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bsd_lover
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The great Laptop discussion forum 17 Jun 2009, 11:19
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Agree with the above posters. I'm using a T42 for my travels at the moment and it does the job fine. Granted I dont open complex spreadsheets on it yet, but I only have 1 gig of RAM on this and it still flies for all the general net browsing / document editing that I need to do at the moment.

jb32
Ok, quick question for all the computer geniuses here. I currently have a Lenovo T40 that I bought from my company last year for like $150. It has an Intel Pentium M processor 1500 MHZ 1.49 GHZ, 512 MB of RAM (which I would upgrade to 2 GB for like $90) with Windows XP.

My question is, do I really need to go out and get a new laptop, or will this get me by for a while, at which time I can order the Kellogg laptop if I need to? Is my laptop so old that it's not worth even upgrading the RAM? I only plan to use the internet and run Office programs - nothing too memory intensive. Let me know what I should do:

A. Upgrade the laptop RAM and use as long as I can in school
B. Buy the Kellogg laptop and keep as a backup
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The great Laptop discussion forum 17 Jun 2009, 12:21
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atlmba2009
In that vein, I have a desktop, but not a serviceable laptop. Perhaps this is more appropriate for a current student, but I have been tossing the idea around to hold off on buying a laptop until I get to school to see whether it is absolutely necessary. In reality, if I am not using it in class, how often will I need a portable computer? Does most work actually take place in break-out sessions or on-campus where you must have one, or is it reasonable to think that I might be able to just complete assignments at home? I know requirements must differ to an extent from school-to-school, but does anybody do it?
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I'll let the current students comment, but I'm pretty sure you will need a laptop for certain classes. There were a couple class visits I had where you brought the spreadsheet models you built and actually did stuff with them in class.

A lot of other classes, no, just a pen and paper were fine.

RF
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The great Laptop discussion forum 17 Jun 2009, 13:48
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Thanks, I figured as much, but I figured I would throw it out there anyway. When I was in grad school for my Master's they told us we needed a laptop, but despite having one, I always ended up using the campus computer labs while on campus and using my laptop at home. I definitely needed my own computer, but in retrospect a desktop would have been fine. B-school by nature is a lot more team-oriented, so I am sure the requirements are quite different. I definitely don't want to be in a position where I need one but have to wait for it to arrive after classes start.
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The great Laptop discussion forum 17 Jun 2009, 17:03
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atlmba2009
B-school by nature is a lot more team-oriented, so I am sure the requirements are quite different. I definitely don't want to be in a position where I need one but have to wait for it to arrive after classes start.
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I think that's the other thing, you'll spend a lot of time with your team working on projects where you need a laptop.

Just for kicks, why not ask one of the current Ross FYs? See what they say?

RF
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The great Laptop discussion forum 18 Jun 2009, 07:01
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Just got the specs for my laptop (all WFU students get one).

Lenovo Thinkpad T400
14.1" screen
4GB RAM, 160GB HD
DVD+/-RW
Intel Core Duo 2 2.4Ghz

Preloaded with all the goodies
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The great Laptop discussion forum 18 Jun 2009, 07:42
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Nuff said.
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The great Laptop discussion forum 18 Jun 2009, 12:09
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jb32
Ok, quick question for all the computer geniuses here. I currently have a Lenovo T40 that I bought from my company last year for like $150. It has an Intel Pentium M processor 1500 MHZ 1.49 GHZ, 512 MB of RAM (which I would upgrade to 2 GB for like $90) with Windows XP.

My question is, do I really need to go out and get a new laptop, or will this get me by for a while, at which time I can order the Kellogg laptop if I need to? Is my laptop so old that it's not worth even upgrading the RAM? I only plan to use the internet and run Office programs - nothing too memory intensive. Let me know what I should do:

A. Upgrade the laptop RAM and use as long as I can in school
B. Buy the Kellogg laptop and keep as a backup
Show more

Agree with all the posters. Upgrade your T40 and you should be fine. If after a while, you feel you need the K laptop, then go for it then. Although, personally I would go for the X200 or X300 instead of the K laptop. They're much lighter.

