View Full Version : Advice on non-Apple notebook computers
I need to choose a notebook computer for our offices "standard purchase list", and am looking for advice on the different manufacturers. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to purchase Macs, so they are out of the running.
In the past, we have typically purchased Dells, but I was wondering if anyone had specific advice/experience with other manufacturers: Lenovo, HP, Sony, etc. that they think would be worth checking out.
Any great, good, bad, horrible... experiences with particular brands or models that I should know about?
Here's what we need in the notebook:
Standard business class notebook, nothing fancy
Average size - 14-15"
Internal CD/DVD RW capability
Integrated graphics are fine
Wireless - preferably g/n
Not too heavy if possible
Consistency in the brand - models remain fairly consistent year after year, just with updated specs, so we don't have to pick an entirely new model each year.
I know a MacBook would be ideal hear, and trust me, if I could do it, I would. But it just isn't going to happen - at least not yet.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Lenovo is probably the best pick, but not necessarily the cheapest. From the "no Macs" policy, I infer that money is an issue, and in that case, Dell is the best compromise.
(edit) My original wording was misleading.
Money may be a bit of an issue, but I think we can shoot for a respectable notebook for the money we would have. We are shooting for the $1500 base range - expandable options would then be on a case by case needs vs. budget scenario.
I was looking at the Lenovo T61 as a good compromise on price/performance/size. Lenovo's web site has it starting at $1,139 "on-sale"- regularly $1,414. I doubt that this is a true "sale" and that it normally sells for below the higher figure, but I'm not really sure.
Fahrenheit
2007-05-14, 15:08
Is Lenovo IBM?
Is Lenovo IBM?
Sorta, yes. Lenovo is a Chinese company that bought IBM's ThinkPad line and continued to market it under the IBM brand for a while.
Fahrenheit
2007-05-14, 15:10
In which case, I'd go with the Lenovo. I had a Thinkpad and it was pretty awesome, rugged and reliable. :)
Why can't you just get a MacBook, put Boot Camp on it and run Windows primarily?
Because the powers that be said no. I'm still working on that solution for the long run, but when those that control the money say no, there's not really a way around it.
I'd say Lenovo Thinkpads are the best. I have seen them all around in "serious" software development shops and in Army research labs. A software developer friend who strikes me as an intelligent consumer bought a Thinkpad X60s for his personal use even though it was costly. Keyboard quality, overall build quality, driver support and Linux compatibility, long battery runtimes are the kinds of things Thinkpads are known for.
This is certainly subjective, but I felt the X60s had better keyboard and mouse than any Apple laptop, and felt sturdier than my last aluminum Powerbook.
I was looking at the Lenovo T61 as a good compromise on price/performance/size. Lenovo's web site has it starting at $1,139 "on-sale"- regularly $1,414. I doubt that this is a true "sale" and that it normally sells for below the higher figure, but I'm not really sure.
The T61 is a new model for Lenovo, based on the recently announced Santa Rosa platform from Intel. The T series is the best in Lenovo's business line and provides a good balance of size, features and performance.
PC Magazine recently gave the T61 an editor's choice.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2127459,00.asp
washington mac user
2007-05-14, 18:35
I would say go with an HP dv2500t
These are some specs for a 14 inch:
14.1" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
vista home premium
Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz/4MB L2Cache)
Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
HP Imprint Finish (Radiance) + Microphone +Webcam
2 gigs of memory
120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
Super Multi 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network w/Bluetooth
High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Price: $1383.99
nevermind. T61 is probably better.
Windowsrookie
2007-05-14, 19:13
HP's are very nice.
Lenovo is probably the best pick, but not necessarily the cheapest. From the "no Macs" policy, I infer that money is an issue, and in that case, Dell is the best compromise.
(edit) My original wording was misleading.
They certainly have the biggest existing business-class infrastructure remaining from the glory days of the IBM Thinkpads.
What is your companies current infrastructure look like? Do they have a series of laptops, docking stations, p2p mice/keyboards versus USB, etc. All these things should be considered.
How many are you purchasing? You can contact leasing companies such as Insight and get pretty good deals on previous years models of ThinkPads and get maintenance agreements on them as well. How many notebooks will you be purchasing annually, etc?
I'll throw my hat into the ThinkPad camp. I've seen too many Dells and HPs conk out to recommend them. If I were forced to buy a PC and use it as my primary computer, to run Windows or Linux, it would probably be a ThinkPad. (Otherwise it would be an Alienware)
You get what you pay for.
That said, the X series is nice. Rugged, thin, powerful. And the R line is a nice compromise between price and reliability/performance.
Our former Sony rep has a kickass Thinkpad X-Series. I heart it.
They certainly have the biggest existing business-class infrastructure remaining from the glory days of the IBM Thinkpads.
What is your companies current infrastructure look like? Do they have a series of laptops, docking stations, p2p mice/keyboards versus USB, etc. All these things should be considered.
How many are you purchasing? You can contact leasing companies such as Insight and get pretty good deals on previous years models of ThinkPads and get maintenance agreements on them as well. How many notebooks will you be purchasing annually, etc?
Our office is a smaller "satellite" office - about 45 users - in a mixed Novell, Microsoft AD environment. Signs are pointing towards phasing out the Novell, however.
The majority of the users have stationary desktops, and a handful have supplemental notebooks, but we are migrating towards more of a mobile workforce and are interested in swapping out desktops for docked notebooks. We won't do this en masse, but rather here and there as specific needs arise, or when existing desktops are slated for replacement - not really enough to do a bulk purchase agreement.
