I went to Office Depot to buy a HP laptop DV6131OD and were sold out,
but the mgr. said they were waiting for the models with Vista, so i
went to Dell and did some research. In order to run Vista Dell
recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB RAM, plus a dual core processor. That
changes the base price quite a bit. I really don't plan to use it for
gaming or video editing, but may use it for downloading music or pics
and occasional internet.I made a comparison between XPPro and Xp Media
Center. Of course they recommend XP Pro because it's $150.00 more, but
it looks like it Media Center offers more. Ther's lots of limitations
in the XP Pro multi- user environment section.So i don't know which
options to choose. Maybe those who have already gone through the
upgrading process with Dell or other companies can enlighten me. For
example, what processor should i upgrade to if at all based on my
needs? How about sound options? etc.etc. I've had alot of coffee
tonight and could type much more but i don't want anyone to read a
novel! Thanks to all.

test
shareyourknowledge********.com wrote:
> I went to Office Depot to buy a HP laptop DV6131OD and were sold out,
> but the mgr. said they were waiting for the models with Vista, so i
> went to Dell and did some research. In order to run Vista Dell
> recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB RAM, plus a dual core processor. That
> changes the base price quite a bit. I really don't plan to use it for
> gaming or video editing, but may use it for downloading music or pics
> and occasional internet.I made a comparison between XPPro and Xp Media
> Center. Of course they recommend XP Pro because it's $150.00 more, but
> it looks like it Media Center offers more. Ther's lots of limitations
> in the XP Pro multi- user environment section.So i don't know which
> options to choose. Maybe those who have already gone through the
> upgrading process with Dell or other companies can enlighten me. For
> example, what processor should i upgrade to if at all based on my
> needs? How about sound options? etc.etc. I've had alot of coffee
> tonight and could type much more but i don't want anyone to read a
> novel! Thanks to all.

Dell's recommendation as you cited ("Dell recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB
RAM, plus a dual core processor") is far above what is necessary (which
is not to say that more is not better, but there is a difference between
better and necessary).

That said, at this point, I would recommend an Intel Core Duo or Core 2
Duo processor. Core Duo is now kind of the "base" processor, while Core
2 Duo will cost more (and, of course, both come in a variety of speed
grades). Most laptop hard drives will be 5,400 rpm unless you want to
pay a substantially higher price. 5,400 rpm is fine, 7,200 rpm is
better but quite a bit more expensive. The minimum size I'd get in a
new laptop is 80GB, and, again, more is better (and if you stay in the
5,400 rpm rotational speed, 100GB or 120GB doesn't cost that much more
than 80GB). A gigabyte of memory is fine for most users, 2GB is of
course better but is going to cost you $100 to $200 more, which is a lot.

As for the OS, given the current upgrade offers, I'd go with Media
Center (Windows XP Media Center Edition, aka "MCE"). MCE ***is*** XP
Pro with a few changes. If you don't need domain networking, it is
going to give you all of the features of Pro and in many cases it's now
available as the "base" OS, e.g. at no extra cost. Be sure that the
video system that you get will run Aero_Glass (note that Intel GMA900
will not run Aero_Glass, but GMA950 will). Sound card doesn't matter.

I also would not buy a machine today without a DVD burner ... I no
longer consider a "combo" drive (burns CDs but only plays DVDs) to be
adequate (the issue is not "movies" but rather data backup).

You can get a machine that has everything you want in the $600 to $800
price range. If you go to www.techbargains.com, there is a coupon for
Dell that gives you 20% off any machine of $999 or more (e.g. configure
a $1,000 machine, pay $800).


shareyourknowledge********.com wrote:
> I went to Office Depot to buy a HP laptop DV6131OD and were sold out,
> but the mgr. said they were waiting for the models with Vista, so i
> went to Dell and did some research. In order to run Vista Dell
> recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB RAM, plus a dual core processor. That
> changes the base price quite a bit. I really don't plan to use it for
> gaming or video editing, but may use it for downloading music or pics
> and occasional internet.I made a comparison between XPPro and Xp Media
> Center. Of course they recommend XP Pro because it's $150.00 more, but
> it looks like it Media Center offers more. Ther's lots of limitations
> in the XP Pro multi- user environment section.So i don't know which
> options to choose. Maybe those who have already gone through the
> upgrading process with Dell or other companies can enlighten me. For
> example, what processor should i upgrade to if at all based on my
> needs? How about sound options? etc.etc. I've had alot of coffee
> tonight and could type much more but i don't want anyone to read a
> novel! Thanks to all.
>

