What laptop to buy???

[MentalDentalMan]

So I need advice about the type of laptop I should buy....
I have been told to either get an IBM thinkpad or a dell. What do you guys suggest?
Thanks

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[AUG2UAG]

i think whatever your school recommends

if it's up to you, get the 15 or 17" macbook

 

[tom_servo_dds]

So I need advice about the type of laptop I should buy....
I have been told to either get an IBM thinkpad or a dell. What do you guys suggest?
Thanks

Whatever you do end up with, make sure that you can get a good service warranty with that. Most offer up to a 4 year one that should last through D school. Best of luck!

 

[tinman831]

If you have to get a Windows laptop, get a IBM. If you have a choice, get a Macbook.

 

[INFNITE]

my MacBook Pro also runs Windoze

 

[MentalDentalMan]

If you have to get a Windows laptop, get a IBM. If you have a choice, get a Macbook.

Its my choice. Im curious why you would pick a Macbook over a dell or IBM? Im not very familiar with Macs so any insight is appreciated

 

[dat_student]

So I need advice about the type of laptop I should buy....
I have been told to either get an IBM thinkpad or a dell. What do you guys suggest?
Thanks

You may want to check the following laptops:

HP DV2000 advantage: mobility, long battery life (8 hrs 45 mins), thin and light weight. Graphics card: two options 32 MB dedicated + 96 MB shared or integrated graphics card with shared memory. Built-in camera and microphone + HP imprint technology.

HP DV5000: ~1.5 pounds heavier than dv2000 but much better graphics and shorter battery life (~5 hrs). You can get 128 MB of dedicated graphics + you can watch TV on your laptop

HP DV8000: (~8 pounds plus)much heavier than DV2000 but it probably has everything you need but battery life is ~3 hrs or less.

For more info check HPShopping.com. HP lets you customize your laptop. Stay away from DV1000. I think it's being replaced by DV2000. BTW, HP is offering no payments no interest for 12 months + free all-in-one printer which prints, scans and copies.

NOT sure if you care about this: Check to see if your laptop is "Windows Vista Capable" or "Windows Vista Premium Ready"

 

[kiggar4l2000]

Is having a laptop really necessary in dental school? Cuz i'm thinking, i could build some really nice desktop with the amount of $ I'd be spending on a thinkpad T series...windows vista compatible and all..

 

[ItsGavinC]

Its my choice. Im curious why you would pick a Macbook over a dell or IBM? Im not very familiar with Macs so any insight is appreciated

Stylish, great performance for a laptop (Core Duo chips), and it runs Mac OS X and Windows. So, you can either choose a computer that only runs Windows, or choose a computer that runs both operating systems.

I have a MacBook and absolutely love it. 4 of my classmates have purchased them since seeing mine in May.

 

[Khurram]

Stylish, great performance for a laptop (Core Duo chips), and it runs Mac OS X and Windows. So, you can either choose a computer that only runs Windows, or choose a computer that runs both operating systems.

I have a MacBook and absolutely love it. 4 of my classmates have purchased them since seeing mine in May.

Hey gavin, have you had any of the infamous "mooing" sounds eminating from your macbook? or the discolorations (on the white)? or the extremely hot bottom side?

I'm really interested in getting the macbook, but everytime I go into the mac forums, I get bombareded with these issues. I know they are probably very limited, but these posters make it seem that they are commonplace. I would have to run windows on it however, since nyu requires windows

 

[cooldudue10]

NOT sure if you care about this: Check to see if your laptop is "Windows Vista Capable" or "Windows Vista Premium Ready"

Sorry to sound ignorant but what are both of these and what is the difference?

 

[MentalDentalMan]

Stylish, great performance for a laptop (Core Duo chips), and it runs Mac OS X and Windows. So, you can either choose a computer that only runs Windows, or choose a computer that runs both operating systems.

I have a MacBook and absolutely love it. 4 of my classmates have purchased them since seeing mine in May.

Again im not very familiar with macs so can someone explain what the Mac OS X is? What are the advantages of having that and Windows as opposed to just windows?

