<p>Hello! So due to the fact that I've been assigned to a triple in the units, I've decided that I will not be studying in my room and instead, will just be using a laptop, instead of a desktop. (Mainly to go to the library.) </p>
<p>By the way, I've never owned a laptop before.</p>
<p>I'm currently looking at the Inspiron 1720 (that's 17"). It's a good deal, in terms of price and hardware. However, I'm not sure if it'll be practical to bring to class. </p>
<p>I'm aware that in terms of size, how heavy of a laptop is a pretty personal judgement call (the 17" is about 7.8 pounds). But I'm more concerned if professors and fellow classmates would be annoyed by me using it in class, OR even if I will have space on my desk for it.</p>
<p>I had a 17'' and I regretted it. It was far too heavy and thick to lug around. So I went and bought a 15.4'' one, but it was still too heavy for carrying around. </p>
<p>I recommend a <15'' laptop, maybe from Lenovo/IBM (they're known for their durability).</p>
<p>Definitely don't get a 17in. You'll barely be able to fit any books in your backpack alongside it. I'm trying to get my inspiron 9300 replaced soon (old 17in model).</p>
<p>This is v. helpful. I'm gonna have to cut and paste this thread. My dad is getting me a laptop and he insists it has to have all this stuff including a web cam so my parents can see me (<em>groan</em>), and I keep saying keep it small and light!</p>
<p>^^ if your dad is willing to pay for it, you can have allll of that stuff -- all the cutting-edge technology for laptops and whatnot -- in a small, light package: the Lenovo/IBM ThinkPad T61. And all the together costs anywhere from $1300-1500, depending on what you want. It's definitely worth it.</p>
<p>I'm computer illiterate! Is the T61 different than the one that starts with an "X"? And what about a printer? Good or bad idea? Finally, will there be someone to help me hook this all up, or is dear old dad who thinks he knows everything about computers (and has killed a few setting them up in his time!) going to get the job (SAY NO!!!)?</p>
<p>Beatchick: ignore the one with the X. A light but reliable printer is a good idea.</p>
<p>On another note, if you aren't too attached to Windows, aren't too picky about specs, prefer a pre-packaged computer with little variability, and are okay with macs, then I'd say definitely go for a Macbook, which tends to be for those who just want to "plug and play."</p>
<p>get the lightest one you can find! within your price range, of course. I have a 15.4'' hp with webcam and all that snazzy stuff. As far as internal stuff go, if you can get your hands on something that has the XP operating system (or a good mac), get it. Vista has been unpleasant for me.</p>
<p>In terms of reliability, the big 3 are sony, toshiba, and hp. hp hasn't been so good recently but the problem with the other 2 brands is that everything I've found has been either too cheap (features not so nice) or too expensive. so it's a choice that takes a bit of personal thinking.</p>
<p>Lenovos are good too if you can find something that's worth its price.</p>
<p>mainly permission problems because of its "increased" (yeah, paranoid) security features. It wouldn't let me install some software or save to the C:\ root drive. Although I realize you shouldn't save to the root drive under regular circumstances anyway, some things like emacs put temp files there by default when configuring files. Tech support and other tech people at stores don't even know Vista well enough to tell me if that's normal behavior or not. Anyway I've learned to get around that by 2 ways.</p>
<p>I also think it's actually a lot less user-friendly than xp was, even though a lot of people are saying that xp was too "exclusive." For Vista, Microsoft reorganized a lot of features and tools and I have to relearn where everything is, I have to go dig around for menu bars in certain software because they're now hidden by default. Kiddifying the system apparently makes it more difficult for regular people to use.</p>
<p>I just think it's really unneccessary as an OS. I hear the service pack 3 for XP increases security as well, so the only really new thing about Vista is the 3-D effects, which take up too much memory and are nothing more than eye-candy. Great, I have an analog clock on my sidebar, and I get a cool effect when I flip through my windows. Guess what? Mac's been doing that for years. I'm saying that, and I don't even like/support the Apple corporation at all.</p>
<p>I have 2GB of DDR2 RAM on this thing, and the physical memory usage never gets below 39% even when I don't have any apps going. That's all the OS itself.</p>
<p>so everything pretty much fall under 2 points:
1. Security Overlord
2. SOFTWARE COMPATABILITY</p>
<p>oh yeah, if the OP was thinking about printers too, make sure to get one that's Vista-compatable. If you don't enjoy looking for and installing drivers yourself, get something that's Vista-ready.</p>
<p>Don't totally disregard the ultraportables like Lenovo x61 / x61s.. I myself thought I would always be a 15" screen guy, but turns out mobility and battery life our most important now.. thus I'm now a 12" guy</p>
<p>So the X's have a smaller screen? I know, I need to research this. Also, is a wireless mouse good to have? What other specs should I be looking at? I went on the Lenovo website, and there's a pile of extras and add ons, and I'm pretty clueless. What kind of a screen does it have? We have a Dell laptop that has a smooth screen but it's impossible to see anything on the screen in daylight, outside.</p>
<p>on the site, it should say in the specs how big the screen is, etc. I don't like looking at anything smaller than a 14'' but maybe that's just cause it takes getting used to. As for wireless mice, I don't have one. Just make sure you get a good one because if you get one that's crappy and doesn't communicate well between the mouse itself and the part you plug into the usb port, it doesn't do any good. I have a mini mouse with the retractable chord and a regular mouse with cord. It's old school and reliable XD</p>
<p>screens, yeah if the glossiness is a problem then upgrade to one that's less glare-y. Just remember every little thing extra costs more.</p>
<p>If you're talking about the X series... well, I wouldn't recommend that unless you're extremely mobile, you like tiny computers, and you're okay with squinting a lot (the X series has 12" screens). The downside of the X series is that they lack certain features in the actual laptop: if you want a CD burner, for example, you have to buy the bay, which is stationary and you attach the laptop to it. I'd really recommend the T series, though, if you're looking for a laptop on Windows.</p>
<p>It's good to have a mouse when you don't want to use the touchpad, but whether it's wireless or not is up to you. I personally wouldn't bother with a wireless one, as you have to deal with batteries, etc. (+ I haven't had good experiences with wireless ones, though I know others have.)</p>
<p>Since you don't seem to be computer-savvy, I suspect you don't care about many of the high-tech features. As such, when you click 'customize,' I'd recommend:</p>
<p>*Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz 800MHz 4MBL2) [just for the higher cache]
*Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic [or premium, if you'd like -- but I'm cheap and I'd put Windows XP on it, anyway]
*1 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)
*60GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm
*6 cell Li-Ion Battery</p>
<p>Optional:</p>
<p>*14.1 WXGA TFT, w/ Camera [if your parents want to see you]
*UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader [for protecting your computer / other things in your computer with your own fingerprint]
*DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim [for burning DVDs, if you like that]
*Integrated Bluetooth PAN [if you want to synchronize with other devices like a cell phone]</p>
<p>Which comes out at about $1200. I'd really recommend looking into the Macbook, though.</p>