Need help choosing laptop/notebook

On Intel-based laptops, look for the faster Front Side Bus speeds. The work is done on the bus, and a faster bus means a faster machine. A fast processor tied to a slow bus only waits faster.

You will get better performance from a Pentium processor than from a Celeron. I install a lot of Dell hardware for my clients, and find the Celerons are awfully slow. Tied to a slow bus, they feel sluggish and clumsy.

Watch the fine print on the memory speed. You might have a faster bus (533 MHz or higher), tied to asynchonous slower memory at 400 MHz. The optimum match is identical memory and bus speed, both at 533 or faster.

You will pay for this performance. It is not found in the entry level machines.
 
you might also try www.abs.com. They've got custom laptops that seem to be pretty good. I configured a Dell Inspiron with a 2GHz pentium-m and it's pretty solid, and hasn't had any problems running 20+ track projects with plugs and all.
 
Back
Top