declan@remus.rutgers.edu (Declan McCullagh/LZ) (04/08/91)
In the last few weeks, I've given serious thought to getting a laptop. After extensive persual of the available literature and articles here (some of which have been very helpful), I've decided what features I'd like to in my "ideal" system: : 80286 or 80386SX : VGA / 640x480 / Backlight screen / 10" diagonal : 20 or 40 MB HD : 4-5 lbs : 2-3 hour battery life : Small footprint : Under $2,000 Now, the system that comes closest to that is the TI Travelmate 2000, a 286/1 MB RAM/20 MB HD/4.4 lb system, with a very small footprint (a nearly identical one is available from Sharp). List is $3,999; I can get it from a local mail order house for about $1,900. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with a floppy, but in my case, it's not that important. I'm going to be using it to take notes in class, as a computer to take on the road, and as a terminal for my NeXT. Needless to say, it has to be extremely quiet and hopefully rather light for it to be as usable as I'd like it to be. There are some 386/20 MB systems for about the same price, but all seem to be at least 7 lbs, and I don't mind sacrificing power for weight. I've even been considering the Poquet and Psion systems, although I would rather like a HD (so I can run Coherent UNIX, of course). $-) I'm sure my case isn't that unique, as there must be many people that need a very quiet, very light system to tote around campus. If anyone has any suggestions and/or personal favorites, please let me know. If there's enough interest, I'll summarize. I'm planning on getting a system in the next few days, and I'll let you know which model I get and how it turns out. -Declan / declan@remus.rutgers.edu
tnaa7@isuvax.iastate.edu (05/01/91)
In article <Apr.8.02.16.43.1991.16307@remus.rutgers.edu>, declan@remus.rutgers.edu (Declan McCullagh/LZ) writes: > >In the last few weeks, I've given serious thought to getting a laptop. >After extensive persual of the available literature and articles here >(some of which have been very helpful), I've decided what features I'd >like to in my "ideal" system: > >: 80286 or 80386SX >: VGA / 640x480 / Backlight screen / 10" diagonal >: 20 or 40 MB HD >: 4-5 lbs >: 2-3 hour battery life >: Small footprint >: Under $2,000 > > >I'm going to be using it to take notes in class, as a computer to take >on the road, and as a terminal for my NeXT. Needless to say, it has >to be extremely quiet and hopefully rather light for it to be as >usable as I'd like it to be. > >I'm sure my case isn't that unique, as there must be many people that >need a very quiet, very light system to tote around campus. If anyone >has any suggestions and/or personal favorites, please let me know. If >there's enough interest, I'll summarize. > >I'm planning on getting a system in the next few days, and I'll let >you know which model I get and how it turns out. > >-Declan / declan@remus.rutgers.edu My personal preference leans towards Toshiba laptops....just what I have allways used...and they have worked very well for me. Toshiba makes a T2000SX which meets your system requirements, though I am unshure as to it's price and weight. I believe it weights somewhere around the weight of my T1000SE (6lbs). If you could sacrifice the HD the T1000SE is a great puter. Small, light, real full size/full travel keyboard, great display, 1.44M floppy, and a price that is around $950 (Elek-Tek). The T1000XE (20mbHD) or the T1000LE (HD and floppy) are also great, but carry a higher price tag. sTEVE Knapp
bumby@math.rutgers.edu (Richard Bumby) (05/01/91)
In article <1991May1.002605.2876@news.iastate.edu> tnaa7@isuvax.iastate.edu writes: > In article <Apr.8.02.16.43.1991.16307@remus.rutgers.edu>, > declan@remus.rutgers.edu (Declan McCullagh/LZ) writes: > > > >In the last few weeks, I've given serious thought to getting a laptop. > >. . . > My personal preference leans towards Toshiba laptops....just what I > have allways used...and they have worked very well for me. . . . As a T1000 owner, I am also impressed with Toshiba quality. (If only I had waited, I could have gotten a lot more machine for the same money.) However, i was in "Computer Options Unlimited" a little while ago and remarked that they had very few Toshibas on display. One of the machines that suggested as a serious competitor was a Packard Bell that seemed to meet the specifications of the original poster for well under $2000. The VGA graphics demo program has a big impact on a T1000 owner! -- R. T. Bumby ** Rutgers Math || Amer. Math. Monthly Problems Editor bumby@math.rutgers.edu || P.O. Box 10971 New Brunswick, NJ08906-0971 Telephone: [USA] 908 828 0277 (full-time message line)