Help me find a new laptop?

[Chris D]

Although I REALLY don't want to buy a new laptop now, it looks like my old one may be dead. I'm having a hard time finding one that meets my needs, although I don't think I'm too demanding.

I do NOT need a high-end gaming laptop, mostly looking at one with good audio/video performance. Here's the features I'd be looking for:

- HDMI output (are any 1.3 compliant?)
- 1080p display MINIMUM or better (screen size not too important)
- Blu-Ray disc player
- Disc burner of some type (DVD okay, but BD would be a plus)
- Capability of multichannel audio output
- Decent amount of memory
- A serial port would be a big plus for electronics programming
- Wireless N
- Bluetooth

I've always had Dell laptops in the past, but the only Dell I can find with all features (except serial port) is the Dell XPS M1730. Can't find any other brands that meet it all, although I didn't bother looking at $3K+ stuff. Questions I have:

1. Should I bother considering what operating system to use? If Vista good enough now? And is XP even an option anymore?
2. Are any laptops HDMI 1.3 compliant?
3. Do any laptops have a serial port anymore?
4. What is this "free fall space" I'm reading about on hard drives?
5. Maybe I missed it, but do laptops not have PCMCIA slots anymore? Is there a way for me to use my PCMCIA cards with these new laptops?

[littlesaint]

You might want to check out Acer. I would caution against a screen larger than 15.x inches if mobility is desirable. The 17" and up "laptops" weigh a ton.

Vista sucks, but it seems you may have no choice in that area. Vista's Media Center capabilities are nice, but as an OS it's probably one of the worst I've used (17 years in IT).

With Serial->USB cables, serial ports aren't really necessary. I use console connections everyday and these cables have never failed.

HDMI 1.3 would require video and/or audio chipsets that support the 1.3 features. To date, I don't believe such a chipset exists.

"Free fall" is a feature that protects the drive heads if it senses falling as in you dropped your laptop. I've owned 3 or 4 well-abused laptops over the years without such features and never had a problem.

PCMCIA is a bit deprecated these days. ExpressCard is the new standard. There are adapters, but getting drivers to work can be an issue.

[impala454]

edit: dangit, I took too long to type it!

I can't speak to all of your questions, as I usually go with older, used laptops, but I can help with a couple.

1. Yes Vista is just fine now. If you have any software you think might be questionable, list it up here and I can try it for ya.

2. Unsure on HDMI. I would venture a guess that you won't find many cheaper laptops with it though.

3. Most of them will not have it directly on the back, but you can buy a Serial -> USB adapter that will make *most* serial devices work over USB.

4. Hard drives for laptops now typically have a free fall sensor and will put themselves into a locked up mode to prevent damage if you drop the laptop. There are also Solid State Drives available now, which have no moving parts (mega expensive though).

5. They use what's called ExpressCard, it's the successor to PC cards. They allow much faster add in cards to be used, and basically give you a pseudo PCI-Express slot on your laptop. More info:

http://www.expresscard.org/web/site/about.jsp

http://www.expresscard.org/web/site/cons_faq.jsp

[Kevin D]

1. Should I bother considering what operating system to use? If Vista good enough now? And is XP even an option anymore?

As long as you're not programming a lot of different audio equipment, Vista should be fine. Most new software is compatible, but I still have to service that system I put in 5 years ago. XP is usually only an option on business class laptops. Even those from Dell now seem to have Vista with XP setup for dual boot.

2. Are any laptops HDMI 1.3 compliant?

I never even looked at ones with HDMI due to the next item.

3. Do any laptops have a serial port anymore?

Very, very few. Again you have to start looking at the business class. I know most of Dell's Lattitude units have one (what I use). One or two of the Panasonic toughbooks have one. That's about all I could find when I bought mine last year. Of course a $2k+ one was out of the budget so I didn't even look at those.

Again, if it's just for the occasional programming on newer devices, you will be fine with a Keyspan USB-serial adapter. Its proven to be about 95% compatible with software.

4. What is this "free fall space" I'm reading about on hard drives?

No idea.. Maybe how far they can drop without damage?

5. Maybe I missed it, but do laptops not have PCMCIA slots anymore? Is there a way for me to use my PCMCIA cards with these new laptops?