I was seriously contemplating between the X200 or the Kellogg laptop, but finally decided to save the money and use my 1.5 year old macbook pro (15.4", Intel 2.2 GHz, 2GB RAM, 120GB HDD) with vista in bootcamp (upgrade to windows 7 when it comes out). Maybe I'll use this for another year, and then hope that the Kellogg laptop our second year is one of the lighter models and then get that. :-D
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The great Laptop discussion forum 18 Jun 2009, 15:18
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I just had my first look at the T400, and I like it! Seems like a sturdy/dependable laptop that can be relatively high-powered for about $1100 or so. Does anybody have tips for these infamous IBM discounts I've heard about?
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The great Laptop discussion forum 18 Jun 2009, 16:28
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MeddlingKid
I just had my first look at the T400, and I like it! Seems like a sturdy/dependable laptop that can be relatively high-powered for about $1100 or so. Does anybody have tips for these infamous IBM discounts I've heard about?
Show more

Up to 35% through many school websites....usually through bookstore website.

I currently see x200 basic model (bare-bone) at $850 and x200s basic model at $820.
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The great Laptop discussion forum 18 Jun 2009, 21:49
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nink
MeddlingKid
I just had my first look at the T400, and I like it! Seems like a sturdy/dependable laptop that can be relatively high-powered for about $1100 or so. Does anybody have tips for these infamous IBM discounts I've heard about?

Up to 35% through many school websites....usually through bookstore website.

I currently see x200 basic model (bare-bone) at $850 and x200s basic model at $820.
Show more
Booth seems to be offering Dell laptops.
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The great Laptop discussion forum 18 Jun 2009, 23:30
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nink
MeddlingKid
I just had my first look at the T400, and I like it! Seems like a sturdy/dependable laptop that can be relatively high-powered for about $1100 or so. Does anybody have tips for these infamous IBM discounts I've heard about?

Up to 35% through many school websites....usually through bookstore website.

I currently see x200 basic model (bare-bone) at $850 and x200s basic model at $820.
Show more


Hmm.. my friend works for IBM and he gets the corporate discount. The cheapest price he can get is $859 for the X200 and $849.15 for the X200s. Not a huge difference, but it's interesting to see that the student discount is even more than the employee discount (albeit not by much)
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The great Laptop discussion forum 20 Jun 2009, 06:29
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For those going to Booth, the you can buy three Lenovo models through the school: the T500, the R400, and the X200. The prices are very reasonable given their specs, so if you just want a pre-configured laptop, you can consider getting those through the school if you don't want to get a Dell.
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The great Laptop discussion forum 30 Jun 2009, 08:30
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I am torn in decinding whether to buy a 13.3" (1200x800) or a 15.4" (1440x900) laptop. The price difference is trivial, so I am most concerned about the quality-of-experience/portability tradeoff. Any input on this by current students?
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The great Laptop discussion forum 30 Jun 2009, 08:41
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Fatb found killer deal on x200 on Circuitcity.com

https://www.circuitcity.com/applications ... CatId=2289



Original Price: $1,899.99
Instant Savings: - $900.00
Price: $999.99

Specifications
Display Type: WXGA TFT LCD

Screen Size: 12.1"

Maximum Resolution: 1280 × 800

Memory Type: DDR3

Memory Size: 4GB

Memory Speed: PC3-8500

Memory Slots (Total): 2

Memory Slots (Filled): 2

Memory Slots (Available): 0

Maximum Memory Supported: 4GB (Up to 1 GB may not be available due to 32-bit operating system resource requirements)

