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laptops.miningco.com

Tips: My Recommendations

You may want to read Erick's Laws at my Mining Co. site to decide how to go about buying a notebook.

This section will cover what I think are the minimum requirements for a good notebook computer. If you need a more detailed explanation of the various components and features please refer to Emmanuel Brown's Faq . For the latest specs on prices on MMX notebooks, go to the MMX page.

• CPU:
  • *133 MMX or higher (used to be 133)
  • If you want the power: 166 MMX
  • For best performance, make sure you get a TRUE mobile chip, either the TCP or PPGA packaging (but I recommend the TCP). What is mobile? Please check the Timeline for more info.
  • Stay away from desktop chips with speeds over 150mhz
• Screen:
  • 12.1" or higher: The bigger the better!
  • * I prefer the new 13.3" so you can do 1024x768 (XGA) resolution, there is now a 14.2" display but that may be a little too big
  • Active Matrix (TFT) or Dual Scan (DSTN)? I recommend Active Matrix, it's quicker and resembles a monitor image.
  • Only buy Dual Scan if you can't afford it and you know you won't need to run graphics or games on it (which is unheard of in Windows).
  • Another alternative to Dual Scan, is getting a smaller Active Matrix for the same price (a 10.4" or 11.3" instead of a 12.1"), same cost, just a littler smaller but a lot better output.
  • James asked me to mention that on Active Matrix screens you may have "dead pixels". Dead pixels are spots on the screen that are either stuck on one color (red, blue or green) or don't turn on at all (black). This is normal and can actually occur at anytime during the lifetime of your screen. Ask your vendor what their policy is on replacement of the screen for dead pixels.
• Memory:
  • For Windows 95: Minimum 32MB
  • You can get by with 16MB but it will be SLOW.
  • Remember: Memory is the number one factor on speed (followed very closely by CPU and disk speed)
  • If you can afford it, max out on the memory you can get, if it takes 72 MB or 80 MB, get it. You can upgrade later but you have to sell or give away your old memory chips (most notebooks only have 2 memory slots).
  • James also asked me to ask what type of slots the notebook uses so you can determine a future upgrade path. Some notebooks don't have to use both slots so you can just fill one with as much memory as you can afford now and buy more to fill the other later. The Dell (unfortunately) has to fill both slots.
• Hard Disk:
  • *1.4 GB or higher (I don't think they make 1.0 GB anymore)
  • I may conflict with others on this, but a 1.4 GB is good enough if you manage your disk space well.
  • You can always buy another disk, and unlike memory, you don't have to get rid of your old one, you can use both, one for backup, storing files or a second primary hard drive.
• Keyboard/Pointing Device:
  • This is a user-defined preference, meaning... whatever you like best.
  • I prefer having both pointing devices, the touchpad and the pointing stick, but only two manufacturers support this, WinBook and Micron
  • As for keyboard, I like to have separate Home/Pg-Up/Pg-Dn/End keys, and a nice layout that is very similar to desktop keyboards
  • Windows 95 keys are good (although the Micron XPE does not have them)
• Battery:
  • Lithium-Ion: Holds more power per ounce and does not have "memory affect". One con though, it cannot be re-charged as many times as NiMh or NiCad.
  • NiMh is good also, and does not have as much a "memory effect" as NiCad and the charge lasts longer. However, it is subject to "leaking".
  • *Actually both Li-Ion and NiMh leak over time, the Li-Ion is the best battery out there but is also more expensive... but it last longer and holds the charge better... if you can get a laptop that supports both, then you can buy a cheaper NiMh as a backup battery.
• Ports:
  • The more the merrier!
  • Make sure that the lid covering your ports are sturdy if you will be accessing them a lot, many complaints of having these snap off the first month or so. Micron XPE and Dell LM have the nicest layout, covers swing open AND have sliding cover.
  • Micron has the most ports that I've seen: 2 PS/2 ports, a game port, a NTSC/S-video out and 2 infrared ports.
  • Video-capture is also nice, but only a few have this feature.
  • *USB is now a must-have port. Future expansion devices and peripherals are going to be USB and Windows 98 will have built-in support for it.
• Bus slots, expansion slots, PCMCIA slots, etc.
  • Should have at least 2 PCMCIA II slots
  • Zoomed Video Support and CardBus support are very good
  • An expansion slot for a docking station and/or port replicator are usually standard
• Achechapees (Accessories, sorry, it's from an old STOR/Ikea commercial):
  • Notebook Bag: A must or else don't ever move your notebook (which of course means you should have just got a desktop)
  • Extra Battery: If you are really on the go, this will be your lifesaver
  • Fax/Modem: If you need Internet access from anywhere, need to send or receive faxes, well... this is what you need. 33.6k or higher (heh, like 56k really works right now). Top brand right now seems to be the Motorola Montana, but I'll do more research on that.
  • External Mouse/Keyboard: So... you like the notebook but hate the pointing device and/or keyboard? Most notebooks have ports to plug in an extenal monitor and keyaboard.
  • Docking Station/Port Replicator: If you would like more out of your system when it is at home, get these things, the docking stations have multi-media options, PCI/ISA/SCSI interfaces and all the stuff your desktop had. The Replicator is just an easy way to connect your notebook to the external monitor, keyboard, mouse, modem, speaker, etc. without having to plug and unplug 57 cords.
  • Network PCMCIA card: To hook up to NBC, CBS, ABC or Fox... kidding, but this card is a must if you are planning to connect to your office/home LAN (Local Area Network).