The Great Laptop Shootout Extrrrrrravaganza!

[SoonerMatt]

Okay, so I'm desperately in the market for a new laptop, as I can't use a Mac to run genetics analysis. As such I've narrowed it down to 3 laptops, all of which have the following in common:

- Intel Centrino processor
- 4 gigs RAM
- Super multi DVD drive
- 64-bit OS
- Under $1000

I plan on making the purchase on Friday so I can get the free/discounted Windows 7 upgrade. AND NOW THE LAPTOPS

I. SONY VAIO VGN-FW390JAS || Newegg site

PROS
Intel P8600 (2.4 GHz), ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3650, middle price, used to the keyboard, large screen resolution

CONS
Smallest hard drive of the bunch (250 gig), most loaded with bloat, hardest to get drivers for

II. HP HDX 16-1140US || Newegg site

PROS
Intel P8600 (2.4 GHz), 500 gig HDD, full-size keyboard

CONS
Most expensive, heaviest, worst battery life, good amount of bloat, NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT not as good as the ATI

III. TOSHIBA SATELLITE E105-S1402 || Best Buy blue label site

PROS
Cheapest, lightest, smallest, mid-size HDD (320 gig), almost no bloat, longest battery life, longest warranty

CONS
P8400 (2.26 GHz) gives it the smallest processor, Intel X4500HD integrated graphics, smallest resolution, very few connectivity options, weakest keyboard and trackpad, Toshiba Satellite reputation

I'm most leaning towards the Sony, but I'd really like your opinions on this and suggestions as well. Since this is going to be used more for work I don't plan on doing very much gaming. Thanks in advance!

[theory028]

I would do whatever is possible to avoid the Toshiba. Their business line looks promising but otherwise the build quality is severely lacking (from my experience; we have had three within the family and only one was reliable, and it was babied to an extreme degree).

I had a Vaio FW for a while and it was great. It was a CTO from Sony Style though. I got the free Bluray drive upgrade and the high res screen. It was a beauty. I don't think that the NewEgg model has the 1080P screen, but it should be good either way.

I wouldn't worry about the bloat on any of them since doing a clean install of Windows is vitally important to performance regardless of the brand.

I don't know what it takes to run your software. I think you'd be well off with either the Sony or the HP.

Good luck!

--

I'd give my nod to the HP if I had to choose between the Sony or HP. Are you certain that you'll like the 16:9 ratio? I did while I had mine but it did take a period of adjustment. It is not as tall so it was awkward at first. After a while I started to love it and it will be a feature I look for in the future. There is a lot of negativity towards the aspect ratio, though. I guess the Sony has a higher resolution which would be very nice, but probably negligible. Tough call.

[tplyons]

Pay for the processor, everything else can pretty much be replaced.

The HP and Sony have 2.4 GHz processors, that's an advantage. Don't be put off by small hard drives, they're surprisingly cheap and the price is going down constantly.

As far as the bloat, do a clean install. You're better off that way.

I had a Toshiba Satellite before I switched to Macs. Everything was excellent but the battery died within two years. I have no experience with HP or Sony laptops, but looking at specs, the HP and Sony seem to be your better bets.

[MJ5150]

I've never had a single problem with my Toshiba laptop that I bought in 2003, and I use it daily. It came with XP Home, I upgraded to XP Pro. I upgraded it to Vista, then back down to XP Pro. Nothing has ever failed me. Since you plan on doing lots of work on it, I would probably stay away from the Toshiba since it has the weakest keyboard and trackpad in your opinion.

I know people who own Sony's that have had QC issues, but nothing major.

Not enough experience with HP to give an intelligent opinion.

-Mike

[Tarrbot]

What else do you want to do other than the analysis? Games? Nothing?

I've only heard bad things about Sony but obviously theory028 had one that was good.

I don't doubt that they are good, though.

Is there any reason you didn't look at Dell or IBM or did they just not make the top three?

HP makes good stuff but I haven't had to deal with one in years. I use IBM and Dell stuff for work and I used to work for IBM so take my thoughts on IBM with a grain of salt (full disclosure).

[SoonerMatt]

I was wanting to keep this under $1000 and to get the specs I needed (at least 2.23 GHz, 4 gigs RAM, 64-bit OS) both Dell and Lenovo were over that, even after factoring in the cost of installing RAM upgrades myself. With IBM I couldn't find anything with a Core Duo for under $1100, but I may be looking in the wrong place.

[ADbassman]

I caution you away from HP's simply because my brother tells me the same. He works for Geek Squad at Best Buy and the Lionshare of their repairwork comes from HP computers. Usually one of three things breaks on them: Power supply, Wireless card, or Hard Drive.