I'm pretty sure you can find just about anything in an express card now. My Latitude 830 had one PCMCIA and one express which means I didn't have to go out and replace my PCMCIA cards. Again probably just a business class thing. Looks like there are adapters to plug PCMCIA cards into express slots now anyway.


Might have a tough time meeting all your requirements. Half are business related items, the other are power gaming / home related. The Dell Latitude D830 hits a lot of points, but no HDMI, BR burner, or MC audio output. The sound could be taken care of with an external sound card. Native display on the screen is 1900x1200 and it will run 1080p videos without issue. A better Nvidia card with 256m is available.

Kevin D.

[Hdale85]

I've been using Vista in my HTPC and it works great. Secondly if your going to be playing any sort of Blu-Ray movies your going to have to run vista and then you might still run into some issues from time to time.

I've been looking into soundcards and what not that can pass TrueHD and DTS-HD MA but there is nothing yet. There are a few solutions that can pass LPCM of TrueHD and DTS-HD MA but I don't think thats available on laptops just yet. The problem seems to be that none of these audio solutions have a protected audio path. If you can find a laptop that has an HDCP DVI port then you could easily get a DVI to HDMI cable to use with it. Chances are though your not going to find everything you want there because Blu-Ray on the PC is still quite new. Also note that Blu-Ray playback is not support in Windows Media Center. You just have to use Power DVD.

[Alloroc]

Hey Chris,

Seeing as most of your questions are answered already, I'll go straight to the laptop I bought 3 months ago.

It's a Sony Viao FZ series. Codes are different over here so I'll pose the US ones. Specs are idential though.

The FZ series has all you're looking for - BD burner, HDMI out and lots more.

This model here is pretty much the same as mine.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665291458

Bar I've a quicker processor and an 8600GT gpu. You can customise all spec on the US site.

So, what's it like? Great. Build is what you'd expect - magnesium alloy shell and really quite slender. Screen quality is top notch.

Only drawback is battery life - you'd expect it for such a powerful machine though.

Also, it's only 1080i on the built in screen. Unless you go for a top end Alienware gamer or a 17 or 19" monster, you won't get that (i think). You get 1080p out though via HDMI.

I've seen the Dell XPS laptops and while great value, the loof and feel is not as classy as the Sony. Not an issue for be, but Dee did not like it.

V

[Hdale85]

Well actually its 1680x1050 which is close to 1080p. Basically your video card will scale 1080p onto that. Not technically 1080i. You have to get like a 19" display to get 1080p. The 17" run 1680x1050 and most of the 15" run lower but some run 1680x1050.

[Kevin D]

My 15.3" Dell runs native at 1900x1200, so they are out there.

Kevin D.

[Hdale85]

Ok well they are more rare. But I have seen it as an add-on upgrade for like a few hundred bucks.

[Chris D]

Thanks, fellas. I think Kevin D realizes what I'm getting at with a serial port. I've tried using a USB-serial adapter with my current laptop for years, to do programming on my various equipment. Most of the time, it does work with little stuff like programming a remote control that has a serial interface. But when I try to do bigger stuff, like upload a whole new firmware to my theater pre/pro, I get issues with different adapters, and have had to haul my desktop down to the theater, then figure out how to view the display and such, just to use its serial port. It wouldn't be a deal-killer to not have a serial port, but it would be really nice.

I'm still very open to input anyone has.

[aud19]

Well The Fujitsu E8410 here has a serial port and is available with XP Pro:

http://www.computers.us.fujitsu.com/www/products_notebooks.shtml?products/notebooks/tech_specs/e8410_ts

Or there's the N6470 that has a larger screen, BD drive, HDMI etc

http://www.computers.us.fujitsu.com/www/products_notebooks.shtml?products/notebooks/tech_specs/n6470R2_ts

Doesn't look like you can get both too easily though...

[aud19]

You might want to check out Acer.

I'll second that too. They tend to have reasonably good quality, feature packed and affordable products. Unfortunately their web page is a PIA to navigate so you're on your own there :lol:

[Alloroc]

Funny you should mention Acer. There was an Acer flyer in my Sunday newspaper that has a very nice range of laptops in it. The model was called the 'Aspire Gemstone Blue'. Two models - both high spec 0 one with 16" screen and one with 18.4". No serial port though.

Here a link to the site....

http://www.acer.com/gemstoneblue/eng/

[Hdale85]

Yeah my brother in law works at Staples and was telling me about those because they have a built in subwoofer he said. Of course I wouldn't call it a subwoofer but it is interesting.

