Which one is better? (Choosing new used/refurbished laptop)


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Due to me both needing a newer laptop, and since the upgrade plans for the one I have failed a bit (wrong memory, pls see this thread https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1226069-dell-e4300-ram-upgrade-2x4-gb-laptop-wont-boot/#entry596539953) I'm planning on getting a "new" used or refurbished laptop. 

 

Wny not new: Well, new is alot more expensive with the specs I'd like to have. 

 

I have at the moment a Dell E4300.I like it, but it might be a bit heavy. I will be both working and studying as well as doing some everyday commuting between two towns (30' - 1 hour one way). 

 I need the computer both for work and for studies. 

The computer will be used for 

 - work (via Citrix & other virtualisation)

 - surfing

 - writing,

 - reading large (really large) PDF's and commenting.

 - GIS & statistical related task is necessary.

Probably I'd like the computer to be able to connect to a high-rez screen. At least one or two 1080 screens would be nice, but one 1920 x 1200 is also fine. The main dilemma is that getting something light but big and powerful enough to work with big loads of information that is very portable at the same time is hard to find, if not an oxymoron.

 

What I have in terms of extra hardware for upgrades: I have 1333 MHz DDR3 SO-DIMM modules 4+4 GB 1.5 V Corsair Valueram. I also have have a 16 GB 1600 MHz SO-DIMM pair of the same series. Also there is a Crucial MX100 256 SSD on the way. 

 

The computers I am trying to choose from are

 

 Thinkpad X200s (1.86 GHz CPU) (Has Wwam module)

 Thinkpad X301 (1.4 GHz ULV CPU) (No Wwan module - is it hard to install one?)

 Hp 2740/60p - (nice but expensive)

 

Also I have been looking at, buth they are not so light (over 2 kg/4-5 lb) and no Wwan module.

 

Toshiba Satellite L755D-14M  A8-3520M APU, 8 GB ram, Dual Graphics

Thinkpad t61p (FX520M)

Thinkpad R400 (Some older radeon).

 

 Which of theese might be a good alternative do you think? Or should I just stick to my trusted Dell and just upgrade?

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Due to me both needing a newer laptop, and since the upgrade plans for the one I have failed a bit (wrong memory, pls see this thread https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1226069-dell-e4300-ram-upgrade-2x4-gb-laptop-wont-boot/#entry596539953) I'm planning on getting a "new" used or refurbished laptop. 

 

Wny not new: Well, new is alot more expensive with the specs I'd like to have. 

 

I have at the moment a Dell E4300.I like it, but it might be a bit heavy. I will be both working and studying as well as doing some everyday commuting between two towns (30' - 1 hour one way). 

 I need the computer both for work and for studies. 

The computer will be used for 

 - work (via Citrix & other virtualisation)

 - surfing

 - writing,

 - reading large (really large) PDF's and commenting.

 - GIS & statistical related task is necessary.

Probably I'd like the computer to be able to connect to a high-rez screen. At least one or two 1080 screens would be nice, but one 1920 x 1200 is also fine. The main dilemma is that getting something light but big and powerful enough to work with big loads of information that is very portable at the same time is hard to find, if not an oxymoron.

 

What I have in terms of extra hardware for upgrades: I have 1333 MHz DDR3 SO-DIMM modules 4+4 GB 1.5 V Corsair Valueram. I also have have a 16 GB 1600 MHz SO-DIMM pair of the same series. Also there is a Crucial MX100 256 SSD on the way. 

 

The computers I am trying to choose from are

 

 Thinkpad X200s (1.86 GHz CPU) (Has Wwam module)

 Thinkpad X301 (1.4 GHz ULV CPU) (No Wwan module - is it hard to install one?)

 Hp 2740/60p - (nice but expensive)

 

Also I have been looking at, buth they are not so light (over 2 kg/4-5 lb) and no Wwan module.

 

Toshiba Satellite L755D-14M  A8-3520M APU, 8 GB ram, Dual Graphics

Thinkpad t61p (FX520M)

Thinkpad R400 (Some older radeon).

 

 Which of theese might be a good alternative do you think? Or should I just stick to my trusted Dell and just upgrade?

If you can get a WWAN USB stick, you can open the search wider (if WWAN is a requirement).

 

I recently got a new (to me) notebook to use as a work/mailbook - it will be used primarily to run Office 2013 x64.  The big compatibility factors for me were with Windows 8.1 update 1 (which is my default desktop OS, though I do multiboot) and I needed wireless-N built-in  (I have a dual-band N wireless router at home, and practically anywhere I'd be using the notebook away also has wireless-N at either no cost or very minimal cost at worst.)  Thanks to such minimal needs, I went with the HP Pavilion dv9700.

 

The Notebook In Question has an AMD Turion x64 CPU, 3 GB of DDR2 (4GB capacity) an nForce 2 chipset (nForce 7130/630m DX9c graphics) and 150GB Hitachi TravelStar HDD.

 

Turion x64 CPU?  nForce 2 mobile graphics?  150GB hard disk?  And Windows 8.1 x64?  No - I'm not crazy; hear out why it works.

 

It's not (by any stretch) my go-to computer - my desktop is; it's not meant to replace it.  The two big applications it will be running are (therefore) Word and Outlook.  Because the Turion is x64, it can run the EXACT same versions of Windows and Office my desktop does.  Therefore, the migration curve is zero.  The (legacy) nForce 2 mobile graphics is, in fact, ALSO supported by Windows 8.1 update 1 out of the box (as are both the Atheros wireless-N and Realtek wired Ethernet) - therefore, no driver hunting.  All it needed was a recharge (courtesy of an HP AC charger brick purchased from a local thrift store) for extremely minimal.  (I COULD have - if I wanted new, bought an ENERCELL (RadioShack "house brand") adapter brick from MicroCenter for $30, or a Targus multi-brand AC adapter brick for about $10 more (off-sale) at either Best Buy, Staples, or hhgregg.  Still, why buy more than I need?

 

"But what if you need LTE?"  LTE is an option via USB - the Pavilion has three USB2 ports which are available.  (Not one is normally in use.)

Optical media is covered via the built-in DVD-burner (with Lightscribe support; this IS HP, after all).  The built-in webcam is actually better than the one at my desktop.

 

If (and that is a biggie) I ever NEED to upgrade the (admittedly small) 150GB Hitachi HDD, either 256GB or 512GB SSDs (Crucial m4 or MX100) are options - the priciest of which is still sub-$200USD, at retail.

 

Why buy fancy if you don't need it?

 

Even Windows 8.1 doesn't require fancy.

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