<p>Currently I have a toshiba dual core 1.6GHZ, 1.49 GB RAM satellite series w/ Windows XP.. It runs ok but seems really heavy and I want to get a new laptop. </p>
<p>My question is whether or not the laptops I am considering will be a great improvement. Is it worth spending the extra money?? </p>
<p>I am considering the Thinkpad X201 I5, the MacBook Pro 2.53 GHZ 13" laptop (also dual core), and the super-duper-expensive MacBook Pro I5 15".. </p>
<p>I have the money but I really could take out less loans this year if the differences aren't worth the $$.</p>
<p>What sort of dual core do you have right now?</p>
<p>Right click the Windows logo, click “Explore” (or something similar to that), then right click “My Computer” and Left Click “Properties”. Search up the field that says what your CPU is (probably some model of AMD or Intel) and post it on here.</p>
<p>The reason I ask is there are many dual cores out there, from the AMD Athlon to the Core 2 Duo to the i3s, and they all perform differently compared to each other. It’s hard to get an accurate assessment without knowing the CPU model first.</p>
<p>Hi -
I had no idea there are so many different types of computer processors…</p>
<p>My comp says Intel (R) Core ™ 2CPU T5200
1.6GHZ, 1.49 GB RAM satellite series w/ Windows XP</p>
<p>ps I have never played a game in my life. Sometimes I watch hulu on my computer and this Toshiba slows down every once in awhile but for the most part has been ok. I am mainly looking for a fast computer that is able to handle many different operations at once for school / hw / internet surfing etc.</p>
<p>Honestly speaking, your current CPU is more than able to do that. It should not be having any problems, and even upgrading to the highest end CPU available, you will not see a performance increase if all you do is school/hw/internet/hulu.</p>
<p>The only way I can see you getting better performance is upgrading your RAM to 2GBs or 3GBs. Don’t get 4GBs, because with Windows XP, without going into detail, the vast majority of Windows XP copies out there cannot recognize all 4GBs of memory, so generally anything more than 3GBs on a mainstream XP laptop is a waste of money.</p>
<p>Yeah RAM will make a noticeable difference.</p>
<p>And cleaning your PC will make a difference too. Idk, if you already do that. But, if you don’t clean often, use CCleaner. It’s a fast and great program that cleans random junk.</p>
<p>If you’re going off to college maybe a new laptop will be worth it.</p>
<p>You’ll probably want to upgrade (and you’ll notice a weight difference, I’m sure). The RAM and CPU should make a noticeable difference. I think you’ll also find that Windows 7 feels a tad smoother as well, but that’s up to individual preference. You won’t want to upgrade in the middle of college, and you’ll likely find it obnoxious if you’re trying to do things with your computer and you find that it’s just too slow and it’s bottlenecking your work. If you’re not using it for work, then you shouldn’t upgrade it - I doubt this is true, though.</p>
<p>thanks guys! I’ll be mostly using it for school @ Ucla as a transfer student. No work. </p>
<p>I went to Best Buy to check out the Thinkpads & the Macs but Bestbuy doesn’t carry the X201 Thinkpad & the Mac seemed nice but I want to compare it to the thinkpad. The 13" MacBookPro was 4.5 lbs and the 15" I5 MBP was 5.6 lbs. seems heavy! I don’t know if I want to lug that beast around. I have a netbook but those are kinda low quality and sometimes doesn’t connect at school. </p>
<p>I guess I’ll check Office Depot / Staples tomorrow to see if they carry the Thinkpad Lenovo w/ Windows 7. </p>
<p>Well, for money reasons, I’d advise against a major upgrade. You really don’t need power, as your usage is extremely light. The best laptops for you are probably ones that use a ULV Core 2 Duo; if you have issues figuring out what this is then try asking people at BB. They should know what that means.</p>
<p>a RAM upgrade like adding 2GB of DDR2 would cost you about 40-45 dollars and you should be able to see a good increase in performance the whole way round. The Macs don’t use processors that are much newer than your current notebook (other than the i5 one )</p>
<p>Have you ever owned a laptop? Anything under 6 pounds is extremely reasonable. I would never call anything even close to 5 pounds as heavy, unless you’re one of those Thin and Light obsessors. I mean, REALLY. Go find something that weighs 5 pounds. And then lift it.</p>
<p>EDIT: And I think Macs are terrible! But not for weight</p>
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