Thanks for the valuable advice, Barry.
Barry Watzman wrote:
> Dell's recommendation as you cited ("Dell recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB
> RAM, plus a dual core processor") is far above what is necessary (which
> is not to say that more is not better, but there is a difference between
> better and necessary).
>
> That said, at this point, I would recommend an Intel Core Duo or Core 2
> Duo processor. Core Duo is now kind of the "base" processor, while Core
> 2 Duo will cost more (and, of course, both come in a variety of speed
> grades). Most laptop hard drives will be 5,400 rpm unless you want to
> pay a substantially higher price. 5,400 rpm is fine, 7,200 rpm is
> better but quite a bit more expensive. The minimum size I'd get in a
> new laptop is 80GB, and, again, more is better (and if you stay in the
> 5,400 rpm rotational speed, 100GB or 120GB doesn't cost that much more
> than 80GB). A gigabyte of memory is fine for most users, 2GB is of
> course better but is going to cost you $100 to $200 more, which is a lot.
>
> As for the OS, given the current upgrade offers, I'd go with Media
> Center (Windows XP Media Center Edition, aka "MCE"). MCE ***is*** XP
> Pro with a few changes. If you don't need domain networking, it is
> going to give you all of the features of Pro and in many cases it's now
> available as the "base" OS, e.g. at no extra cost. Be sure that the
> video system that you get will run Aero_Glass (note that Intel GMA900
> will not run Aero_Glass, but GMA950 will). Sound card doesn't matter.
>
> I also would not buy a machine today without a DVD burner ... I no
> longer consider a "combo" drive (burns CDs but only plays DVDs) to be
> adequate (the issue is not "movies" but rather data backup).
>
> You can get a machine that has everything you want in the $600 to $800
> price range. If you go to www.techbargains.com, there is a coupon for
> Dell that gives you 20% off any machine of $999 or more (e.g. configure
> a $1,000 machine, pay $800).
>
>
> shareyourknowledge********.com wrote:
> > I went to Office Depot to buy a HP laptop DV6131OD and were sold out,
> > but the mgr. said they were waiting for the models with Vista, so i
> > went to Dell and did some research. In order to run Vista Dell
> > recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB RAM, plus a dual core processor. That
> > changes the base price quite a bit. I really don't plan to use it for
> > gaming or video editing, but may use it for downloading music or pics
> > and occasional internet.I made a comparison between XPPro and Xp Media
> > Center. Of course they recommend XP Pro because it's $150.00 more, but
> > it looks like it Media Center offers more. Ther's lots of limitations
> > in the XP Pro multi- user environment section.So i don't know which
> > options to choose. Maybe those who have already gone through the
> > upgrading process with Dell or other companies can enlighten me. For
> > example, what processor should i upgrade to if at all based on my
> > needs? How about sound options? etc.etc. I've had alot of coffee
> > tonight and could type much more but i don't want anyone to read a
> > novel! Thanks to all.
> >

