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Pastimes : Computer Learning -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: E who wrote (21783)	8/13/2001 11:35:20 PM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 110653

Okay, time for me to start an argument -- no, strike that, a DISCUSSION -- here. Sometime in the next four months or so I'm going to close down my office and cut back to part time work out of an office in my home. I plan to buy a laptop so I can go to clients' houses or offices to meet with them there and have all my information with me. So the question is, what laptop to buy? I won't say money is no object, but I am willing to spend what I need to to get the right system. My basic business uses for it will be word processing, client database (mostly billing), calendar, address book, etc. Pretty basic stuff. I will be using it about 80% of the time as a desktop unit and 20% of the time travelling or in client locations. So I probably want a docking station and the ability to plug a regular keyboard and monitor into it. However, I will also want to play games on it, and maybe watch DVD movies -- after all, I WILL be semi-retired! Right now I have Black & White which I can barely play on my basic home system. Battery life probably isn't a key issue -- I'll be hooked up most of the time, I don't fly a lot so can probably live without long battery life, though if I get that it will be a bonus. But I'll trade that for other things. Also, weight isn't a key factor -- performance and features are more important to me than weight. Some of the things I know I'll want are: Top quality construction and components. Excellent support. Doesn't need to be 24/7, extended business hours would be okay, but has to be competent and no long waits. Excellent keyboard Excellent screen -- I have moderately poor eyesight, having had both eyes operated on for detached retinas, so need a good, very clear screen. Plenty of memory -- is 128K enough, or should I go higher? On my office system I keep several programs open simultaneously--always have WordPerfect, Ecco (calendar/rolodex), Netscape, and Eudora open and often two or three other programs, such as Quicken, Tiimeslips (billing), CD Law (CD Rom database). Plenty of disk space--as much as I can get It has to be fast -- I HATE waiting! CD R/W - DVD Modem, of course, and also network card or capability -- I plan to network all the computers at home, and have this networked in also. Whatever other goodies will make me not the least bit sorry to use this rather than my desktop as my primary computer. Okay, given all that, what suggestions do people have to offer? I should tell you that I have an irrational dislike of Dell, and have bought most of my desktop computers from Micron, but I'm not sure Micron is the best source for laptops. If I didn't have any other advice, I would probably look at IBM, Toshiba, and Compaq. But which systems have people found to be the most competent? Which systems are working well for people and which are giving trouble? What should I think about that I'm not thinking about yet? Etc. Any advice will be gratefully accepted and appreciated!