LapTop

[Hammerhead]

I am looking to purchase a laptop for horseracing only. I would like to install my version of Microsoft Office Pro. and Equiisam 4
I see most have 40G hard drives which is more then sufficant. I am more interested in speed ease of operation and battery life. On the battery life I would like to know how long a charged battery will last and how long will the batterys last before they have to be replaced.
How does wireless internet operate and where does it not operate. Best I have come across is about a 3 megahertz processor I believe Pentium 4. I also understand celeron processors are not that good.
Price range $1500.00 or less cash.

Thanks Hammerhead

[yak merchant]

I'm also in the market. And I've used alot of laptops in the past. I currently have a Dell, Used to have a Compaq/HP and before that a IBM thinkpad. I'm partial to the IBM Thinkpad's and believe I will be purchasing a IBM X31 SBM as there price has dropped as of late. If battery life is important, you will want a Centrino Mobile chipset based laptop. The processor is made for less battery consumption. The GGhz ratings are lower than on a regular laptop, so you might think, why would I buy a 1.4 GGhz laptop when they make 3.0 GGZ laptops, but a buddy of mine was testing one out, and he had two dell's side by side, one with a Centrino and one with a regular chipset. The Centrino had a lower GGhz rating but was alot faster, go figure. So don't be afraid of the Mobile processors with lower ratings. The battery life on the X31 is one of the best that I've seen. 4.4? hours on the regular battery, and like 8 on an extended life battery you can get for $150. I'd also get one with the Wireless LAN built in. I would highly recommend not buying some off brand $1500 3.0 GGhz laptop thinking you are getting a deal. For one a laptop is unlike a desktop you can't really just take one apart and replace the broken hardware. Its getting sent off to the manufacturer, and if it's not under warranty you are screwed. That's why I'd stick to IBM,Dell,HP,Sony, or Toshiba in that order. If size and weight aren't that big a deal and you look around you can probably find an IBM R series in your price range. Good luck.

YM

[Hammerhead]

After a 1/2 hour of thinking and relizing I only go to the track once or twice a year I ordered a desk top to suit my needs and use the 750 for watching the races and the internet. Thanks for your thoughts. I am getting a Dell 2.8 with a gig of ram.

[Dick Schmidt]

I have a newish Dell (about 9 months old) that just died the other day from a local power spike, taking its motherboard with it. I called Dell at 9:00 AM on Monday, and by noon Tuesday they had a tech out here at my house with a new motherboard, new power supply, new (faster) processor and new memory. I am impressed. Dell is a great company to do business with. The only downside is trying to get through their "technical support" in Bombay. The accent is only funny for about five minutes, then you realize that they know nothing that isn't on their script. Once I was put through to Texas, it went swimmingly.

Dick

"German cultural heritage is not that complex, actually. You drink a lot of beer, eat a lot of Sauerkraut and pork, and every fifty years you get the urge to kick the snot out of the French." - Marko Kloos

[cj]

They make laptops with all the functionality and power of a desktop these days. Of course, those don't have the best battery life, but I've never had trouble finding an outlet at an OTB or at the track.

[Hammerhead]

Thanks for the replys. I have heard many good things about dell. Also with a laptop I am sure sooner or later it would be left in my car or some other idiotic place where I would lose it. Never been to careful about securing things and doubt I'll start know.

[kitts]

I have heard that Dell (who used an outsourcing contractor who convinced them of the good deal in Bombay) is tired of that and pulling thier support functions back to the US. Sounds especially good to me since I work for another outsourcing contractor who just lost a contract and my job and I will be replaced by somebody in India.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally posted by Dick Schmidt
I have a newish Dell (about 9 months old) that just died the other day from a local power spike, taking its motherboard with it.


Dick, did you have a UPS between the wall and your PC? Am I sitting here with a false sense of security regarding power spikes?

[Dick Schmidt]

PA,

I not only had a UPS, I had a surge protector plugged into it, with the computer plugged into that. Unless the UPS is one of the high dollar kind that takes all the power from the battery while keeping the battery constantly charged, thus isolating the computer from the outside world, a power spike can still get you. Inexpensive UPS units just monitor the power and switch to battery back up in 1/100th of a second or so. You would know if you had the good kind UPS; they would have plastered it all over the box, and charged you $500 or more.

Power spikes are unpredictable. My son's computer, protected by nothing but a surge protector ($4.99 at Fry's) came through just fine, and it was running at the time. Mine was off and still got zapped. The tech from Dell just shook his head and said there is no telling. One neighbor up the street lost his microwave oven, yet most people had no damage at all. Go figure.

Dick

P.S. I have been told that surge protectors (i.e. power strips), especially the cheap kind that I favor, only work once. They they go right on providing power and looking perfectly normal, but do nothing to protect your computer. That may be why Max survived while I fried. I was using an older surge protector while he had a brand new one. Guess I should buy a new one.


Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.
- Mark Twain

[PaceAdvantage]

Hmmmm..my UPS is netiher expensive nor inexpensive....lol

[Hosshead]

Dick, After that spike, better get a new one for Max too.

[penguinfan]

Wish I would have seen this thread earlier, guys I have the greatest laptop made for taking to the OTB, a Toshiba Satellite P25 series. Has several settings for power consumption that keep the battery alive all night at the OTB when I am playing MNR (about 4 hours or so) with no problem at all, it has a 17 widescreen display which is perferct for handicapping and playing races because you can have 2 windows the size of a regular laptops open at the same time SIDE BY SIDE without switching back and forth, that alone was worth the price, which if I remember correctly was just a bit more than the $1500 you mentioned, but not much and if you get it when they have those rebate deals going it will probably come in under that price. XP pro, Pentium 4 and it came with 512 Ram which I upgraded to 1024, integrated wireless and a bunch of bells and whistles that I don't even know what to do with yet (duh).

Perfect laptop for handicapping/OTB for sure.

Penguinfan

[cj]

penguinfan,

we have the same machine...upgrade that RAM to the 2G max and you are all set :)

It really is a desktop replacement. I haven't used a desktop in months.

[penguinfan]

You have excellent taste in computers:D