Hmm that's a good point, hopefully in the next few weeks we will see a flood of new and valuable reviews coming in, I think one of the main problems with this discussion is that right now nobody has an IFL-90, Santa Rosa MBP, or a T61p so our arguments are all more or less hypothetical.

Though in defense of the MBP, although it is something of a peripheral nightmare, you can get USB card readers and fingerprint things, as well as fairly cheap and small USB hubs to add 2-7 more USB ports to your computer (Belkin has a few for less than 20$). But you can't put a backlit keyboard or hard drive protection (the anti-dropping thing) on another laptop...

Though you can't put Arctic Silver, a TV Tuner, Robson Memory, or the quality Warranty you can get on a Compal on a MBP.

Taelrak is right though, I have recently (through fixing a bad gpu ibook) become quite enamored with Mac OSX, I have always been a staunch PC guy and love customization... but it's hard to argue that OSX isn't just as good of an OS as Windows, and with Boot Camp that convenience is nice, and the access to the gaming power of a PC with the other stuff of a Mac is a hard thing to overlook because of only 2 USB ports and no fingerprint reader (I know there's a LOT more to it than that but you get my point)

 

Actually, since many Apple shops already had the MBP in stock yesterday for the release, there were people who simply walked over and grabbed one. Check the Apple forums here for some first impressions.

I don't think anyone would argue that OSX is a worse OS than Windows--that's just not true. There are those who would say that it isn't necessarily a better OS than Windows, but that's a different argument. It's more (and still after all these years) a matter of software compatibility. Hopefully, Boot Camp will be enough.

 

There was a HardOCP article written recently about OS X called "30 days with OS X"

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTM0OCwxLCxoZW50aHVzaWFzdA==

I think the main problem with OS X is the lack of free software that you would normally find on windows. For instance you can get NHC to undervolt your CPU, but you would have to pay for that functionality if you bought a mac. There are, however, a couple free apps for things you might need to do, but it's no where near the number as windows. Also I don't know about you but if I had a couple of windows programs I needed to run on a regular basis I would gawk at using parallels. If you run parallels you have to deal with windows anyway so why bother managing two operating systems? In my opinion it wouldn't be worth it. If I could totally switch and didn't need obscure windows only programs for my major I'd go mac.

 

Yeah see as a musician/graphics guy (ok Musician who likes to think he can draw but can't...) there are no PC only programs I would need to run, most musicians tend to do their recording and editing on macs and then if they need to render anything on a monster program like Gigastudio they have access to a secondary PC solely for that purpose.

Not really that "Macs are better" just that I don't know of any aps I use daily that are PC only, I mean firefox, widgets, chat programs are all available to both systems, with boot camp I can run games.

 

Oh, and I forgot to add that the T61 and the Apple both have fairly descent resale values on Ebay as opposed to the Compal that has next to none, unless you find a buyer through forums like NBR.

 

Resale value? Laptops have even less resale value than cars. I always run my computers into the ground for that reason.

 

I would go for a mac then and use OS X solely. Especially if you're going to get it as a gift since you don't care about the price. And no one can argue that you should get some cheaper lower quality computer since you want OS X and it's only on the mac.

 

I've actually been quite lucky with Thinkpads. I owned both a T42 and X31, used both for around a year, and was able to recoup 70% and 80% of the costs, respectively. Maybe I just got lucky? I'm fairly certain that a Dell Inspiron would not even sell close to that percentage.

 

It's TP's traditional quality that gives it its resale value. The ASUS and MacBook will have some resalability, but the TP will have the longest lasting.

Lenovo may be wrecking that at the moment though...

 

I thought that was a very objective review. Thanks for passing that along.

 

I cannot believe this thread ! How can you ask about a comparison between super graphical powered lappies like G1s, A8Js and IFL90 with the common sense (for dummies) lappies like T61 ?
You should compare your modest Lenovo with HPs or some cheap Vaios, Toshibas, Dells and so on...

 

The comparison is for decision making purposes, we aren't trying to pit them against each other, the idea was to weigh the pros and cons of the "graphical powerhouses" with the "common sensed (for dummies)" machine. Nothing wrong with that.

 

i understand your query but you should really compare the T61 with the ones I told you.. IMHO..

