NP8662 for college?

The 8662 seems like a beast of a machine, but I'm worried about it being too large to carry around. To be honest, I'm not sure how much I'll be carrying it around, but I'll definitely have a backpack for it.

Also, how is the battery life on the 8662 while doing light things such as surfing the web and taking notes?

I've also considered the ASUS N81Vp-C1, which is $1150 at Buy.com. It's only 14.1", weighs 5.5 lbs, and I assume has a better battery life. It comes with a HD4650 as well, which seems to be almost as good as the 9800m.

And also, I won't be gaming TOO much on the laptop. I'd like to play current games such as Dawn of War II and Empire Total War and also be able to play Diablo III when it comes out.

So, should I go for the slightly more expensive Sager, which is also heavier and has a worse battery life...or get the ASUS?

 

The point is how much are you going to carry it around... If u r going to use it in class NEVER MIND about anything bigger than 13.1"

 

Really? =\ If worse comes to worse I could get a cheap netbook to take to class. Honestly, I haven't even entered college yet, so I'm not sure how necessary a laptop is in class. The whole thing seems to be overblown, though.

But if what you say is true, BIGX, then I've lost all hope and I might as well just get the Sager. I thought that getting the 14.1" ASUS would act a great medium between size and power.

 

I have a lot of friends who tried to use 14"/15" in class and they just give up and get a netbook to use in college, i really recommend you to get the sager and a good netbook like Asus N10/1002HA/MSI Wind to use in class.

I used to carry a 15" notebook to everywhere everyday and i just get tired of having 3kg in my backpack (and I'm a pretty tough guy i weight 209 lbs), its just too much to use in class .

 

Alright, I appreciate the help =) Are there any reviews out on the Sager yet? I need to know before I buy.

Also, I feel wary about getting a laptop and a netbook. Honestly, why not just get a cheap desktop and then get a netbook for notes? The problem there is the fact that I don't want a computer in my dorm...I probably wouldn't want to leave.

Getting the Sager might be overkill for me anyway. I don't game that much anymore. To be honest I'd just like to play Diablo III in the future, and maybe some current games now. Other than that I'll play a 360

 

I just ordered the NP8662 for use in college and I am going to be doing what the others recommended - buying a netbook for use in everyday class. The NP8662 seems like it will be portable enough for me to be able to take it to class if I need a little bit more power than what a netbook can provide, but for basic word processing/internet browsing, I am planning on just using the netbook.

EDIT: There is only one "official" review out currently by Laptop Mag.

 

A notebook CAN be transported if u need to use it somewhere... A desktop is another history .

I prefer notebooks all the way but it you r the only guy who knows your needs . BTW i think that the sager worth and have a pc that can play games if u want to isnt a bad idea .

 

My college doesn't allow netbooks, so my NP8662 is going to be my "portable" computer.

 

I use a 15.4 inch notebook in class all the time. Quite a few people i know use 17inch laptops in class-don't understand how an extra pound or two will make any difference at all.

 

So what's the general consensus on the size & weight of the Sager, or 15.4" laptops in general? I could potentially carry it to class, as long as I had a backpack?

 

I carry my 17 incher in my backpack to a lot of my classes. I always thought that my Clevo was the only 17 inch PC on a campus filled with 15 and 17 inch MBP's. But this afternoon I caught someone using a W90 in the auditorium.

You will find that the NP8662 is very portable and manageable after you carry it around to your classes over time. You will not regret it.

 

Yeah, my main reason for going the netbook path alongside my Sager NP8662 is because I wanted something with really good battery life that I could use all day for the basics. It wasn't the weight that deterred me.

 

I'm in college. I got a 17 inch hp computer, use in all my classes. Bought a 12 cell battery and get 6+ hours so I basically bring it to every class every day (with a giant battery sticking out) and its not a problem as it fits right in my backpack. I live on campus, and the campus is small, so I walk to class. Its only a 5-15min walk and I barely notice it. I think people seriously over exaggerate how big/heaver 17inch laptops are. Now the NP8662 is a 15.4 inch laptop there's no way that's too big. thats like saying the 15.4 inch macbook pro is too big, and like a third of all college students use that. The only problem would be the battery life. You'll have to probably set the cpu to 50% and dim the screen to like 20% to get about 3+ hours. But its not like you need that power to game during class (or do you?).

 

Well college in brazil isn't like in EUA... We don't live in the campus and at least for me and my friends (we all have car) it just don't work , and we have some problems finding power outlets in classes here (i don't know why but ppl don't like to put power outlet in the class here lol). Anyway i just give my personal experience .

 

I wouldn't recommend it if you plan on taking it to class. 15.4" notebooks are big enough as it is, but the NP8662 is even bigger than normal 15.4" notebooks. I've found 14.1" and smaller notebooks to be perfect for lugging around to class.