 

[SkiBabeUSF]

So I need advice about the type of laptop I should buy....
I have been told to either get an IBM thinkpad or a dell. What do you guys suggest?
Thanks

Hi there,
I narrowed it down to a dell lattitude and an IBM think pad z60t.
I'm in love with my thinkpad. This is not a computer but goddam beast!
Fingerprint scanner so i never have to remember passwords. It has some sort of shock sensor and the hard drive shuts down before it hits the floor. Also has drain holes for Starbucs to flow out of every morning. Super light, thin and 5.5 hrs battery. I'm never going to by another machine again. IBM rocks....here is the link.
https://www1.ibm.com/products/hardware/configurator/na/ui/submitConfigSelection.wss?nc=1153200201818

 

[luder98]

From my experience,
Dells: cheap, get hot too quickly, relatively short lifespan.
IBM Thinkpad: high performance, light, but look ugly.
HPs: affordable, reliable, high performance, good looking, good lifespan.
Also, Intel Duo is not as good as they advertise. To see the "faster" they claim, you really need to run many heavy calculating programs at the same time. I recently purchased an Intel Duo, returned it for an AMD Turion 64 with PowerNow! Technology. Also the current duo is still 32-bit. I feel like the AMD is running faster for what I use the computer for. If you like to burn CD/DVD, get the one that has lightscribe capability. You can print silkscreen label directly onto the lightscribe discs.

 

[drengineer]

From my experience,
Dells: cheap, get hot too quickly, relatively short lifespan.
IBM Thinkpad: high performance, light, but look ugly.
HPs: affordable, reliable, high performance, good looking, good lifespan.
Also, Intel Duo is not as good as they advertise. To see the "faster" they claim, you really need to run many heavy calculating programs at the same time. I recently purchased an Intel Duo, returned it for an AMD Turion 64 with PowerNow! Technology. Also the current duo is still 32-bit. I feel like the AMD is running faster for what I use the computer for. If you like to burn CD/DVD, get the one that has lightscribe capability. You can print silkscreen label directly onto the lightscribe discs.

Yup, AMD has come out with the 64 bit.

 

[dat_student]

...
HPs: affordable, reliable, high performance, good looking, good lifespan.
...

 

[Khurram]

Sorry to sound ignorant but what are both of these and what is the difference?

Basically, vista is going to be launched in two or three versions.

The basic vista, you will be able to run on "vista ready machines". It will be a somewhat stripped down version graphically and will be lacking the "aero" glass interface among some other features i'm not really aware of.

The "premium vista" will be the full fleged version with all the pretty bells and whistles....it seems like it will be a system hogger, and hence will require a more powerful machine, and more than just a basic graphic's card.

I'm not 100 percent certain on all the facts, but correct me if I"m wrong.

My personal choice in laptops have been sony vaio's. I've had my tr for the past two years and it's the best lappy i've ever used. Very reliable...ultra small form factor (it takes up the real estate of a size of paper. It's got a fantastic screen and 1.2 ghz pentium m. Now I know the processor is the fastest in the world but it's more than enuf for what I do.

 

[dreaming2k5]

What you want, is buy my laptop! Assigned to me by BU Dental, it includes 4 year warranty thru IBM! Accidental damage covered! So if you accidentally drilled the laptop, they'll replace it too!

http://boston.craigslist.org/sys/183523711.html

 

[MentalDentalMan]

What about online and customer support? Which company is the best to go with in that respect? Dell? IBM? HP?

 

[deebog01]

Here at San Antonio, we just got our new Macbook Pros. I believe 35 or so came in... but about 10 are being sent back because they have kernel panics every five min (comp shuts down) right out of the box. Our Mac specialists are pretty certain it's a hardware problem concerning the airport card (the problem only persists when the wireless is turned on). Also, at least 2 students have complained of getting DVDs stuck in the drive (there's no force-release).... One student said programs like photobooth have stopped working on his machine... My computer was one of the ones that got sent back... but for repair, not replacement. Even tho we paid full price for the computers, it looks like we'll be recieving refurbished products! "Probably just a problem with the airport card" could also be taken as: "if it isn't a problem with the card, we'll take your computer apart and put it back together for you... but don't worry cause it's covered under waranty."

The ones that work are really nice, but if you want reliability in your D-school laptop, I would consider the fact that 1/3 of our macbooks don't work right... and just about everyone that got the mac is pretty pissed off and worried about future problems.

-Dan

 

[tom_servo_dds]

What about online and customer support? Which company is the best to go with in that respect? Dell? IBM? HP?

IBM doesn't sell laptops anymore, Lenovo purchased their laptop business: http://www.lenovo.com/us/en/

 

[ItsGavinC]

Hi there,
I narrowed it down to a dell lattitude and an IBM think pad z60t.
I'm in love with my thinkpad. This is not a computer but goddam beast!
Fingerprint scanner so i never have to remember passwords. It has some sort of shock sensor and the hard drive shuts down before it hits the floor. Also has drain holes for Starbucs to flow out of every morning. Super light, thin and 5.5 hrs battery. I'm never going to by another machine again. IBM rocks....here is the link.
https://www1.ibm.com/products/hardware/configurator/na/ui/submitConfigSelection.wss?nc=1153200201818

Weak.

