I decided I needed a laptop, to be able to work around the house -
keep an eye on the boys, etc. As I shopped I came to realize there
are two classes of laptops: $300 Walmart specials or $1000+ fully
featured laptops. Since a computer is a vital part of my business I
need a workhorse, so as I shopped looking for power and light weight I
found myself deep in the $1000 to $2000 range. The Sony Vaio Z series
and Lenovo T400s were at the top of my list.
As we've discussed before a laptop is a compromise, out of necessity
to fit in such a small form factor. So I'm now thinking I'd rather
build a powerful PC and buy a cheap, small laptop. Not a netbook, but
a little larger - around 3lbs.
I also like the ability to troubleshoot a PC... I can swap parts out
if I have a hardware issue (which is rare in my experience with a PC).
Build versus buy: there is no doubt I can buy a prebuilt PC that will
do all I need, but these typically use the cheapest components. My
Shuttle PC was a barebones built with quality components (I bought it
built and upgraded parts along the way). My Shuttle has been very
reliable - it's been on for almost the entire 4 years I've owned it.
I will be building a full size PC, or possibly a mini ATX, but I doubt
I'll do small form factor again - I just don't need the portability.
I was impressed with my RMA experience with Corsair so I'm looking at
Corsair ram and a little reading indicates Corsair is also one of the
best manufacturers of power supplies. I'm thinking about the new i7
processors and Windows 7 Pro.
I use a PC for spreadsheets, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, etc and the
backend for my website, among other tasks... I usually have several
programs going at once. I don't game but I'm going to get a decent
graphics card.
I'd be interested to know your opinions about other components... my
focus is reliability first. Thanks!
--
Chris Lindh
http://www.PartsForSpeed.com
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