Help!...M30X or Qosimo?

Hey guys!
I know very little about computers and was hoping I could get some feedback from those who do. I will be attending NCSU in the fall. While they dont require a specific brand, there are a few bare minimums they suggest. Using my guidelines I have narrowed my choices down to 2 Toshibas. I have a few questions about the specifics though:

*They suggest an Intel Pentium M any speed: what is the difference between that and a celeron M or pentium 4? Also, what do the numbers attached to the processor model MEAN!!(1.6GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 400FSB)[?]

*What is the difference between WXGA and an XGA display?

*Does hard drive really matter that much with the new jump drives?

The two I'm between are:
Satellite MX30 with pentium M at 1.8GHz, 2MB L2 cache, 40GB HDD, and 15.4" display for $1403
.......OR........
Qosimo(unsure of model) with pentium 4 at 3.33GHz, 1MB L2 cache, 100GB HDD, and 17 wide-screen display for $1360.
It appears as if the second is better, but I dont know which is faster and of course that will be a factor! both are also expandable to 1024MB.

If anyone can offer their advice I would appreciate it.

Also, are there any specifics about each that I should be particularly concerned about that would make one better than the other?
Thanks in advance!!
Allison

 

Pentium M - The most power conservative CPU on the market

Celeron M - Based on the Pentium M, but with less power management features and less cache (generally, slower and comsumes more power than a Pentium M)

Pentium 4 - Generally what you get in a desktop. Minimal to no power management (consumes a lot of power and produces a lot of heat), but has a lot of raw computing power

1.6GHz is the frequency/speed the processor operates at (1.6 billion cycles per second)

2MB L2 Cache - Memory built onto the CPU to provide buffering of executed data. The CPU can then make requests back to cache rather than system memory since it's faster. The more cache, the better

400FSB - 400Mhz Front Side Bus is the speed at which the CPU communicates with other components/memory in the system. Almost like the speed on a highway. The faster the better.

WXGA - Wide screen LCD, generally has a resolution of 1280x800, usually provides wider viewing angles than a regular LCD

XGA - Regular LCD, resolution of 1024x768

Hard drives are very important, without it you won't have a place to store your OS or your data. I'm assuming the "Jump Drives" you're talking about are USB memory drives. You need an OS to be able to read/access these drives. It's best to get a hard drive with a faster RPM rate (revolutions per minute). The faster it spins, the faster the Hard drive can read/write your data.

I'd go with the MX30. It has the Pentium M CPU which will give you better battery life than a P4 (vs a comparable cell battery).

Will you be mobile with your notebook? If yes, then just imaging hauling around a 17" notebook that doesn't have a lot of battery power (2 hours at the most on an 8 cell battery, Pentium M will get approx 3.5hrs or more on an 8 cell battery).

The Qosimo is mainly a multimedia notebook to watch movies on. It's a good notebook as well, but it's not really designed to be moved around with you on the road.

You also can't compare CPU speeds. A 1.8Ghz Pentium M CPU can compute as fast as a P4 3.0Ghz or faster CPU. The reason is because the Pentium M's were designed to perform more operations per clock cycle than a P4. Therefore the clock doesn't have to be so high to do the same amount of work.

Hope this helps clearing things up.

-Vb-

 

Yes, that helps termendously!

 

Wow! Great explination. I'm not worthless when it comes to computers but some of the technical stuff goes over my head sometimes. I'm also looking at a toshiba for college, except im leaning more towards the M40's. This information helped a lot!

 

both are great choices f,sure .my choice was the G15.it offers more and to upgrade on the mem gives that extra boost.making multi task unlimited.yes it has a little weight as well as the batt life only making that hour 1/2 mark yet its biult to be moved around also with strong casing.toshiba customer for life[ ]