Weighs more than a MacBook? Check.
Slower processor than a MacBook? Check.
Not a CoreDuo processor? Check.
Thicker than a MacBook? Check.
Fugly? Absolutely.

You can see what I'm getting at. But to each his own. I will note that many computers have HDD shocks that lock the HDD prior to it hitting the floor (such as the MacBook ).

And finally, costs over $1,000 more than the MacBook? Check.

 

[ItsGavinC]

The ones that work are really nice, but if you want reliability in your D-school laptop, I would consider the fact that 1/3 of our macbooks don't work right... and just about everyone that got the mac is pretty pissed off and worried about future problems.

Good post, but your sample size isn't exactly huge.

Likewise, our class has had nothing but trouble with the POS Dell's we got stuck with.

 

[dreaming2k5]

If you are still looking, then I guess you won't be buying the t60 laptop from me. It's unfortunate for my wallet, but allow me to share what I'm actually going to be using for the next 4 years: a TabletPC (what I've been using for the past 2).

What can I do with TabletPC? An example ~
BioChem Lecture Notes (open with IE, not Firefox)

Being able to draw on the spot, instead of getting a piece of paper out is great. But having all my notes in one place without having to dig through piles for that one piece of paper I drew on a week ago, is what's important to me.

One of the best thing though, is the ability to sync the lecture audio with my writing / drawing. Referring to the BioChem example I gave earlier, if I chose to record the lecture, and I'm reviewing the notes now... let's say I'm looking at the second to the last part of how proteins can break down into AAs -> acetyl CoA, then thinking, "what the hell was I writing about?" With a click, I can jump the audio ahead to what the professor was saying as I was writing. No need to fast forward or rewind to search for that tidbit within an hour of recording.

Lastly, the program allowed me to be extremely organized with my notes. I can tell you what I should've learned 1 year, 4 months, and 3 days ago in Organic Chem 2. Hell, you can see the notes that I've taken in OChem 2 for yourself...

*is an authorized propagandist for MS OneNote and TabletPC*

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[Reconabe]

MACBOOK MACBOOK and MACBOOK , any one of these three will work flawlessly.

 

[mochafreak]

If you are still looking, then I guess you won't be buying the t60 laptop from me. It's unfortunate for my wallet, but allow me to share what I'm actually going to be using for the next 4 years: a TabletPC (what I've been using for the past 2).

What can I do with TabletPC? An example ~
BioChem Lecture Notes (open with IE, not Firefox)

Being able to draw on the spot, instead of getting a piece of paper out is great. But having all my notes in one place without having to dig through piles for that one piece of paper I drew on a week ago, is what's important to me.

One of the best thing though, is the ability to sync the lecture audio with my writing / drawing. Referring to the BioChem example I gave earlier, if I chose to record the lecture, and I'm reviewing the notes now... let's say I'm looking at the second to the last part of how proteins can break down into AAs -> acetyl CoA, then thinking, "what the hell was I writing about?" With a click, I can jump the audio ahead to what the professor was saying as I was writing. No need to fast forward or rewind to search for that tidbit within an hour of recording.

Lastly, the program allowed me to be extremely organized with my notes. I can tell you what I should've learned 1 year, 4 months, and 3 days ago in Organic Chem 2. Hell, you can see the notes that I've taken in OChem 2 for yourself...

*is an authorized propagandist for MS OneNote and TabletPC*

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

I'll second the tablet pc idea, I have a Toshiba M200 and it's great for classes. I hear the new OneNote will put the old one to shame too.

 

[Khurram]

I'm interested in getting a macbook too,
have you had any of the infamous "mooing" sounds eminating from your macbook? or the discolorations (on the white)? or the extremely hot bottom side?

I'm really interested in getting the macbook, but everytime I go into the mac forums, I get bombareded with these issues. I know they are probably very limited, but these posters make it seem that they are commonplace. I would have to run windows on it however, since nyu requires windows...

Macbook owners, lemme know what you think.
__________________

 

[ToothMonkey]

So I need advice about the type of laptop I should buy....

If dental school is the only reason for your laptop purchase (that is, you do not absolutely *need* one right now) then I would recommend waiting as long as possible. That's always the best approach when it comes to technology upgrades but in this case there is another reason to wait. Intel is releasing its new processor next week: Core 2 Duo 'Merom' (not to be confused with the current model, Core Duo 'Yonah').

