I finally need to purchase a Windows machine for a project and I still have the same questions I had a year ago. I’m also trying to decide between a 12-13″ model or a 17″ model, which makes comparisons difficult.
Since I have the big PowerBook, having a smaller machine would be nice; but all the smaller machines I’ve found have mobile features over power features. I don’t suppose anyone knows of a 12″ model with a 3+ GHz Pentium 4 and a docking station with a DVI port?
I’m currently looking at the Sony S series and docking station1 and the 17″ Sagers.
Anyone have experiences or other ideas to share?
- I’m assuming they could power the old Mac 22″ Cinema Display. [up]
Another factor that can confuse comparisons, is that you can’t directoy compare the clock speed of the regular P4 vs Centrino (Pentium-M) chips. If you benchmark them against each each other, the Centrino is faster at a given clock speed. From what I’ve read, a 1.6GHz PM outperforms a 2.4GHz P4.
There are confusing designations at play, too. There’s “Pentium”, “Pentium-4M” (aka “Mobile Pentium 4”), and “Pentium-M”. Those are in order from worst to best, as far as laptops go.
Some brain fodder:
clock speed irrelevant for notebooks
Intel’s Pentium M and Centrino
Intel’s Pentium M 1.4GHz processor
That last one has a good comparison between laptops with the P-M and the P4-M. Even though the P4-M had a slightly higher clock speed (1.8GHz vs 1.4GHz), the P-M beat it out.
What about virtual PC?
http://www.microsoft[...]pidvirtualpc
I have it. It is nice for testing (how does this look in IE) but isn’t that suitable for real development.
I would throw an IBM X series into your comparison. I have nothing but success with all IBM products. I am surrently using an old A series with Win2k but I think the X series has power and a lightweight mobile design.
Food for thought.
I like ThinkPads too, but the X series docking stations doesn’t have DVI out (and ThinkPads don’t have Windows keys).
Do you really need a Windows key? It serves no purpose but to bring up the “Start” menu.
The Sony and IBM laptops are probably the best though I have heard good things about Toshiba.
Windows + E = New Windows Explorer
Windows + M = Minimize all and show desktop
Windows + Space = Activate NotLaunch
The last laptop I had was a Toshiba and I wasn’t that impressed.
Win + D = Show Desktop (again to bring windows back up)
Win + F = Search
Win + R = Run
If you’re looking for a great 17″ model with fast processor, DVI and great battery life I’d recommend the Dell Inspiron 9200.
You can put a 2ghz P-M (comparable to a 3ghz P4) in it and it has a 3 hour battery life with standard battery, 5 hours with the extended battery.
I just picked this model up, it’s a beauty, not quite an apple, but for $1500 I’ll take it.
yo –
i have been pretty happy with fujitsu’s offerings – i have a 16″ n5010 that i have been pretty happy with – their customer service is excellent – that fat sony looks good though – when is someone going to knock off the the wide screen wintel ti-book?
Hey Alex,
If you’re worried about not having a Windows key, you can always remap another key to be your Windows key.
Here’s the instructions
Thanks for the Windows key shortcuts. I guess I never knew about them because the Windows key sits where the ‘option’ key is on Mac (if it sat where the Apple key was I may have used it ;-)).
I mapped my right-hand alt key to be the windows key. works fine.
I’ve owned Sony, Dell, and IBM notebooks, and the only ones I’ve enjoyed using without being annoyed are the IBMs, even though they aren’t as fully featured.
Something to consider, anyway. But yeah. No DVI is too bad. And the screens on the IBMs aren’t as good. But I’m still the most productive on one (compared to the others).
I was all excited because you can now configure the Sony S series to have a 5400 rpm drive and a 2.0 GHz Pentium M, but then I called and found out that the DVI out only supports the same resolution as the laptop screen (1280×800) and I was hoping for 1600×1024.
I’ve liked the ThinkPads I’ve used in the past, maybe I should punt on the DVI and look at the X series ThinkPads.
Jon S’ claims are not supported with evidence, and while Dougal supports his claim with a link, in that test the Pentium 4 machine is hobbled by slower memory.
Pentium M (Centrino) is NOT faster than Pentium4-M. See http://www6.tomshard[...]rino-09.html for my “proof”.
Whomever is feeding this crap about Centrino being faster is full of it. I have a Centrino Dell and a non-Centrino Dell, and the Centrino Dell is abyssmal in performance.
If you are going for battery life, there is no comparison, as Centrino wins. So to say that Centrino is a nice performance/battery life tradeoff is a fair statement, anything else is a lie.
(Cautionary disclaimer about lies, damn lies and benchmarks here…)
I have really liked both ThinkPad T Series that I have owned, most recently the T40, much more than any previous Windows computer–including Dell, Compaq and Sony models. Best screen I have seen on a laptop with a native resolution of 1400 x 1050 in a 14″ size.
I like the T series too, but if I go that big I might as well get the 17″ Sager.
Scott S:
My claims are supported with plenty of evidence. Not only that, but you are misquoting me, I never mentioned the P4-M but the P4.
See http://www.anandtech[...]129&p=8 for some benchmarks. There are plenty of articles that show the 2.0ghz P-M “Dothan” is quite a speedy processor, not only that, but it has great battery life to boot.
Nice link, but they don’t say if the P-M is using faster RAM in that test.
Windows Laptop Finalists
Here are the small laptops I’m looking at, partly based on comments my previous post received. I’ve decided I want to go small instead of big.
Sony S-series
Screen: 1280-800 XBRITE
Weight: 4.2 lbs
Size: 12.3″ x 1.16″-1.39″ x 8.85…
Here is another Pentium/Pentium M review,
Ordered the Dell 700m
I went ahead and ordered the Dell 700m as my PC laptop.
They had some compelling configurations in the outlet, so I ended up getting one there. Here are the specs:
2.0 GHz Pentium M (Dothan)
256MB of RAM
80GB HD (5400rpm)
DVD/CD-RW Combo…
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