laptop question

[dl9006]

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I need to get a new laptop soon for a non-school related reason and as well as for dental school in the fall.

for you computer savy people, could you please tell me if a Intel® Pentium® processor SU4100 1.3 GHz meets the school requirement of Intel Core 2 Duo / Centrino 2?

there are so many processors out there that i am clueless about these things.

i'm looking for a thin laptop with a great battery life.


I'm really interested in this laptop in particular but am unsure whether this laptop meets the processor requirement.

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-Timeline-AS5810T-8952-15-6-Inch/dp/B002C25O8C

8 hr battery life.. can't go wrong there.

any laptop/store suggestions?

thanks!

 

[DrDDSman]

Should be good enough, but keep in mind some schools require you to purchase a school issues laptop. I don't know which ones, but as far as I know, UMDNJ does and I'm sure others do as well.

 

[dl9006]

Should be good enough, but keep in mind some schools require you to purchase a school issues laptop. I don't know which ones, but as far as I know, UMDNJ does and I'm sure others do as well.

as for the required specs, is it something the school checks or can we get by with something a little lower than the requirements?

i don't know why i need a humongous 15 inch laptop. would gladly use a 13 inch without any discontent...



are laptops used as a study aid(ie wikipedia, word, etc) in dental school or are there dental software that need to be installed?

my main question is why are schools so specific on their requirements?

 

[interesting]

both.

i'd imagine you will need you laptop to pull up x-rays / patient information, once you get into the clinic.

 

[DrDDSman]

as for the required specs, is it something the school checks or can we get by with something a little lower than the requirements?

i don't know why i need a humongous 15 inch laptop. would gladly use a 13 inch without any discontent...



are laptops used as a study aid(ie wikipedia, word, etc) in dental school or are there dental software that need to be installed?

my main question is why are schools so specific on their requirements?

I don't know..your best bet is to ask people on the dental forum (students where you will be attending). I know some schools dont have textbooks, instead opting for digital textbooks. I personally don't like that idea.

 

[cjb04]

you should wait and stick with what the school gives you. Our laptops @ MWU were preloaded with special software. In addition, the IT department knows how to fix our laptops and has loaner computers available if something happens. Imagine how difficult it would be for IT to keep track of 100+ different, unique systems. By standardizing, life is made simpler for everyone. Oh, and by the way, MWU gave us a choice of 4 different laptops: a macbook, a sony, or 2 Dell latitudes. Hope this helps andswer your question.

 

[dmd87]

DO NOT buy an Acer

 

[dl9006]

DO NOT buy an Acer

why?


can you recommend anything similar to the acer one (ie thin, light, long battery life while meeting school requirements)?


edit: what do you guys think of this one?

http://www.amazon.com/UL50VT-A1-Light-15-6-Inch-Black-Laptop/dp/tech-data/B002P3KMPI/ref=de_a_smtd

 

[Jake8]

At Maryland they gave us laptops that were preloaded with special software that we use regularly, so check with the school you are headed to first so you don't end up paying twice.

 

[Philippines03j]

I use an acer currently for undergrad... It is fine for casual use but I would not recommend it for something like dental school. It is worth the extra money(very small amount compared to tuition) for a nice laptop. My acer is two years old and the battery no longer works and I seem to be accumulating small problems each week. Maybe just my experience though.... good luck!

 

[dmd87]

if u go PC, then get a dell w/ complete care. you won't regret it, 48 hr onsite service! worth the extra buck for peace of mind.

 

[anishannayya]

Yup, your good, however I'd get this more current model instead (I'm very good with computers, I build my own):

http://www.amazon.com/UL80Vt-A1-14-...ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=pc&qid=1267578888&sr=1-1

While the laptops that you are looking at are Core Twos, they are CULV variants (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage). This means that they have very low power requirements, allowing greater battery life, at the expense of sacrificing performance. However, most CULV laptops will suffice for most computer users needs. As long as you don't expect to do anything CPU intensive, you should be fine.

As another option, you might consider Dell for their great student discounts: http://delllounge.com/delluniversity/FindMySchool.aspx

Here's a very detailed review:

http://www.anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.aspx?i=3665

If you just want a general top picks link (categorized by price):

http://www.anandtech.com/guides/showdoc.aspx?i=3685&p=1

 

[Blue Panther]

If you need a laptop that has 7+ hour of battery life, than it would be in your best interest to purchase one that is also durable. Lenovo thinkpad T-series have a metal chassis.

 

[anishannayya]

If you need a laptop that has 7+ hour of battery life, than it would be in your best interest to purchase one that is also durable. Lenovo thinkpad T-series have a metal chassis.

The T-series are great machines, especially because of the roll-cage, however, they are overpriced and are significantly heftier than the laptops that the OP is looking at. Plus to get the "7" hour battery life (more like 5), you need an extended battery that sticks out the back of the laptop. However, build quality is best in class. There is a reason why business love them: they are very low maintenance and issue-free.

P.S. We have one in our family, and the thing is bulletproof. However, we also have the Asus I posted above, and I personally would trade the small loss of performance and loss of durability for a much smaller form factor, cheaper price, lower weight, and longer battery life without bulky attachments.

 

[dl9006]

The T-series are great machines, especially because of the roll-cage, however, they are overpriced and are significantly heftier than the laptops that the OP is looking at. Plus to get the "7" hour battery life (more like 5), you need an extended battery that sticks out the back of the laptop. However, build quality is best in class. There is a reason why business love them: they are very low maintenance and issue-free.

P.S. We have one in our family, and the thing is bulletproof. However, we also have the Asus I posted above, and I personally would trade the small loss of performance and loss of durability for a much smaller form factor, cheaper price, lower weight, and longer battery life without bulky attachments.

i really like the asus ul50 (think the school requirement is a 15"). IBM/Lenovo are a bit too pricey compared to other brands for my taste.

do you think Asus is a reliable brand?

the price is not too bad either.

