Laptop Question

[StaySeated]

I am interested in a small laptop, the kind that fits in the front pocket of a rollerboard easily. I saw one recently from some crazy asian company name that started with an "f". I also think toshiba has one. Does anyone have any experience with the really small laptops. I remember several years ago and an alpa function the guy next to me had a insanely small dell, but he had to rest it on his fingers to keep airflow underneath it or it would overheat. I am not interested in that model. How about some recomendations.

While I am typing, you won't believe this sh1t. I am on the road in a hotel with free wireless. I open my email and someone sends me a video of some poor bastard trying to diffuse a bomb (yeah my friends have deep, sordid, issues). Anyhoo, the video is linked to a site but my browser won't open the site due to some parental filter. Too make a long story short, this friggin socialist, facist, police state, bible belt, big brother, right wing, every other -ist, bs hotel chain blocks certain "content". Now, had I been looking for porn I truly would have been pissed, but this was just a stupid video, but WTF? Oh well, if anyone has seen the video titled "3rd world bomb squad" will you tell me what happened.

 

[ToiletDuck]

IBM's thinkpads have the best security and a great feel. The screens however on them are not the best. They are more than adequate for just about anything however I've seen a few that have a little something better. Personally however you can never go wrong with this one. I love it. http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=-840&storeId=10000001&langId=-1&dualCurrId=1000073&categoryId=2072542

Dells 700m sucks because the spacebar is blocked by a ridge between it and the mouse and many get returned because of this. Dell did however get the new X1 out which is a nice laptop but you need to read on it and make sure it's really what you are wanting. The rest of theirs weigh too much.

Gateway:Company has a decent probability of closing so your warranty would be worth jack.

Sony: Great if you can handle the 13.3 inch screen, don't know how small you want it really. The brightness is a little more than the IBM and it has the glass like cover screen(UXGA). http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start;sid=6wwq1P26waUq4L9NFzkg37KrdalGYdVTmrw=?CategoryName=cpu_VAIONotebookComputers_SSeries&Dept=computers

They also have a smaller 10 inch version i've used. The screen is so beautiful and crisp though you'd never know it was that small and the keys actually feel nice and solid.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?CategoryName=cpu_VAIONotebookComputers_TSeries&ProductSKU=VGNT350P%2fS&TabName=specs&var2=

Compaqon't even think about it. Same for HP.

Apple:If you like their interface or don't care about running linux or BSD then the powerbooks make a great laptop. High quality and great performance. Apple will however be using Intel processors in the future so you won't be seeing anymore development in these series. (IBM won't give them the PowerPC chips anymore because they are going to use them in the PS3)

Toshiba: Only one i've used was heavy beast.

Panasonic: If price is no option their toughbooks are a nice catch but the keyboards feel like you are punching on rubber.

If you want quality and size counts then you can't beat IBM's X series or the Sony T series.


I worked for one of these companies for a little over 2 years and I have tried all of these products. My knowledge is not based on things I've read but actualy hands on.

 

[Wang Chung]

my browser won't open the site due to some parental filter. Too make a long story short, this friggin socialist, facist, police state, bible belt, big brother, right wing, every other -ist, bs hotel chain blocks certain "content".

Had this happen on a wireless network in a Signature yesterday. All those ramp fees and expensive Jet-A prices are paying for "Sonic Wall" to roadblock our internet access.

And no, I wasn't trying to download porn.

 

[ToiletDuck]

The bomb squad video shows a couple guys in armor standing over a bomb while a couple guys without armor try and diffuse it. They end up blowing themselves up. Don't watch it. Btw hotel doesn't want you looking at free porn when they can charge you $11.95 a movie on the TV

 

[ToiletDuck]

As far as getting around blockes like that when I was in the college dorms there was a website you could go to and it would have a box that you put what you wanted to go to in. ie www.google.com. It then made it look like your IP was the websites IP so you could see anything you wanted. My university is so baptist they didn't allow anything so that's how we got around it. i'll do a search and if I find it i'll let ya know.
Duck

 

[piperpa30]

dell rocks

 

[ToiletDuck]

No it doesn't. I worked for them for 2 years

 

[CA1900]

Apple:If you like their interface or don't care about running linux or BSD then the powerbooks make a great laptop.

Uhhh... the Mac OS since 2001 is FreeBSD. And you most certainly can install linux on it if you like.

Apple will however be using Intel processors in the future so you won't be seeing anymore development in these series. (IBM won't give them the PowerPC chips anymore because they are going to use them in the PS3)

Incorrect. IBM has been incapable of supplying a low-power, low-heat G5 suitable for laptop use, nor has it been able to break the 3GHz barrier despite specific promises to do both. There will be PowerPC-based computers sold for quite some time as they make the transition, and IBM is quite happy to continue selling them.

 

[ToiletDuck]

Uhhh... the Mac OS since 2001 is FreeBSD. And you most certainly can install linux on it if you like.


Incorrect. IBM has been incapable of supplying a low-power, low-heat G5 suitable for laptop use, nor has it been able to break the 3GHz barrier despite specific promises to do both. There will be PowerPC-based computers sold for quite some time as they make the transition, and IBM is quite happy to continue selling them.

The first statment I didn't type correctly. I was implying the same thing. when I said "If you don't" I ment "Or you can run linux or BSD". OSX is *nix based but it is not FreeBSD. Secondly IBM has not tried to make a G5 for laptops as they don't really care all that much. They have however created a low heat processor. The PS2 sold 95million units while the Apples sold something like 5 million. Not quite sure on that one. It isn't that IBM couldn't supply it is that it would actually cost IBM more to develop a whole new line of chips with a company that has 5% market share. IBM has decided to go with Sony instead. The processors for the PS3 are going to be lower heat consumption.

As far as breaking the 3ghz barrier that doesn't matter. The one thing everyone shouts now is mhz don't matter. PowerPC and AMD processors can handle more instructions per clock cycle than Intels can. Hence why an Athlon XP2000+ proc. actually runs at 1.6ghz. As far as abilities go a dual 2.5ghz PowerPC G5 is fully capable of hanging with 3.6ghz Intel P4. AMD's Opterons are the same way. A 1.5ghz opteron can whip a 2.8ghz P4.

 

[Tinstaafl]

Fujitsu have one that I'd like to get for travelling: Their Lifebook P2040.

It's not as small as the smallest available but it has a built DVD drive (a requirement for me) and still quite small. Screen is a widescreen ~10" 1024x80. Built in WiFi etc.


JVC do a mini-laptop range.

Some of the smallest laptops don't get released in the US. Japan is a major micro-everything market so a supplier such as www.dynamism.com who specialise in importing goodies from Japan to the USA can be a good option.