[geeks] Big-screen PC Laptop suggestions?

[Micah R Ledbetter]

On Jun 29, 2007, at 13:41, Sheldon T. Hall wrote:

> It looks like my wife and I are going to move to France for a year.
> Shipping stuff over there, only to ship it back, is an expensive
> proposition, so I'm looking for a portable replacement for her  
> desktop.
> Something small enough to carry on the plane, but it doesn't have  
> to be
> small or light to carry around as a general thing.
>
> In particular, I'm looking for a "laptop" with a big screen, since  
> that's
> the thing she mentions first.  A normal (not widescreen) diagonal
> measurement of 17" or larger.  The only other "gotta have" is a PS/2
> keyboard connection, unless the laptop comes with a Quebecois  
> keyboard.  It
> has to run WinXP, of course.
>
> I'm open to specific suggestions (model numbers, etc.), offers, etc.

A lot of people I know all recommend Dell and HP... but I disagree  
with them.

Personally, if I'm going to buy a PC laptop, it'll be IBM or nothing.  
This is due to my own experience: IBMs are solid, and they seem to  
ship with less of the crapware that comes on the consumer Dell and HP  
laptops (I guess this might depend on the model, so YMMV). I've seen  
Dells and Sagers fail in a shorter time than an IBM seems to. My  
(former) boss, one of the "I can kill any electronic device, just  
give me a week" variety, hasn't managed to do any damage to his IBM,  
and it's been years.

My dad, who works in a corporate environment, sees IBMs, HPs, and  
Dells all the time. The HPs and Dells are crappy, with flimsy plastic  
and connectors, and the IBMs just keep on chugging.

Of course, YMMV.

  - Micah