9 replies to this topic

[Reefkeep]

I purchased this guy last night for a travel PC, specifically to for photo trips. I am suffering from buyers remorse and I have 13 days to decide if I like it. What do you guys think about this laptop?


Intel® Pentium® 4 processor 2.4
512MB PC2100 DDR SDRAM
40GB hard drive
DVD/CD-RW drive
15" TFT display.

[TJO]

Looks like a top-end laptop so you will be happy!

I used a Toshiba at work before and it was very
nice.

Personally I would go for the Mac 12 inch G4
powerbook at USD 1800. 5 hours battery and
4.6 lbs

[davephdv]

Weight is all important on the road. If you could get one with similar specs and a 12" screen it will be a lot nicer on the road. Under 5 lbs makes a big difference over just a pound or 2 more. I use the small I book and it is great for travel.

If I could get an even smaller laptop with the DVD/CD-R I would look for it. Say 10" screen and under 31/2 lbs.

[wetpixel]

I carry a big beast with me -- An IBM Thinkpad A31 (1400x1050 and 1.8Ghz P4), and it's more than sufficient to edit and view 6 megapixel images on the road. You can't do that much "real" editing on a notebook anyway because the displays are not usually high enough quality for color work, but it's good for quick & dirty editing for the web.

I used to carry a 2.1lb notebook just to copy images over, but I found that I like to do editing and web work on trips. But now I'm thinking that I should have kept this thing, because trips would probably be more relaxing if I was *unable* to be glued to the computer all the time.

[craig]

The smallest notebook with an internal DVD/CD-RW is the Fujitsu P2000 unless things have recently changed. I have one of these, and it's good for DVD watching on planes. The Crusoe processor is not very good for running PS or Premiere, though. The thin-and-light notebooks are going to be slow at editing at least until the Pentium-M's take hold. I use a large notebook like Eric's but then I do video, too. For large notebooks, the new standard is the Dell D800 with its 1920x1200 screen.

[bobf]

Reefkeep,

I have almost the same one (mine is 2 gigs). I added a mini mouse, surge protector, and chose the extended warranty directly through Toshiba available on their web site.

The only negative I can think of is that it's another piece of equipment to keep an eye on. DEPP would not cover it. My business insurance covers it only in US and Canada.

That said, I still wouldn't leave home without it.

hth,
bob

[SParkinson]

I purchased this guy last night for a travel PC, specifically to for photo trips.   I am suffering from buyers remorse and I have 13 days to decide if I like it. What do you guys think about this laptop?

what is it you're unsure about with it?... it's a great spec, not too big and heavy and does what you need... I have a real old PII 366 with a 20GB HD and 256MB RAM.... does the job fine... I can download all my pics and it fits in the lid of my mini-trekker backpack. You must have liked it to buy it in the first place... B)

[Reefkeep]

I love the laptop just not sure what I going to pack this beast in. I have yet to find a back pack that will hold it. I hate the idea of not packing my camera gear and laptop in the same bag. I have used IBM laptops for years and love them but you pay alot for the brand. Dell makes a find PC and I refuse to use anything else. However I have had nothing but issues with the Dell Laptops, I can't count the number of times I met the Dell service guy. Other than my TV I have never owned anything made by Toshiba so I was a little worried about the quality.


I just need to find a backback or at least a camera bag that will fit my gear in it. If I can't find one I'll trade this guy in on something smaller.

[james]

For a bag that can carry both your camera and a laptop look at the Lowe Stealth series. They have a 650 that is pretty big and will fit the laptop nicely.

Henry's sells them on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/...&category=15201

Cheers
James

[craig]

REI has a backpack called the "Grad" that is intended for students. It has a notebook slot just like the Stealth but is otherwise just like a normal backpack. The Stealth is a camera bag with a notebook slot.

On my last trip I carried my Dell Inspiron 8100 in the REI slot, my Nexus housing with a camera, lens, and port set up on it, all my toiletries, a full change of clothes, snacks, and my Fujitsu P2000 all in the backpack. I also had my Porter case as a carryon. It has the advantage of looking small enough to count as a personal item even though it is huge.