Recommended Laptop Hardware Requirements help please

[Rene Stephenson]

Personally, I can't get by with an integrated chipset for graphics, because we use a lot of detailed isometric drawings in our FM docs that can really slow down the ability to page through a document. However, that puts you at the high end of the Dell laptops. I just recently bought a laptop from www.alienware.com. Alienware was purchased by Dell, but the laptop I got from Alienware on an apples-to-apples comparison was about 30% cheaper than a Dell. It's actually considered a gamer's laptop due to the high powered processor and graphics capabilities. You'd be surprised how many "techies" are familiar with Alienware stuff. ;-)

Dells are always a safe bet, though. I've used them before, and they've always been reliable. 

I would go for at least a 2.0 GHz processor, because I've never regretted getting the fastest available CPU. Whatever current generation of software of any brand may be running, it always runs more efficiently with a fast CPU. However, you have to make sure that it has adequate L2 cache and a decent bus speed, or the CPU speed wouldn't make an impact. It would be hard to find an IDE controller rather than a RAID controller for the hard drive, but IDE is more reliable than RAID. On a similar note, even if I have a RAID controller, I'd avoid RAID-ing my hard drives together into a single logical drive, because although you get more space, the risk is that you lose functionality of both drives if something happens to either of them. For RAM, I have been sorely disappointed with any system that has less than 1.0 GB RAM, be it desktop or laptop. I'd also make sure that it's expandable to more than 1.0 GB RAM, because software just gets more demanding on resources as time goes
 on, and once the new Windows OS is released... well, remember what happened to everyone who had skimped on RAM and CPU 6 mo before Win XP was released???  ;-)  

I expound on the rigors of graphics as my key reason for justifying a workhorse of a laptop.

HTH
Rene Stephenson

On 9/18/06, Loren R. Elks  wrote:
> Hi:
>
> My department is considering replacing our Windows desktop PCs with laptops.  Our IT department buys all of our hardware from Dell.  This is something we can't change.
>
> Could someone suggest:
> - A minimum set of hardware requirements for a laptop based on the software we use (listed below)?
> - A desired set of hardware requirements for a laptop based on the software we use (listed below)?
>
> Software we use:
> - Windows XP Pro OS
> - FrameMaker 7.2
> - Acrobat 7.0 Pro
> - Corel Suite X3
> - MicroType TimeSavers
> - Photoshop CS2
> - MS Office 2003 (not for documentation creation purposes)
>
> Requirements to consider:
> - L2 Cache
> - RAM
> - HD Space
>
> I also have to be able to justify the expense, so if you've written a proposal before for something like this, I'd appreciate anything you can send me.  It would be great not to "recreate the wheel" unless I have to do so.  We currently have no standard form for this type of thing.
>
> For anyone that would be able to tell me, I'd also like the same type of recommendations for a more robust laptop that could do all of the above and be able to handle Adobe (Macromedia) Studio 8 (for eLearning and web development) and Adobe Audition.
>
> I apologize for the "laundry list."  I really appreciate any help.
>
>
> Loren Elks
> "The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." - John Powell

-- 
Art Campbell                                             art.campbell at gmail.com
  "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 Vincent
               and a redheaded girl." -- Richard Thompson
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Rene L. Stephenson
eNovative Solutions, Inc.
Business Phone: 678-513-0051
Email: rinnie1 at yahoo.com