PS thanks for the website and your advices!

 

[wwdaffodils]

If you need a laptop that has 7+ hour of battery life, than it would be in your best interest to purchase one that is also durable. Lenovo thinkpad T-series have a metal chassis.

I have a Lenovo x-series, and I love it. A laptop is an investment you'll be using all through dental school; it'd be worth it to me to buy an investment that can last all four years, instead of a cheaper model that might crash out after a year or two. I think of Lenovo as the Blackberry of the laptop world-- may not look as "hip" as the flashier models out there, but it's solidly built, and most importantly, dependable for work. The x-series is a little over 3 pounds, which makes it so easy to carry around that you start to WANT to carry it around. Keyboard comfort is awesome too (I hate it when my fingers feel smushed), as is security. I'm leaning towards buying the x-series tablet for dental school.

**edit: Sorry dude, didn't see that 15" is the requirement. X-series is only 12".

 

[Blue Panther]

Even if you are not doing heavy traveling with your laptop, placing it in a backpack has a big impact on the screen. With cheaper build laptops you can easily bend the screen lids and with pressure in the backpack the screen can get damaged overtime. Speaking from experience...
By the way, what is your price range?

 

[anishannayya]

OP: Asus is a very reliable brand, they are an OEM manufacturer (most of Dell's/HP's motherboards are from Asus). The reason why they are so cheap is that Asus makes their own parts, unlike Dell or HP, who need to purchase the parts from companies like Asus. In regards to durability, Blue Panther hits the nail on the head. Don't expect anything except for a roll-cage protected thinkpad to last more than three years (some x-series, all t-series). If 15" is a requirement, I'd seriously consider a Lenovo Thinkpad. Yes, you'll drop $1,500, however they are very reliable machines. I've dropped ours from a two story building (albeit inside a laptop bag) and it survived the fall!

You may want to check out these links to save money on lenovo laptops:

http://www.retailmenot.com/view/lenovo.com

http://www.studentbuyingguide.com/2008/04/lenovo-student-discount/

As you can tell by now, computers are an unhealthy obsession/hobby of mine. The nice thing is that I get paid a lot of money for fixing them. 🙂

 

[Moabmad]

I just bought a HP touchsmart TM2.... amazing convertible tablet. Two other guys from my school that also got accepted this year are going to buy it as well. Its quick and so versatile with the ability to convert from laptop to tablet form, use your finger on the screen, or use a stylus for note-taking...... cant say enough about this amazing computer.

 

[gegogi]

Hi, I am going to attend NYU this August and was wondering if I could keep my refurbished Gateway laptop(T6859u, intel core 2duo T6400 @2GHz, 4MB RAM, Windows 7 64bit, 14 inch screen)
Do we need to buy a new one like MAC Air to carry on easily? Or an insured one for 4 years?

 

[anishannayya]

I just bought a HP touchsmart TM2.... amazing convertible tablet. Two other guys from my school that also got accepted this year are going to buy it as well. Its quick and so versatile with the ability to convert from laptop to tablet form, use your finger on the screen, or use a stylus for note-taking...... cant say enough about this amazing computer.

If your looking for a tablet, the x201 thinkpad tablet from lenovo is amazing. You can probably tell by now that I love Thinkpad laptops because of their durability. However, you do pay for that, and these are horrible machines for gaming. Unfortunately, the tablet will be out of stock till late July due to supplier issues with the i7 chip from Intel. For now, the website says this product is sold out/discontinued.

 

[sassykat]

Last year I bought a Lenovo IdeaPad. I got 2 lemons, in a row! I was so upset and decided to return it once and for all. Once Lenovo took over the IBM-Lenovo ThinkPads, their products got a lot worse. My friend whose dad used to work for IBM agrees. Their thinkpads after the change are just not as reliable.

Now I have an Asus F6V laptop i got on amazon for $1000, not a well known brand for laptops/PCs (versus parts), but i think they'll get there. They aren't the prettiest, but they are solid (I couldn't take anymore of Lenovo's crap) and the customer service/warranty is AMAZING. They are so nice. I'd recommend it.

 

[pinetar321]

gegogi, youre good. you dont have to buy a new one for a looooong time. besides the macbook air is really just a gadget and its not that powerful. doesnt even have an optical drive

 

[Sephisabin]

Geogi -- you're all good with NYUs specs.

NYU requires either a 2gHz dual core or a 2.5 gHz single core processor. They say it's needed to run some of the programs so the 1.3 gHz may be too slow for some schools.

 

[anishannayya]

Last year I bought a Lenovo IdeaPad. I got 2 lemons, in a row! I was so upset and decided to return it once and for all. Once Lenovo took over the IBM-Lenovo ThinkPads, their products got a lot worse. My friend whose dad used to work for IBM agrees. Their thinkpads after the change are just not as reliable.

Now I have an Asus F6V laptop i got on amazon for $1000, not a well known brand for laptops/PCs (versus parts), but i think they'll get there. They aren't the prettiest, but they are solid (I couldn't take anymore of Lenovo's crap) and the customer service/warranty is AMAZING. They are so nice. I'd recommend it.

I'd have to disagree with that. The Thinkpad line are still some of the best products that you can purchase (Apple quality). Sure, you do pay for it, but it isn't a product that will let you down. On that same train of thought, of course you dad thinks that the Thinkpad line got worse once Lenovo took over, keyword is used to work there. However, in regards to the IdeaPad line, I completely agree, they are junk.

EDIT: BTW, ASUS does have sweet customer service. The few times I have purchased a DOA product, they were extremely helpful.