| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| tahir |
Lightweight laptop?One of my users needs a lightweight laptop, it's mostly for connecting back to base so no need for a high end spec, light weight and a full size keyboard are the main requirements.Any (cheap) recommendations? |
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| Penny |
Saw one on BBC Click last night that has a removable docking station, not sure if it's any use?
Dell Latitude |
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| Jonnyboy |
What kind of light, less than a kg or between 1-1.5kg? | ||||
| jema |
There is a great ground swell of lightweight cheap machines being released. Tempting to wait if at all possible. | ||||
| Chez |
I've got a Dell XPS M1210 on lease, and it's fab. | ||||
| orangepippin |
I have been using a Toshiba tablet PC for a couple of years. The versatility of being able to use it with just a stylus rather than a keyboard is very useful. However I still mostly reach for my Dell desktop replacement laptop. When the going gets tough it's not weight that matters but the size of the screen! | ||||
| Jonnyboy |
M200? |
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| 12Bore |
What about these (Sorry, can't do linky thingy)
http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Category.aspx/TruHome/TruComputers/TruComputersLaptop?ref=TruHome%2fTruComputers All have flash memory rather than hard drive, but capacity of up to 20gb. Come loaded with XP or Linux operating systems, just download Open Office, FireFox and Thunderbird and away you go....... |
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| orangepippin |
Correct! |
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| Jonnyboy |
We've got one, cracking little thing. especially with a wodge of ram and the nvidia card. | ||||
| orangepippin |
Yes, we upgraded the RAM to 2Gb which made a big difference to it - it was slow before. It's difficult to describe to someone who has only used a normal laptop, but being able to work without a keyboard is so versatile. | ||||
| nora |
I have a little eeepc (ASUS) which is very light and easy to use, cost £180. | ||||
| nora |
I saw a mini pc very similar to the ASUS in Maplins today, it weighs 650g and costs £169.95. | ||||
| tahir |
Thanks guys will take a look at all the possibles | ||||
| Maxwell Smart |
samsung has some very nice inexpensive and lightweight laptops - less than 2kg for around £500ish inclusive.
sony makes some nice light weights but very expensive. toshiba as well. i've had bad experience with dells and sony. |
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| jema |
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/08/12/dell_to_launch_eee_rival/ | ||||
| tahir |
Would be ideal |
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| Maxwell Smart |
In which case you are pretty much looking at Sony or Toshiba. Samsungs are about 1.7 and I think not many Lenovos in that weight class either. |
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| tahir |
I've found a 1.9kg Tosh for a decent price:
http://www.oyyy.co.uk/product.php/64909/ |
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| Maxwell Smart |
also check microwarehouse and dabs. they often have open package laptops with full warranties for ridiculously cheap prices. | ||||
| tahir |
Looks like the only (much lighter) option is a Tosh Portege R500, but that's £1k (only 1 kg though).
Might just go with the U400 |
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| sean |
Well if you insist on employing malnourished dwarfs that's the price you have to pay. 
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| Jonnyboy |
I couldn't see docking station compatibility with that model, will it be an issue? | ||||
| Maxwell Smart |
the samsung is about 1.7 or so depending on spec. it starts at about £500 inclusive.
porteges are toshiba's lightweight range and start around £800 and from 800g or so. |
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| sally_in_wales |
Will be interesting to see how it compares, I really fancy one of these new mini pooters to cart round with me when I'm doing research trips to the library or various museums, would be so nice to have something that does everything but doesnt weigh me down over a long day 
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| tahir |
Couldn't find one... |
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| Maxwell Smart |
I think it may be the q45 but will have a look tonight and let you know. | ||||
| tahir |
tHANKS | ||||
| tahir |
Wossat mean? (Have never owned a laptop) |
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| jema |
Something like that here as well. My current Inspiron is just too big to give a real sense of mobility. Something 30-40% smaller with a really good battery life would be great. |
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| shopgirlsue |
Well I know they're expensive but I've got a Tosh Portege and it's fab. I got mine secondhand from my BIL who buys IT stuff for his company and it's been very reliable - had it about 5-6 years. So if you're feeling generous I'ld recommend one
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| tahir |
Quite the reverse
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| Maxwell Smart |
Well I had a portege and sold it for about 40% of what I paid for it two years later... so didn't end up being that expensive. |
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| Cho-ku-ri |
http://www.qfonic.com/nokia-n810-internet-tablet-p-2396.html 
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| Jonnyboy |
You have a docking station at your desk, that the laptop sits onto. The docking station has all the cable links to network, full size monitor, keyboard, mouse, serial port etc. Means you can use your laptop like a desktop when in work. |
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| tahir |
Nah, he doesn't need one of them |
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| jema |
The Dell link seemed largely vapour 
Quite annoying as the ultra portable market seems to offer a range that flips between very cheap but really a bit lacking in spec, to near full notebook prices in a single bound. |
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| tahir |
I've gone for teh Tosh, it had Vista Business with it, a lot of teh others had Home.
Thanks all (as always) |
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| vegplot |
Off topic some what but we just received our new pair of Dell Studio Hybrid pcs for the office I bought these as the tech specs seemed okay and the desk space they take up is minimal compared to a normal mini tower.
Performance is very good (3 GB RAM) and although I read one review saying it was noisy, it hardly intrudes and is quieter than most desktops. Dell won't sell them without Vista though, at least not to me. |
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| jema |
The only catch with the little ones is the card limits. I use Dell Vostro 200 and Dimension C521 and they are so quiet you only realise they make a noise when they switch off/on. But it is a right pain in terms of changing graphics cards as they only take a half height card.
I'm surprised that such cards are still hard to get, as you would think smaller PCs would be catching on a lot more these days 
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| Maxwell Smart |
HP make a bunch of half-height cards. But I guess computer makers figure most people who buy compact towers probably won't need to upgrade their graphic cards. That combined with the fact that most of those who do want to upgrade want faster graphic cards which require a massive amount of space for all the peripheral cooling they now all come with. The graphic card in my hp workstation takes up both a PCI-Express slot and a regular PCI slot for the cooling system and its not even that powerful! The graphic card in my dell workstation is about 35cm long! |