Capacity: 160GB

HDD/SSD Drives Included: 1x 160GB

Drive Types: Hard Drive

Hard Drive Speed: 7200 RPM

Lifestyle: Business
Thin & Light

Condition: New

Operating Systems: Windows Vista Business

Startup Operating System: Windows® Vista Business

Operating System Licenses Included: Windows® Vista Business

Platform: Notebook PC

Processor Brand: Intel

Processor Class: Core 2 Duo

Processor Type: Dual-Core

Processor Speed: 2.26GHz

Processor Number: P8400

Processor FSB: 1066 MHz

Processor Cache: 3 MB L2 Cache

Additional Technologies: Intel Centrino 2 Mobile Technology

Graphics Description: Integrated Graphics

GPU/VPU: Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator

Video Interface: VGA

Optical Drive Type: N/A

Supplemental Drive Type: Media Reader

Audio Description: Integrated Audio

Audio Input: 1- Microphone input port

Audio Output: 1 - Headphone output port

PS/2 Mouse Connectors: N/A

PS/2 Keyboard Connectors: N/A

Serial Communication Ports: N/A

Parallel Ports: N/A

USB Ports: 3

FireWire Ports: N/A

Fast Infrared Ports (FIR): N/A

LAN Ports: 1

Modem Ports: 1

Audio Out Jacks: 1

Line In Jacks: N/A

Microphone Jacks: 1

VGA Ports: 1

S-Video Connectors: N/A

DVI Video: N/A

HDMI Ports: N/A

Port Replicator/Connector: 1

eSATA Ports: N/A

Communications Description: Integrated LAN
Integrated Modem
Integrated Wireless LAN

Interface Type: RJ-11 Phone Connector
RJ-45 Ethernet Connector
Intel WiFi Link 5300

Data Transfer Rate: 56Kbps Modem
10/100/1000Mbps Network
Up to 450 Mbps

Protocols: V.92
WIFI
802.11a
802.11g
802.11n

Width: 11.6"

Height: 0.8" - 1.4"

Depth: 9.2"

Weight: 2.7 lbs

Mouse Type: TrackPoint with "Press-to-Select"

Buttons: 2

Scrolling Capability: Scroll Button

Keyboard Type: Fullsize

Battery Type: 6-Cell Lithium-ion

Battery Life: N/A

Biometrics: Fingerprint Reader

Color: Black

Integrated Webcam: Yes
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The great Laptop discussion forum 30 Jun 2009, 10:48
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Sweet deal, Nink! Makes me wish I wasn't a touchpad user.
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The great Laptop discussion forum 08 Jul 2009, 11:10
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After a long deliberation I ordered the X200 through the UCLA store for ~$1200. It wasn't cheap but a similarly configured model on Lenovo website would've cost me more than $1600 after discounts. The ultra-base with writer itself costs around $340 and the warranty is another $140. The only thing I couldn't get is a discrete graphics card, but that option is rarely available on ultra-light laptops.

Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4 GHz), 4 GB RAM, 160GB (7200 RPM) HD

• 12.1” WXGA LCD with Intel Integrated Graphics
• Windows Vista Business with XP Downgrade
• Bluetooth
• 6 Cell Li-Ion Battery
• Fingerprint reader
• Ultrabase included w/DVD±RW
• 3 years depot warranty
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The great Laptop discussion forum 08 Jul 2009, 15:20
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svrider
After a long deliberation I ordered the X200 through the UCLA store for ~$1200. It wasn't cheap but a similarly configured model on Lenovo website would've cost me more than $1600 after discounts. The ultra-base with writer itself costs around $340 and the warranty is another $140. The only thing I couldn't get is a discrete graphics card, but that option is rarely available on ultra-light laptops.

Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 (2.4 GHz), 4 GB RAM, 160GB (7200 RPM) HD

• 12.1” WXGA LCD with Intel Integrated Graphics
• Windows Vista Business with XP Downgrade
• Bluetooth
• 6 Cell Li-Ion Battery
• Fingerprint reader
• Ultrabase included w/DVD±RW
• 3 years depot warranty
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Solid deal! Did you look at the X200s? I'm going to make a purchase tonight, and it's down to these two.
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The great Laptop discussion forum 08 Jul 2009, 16:16
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see if you can find someone who gets an employee discount (IBM workers definitely get one). That can bring the X200 price down another 10-20% from the online price.
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The great Laptop discussion forum 08 Jul 2009, 16:34
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kryzak
see if you can find someone who gets an employee discount (IBM workers definitely get one). That can bring the X200 price down another 10-20% from the online price.
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I've been trying to find such a code, but have been unsuccessful so far. I priced out an X200s at about $1240 using the CPP code.
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The great Laptop discussion forum 08 Jul 2009, 16:44
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Did any of you guys buy any sort of accidental damage protection with your laptops?
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