On the Lookout for a New Laptop
I never thought this day would come. If you personally know me, or if you’ve been following my ergonomics series of posts on ForeverGeek (Such as my Of Mice and Men post), you would know me as such a TrackPoint freak. Yes, I dig the ThinkPad’s red rubber nub that everyone else seems to hate. I’m a touch typist, and I hate having to move my hand from keyboard to mouse (or touchpad) when I have to move the cursor around. Having that red nub conveniently placed in the middle of the keybaord is heaven-sent, IMHO. Also, it’s like the ThinkPad’s cursor has a direct connection to my brain, the way I can move it around with my TrackPoint.
But, alas! Just a few days ago, my cursor went moving around the screen like crazy. Eventually, my TrackPoint stopped working altogether. A quick check under the hood (yes, I opened up my laptop, since it’s way out of warranty, and I sometimes do my own upgrades/repairs) revealed that the ribbon cable had split into two because of stress–it was folded beneath the keyboard! What poor design. Darn those thin ribbon cables!
Well, at least the keys are still working in tip-top condition.
Suffering Touch-Typist
Apparently, as old machines go (mine’s many years old) you really can’t rely on things to go smoothly. Things are bound to break, especially with the heat that laptops give off (especially the old ones) and the fact that you lug them around in your bag. Sometimes you’d have to endure the ultimate sacrifice of not being able to do things the way you’re used to if things go break or if your machine dies altogether.
Dismayed as I was, I resorted to temporarily plugging in one of those cheapo small USB optical mice so I could work on my laptop (while away from my home office, that is). It’s not what I’m used to. I get efficiency losses the few milliseconds I have to move my hand from keyboard to mouse and back. And what about the brain-cursor connection that I’ve lost? It’s unbearable! I can’t stand it!
I promised myself I would be on the lookout for a replacement keyboard, and that I wouldn’t let a couple of days pass without my fixing my beloved ol’ ThinkPad. But woe of all woes, there is none to be found–at least none within convenient reach. I’ve tried stores that sell secondhand parts (read: salvaged from dead units), but to no avail. Same with my contacts and friends who are experts at laptop repair. I could have the ribbon cable repaired, but the contacts are too fine, thin and small, and would probably take some time to fix.
I could order a keyboard online, but I checked the prices, and that would cost me big bucks. $100 for a keyboard? For an old laptop? I’d rather buy a new computer!
On the Lookout
So this is what I’ll be doing. I’m currently on the lookout for a new laptop. Something cheap, reliable and with decent warranty. I’m not out for the meanest, most blazingly-fast, eye-catching model out there. I’d settle for something that would give me decent battery life (about three hours), connectivity options (WiFi–can’t live without it!) and good ergonomics (ThinkPad keyboards are the best!).
I’d go for a new ThinkPad, but sadly most decent models are out of my budget for the time being. And frankly, I’m prepared to try new things, to explore, and to try to enjoy the experience other brands may offer. I’m in need of something sub-$1,000 but that would give me great bang for the buck.
Any suggestions?
Oh, it doesn’t have to have a trackpoint!
Sony VAIO VGN-AR190G Review
Looks like I might have bought my laptop at a bad time. With Intel bringing out Core 2 Duo soon, and the market quickly gearing up for the HD-DVD versus Blu-ray optical drive battle, I am left feeling a little behind the times. Laptop Magazie recently reviewed the Sony VAIO VGN-AR190G, a Blu-ray machine with a 17″ LCD widescreen display.
The 1.3-inch-thick VGN-AR190G is visually stunning in more ways than one. Its sleek-looking glossy black exterior is offset by a silver VAIO logo with matching silver trim and port covers, but it’s the 17-inch widescreen display that really catches the eye. The 1920 x 1200-pixel WUXGA+ panel displays high-definition video and utilizes Sony’s XBrite HiColor technology to deliver a crisp, sharp picture with deep color reproduction. The screen’s antiglare coating does a good job of deflecting ambient light, so background reflection is minimal and even less than that of the Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV650.
In the end they give the VGN-AR190G a four out of five though honestly, it is lacking in the major areas of concern for me. It was expensive, average in productivity tests, had a short battery life, and had small touchpad buttons. One thing I find interesting is they place slow Blu-ray burning as a negative, though the technology is still in its infancy.
