Best/Lightest 14-Inch Laptop?

Standingout · 08-03-2009, 12:04 AM

I'm currently looking for a laptop in college as an entering freshman. My intended studies revolves around engineering, but who knows (theres a good chance that I might switch to some non-engineering major).

I'm looking for two main things: Portability and battery life. I'm most likely going to be carrying my laptop in my backpack (and possibly with a book or two) for a big portion of the day. It would also be nice to have a laptop which can last 4 years.

The current laptop I am thinking about is the lenovo thinkpad t400:

Intel Core 2 Duo processor P8700 (2.53GHz 1066MHz 3MBL2)1
Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic12
14.1 WXGA TFT, w/ LED Backlight
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD with vPro
2 GB PC3-8500 DDR3 SDRAM 1067MHz SODIMM Memory (1 DIMM)8
UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad)
160 GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm4
CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo 24X/24X/24X/8X Max, Ultrabay Slim (Serial ATA)5
Integrated Bluetooth PAN
Intel WiFi Link 5100 (AGN) with My WiFi Technology10
Integrated Mobile Broadband upgradable
6 cell Li-Ion Battery60

PRICE: $750 (I can upgrade to windows 7 later with the school store)

I don't know the exact weight, but it's probably going to be around 5.2-5.4 pounds as an estimate.

Do you think this laptop will do the job? If not, are there any other better laptops out there? I'm considering the ASUS U80V-A1, but I don't know how reliable it is.

Standingout · 08-03-2009, 12:09 AM

Also, would the 2.53 Ghz be a better fit for future engineering programs? Or would a 2.26 ($50 less) suffice?

modestmelody · 08-03-2009, 12:10 AM

The Lenovo is going to be the best constructed, no doubt.

However, I'd strongly recommend looking at the Dell Studio 14z as well. At the same price point you have no CD drive, but you do get an HDMI out, much better video (Nvidia 9400M), 500gb hard drive, 8-cell 74whr battery, 3gb ram, and it weighs 4.4lbs.

Standingout · 08-03-2009, 12:27 AM

Thanks for the post modestmelody. I checked the dell studio 14' and I saw that its weight started from 4.96 lbs (I might have misread).

I think that a graphics card is not very important to me unless an engineering program requires it. I don't plan to play any intense games in college.

what.cd · 08-03-2009, 12:29 AM

You should qualify for a free upgrade to windows 7 anyway. So, don't worry about that. I would get 3 gigs of RAM. Also, if you don't mind buying used, check out the lenovo outlet.

modestmelody · 08-03-2009, 12:33 AM

The graphics card isn't for games, it's for running all that eye candy in Windows 7 and playing video, full screen, without skipping, etc. The move toward integrated video is one of the biggest tragedies in the industry and is very misunderstood by consumers. Also, if you don't think CAD takes a little graphic power, you're nuts. Most of the powerful engineering stuff you'll be running in a lab anyway.

The Studio 14z starts at 4.3lbs according to Dell's page.

getsome23 · 08-03-2009, 07:23 PM

If you are willing to pay for it go for the t400s. It has the same specs as the t400 but is way thinner and lighter.

Biud · 08-03-2009, 08:09 PM

You'll find a lot of answers to this question on Google.

My personal advice is to NOT get a 14''... Go with 15''... Makes a big difference for usability and it's cheaper for the same machine!!

chsowlflax17 · 08-19-2009, 03:18 AM

I just checked my 14z, and with the 8-cell battery it weighs 4.4 pounds. It's light enough for me to not worry about it when stepping on the scale with it. And even for streaming and watching hulu, my mom's Inspiron with intel graphics isn't completely smooth, and can't handle games even 5 years old on low settings, whereas this can handle Half-Life 2 on medium settings with no problems. I'm expecting to be a physics major, and for any sort of graphically-oriented stuff, I know I'll need at least an nVidia integrated card. Intel's stuff is like buying a 56mb card that's 6 years old.

seanbow · 08-25-2009, 06:47 PM

I love my Dell Latitude e6400 so much. Nice little 14-inch laptop.

what.cd · 08-25-2009, 09:21 PM

In all honesty, I don't understand why people bicker over an inch. A 14" laptop and a 15" laptop will be nearly identical. I actually am using a 12" and love it.

ab2013 · 08-27-2009, 11:32 PM

Quote:

I love my Dell Latitude e6400 so much. Nice little 14-inch laptop.

I seriously considered this as Dell's real competitor to the MBP. Seriously, OP, look into the E6400. It's really good.