Tech Geeks Unite! I Need New Toys!

[AgentSun]

I NEED HELP! i need opinions from people and i would really like some ideas on what to do.

These are the things I want and the specifications:

Laptop

6 lbs. and under
reliable
speedy (2.0 ghz or more preferably though i could deal with a 1.7 ghz)
pretty
customizable
capable for gaming

price range - $1000 to $2000 (but preferably further away from 2000)

PDA

wireless internet capable
color screen
large display (doesn't have to be huge though)
preferably a Palm OS (i was looking at the tungsten series)

price range - $150 to $300

i really need to get organized. my laptop right now is fine and all but there are just some things that are ANNOYING about it and my dad wants my laptop. he was going to buy a new one but he just decided that i could give him mine. it works fairly well, but if you guys dont remember, i had that bizarre click a few months ago. and i can't highlight and cut using backspace in MS Word and i don't know why. sigh. it's little things.

[MrVesham]

I'd say a Dell 9300 based on price and specs, but it might go over your weight requirement. I'm getting it's big bro the XPS 2. I'll let ya know how it goes - the 9300 isn't too different (slower clocked video, slower set of processors, no bling).

dell.com + [the coupon codes at] techbargains.com = "By Grabthar's Hammer, what a savings."

[Vampgrrl]

There are no Palm OS PDAs with built in WiFi. You have to buy an extra $100 card and it takes up the SD slot. I'm no Windows fangirl but I'd say the Dell Axim v50 (I think that's the model...is good price and looks pretty good with all the WiFi and Bluetooth stuff built right in)

For a laptop:
Uhm. Well dont buy Sony. Bad support and terrible warrenies.
Dell: 600m might be ok
IBM: not so pretty but very well made T series or X series

Realize too that for gaming...lightweight and gaming laptop doesnt really go together. Real gaming laptops tend to be heavy, bad battery life. (Oh and make sure you either get an AMD laptop, or if you get Intel, get the Pentium M not Pentium 4 or Pentium 4-M...the P-M is made for laptops the P4 series are battery drainers)

That's my .02
-Vampgrrl (9 yr IT pro)

[AgentSun]

well there's always bluetooth and irDA.

for you guys with PDAs, i'm wondering do you like the Palm OS better or the Pocket PC better? I don't have much experience with either. and how do you pay for your wireless internet?

[Vampgrrl]

I've had a Palm PDA, 2 Pocket PCs and I now have a Symbian Smartphone.

I prefer the Smartphones period number 1. If I had to choose
I'd say
Symbian Smartphone (Nokia 6600/6620/7610), then WindowsMobile Smartphone, then Pocket PC, then Palm . I just dont like Palm that much..I tried really hard but we just didn't get along. :(

[Pip_The_Great]

I hate my palm. I'd like to chuck it out the window for how worthless it is, but it's fairly old (palm m500), so I don't know what they're like now. I actually got it through kinda weird circumstances. Our school made all the incoming freshman get them the year I started here. The conveniently added it into tuition & tried to tell us it would be required in some classes. Never was... mine collects dust nicely. However, looking back, I might be kinda biased concerning it. But boy oh boy could I play a mean game of battleship via the beam function.

Concerning laptops, I've only had a desktop, but my friend swears by her ibook. Are you considering Apples or do you want a PC? Surfing Apple's site, it looks like you can get the ibook G4 starting at $999 and it weighs anywhere between 4.9 and 5.9 lbs (depending on the model). I'm afraid I don't know much about speed & the likes, so I'll just post a link that you can check out if your interested. ibook G4 (http://www.apple.com/ibook/)

[AgentSun]

i'm thinking of an ibook but i don't think i want one after all. the speed isn't really what i'm looking for and i tend to like PCs better. compatibility and everything.

[Vampgrrl]

I do have a Powerbook myself..and a Windows desktop. It's a tough call but too bad the Powerbook form factor doesn't come with a Windows counterpart (altho I love Mac OS X...I work with both OSes)

[AgentSun]

i like both OSes too, it's just that i enjoy the look of the Mac but the functionality of a PC.