NYU Laptop Suggestions

[scamac01]

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Hi all,

Im starting NYU this fall and I'd like to know if anyone has any suggestions on good buys for laptops. I've been looking at their specs and the offerings in their store but I keep thinking that there has to be a better deal out there somewhere. Also, can anyone offer pros/cons of having a Dell/IBM/Sony Vaio. I prefer the Sony since it's lighter and slimmer but I'd like to hear other people's opinions. Also, Id like to know, do you use the computer for more than just the VitalBook (reading/printing) and internet?

Any info would be great! Thanks!
--Stacy

 

[Tonerockyhorror]

I have some experience with all three indirectly as I was looking for a new laptop a few months ago.

Dell: Great Value for everything you get but buyer beware. Dells are notorious for being incredibly cheap and shoddy. They come with a 3 year warranty usually and you better be ready to use it frequently. The laptops only last for a few years too, before you have to buy a new one.

Sony Vaio: I haven't heard as much about these, but I'll tell you what I know. They look good and are a better product than Dell, but still unreliable and much more expensive than Dell. So basically you are paying a little more for marginally better reliability and a better looking package.

IBM: By far the most reliable laptop on the market. IBMs are workhorses that hardly ever break. Unfortunately you will pay for this reliability. They are the most expensive in initial price as well as upgrades and only come with a 1 year warranty usually (you can always buy aftermarket though).

I would recommend going with the IBM for a few hundred more since you will be using this laptop everyday and will need it to be there for you--no breaking down and leaving you stuck. It will be a little more at first but in the longrun you will save money on repair costs and time. Also try to go for a lighter laptop if you will be taking it to school everyday--about 5-6lbs and under is good, otherwise it can get a bit irritating to lug it around. Hope some of this helps and good luck. 🙂

 

[ShawnOne]

This should help in comparing models...

http://reviews.cnet.com/4521-6527_7-5021302-2.html?tag=subnav

You should be looking for a "thin and light" model. May I recommend the IBM T42. Its an awesome machine.

 

[tatadds]

Im a type of person that does way more research than needed when im shopping for anything like a notebook and after months of searching I finally bought my HP zt3000. Overall it really depends on what you want. I wanted a widescreen (15.4 inches) and something really lite. It has wireless centrino technology (if NYU is a wireless campus then this is a great great feature) and a whole bunch of awesome features. It looks cool too and not as pricey. I guess It just depends on what you are looking for and what will suit your lifestyle. Decide what is most imporant for you, price, looks, features, weight and then look at what the big brands (Dell, Sony, HP, Compaq, IBM, gateway) have to offer and compare. Thats what I did and I loooooooove my notebook.

 

[hossaiaa]

I have some experience with all three indirectly as I was looking for a new laptop a few months ago.

Dell: Great Value for everything you get but buyer beware. Dells are notorious for being incredibly cheap and shoddy. They come with a 3 year warranty usually and you better be ready to use it frequently. The laptops only last for a few years too, before you have to buy a new one.

Sony Vaio: I haven't heard as much about these, but I'll tell you what I know. They look good and are a better product than Dell, but still unreliable and much more expensive than Dell. So basically you are paying a little more for marginally better reliability and a better looking package.

IBM: By far the most reliable laptop on the market. IBMs are workhorses that hardly ever break. Unfortunately you will pay for this reliability. They are the most expensive in initial price as well as upgrades and only come with a 1 year warranty usually (you can always buy aftermarket though).

I would recommend going with the IBM for a few hundred more since you will be using this laptop everyday and will need it to be there for you--no breaking down and leaving you stuck. It will be a little more at first but in the longrun you will save money on repair costs and time. Also try to go for a lighter laptop if you will be taking it to school everyday--about 5-6lbs and under is good, otherwise it can get a bit irritating to lug it around. Hope some of this helps and good luck. 🙂

I too would suggest a 5-6 lb laptop. However, I think Tonerockyhorror is a little off target with his analysis. If you believe the rumors, yes Dells suck compared to IBM. Their support forums are always filled with people who have all kinds of problems. But also keep in mind that the number of computers that IBM sells is a very small fraction of what Dell sells every day. Logically, there will be a larger group of people with problems but the percentage of such a group is still very small. In my case, I went with a Dell because of my prior experience with the company (3 Dells before, 2 being laptops and still working after 5 years). Also, there was a $950 difference between the comparable top end models from Dell and IBM. It was basically a no-brainer. Also, if you do go with IBM, go for the extra few years of warranty. Each component of the laptop is very expensive and hard to replace. Despite what people say, IBMs are commonly called "I Break Mores" so it's better safe than sorry no matter what brand you're talking about.

