Ideas on New Laptops

[bigdan]

Guys and gals-

Where are you folks looking for/shopping for/buying new laptops for the start of medical school?

I'm trembling as I look at the prices...

Any insight is much apprecitated.

dc

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[criminallyinane]

Guys and gals-

Where are you folks looking for/shopping for/buying new laptops for the start of medical school?

I'm trembling as I look at the prices...

Any insight is much apprecitated.

dc

Get a Powerbook. It'll be the best notebook you've ever bought and you'll never go back. Trust me. If you want to go all out, get the 17 or 15-inch. If you want to save a little, go for the 12-inch. Ultraportable, and you can hook it up to a bigge rmonitor when you're at home if you want.

 

[_J_]

Get a Powerbook. It'll be the best notebook you've ever bought and you'll never go back. Trust me. If you want to go all out, get the 17 or 15-inch. If you want to save a little, go for the 12-inch. Ultraportable, and you can hook it up to a bigge rmonitor when you're at home if you want.

i totally agree

pc's are for suckers

 

[sdnstud]

Go to Dell outlet at http://www1.us.dell.com/content/default.aspx?c=us&cs=22&l=en&s=dfh

There are some amazing deals on there. My friend got a Dell Inspiron 9300 Pent M 1.6GHz, 512MB RAM, 60 Gb HD, 9600 Radeon graphics card for $800.

Guys and gals-

Where are you folks looking for/shopping for/buying new laptops for the start of medical school?

I'm trembling as I look at the prices...

Any insight is much apprecitated.

dc

 

[PhysicsDoc]

You would be absolutely insane to buy a Powerbook now.

Not only is the G4 a horrendously outdated processor (I've covered this in other threads, and don't care to restate everything here), but it's apparently been so long since IBM provided an improvement in Apple's laptop technology that Apple is considering switching to Intel CPU's. Apple may not even be 'considering' it anymore, since it's already been posted on C|Net, which is a fairly reputable news site:

http://news.com.com/Apple+to+ditch+...3-5731398.html?part=rss&tag=5731398&subj=news

At the very least I would wait until WWDC opens on Monday to find out for certain; but if this is the case, buying a Powerbook (or for that matter any Mac running a PowerPC CPU) would be a complete waste of money. OSX would have to be recompiled for x86 along with all of its software, and the PowerPC market would be completely neglected as Apple's current market share is only 3% (even that number is generous; the article claims it's 1.8%). It would not be profitable to write/update software for so small a market segment.

 

[DrBowtie]

I got a laptop for undergrad so ~4 years later I am getting a new one too.
I think tablet's could get more popular/affordable. My friend got a Gateway laptop that converted into a tablet if you flip the screen and lay it on the keyboard. I thought it could be pretty useful.

 

[physiclas87]

Here's a great deal for a Dell laptop. Enter these e-value codes in the correct box for the laptop of your choice:

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at:

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(this is the regular Dell home page)

Then configure your laptop, and when you are viewing your cart, enter this coupon code:

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You will save $600 off $1599 or more. Coupon expires 6/8/05 at 5:59 am CT.

Your welcome

 

[physiclas87]

*You're Welcome

I'm dumb.

 

[lumaya]

i totally agree

pc's are for suckers

I second that....I jsut got myself a 12 in ibook and I LOVE it!!! Its not quite as sexy as the powerbook but its light, portable, and still way sexier than other laptops out there. OSX Tiger is great! Its a little pricey I suppose but I expect to be using it a LONG time...

also...I think that the ibook is actually sturdier in a way b/c the shell is made polycarbonate plastic, the material used in bulletproof glass, and is more malleable than metal. My bf dropped his powerbook once and the metal bent slightly and he's never gotten rid of the resulting bump. ibooks are also sllightly cheaper than the powerbook with the same functionalities. Macs are also much less prone to viruses b/c most viruses target PC users.

I love my new ibook....

 

[criminallyinane]

I don't know anything about computers, so I can't comment on the G4 processor thingies, but I'd rather have an "outdated" processor in a computer that WORKS than buy the newest and flashiest PC and be a prisoner to Microsoft's shoddy security, constant crashes, etc. My Mac just works. It's great and perfect for medical school... ie, I don't have to worry about something bad happening to it at the wrong time.

 

[junebuguf]

I'm a former IT worker with a degree in Comp Sci/Electrical Engineering and experience with several laptops, so take my advice--STAY AWAY FROM DELL and BUY A THINKPAD or APPLE.