One question Barry. You said to get a video card that will run
Aero_Glass. I checked at the Dell site for an explanation of choosing a
video card. There are three options for the 1505 in the mid-range
options section and one in the integrated options section. There isn't
any reference to Aero_Glass and GMA950. Which one of those should i
choose? Thanks again.
Barry Watzman wrote:
> Dell's recommendation as you cited ("Dell recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB
> RAM, plus a dual core processor") is far above what is necessary (which
> is not to say that more is not better, but there is a difference between
> better and necessary).
>
> That said, at this point, I would recommend an Intel Core Duo or Core 2
> Duo processor. Core Duo is now kind of the "base" processor, while Core
> 2 Duo will cost more (and, of course, both come in a variety of speed
> grades). Most laptop hard drives will be 5,400 rpm unless you want to
> pay a substantially higher price. 5,400 rpm is fine, 7,200 rpm is
> better but quite a bit more expensive. The minimum size I'd get in a
> new laptop is 80GB, and, again, more is better (and if you stay in the
> 5,400 rpm rotational speed, 100GB or 120GB doesn't cost that much more
> than 80GB). A gigabyte of memory is fine for most users, 2GB is of
> course better but is going to cost you $100 to $200 more, which is a lot.
>
> As for the OS, given the current upgrade offers, I'd go with Media
> Center (Windows XP Media Center Edition, aka "MCE"). MCE ***is*** XP
> Pro with a few changes. If you don't need domain networking, it is
> going to give you all of the features of Pro and in many cases it's now
> available as the "base" OS, e.g. at no extra cost. Be sure that the
> video system that you get will run Aero_Glass (note that Intel GMA900
> will not run Aero_Glass, but GMA950 will). Sound card doesn't matter.
>
> I also would not buy a machine today without a DVD burner ... I no
> longer consider a "combo" drive (burns CDs but only plays DVDs) to be
> adequate (the issue is not "movies" but rather data backup).
>
> You can get a machine that has everything you want in the $600 to $800
> price range. If you go to www.techbargains.com, there is a coupon for
> Dell that gives you 20% off any machine of $999 or more (e.g. configure
> a $1,000 machine, pay $800).
>
>
> shareyourknowledge********.com wrote:
> > I went to Office Depot to buy a HP laptop DV6131OD and were sold out,
> > but the mgr. said they were waiting for the models with Vista, so i
> > went to Dell and did some research. In order to run Vista Dell
> > recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB RAM, plus a dual core processor. That
> > changes the base price quite a bit. I really don't plan to use it for
> > gaming or video editing, but may use it for downloading music or pics
> > and occasional internet.I made a comparison between XPPro and Xp Media
> > Center. Of course they recommend XP Pro because it's $150.00 more, but
> > it looks like it Media Center offers more. Ther's lots of limitations
> > in the XP Pro multi- user environment section.So i don't know which
> > options to choose. Maybe those who have already gone through the
> > upgrading process with Dell or other companies can enlighten me. For
> > example, what processor should i upgrade to if at all based on my
> > needs? How about sound options? etc.etc. I've had alot of coffee
> > tonight and could type much more but i don't want anyone to read a
> > novel! Thanks to all.
> >

The Dell E1505 offers three video options:

The base option is chipset video, which happens to be GMA950 (which can
run Aero_Glass).

The next option up is the ATI Mobility X1300. There is some confusion
over whether this runs Aero or not (it has a bizarre memory architecture
with 64MB of video dedicated memory combined with 64MB of shared video
memory). I think that it does but I'd sure like to see Dell say that.
At one time last November, if you selected this option and also the
Vista express upgrade, you got a compatibility warning that Vista was
not compatible with the X1300 video. But that warning, which I think
was a mistake, is no longer given. It's hard to imagine Dell charging
extra for a supposedly higher end option that won't do something which
the base video does fine.

The last option is the X1400 which I'm pretty sure will run Aero.

Now if you go to the Dell web page on Aero compatibility, here is what
they say about the E1505's ability to run Aero:

"Yes with 1GB of Dual Channel Memory (2 x 512MB Memory Module DIMMS) and
a premium graphics card"

[It's instructive to look also at the E1405, for which Dell says "Yes
with 1GB of Dual Channel Memory (2 x 512MB Memory Module DIMMS)". The
E1405 only offers GMA950 video, which dell says won't run Aero on the
E1505. But for the E1405 there are no other video options, and they say
that it will run Aero. Go figure.]

So Dell is saying (with all of the clarity of mud) that base video
(GMA950) won't run Aero in the E1505, although the same video E1405
will, and they are saying here that the X1300 video upgrade will run
Aero, but in November they gave a compatibility warning when you tried
to order the X1300 with Vista (but not when you tried to order base
video with Windows).

And, to make matters worse, last November they also gave a compatibility
warning with one of the LCD screens and Vista (without regard to which
video option was driving the screen).

Like I said, all the clarity of mud.

Bottom line is that ***I THINK*** that all 3 options will run Aero, but
I can't be absolutely certain of that (and I've tried asking Dell
directly, and they don't even understand the question, or what about
their presentation is unclear).

Note1: GMA950 will run Aero_Glass on a Toshiba A105. Fact. (I've got
one here with Vista RC2 installed and it run Aero). That does not mean
that Dell could not have screwed it up so that GMA950 in a Dell laptop
won't run Aero, but I don't think that they did.

