I've been trying to get good input on getting a notebook computer for college. I'm going into Mechanical Engineering, and the program director strongly recommends I get a notebook. In the time I've been a member of thirdgen.org, I've noticed that we've got people that know a lot about damn near everything, as related to our cars, and just about anything else in the world. I'd appreciate any light that can be shed for me. if the thread gets closed, sorry, you can e-mail me at camaro305@netzero.net

Anthony


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previous ride: 87 Camaro LT
350, A4.Comp Cams 268H, Edelbrock Preformer intake, Hedman Headers and y-pipe, gutted cat, No AIR/smog pump. 14x3" Open element K&N, Q-jet w/ D hanger and DA rods, adjusted AV spring tension and quick can.

Current ride: 1992 Camaro RS, K&N, Flowmaster, 305, T5, Black, T-tops, 74k miles.

 

Of course I could delete it too

While this thread has NOTHING to do with PROM burning, I am willing to let it run for "a bit". But it's not my call...just to warn you.

You should have said "What notebook can I get that can handle all of my school requirements along with my PROM burning"...it would have a better chance of survival.

 

Ragin, looks like it's time to edit.

 

Give me a budget number and I can spit out the best deal. If you are going to be running Cadkey 99 or AutoCad I don't recommend a notebook. If the guy said it's a good idea then I'm thinking it's just going to be used for internet and word. Basic stuff you will only need a celeron. Do you want a large screen? Are you going to use a monitor in the dorm room? Do you play games? What kind of internet connection does the dorms have? Answer those questions and I can give you a good price. Oh yeah, and most importantly, do you listen to a lot of mp3s (more than 400)?

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, Jon (350 TBI!)
91 Red My website

 

thanks for not deleting this. Of course I am indeed interested in PROM burning as well. I've posted in this board before. My Camaro will become the test bed for my design project, so over time I'll want to know as much about the factory computers as possible, to determine if I need to get a new engine management system.

As far as budget, anytime I say a number close to or over 2 grand, my mom $hit$ a brick. The grounds for the advisor recommending a notebook had to do with certain programs that are only on the machines in the engineering computer lab. There are only 40 in there I think, and they fill up quickly. The whole school is networked, dorm rooms included, each room in my suite has LAN, and a metro phone line(cable TV too.. ) I don't really care if the screen is huge, I don't really play games, at least none that have come out in the last 5 years. I don't figure on having time to in college anyway(time to kick *** and take names ya know?) I have all the CD's I want, so I don't listen to MP3's that much, only a few songs I can't find the CD's for(old Albert King stuff, OLD OLD blues and the like.) DVD has been strongly recommended by a lot of people, what do you think? I appreciate it.

Anthony

p.s if anyone has any guitar related questions, don't hessitate to e-mail me.


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previous ride: 87 Camaro LT
350, A4.Comp Cams 268H, Edelbrock Preformer intake, Hedman Headers and y-pipe, gutted cat, No AIR/smog pump. 14x3" Open element K&N, Q-jet w/ D hanger and DA rods, adjusted AV spring tension and quick can.

Current ride: 1992 Camaro RS, K&N, Flowmaster, 305, T5, Black, T-tops, 74k miles.

 

rofl...

Tim

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TRAXION's 1990 IROC-Z
Best Time = 12.244 @ 112.51mph (1.778 60' / 7.819@88.32mph in the 1/8)
All Natural. No Force. No Drugs. Stock Bottom End. Stock Body Panels.
Gunning for NA 11's with bigger cam, bigger stall, and bigger exhaust.
-=ICON Motorsports=-
Moderator: PROM board at thirdgen.org

 

TRAXION,
so glad to bring humor to your day. also, thanks for not giving it the big axe! I asked here b/c I know the people here know their stuff, I know some personally, others on a long standing post basis. Any suggestions? I saw some ProStar's that caught my attention. Thanks again.

Anthony

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previous ride: 87 Camaro LT
350, A4.Comp Cams 268H, Edelbrock Preformer intake, Hedman Headers and y-pipe, gutted cat, No AIR/smog pump. 14x3" Open element K&N, Q-jet w/ D hanger and DA rods, adjusted AV spring tension and quick can.

Current ride: 1992 Camaro RS, K&N, Flowmaster, 305, T5, Black, T-tops, 76k miles.

 

I think the first question should be, what is your budget? Do you need to get software too?

I have 2 notebooks and a desktop at my home. My $10.00 notebook I use for my eprom burning, Diacom, etc. If it gets ripped off or breaks, I got my $10.00 worth.

My other Notebook is my primary computer, while the desktop is use primarily by the wife. I got my notebook a couple of years ago primarily for my work (I was self-employed at the time) and I needed portability.

Personally, notebooks are roughly twice the price but only 1/2 the system of a desktop IMO. The only reason to get a notebook is for portability.

If you can do without the "latest and greatest" (which it sounds like you can, you probably can make do with the "lesser" system and save a few bucks. I do not believe in getting the BEST when it comes to notebooks because even the best notebook is still less than the LOWEST desktop. And it will most likely be "limited" in a short while (obsolesence is common with computers).

Because I believe that the only reason to get a notebook is because you need portability, weight is another consideration. I know that when I use to do a lot of travelling, it was amazing how heavy that little notebook became when I had to lug it through the airport. Especially when you have a quick connecting flight and yo literally have to run from one end of the terminal to the other...carrying that damn Notebook....

 

Glenn,
On the budget soley for the machine, I'm looking to stay under $2000. I'm sure I will need software somewhere down the line, but I will be keeping some money aside for things like that(as well as for the "need for speed" fund.)