Dells suck. I bought two, recommended several to friends and almost all of them had major hardware failures within 2-3 years. Either the Hard Drive crashed, PCMCIA and Ethernet ports went out of service, there was always something going wrong. And when it does, you will be on the phone with someone in New Delhi telling you to take apart every damn piece of hardware and reinstall it in case 'the connections are loose.'

Its just a very poorly built product, hence the cheap price.

IBM, however, is known to build a quality product and after two years with my thinkpad which is light, has never crashed and has the best keyboard made on laptops--this is important if you plan to type anything but short emails. I'm so used to the wonderful tactile feel of the keys that I find it uneasy to type on regular keyboards now.

If you can migrate from the Windows platform, I'd recommend an Apple, which is truly the easiest to use, will never crash with the new UNIX based Tiger OS. The best partof Apple is that it has true plug-and-play capability--connect all kinds of peripherals with no drivers or I/O errors like you have with Windows.

 

[63768]

i've had a good experience with dells, using them all my life. my only gripe with dell is the new widescreen monitors on laptops.

anyway, i currently have a toshiba. do you guys have any opinions on toshibas since i'm thinking about staying with the brand. i dunno. my options were toshiba, thinkpad, and dell.

 

[whuds]

I'd stay away from apple. there are just thousands of more apps written for windows. Apple are cool but there is more choice in the windows machines.

I have a Centrino notebook Gateway 3520 from Best Buy for about 1050 this past year for med school and I love it. Go here for good reviews from consumers like us (this is non comercial) they rate all notebooks including Apple if thats what you want.

http://notebookforums.com/

P.S. Unless the school you are going to go to is apple based most if not all the stuff is windows based. Yes our school has a ton of stuff on the web now on Blackboard.

 

[Gexar]

Unless they provide me with one in my medical tuition, I am not purchasing a laptop.

I prefer to do it the old-fashioned way, just like how my father and grandfathers did it

 

[whuds]

What ever you buy make it a light laptop 5lbs or less. A lot of students find it hard to lug around a heavier laptop. You should have one though cause I have used it so much between reasearch and communication and study guides from friends our fraternity PHI CHI has a ton of stuff, cell Bio, Physio and ect. to give out on DVD.

 

[nockamura]

Happy to see so many mac fans, but be sure you won't need to use certain software from your school before buying a mac. I want to sell the IBM I get from Wake (and get an iBook), but I might be stuck because the software I need is PC only I think. Any current Wake students' comments would be appreciated.

 

[medready2005]

check out the dell inspiron 700m......they have nice prices on craigslist.com

 

[deuist]

Unless they provide me with one in my medical tuition, I am not purchasing a laptop.

Florida State and (I think) Wake Forest give students a laptop with their tuition. I wish that more schools would take this approach so that student loans and the military would pay for the computer.

 

[LaDoctorFutura]

I personally have a 12" ibook and love it. don't worry about applications, because most programs have the option of Windows or Mac. Apple is updating their laptops this week, or at least releasing the date of the upcoming release of the new ones, so wait a bit to get the better version.

 

[nockamura]

Yeah, they're probably gonna update the iBook line at WWDC (iBooks are almost just as good as powerbooks now). I know that macs have most of the important software that PC's have, but I'm worried that some specialized medical software will be needed that's PC only.

 

[bigdan]

Unless they provide me with one in my medical tuition, I am not purchasing a laptop.

I prefer to do it the old-fashioned way, just like how my father and grandfathers did it

G-

I'm with you, and had this plan until the email I got that said "You must own a laptop...two-thirds of your exams, and soon all of them, will be administered through the internet..."

...so I gotta get one....

dc

 

[KudosLaLa]

I guess this is no place for Toshiba- or Vaio-lovers...

 

[freaker]

Toshiba makes pretty decent laptops. I think just about any Sony product is over-priced, but they're good quality.

When it comes down to it, I say get an IBM Thinkpad. You really can't go wrong. Pick up a Thinkpad and compare it to a Dell. The thing is just far sturdier. Dells have this nasty habit of shedding parts with time. Thinkpads, on the other hand, are regularly the only laptops that survive the drop-from-chest-height-onto-the-hard-floor test fully functional.

Just dependable laptops, well-made. I own a T40, and I plan on keeping it thorugh med school. No problems whatsoever.

 

[fun8stuff]

check out the dell inspiron 700m......they have nice prices on craigslist.com

i love my 700m! got mine for 50% off with a dell discount...

