What laptop should I buy to handle skinning and Customization?
Wednesday, March 17, 2004 by Brock Beesley | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
I'm in the market to buy a new laptop. I presently have a Dell Inspiron 8100 that I bought two years ago. It's got a P3 1.2Gig processor with 512 ram. My holdup seems to come more from the low-end 32meg video card that it has. I don't really want to buy a desktop seeing that I use my laptop both at home and the office and like to keep all my windows customization on one machine.
I'm planning on buying a new one in the next few months. What machine should I go with (taking for granted that the purchase price isn't a determining factor)?
I'm planning on buying a new one in the next few months. What machine should I go with (taking for granted that the purchase price isn't a determining factor)?
Sput
Reply #2 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:12 PM
Reply #2 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:12 PM
like paxx, I'm using a laptop with a much lower spec than your current one without any real problems (though a 1600x1200 display would be nice). The only time this machine struggles with (as you suggest) because of the low end 8Mb graphics card....particularly when per pixel alpha blending is really needed as the video doesn't support that. So, animations in WindowFX are a no-no, and ObjectDoc isn't as smooth as it could be...but for WindowBlinds and most other things it's perfectly acceptable.
So for really demanding skinning, look for something with fast per pixel alpha blending and a nice hi-res screen...though, if you really have money to burn, look for a system with a replaceable video subsystem (though the idea of "future proof" is only good for marketing hype)....
So for really demanding skinning, look for something with fast per pixel alpha blending and a nice hi-res screen...though, if you really have money to burn, look for a system with a replaceable video subsystem (though the idea of "future proof" is only good for marketing hype)....
kona0197
Reply #3 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:17 PM
Reply #3 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:17 PM
Get a laptop that has anything but Intel: you will not regret it.
as said above, your present setup is fine...
as said above, your present setup is fine...
Rocky Nimda
Reply #4 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:45 PM
Gee kona, what ya got against Intel?
Is it the price, or someting else?
Reply #4 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:45 PM
| Get a laptop that has anything but Intel: you will not regret it. |
Gee kona, what ya got against Intel?
Is it the price, or someting else?
IPlural
Reply #5 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:56 PM
Reply #5 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:56 PM
Add some ram to your existing LT and maybe a larger hard drive...
But as much ram as you can afford and you should be fine, plenty of desktops still runing 16, 32 abd 62 negs out there which do more than fine painting the GUI and various other skinnables....
if your bound and determined to get a new one, check whom you bought the one you have now and see if they have an upgrade deal, or if money isn't an issue and your into the thought of high end toys, Ti 17, i-Go, Sharp 3D (yes it is true 3D without the glasses or other head gear), IBM if you also use it for work....
Others will come up with and might even bitch about one, a couple or all of those I have mentioned, but so what.
Personally, I have IBM laptops and they work fantastic both with doing graphics and under their alter egos of Administrative systems and tech systems...
i-Go is the toy I am leaning towards in the future..
But as much ram as you can afford and you should be fine, plenty of desktops still runing 16, 32 abd 62 negs out there which do more than fine painting the GUI and various other skinnables....
if your bound and determined to get a new one, check whom you bought the one you have now and see if they have an upgrade deal, or if money isn't an issue and your into the thought of high end toys, Ti 17, i-Go, Sharp 3D (yes it is true 3D without the glasses or other head gear), IBM if you also use it for work....
Others will come up with and might even bitch about one, a couple or all of those I have mentioned, but so what.
Personally, I have IBM laptops and they work fantastic both with doing graphics and under their alter egos of Administrative systems and tech systems...
i-Go is the toy I am leaning towards in the future..
kona0197
Reply #6 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:57 PM
Reply #6 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:57 PM
Price and Performance.
For the price of a 3.20 ghz P4 I can get a 64 bit FX 51 AMD chip.
As for performance everyone knows AMD can hold it's own and sometimes out perform a P4.
(Funny thing is I type this message on a Pentium 3 machine)
Lets not start a Processor flame war as it really is a personal choice. As soon as I get the funds, a new AMD chip and MSI mobo in and the P3 becomes a target practice chip.
[Message Edited]
For the price of a 3.20 ghz P4 I can get a 64 bit FX 51 AMD chip.
As for performance everyone knows AMD can hold it's own and sometimes out perform a P4.
(Funny thing is I type this message on a Pentium 3 machine)
Lets not start a Processor flame war as it really is a personal choice. As soon as I get the funds, a new AMD chip and MSI mobo in and the P3 becomes a target practice chip.
[Message Edited]
Jafo
Reply #7 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:59 PM
Reply #7 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:59 PM
| Lets not start a Processor flame war as it really is a personal choice. |
That really WOULD be nice......
Perhaps a Dictionary to interpret 'irony' would be apt....
EventHorizon
Reply #8 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 9:13 PM
Reply #8 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 9:13 PM
| Perhaps a Dictionary to interpret 'irony' would be apt.... |
Please login to comment and/or vote for this skin.
Welcome Guest! Please take the time to register with us.
There are many great features available to you once you register, including:
- Richer content, access to many features that are disabled for guests like commenting on the forums and downloading skins.
- Access to a great community, with a massive database of many, many areas of interest.
- Access to contests & subscription offers like exclusive emails.
- It's simple, and FREE!
Reply #1 Wednesday, March 17, 2004 6:49 PM
The one you have right now is good enough.
Up until a couple of months ago, I was still running a Celeron 366 with an old 8 Megs video card.