 

The downside is that those others pale in comparison in the area of build quality. ASUS is better than Compal, but ThinkPads still best ASUS in that department.

 

I heard a lot of peeps talking about build quality, battery life, heat and so on..
When you decide on what you will spend your ~$1,500 i guess that all that matters are: a >=2Gb Core2Duo, a >=2Gb 667 memory, a >= 8400GT/7600GT, a >=1440x900 true bright LCD and a 7200 HDD. Everything else is whims !

 

Sure, if you call wanting your laptop to actually be able to see some use without being crushed into tiny pieces a whim.

Having the top-of-the-line performance laptop is absolutely and completely useless if the system breaks down into a top-of-the-line dead brick within a month. Of course, since having a good warranty is also a "whim"...that brick will continue to be a great paperweight for the next few years.

Heat? Sure cooling is a whim. Those vents on a laptop are also whims--block them when you're playing a game to see!

Battery life? That's a whim too! After all, who needs a battery at all when you can just drag around a 500-lb power generator with you 24/7? Better yet, just drive your car into the board room during meetings and use your car adapter!

Why buy a laptop at all? Desktops are so much better! Hey, if you're going to lug around a power generator anyway, might as well make it a desktop with a 30" LCD monitor! Course...you might as well just skip the whim known as cooling on the desktop as well. Those dual sli 8800Ultras will do juuuust fine without any

 

I understand that, and I appreciate the advice... but in all honesty, why would I compare it with computer I have no interest in buying? Seems like a waste of time/space to me, it would be a great comparison for the sake of comparing laptops for another thread, but the purpose of this was to make a decision between different machines...

Seriously though it is a good idea, someone may want to start a thread like that~ thanks

 

Couldn't have said that better.

 

Taelrak... you're the man haha, I think that right there is the main reason why ThinkPad's are so popular, they aren't major powerhouses (well more so now than before) they are simple and elegant but in no way really attractive... but man they are sturdy as heck and keep the heat low. What's the point in getting a laptop if you plan on using it as a "desktop replacement" just spend less money on a desktop and get a laptop to be mobile with! hehe

 

Your view is the incredibly naive one I had when I bought this ASUS gaming laptop I'm writing on now. It would take me a page to describe all of the problems I have with it that started showing up after a year but I'll save that for some other time. After all, the only real factors about a good laptop are what they stick under the plastic right?

 

Dem's fightin' woids.

ThinkPads are sleek and black, like a stealth fighter. When Apple came out with a PowerBook called the "Blackbird" I laughed. TPs have always been the tops in that area. Everything that tries to top them usually comes across as gaudy. A TP knows it's the best, it doesn't have to show off.

 

Dude, are you for real ?

How many crashed Compal or Asus machines did you ever see/hear about ?

I had 7 lappies in my life.. I never bought more than the regular warranty and never used it anyway! So many dudes are using the warranty for Windows crashes, while they think the machine is broken! Does this sound right to you?

Don't play dummy now.. of course cooling is necessary but which lappie is cold dead? Whining of heat is whim thou. You cannot buy additional cooling anyway.. what's your point here ?

I think you take me for a fool now. Like I already said, spend your money on fixed components that are really essential not on those you can upgrade later (HDD, DDR or battery) !

Stop playing stupid again. You can always have an extra battery for few bucks! And if my sight is still fully functional I see that I recommended a 1440x900 resolution which is offered for a 14" and Asus machines have it!

I'd suggest you to start reading lots of threads on this forum because it looks like you're out of touch regarding laptops specs and if you speak without knowing anything in this field, why do you think you can help this guy buying a laptop ?

ThinkPad is popular only in US because we are that stupid to buy those bulls..

 

Haha this is getting kinda heated, Tholek I apologize you're right the TP's have their own attractiveness, I'll retract that statement and say that they aren't as "flashy" as some of the commercial machines. Is that fair

 

Papaslides, seriously, you seem so decided with your T61.. why bother anymore with comparisons? I think I helped you the most by eliminating now the rest !

 

Well, I was joking a bit with the last post, hence the smilie. (Goes for Jaymz too, if he was speaking to me at first) There's no need to apologize to me.

