Notes on a Laptop

Just an idle observation that I got as I was reading through some blogs that I missed out on while working. People stop blogging during the holidays but I START blogging then. Talk about topsy turvy…

I’m looking around for a new lappie right now. My beloved Fujitsu has come a long way with me from the time I bought it when I was a silly uni freshgirl afraid to tap too hard on its keyboard buttons up to now as a hopefully more mature office girlie who works in a teeny tiny cubicle. It’s actually still working great, with the exceptions of the occasional graphics problems, but the screen is starting to die and to replace the screen costs so much that I’ve made the decision to let my lappie go, and buy a new one. It actually hurts a bit to make this decision because I’ve become quite attached to it, but I know that I’ll soon be unable to do anything on it at all. A full 1/3 of the screen is darker than the other parts and the dying pixels are spreading – it’s almost like a cancer…

I’ve done a lot of research on what good specs and what mid-end specs are because I want to get the best bang for my buck. I am merely a poor office worker after all! And I haven’t even been working very long. Sadly I will not be able to get a new Fujitsu just because it costs far too much.

Here are my main tasks. I do lots of word processing tasks, and do some minor fiddling with some high-resolution graphics for work and play. I watch dvds, streaming movies and occasionally play games (mostly rpgs, not so much rts’s). I download lots of stuff, and save lots of stuff too, especially piccies from friends – my msn pic is from Principessa! I surf the net a lot – looking at lots of design stuff for work; looking at lots of news/current affairs/gossip/beauty/
fashion sites for leisure; playing lots of online games; and lots of chatting on instant messagers.

What I've garnered after endless internet research, stalking IT-inclined friends and obsessive reading and re-reading of editorial articles, reviews and forum posts, this is what I think I should be watching out for the following:

• A Core 2 Duo processor that's 2.0 or 2.2Ghz (T7000 series)
• at least 2GB of memory DDR2
• At least 160GB of hard disk space
• A discrete graphics card - so far, it looks like I should try for an Nvidia GeForce 8600 GS/GT or the new 8800 GTX if I can afford it
• wireless internet connectivity (duh!) - basic abg, but abgn is preferable
• DVD/RW drive - I think I really wouldn't need blu-ray etc etc.

The only thing is I don’t know if I should get something now, or if I should wait a little bit until after the New Year to get stuff. I had actually already resolved to get a specific Acer already, but another two lappies have caught my eye.

I’d actually like to get something by Jan 2008 but there is news that one of the laptops I’m eyeing may have better screen resolutions on offer in early 2008, though not necessarily in January. Choices, choices…If anyone has any ideas, feel free to let me know please!