I don't care about DVD burner so that is easy to eliminate.

This will be a Pentium M based system.  Probably an IBM T42.

Faster is better obviously but as long as it isn't terrible.

I would like it to last for about 4 years though.  

How about this?

1.7 mHz
512 RAM
40 Gig HD (I have an external)
64 meg Video Card

Will this last me and also be able to run decent games at a lower resolution?
Should I go for more processor like 2.1?

Buy as much CPU and video as you can afford since neither are upgradable in the future.

Make sure the 512MB is one module so that you have room to add 1 more.

Don't buy a laptop unless you need portability.

I'm running a IBM T41p - Pentium-M 1.7, 512mg ram, 60 gig 7200 rpm drive, and ATI Mobility Fire GL T2 workstation video card.


Processor, ram and HD work fine for demanding games.  Battery life is GREAT with the Pentium M.

The video card kicks ass, but it was big money - for running 3D cad.

If price is not that much of a subject, go Alienware Laptops

Quoted: Don't buy a laptop unless you need portability.

I really do.  I have a work station in my office but I like to have both going at the same time...also I don't like to fill my 1gig flash drive up all the time.

Quoted: Buy as much CPU and video as you can afford since neither are upgradable in the future. Make sure the 512MB is one module so that you have room to add 1 more.

Yeah thats bout a 2800 dollar machine...I would really like to stay under 2200 and 14" screen.

One of the guys that works for me just bought an Alienware computer.  It is the shit as far a computers go.  It is just as powerful as the best desktop out there.  I don't know half the shit that is the machine but it is awesome.

Go Alienware

Their laptops are upgradeable, so in a few years your processor should be fine, but you'll need a new video card


good luck

I just bought a Dell Inspirion 7500 for $150.
600mhz P3 and a whopping 12G HD...

Quoted: If price is not that much of a subject, go Alienware Laptops

They used to be the bomb but lost their title as a kick ass laptop to Voodoo.

3.6GHz P4
Upgradable 6800 Geforce on PCI express
dual layer DVD burner with room for second optical drive
2 80gig SATA HDDs in Raid 0 setup.
1 gig of 533mHz DDR2 Ram.
Awesome 17in wide ratio screen.

Of course it weighs a ton, battery life of maybe a hour, and cost $5,000..... but what the hell.
http://www.voodoopc.com/sellPage.aspx?productID=1006

These are not moblie pentiums, thats the first thing you should stay away from.

www.pctorque.com

no tax! they have a pretty good forum in there.  

Quoted: These are not moblie pentiums, thats the first thing you should stay away from. .

Why?  Mine outperforms a regular Pentium at the same speed, yet it goes forever on batteries.

I like the Pentium M

Maybe  6172crew meant to stay away from the desktop CPU's that some manufacturers place in laptops seeing as my post is right above his.   They do generate a lot of heat and have a short battery life.  On the other hand I have a laptop with a mobile Pentium CPU and while it is not a dog in any sense, it comes nowhere near the performance of my desktop CPU.

Thoughts:

* DVD/CD-RW - always nice to watch a DVD movie when your out somewhere
* Lots of RAM...easy to upgrade though (once), so not a huge deal on the initial buy as long as there's a slot to expand.  512MB should be fine now, but in 2 years, you'll be wanting 1GB.
* HDD space - 40GB should be fine.  HDD's can be upgraded, but it's sometimes a pain on laptops. Most laptop users don't seem to put a ton of videos/MP3's on there.
* Gaming:
---- 64MB...welp, RAM is not an indication of video card performance.
---- Laptops with "embedded" chips such as the Intel Extreme Graphics and S3 and others are pretty sorrowful on the gaming today...let alone in 2 years.
---- I'd be thinking about a minimum graphics chip of an ATI 9600 or nVidia 5600
---- The mobile 9600 isn't quite up to speed of the desktop 9600...likewise the 9700 isn't quite up to 9700 speeds...the 9700 is more like 9600 speeds.  Similar story for nVidia chips
* CPU - The 1.7GHz Pentium-M is a nice chip.  Gaming-wise, you may be happier with a 3.0 or 3.2 Pentium 4/Athlon 64...but battery life will suffer noticeably.
* 1.7 vs 2.1...yeah, it's a little bit of a boost, and sure, I'd want it.  But look back four years...how much different is an 800MHz vs a 1GHz machine in running today's applications...not a ton...but a tiny difference.
* The Alienware stuff is pretty cool....plus in 2-4 years, if you wanted to upgrade...pay the parts, and they'll rip out whatever...video, motherboard, etc...and do the upgrade.

Here's a $1500 laptop from iBuyPower (not sure of their quality/service).  For another $50, it configures to a P4 3.2 with a 9700 video card.  

I think eMachines (now under Gateway's umbrella) has an Athlon64 3000 w/an ATI 9600 for around $1200 these days.

Quoted: Maybe  6172crew meant to stay away from the desktop CPU's that some manufacturers place in laptops seeing as my post is right above his.   They do generate a lot of heat and have a short battery life.  On the other hand I have a laptop with a mobile Pentium CPU and while it is not a dog in any sense, it comes nowhere near the performance of my desktop CPU.

My Pentium M 1.7 absolutely SMOKES my Pentium P4 1.7 desktop.

My laptop has a 2.8Ghz desktop P4 in it. 1 gig of memory. Battery life is respectable if I dim the screen and don't run anything too graphics intensive. Love the Dell Inspiron 5100. Virtually everything inside is upgradeable. Very few proprietary miniature laptop parts inside. Problem is, I need a hand cart to move the thing around...

The IBM T series is top shelf.  I get them from work, but recommend them to
all family and friends.
One alteration to your configuration I would suggest is RAM.  Lots of RAM.  I
recently upgraded from 1G to 2G.  Night and day.
No need to but the laptop with any RAM other than standard offering.  But do
upgrade ASAP.  The T series requires removal of the keyboard to access one
of the two RAM slots.  No big deal, if you have the instructions on how to do it.

DanM

Quoted: Quoted: Maybe  6172crew meant to stay away from the desktop CPU's that some manufacturers place in laptops seeing as my post is right above his.   They do generate a lot of heat and have a short battery life.  On the other hand I have a laptop with a mobile Pentium CPU and while it is not a dog in any sense, it comes nowhere near the performance of my desktop CPU. My Pentium M 1.7 absolutely SMOKES my Pentium P4 1.7 desktop.

I think his was referring to the P4-Mobile chips which are indeed crap.

Pentium M (no 4) is a whole nother animal.

Quoted: Go Alienware Their laptops are upgradeable, so in a few years your processor should be fine, but you'll need a new video card good luck

They may have removable "video cards", but that doesn't mean anything if the company doesn't offer upgrade cards for sale.

And they don't. I have one, and wish like hell I could swap in a newer video card.