Buying A New Laptop!

I've decided I'm going to purchase a new laptop,
Because my desktop will soon give me a heart attack :)
It crashs all the time, there is just so much wrong with it.also will be moving around soon, so it seems like a good idea :)
So! I'm going to have a fresh start!heres the specs of the Laptop I've decided im going with:Dell™ Inspiron™ 1720Processor: Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology - Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.4GHz/ 800 FSB/ 3MB Cache)
Operating system: Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate (32Bit) (will get XP on it, Vista is annoying.)
Memory: 4GB Dual-channel 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM 2
Harddrive: 500GB Dual Drive (250GB x2) 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
Monitor: 17.0" Widescreen WXGA+ (1440x900) TFT Display with TrueLifeâ„¢
Graphic Card: 256MB NVIDIA® Geforce® 8600M GT
Optical Device: 8X max DVD+/-RW Drive with DVD+R double layer write capability
Wireless Network Card: Intel® 4965 Wireless-N Mini-cardat the price of NZ$2,339
its at a 10% discount at the moment
and a free upgrade from Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor T8300 to T9300but i won't be purchasing it until around June 20th.Sound like a decent laptop?

except for the fact it's a dell, yes. Also you can't have 4GB ram with a 32-bit OS because it can't address that much. Also I wouldn't bother with a wireless-N card, the standard is not yet ratified so the card may end up being incompatible with N standard equipment, and its a huge battery drain. Just get a standard b/g or a/b/g for now.

oh ok thanks for the heads up Loonylion :)maybe I'll keep browsing
I should really learn to become more computer savy :D

It gives a trick to enable 4 GB Ram on Vista 32 bit:
Go to C:/Windows/system32
search the file cmd.exe rightclick it an run it as an administrator
then a window appears and you must write: bcdedit /set PAE forceenableDon't know if its work under Windows XP too

you can enable ram over 4GB on windows 2003 by adding /PAE to the windows command in boot.ini, but that doesnt work in xp.EDIT: I have researched this further and have determined that Microsoft disabled support for 4GB ram in XP SP2 allegedly for compatibility reasons. It cannot be re-enabled.

oh ok thanks for the effort dude :D
so theres really no point getting 4G ram with XP?I'm really not to fussed about the OS
will use my laptop mostly for Online gameplay like World Of Warcraft
and watching a few videos and surfing the netreading the WoW requirements and it says
- Windows® System 2000/XP

no, there is no point in going above 3GB

sweet :)
theres one that is 3g
might just go with that,thanks alot for the help dude :D

The specs are good (many times better than my current laptop :p ). You should either get a no-os option with the vista CD available (if not OEM), or just XP installed as you said. As I take it, you're buying a laptop to replace your desktop, right? If so, make sure it has good cooling... from experience they tend to get VERY hot if you leave it on for long periods.

I'd recommend Toshiba Satellite A200-21T, my sister got it, and even me, who doesn't like laptops, like it. :) Search for the specs, I couldn't find them.

cool thanks guys :)
yeah i would tend to have it on abit
and yes SCREW my desktop XD its terrible!sweet I'll see if i can find it somewhere :)

BloodVayne · #9If so, make sure it has good cooling... from experience they tend to get VERY hot if you leave it on for long periods.

To my knowledge, this was only a problem on the Pentium 4 laptops, which had a tendency to melt if left on for a long period.

considering it's going to be a 17 incher heat might not be so much of an issue - but i'd still keep it away from your lap considering the size and the potential to get quite hot underneathyou can try zepto for laptops, they have good chassis and you can select the parts you want/need for everything. you can even choose to have no OS installed

The T9300 is nice.
The 8600M is nice.
The 17' screen has a poor resolution for a 17' screen.
Why 2x 250gb? That'll just drain power. Get 1. Or external.
Just get 4GB.
Don't get TurboMemory, it stinks.

Loonylion · #12To my knowledge, this was only a problem on the Pentium 4 laptops, which had a tendency to melt if left on for a long period.

True, my P4 2.8 Ghz Toshiba shuts down when it gets too hot (which is pretty much whenever I play games on it). Never hurts to make sure, though.

I have just recently bought a Dell Inspiron 1720 with Vista, 3GB of Ram. Although I do have a bit of an issue with the hard drive making a "clicking noise". You can only hear it in very quiet environments.

i'll bet the 3 gis of ram was at a trade off for intergrated intel graphics

Oeh, a new neat laptop is about to be released (half of July):JHL90 (like the 15W26+ laptops, look it up, brandless)-----Price (see features below)-----954 euro-----Main features-----Intel C2D P8400 (P8600 = +31 euro, T9400 = +88, T9600 = +256)
3GB DDR2-800 SO-DIMM (4GB = +15)
160GB HDD 5400RPM (7200RPM = +28)
DVD +/- burner (BluRay = +214)
Bluetooth (optional, if not included = -20)
No OS.-----And from the ad-----15.4” WSXGA+, 1680 x 1050 resolution, Glare Type Technology
Nvidia Geforce 9600M GT 512MB Dedicated DDR2 VRAMIntel® PM45 + ICH9-MEthernet 10/100/1000M Base T on board
Intel ® PRO/Wireless 4965AGN
Integrated V.92 MDC Fax/Modem w/ Azalia Ver 2.1 compliant
2M pixel CMOS Camera
Biometric Fingerprint ScannerBuilt-in Intel® High Definition Audio audio chip, with 3D effect & full duplex
Build-in high-quality speakers (blabla...)
Array Microphone
S/W Volume up/downDesktop-Like Ergonomic Full-Size 87/88key, 3mm Travel with Win Function Key
Touch Pad with two buttons(up & down)Express Card 34 / 54 support
4-in-1 Flash Card Reader (SD/MMC/MS/MSPRO)
1 VGA port/Mini D-sub 15-pin for External Monitor
3 USB 2.0 Ports (3 Power USB Ports)
1 HDMI Out Port
2 Audio Jacks: Mic-in and Headphone
1 LAN RJ-45 and One Phone RJ-11 Jack
Internal Mic
1 TV-out S-VideoHDD Password
Kensington lock
BIOS Booting User Password Protection
Fingerprint scannerUniversal AC adapter. Output: 19V DC, 4.73A, 90W
Primary: 9 cells, 7200mAh, 3.5Hrs Battery LifeDimensions : 358(W)x259(D)x39(rear)~25{front)(H)mm
Weight: 2.9 kg with 9 cell battery.Warranty: 2 year carry-in (can be extended)