As far as VAIO's, I really love those little machines but Sony has horrible customer support and some of their laptops have known issues with heat and motherboards. Be prepared to buy the extra warranty.

 

[UNLV OMS GUNNABE]

At UNLV we have had two notebooks issued to us. The first were Gateway's, full desktop replacements. About 1/3 of them broke in one way or another in the first year. Now we have T40p's which are so awesome I can't even explain it. There have been very few problems and we have two classes (150) students using them right now, I definately wouldn't say they break a lot. The newer t series are even better. They are pricey but man are they nice. My mother has a dell, I always have to help her with it so I have used it quite a bit. Nothing has broken yet but I sure prefer my IBM. You can just tell it is more solid and well built, hence the much higher price. Whatever you do, make sure you get a good warranty. As a sidenote. If you do go for the T series, sport the extra cash for the p's. You get the nicer video card which sure helps for gaming 😀

 

[3rdMolarRoller]

NYU is wireless

Dell is a piece of $hit. Tossed mine

Gateway is a piece of $hit. About to toss it

 

[speter33]

The IBM T42 for $1720 looks really great, especially for people on the go. Here are the specs

Name: ThinkPad T42

Global Models Plus

Workhorse/Global model: Yes, No

GA Date: 5/25/2004

Type: Notebook

Display: 14.1" -- TFT

Resolution: 1024x768

Ext. Display: 2048x1536

Weight: 4.9 lbs

Processor: Intel Pentium M 735

Processor Speed: 1.70 GHz

Front Side Bus: 400 MHz

Hard Disk: 40GB, 12ms

HD Type: ATA-100 (EIDE), 5400 RPM

MM Device: CD-RW/DVD-ROM

Combo, 24X/24X/24X/8X Max

Dock: Optional

UltraBay: Ultrabay Slim

Bus Type: PC Card

RAM Type: PC2700 DDR SDRAM

RAM Sockets Total(Free): 2 (1)

RAM Std/Max: 512MB/2MB

Std L1 Cache: 2 KB

L2 Cache: 2MB

Video Memory Std/Max: 32, 32 MB

Graphics: ATI Mobility

RADEON 7500, AGP 4X

Audio: SoundMAX

Speakers: 2 (Internal)

Battery/Life Hrs: 6 Cell

Lithium-Ion, 4.5 Hrs

Network: Intel PRO/1000 Gigabit

Wireless: Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG

Security: Embedded 2.0

Pointing Device: ThinkPad UltraNav

Serial Ports: 2 (USB 2.0)

Parallel Ports: 1 (EPP)

IR Port: Yes

Preload: Windows XP Professional

Warranty: On-site repair

3 years parts and labor

(system battery: one year)

 

[Tonerockyhorror]

Hossalaa pointed out that my analysis is wrong, which it could be according to different people. But just keep in mind that 1 person telling you they have had good expereinces and one telling you bad should not be enough to make up your mind. I was told by everyone I know that has owned a Dell that they suck and don't get one and all who owned IBM's (sometimes the same people) to definitely get one. That would be my advice to you...ask people who own them what they think and then decide for yourself. There are many websites such as epinions.com where you can look up hundreds of reviews on laptops you may be interested in.

Just remember that IBM's are expensive for a reason...they are very well built and while expensive to fix as Hossalaa pointed out they do so less often. A 3 year warranty would easily rectify the problem. That is just my $.02 so take it for what its worth.