I do feel they have a reserved beauty, though. Certainly not flashy, just sleek and black. As for Jaymz, I do think the ASUS is miles ahead of the Compal. The ThinkPad excels in build. If Lenovo were to create a TP line of gaming laptops, ASUS would be left in the dust. In that you can consider yourself lucky. You, and those at Lenovo corporate who would surely be killed in the mass riots that would follow...

 

I think that you overestimate Lenovo to much ! Don't forget two things here:
1.Europe, Asia, South America and Africa don't buy Lenovo at all! They're junks there.
2.Asus make machines for giants like Dell (soon maybe Lenovo too "caugh")

 

LOL, they aren't "junks" anywhere. I can't speak for their distribution in South America or Africa. Those continents have many a country where the average person can't afford a premium laptop, much less any to begin with, so I don't see even ASUS doing so well there. However, you need only peruse this board, and TP.com to see oodles of brits who have or want them. They have been damned popular in Japan as well. As for the rest of Asia, I can't say, but being popular in Japan is more important than being popular in China considering they set many a trend there.

As for ASUS, they are a good brand. If Lenovo orders some ODM models for their self-branded line, they'll probably be good. Not ThinkPads, but good.

 

Nope, I'm really a butterfly in a dream.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=84736
Long thread, lots of localized problems from the screen to the pad.
Others exist for problems with the V1 batteries, etc.
While most won't actually have their laptops turn into a brick, if everything that helps prevents a laptop from actually dying (you know, the chassis, cooling, etc.) were whims as you suggest, a full "crash" as you put it wouldn't be odd.

A sample size of 7 reveals...nothing.
A sample size of 7 from the same person reveals...see above!
Well no, it could mean you have good habits taking care of your laptop, for which I commend you?

If someone "thinks" their laptop is "broken", then obviously that person "thinks" he needs help of some sort. Isn't that what a warranty is for? Sure it may be a minor problem or not a problem at all, but as long as he thinks that he's getting less than he can, his enjoyment and efficiency on the laptop is compromised. If a warranty can restore that, then it's done its job, and he's paid well for it.

You can buy better-designed laptops with better vents, airflow and fan placement.

As for examples, well, let's see...arguably one of the best Asus models ever, the W3, suffered from heat issues.

Oh I absolutely agree. I hope you're not thinking that you can upgrade the chassis at some point in time

It's true you can always have an extra battery. In fact, someone here once suggested that they'd just buy the Asus c90 and a 9 spare batteries. You might look him up to see how he's doing if he went that route.

Thinkpads have 1440x900 as well.

You're right. I can't imagine why I ever thought that having a durable chassis, a decent cooling system and a good warranty would be useful. A GPU is obviously the only thing that matters in a laptop, regardless of what you plan to use the laptop for right? Thank you for sharing your wisdom.

You realize in 2006, 39% of Lenovo sales were in China?

 

Tholek believe what you want.. it's your right.. but I'm telling you (because I lived few years in Europe) you seldom find a store where you can buy a Lenovo or a Dell there
Europe for example is dominated mainly by HP and 2nd would be Toshiba. As a luxury choice you can buy a Vaio. That would be all there!

 

I must be the only person who doesn't like ASUS. From my two years dealing with ASUS tech support and using my ASUS laptop I've learned to stay away from them.

 

!! Blasphemy!
How could you not like the V1 :cry:

 

support.. another frequent whining.. how could I forget it ?
I rather always google anything I want to find than emailing or calling a girl named Susan which is indian mainly (but using fake names because of our stupid idea of having qualified support in US = wake all up!)
I'm not saying Asus is the best, but I have to remind you again: Dell has Asus built barebones, for example, and Dell, again is one of the most desired in US!

 

Yes but and please don't kill me for saying this, popular and available does not reflect quality. Too many people believe the mantra "the market responds to what people want, if it's popular, if it's everywhere, it must be good" this is a complete and utter lie. Talking about whether or not you can buy something in a store in Europe, or whether or not it has a relationship to a huge market like Dell is in no way reflective of quality and therefore a moot point. If you want to prove Asus is great then talk about the actual machines, talk about the build quality, talk about the lack of repairs needed, talk about real life evidence, not reflections of a public market... that in many ways creates the demand it supplies, Dell is not great because everyone buys Dell. Lenovo is not bad because nobody sells it... I hate to be a prude about it but that aspect of this debate is just a bunch of bad useless statistics.