New Laptop

[CHFlagg]

I just got my new laptop in and the first thing I did was load and play Painkiller.

Specs are: Toshiba Satellite P35

Pentium 4 3.33 ghz
382 Mb Ram
100 gig Hard drive
ATi Mobility Radeon 9000 IGP Video Chipset. ( Painkiller plays sweet)
17" widescreen
Harmon Kardom speakers
Windows XP Home Edition

A definate upgrade from my old laptop which ran windows 98.

[T'krau]

I'm sorta surprised it runs at all, with that amount of RAM. I'm not trying to pick on your new toy, I'm just saying...

I'd like to get something like that for my photography. Being able to plug my Nikon into a laptop to view images in the field would be nice!

[Str1ker]

they are definately nice 'toys' but I can't imagine to play on them seriously.
I even get in trouble if I got to write on them in school... I just can't get along with that keyboard.... But I would like to have one as well.
I guess I would start to run a dedicated server on it all the time and kick @ss with my ULTRAping then

[Frag Maniac]

Congrats and glad you're liking your new LT CH, a neighbor of mine just got a Gateway for $1300 w/ Celeron, 512 RAM onboard vid and sound. I thought he could have done better, but didn't want to upset him.

I don't know a lot about LT's, but seems to me there's a need for a way to order them custom built just like desktops.

I just don't like the idea of commiting to a proprietary MB, and having to suck up to the manufacturer to update the firmware. I also think LTs are common enough now for them to be a bit more reasonably priced.

For what you get in the $1300 range in a laptop, you could get a serious gaming machine in desktop.

[Str1ker]

For what you get in the $1300 range in a laptop, you could get a serious gaming machine in desktop.

too true that is why I don't have one

[spyware]

Pk onna laptop Yaaa

Time to scope one out.

[CHFlagg]

I still have my desktop.

When playing fps games I plug in my Zboard and mouse.

This was just over $1200.00. It is replacing my old laptop that was running Win 98 ( bought back in 98) I fiqure if I am going to get a new one, It was going to be able to run everything.

[T'krau]

I don't know a lot about LT's, but seems to me there's a need for a way to order them custom built just like desktops.

I just don't like the idea of commiting to a proprietary MB, and having to suck up to the manufacturer to update the firmware. I also think LTs are common enough now for them to be a bit more reasonably priced.

Thus is the price you pay for cramming MOST of a good desktop system inside a small-sized pizza box. They're just now coming out with upgradable graphics cards, and such, but it's still a tradeoff - size/portability vs. performance. Half the problem with LT's is heat - there's still not a good way to vent them.

[Frag Maniac]

Thus is the price you pay for cramming MOST of a good desktop system inside a small-sized pizza box.

Perhaps it's the fact that there aren't as many LTs as DTs sold too.

They're just now coming out with upgradable graphics cards, and such, but it's still a tradeoff - size/portability vs. performance.

Now this is what I thought I may have gotten wrong when I spoke to my friend about his Gateway, I thought they had interchangeble graphics already. Then I recalled reading something about how instead of graphics cards, they use special ATI or Nvidia graphic chipsets on the MB. If that's the case, are they really upgradable graphics wise? I thought you had to have a plug and play slot to swap out a video card to do that. I don't see how there could be enough space in them for that.

Half the problem with LT's is heat - there's still not a good way to vent them.

Agreed, and lack of space to properly isolate or at least minimize shock/vibration from the HD.

I'd like to see someone make a slightly bigger shell, that has a removable bottom plate, and various mounting holes to fit various MBs. In other words, a custom shell one could build their own from. It would have the LCD screen attached, KB, etc, but no guts.

It would be taller, with better ventilation holes, the air flowing in from the bottom, and out at the sides, and removable pads at the corners that wrap around the corner and underneath.

The reason being that way you wouldn't have to deal with all the proprietary DEll, HP, etc, tech support when all you want to do is update drivers, flash BIOS, etc. Obviously the other reasons are more flexibility in hardware, and freedom from the brand specific MBs and HDs, which often have extra info from the manufacturer on them for formatting and such.

The hardest part of getting something like that started would be getting the top MB manufacturers for LTs to make them non name brand specific, as that's the only way their made currently.

When it comes right down to it though, I can't see owning a LT unless you absolutely need the mobility.

[T'krau]

...instead of graphics cards, they use special ATI or Nvidia graphic chipsets on the MB. If that's the case, are they really upgradable graphics wise? I thought you had to have a plug and play slot to swap out a video card to do that. I don't see how there could be enough space in them for that...

Alien and (I think) VooDoo were both showing machines with 'upgradable graphics' awhile back...one had to be sent back for the swap, but the other was supposedly user-doable. I still haven't seen one of these machines in the real world yet, tho...

I'd like to see someone make a slightly bigger shell, that has a removable bottom plate, and various mounting holes to fit various MBs. In other words, a custom shell one could build their own from. It would have the LCD screen attached, KB, etc, but no guts.

It would be taller, with better ventilation holes, the air flowing in from the bottom, and out at the sides, and removable pads at the corners that wrap around the corner and underneath.

The reason being that way you wouldn't have to deal with all the proprietary DEll, HP, etc, tech support when all you want to do is update drivers, flash BIOS, etc. Obviously the other reasons are more flexibility in hardware, and freedom from the brand specific MBs and HDs, which often have extra info from the manufacturer on them for formatting and such.

The hardest part of getting something like that started would be getting the top MB manufacturers for LTs to make them non name brand specific, as that's the only way their made currently.

In one regard, you've just described the Small Form Factor machine, just in a differently shaped box. You're still 'stuck' with a proprietary 'board, but Shuttle's stuff (at least) works. I built one up for a friend awhile ago (for his bedroom A/V system), and may do the same for myself.

CHFlagg - what's the new machine for?