[theory028]

I don't know how well Sony holds up in the long run. I returned mine about two weeks after I got it because I wanted to buy a new amp instead. It was nice saving the money since the amp only cost about half as much and has provided me with a lot more enjoyment. The FW series didn't feel cheap or vulnerable to damage, but I'll admit my XPS M1530 feels more sturdy. The mouse buttons were incredibly loud in the Vaio.

Sony has the disadvantage of being thought of as overpriced, which is a crime that they are no more guilty of than Apple is. They certainly don't come off as a company interested in competative pricing.

I'll also add in some love for Dell. I've had two. One was an Inspiron 9200 that lasted for several years until I replaced it with an XPS M1530. They're both awesome machines and the Dell support has not been as horrible as people might imagine. Since I used my student discount I had to get a 3 year warranty that included in home support. I've only used it once and it was great. Otherwise, replacement parts were shipped extremely quickly and without much trouble. They make some great computers. IBM also seems to be a safe bet.

[GeneralElectric]

Sony laptops don't last for a long time. I've got an FZ Series laptop which cost me almost 2 grand from Sony Style when I got it, and a lot of the hardware was on a discount for some back to school sale.

It was buggy out of the box, but when I got it working right it was a dream to use. However, the honey moon ended when it crashed on me, and I had to send it in. The ended up replacing a lot of hardware on it that I didn't even know was going. They overheat easily.

The touch mouse on it sucks, it broke 3 days after warranty ended. The keyboard is merely OK, they don't last forever though. A lot of the keys in mine ended up getting stuck a lot.

Awhile ago the internal power supply on it went kaput. I haven't been able to find the replacement part. Talking to techie friends, its a common problem with Vaio laptops. I made a thread on it.

[Tarrbot]

Looking at the specs on your choices, you need to be comparing apples to apples.

The Toshiba doesn't only have the smallest resolution, it has the smallest screen size. That's a huge detriment on a laptop. This part is one of the first features you should look for in a laptop. Not processor, not RAM, not hard drive space.

This is the piece you will be looking at day in and day out for years. Do you really want to limit yourself to a laptop with a 14" screen size?

If you'll be running an external monitor most of the time, that's one thing but this is not a good idea, IMO.

You can get a Dell 17" from their site for roughly the same price. I'm not hip on which versions of Vista have 64-bit support since I just download Ultimate from MS whenever I want it for testing, but the Dell shouldn't be a bad alternative.

I can't rightly say that the Inspiron that I was looking at is a good/great product also since I only get Vostros due to having a Dell business account and that's their business product line.

What I can say is that due to the Toshiba being tiny on screen size, that would be completely out. The Sony would be out (for me) just because it's a Sony laptop. That leaves the HP and Dell.

And BestBuy might get an inordinate amount of Geek Squad work from HP simply due to the fact that HP is the top seller and there are more of them out there. Dells have their own support mechanism and owners don't routinely take them into Geek Squad.

I'd opt for the HP out of your choices or look a bit further into other options.

[GeneralElectric]

Oh yeah, another fun Sony tidbit.

When I inquired as to how much it'd cost to fix my computer they said $600 to fix it and if they can't $100 to fix it. I found someone who can fix it, but they don't know where to get the part.

I contacted Sony, and after spending an hour talking to customer service here was rundown of the dialogue:

-I know whats wrong with my laptop, I've had a lot of people tell me. I'll tell you anyway.

-Sure, tell me whats up

-I tell him whats wrong.

-There seems to be a hardware issue.

-I know. The internal power supply is shot. I need to buy another one. Do you guys sell spare parts? I can't find where to buy them online.

-You need to call the parts center. The part you need is in the service manual for your computer.

-My computer didn't come with it.

-None of them do. You have to buy it.

-OK, so I buy it, and then I wait for it to come to my house, so I can read two lines and figure out the name of the part. And then order the part through the parts center.

-Yeah.

-Alright, thanks

-Sony prohibits the end user from modifying or performing unauthorized repairs on their laptop

-So I can't buy the service manual or the part?

The whole experience gave me a headache.

[ADbassman]

Originally Posted by Tarrbot

And BestBuy might get an inordinate amount of Geek Squad work from HP simply due to the fact that HP is the top seller and there are more of them out there. Dells have their own support mechanism and owners don't routinely take them into Geek Squad.

Possible, but this implies that other laptops break on a routine basis and usually with the same sort of problems long before they should be expected to.

[jambassist]

You might want to consider the HP EliteBook. They're more expensive than the "commercial" laptops you find at the big box stores, but they're designed for the kind of work you're going to be doing. HP markets these as "business" notebooks and from everything I've read, the build quality is outstanding. They also come with a 3 year parts/labor warranty that you can extend to 4 years if you use a credit card to buy it.

