There has never been a better time to be a geek road warrior. Technologies exist today that seemed like the stuff of science fiction just a decade ago. Laptops in particular have seen a glorious augmentation of performance with a concurrent reduction of size. Good times.
I recently found myself in this situation and, even in my position, it was an incredibly difficult situation. But given the process, I was able to note and demo several possibilities for all types of road warriors:
ThinkPad T60 Widescreen with ABGN Wireless
Had this system been available a couple of months ago, I might have gotten it over my MacBook Pro. As the the header denotes, the system includes an integrated a/b/g/n antenna which will be quite useful very soon. In my tests of Draft-N, distance and speed were greatly increased, making it a standard with a good deal of potential as soon as it is, in fact, standardized.
The T60 also has a ton of upgrade options. The screen comes stock at a 15.4-inch WSXGA TFT (1440×900), but it can be upped to WSXGA+ (1680×1050) for just $75. It also comes standard with a 1.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, but it can be raised all the way to 2.33GHz with a 4MB cache (only a $575 upgrade *cough*). And the system can come equipped with an ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 with 128MB of dedicated memory for discrete graphics (a greatly recommended upgrade).
If you’re so inclined, it can also have built-in WWAN for about $50 extra. I don’t recommend it here though as the only options are through Cingular and Verizon — Sprint is definitely the way to go. Fortunately, it has an ExpressCard slot, so getting an after market card is not a problem at all.
The T60 Widescreen with ABGN Wireless starts at $1,073 and can be made about as expensive as you could possibly want it to be.
This appears to be the most popular travel system. Through my travels, I’ve seen more people using the MacBook Black than any other system. I don’t have sales numbers or anything, but judging from what I’ve witnessed, I assume the system must be outselling every laptop out there.
Small and versatile, the system includes a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. It can be made significantly better through about $300 of upgrades. Doubling the ram to 2GB and upping the hard drive to 160GB are absolute necessities.
My main problem with this system is its lack of an ExpressCard slot. This prevents you from using ExpressCard WWAN. You can use a USB dongle, but I resist those for some reason. If future versions will continue not to have an expansion slot, I suggest Apple build WWAN directly into the system. That addition would make this the best traveling system by far.
The MacBook Black is available now for $1,499 stock and $1,774 as spec’ed.
After much deliberation, I finally settled upon a 15-inch MacBook Pro and I’m pleased to say that I’m really happy with this system. It still bugs me that the system can only be equipped with a 5400rpm hard drive, but I’m told this is because of heat issues. The 17-inch model can be made with a 100GB 7200rpm option, so if you don’t mind something that gigantic, it might be right for you.
Otherwise, the MacBook Pro comes stock with everything I’d recommend. Its appealing size coupled with a fast 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB SDRAM sets it apart from most competitors.
I just took mine on its first big cross country adventure and it performed like a champ. Being able to use WWAN completely changed traveling for me and I’m forced to wonder how we ever managed without it.
The MacBook Pro ain’t cheap though. The 2.33GHz model costs $2,499 and will jump to over $2,700 after taxes. Is the performance worth that? I’m hesitant to say. It’s definitely the best Mac I’ve owned, but the price of that ThinkPad is definitely more compelling.
Alienware Area-51 m5790 Special Edition
This is the most beastly laptop I’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s also the biggest. So big, in fact, that the name “laptop” might be a bit inappropriate. Maybe “notebook” is better, but that still seems off. I think we need a new name for systems like these.
Anyway, if you’re in need of desktop-like performance on the road, then this is your best option. It can be equipped with virtually everything. Need Blu-ray? No problem. What about an ultra fast ATI Mobility Radeon X1900? Yea, you can get that too. It can even be spec’ed with an Intel Core 2 Duo overclocked to 2.66GHz — making it the fastest notebook-thing currently available.
Now I don’t expect people to get this system for running around with, but it fulfills a very important place for travelers. What it accomplishes flawlessly is meshing desktop-like performance out of one package. It is essentially a mobile workstation.
The 17-inch display comes stock at WXGA+, but can be upped to WUXGA+ (1920 x 1200). It’s a sight to be held. It also includes a full keyboard with number pad and all.
Its speed an performance never ceased to amaze me. It’s actually faster than my current desktop, which made me feel a bit insecure. I could see getting something like this as my next system and just plugging a monitor and peripherals into it.
The m5790 Special Edition starts at $1,299, but lets be honest, no one is going to get the stock version — the upgrades are just too good.
This article is part of our series on Travel for Geeks.
I’ve got both a T60P and a MBP (Core 2 Duo version). The two systems are quite comperable, but the switch to Lenovo has already left its mark on thinkpad and I would not buy this box again. Quality issues abound — like what you’d find on a dell. Not a massive amount of bloatware, but still a clean install is the way to go. Compared to my MBP, which I turned on and have rebooted once or twice, but otherwise has been on for the month I’ve had it.
If you’ve got the $2500, get the MBP + Parallels and forget about the thinkpad
Right now I have my eye on a shiny new MacBook. The only thing holding me back is Apple’s lagging behind the industry in features and pricing. $1,099 isn’t a bad price for a well rounded consumer notebook, except MacBook isn’t well rounded. Its screen is a paltry 13.3″ wide, which is a bitter pill to swallow when other vendors are offering 15″ widescreen displays even in budget models priced at $599.
If Apple bumps the display up to 14-15″, I may bite. Until then my credit card remains safely tucked away inside my wallet. Sorry Apple.
No criticism, but I highly doubt that the Macbook Black (or any other Macbook for that matter) is outselling any of the big laptop vendors out there, as I’m sure both Dell and Lenovo have many times the sales volume of Apple. Sure, Apple market share has been picking up, but if I’m not completely wrong it’s still in the single digit percent range!
Kent:
Don’t discount the screen size. Many of those budget 15″ notebooks have the exact same 1280×800 resolution as the MacBook, so unless you tend to sit a distance back from your laptop at all times, the MacBook is more portable.
And the MacBook is probably going to be updated within two months or so, most likely with some Intel Santa Rosa goodness (faster bus speed and better integrated graphics). Maybe even a 15-inch model.
Sony Vaio C series is so cool: http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/27/sonys-vaio-n-series-of-13-3-inchers/
I prefer the bigger screen so the N series would be a better choice:
http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/13/sony-unveils-new-vaio-n-series-of-fashion-laptops/
I have been looking at 15.4 wide screen Window machines and just about all the ones in the stores (HP, Gateway, Toshiba, Fujitsu) have the 1280 x 800 WXGA resolution which is really a waste given the screen size. I want WSXGA.
The advertised cheaper models have the 1280 x 800 models.
I have looked at the MacBook Pro 15.4 inch one but find the cost a little high. I have decided to put off a decision until notebooks go through another upgrade cycle with the newer Intel graphic chips.
@Kent
Well, Apple currently holds a 10% market share in laptops. They previously were in the single digits, but because they outsold the competitors in the recent year, their market share has manage to climb
I miss the Panasonic Toughbook Waterproof Laptop’s in your story.
It depends on where you travel, of course (I’m a sailor).
Spilling coffee in a laptop happens quite a lot, btw.
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/+INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start?CategoryName=cpu_VAIONotebookComputers_SZ480&Dept=computers
I would go for this one anytime, and i have :-)