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Thread: Laptop purchase

  1. #1
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    Laptop purchase

    My daughter is considering buying a laptop to replace her aging desktop system. Being the person she is, she has set some fairly strict requirements for the new system. We think we may have found a laptop which meets these requirements, and I'd like to run it past you all for opinions. Its at Costco, of all places, item #284887, cost $1000.

    Its an HP, model TX 2113CL.
    12.1 screen, Tablet notebook
    AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-62
    3GB DDR2 Ram
    250 GB HDD (5400)
    DVD +/- R/RW/C
    Wt: 4.53
    Speed: 2.1 GH


    She's quite willing to give up a large screen in order to save weight. She does some number crunching, though primarily on her "at work" computer, and lots of online stuff, with a bit of graphics editing.

    Does anyone have experience with this system? Any opinions?

  2. #2
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    The cpu is listed here
    http://products.amd.com/en-us/NotebookCPUResult.aspx

    It should do about anything a desktop does, just takes a while longer and my Toshiba is not up to those specs.

  3. #3
    Member XT's Avatar
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    Here are the specs....

    http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...roduct=3689921

    Product Name tx2113cl
    Product Number KN974UA#ABA
    Microprocessor 2.10 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL-62
    Microprocessor Cache 512 KB + 512KB L2 Cache
    Memory 3072 MB
    Memory Max Up to 4GB DDR2 (Up to 1 GB may not be available due to 32-bit operating system resource requirements)
    Video Graphics NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150M
    Video Memory Up to 527 MB
    Hard Drive 250 GB (5400 rpm)
    Multimedia Drive LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support
    Display 12.1" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Integrated Touch-screen, Convertible Display (1280 x 800)
    Fax/Modem High speed 56K modem
    Network Card Integrated 10/100 Ethernet LAN
    Wireless Connectivity Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n
    Sound Altec Lansing speakers

    Etc.. Etc...

    You are right about the screen being small... For light Directx 9 gaming(Shader Model 3 or less, preferably less since this is a -entry level video card) and multimedia, it should be a fine machine.
    Last edited by XT; 04-02-2008 at 08:03 PM.

  4. #4
    Extreme Member! BipolarBill's Avatar
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    If she's comfortable with the size and the keyboard layout, it's a fine laptop.

    The Turion is very efficient and that helps with battery life as well.
    MS MCP, MCSE

  5. #5
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    If she has small fingers, it just may work out for her. I hit about 2 keys instead of one.

  6. #6
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    The size of the keyboard wouldn't bother her, I believe. She's got small hands and skinny fingers. It might take some getting used to, but she's fairly adaptable. Her primary objection seems to be the Touch Screen. I'll paste in her comments from this morning.
    *******************

    Well, I definitely noticed the difference between this display and the other displays. Some of it is screen brightness, and some of it is... hm, maybe you could call it fuzziness? The display isn't as distinct and sharp. It's fuzzy. The thing is, I'd be giving up display quality, down to a level I'm not thrilled about, for a feature (tablet) that I don't have a serious need for. Maybe I'd end up using it if I had it, but offhand right now I can't think of a real need for the digitizer/tablet feature. On the other hand, aside from the display this system does give me most of what I want at a lower price.

    I poked around a little to see what else costco has. So far I found a Toshiba that sounds along the right lines: Toshiba U305-S2816:
    http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...83&whse=BC&Ne=
    4000000&eCat=BC|84|56670|29722&N=4017753&Mo=7&pos= 7&No=4&Nr=
    P_CatalogName:BC&cat=29722&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDes c1〈=en-US&Sp=C&ec=
    BC-EC10590-Cat56670&topnav=
    It only has 2GB RAM, so I'd probably want to update that at some point. I don't know what the battery life is, I'd have to look into that.

    *******************************

    Is it her imagination? Or does the screen really degrade with the Touch Screen feature?

    Thanks for your input.

  7. #7
    Extreme Member! BipolarBill's Avatar
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    It's true - the touch sensor degrades the image. I use a GE fluoroscope at work with two otherwise identical screens. The touch screen on my right looks pretty poor next to the standard LCD on the left.
    MS MCP, MCSE

  8. #8
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    That url blew out.

    Operating System


    • Genuine Windows Vista®
    Home Premium (32-bit version)
    Processor and Chipset
    3

    Intel® Centrino® Processor Technology featuring:
    • Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T8100
    o 2.1 GHz, 3MB L2, 800MHz FSB
    • Mobile Intel® GM965 Express Chipset
    • Integrated Wi-Fi® compliant wireless LAN4

    o Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)
    5

    Memory6

    • Configured with 2048MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (both memory
    slots may be occupied). Maximum capacity 4096MB
    Hard Disk Drive7

    • 250GB (5400 RPM) Serial ATA hard disk drive
    Fixed Optical Disk Drive8

    • DVD SuperMulti (+/-R double layer) drive supporting 11 formats
    o Maximum speed and compatibility: CD-ROM (24x), CD-R
    (24x), CD-RW (16x), DVD-ROM (8x), DVD-R (Single Layer,
    (8x)), DVD-R (Double Layer, (4x)), DVD-RW (6x), DVD+R
    (Single Layer, (8x)), DVD+R (Double Layer, (4x)), DVD+RW
    (8x), DVD-RAM (5x)
    Display9

    • 13.3” diagonal widescreen TruBrite®TFT LCD display at 1280 x 800
    native resolution(WXGA)
    Graphics10

    • Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 with 64MB-251MB
    dynamically allocated shared graphics memory

    With Vista home, 2 GB is plenty

    The Toshiba pdf on that laptop.
    http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/t...ceghdgngdgnn.0

    Has some what I call garbage installed, it is listed in the .pdf.

    I just wiped my Toshiba and did a clean install of Vista ultimate, then installed SP1 and probably never will install the touchpad drivers as I can never get them to work right, so i use a usb mouse.

  9. #9
    Ultimate Member rmanet's Avatar
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    Well, I definitely noticed the difference between this display and the other displays. Some of it is screen brightness, and some of it is... hm, maybe you could call it fuzziness? The display isn't as distinct and sharp. It's fuzzy.
    There's no substitute for display when it comes to a laptop - especially if it's set to dim a bit when using the battery. Or the lcd's default is optimized at a resolution setting that, for some folks, makes 'em go out and buy reading glasses at - where else? Costco.....

    looked for some reviews because that machine is sold at Frys, Walmart and other places - all priced the same - gotta hate that.

    here

    here
    "hope to someday have a clever or inspirational quote....."
    ANON

  10. #10
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    Personally I think that hp is good for her, and she can also thinking of getting a macbook.

  11. #11
    Ultimate Member Aznmask's Avatar
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    if she dont play game,, then this laptop is right for her. I own a 12.1 screen(Dell 700M) laptop and it is very good especially it is very quiet compare to most desktop.

    Few point she must beware,, the keyboard, see if she comfortable with it, and the screen.
    Leo

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