Help with choosing laptop

I just finished grad school and some of the data files I had to use were huge!! HUGE! To ask excel to run all those points and do a little regression was a processors worst nightmare lol. My Lenovo ThinkPad processed that data like a champ! Like a CHAMP! Powerpoint... whatever! A day in the park - do 20 at a time. Leaving 50 windows open to browse as you do all that... well how do you think I kept up with SRP so well lol!?!

But a monitor for t.v. it is not. I mean it's ok, but the blacks look like a hippy's "fun-space" after dropping too much lol.

That said my model (X201i) is now 3 years old, maybe they have better screens today. But processing power will be more than you'll ever need me thinks. I can't speak to the Alienware other than when I was looking they were generally considered overpriced. And as for campus use, I would go with the smaller of any two choices (I'll only do 13" if I needed bigger the library had monitors I could hook into) - hauling a 17" around campus gets old fast. Very fast! Especially if you don't live on campus.

That's my 2 cents. Good luck.

What earcutter said.

I think much of the debate about models is largely subjective. Sure... processor speed, frames-per-second video rate, polygons rendered, MIPS and FLOPS -- they're all quantifiable, empirical measurements; but it's really all about one's "experience"... and that's nothing, if not subjective. (think: "shave ready") You might be an Arnold Schwarzenneger-like, 6'2" body builder, and that 17" Mac Pro looks like a netbook (and feels even lighter); or... you might be Arnold Stang (Chunky ads, of old), 5'3" of reed-thin comedian, and a 10" Asus netbook is perfect. Chances are you're neither; so what's incredibly important is that once you've settled on the specifications for your laptop (real-world, not "blue-sky") and found a couple-or-three that meet, exceed, or come-real-close to those specifications, try 'em on for size. Even if it means spending $20 to rent one for a day (although you might get lucky, and find one to borrow), it's vital that you do this: The proof of the pudding is in the eating. If you're willing-and-able to spend $2,000 for a laptop computer, make sure you get your money's worth. (I know... I sound [feel] so parental! lol)

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I'm a huge fan of Linux but isn't it an aftermarket modification?

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Not necessarily. If I understand correctly, you're referring to what's known as the "Microsoft Tax": the built-in cost(s) for the Microsoft operating system when you buy it pre-loaded on a desktop or laptop computer. In such an instance, you can't get your money back for the Microsoft OS, if you install Linux in its place. Or can you? The truth is, (with some work) you can! But increasingly, you can find vendors that will sell you a computer without Microsoft Windows installed; or... vendors that will sell you a computer with a choice of Linux distributions installed -- in either case, you have to ask about it.

"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find..."

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Originally Posted by JBHoren

Not necessarily. If I understand correctly, you're referring to what's known as the "Microsoft Tax": the built-in cost(s) for the Microsoft operating system when you buy it pre-loaded on a desktop or laptop computer. In such an instance, you can't get your money back for the Microsoft OS, if you install Linux in its place. Or can you? The truth is, (with some work) you can! But increasingly, you can find vendors that will sell you a computer without Microsoft Windows installed; or... vendors that will sell you a computer with a choice of Linux distributions installed -- in either case, you have to ask about it.

"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find..."

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I think I would have been fine in undergrad running Linux or even Apples Snow Leopard... but for their issues with flash. If you are going to download your texts though - pay the tax. Trust me. College's have bought in, and they support Microsoft.

Grad school would have been a no go though. All the software I had to use was Microsoft - centric. For real. I really felt bad for those kids who weren't running Microsoft. Moreover, don't even try to pirate any software in College - they'll throw you out. Well, mine would. Professional integrity and all that.

Awesome, thanks guys! Lenovo's are beasts. You can choose really powerful upgrades for them (at least the one I"m looking at) and still be under $2000. I'll look into Linux for sure JB, my friend's dad installed it on his PC so he's probably the best to ask on how and/or where to get it on mine. I've also been checking out some custom companies, like meleii mentioned on page 1. I'm in no hurry, this is a sizable chunk of money haha.

I was introduced to Linux by JB about 5 or 6 years ago. Fedora 5 at that time. Now running Mint 14. On my laptop I kept Windows 7 because I paid for it and it runs great. My previous experience was with '95, '98 and XP. The XP was better than the other two but the Win 7 is really good IME.

On my home PC I'm happy to run an OS that I didn't spend a dime on, and will do virtually everything the microsoft systems will do. There are of course many things that are proprietary windows programs so it you're going to run into much of that it is good to have something that works with those.

While many linux distros have a more user friendly GUI than in past years there is still a learning curve. If you are familiar with linux that is fine, but if you are not it would be better if you had someone who knows linux to help out if you get stuck.

Just save yourself trouble and buy a 15in macbook pro . run dual systems and your problems are solved

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Originally Posted by animalwithin

JB, this laptop will be my only PC. I don't know where I'll be in the next year, but I know for sure a move will take place and I don't know if I'll be in a house, apartment, etc. so I figured laptop was the way to go. $2000 is a lot for a laptop, honestly I want a desktop but like I said, laptop is easier to travel with.

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You pretty much know what's going to happen in a year in the computer market (if you do some research you should have a good idea even two or three years ahead).

Since you have about a year of not moving and you could use a desktop at present and that's what you want, a money-saving option is to get a desktop now and a laptop next year. The thing is that with a laptop you pay big overhead for the portability and have to trade-off power for weight, and there is no point to take the hit unless you have to.
And if you end up needing to go mobile the same thing you can buy this year for 2k you should be able to buy next year for about 1k.

All I'm saying is that paying upfront a big overhead on quickly depreciating asset when at present you do not need the capabilities that the overhead is covering is a waste of money.

If a macbook pro is going to fit your requirements you should seriously consider going that route because their depreciation is ridiculously out of sync with the windows alternatives.
I've used macbook pros for my last 5-7 laptops and before that were IBM thinkpads which I ran on linux - they are still computers and even with higher quality control are not exempt of (hardware) problems, but with the good warranties these companies provided those have been resolved quickly.

I thought about a mac, but they're so expensive!! I love Apple though and their products are incredible. I've had my iTouch for almost 4 years, use it everyday for 12+ hrs and it still works great. I'll look into a macbook. But you might be right about just picking up a desktop, and if that's the case, I'd rather build one.

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Originally Posted by animalwithin

I thought about a mac, but they're so expensive!! I love Apple though and their products are incredible. I've had my iTouch for almost 4 years, use it everyday for 12+ hrs and it still works great. I'll look into a macbook. But you might be right about just picking up a desktop, and if that's the case, I'd rather build one.

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I hate Macs lol. Heck my wife is a Mac whore. That's all she has! Thank goodness she's a prof and has access to the IT department though. Half the stuff they get her to use at the University is Mac quasi compatible and requires her to continually have reps and the IT department helping her. Of course - you have to account for the user too but seriously lol - I could never and still can't figure out her loyalty to a company who's lost the battle in the field of education - well lost the battle at her University anyway. Sigh lol.

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Originally Posted by earcutter

I hate Macs lol. Heck my wife is a Mac whore. That's all she has! Thank goodness she's a prof and has access to the IT department though. Half the stuff they get her to use at the University is Mac quasi compatible and requires her to continually have reps and the IT department helping her. Of course - you have to account for the user too but seriously lol - I could never and still can't figure out her loyalty to a company who's lost the battle in the field of education - well lost the battle at her University anyway. Sigh lol.

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ROTFL! I'm also a "Mac whore"... at least, for the look-and-feel. Here's a screenshot of my Asus EeePC (1005PEB), themed for MacOSX:

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/...eee-MacOSX.png