You won't find these in stores. You have to buy them from HP or an online reseller such as Macmall, which is where I got mine. Macmall doesn't charge tax and it seems many online sellers are these days. I understand you don't have a lot to spend. However, if you buy a $1000 laptop that dies in a year, you didn't save anything. If you spend the extra money now and buy a pro level computer, you'll be that much further ahead. I just bought the 14.1" 6930p and I'm waiting for delivery as I type this. Basic specs are 2.53ghz P8700, 250 gb 7200rpm SATA drive, 2gb ram, ATI Mobility 3450, and XP Pro for $1229. HP designed them with IT departments in mind so they're super easy to work on. I have the link below if you'd care to check them out


http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en...5-3955549.html

[Georynn]

If i had to choose... what others have said are definitely good points...

Buy the biggest baddest Proc you can afford, and try to avoid shared video memory where possible, and remember, when you unplug the laptop, most processors will reduce clock cycles to preserve battery life... and they all don't do this the same way...


I honestly have had more luck out of other brand laptops...

I highly recommend Asus as a name brand... and they are cheap for the performance...

[SoonerMatt]

BTW, the process I'd need to run are: accessing a BLAST database to pull a specific gene from a certain genome, compare it to another gene on a different plant's genome, run RNA and protein synthesis codes, compare how proteins would structure, see how compatible the RNA from one plant is with synthesis of proteins to use on another plant, get imaging to what a protein structure would look like, etc.

So I'm pretty sure I need good processing power, a dedicated graphics card, and it HAS to be 64-bit Windows. I'm also thinking about biting the bullet and throwing down for a Dell Latitude. And my dad has a Lenovo and he freaking hates it. He said it's crashed more in a month than his old Latitude did in the almost 3 and a half years he had it. IMO he just got a lemon or his hardware is having a hard time with XP, since everyone else I know who has a T-series Thinkpad and uses Vista or Windows 7 loves it.

And about the Apple thing - I cannot use OS X to do genetics or physiology. I've talked with SEMO's biology department as well as schools that I'd be interested in doing PhD work and none of them use Apple. Sure, the hardware might be able to run on it, but there is no software for OS X that works as effectively.

[kanonfodr]

Man...genetics? I've heard of a great company that builds machines just for people like you. Ever heard of Cray?? Lol...

I don't know if you're gonna find something that good for under a grand, especially w/ the processor-heavy calculations that genetics of all things are going to require.

If you absolutely need to have it under a grand: Asus. They have been putting out some kickass laptops lately, for pretty cheap too. Other than that, something in the way of Alienware may be required, albeit for a prettier penny. But I am still running on my Alienware that I bought, not even top of the line, in 06. It's on it's second deployment with me. Other than the speaker that I blew, I've only upgraded the hard drives to give me more space.

Peace,
Greg

[cdef]

Originally Posted by Georynn

...I highly recommend Asus as a name brand... and they are cheap for the performance...

I'd be thinking Asus, too. They have a great reputation for price/performance/build quality, and the range of configurations is wide.

[Absentia]

Get the Toshi, they are tanks and you can always find the drivers for them.

[totallybacan]

I have an HP HDX 16, and love it. sure battery sucks, but i feel the power makes up for it. HP customer support also gave me a vista backup disc for free just by asking, so i can back up regularly without having to buy vista.

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by SoonerMatt

BTW, the process I'd need to run are: accessing a BLAST database to pull a specific gene from a certain genome, compare it to another gene on a different plant's genome, run RNA and protein synthesis codes, compare how proteins would structure, see how compatible the RNA from one plant is with synthesis of proteins to use on another plant, get imaging to what a protein structure would look like, etc.

So I'm pretty sure I need good processing power, a dedicated graphics card, and it HAS to be 64-bit Windows. I'm also thinking about biting the bullet and throwing down for a Dell Latitude. And my dad has a Lenovo and he freaking hates it. He said it's crashed more in a month than his old Latitude did in the almost 3 and a half years he had it. IMO he just got a lemon or his hardware is having a hard time with XP, since everyone else I know who has a T-series Thinkpad and uses Vista or Windows 7 loves it.

And about the Apple thing - I cannot use OS X to do genetics or physiology. I've talked with SEMO's biology department as well as schools that I'd be interested in doing PhD work and none of them use Apple. Sure, the hardware might be able to run on it, but there is no software for OS X that works as effectively.

LOL, welcome to the sciences, or engineering. I am in pretty much the same boat.

I'm sure you know this already, that trying to run heavy duty numerics on a laptop is like trying to fit ten pounds of **** into a five pound bag. I wonder if your budget would be better spent on a fast but ugly desktop, and then get a Linux netbook to carry around. Wherever you end up as a PhD student, you will probably have a desk and a fast hardwired network connection. Alternatively, for now, do the work that you have to do on whatever desktop you can borrow in your department.

A colleague of mine and I are running some optics simulation software to get data for a paper. Both of us have notebooks. It's pretty comical. The software requires a dongle, which we share, and I can't justify a second license in my budget.