[Chicago-talk] Off Topic: Laptop Recommendation
Jim Jacobus
JJacobus at PonyX.com
Sun Sep 30 16:11:43 PDT 2007
I know this is off topic, so please don't beat me up.
I've been looking for a replacement for my much loved Micron GX3
laptop which I've used daily since June 2002! I'm frustrated with the
way laptops are classified by manufacturers (what if I want an
"all-purpose, power, ultraportable, desktop replacement"?) The search
is getting pretty time-consuming. I figured since you're all s/w
developers like me, I could ask what machines you prefer.
One of my most important criteria is the keyboard. When you spend
hours pounding out code you need a good keyboard with sculpted keys,
nice tactile response, properly spaced and somewhat long travel to
the keyclick. I've tried those flat keys on Macs and Sony and have
thus ruled those machines out--just can't touch type accurately for
any length of time. Dell's seem a little cramped to me. HP's keyboard
seems to be good. Not sure about Gateways or Toshibas. I've never had
the opportunity to even see an Asus.
Another concern I have is with those 'glassy' screens. Don't you get
a lot of glare off them especially under office florescent lights?
For what it's worth my other criteria are: XP-pro; 15.4 (or so) inch
screen with resolution of at least 1400 x 1050; Intel Core 2 Duo; 1-2
GB memory; 60+GB drive; ATI or nVidia dedicated graphics card. I'm
finding it really difficult to narrow my search down using the
selection criteria at websites like notebookreview.com
So, if you care to respond, could you comment on what machines you
use (or prefer)? A couple grand or more is a big purchase, so I'm
casting wide net for opinions. Thanks in advance.
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