| This question was put to me awhile back and I | | | | GHz. - $ 11 to $129o Storage - IDE SSD (Solid State |
| punted on the question because I had not done my | | | | Drive) up to 128 Gig ($780.00 -oppps) |
| research on the discussion. | | | | So what I did was set down with the results of my |
| I have some older laptops, one is new enough that it | | | | research and my bank account, how much can I |
| has a P4 processor. I use the older laptops for a 'mini' | | | | afford to put in the laptop with out draining my small |
| network in our Recreational Vehicle, it is a mirror of | | | | bank account verses a new computer. |
| the network in my office. Why? Because with the | | | | One of the draw backs of upgrading is you don't get |
| network I can work while we are traveling through | | | | the latest and greatest, that is I can't have a Core 2 |
| out the US of A. With all my tools available I can | | | | or Hyperthreading processor. The T-30 has ver 1.1 |
| keep my forum up to date and do experiments that | | | | USB and two ports. It does how ever have a 15" |
| I do while in my office to assist readers of my web | | | | video. |
| sites. | | | | The HP has Core 2 Duo with 4 Gig of Ram, 160 Gig |
| So instead of doing an upgrade on the laptops I was | | | | Hard Drive, Blue Ray DVD, wireless and wired |
| considering buying a new laptop for my work and | | | | network, 17" Portrait video, ver. 2.0 USB, weight 3 |
| keeping the others as is in the mini network. I know | | | | lbs. |
| what the HP laptop goes for because we bought | | | | Cost - $1300! (I know I bought two for my son and |
| two of them last year. I really didn't know which way | | | | daughter-in-law) |
| I would go new or upgrade, so here is my | | | | I can do with out the Blue Ray DVD, the T-30 has |
| experience when I finally got around to doing the | | | | wired network and I have added on a USB wireless, |
| research. | | | | so here is what I did-o Processor - 2.4GHz 533 FSB - |
| Now a month or so later not only have I done the | | | | $29o Memory - 1.5 Gig PC2100 - $44o Storage - 64 |
| research, I have done the deed. | | | | Gig SSD - $125o Total cost - $198.00 |
| I have a nice IBM T-30 laptop, not too heavy, not | | | | Whoa! What a deal! A faster (not the fastest!) |
| too old, the case is in excellent shape. I am | | | | computer and it didn't cost $1300! Of course I had to |
| considering a new laptop for use when we travel in | | | | buy a new battery that cost $94.00 but even with |
| the RV so I did the research. | | | | that it is less than 25% of the cost of the new HP. |
| This is what I found -o New HP laptop $1300o T-30 | | | | A couple of lessons I learned from this exercise - |
| Memory - Kinston now has a PC2100 1 gig memory | | | | Do the research! |
| module, about $44.00o T-30 Processor - The fastest | | | | Compare the old with the new, what can you do |
| P4 400MHz FSB was 2.0 but 533MHz goes to 2.8 | | | | with out? What do you want the computer to do? |