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Apple-Quality Intel Laptops?
arashiakari asks: "I have to buy a new laptop soon and I am having trouble settling on a brand or model except one that I cannot use. Apple's iBook laptop is beautiful, functional, lightweight, and made of high quality materials. I would buy one today except that I am a professional programmer and MUST use the same platform my compiler targets: Intel. So far each Intel-based laptop I have looked at is both grossly over-decorated (Compaq, Toshiba) and made of cheap flimsy materials (Dell), or has the combined problem of being overpriced and under-powered - with external bays for everything (Sony). IBM is expensive, but they are as close as I've found to "right" ... with Toshiba in second place. It seems like Intel-based laptops are either hot ugly tanks or oversized PDAs, there seems to be a scarcity of balanced well-thought-out and produced machines. Does the Slashdot have any suggestions?"
Will an intel emulator work? Something such as virtual pc? I know you can use the commercial product for Mac's called codewarrior that is able to compile for intel. You'd still need some kind of emulator to test it though. Has anyone else done this?
/* oops I accidentally made a comment, sorry */
There's a rule to follow: "Thou shalt lust after no other laptop than an IBM Thinkpad."
I've owned three of them, and all have been really great computers. I've owned other laptops, and they failed to measure up to the standard set by the Thinkpad.
My current machine is an A21m with 800mhz Pentium III, running Linux. All the hardware on the machine works with Linux. I have use it every day for work for the past 2.5 years, and it's just plain reliable. It's worth the money I paid for it, and I've noticed that the prices have dropped a lot. You can get a Thinkpad for much much less than what I paid for mine.
My next laptop will be an IBM Thinkpad.
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
I was in the same boat you are in now and I chose the ibook, it's sweet, but I also needed to program for the intel platform. I bought a second machine ( a beefy workstation ) and I rdesktop into that fullscreen to do my programming. It works very great even over a wan if the bandwitdh is there. Get the ibook you won't regret it.
"Talent does what it can; genius does what it must."
Next question . . .
You're an Apple zealot recommending a Microsoft product? :-)
Seriously, I agree with the "give programmers slow computers" bit. To get the best code, give 'em slower computers with lots of fancy add-ons (multiple monitors, etc) so that you get efficient code that properly supports everything.
May we never see th
and get an extended warranty. Actually, get the warranty no matter what you buy. FWIW, when you work with enough of any brand of laptop, you'll see lots of failures - and I've worked at large Mac, Toshiba, Compaq, Dell, and IBM shops.
I used to work in a computer sales center.
Compaq consistently has the worst quality rep of any PC manufacturer. (Except Packard Smell... Thank God they're gone. Even eMachines is better than Compaq.) We routinely had Compaq laptops come in for service with displays that had simply stopped working.
Toshiba used to be excellent, but like you, I've heard that they've gone downhill over the past few years.
Dell's quality seems to oscillate every few years. Back when I was in school, all of their laptops and desktops were utter shite. The desktops we've been getting at work lately have had AMAZING build quality and impressive design. (The latest ones, at least the latest Precisions, have completely screwless designs and quite well designed ducted cooling.) I have an Inspiron 8200 and it's one of the best laptops I've ever used. The only complaint I have about it is the lack of a display blanking key, a feature I miss from my old TI Travelmate 7100.
Sony Vaios seem to always be overpriced and have all of their accessories external.
IBM Thinkpads are also pricey, but well worth the money if you can afford them. Thinkpads are built like tanks. We NEVER had a Thinkpad less than 4-5 years old come in for service at my campus store when I worked there, and those that did come in after 4-5 years of life were mostly in because of software problems.
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
Yeah, they're not durable at all..
You see, when my 200lbs-aunt kneed on my iBook, the screen just broke.. without any reason..
Real men use computers made of steel.. err.. titanium !
How much stock do you need to have? Can I get this kind of discount with a single share? or do I need like a hundred?