Portability is my main concern. My mom is camera crazy, so I anticipate many "Anthony, you need to come home tonight, there's a ______ tomorrow, we'll pay for gas and an oil change, see you in the morning" Of course I'm also sure ever last one of those will happen right in the middle of an important paper that I can't afford not to take with me, and more than a few times, I'll have to have software with me that isn't on my computer at home.

I also understand the weight concern. Having lived overseas, the airport craze is almost serene to me. I have never been late for, or missed a flight, took a 29 hour string of flights once, would have been 23, but there was a 6 hour layover in Singapore. This with a family of six, and I being the oldest child.. in other words, my dad and I carried all the luggage... ALL of it. Wheels only help a certain extent. Any recomendations on particular brands/machines?

Anthony




------------------
previous ride: 87 Camaro LT
350, A4.Comp Cams 268H, Edelbrock Preformer intake, Hedman Headers and y-pipe, gutted cat, No AIR/smog pump. 14x3" Open element K&N, Q-jet w/ D hanger and DA rods, adjusted AV spring tension and quick can.

Current ride: 1992 Camaro RS, K&N, Flowmaster, 305, T5, Black, T-tops, 76k miles.

 

Anyone else? If not I appreciate the input so far.

as of now I'm looking at either of these machines:

Prostar 5190, 800mHz PIII, 256MB ram, 20GB HD, 12.1 SVGA TFT, DVD, 56k w/ 10/100mbps lan card. ($1685.00)

Prostar 2293, 800mHz PIII, 14.1 XGA TFT, everything else same as above ($1550.00)

thanks again,
Anthony

 

Just a FYI...I currectly use AutoCad 14&2000, ProE, and IronCAD. I really don't know how the laptop would hold up with them. The better the video card/memory and the regular RAM, I think the better off you will be. Also, with programs that draw in solid modeling states all the time (ie IronCAD), a bad video card probably wont cut the mustard.
But I can't be sure on that.

I used to run AutoCAD on a desktop 75mhz with only 24 meg ram. It took me all day to render an object--literally all day.

Tell your school to get more computers. I am at a state university (Purdue), and there are over 120 computers in the ME building computer lab alone...and it isn't even a listed campus lab! -Matt-

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the computers in the ME Lab are for ME students only, but all computers on campus are networked.

there's a special at prostar.. 1 ghz, 14.1 XGA, 256mb SDRAM, 4X AGP 64mb max. user defineable share RAM, 20gb, DVD ($1645)

can that handle AutoCAD 14 at least? maybe 2000?

Anthony

 

I thought you were on a tight budget, HA. Under 2000 can buy you ANYTHING. Definatly check out http://www.pricewatch.com and http://www.notebookcomputer.com/.

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, Jon (350 TBI!)
91 Red My website

 

I would hope that would handle it, I run autocad 2000 on my P.O.S. Celeron 300MHz desktop, it works perfectly. Any of those laptops would smoke my computer.

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82' Z-28. 327" w/ flat tops. 216/228/112LS. Pocket ported 041 heads 1.94/1.50 SS valves. World Class T-5 from a 91'. Best run? Runs with 2001 vette to 150mph! Soon to be converted over to TPI w/ supercharger.

 

Jon,
you were scaring the hell outta me man. I put $2000 in one of my other posts. the LAN administrator at my dad's office said they could order a computer for me at the corporate price, and just have my dad pay them back. So I don't know if I have a choice in machines anymore. The company uses Toshiba for laptops(not complaining), so that may be all I can get. At any rate thanks a lot for the input.

Anthony

------------------
previous ride: 87 Camaro LT
350, A4.Comp Cams 268H, Edelbrock Preformer intake, Hedman Headers and y-pipe, gutted cat, No AIR/smog pump. 14x3" Open element K&N, Q-jet w/ D hanger and DA rods, adjusted AV spring tension and quick can.

Current ride: 1992 Camaro RS, K&N, Flowmaster, 305, T5, Black, T-tops, 76k miles.

 

Toshiba is good. Right now there isn't a "better" laptop. They're all pretty equal, I can't think of one company that offers something that you can't find in another laptop. Back in the day (2 years ago) when I was looking for a computer I saw my friend get a laptop for school. 400 celeron, dvd, 14.1", 13gig, 64mb, nice setup BUT. The next year he was tired of worring about somebody taking it, didn't like the monitor, didn't like the keyboard, didn't use the dvd, couldn't play ANY good games (quake 2 was pushing it), didn't have very good speakers for music/mp3s!. He gave it to his father and his father paid him for it, I then built up a desktop for him for the money he got from selling his laptop. He's got all name brand parts, dvd, cd burner, you name it, he's got it, overclocked 566 to 850 stable, 128mb, 30gig!, 17" monitor, everything for under $1300 and that was over a year ago.
2 other friends have laptops but they don't use them for anything but internet and word. It's all depending on what you want to do. Personally I would have liked to have had a laptop but I can't afford anything good. If you can, go for it and definatly USE it like a laptop. Don't just keep it locked to your dorm desk, that's just a waste .

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, Jon (350 TBI!)
91 Red My website

 

oh it will get used as a laptop.. I don't buy something unless I know i'll use it.. and since I trust nobody, my laptop will get the same treatment as my Stratocaster, touch it and die.. quite simple really. We're gonna look into this whole corporate purchase deal.. sounds sweet to me tho. Frees up my own personal money to get the stuff to burn PROMS, so I can post relavent questions on this board..

Anthony