jesung
07-24-2008, 08:33 PM
Hello, I'm a Canadian university student who is looking for a decent machine that can handle all the everyday tasks such as word processing as well as some light gaming. I'm also on a pretty tight budget :p
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
$1500 CAD after taxes and shipping
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
I need the portability of a 15" screen without having to sacrifice too much performance for gaming.
3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.
Canada
4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Not really. My main focus is on quality, not brand image.
5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Mostly school work and some light gaming.
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
I will be taking it with me to lectures every day so I need the battery life.
7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes, maybe Counter Strike. StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 when they come out for sure. Ability to play StarCraft 2 is a must. But I know Blizzard is good with scaling back their graphics (my intel GMA 950 runs WoW) so I'm not too worried as long as I get a decent dedicated graphics card. Currently, I don't play any graphics intensive games -- or rather, I can't :p
8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
As much as possible; looking for at least 3.
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No, as long as I've read some reviews and seen some pictures.
10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
I think Vista is the way to go right now. No Mac or Linux. I might try Linux for kicks but I need Windows for gaming.
Screen Specifics
11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen
12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below)
I'd prefer as small as possible for price & battery life so 1280x800. I have a 22" monitor so I will be playing my games on that.
13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen? (Read below on differences)
Glossy is preferable since I won't be using it outside.
Build Quality and Design
14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Somewhat, but I wouldn't pay more than $50 extra for a stylish laptop with same specs *cough Alienware cough *
15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Most likely mid-August and hopefully at least 3-4 years.
Notebook Components
16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?
I only need about 80 for music and games because I have a 500GB external hard drive. So a standard 160 GB will suffice.
17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
DVD RW is fine. I don't plan on buying a blue ray disc for at least a couple of years.
Ok, so now that's over with, I'd like to add I've been eyeing the Sager NP2096 for a while now (2092 before that). I don't really know other brands that well other than Dell. I know XPS 1530 (or its successor if it comes out in time) is a candidate but it's too expensive plus with the whole nvidia 8600 fiasco, it's less appealing.
Express shipping is $110 and Ontario tax is 13% so I'm looking at around $1200 USD in laptop price if it's from xotic pc.
I looked at Eurocom since it's in the area but they don't offer anything that I'm looking for plus they're so overpriced :mad:
Your help is much appreciated. Thanks :notworthy
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
$1500 CAD after taxes and shipping
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
I need the portability of a 15" screen without having to sacrifice too much performance for gaming.
3) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in.
Canada
4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Not really. My main focus is on quality, not brand image.
5) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
Mostly school work and some light gaming.
6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
I will be taking it with me to lectures every day so I need the battery life.
7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes, maybe Counter Strike. StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 when they come out for sure. Ability to play StarCraft 2 is a must. But I know Blizzard is good with scaling back their graphics (my intel GMA 950 runs WoW) so I'm not too worried as long as I get a decent dedicated graphics card. Currently, I don't play any graphics intensive games -- or rather, I can't :p
8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
As much as possible; looking for at least 3.
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
No, as long as I've read some reviews and seen some pictures.
10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
I think Vista is the way to go right now. No Mac or Linux. I might try Linux for kicks but I need Windows for gaming.
Screen Specifics
11) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Widescreen
12) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer? (more details below)
I'd prefer as small as possible for price & battery life so 1280x800. I have a 22" monitor so I will be playing my games on that.
13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen? (Read below on differences)
Glossy is preferable since I won't be using it outside.
Build Quality and Design
14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Somewhat, but I wouldn't pay more than $50 extra for a stylish laptop with same specs *cough Alienware cough *
15) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Most likely mid-August and hopefully at least 3-4 years.
Notebook Components
16) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 500GB?
I only need about 80 for music and games because I have a 500GB external hard drive. So a standard 160 GB will suffice.
17) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
DVD RW is fine. I don't plan on buying a blue ray disc for at least a couple of years.
Ok, so now that's over with, I'd like to add I've been eyeing the Sager NP2096 for a while now (2092 before that). I don't really know other brands that well other than Dell. I know XPS 1530 (or its successor if it comes out in time) is a candidate but it's too expensive plus with the whole nvidia 8600 fiasco, it's less appealing.
Express shipping is $110 and Ontario tax is 13% so I'm looking at around $1200 USD in laptop price if it's from xotic pc.
I looked at Eurocom since it's in the area but they don't offer anything that I'm looking for plus they're so overpriced :mad:
Your help is much appreciated. Thanks :notworthy