[dba-Tech] Laptop Recommendation

jwcolby jwcolby at colbyconsulting.com
Thu Jun 3 08:58:28 CDT 2004


Jon,

Here in the US there is a company called NewEgg.com that sells
everything about as cheap as you'll find it.  If you insist on intel
(bad boy!) then you are going to pay more for less.  If you will go with
AMD then (here in the USA) I can get motherboards and processors for
cheap.  In the end though, it's tough to beat a brand new system from
Dell when they are having their sales.  I found entire systems for under
$450 (minus monitors) right after Christmas when they were dumping
inventory.

I always build my own though.  

Today you can get a high end AMD motherboard ($150), AMD 2500 barton
($80), 512 m memory ($120), 160g hd ($95).  

That's a pretty nice system for not too much - assuming you are
upgrading and your power supply will handle the load.

John W. Colby 
www.ColbyConsulting.com

-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Jon Tydda
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 9:35 AM
To: 'Discussion of Hardware and Software issues'
Subject: RE: [dba-Tech] Laptop Recommendation


Rocky

Speaking in my capacity as a techy/notwork guy/fiddler, you'll need
512mb RAM as a minimum for any pc now. The mobile chip is up to you - I
got an 11mb PCMCIA wifi card for $10 from Ebay, so that costs nothing in
comparison. Starcraft runs on my p3-500 pc, so anything over that will
suit Max, but if he's going to upgrade his games, you might want to
consider a vaguely hefty graphics card - really anything with 128mb of
RAM on it will do.

The speedstep technology is good though - increases battery life and
performance through using less power etc when the laptop isn't plugged
into the mains. 

Through looking to buy a "cheap" system on the internet, I've found that
you can't build a pc for much cheaper than £600, because they stop
selling the low end chips... I wanted to get a "cheapish" motherboard
and P4 (ie a 1.4 or so) to upgrade my pc, spending about £150-200, but
you can't buy them anymore... so stupid... I don't want to spend £600 on
a new pc yet.


Jon

-----Original Message-----
From: Rocky Smolin - Beach Access Software [mailto:bchacc at san.rr.com]
Sent: 03 June 2004 14:21
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] Laptop Recommendation


Francisco:

Well, sorry, finally getting back to this thread.  I have two boys 7 &
14 and they share a machine right now - a rather pokey Celeron tower.
The big guy, Max, starts high school in September and it's time for him
to have a machine of his own.

He'll just be doing mostly word processing, email, and internet
research. Likes to play Starcraft on line but he can use the other box
for that.

Although I've resisted it (I work at home and DON'T WANT to be able to
work anywhere), I'm thinking a laptop would have some uses for me as
well as my wife, the writer.

So it's got to be powerful enough to do Access development, although
I'll only be using it when I travel which is not much.

The idea of the mobile chip is attractive because you can sit down in a
coffeehouse anywhere and be on the internet.  But I suppose you can just
get a PCMCIA Access Point and that will do the same thing?

Fry's was pushing the Sony Vaio the other day for about $1200 with 512mb
RAM, DVD, etc.

Dell looks like they've got some good deals now.

So that's the motivation and the needs.  What's everybody think?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Francisco H Tapia" <my.lists at verizon.net>
To: "Discussion of Hardware and Software issues"
<dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2004 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] Laptop Recommendation


> You're gonna receive a whole lotta responses Rocky.  Maybe providing 
> more information on what you expect your laptop to be able to do?
>
> - Development work
> - DVD viewing
> - a lot of wireless work
> - Play video games
> - etc...
>
> The Alienware solution is really more for people who are gamers, it is

> a very sweet system, but if you're not gonna game, then the 3d video 
> card is going to waste... know what I mean?
>
>
> Jon Tydda wrote On 6/1/2004 2:00 PM:
>
> >check out the Alienware Area-51m... awesome...
> >
> >
> >Jon
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Peter Brawley" <peter.brawley at artfulsoftware.com>
> >To: "Discussion of Hardware and Software issues"
> ><dba-tech at databaseadvisors.com>
> >Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2004 9:14 PM
> >Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] Laptop Recommendation
> >
> >
> >My understanding is that M better than 4 for lightweight. IMO Toshiba
gives
> >more bang for the laptop buck, though.
> >
> >PB.
> >  ----- Original Message -----
> >  From: Rocky Smolin - Beach Access Software
> >  To: dba-tech
> >  Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2004 2:41 PM
> >  Subject: [dba-Tech] Laptop Recommendation
> >
> >
> >  I'm thinking about getting a laptop.  What's better Mobile Intel
Pentium
> >4, or Pentium M.  Or are they the same.
> >
> >  I'm looking at the Dell catalog.
> >
> >  Any other things to look out for?
> >
> >  TIA
> >
> >  Rocky Smolin
> >  Beach Access Software
> >  http://www.e-z-mrp.com
> >
> >  _______________________________________________
> >  dba-Tech mailing list
> >  dba-Tech at databaseadvisors.com  
> > http://databaseadvisors.com/mailman/listinfo/dba-tech
> >  Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >dba-Tech mailing list
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> >_______________________________________________
> >dba-Tech mailing list
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> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> -Francisco
>
>
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