Sony Vaio VGN-AR11S Blu-ray Review
Pocket-lint has a review up on the Sony Vaio VGN-AR11S, a desktop replacement, multimedia notebook with a Blu-ray drive. While other companies are all excited about coming to the market with their HD-DVD drives, Sony came and did something a little different.
The 17-inch panel comes with an X-Black screen so movies are pin-point sharp, which you’ll need as this is the first notebook to come with a Blu-ray optical drive, so hi-definition video is the name of the game.
Hi-Def movies are only just starting to appear but we managed to get our hands on a few test disks and we weren’t let down. Just as with Super-TFT screens, once you’ve experience Hi-Def there is simply no going back to the older technology.
Pocket-lint loved this expensive machine, but I am not all that impressed. Sure it has a great build quality, a great processor, an abundant amount of RAM and a Blu-ray optical drive, but if I can’t take it anywhere to show it off due to it being too heavy, and the battery life being less than three hours, then why not just have a desktop? I am sure Sony will be releasing desktop machines with Blu-ray drives shortly.
They gave the Sony Vaio VGN-AR11S a nine out of ten.
HP Pavilion dv8000t Review
Laptop Magazine has a review up on the HP Pavilion dv8000t. It has been two months since the dv8000z they reviewed, and now this one has more powerful specifications than the old one, and so we should be excited right? Well, don’t go rushing to the store just yet as this $1500 USD laptop, while good, it still bugs me a bit.
Laptop Magazine seemed to really like it though saying:
When we reviewed the Pavilion dv8000z two months ago, it earned an Editors’ Choice for its slick design, multimedia chops, and bright display. If it didn’t impress you then, it should now. This 17-inch desktop replacement is now outfitted with a dual-core processor and superior graphics. The dv8000t looks and feels the same as its predecessor but with a serious boost in performance and features.
For me, a laptop should not weigh more than some desktop computers you can now get, and the HP Pavilion dv8000t is a multimedia desktop replacement. They are heavy, and have poor battery life. If you are looking to plant the machine on your desk and not be able to port it around from place to place, then buy a desktop. If you are looking to bring it with you when you go on a trip, get a lighter all around performer. But that is just how I feel.
Of course the reviewers look at this in comparison to others in its class, and it does quite well in that respect. Its battery life is better than most of its counterparts, it has a dual-core processor, QuickPlay 2.0 for watching multimedia without loading up Windows, and an amazing display for watching the media. Laptop Magazine gives it a 4 out of 5 as well as an Editor’s Choice badge.
Started the RMA
I recently sent back my Lenovo Thinkpad T43 to Lenovo to get replaced. You would think that with all the nice things I said about the machine that it would be nice to me and have no problems, and while it worked wonderfully, it had a small flaw that was really bugging me: a blue pixel.
It was just one, but from time to time, I experienced other stuck pixels. They came and went though, but this one blue pixel just continued to stay there, staring at me. I noticed it more when the background was darker than lighter, and it was not going away.
I seem to have the worst luck with LCD monitors, as almost every LCD I go near gets a stuck pixel.
After a few days of having it there, I asked a few people if I should send it back. It is only one pixel out of 786,432 but it gave me a good reason to test out Lenovo’s RMA process. So I decided to give it a try.
So they gave me the details on what I need to do to send them the laptop. I had to repackage the machine and send it back with all its parts and manuals.
I did not have the original packaging, and so I asked them if that is okay. They said it was, and so I packaged it up the best I could. They gave me a number to call UPS, as well as an account number to charge the return to.
I then set up a pickup appointment with UPS, and off it went. Now I have to wait for them to send me back the laptop, hopefully a 6 cell battery and AC adaptor like I sent them.
Averatec 1050 Goes Custom
Averatec has announced a plan to help banish boring laptops atleast for their 1050 series. You can now put your own picture on the case when you order, which will allow you to customize the machine’s look before you even get it.
Inside it is the same old Averatec 1050, but the outside will have people looking. I wonder if anyone will try to put adult images on their machine?
Asus W3J Review
TrustedReviews has recently reviewed the Asus W3J, a 14 inch screen notebook with a Core Duo processor and some reasonable graphic power.