[aud19]

See there ya go, no serial but seems to have damn near everything else. Pretty sure I saw "kitchen sink" in the specs.

Still I'm a bit partial to Fujitsu units...they make one nice lappy :T

[Chris D]

Huh... now that is interesting. I know nothing of Acer products. Are they good quality? I like that it is 1080p exactly. After some searching, I found the version of that Acer that looks like it fits my needs best. It comes out to $1869 when the 16" model is fully loaded, which is comparable to the upper end of comparable products I've found from Dell. (XPS M1530 and Studio 15) But it's pretty loaded with features, and even has a 3 year warranty. Whatcha guys think? Acer worth considering as a big product investment? Here's the link:

http://www.pcconnection.com/IPA/Shop/Product/Detail.htm?sku=8537030

I've never heard of this PC Connections store, either, but Acer lists it as one of the places to buy.

[Hdale85]

PC Connections is legit, pretty big online shop. Also the Acer is probably good just make sure you read the fine print of the warranty and what not. Acer has been around a long time for sure but only recently have they started making their presence real known and coming out with the real high end stuff. I'd just make sure you know what your getting as far as warranty goes. Everyone knows Dell is not that great but they have one of the best warranty services period and thats what sells I doubt you'll have many issues with the Acer though but better to watch your back.

Also I'm not sure you care but 16:10 is better for viewing documents and web pages and what not. If your main concern is Blu-Ray playback then yeah 16:9 is the way to go but there is a reason computer displays use 16:10 and its all about document layout.

[Alloroc]

Chris,

My very first PC purchase back in 1989 was a Acer motherboard when I did my PC build. They were one of the biggest oem providers for years before a big push came with their brand. Chances are you've used their stuff without even knowing(A bit like Foxconn with Apple and HTC - they're BIG). They are the best selling laptop brand in Europe.

They purchased Texas Instruments' laptop business back in the 90's so they're right up there.

AOpen and BenQ are spin off companies from Acer and they also own Gateway.

V.

[Hdale85]

I never said it wasn't quality just saying make sure you get a good warranty. Even quality stuff breaks An accidental warranty might be a good idea. I always get one with a laptop.

[aud19]

Would I put them up there in quality with the likes of Sony, Fujitsu and IBM....not quite but they're pretty darn good, they're established and you do get a lot of bang for your buck.

[Chris D]

Well, I went by our local store that sells some Acer stuff, and the laptop they had looked and felt like nice quality, when I examined it in person. It was a lower model, though.

I don't have a lot of money right now, so I might put off a laptop purchase as long as I can.

[Chris D]

I'm wondering specifically about Windows Vista, if I were to get it, which version I should use. In addition to the basic, premium, and ultimate versions (which I'm still trying to figure out from Microsoft's website what the additional features really do) I hear there's a 64-bit version out now, too. One user review I read, on some site somewhere, said that the non-64-bit versions can only use 3GB of memory, so if you have 4, it goes wasted. True? Are there compatibility issues with programs, if I were to get the 64-bit version?

[Hdale85]

At least get windows home premium. SP1 really takes care of a lot of the issues. As far as memory yes depending on the motherboard with the 32bit version you will only use something between 3.25 and 3.5 gb's. It now says you have 4gbs but if you look through the registry it still only uses about 3.5. I wouldn't waste my time with 64bit right now. From what I've heard there are still very few programs written for 64bit and what not.

[PewterTA]

There are compatibility (more than normally with Vista) with the 64-bit version and a lot of 32-bit apps. I have read that in some head-to-heads the 32-bit version of Vista is outperforming the 64-bit. This is only due to the hardware they OS is running on and shows how "advanced" the 64-bit version is that there isn't a whole lot of really good hardware out yet to work with it to it's full potential.

I'd say stick with the 32-bit verison (at least Home-Premium is all most need). I have the 32-bit on my AMD 64x2 laptop and it works perfectly fine, not problems with speed...well if anything it's the boot-up time on it, but once into windows and it's all loaded, it runs perfectly fine.

As far as the memory, the 32bit version of Vista will use up to 4GB of memory. However, some of that memory is reserved for the hardware so you will only see roughly 3.3GB. That's for all versions of the 32bit. The 64bit version will use anywhere from 8GB (basic version) to 128GB (Ultimate/Enterprise Edition).