Two good deals: which one to go with?

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firefly · #1 Post by **firefly** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 6:35 am

Been browsing the forum for a good week and I've narrowed down my choice to either one:

Intel® Pentium® M 750 1.86GHz
512MB DDR2 RAM
60GB disk (5400 rpm)
CDRW/DVD Combo
14.1" TFT SXGA+ (1400 x 1050)
Radeon X300 (64MB)

All for $1240.

OR--

Intel® Pentium® M 760 2.0GHz
512MB DDR2 RAM
80GB disk (5400 rpm)
DL DVD ±RW Multi-burner (2X Max.)
15" TFT SXGA+ (1400 x 1050)
Radeon X300 (64MB)

For $1520

Before you wonder about the price: It's through the university where they have a special offer for students. My friend is eligible for one and he hooked me up as he already owns a X41 and has no need for another notebook. I love the specs of the second one but it's a bigger/heavier machine. I'll do a bit of travelling so the extra weight counts. But if the second system is a much better deal than the first one then I might consider.

So...if you're me...which one will you go with?

#2 Post by **Kyocera** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:09 am

I have a 14" T30 and a 15" T42, bought the T30 because of the size and weight. I must say now if I had to do it over I would have got a 14" T42.
You are correct, size does matter, the 14" is a lot easier to lug around from job to job.

stgreek · #3 Post by **stgreek** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 8:08 am

For the difference in price, the 2nd one is indeed a much better offer, but I would still take the 1st one, as the 14" SXGA+ is the perfect balance between portability and usability. And yes, the weight difference will be more than noticeable if you want to take your laptop to class/work.

ddutta · #4 Post by **ddutta** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 9:38 am

The 1st one seems better. The slow DVD burner may not be useful. You can get an external DVD burner for about $100 and upgrade the HDD later. And the 14" has better battery life, apart from bein lighter.

slagmi · #5 Post by **slagmi** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 12:33 pm

I would get the DVD writer and the 80GB HDD over the 60 any day. Who wants to carry an external drive around if you don't have to?

Jmmmmm · #6 Post by **Jmmmmm** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 12:54 pm

Is there any way you can get the second one with a 14" screen for a comparable price?

If not, and you do a lot of traveling, I think you should still go with the 14". It will be worth it while carrying it around frequently. I had 15" laptops for the past 7 years, but I wanted something easier to carry when I shopped for this laptop. I worried that I wouldnt be able to deal with the smaller screen, but decided to take a chance. Now I am very glad I went for the smaller screen, and would do it again in a second.

Obviously it may be different for you, but I am thankful every day when I am carrying my laptop.

firefly · #7 Post by **firefly** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 7:04 pm

Thanks for all the comments. BTW why is this being moved to off-topic? Maybe I forgot to mention both of them are T43.

As a frequent traveller I do understand a few hundred grams does make a big difference when you need to carry the notebook around all day, that's why I'm leaning towards the 14" when I first heard about the deal.

For the 60GB vs. 80GB drive, I'll use this notebook mostly for email, internet access, office apps and some ACAD, Pro/E. So the 60GB should keep me happy for a while. And it's always upgradable if I ever see the need for more space. It's also truth that the DVD burner is slow and again I can always swap in a burner after.

So the only things left are the 2.0 vs 1.86 and screen size. Is the 2.0 that much faster?

BTW I'm looking forward to upgrade the memory to 1GB. Is it necessary the two modules have to be a matched pair?

stgreek · #8 Post by **stgreek** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 6:54 am

firefly wrote:Thanks for all the comments. BTW why is this being moved to off-topic? Maybe I forgot to mention both of them are T43.

As a frequent traveller I do understand a few hundred grams does make a big difference when you need to carry the notebook around all day, that's why I'm leaning towards the 14" when I first heard about the deal.

Trust me , it does.

For the 60GB vs. 80GB drive, I'll use this notebook mostly for email, internet access, office apps and some ACAD, Pro/E. So the 60GB should keep me happy for a while. And it's always upgradable if I ever see the need for more space. It's also truth that the DVD burner is slow and again I can always swap in a burner after.

Right on both aspects, most users will probably move up to the 7k100s when they are available anyway.

So the only things left are the 2.0 vs 1.86 and screen size. Is the 2.0 that much faster?

No, it isn't. The screen size depends on the person, but I have absolutely no issues with the 14" SXGA+, and I am NOT going back to an XGA now that I've used it.

BTW I'm looking forward to upgrade the memory to 1GB. Is it necessary the two modules have to be a matched pair?

No, but it helps resolve weird behaviour, as sometimes modules may not be compatible with each other. If you simply want to add memory, go for Crucial, since it has the best compatibility than any other memory chip out there.

HTH
Stavros

Two good deals: which one to go with?

Two good deals: which one to go with?

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