So far it sounds like people have high confidence in the Thinkpads, and that kind of goes along with my own perceptions. I'll have to check out some of the other models recommended.
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Our office is a smaller "satellite" office - about 45 users - in a mixed Novell, Microsoft AD environment. Signs are pointing towards phasing out the Novell, however.
The majority of the users have stationary desktops, and a handful have supplemental notebooks, but we are migrating towards more of a mobile workforce and are interested in swapping out desktops for docked notebooks. We won't do this en masse, but rather here and there as specific needs arise, or when existing desktops are slated for replacement - not really enough to do a bulk purchase agreement.
So far it sounds like people have high confidence in the Thinkpads, and that kind of goes along with my own perceptions. I'll have to check out some of the other models recommended.
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
ThinkPad and Dell Latitude are certainly going to have the biggest business infrastructures right now. I would go with the Lenovo if you have that option. I'm sure some of the older IT guys will say they just don't make the ThinkPads like they used to, but w/ everything getting thinner, smaller and lighter that is to be expected :lol:
The ThinkPad is the best "PC" laptop out there. I've been using them for many years (since mid-90's) and they are rock solid, rugged and overall great computers. Over the years, my ThinkPads have been far more reliable than my PowerBooks (everything since the Pismo). I'm typing this on a X24.
Stay away from Dell and HP/Compaq. I spent 4 years working in IT/Web for an all Dell shop (other than me and my Macs) and we had so many problems with Dell business class machines (desktop and laptop and even servers) that there is no way that I can recommend them. HP/Compaq = yuck. I have seen too many hardware and support nightmares from HP/Compaq to ever recommend them. Sony is OK. Their machines are pretty nice on spec, but their reliability leave a bit to be desired and for the price you might as well buy a Mac.
beardedmacuser
2007-05-15, 09:55
Another vote for ThinkPads here. I've had a T20 (now the girlfriend's laptop) for many years but have replaced it with a second hand X24 for use when I don't fancy lugging my sexy shiny PowerBook around. The X24 seems almost indestructible.
Someone at work got a new T60 the other day. It' a bit of a beast (although nothing compared to most Windows laptops) but it still feels pretty solid and well built. Dull, but solid and dependable.
Sony is OK. Their machines are pretty nice on spec, but their reliability leave a bit to be desired and for the price you might as well buy a Mac.
True. I've had three Windows laptops (all second hand or free); two ThinkPads and one Sony. While the two Thinkpads continue to run flawlessly, the Sony remains disassembled in a drawer in my desk. It's by far the sexier laptop and I reckon I think I know what's wrong with it, but I just don't have the time to repair it and I keep having to use the trusty ThinkPad.
Also, the Sony once died on me when away on a work trip. The thought of that happening again pushes me firmly back to using the dependable ThinkPad when travelling.
Windowsrookie
2007-05-15, 15:12
Poll?
BenRoethig
2007-05-16, 08:27
I would say go with an HP dv2500t
These are some specs for a 14 inch:
14.1" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
vista home premium
Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz/4MB L2Cache)
Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
HP Imprint Finish (Radiance) + Microphone +Webcam
2 gigs of memory
120GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
Super Multi 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network w/Bluetooth
High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Price: $1383.99
nevermind. T61 is probably better.
I agree on the 2500T. Either it or the 6500T
I've always been pleased with Toshibas cost/value, if money is an issue. Certainly way in excess of Dell's build quality for the cheaper end of the market. Not sure about model consistency, though.
The Grim
2007-05-17, 10:38
I think you will get more for the money from Toshiba than other brand. Beside my Mac, Toshiba is the only PC I never have any problem with . My cousin have many problem with his and her Dells. Compaq is OK because my friend seem to be happy with the cheap on he got on clearance. Sony is to expensive and is not suit for the office environmental. My choice for the laptop would be 1. MacBook/Pro 2. Toshiba 3. Compaq or Sony. Go with Toshiba that my opinion. I think you should get XP instead of Vista because I heard for my friends that it is suck on his laptop. :lol:
dmegatool
2007-05-17, 10:50
I think you should get XP instead of Vista because I heard for my friends that it is suck on his laptop. :lol:
Do you think XP is better ?
I got vista and I think it's not that bad. They got some things right and alot of things wrong. A typical microsoft product... I think vista is a little bit better but it just not worth 5 years of developpement.
Anyway for the laptop thing, my girlfriend has an old Toshiba (5 years or so) and never had problem with it. Just need to format it from time to time but that's just an OS problem(virus and all the shit).
Windowsrookie
2007-05-17, 14:55
Toshiba installs a TON of crapware on their computers though. As soon as you boot it up it already has over 80 processes running on it. And all of it is shareware (AOL, ect.)
The Grim
2007-05-17, 15:08
Compare to Mac both are not good enough. I think he can get clearance Notebook for cheap. Another thing he gets this for his office, so I think a lot of office still use XP. I do not want him to go thorough the pain of migrating his work there which I do not think it is easy as Mac. I have no experience migrate to vista and will not do that. My friend Vista laptop is the resources hog, but he does not blame on Vista because he bought the cheapest low-end laptop. What do you thing you get more of your money out of XP or Vista laptop? May be you pay for the high-end laptop to get the most out of Ultimate experience?:confused: I had Toshiba laptop for over two years with no problem. All the Crapware is the normal WindoZ Experience for everybody I think.
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