 

[fever5]

....I'd rather have an "outdated" processor in a computer that WORKS than buy the newest and flashiest PC and be a prisoner to Microsoft's shoddy security, constant crashes, etc......

LOL! Oh yes MACS NEVER Crash. I work in a lab with 4 brand new G5 dual processor computers....guess what? THEY CRASH!!!! worse yet? it is almost impossible to kill a thread with them. at least in windows XP SP2 you can have a better chance at terminating a stalled app.

polycarb? no! stay away from plastic if possible. magnesium alloy is best (light and strong). titanium is heavy.

dell is a good price but i wonder about componenets.

Best laptops made are IBM. I have had several which I have used every single day for university (and highschool). they are solid.

toshiba is also a good brand. they make wicked tablets (I have been using one for the past 2 years) and they have a good build quality.

with MACS you are severely limited with software selection. don't lose sight of what you're using computer for!!! working!!! not looking at. Macs look really sweet. Macs have always lead in asthetic design. Unfortunately they do crash, more expensive (b/c "brand" name), less apps, and outdated componenets. the ATI cards powerbooks use are almost always way behind current ones used in comparable PC notebooks.

finally Mac software which was ported from Pc (like Word) is frusterating to use on a MAC, as the app was designed for two mouse buttons not one. Yes shortcut keys get around this, but it is still really anoying and time consuming, especially if you're typing in class.

 

[MadameLULU]

LOL! Oh yes MACS NEVER Crash. I work in a lab with 4 brand new G5 dual processor computers....guess what? THEY CRASH!!!! worse yet? it is almost impossible to kill a thread with them. at least in windows XP SP2 you can have a better chance at terminating a stalled app.

Im not sure what's wrong with MACs either. I use a G5 at work and IE is always shutting down on me--it's incredibly frustrating. I would use Safari for all my internet needs, but for some reason it's not secure.

Oh, and I think I'm going to purchase a thinkpad

 

[ambaduchi]

ibm thinkpad t42. if you like not having to deal with your computer, ie "get under the hood", this thing is the way to go. reliability and minimal hassle were my key buying points. and if you are a nuts and bolts type, i'm told it's incredibly well-built machine.

i used dells for years at various jobs (where they paid for them). many problems -- crashing, keys falling off, screens losing pixels. it was all good when i had fancy shmancy tech support to hand off the computer to, and say "fix it". but now that i'm on my own, and i'm my only tech support, i figured a dell would have been v. risky.

i've been with my t42 for 6 months, couldn't be happier. i use it 4-8 hrs per days. fully loaded, it cost about $1600. it's under 5 lbs, built like a rock, good battery life (3 hrs), and legendary ibm warranty of 3 yrs. ya, it's not sexy like the cute little ibooks but i'm not trying to look cool with my laptop. (ok, maybe a little cool, but it's not a priority

 

[myodana]

finally Mac software which was ported from Pc (like Word) is frusterating to use on a MAC, as the app was designed for two mouse buttons not one. Yes shortcut keys get around this, but it is still really anoying and time consuming, especially if you're typing in class.

frustrating? maybe like the first week. you can hook up a 2-button mouse, "ctrl-click", or use shortcut keys and you get used to it right away. you are right, though. they do crash on occasion... but i can't say it's any worse than my dell. i bought a 14" ibook back in november after my dell inspiron 800m was stolen, and i have never looked back. this is the best computer i've ever had. light, easy, fun to use, and totally functional for everything i need. i've used both, have friends that have both, and from what i've seen, it's totally personal preference.

 

[criminallyinane]

My PC used to crash weekly. My Apple has never crashed. just my personal experience, but hey, to each his own.

Also, there is NO app you can't run on an Apple if you get Virtual PC. So if you are a medical student with some more hefty software needs or something, just get VirtualPC and use a Mac.

 

[size_tens]

I would say get an IBM Thinkpad T42 (or T43) and be done with it. The Intel Centrino processor is far superior to the PowerMac G4 chip for use in laptops. Sorry Apple fans but your battery life and processor efficiency just pale in comparison.

 

[amnesia]

May I recommend a Sony VAIO or an IBM ThinkPad.

MadameLULU, Safari is just as secure as IE! But, KHTML has problems rendering because of poorly scripted Web sites. Thank God for the W3C.

 

[Ames980]

question -- for those of you with laptops - is it worth the extra weight to have a 17 inch screen? ive been looking to get the dell [*gasp*] inspiron 9300, mainly because i want a larger screen, but would a 7.5 lb laptop be too heavy to carry around?