 

Meh, I've seen people bring 17 inch laptops to class and it doesn't seem to be that painful.. I've used one too and it isn't that bad, but I wouldn't carry that each day. I say the NP8662 is a good compromise. If you have power outlets then the battery isn't too much of a disadvantage.

But you might wanna wait for the Asus K series notebooks with the 4860 in it. Seems promising, and I'm pretty sure it'll be lighter than the Sager.

 

I like my 8662 a lot, but no way I would want to take it to class with me everyday. If I had to use a computer in class, I would want something a little smaller and lighter so it was easy to take out, set up, work on, put away and move with. Not to mention the battery life isn't fantastic, so you will be lugging the power brick around too!

Not sure why a college wouldn't allow netbooks, but I would go with one of those if possible or a smaller, more efficient laptop. Just my 2¢!

 

If i was planning to use a laptop in class, it would be a cheap one. No way would I take an expensive NP8662 into an environment like that. That laptop is designed for gaming, is power hungry, powerful and heavier than the average 15.4. I think you should use a laptop for what its design is catered for in most cases.

A cheap netbook or even the N10J for school (if that gets stolen or smashed by an angry kid, less painful).

If your school doesn't allow Netbooks then a small notebook with an integrated GPU will suffice.

 

Hmm, so then yes an alternative would be to get a powerful desktop or laptop, then have a netbook in class.

And LaptopNut, you do have a good point about brining an expensive laptop into the classroom. Who knows what could happen. You definitely don't want it to be damaged, though.

 

Why would a school not allow netbooks? They are just miniature laptops... Their logic is fail.

 

Netbooks aren't powerful enough for some applications. It could also be that they want you to buy a new Lenovo from them.

 

I know that but it makes no sense if a school doesn't even want you using them.

 

What school is this that won't allow netbook+less portable big rig? Mine does the same thing, and I am getting my laptop for school this summer.

Their logic is indeed fail because the only thing i really use a computer for is notetaking...

 

I'm using my D901C for school (and will be for college next year).
However, I always disable my second GPU (SLI) and make sure that the heatsinks are clean.
Before, I was getting complaints about too high fan noise, but if you just disable SLI and make sure your computer isn't (too) dusty, there shouldn't be a problem. Other than that, expect a few comments and questions about if your notebook is a nucler weapon.
If you can live with that, you should be good. I am, at least.

 

Yeah I have no trouble hauling things in bookbag (hike a lot). My main thing was i didn't want to haul a $3500+ D900F (9280 from xoticpc) around and risk any kind of damage/sabotage from jealous people. My roommate and I have a Sony 46" Bravia XBR6 LCD in the room, and I want to leave it on my Zalman 2000 and keep it hooked up to the XBR6 via HDMI and my main 30" monitor via DVI. Any thoughts on how a 9280 would serve that scenario? I am getting a netbook just in case i want to have it in class just for notes.

 

I'm a college student and I have the 8662 and I have used it in one class so far and I don't have any problems carrying it around or it being loud as the fans are practically silent. The only problem is the battery life, the second I unplug the notebook the battery life practically drops to 98%.

 

My guess is your notebook battery was not at 100% in the first place. Probably reduced, but not reduced enough to trigger charging while plugged in.

Not sure about this, but I think its supposed to keep your battery from wearing too fast . . .

Anybody with a better explanation please help . . .

 

Second2Last33: thanks for the insight, can you address the blu-ray drive for me? someone told me that it runs loud as a freight train... I also noticed you have the P9600 proc and would you have gone with the C2Quad in retrospect?

 

That makes sense! I understand what your saying and I think you are probably correct.

No problem! I'm happy to help! I actually went out and rented Casino Royale to watch with the girlfriend and we ended up getting the Blu-Ray version so I could test out the new drive. I actually had to play it again just before posting this because I honestly couldn't remember if the drive was loud, you would think if it was as loud as a fright train I would remember that haha. But I just retested it and the drive is 99% silent, the only way I could hear it was to press my ear against the notebook and that's no exaggeration. But note it is pretty noisy when first loading up a CD or data disc but that quickly subsides and I think that's the case with all disc drives anyways. I love the P9600 and I'm happy with the choice. It works great, is fast, and is known and proven to be reliable. The quad core is still new and I know over the months there will be newer versions and improvements so I decided to wait about a year and then buy one and upgrade it myself. As it has been stated there isn't many games and programs that are optimized yet for a quad core and I feel that in about a year there will be many more.

 

I just ordered my np8662 and I am going to use it for college/gaming. I've read a lot about its portability and it is big but not bad. If their are kids carrying around 17 inch laptops than it shouldn't be too bad.