Technology Looking at a new Laptop

[Caesar]

Anyone have anything to say about this Laptop I have picked out?

I am not very tech savvy anymore and only use computer for Internet, Word, Powerpoint, iTunes, and maybe to burn a DVD from time to time. On a very rare occasions I use Fireworks to edit an image. These are the Specs on the Lenovo I am looking at, My price range was under 1,000 and this comes in just over 800.

I want to take it with me to class and I am told the battery life runs at around the 4 hour mark which is all I'd really need.

(My current laptop is ~4 years old and has a battery life of 30 mins on a good day, 10 on a busy one).

ThinkPad SL400 Series - 1Year Depot

- Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2) 25W
- Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium
- 14.1" WXGA AntiGlare
-Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500
- 3 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
- UltraNav with fingerprint reader
- 160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
- DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer
- No Bluetooth
- ThinkPad 11b/g Wireless LAN Mini PCI Express Adapter III

6 cell Li-Ion Battery ( 2.4 Ah )

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[187502]

Looks like a good basic laptop to me.

 

[xanthomondo]

Isn't Windows 7 expected to come out in a few months? If so I would wait for that to come out before getting your computer. Buy a new battery to hold yourself over if you need to.

 

[187502]

Isn't Windows 7 expected to come out in a few months? If so I would wait for that to come out before getting your computer. Buy a new battery to hold yourself over if you need to.

Win 7 = Christmas Season 2009/Q1 2010.

 

[rama kandra]

you can also use the pretty stable windows 7 beta and its cool. so yeah, that or just plunk down for it when the time comes. I wouldn't wait for a new OS for that.

ps about laptop selection I think netbooks are the future. but you seem to be a little more into using software and using dvd's ect and it may not hold up for too long. On the other hand, netbooks are like below 500 bucks nowdays. No cd drive and mostly run on XP but thats ok for web surfing.

Personally I think you could end up spending more money on the thinkpad. How much is the offer? You could lock it up at costco by getting a HP for way cheaper and I trust costco way more about returns and whatnot. But let us know what you do on the end. Thinkpad is great but youll have a lot of success with a basic HP pavilion or a Dell via wholesale.

 

[187502]

you can also use the pretty stable windows 7 beta and its cool. so yeah, that or just plunk down for it when the time comes. I wouldn't wait for a new OS for that.

ps about laptop selection I think netbooks are the future. but you seem to be a little more into using software and using dvd's ect and it may not hold up for too long. On the other hand, netbooks are like below 500 bucks nowdays. No cd drive and mostly run on XP but thats ok for web surfing.

Personally I think you could end up spending more money on the thinkpad. How much is the offer? You could lock it up at costco by getting a HP for way cheaper and I trust costco way more about returns and whatnot. But let us know what you do on the end. Thinkpad is great but youll have a lot of success with a basic HP pavilion or a Dell via wholesale.

Netbooks are definitely not designed to be used as primary systems. For $500 you can get a low-end laptop that does more, it all depends on how much portability you need.

I wouldn't curse my worst enemy with an HP, with Compaq being even worse as it's HP's cheapo brand.

Dell is good as long as you don't need technical support of any kind or don't mind paying the extra fee to get the US tech. support.

 

[TMP-SMX]

Netbooks the future? It would drive me nuts to use one all day long because the keyboards are so small. I guess it would be a good thing for ophthalmology and such bad eyes and the orthopedic surgeons for carpal tunnel.

 

[187502]

Netbooks the future? It would drive me nuts to use one all day long because the keyboards are so small. I guess it would be a good thing for ophthalmology and such bad eyes and the orthopedic surgeons for carpal tunnel.

Agreed. It's obviously an opth/ortho conspiracy to drum up business.

 

[DrJosephKim]

Go with a tablet. Some great deals on the outlet sites.

 

[Captopril]

I never understood the benefit of tablets once you were out of med school...as a doctor I won't have powerpoint presentations to annotate. I'm genuinely curious, what do people do with a tablet that makes them so popular?

 

[rama kandra]

tablets are not popular, they never will be.

 

[TMP-SMX]

I never understood the benefit of tablets once you were out of med school...as a doctor I won't have powerpoint presentations to annotate. I'm genuinely curious, what do people do with a tablet that makes them so popular?

They don't have much use if the school gives you a paper syllabus of notes either.

 

[DrJosephKim]

You can get spoiled by having the ability to write and draw on a screen. I love my convertible Thinkpad X200 tablet. I realize that convertible tablets have lost steam, but the netbook movement may revitalize the tablet PC industry. Also, I've heard of rumors that Apple will be releasing a tablet this year. That may also make a huge impact.

For me, a tablet is more than just a luxury. Although it's not a necessity, it really enhances my productivity. I could live without a tablet and could use a regular notebook without any problems, but the added benefits of a tablet are too hard to pass up.

 

[187502]

With the right software, high-resolution screens, high-speed/highly secure wireless with large coverage areas, and systems becoming lighter and faster, I can see tablets becoming the standard in the medical field. I'd say within the next 5 years, assuming the manufacturers don't give up on them.

 

[deleted87716]

I never understood the benefit of tablets once you were out of med school...as a doctor I won't have powerpoint presentations to annotate. I'm genuinely curious, what do people do with a tablet that makes them so popular?

They work pretty well with a lot of EMRs.

 

[ChemWhiz101]

I would never ever wish a compaq on the worst of killers or the best of firneds. Hard drives burn out every 3-6 months, slow, and not durable.

take my sony for instance - dropped it down the stairs, kicked it off my bed, and it still works perfectly, with barely a scratch. I personally love Sony - If I have a problem, the operators pick up within a minute, and the problem is at their fingertips - the customer support staff are in-serviced quite nicely. The problem is usually resolved within about 30 minutes of calling. The support is unbelieivable.

The price is steep, but if you are lucky like me, you'll pick up a nice one for $500, and get it serviced at the store (July 4th sale, PC Richards).


Right now, the Sony site has special college deals up, and the CS series is relatively cheap if you forgo the fingerprint scanner. http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=8198552921644574904&parentCategoryId=16154 is the CS series, about 4 GB ram, 250 GB Hard disk (5400 rpm, going up to 320 with 7200 rpm, or 400 with 5400 rpm if you customize), Blu Ray Hi-Def, 4.5 Hour battery.
The SR series is 13.3 inch, with the fingerprint, but about $200 more (bigger hard drive and better processor, with a gig less ram.)



Edit: If you are willing to foro a few things, you can get the fingerprinting on the CS notebooks if you go to "Customize" - black only, and an extra $50. I wouldn't pay for it because I memorize all of my passwords, but its an option.