Recommended Laptop Hardware Requirements help please

[Syed Zaeem Hosain]

Hi, Rene.

Rene Stephenson wrote:
> 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. ;-)

Agreed on the integrated chipset graphics issue! Which is why I like
what I have. My Alienware MJ-12 uses an nVidia 6800 GT Plus plug-in
card ... not integrated chipset graphics. Their current model now
uses an nVidia 7800 or 7900 GT plug-in card.

The relevant specs are:

	- Intel Pentium 4 desktop CPU running at 3.6 GHz.
	- 2 GB RAM.
	- 120 GB Disks (two 7200 rpm drives running RAID-0)
	- 17" wide-screen, 1920 x 1200 resolution.
	- Numeric keypad arranged like a desktop keyboard, very usable.
	- nVidia 6800 GT Plus graphics card.

Yeah, the battery life is pathetic (75 to 90 minutes) and the weight
is much too high to really call this a laptop. But it serves my other
(non-FrameMaker) needs to have a desktop processor in a portable case
for my travel. Call it a luggable perhaps. About $4000 in total.

Pros:

	- Fast.
	- High-speed graphics.
	- High-speed disk access (RAID-0). FM loads in seconds.
	- Did I mention Fast?

Cons:

	- No convenient docking station, like the Dells. I have to plug in
	a few things when I sit down at my desk.
	- Weight is much higher than I would want.
	- Power supply brick is heavy.

Hope this helps.

Zaeem