You want the enterprise level laptops. HP enterprise commercial laptops are some of the best in the biz, much better than the consumer ones at Best Buy or wherever. The most expensive right now would probably be the Mobile Workstation 8710w. If you configure one to order with the best possible config, you are probably looking at $4-6K. http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/en/WF04a/321957-321957-64295-321838-3329741.html The also have very nice tablet PCs...the 2710p would probably be the more expensive one they make. Go to hp.com and look at the business PCs under "Small and Medium Business" or "Large Enterprise Business" and check out what they have there. Its stuff you can't buy at retail stores. Here is a good one at newegg.com, but you can probably get better specs on the HP site if you configure one. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834147512
TM1, Looking at supermac's link, you'll have two options on your needs. Games or comfort. The 17" model "HP compaq 8710w PENRYN", is the only one with 3600M Graphics. I did a search and that's more or less a 8800m graphics card. That'll allow you to play games like Gears of War, Crysis, Bioshock and future games with ease. That model is also the only one I see that allows 8 gigs of ram. If you're not into games, but you're eyeing that Blu-ray and want to watch it on your laptop, then a 17" is still recommended. Or you can do a little research on whether the video card has a video out like HDMI or DVI, so you can play it on a big screen. Now if you're using it purely for work, it depends on how long you'll use it per session. Your eyes will appreciate the larger screen Finally, battery life is a major consideration. If you're working without a plug for long, then a crazy video card will take away an hour of from it it. I'd still get the best CPU available, and the best resolution screen. While integrated graphics will save you juice, it is seriously underpowered for something like 64-bit vista ultimate. If it has 64 bit, get it. Better use of your dual core CPU, and it's only going to get better. And if you have more than 4 gigs of ram, it'll actually use it. When you lock on a model, read around to see if the screen is glossy or not. A glossy screen will make the image much nicer. The downside is the glare and the amount of dust it attracts. If you do not plan on working outside but want to watch movies or play games on it, get a laptop with a glossy screen. 17" can get pretty heavy when you lug it around from classroom to classroom along with your books. So imo, 14" might be too limited in your options. 15" is fine but has outdated graphics (fwiw Gears of War plays fine on an 8600m). If you're not into games, that'll be perfect for you (I chose a 15"). Since it's not your dime, get the blu ray anyways and all the bells and whistles. Max out the warranty, get an extra battery because most of them last within 3 years. The main stuff I'd get with the "HP compaq 8710w PENRYN": T9500 Vista Ultimate 64 bit 17" wuxga wva (1900x1200 res) Quadro FX 3600M 8 gigs ram 160 gig 7200rpm hdd Intel a/b/g wifi Well, you might get audited for buying a $5,696 dollar laptop. Buying and installing the RAM yourself would bring it down to 4,300.... Comfort might be a lot cheaper.
Thanks IF, thanks supermac. Very helpful suggestions above. I will go ahead and try to purchase it through the HP website as you guys suggested, you're right that I can't get a lot of that stuff from retail stores. And yes, I am maxing out all the features, with a 17" glossy screen (good point, IF), it will be interesting to see how expensive this will get. But yeah, I am worth it.
Yeah, can you get one for me too? I'd call them just to make sure the Vista you're getting is 64 bit.
If it is on someone else's dime, don't forget the software. At least MS Office....and whatever else interests you.
Already have Office Pro. Thanks for all the suggestions, guys, especially IF and Supermac...I think I have a winner here.
I'd look around in that notebookreview link. It helped me a lot in getting my laptop and working out the kinks.
Yeah, me. Just add me on for like a $1. I want to stay with your laptop and play games on it. In return I will be your best friend and make sure it never gets stolen.
i just got an email a short while ago from dell. they'll match your rebate check if you put it towards any of their stuff. 300 check 600 check 1200 check
This is a decent Lenovo deal: http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/topic_view.php?catid=18&threadid=830501&start=20 You can potentially buy 10 decent laptops for the price TM1 got for his.
There is a BIG difference between an enterprise level laptop and a consumer laptop, made by ANY company. All the PC companies have expensive workhorses for their corporate business. They are made with better parts, last longer, are upgradeable, and usually have better service. Also, you may want to get a docking station if you didn't already. The laptop you are getting is the same basic configuration that Dreamworks uses for their mobile workstations.
Just to clarify, I would never, ever consider paying this much for a personal laptop. I am not some rich snob or anything like that, just an opportunist. I did, but apparently you would create a software conflict with my Juwon Howard-approved antivirus program, which received rave reviews on "consummateprofessional.com"...I couldn't resist!
Funny thing. I just, 10minutes ago, bought online a Gateway GT5662, a refurbished desktop quadcore, 2.2ghz 3gb of memory 500gb hd Graphics ATI Radeon HD 2400XT, 256MB Discrete Video Memory --- Now i need a monitor. grrrr..Searching for a good deal on a 22" but i want a deal. But hey dude, do you use fatwallet? I bought my Dell inspiron 1501 like 8months ago and i regret it. The specs suck...but for some reason people still like these laptops.
