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Getting a Windows-Based Laptop

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I know this will probably cause some controversy with some people on this site, but I am sure that there are people here who use both Windows and Macs. When I go back to college in the fall I will need to get a laptop that runs Windows. It kind of makes me sad that I wont be able to use my PB G4, oh well. I am not sure what brand to get, I had an Alienware laptop that I used when I was there before, but it was pretty big and I would like to get something that is easy to carry around. I wont need the laptop until August so I will probably wait and get it in July. The college has minimum specifications that the laptop needs to meet.

Here are the minimum specs: • Equivalent of an Intel® Pentium® M processor 715 (1.5GHz)
• XGA TFT Active Matrix Display
• SVGA/XGA Video Adapter
• 2 GB Memory
• 80GB Hard Drive
• DVD-RW Drive
• Integrated 10/100 Ethernet adapter
• Integrated 802.11b/g wireless network adapter
• Integrated sound and stereo speakers, headphone/speaker jack, and microphone jacks
• Lithium ion battery with AC pack
• Extra Lithium ion battery
• Integrated V.92 56K modem
• Extended Service Plan
• Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional


What brand would everyone reccomend? Price isnt a real big issue, so I am going to get something that is going to last me for the rest of the time I am in college.


EDIT: I just got to thinking about something, do you think that by the time I would purchase this, which will be in mid to late July, that Windows will be more stable on the MacBook Pro? If I would be able to run Windows on a MBP and have it run stable and have no problems that would make it a lot easier for me, I wouldnt have to switch from using my PB and my Windows laptop, I could just use one laptop.
 

BiT


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Maybe by then all the drivers will be sorted out and the MacBook Pro will be a fully capable windows machine. As it is, it runs windows xp, but some of the drivers aren't there yet (video is one i believe)

Maybe use the Alienware until the MBP fully supports Windows XP, and then get one of those.

You edited before I was finished! :mac:
 
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dmachine
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claudius753 said:
Maybe by then all the drivers will be sorted out and the MacBook Pro will be a fully capable windows machine. As it is, it runs windows xp, but some of the drivers aren't there yet (video is one i believe)

Maybe use the Alienware until the MBP fully supports Windows XP, and then get one of those.

You edited before I was finished! :mac:


I dont have the Alienware any more so I would need to get a laptop before I start.
 
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i would use the powerbook untill macbook pro rev B comes out.
 
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EDIT-XTREEM said:
i would use the powerbook untill macbook pro rev B comes out.

I would like to wait for the rev B but I am going to need the laptop when I go back to college this August, I believe the start date is around the middle of August.
 
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EDIT-XTREEM said:
whats wrong with the powerbook?

There is nothing wrong with my PB but the college requires me to have Windows.
 
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Sorry I should have mentioned this originally. They require me to have a Windows-based laptop because of my major, which is Technical Support Specialist.
 

dtravis7


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I needed a Windows laptop for all the work I do for people. I use all Macs for my personal work but had to have a Windows lappy also.

I picked up a Compaq with AMD Turion 64Bit CPU. It will take 2GB RAM. I am quite happy with it so far. I can not afford a MacBook Pro at the moment and needed something that runs XP but did not cost $2k plus. The AMD Turion 64 keeps right up and gets pretty good battery life also. Runs quite cool. I do miss my Macs when having to use the system, but it's not bad at all and more important, gets the job done.
 
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can you even get more than 2 gb ram in a notebook? *min 2gb*
 
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EDIT-XTREEM said:
can you even get more than 2 gb ram in a notebook? *min 2gb*

The new Dell Core-Duos can take up to 4 GB, but you are talking $3k extra.
 
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Technical support specialist? They have a college degree for that now?

What next, are we going to have to go to college just to wipe our butts?

And what the **** is up with those system requirements?!?!!?

and for technical support at that!

PS. I don't mean to knock on your major/career path... I'm knocking on... college and their cronies. It's all about the spend spend spend...
 
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what are you talking about? do u want some guy on the phone or coming to your house who minored or took a few classes on tech support? he prob needs a supper sweet computer to learn to run everything too....yikes thing about it.
 
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dmachine
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nonameo said:
Technical support specialist? They have a college degree for that now?

What next, are we going to have to go to college just to wipe our butts?

And what the **** is up with those system requirements?!?!!?

and for technical support at that!

PS. I don't mean to knock on your major/career path... I'm knocking on... college and their cronies. It's all about the spend spend spend...


The degreee I am in covers a lot of different areas. It involves networking, web development, programming, hardware issues, software issues, databases, maintenance.
 
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If you can get by with 1.2 gig of ram, I have a HPL2000 (the Lance Armstrong edition) for sale, it has 2 batteries, and the extended HP Warranty. (there are 2 years left), the bright widescreen, I also have all of the origional boxes, softeware, etc. I'd take $925.00 which includes shipping & insurance. I'm going to eBay it with in the next week or so as soon as I get my new G4 set up. There is nothing wrong with the laptop, I just decided to switch to a Apple.
 
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Okay this is an entertaining one :)

2Gb of ram?!? In a notebook?!?! I do support for a large firm and also application development and manage perfectly well with a 2.8Ghz desktop with 512Mb ram running multiple apps and development environments!!!

Plus, regardless of what anyone else says, do NOT buy an Apple product relying on the fact that it will be able to run Windows perfectly. This is your degree and you don't want to take any risks and putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage to everyone else on your course. You don't want to hand in some coursework with a note at the bottom saying "sorry, I couldn't do X because I'm on a Mac".

Most laptops are good, Sony Vaios are gorgeous (I assume you can get them in the US) but quite pricey.

But please, as I've already said, if your college says get something that runs Windows, get something that was designed to, not a Mac.

By the way, Macs do rock, just not for running Windows.
 

dtravis7


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The Compaq I mentioned in my other post here does do 2GB RAM.
 
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Hmm...

Go for the Dell XPS M140 laptop. I had it, and unfortunately mine must have been defective. But, a relative of mine got one as well, and theirs works perfectly. It's a good, fast laptop.

And don't go for Compaq, their quality has known to have gone down. I'm not sure about other users here, but they're getting a pretty bad reputation.
 

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