Will this SZ setup work?

I have a few questions here. First of all, how soon will Intel come out with the successor for Core 2 Duo? I'm very interested in picking up an SZ360, but I was reading an article saying a new chip was in the works and should be coming out fairly soon (are they talking about quad core?).

So here we go.

Question #1:
My main worry is Intel coming out with a new chip in the near future, and Sony incorporating that chip, thus my laptop will lose value. Does anyone have any word on when Intel would be coming out with a new chipset for notebooks?

Question #2:
I'm thinking of using my SZ as my main computer in college, just so I can lug it around places. Bad idea? What if I pick up an external moniotor?

Question #3:
If I pick up a port replicator (which by the is only $160 shipped here, and I pick up this 20.1" moniotor, would this be a nice setup? I'm mainly talking about how good quality the screen will look, and if it would seem as though I'm using a desktop. Can anyone confirm I can use dual moniotors without buying another video card? Do I just need to hook up the monitor to the docking station and change some display settings?

Thanks!

 

Sony won't be doing any updates until Intel lanches Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa is a new package that will be known as Centrino Pro, and will replace the current Centrino in time. It will be released sometime this year, probably in the first quarter or second quarter. Along with a new processer, will come a new chipset, and that is the time, when Sony will update the current SZ, or introduce a new model to replace it. Taking an SZ to college isn't a bad idea. Its a small, light notebook that is very powerful.

 

The SZ screen is nice - I never feel like I need an external monitor.

I think the SZ is too big to lug around campus. I travel a lot for work and am getting tired of lugging the SZ. My next laptop will definitely be smaller.

If I were a student, I'd go for small+long battery life like the TX series. It makes a big difference when you carry the thing around for 5 hours, SZ gets heavy while you'll barely notice the TX is in your bag.

 

But personally, I'll take the C2D processor over the measly, ultra-low voltage 1.2GHz. I'm actually a former TX user, sold mine last week on eBay. The thing was amazing, took it to classes, took notes, etc. But now I want to use a laptop as my main PC, and 1.2GHz of ultra low voltage power aint gonna cut it. Even with 1.5GB of memory.

But back to my original question, will I have any difficulties with a 20" monitor hooking that up to my SZ docking station? Resolution will be perfect and it would "seem" like I was on a desktop?

This is the monitor I'm looking at:
http://www.techonweb.com/products/productdetail.aspx?id=C98146&src=PG

Thanks again guys.

 

Have to agree on this one. I was the king of ultraportables for awhile - I had both the U70 and the JVC MP-XP741. Both were P-M 1.1. They were light, and much better in that aspect than the Dell POS heavy brick I got from work.

I then got the Sharp MW70J which is also 13.3" and weighs about 3.7lbs. It was nice, had 1.5GB of memory, but was slow compared to the SZ.

The lighter spec'd laptops just didn't have enough power for me. I need a light laptop due to a bad back and I travel every week for work. I do not notice the weight at all because with the ultralight laptops, if you get an extended battery or have to take other accessories (such as a DVD drive) to make 'em work, you add that weight right back in.

Don't get me wrong - I can tell the difference in the 1/2 lb between the Sharp and the SZ I have with the extended battery. The SZ with the standard battery would be the same weight as the Sharp. The SZ is the right balance of power and portability, period.

I haven't had wanderlust for another laptop since I got the SZ, which is saying a lot considering in 2 years I went through 3 laptops that didn't cut the mustard.

If you don't do much more than word processing or surfing the 'net, a TX or G would be fine. If you do more, stick with the SZ.

To me the tradeoff is around 4lbs. Anything over about 4.1 pounds (which is the