pouët.net

Thinkpad.

Hm, well now I'm split between a thinkpad and (surprisingly) a macbook (air?).

I'll wait until after christmas anyways...I was kinda hoping for my next cpu to support avx, and hopefully I'll get some cash then too :p
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like avx-compatible hardware will be released any time soon so that wish probably will not come true.

Thanks for the ideas and personal accounts!

get a pandora!

I've been using a MacBook with a X3100 chipset for 2 years and apart from the irritating lack of fillrate, it's a very good thing to code on.

I'm thinking about buying a 13-14" notebook next year myself, so:
I'd rather buy a regular MacBook then. The 'Air' has no drive, only one USB port (they're fucking kidding, right?! No drive AND only one USB port. Dumbfucks...) and costs ~300€ more for the same configuration. Screw those 600g less weight.
The backlit keyboard would be the only reason for me to go for a MacBook though; there are many other notebooks with more bang for the buck. The 320M in it is not really a powerhouse...

And for me the times of notebooks > 14" are over. You could as well get a desktop then. Who want's to carry a 17" pack of bricks around?! Seriously.
Get a nice lcd (probably more like 21" and better than any laptop lcd anyway) and proper external keyboard to use at home. Done.

just my 2ct.

i thought the latest air has more usb ports?

I have an old macbook with intel gpu too, and other than the slow gpu i have to say the screen is fucking horrible. The viewing angles are so bad it's only really useable if you're right in front of the screen. The new ones have a reasonable GPU + decent screen though. But just avoid those early ones :)

And what rare said, a portable laptop (or what's the point?) plus a big external screen if you'll use it at home.

I've drooled over this.

The W series is sexy, but just too damn big.

Anyways, here's another vote for TP. My X61 Tablet has taken a severe beating, and it's still rock solid. Perhaps get a larger model though, with a real gfx card.

For me, the the bigger the laptop the better, i don't mind carrying around the extra size and weight.
I just need something that compensate me being two meters tall.

I recently checked out Thinkpads after my Asus died, and the ones with NVIDIA GFX cards are much more expensive then the ones with those Intel GFX cards.(also have TP stopped using ATI cards)
And not having a laptop with proper shader support is damn near worthless to me.


And let me just throw another voice into the choir on how rugged TP laptops are, 6 years ago i got a Thinkpad brand new.
I managed to trip the powercord and it went flying off the table to the floor.
After my primal screams i found out there was NO damage.

If you are student of university you can check out the promotion of lenovo. you can save up to 800 Euro or something (the TP will still cost a fortune but you get the top notch for medium one's price)

remember, an important part of owning a laptop is that it looks cool in the cafe.

Deus and his laptop...

Yes, Lenovo is almost the only reasonable one. (Maybe a mac, but only if you stain the glowing logo and install win7 on it :D)

that's strange, because i too have an old macbook (2nd gen, late 2006 model), and screen is great, and viewable from basically any angle. The colors are somewhat pastels, but the viewing angles are top notch. The gpu on the other hand, is still the glorious GMA950 :)

Lenovo W701 pimped with moar ram (16gb) ssd and/or momentus xt. not the ds version. the secondary screen makes the laptop significantly higher and will destroy the hinge if you accidently open the display too far behind. also, coompared to the wide gamue led display it have ugly colors and not really enough space to serve as chat/internet/email display. also, it drains power drom your graphics adapter. its better to connect an actual secondary display.

i'm on a thinkpad W500 since 2008 and still really enjoy this machine. also like deus said before it really takes a beating..

I have the basic 13inch MBP
(1199$USD, 1099$ if you can find someone in college to buy it for you, or if you find a retailer selling it at that price, its quite common)
4GB RAM
Core2Duo 2.4GHz
nVidia 320M
etc..

Basically, its the white macbook, with 4GB of ram, the aluminium case, an SD card slot and a LED battery indicator : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FkeWJFfIW4

I recommend shelling the 150$ extra for the case alone, the thing is goddamn sturdy :) I heard things about the plastic macbook cracking and stuff

Blala: maybe this is 1st gen. I think it's 2006 too tho. But even my wife complains it's so bad, and she thinks crappy displays with 150% saturation look good ;) Compared even to my old 2004 PowerBook it's shitty.

For the techies, the acer I mentioned is easier to work on (as in unscrewing which screw does what & makes sense as 2 where it is & what it does) than the toshiba.
Worth remembering besides the specs.

ddeml:
Well, i wouldnt use the screen for anything graphics heavy, but an extra screen for additional codeviewing and api refrences are often indispensable.

Still, for that price there probably is a better alternative.

Speaking of which, i've seen small LCD screens around but now adays finding a 7 inch screen is very hard.

There is the Lillputian screens with USB connections.

Acer is absolutely goddamn fucking crap. The build-quality is atrocious, and should you ever need their support, it's one big gangbang butt-rape fest.

DON'T GET ACER.

can't get myself to use a laptop.

Hornet: And HOW!

My last laptop was travelmate which was attleast somewhat decent but overheated very easily.

But god help you if you bought an aspire.

I'm soo happy with my Fujitsu Celsius H700. NVidia FX880M, 8GB of ram 15.6" (NON Glare) Full HD and built in 3G modem.

Runs demos etc really nice imho and LED screen makes the picture really nice.

but being a portable workstation it is kinda expensive....