 

[size_tens]

I would say get an IBM Thinkpad T42 (or T43) and be done with it. The Intel Centrino processor is far superior to the PowerMac G4 chip for use in laptops. Sorry Apple fans but your battery life and processor efficiency just pale in comparison.

So I kinda take back what I said earlier. It looks like Apple computers will be switching to Intel CPU's in the next couple years.

To answer Ames' question, believe me you do not want to be carrying around a 7.5 lb laptop with a 17" screen with any regularity. If you can live with a 12" screen (weighing around 4 lb) that would be much more comfortable. For home use you could hook up a larger external monitor. Although a difference of 2 or 3 lb may not sound like much, the extra bulk becomes a big deal after a while.

 

[Uegis]

$750 off $1500 at Dell for the Inspiron. Tomorrow only, usually doesn't last more than an hour. Configure it tonight (if you have a Dell account) save the configuration and buy it first thing tomorrow 9 AM EST.

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/value_inspn?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

I bought a 700m a while back with identical offer. If you are getting a desktop replacement, look at the 600m. Ames, this will work for the 9300 u want.

 

[cromagnon]

I like the displays on the vaio laptops...how do the thinkpad displays compare?

 

[KudosLaLa]

Laptop market is very competitive right now, and I am sure you get what you pay for no matter what brand of laptop you buy.
The most important thing is that you buy the one you like the most. If you think MAC is right for you, visit the nearest MAC store around you. If you think ThinkPad is right for you, call Beijing or something. The truth is that you will be buying a new one in 3-4 years anyway.

 

[Dr. Donkey]

I keep hearing (on forums and such) people who are not satisfied with the Vaio because it is unreliable and the tech support sucks. It seems like a good deal because of all the features/hardware for a relatively low price, but maybe they skimp on the build quality. I'm looking at a ThinkPad, which is one of the only computers that appears to be without major detractors. How do you think the Vaio stacks up against the ThinkPad? Do you know what a Dirty Sanchez is?

I guess this is no place for Toshiba- or Vaio-lovers...

 

[nockamura]

Im not sure what's wrong with MACs either. I use a G5 at work and IE is always shutting down on me--it's incredibly frustrating. I would use Safari for all my internet needs, but for some reason it's not secure.

Oh, and I think I'm going to purchase a thinkpad

Maybe the problem was IE and not the mac. As for force quitting, you can use the process viewer in the terminal or command-option-escape.

 

[aragonh]

I have 3 laptops (and thinking of getting a 4th one)

1. HP NC6000 - 5hrs of battery life
2. Apple 15' G4 Laptop
3. Linux/WinXp Desktop Replacement
4 Possibly a DELL XPS2 or HP top of the line.

Now each of these laptops have their functions. The HP is my mobile unit. Linux stays at home for networking. Apple for multimedia (video, audio)

What I found out about laptops is that:
1. It depends on what you want to use it for
If you want to carry them around w/ u all the time, think about batter life and size. If u want to play games on them, think about CPU and Memory.

2. How much are you willing to spend:
Apples are more expensive compared to PC laptops. But they do offer better software services (Ichat, Ilife, etc) and better customer support.
Dell has made laptops very cheap and you can obtain an Excellent one for basic things (word processiong, cd/dvd burning, internet) for about $1000

3. Depends on what you are used to
I've primarily used to Windows so when I got an Apple, it took a while to get used to the configuration as well as shortcut keys (and I crashed it so many times when I was trying to attach an external drive . .glad they updated the OsX).
So be aware that there will be a learning curve if you make a switch.

4. Depends on the software used
I use DragonSpeak on Windows. There is nothing compatible on that in Apple. It is useless trying to attempt to use VirtualPC since Dragon Speak intergrates with MS Word.
I love Apple Ilife05. It has been the easiest (to date) to capture my video

Lots of software (Mozilla Firefox) can work on all platforms. Hope your school was far-sighted enough to purchase such software.

 

[sweatybrain]

lulu,

why not firefox? I use a combination of firefox and safari, and haven't had to launched IE in the last 2 years.

I second the apple vote. I have been using 12" PB (and had a 15" titanium PB before). I was using a Dell laptop and switched 4 years ago. Haven't looked back since. Apple customer service is also much better than Dell's...my average wait time when I called technical support or customer service is ~3 minutes; if you live close to an apple store, you can get most problem diagnosed at the Genius Bar. OS X is a joy to use and does not require you to virus scan/trojan scan/worm scan/update registry every other day.