Note2: All of these video options use shared video memory, and to run
Aero in any computer using shared video memory, the minimum total memory
is 512MB plus the amount of shared video memory (but not less than
128MB). Hence, for all of these options, to run Aero you do need 1GB of
memory (or more).

shareyourknowledge********.com wrote:
> One question Barry. You said to get a video card that will run
> Aero_Glass. I checked at the Dell site for an explanation of choosing a
> video card. There are three options for the 1505 in the mid-range
> options section and one in the integrated options section. There isn't
> any reference to Aero_Glass and GMA950. Which one of those should i
> choose? Thanks again.
> Barry Watzman wrote:
>> Dell's recommendation as you cited ("Dell recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB
>> RAM, plus a dual core processor") is far above what is necessary (which
>> is not to say that more is not better, but there is a difference between
>> better and necessary).
>>
>> That said, at this point, I would recommend an Intel Core Duo or Core 2
>> Duo processor. Core Duo is now kind of the "base" processor, while Core
>> 2 Duo will cost more (and, of course, both come in a variety of speed
>> grades). Most laptop hard drives will be 5,400 rpm unless you want to
>> pay a substantially higher price. 5,400 rpm is fine, 7,200 rpm is
>> better but quite a bit more expensive. The minimum size I'd get in a
>> new laptop is 80GB, and, again, more is better (and if you stay in the
>> 5,400 rpm rotational speed, 100GB or 120GB doesn't cost that much more
>> than 80GB). A gigabyte of memory is fine for most users, 2GB is of
>> course better but is going to cost you $100 to $200 more, which is a lot.
>>
>> As for the OS, given the current upgrade offers, I'd go with Media
>> Center (Windows XP Media Center Edition, aka "MCE"). MCE ***is*** XP
>> Pro with a few changes. If you don't need domain networking, it is
>> going to give you all of the features of Pro and in many cases it's now
>> available as the "base" OS, e.g. at no extra cost. Be sure that the
>> video system that you get will run Aero_Glass (note that Intel GMA900
>> will not run Aero_Glass, but GMA950 will). Sound card doesn't matter.
>>
>> I also would not buy a machine today without a DVD burner ... I no
>> longer consider a "combo" drive (burns CDs but only plays DVDs) to be
>> adequate (the issue is not "movies" but rather data backup).
>>
>> You can get a machine that has everything you want in the $600 to $800
>> price range. If you go to www.techbargains.com, there is a coupon for
>> Dell that gives you 20% off any machine of $999 or more (e.g. configure
>> a $1,000 machine, pay $800).
>>
>>
>> shareyourknowledge********.com wrote:
>>> I went to Office Depot to buy a HP laptop DV6131OD and were sold out,
>>> but the mgr. said they were waiting for the models with Vista, so i
>>> went to Dell and did some research. In order to run Vista Dell
>>> recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB RAM, plus a dual core processor. That
>>> changes the base price quite a bit. I really don't plan to use it for
>>> gaming or video editing, but may use it for downloading music or pics
>>> and occasional internet.I made a comparison between XPPro and Xp Media
>>> Center. Of course they recommend XP Pro because it's $150.00 more, but
>>> it looks like it Media Center offers more. Ther's lots of limitations
>>> in the XP Pro multi- user environment section.So i don't know which
>>> options to choose. Maybe those who have already gone through the
>>> upgrading process with Dell or other companies can enlighten me. For
>>> example, what processor should i upgrade to if at all based on my
>>> needs? How about sound options? etc.etc. I've had alot of coffee
>>> tonight and could type much more but i don't want anyone to read a
>>> novel! Thanks to all.
>>>
>

