I know you said you have had issues with Dell, but I have carried their business class machines for years, and in all that time I think I had one service call.
Here is a Vostro with a 17" screen. Prices start at $649. Available with XP if you don’t want to go to VISTA.
I bought a Vostro myself, and have been very happy with it.
Doesn’t Toshiba actually produce a lot of the laptop hardware used by other companies?
I’m typing this on a Toshiba Satellite that I’ve had for a while now. Other than the battery going dead from old age, I haven’t had any problems at all with it.
As far as the proprietary drivers issue that drachillix mentioned, I don’t think its that much of a big deal. I’ve done a complete wipe and reinstall on this machine. All I did was go to Toshiba’s web site first and downloaded every available driver for the laptop and put them onto a CD. Then I wiped the disk, installed windows, installed Toshiba’s drivers, and I was done. Simple.
The machine also dual boots linux, and everything works under linux except the wireless network, which is an issue with a lot of laptops.
I will say this. We had a bunch of Toshiba Satellites at work. The ones that had a “mobile” processor lasted fairly well. The ones that had regular desktop type processors ran too hot and almost all of them died an early death.
At work we’ve switched to IBM Lenovo laptops. I’ve got one of those as well and I’m happy with it.
Both of my laptops run XP.
Interesting. I will go look into it. My Dells have all been the Inspiron model, and it’s possible that it’s an issue with that line.
You’re right, my bad, sorry. Other than RAM and/or a hard drive, what would you upgrade on a notebook?
In November, I bought a Toshiba Satellite X205-S9349 to use as my gaming machine. I love it but that’s primarily what I use it for. Since it’s a desktop replacement, it is very heavy especially the power supply, which is the size (and weight) of a brick.
I also have an HP Pavilion which I use for everything else. I got it before I got the Toshiba and while it wouldn’t suit your needs (screen is too small for you), what I do love about it is the size and weight plus nothing plugs into the back. When I travel for work, this laptop is perfect.
Typing on a Toshiba Satellite right now. Cheap as hell, functional, and mine at least weighs in at less than 6lbs. Technically they do take “proprietary hardware”, but in the case of the Satellites, pretty much everything in the line seems to take the same proprietary bits. Toshiba can sell them to five gazillion people each, instead of half a gazillion people, and they don’t have to redesign for every single new thing they debut, which brings the price down quite a lot. In addition to the 17" screen you want, you can also get Satellites with 250GB hard drives and so forth; they all come standard with dual-layer DVD burners now.
Anecdotally, I also hear that they are impossible to destroy. They seem to be designed on the same general lines as Memorex portable CD players: at first glance, they look like cheap plastic crap, but once you’ve had it for years and dropped it in the snow several times and maybe run over it with the car once or twice, you start to wonder if everything in the case is made of adamantium and they just didn’t tell you.
They only seem to come with Vista now, but it is actually possible to turn off all of the fancy Vista widgets and force it to behave mostly like XP. If you know anyone who works technical support for a university or a large company, they have probably already worked out how to do so and taken the proverbial hammer to all the machines they can get their hands on. It’s more obscure than actually difficult to implement.
I’m using one right now, the M115-S3144 that I bought over a year ago. I haven’t had any major problems so far. I’ve been using it fully instead of my desktop since July and it’s relatively easy, light, quiet. The battery life isn’t great, 2.5-3 hours, but since I almost always have it plugged in that hasn’t been an issue.
I really appreciate all of the input! Ok now tell me about the HP Pavillion, which I’m also eyeballing… anyone using one of those? (notebooks)
As I posted upthread, I do own and love an HP Pavilion. However I didn’t get the big screen you said you wanted so my requirements already differ from yours right there.
What I love the most (and I’m repeating myself, sorry) is that everything plugs into the sides not the back, and it’s very light weight.
Today’s Best Buy sale brochure has a 17" HP on clearance for $750.
That’s cool but I’m sure it wouldn’t have the specs I require. I have to have a fast processor and a buttload of RAM and the higher resolution version of the monitor, because of all the graphics work I do. Pretty much any system I get will have to be custom configured, I fear.
I’ve got a Satellite, and got my daughter one also, for college. Mine has a 17" screen, is about 4 years old. I’ve never had driver problems, or any other problem except that this one has a heat sink issue, in that it gets dusty. This happened twice, luckily I got the extended warranty at Fry’s, which included a loaner. It is a bit heavy, but I mostly use it at home and so I wanted to trade off screen size for weight.
Satellites have all the plugs on the sides, too, in general. Mine has nothing in the back but the screen hinge. Handy for carrying in messenger bags – no hinged port cover to break off, and no ports for crap to fall into when it’s spine-up in an unzipped bag.
The only experience I have with HPs is second-hand. A college friend of mine had a Pavillion that had to go back into HP for repairs three or four times in the space of a year. It took a month or more for them to return the computer every time, and the issue was never fixed to her satisfaction; IIRC, it seemed to be a design issue having to do with the computer running very hot and having inadequate venting. Last I heard, the machine was simply unusable anywhere but on a desk on an auxiliary cooling pad, and had to be plugged in because the battery life had fallen to something silly like an hour. HP declared it “fixed” the last time it came in and then jammed their fingers in their ears whenever she complained and brought up the notion of a replacement.
The only other person I know with an HP has a brand-new one with a 17" screen and assorted other bells and whistles. I have no idea what model it is or if she’s had any issues other than the week or so she spent trying to figure out how to shut off User Access Control in Vista.
Title changed per request of OP.
10-q
I have a HP DV9000 17 inch screen, and it plays world of warcraft beautifully with the good nvidia card and 2 gg ram. I have always been pleased with it - and it plays a very memory intense game quite smoothly.
Cool, thanks aruvgan! Anyone else?
And anyone else have a non-Inspiron Dell notebook to compare?
sager? i have a sager 5720 and its oh oh so pretty
I have an HP ZD7000 model (it’s about 4 years old). I actually got it refurbished when I bought it and love it to death. I did have a problem with the DC plug in failing, but when I did research, I found it was a manufacturing issue that lots of people were having and was able to get it fixed at no cost… although I did have to push a little. Also, one mine (and probably any 17") the battery life was low… .I’m talking 2 hours when it was new.
I love it for a few things:
It’s large, and I like that. I have big fingers.
It has a real 10 key pad
The display is great.
It’s held up really well considering. It almost never sees a desk and has performed really well on the couch after all these years. I do take it apart every few months and take the accumulated dust out though.