 

[microman]

Has anybody looked at the HP dv1000 series (14" widescreen) or 4000 series (15.4" widescreen)? The specs are comparable to Toshiba Satellites or Sony Vaios, but they're much cheaper. Any thoughts on HP?

 

[stoic]

I recently bought a 15" powerbook for med school. I gotta say, I love it like a million times more than I ever thought I would. The G4 has been around for a while, but this computer is a 1.5ghz and way, way faster than my old notebook (a 1.4ghz HP). So far I've had no compatability issues, but I do still have my old notebook around just in case one pops up someday.

really the importants of pc vs. mac gets blown way out of proportion. either will do fine for the vast majority of people. i was tired of windows and ready for a change... so i switched and have been really happy since.

oh, and the powerbooks are *the* sexiest computer out there right now.

 

[sdnstud]

Hey you computer experts out there, I can get a dell 600m, 1.8ghz Pent M, 512ram, DVD RW, 60g hard-drive for a little over $800. Is that a good deal?

 

[nockamura]

I dunno, but don't go with what UCSD "recommends" for computers. They suggest really high end systems that I doubt you will need. I think they do it so that you buy a computer from the UCSD bookstore (which I did actually).

 

[joe6102]

I'd recommend Dell because I'm an applie and IBM hater for many reasons. Since no one has said anything bad about IBM, I will. They come with so much pre-installed software running that you need a RAM upgrade right off the bat. You know their commercial that says the laptop can "brace for impact"? Well it uses software to park the HDD during a freefall, and this software runs 24 hours a day using 30 MB of RAM. And yes, IBM's break down just as much as Dell's.

It's all about your personal preference, but everyone can use the following advice: wait until the week before you start med school before buying one. Most likely, prices will come down even in the next month or two. The longer you wait, the lower the price, in general.

 

[aragonh]

Hey you computer experts out there, I can get a dell 600m, 1.8ghz Pent M, 512ram, DVD RW, 60g hard-drive for a little over $800. Is that a good deal?

IS this new or refurbished??

Either way, this is an awesome deal. I would definitely take it.

 

[DMD_hopeful]

I think Dell still has the $750.00 off coupon for notebooks. Check out slickdeals.net

 

[fun8stuff]

Hey you computer experts out there, I can get a dell 600m, 1.8ghz Pent M, 512ram, DVD RW, 60g hard-drive for a little over $800. Is that a good deal?

yes this is a good deal. you will find dells will have the best value all around. i have used dells for 6 years never had a problem. their great value is why so many schools and companies use them. apples will be better once they get the intel chips in them, but for now they are running on old technology.

 

[sdnstud]

It's brand new with one year warranty. The price is around $1550, but Dell is offering $750 off. The deal ends this friday.

IS this new or refurbished??

Either way, this is an awesome deal. I would definitely take it.

 

[doozenberg]

I'd recommend Dell because I'm an applie and IBM hater for many reasons. Since no one has said anything bad about IBM, I will. They come with so much pre-installed software running that you need a RAM upgrade right off the bat. You know their commercial that says the laptop can "brace for impact"? Well it uses software to park the HDD during a freefall, and this software runs 24 hours a day using 30 MB of RAM. And yes, IBM's break down just as much as Dell's.

I have an IBM Thinkpad T41p and would highly recommend getting a thinkpad t-series. I've used a Dell Latitude in the past and I have to say I like the thinkpad a lot more. An analogy- thinkpad::mercedes-benz as dell::ford. Much higher build-quality, higher quality components, sturdy, stable, fast. Yes, you pay a premium, but you get a better performing machine in the end. If you want your computer to run for the long haul, I would recommend the investment in an ibm.

joe6102, as for the pre-installed software, you can uninstall whatever you want. Although, most of it is pretty useful stuff like IBM Access which is there to access the backup partition in case your hard drive fails and updates hardware drivers. And you can also disable the software that parks your hard drive when it detects falling movement. The default setting is a bit sensitive, but you can tone it down so it doesn't trigger as often. I also think it's nice to have something like an "airbag" for your hard drive--one drop without it and there goes your work/life. I don't think any other manufacturers offer this feature.

I'm not sure if Lenovo (http://news.com.com/IBM+sells+PC+group+to+Lenovo/2100-1042_3-5482284.html?tag=st_lh) has already taken over manufacturing of the thinkpads, so I'm not sure if the same quality will hold up through the hand-off. I hope thinkpads stay true to form. I'd recommend trying to find one built by IBM before they're all gone.