Laptops with the new processor should be availble by August, in plenty of time for those starting their fall terms at the end of August. At this point reviews show Merom offering 10-20% more performance with an identical power draw, and Intel's list prices are very reasonable. If you plan to keep your laptop all the way through dental school it would be worth getting IMO, and even if the price ends up being out of your price range you can bet current processors like Yonah will be discounted by then. Don't buy until you have to.

Either way, when you are just about ready to purchase I recommend monitoring posts on the forum at FatWallet. I've found they always have the best deals, and have saved me thousands of dollars in the past. For example, here are two currently ongoing deals on the two brands you mentioned:

Dell E1505

Lenovo Z60m

Good luck.

 

[dreaming2k5]

MACBOOK MACBOOK and MACBOOK , any one of these three will work flawlessly.

Why is a Macbook better over TabletPC?

 

[MentalDentalMan]

Anyone bought a laptop yet? What did you buy and how do you like it?

 

[fido!]

i recently got myself a dell e1505!i'm happy with it!

 

[Sprgrover]

I'm interested in getting a macbook too,
have you had any of the infamous "mooing" sounds eminating from your macbook? or the discolorations (on the white)? or the extremely hot bottom side?

I'm really interested in getting the macbook, but everytime I go into the mac forums, I get bombareded with these issues. I know they are probably very limited, but these posters make it seem that they are commonplace. I would have to run windows on it however, since nyu requires windows...

Macbook owners, lemme know what you think.
__________________

I'm a mac fan through-n-through and I just upgraded to a new 15" MacBookPro and I love it. You have to get windows? No problem. The new Macs feature Intel chips and, with the aid of Parallels, you can simultaneously run Mac OSX and Windows - basically you press a button and the screen flips around and *presto* your screen looks just like a PC and runs all PC based software. When you're done using that horrid software you can flip back and enjoy the glory of your OSX. Previously I had an iBook and I didn't think it got any hotter than any other laptop I have used. My MacBookPro, which has an alloy casing, does heat up a bit more and I suppose that the reason for this is that metal simply conducts heat better than plastic. I carry my laptops around in. None of my mac friends have ever complained about the heat affecting performance etc., and unless your sitting around your place in the buff with your laptop shielding your dangly bits I don't think the heat should be too much of a physical concern. As far as "mooing" is concerned, my Macs have yet to serenade me in such a manner.

 

[ItsGavinC]

As far as "mooing" is concerned, my Macs have yet to serenade me in such a manner.

I've had a MacBook for about 3 months now, and haven't ever heard any mooing. It seems this was a limited problem with the fans in some machines. Mine hasn't experienced this at all.

Going to the Mac forums to make a decision would be like going to a hospital and assuming that everybody in the US is sick. Those forums are for problems, and that's what is posted there. My MacBook has been 100% perfect.

 

[Khurram]

I've had a MacBook for about 3 months now, and haven't ever heard any mooing. It seems this was a limited problem with the fans in some machines. Mine hasn't experienced this at all.

Going to the Mac forums to make a decision would be like going to a hospital and assuming that everybody in the US is sick. Those forums are for problems, and that's what is posted there. My MacBook has been 100% perfect.

Sweet...hopefully i'll pick one up this week...i'm having problems letting go of my beloved vaio tr5 now...i've been using it for about a year and a half and because it's so compact , i'm finding every other notebook rather clunky, although the macbook sure is beautiful...I guess it'll just take a little getting used to

 

[MentalDentalMan]

I'm a mac fan through-n-through and I just upgraded to a new 15" MacBookPro and I love it. You have to get windows? No problem. The new Macs feature Intel chips and, with the aid of Parallels, you can simultaneously run Mac OSX and Windows - basically you press a button and the screen flips around and *presto* your screen looks just like a PC and runs all PC based software. When you're done using that horrid software you can flip back and enjoy the glory of your OSX.

So if I have some windows software that is for a pc, can I still install it on a macbookpro or no?

 

[Sprgrover]

Yes, as long as it is the new Mac with the Intel chips. I'd ask the pro's at the Apple Store on what to do.

 

[Reconabe]

Why is a Macbook better over TabletPC?

Its like trying to explain what salt tastes like without saying the word salt.

I have owned nice laptops, but they all shrivel in comparison to the MACBOOK

 

[nightsleep]

So if I have some windows software that is for a pc, can I still install it on a macbookpro or no?

i was told that you had to buy special software for the macs....for example, microsoft office for mac or something like that. that was one of the reasons i didnt go with the mac...because we have a bunch of pc software already and although the macs can use it, you have to buy a pack specially formulated to install into them....at least, thats what i got from the guy at the store...am i confused or is this correct??