The W3J is the second of two notebooks from Asus that have caught my eye recently. The first was the W5J, which packed a lot of power into a relatively diminutive shell thanks to a 2GHz Core Duo processor. The W5J was also noticeable for its white shell and fetching blue lights, designed to appeal to those in touch with their feminine side, or indeed females.
The W3J adds some more bulk, upping the weight from 1.6Kg to 2Kg with the standard battery and 2.2Kg with the extended battery, but for that you gain an extra two inches of diagonal screen size, (14in instead of 12in) and a far more powerful graphics chipset, an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600, which makes games a realistic option.
In the end they give everything about the machine a 9 out of ten, though I don’t like its low battery life, needing the extended 8 cell battery to squeeze out just four hours of time away from a power socket is a little silly these days.
Toshiba Qosmio G35-AV650 Review
Laptop Magazine recently reviewed a laptop with a HD-DVD drive. It isn’t cheap or small, but it has some great features.
An HDMI port, which carries high-def audio and video, lets you output movies to an HDTV, but at a slightly lower-quality 1080i setting. Also, for three grand, we think Toshiba should have included this calbe in the box. Another caveat is that you can’t output HD-DVD movies in instant-on mode; you need to be running InterVideo’s WinDVD HD application in Windows.
In our tests, an HD-DVD version disc of The Bourne Supremacy looked stellar on the AV-650’s screen, even from wide viewing angles, as well as when outputted to an HDTV. By the time you read this, 30 HD-DVD movies will be available, and more are promised by the end of the summer.
Unfortunately, while you can watch HD-DVD discs, this drive is read-only. That means you can’t burn to high-capacity discs as you can with the pricier Sony VAIO AR Series, which sports a Blu-ray drive. With that system, you can back up to 50GB of data or burn high-definition movies you’ve captured with an HD camcorder, albeit at a very slow 1X speed.
You would think that having a HD-DVD drive would mean and instant five in the ratings, and you would almost be on the mark. They gave the Qosmio G35-AV650 a 4.5 out of 5. It lost the last half point for being expensive, heavy, and not being able to burn HD-DVD’s. Picky guys aren’t they? Well, it still got an editor’s choice badge.
Lenovo ThinkPad X60s Review
Laptop Magazine reviewed a ThinkPad X60s from Lenovo. I am a big fan of the ThinkPad line and I really love some of the options they provide with their machines. For me, battery life is of prime importance and the model that was reviewed had it to spare as well as a very cool connection option: EV-DO.
The wireless broadband connectivity from Verizon Wireless is well integrated with the machine’s ThinkVantage utilities, which help you manage your wired and wireless connections, back up and restore your system, access tech support, and more. That said, the Access Connections manager could make it easier to connect with EV-DO. As it stands, you have to go through a wizard to set a profile. It isn’t hard, but other PC makers handle this function seamlessly in the background as you roam.
Thanks to our model’s eight-cell battery (which protrudes from the back of the system about 0.75 inches), the X60s delivered amazing battery life: 8 hours and 42 minutes with Wi-Fi on, and 9 hours and 34 minutes with it off. With its dual-core processor, the Lenovo X60s also topped all others here in MobileMark 2005, showing it will handle all your business apps with aplomb.
In the end the X60s gets a four out of five thanks to its durability, security, battery life, and wireless broadband connectivity options.
Sony VAIO VGN-SZ170P Review
Laptop Magazine has posted a review of the Sony VAIO VGN-SZ170P. It is at the upper range of being an ultraportable, with its 13.3″ widescreen display but it received much kudos from the reviewer.
Like the Sharp M4000, the VGN-SZ170P is built around a 13.3-inch widescreen display. The large screen means a bigger footprint and heavier chassis (3.7 pounds) than other ultraportables, but it’s a price worth paying if this will be your primary machine. The glossy display looked stunning during DVD playback, but we noticed glare from overhead lights. The stereo speakers above the keyboard deliver enough volume for a conference table presentation, even if the sound is a bit hollow.
The only downside listed for this machine is its weight, other than that, it is a big thumbs up. They gave the VAIO VGN-SZ170P a 4.5 out of 5, and an Editor’s Choice badge. If you have $2599 USD sitting around, then this is probably the laptop to get.
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