Can you build a laptop computer?

metomeyametomeya New
edited July 2004 in Hardware
I was wondering if anyone has ever built a laptop before? I know its possible, but its not like you can just buy the parts from newegg and put it together.

Also I was conisdering buying a new laptop computer. What do ya'll think abou this dell? http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspn_600m?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~page=4&~tab=specstab#tabtop

I was going to customize it with 64mb video card and 386ram, its comes out to be about 38 bucks per month with my coupon. And less than 6lbs. with centrino technology.

and no its not for gaming (just keeping the option open with 64) i just want a wireless laptop that i can work on.

:rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant:

Comments

  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited June 2004
    thats a great budget machine. before anyone says anything, you're going to want to look at the Sager laptops from www.powernotebooks.com as well as the current Emachines A64 laptop lineup
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    Or, if graphics aren't a huge concern to you, Compaq has a really good deal on their A64 notebook right now: http://www.rasputinj.com/article2747.html
  • metomeyametomeya New
    edited June 2004
    Are you serious? compaq is satan its self. I've always had problems with compaq since my junior high days. There is a reason why its so cheap.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    Compaq notebooks have improved considerably.
  • PressXPressX Working! New
    edited June 2004
    ASUS have a great range and I believe they build for Sony and Apple. They have been getting good reviews. I have sold a few now and no complaints yet!

    You can spec them to your liking at some stores too (see where to buy).

    The new W1 is cool @ $2500 but they have something for all budgets.

    ASUS notebook info Where to buy
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    Thrax wrote:
    Compaq notebooks have improved considerably.

    I agree. I've owned a compaq notebook for a year. Ever since Compaq notebooks became simply reskinned HPs, they've gotten much better.

    Their RMA staff still sucks, though.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2004
    My experience with both HP and Compaq notebooks has been somewhat less than satisfactory...
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    The products, or their service department?
  • SputnikSputnik Worcester, MA
    edited June 2004
    i've heard great things about the asus laptops that pressx is talking about. Saw the first in a series of articals that discribed the process of building one. http://www.legitreviews.com/reviews/whitebox1/
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2004
    Both. I haven't had the misfortune of owning laptops made by either company, but I've known plenty of people that have. The laptops are crap, and their service isn't exactly what I'd call good, either. Maybe they've changed though, since the last HP/Compaq laptop anyone I know has bought was from about 2000...
  • KingFishKingFish
    edited June 2004
    Not to mention the numerous programs that Compaq has a bad habit of pre-installing. They have more bloat than the average OEM.

    KingFish
  • GargGarg Purveyor of Lincoln Nightmares Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    I've had a lot of bad experiences with Compaq desktops, and about average experiences with HP desktops.

    But, I never had any problems with my HP laptop and my friends with Compaq laptops never seemed to have problems either. Compaq laptops typically come with better-than-average built-in speakers, too.

    For displays, it's hard to beat Dell and Apple, among the big OEMs.
  • celchocelcho Tallahassee, FL Member
    edited June 2004
    i've seen a lot of problems with dell and hp laptops since i've been at school, of course, i probably only hear about them when they're broken. those are the two most common brands, but it seems like a lot of people are having problems with them. sony laptops, though they are probably more expensive, seem to be pretty good. their displays always strike me as having higher contrast ratios and better brightness than their competitors, and i mean there is a large difference. their displays look a little better than apple's even, i would say.
  • kanezfankanezfan sunny south florida Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    i did tech support for compaq a few years ago. i know compaq. never buy a compaq. compcrap....
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    metomeya wrote:
    I was wondering if anyone has ever built a laptop before? I know its possible, but its not like you can just buy the parts from newegg and put it together.

    Also I was conisdering buying a new laptop computer. What do ya'll think abou this dell? http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspn_600m?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~page=4&~tab=specstab#tabtop

    I was going to customize it with 64mb video card and 386ram, its comes out to be about 38 bucks per month with my coupon. And less than 6lbs. with centrino technology.

    and no its not for gaming (just keeping the option open with 64) i just want a wireless laptop that i can work on.

    :rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant::rant:


    Unless you are an engineer, figuring out how to balance load to battery needs, PSU needs, etc, for a laptop with a Pentium M processer plus DVD\CD-RW combo drive, will drive you up a tree if you want it really right (note the cheapest 700 series Intel processor there for that laptop you linked to looks from specs (especially FSB) to be a new-gen Celeron in a mobility form, though I am not 100% sure of this-- 400 FSB was the Willamette P4 core FSB speed, that was rolled into Celerons, but the CACHE specs ( 2MB L2) are for the latest Pentium M and Prescott CPUs). I would not consider building a laptop from a barebones chassis unless you plan a career in Laptop design and need to know how in detail it can be done, and would consider this laptop you linked to myself, or an IBM T series (T40-42) laptop, or a Sager (Clevo) laptop if this is a laptop you want to use outside a lot. Sony knows media, but if not gaming, you get no real edge from a Viao versus price.

    I'd call Dell on the telephone, see exactly what speed and amount of RAM and exactly which CPU you are getting for your price quote. And I would go for a minimum of a non-Celeron ( a true Pentium M instead of a Celeron) for gaming on a laptop for high-end modern games, and get at least 512 MB of RAM and consider MORE (embedded video chip will be sharing main RAM, and for gaming, it could GOBBLE large chunks of RAM to run fast and well, ditto for rendering or anything like that). Cheaper generally to get all teh RAM at purchase time, and not buy later, for most laptops, as they do NOT take standard desktop sticks in most cases. They take specialty sticks usually. Buying those after the fact is comparatively EXPENSIVE for fast RAM.
  • pseudonympseudonym Michigan Icrontian
    edited July 2004
    Thrax wrote:
    Compaq notebooks have improved considerably.

    Desktops still suck though!! Hate them.....
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited July 2004
    If you are looking at that Dell, then you might want to look at the PowerPro C 3:17 Ultra from Powernotebooks.com, who are the people I just bought my new Centrino laptop from. That model I linked to is the Asus M6000N, which is supposed to be a pretty nice laptop and the price is competitive with Dell's , with a 2 year warrantee too. These people are also real good to deal with, Geeky can also confirm that.
  • KingFishKingFish
    edited July 2004
    I wish there were a laptop formfactor where a person could buy individual components to build a laptop starting with a bare chassis. I think this would be a boon to the industry, create more competition, and lower prices.

    KF
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited July 2004
    KingFish wrote:
    I wish there were a laptop formfactor where a person could buy individual components to build a laptop starting with a bare chassis. I think this would be a boon to the industry, create more competition, and lower prices.

    KF

    You can't buy the individual components such as case, mobo, video subsystem etc, but you can find websites that sell barebones laptops with no proc or hard drive or cd drive. Unfortunately, by the time you add the missing components the price is back up to what folks like Powernotebooks.com sell the already assembled computer for. I've seen barebones offerings ODM'ed by Asus, Clevo and Compal on the market though.
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