 

[sxr71]

I'd get the T42 they have configured for dental students. Personally I would ask them if they can get me a discount on a model with Bluetooth and the 1050x1400 display with either the Mobility Radeon 9000 or Mobility Radeon 9600. Maybe, I'd spec it with a bigger hard drive, but it's probably cheaper to buy a bigger hard drive seperately and Ebay the included HD, but I'd ask IBM about their support policy on doing that. It's definitely more expensive to spec it out with an 80GB drive instead of buying one seperately, but it might be worth the extra money to have IBM support it.

I wonder if they will give me the discount on a custom spec model since the NYU discount is excellent. Keep in mind that the price includes not only the 3 year warranty but Thinkpad Protection Plus which covers accidental damage. The price is almost unbelieveable.

I wouldn't really bother with the Dell, or the R51. The savings isn't worth it.

 

[sxr71]

At UNLV we have had two notebooks issued to us. The first were Gateway's, full desktop replacements. About 1/3 of them broke in one way or another in the first year. Now we have T40p's which are so awesome I can't even explain it. There have been very few problems and we have two classes (150) students using them right now, I definately wouldn't say they break a lot. The newer t series are even better. They are pricey but man are they nice. My mother has a dell, I always have to help her with it so I have used it quite a bit. Nothing has broken yet but I sure prefer my IBM. You can just tell it is more solid and well built, hence the much higher price. Whatever you do, make sure you get a good warranty. As a sidenote. If you do go for the T series, sport the extra cash for the p's. You get the nicer video card which sure helps for gaming 😀

The new T42s are available with Radeon 9000 or 9600 now. You don't need to buy a "p" workstation model anymore.

 

[hossaiaa]

The new T42s are available with Radeon 9000 or 9600 now. You don't need to buy a "p" workstation model anymore.

A lot of good information on this thread. If I were in your shoes, I would go with the IBM T42 right now. My boss at work has the new T42 and it is definitely more solid than my Dell. You should think about buying it from NYU and having it shipped to your home for the extra $35; that way they don't charge you a sales tax and you can save ~$200. The reason I didn't go with the IBM was because NYU was offering the base version of the T42 and the hard drive was only 40GB and I needed atleast 60 GB. But that's a GREAT price even for the base model. Plus, I have connections at Dell and for the same price I was able to get a 2.0 gHz Dothan Centrino with 128mb vid card. This system is as good as a desktop replacement and still unavailable to the public, weighs 5 lbs, and has great battery life. No matter what you get, make sure you get the 3/4 year warranty!

 

[sxr71]

A lot of good information on this thread. If I were in your shoes, I would go with the IBM T42 right now. My boss at work has the new T42 and it is definitely more solid than my Dell. You should think about buying it from NYU and having it shipped to your home for the extra $35; that way they don't charge you a sales tax and you can save ~$200. The reason I didn't go with the IBM was because NYU was offering the base version of the T42 and the hard drive was only 40GB and I needed atleast 60 GB. But that's a GREAT price even for the base model. Plus, I have connections at Dell and for the same price I was able to get a 2.0 gHz Dothan Centrino with 128mb vid card. This system is as good as a desktop replacement and still unavailable to the public, weighs 5 lbs, and has great battery life.

There are 2.0 Dothan T42p models with the Fire GL T2 128MB vid card that are coming out in a few weeks, but prcing will likely be around $3500+. If you get the NYU discount on it, it might be a very reasonable (for the specs) $2400.

However, if you're getting the Dell for less than $2000, then that's a crazy deal (Dells are still pretty good).


If it was just the hard drive that you didn't like the 60 GB 7200 RPM drives are around $200 from Newegg, and the 80 GB 5400 RPM drives are even less than that.

I actually just bought an IBM X31 fully loaded earlier this year, so I might wait until next year to buy a new machine from NYU or move to an X40 (I like ultra portable).

 

[mobius]

the hp zt3000/x1000 is one of the best buys, i returned it for a dell 600m which was a little cheaper smaller and lighter but also it feels much cheaper, especially the keyboard. I think i am going to have to return the dell, got it at costco 6 month return policy and purchase the x1000 much better setup in my opinion...

 

[nyla24]

does anyone have any experience with Tablet pcs?