 

[hockeydentist]

Yah you love macs untill they start breakin down.

 

[MentalDentalMan]

i was told that you had to buy special software for the macs....for example, microsoft office for mac or something like that. that was one of the reasons i didnt go with the mac...because we have a bunch of pc software already and although the macs can use it, you have to buy a pack specially formulated to install into them....at least, thats what i got from the guy at the store...am i confused or is this correct??

See ive heard the exact same thing so..... anyone have some light to shed on this one?

 

[Khurram]

The new macs all come with microsoft office for os (mac's operating system) already installed...so you dont have to purchase anything there.

If you get an intel based mac you can run windows on it just like it was a windows machine...in that case you do not need additional software.

However to run windows on a mac you need to download a free program from apple called "bootcamp"

Also you must have your own original copy of windows xp on cd..u can't use a recovery disk version, it must be a full version...so if you dont have that you have to buy it...or get it by other means

And, yes, most software that runs on a mac is specifically designed for mac's, but now that you can run windows as well..it elimnates the need for seperate software purchases..

I'm pretty sure that's how it works...mac users can back me up or correct me if i'm wrong

 

[dreaming2k5]

Its like trying to explain what salt tastes like without saying the word salt.

I have owned nice laptops, but they all shrivel in comparison to the MACBOOK

Can you write on a MacBook?

One day, there'd be a Tablet Mac; but until then, you should take a look at what Tablet PC offers before dismissing it. A MacBook is more for fun than for school work in my opinion.

 

[Reconabe]

i think the tablet idea is stupid, thats why there is a keyboard. if I wanted to "write" on a screen I will "write" on my pda screen (which I think is a pain in the butt)

I will now and forever stand by my statement that MAC is better than PC. ANY PC.

 

[dreaming2k5]

i think the tablet idea is stupid, thats why there is a keyboard. if I wanted to "write" on a screen I will "write" on my pda screen (which I think is a pain in the butt)

I will now and forever stand by my statement that MAC is better than PC. ANY PC.

I'll respond with a video. If you have a problem opening the video, it means you're missing a codec. Of course, since MacBook has both XP OS and Mac OS X, you can install anything on your MacBook and it'll work! So, here's link to the codec: http://www.techsmith.com/download/codecs.asp

Link to a quick video that I just made -- http://rodtv.com/shares/tabletpc.avi

So, that's the Tablet PC idea.

 

[Sprgrover]

See ive heard the exact same thing so..... anyone have some light to shed on this one?

Yes, you have to buy the Mac version of Microsoft Office BUT your files are completely compatible with PC's and your Mac will have no trouble reading PC files. As far as "can I install a Windows based program..." - it depends. If you are running Mac's OS (operating system) then NO, you cannot. However, with the new Macs running Intel chips, you can install and run PC based Windows (and then in this case you can install that Windows based program) as an operating system, and if you are feeling savy, you can use Parallels to run both at the same time - you just have to toggle between the two. Basically, you run your Mac as a Mac or if something possess you you can turn it into a "PC". If you go to a Mac store and talk to one of the uber friendly and all-knowing sales people this should all become very clear.

 

[Sprgrover]

Yah you love macs untill they start breakin down.

Well, thank goodness they break down a lot less than a PC and when they do all I have to do is take it to an Apple Store and thanks to their excellent customer service and knowledge the problem is quickly taken care of.

 

[INFNITE]

i guarantee that if you get a Mac, you'll be more productive. Mac's are built for heavy multi-tasking, and handles opening multiple programs much more effectively than Windoze. It is also more secure and easier to use. There's a reason why most PC to Mac switchers never look back after the switch.

 

[dreaming2k5]

i guarantee that if you get a Mac, you'll be more productive. Mac's are built for heavy multi-tasking, and handles opening multiple programs much more effectively than Windoze. It is also more secure and easier to use. There's a reason why most PC to Mac switchers never look back after the switch.

You're sitting in the classroom and you want to have 20 apps running?

 

[INFNITE]

iTunes, a game of solitaire, MS Word, Safari (with like 10 tabs open), Mail, iChat, maybe PowerPoint if needed. I have the tendency to open like a bazillion windows at once and use Expose to select which window I need to use. It's more fun that way.

 

[dreaming2k5]

So you aren't the type that really need to paying attention to lecture, nor taking notes to get a good grade. I see - sure, Macbook is right for you. For me though, I have to follow along, take notes on the power point slides, write down whatever the professor writes / draws on the chalk board, and even get voice recorder going in case I have to review the material again and again.

I'm not as smart, so I can't afford to lax in class