So my boss says, "Choose a laptop for us to buy you"
 

This past week, my boss calls me into her office and tells me to "Go to dell.com and pick out a new notebook. I didn't realize yours was so old. Choose what you want, you don't have to get one of the lousy ones we get for the regional operators. Get a good one"

After the resulting jaw drop I thanked her and I would let her know after I go through the site.

ANYWAY - Any thoughts on the Dell Precisions m65? What I built for myself is -
CPU - Intel Core Duo T2500 (2.00GHz) - dual core
Screen - 15.4 WSXGA LCD (1650x1050 max resolution same as the Dell 2005FPW, only smaller)
GPU - Nvidia Quadro FX 350M, 512mb
Mem - 1GB ddr2
Some CDr/DVD combo drive (non-dvdr)
a port replicator and monitor for the cubicle.

The only real change from the stock settings is a faster cpu and screen. The combo drive too, but that hardly counts! My only restriction on this was that it had to be from Dell, because we have an account there and we get discounts because of it. I know I could just get the biggest fastest most glamourous options there are for this thing, but I really don't see any point in a better screen when it will be small enough 1650x1050 res, and fast enough (way fast enough) with a 2ghz dual core cpu.

Note: I don't do any heavy duty graphics editing, or much of anything taxing on the computer outside of autoarchiving a few hundred emails every week. The boss tells me to get a good computer, then darnit, I'm going to get a good computer

Sounds like whatever will work fine.

I haven't compared that screen to the WUXGA, but I would before deciding. That's the most important thing for long days and you're stuck with what you buy.

If they allow, specify a single 1GB DIMM so you can easily upgrade later.

Upgrade to a 7200RPM drive. It'll run a little hotter and cut a bit off your battery life but the performance difference is worth it. Especially when you load up both cores with anything that touches the disk.

I'd add WiFi and Bluetooth. They don't appear to be part of the base "small business" version.

DVD burning, too, but that's me.

Anyway, a very good problem to have. :thumbsup:

no comments other than the core duo is the way to go... I saw a comparison of the coreduo to desktop processors and it actually kicked the shit out of most of them.. think it was on tom's hardware...

Whoops!

Yeah, it comes with a 60gig 7200rpm drive standard. There are no options for a single DIMM, in any configuration (at least in the medium to large business section). It WILL let me put in 2 256 DIMMs. Yippee. Intel 802.11 a/g internal card comes standard too.

And I was drooling over the core duo as well!

I'm not sure if I'd feel excited to have been given a blank check or feel guilty that I'm spending more company money than necessary.

Nah.... I'm just bullshittin. Roll with it.

i would have to say if i was you my choice would depend on how much i cared about the company. If it was me and the company was doing good and i didnt feel bad about wasting all the money i would call tell and tell them i want the absolute best laptop they had. considering the laptop you have now is old i assume that your new one will have to last you a while right? might as well get the best you can now while you have the choice instead of getting a step down and needing a new one sooner.
On the other hand if the company wasnt doing all that great and you didnt want to waste money just get what you think you can get by with.

I would go for 1 gig of memory and a dvd burner as musts.... maybe an upgraded video card

We (the company) is most likely going to be sold sometime in the next year, so this is most likely a "Get it while you can" deal. Or my boss wants to seduce me. I'm thinking it is not that.

1 gig memory yes, and I have a DVD burner at home. No real need to grab another one that I won't use. Unfortunately, there is no option for another video card. FORTUNATELY, though, the Nvidia Quadro FX m350 sounds like more than a decent card. In theory. We'll see!

Looks good man. Now see if they will go for it.