And my final question is about the difference between 128 mb ATI
MOBILITY and the 256 mb ATI MOBILITY.What advantages does the 256 have
over the 128? Again, i'm not going to use it for gaming or serious
video editing, but if it means the screen will have a cleaner, sharper
look in all applications, then i will choose the 256.
Barry Watzman wrote:
> The Dell E1505 offers three video options:
>
> The base option is chipset video, which happens to be GMA950 (which can
> run Aero_Glass).
>
> The next option up is the ATI Mobility X1300. There is some confusion
> over whether this runs Aero or not (it has a bizarre memory architecture
> with 64MB of video dedicated memory combined with 64MB of shared video
> memory). I think that it does but I'd sure like to see Dell say that.
> At one time last November, if you selected this option and also the
> Vista express upgrade, you got a compatibility warning that Vista was
> not compatible with the X1300 video. But that warning, which I think
> was a mistake, is no longer given. It's hard to imagine Dell charging
> extra for a supposedly higher end option that won't do something which
> the base video does fine.
>
> The last option is the X1400 which I'm pretty sure will run Aero.
>
> Now if you go to the Dell web page on Aero compatibility, here is what
> they say about the E1505's ability to run Aero:
>
> "Yes with 1GB of Dual Channel Memory (2 x 512MB Memory Module DIMMS) and
> a premium graphics card"
>
> [It's instructive to look also at the E1405, for which Dell says "Yes
> with 1GB of Dual Channel Memory (2 x 512MB Memory Module DIMMS)". The
> E1405 only offers GMA950 video, which dell says won't run Aero on the
> E1505. But for the E1405 there are no other video options, and they say
> that it will run Aero. Go figure.]
>
> So Dell is saying (with all of the clarity of mud) that base video
> (GMA950) won't run Aero in the E1505, although the same video E1405
> will, and they are saying here that the X1300 video upgrade will run
> Aero, but in November they gave a compatibility warning when you tried
> to order the X1300 with Vista (but not when you tried to order base
> video with Windows).
>
> And, to make matters worse, last November they also gave a compatibility
> warning with one of the LCD screens and Vista (without regard to which
> video option was driving the screen).
>
> Like I said, all the clarity of mud.
>
> Bottom line is that ***I THINK*** that all 3 options will run Aero, but
> I can't be absolutely certain of that (and I've tried asking Dell
> directly, and they don't even understand the question, or what about
> their presentation is unclear).
>
> Note1: GMA950 will run Aero_Glass on a Toshiba A105. Fact. (I've got
> one here with Vista RC2 installed and it run Aero). That does not mean
> that Dell could not have screwed it up so that GMA950 in a Dell laptop
> won't run Aero, but I don't think that they did.
>
> Note2: All of these video options use shared video memory, and to run
> Aero in any computer using shared video memory, the minimum total memory
> is 512MB plus the amount of shared video memory (but not less than
> 128MB). Hence, for all of these options, to run Aero you do need 1GB of
> memory (or more).
>
> shareyourknowledge********.com wrote:
> > One question Barry. You said to get a video card that will run
> > Aero_Glass. I checked at the Dell site for an explanation of choosing a
> > video card. There are three options for the 1505 in the mid-range
> > options section and one in the integrated options section. There isn't
> > any reference to Aero_Glass and GMA950. Which one of those should i
> > choose? Thanks again.
> > Barry Watzman wrote:
> >> Dell's recommendation as you cited ("Dell recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB
> >> RAM, plus a dual core processor") is far above what is necessary (which
> >> is not to say that more is not better, but there is a difference between
> >> better and necessary).
> >>
> >> That said, at this point, I would recommend an Intel Core Duo or Core 2
> >> Duo processor. Core Duo is now kind of the "base" processor, while Core
> >> 2 Duo will cost more (and, of course, both come in a variety of speed
> >> grades). Most laptop hard drives will be 5,400 rpm unless you want to
> >> pay a substantially higher price. 5,400 rpm is fine, 7,200 rpm is
> >> better but quite a bit more expensive. The minimum size I'd get in a
> >> new laptop is 80GB, and, again, more is better (and if you stay in the
> >> 5,400 rpm rotational speed, 100GB or 120GB doesn't cost that much more
> >> than 80GB). A gigabyte of memory is fine for most users, 2GB is of
> >> course better but is going to cost you $100 to $200 more, which is a lot.
> >>
> >> As for the OS, given the current upgrade offers, I'd go with Media
> >> Center (Windows XP Media Center Edition, aka "MCE"). MCE ***is*** XP
> >> Pro with a few changes. If you don't need domain networking, it is
> >> going to give you all of the features of Pro and in many cases it's now
> >> available as the "base" OS, e.g. at no extra cost. Be sure that the
> >> video system that you get will run Aero_Glass (note that Intel GMA900
> >> will not run Aero_Glass, but GMA950 will). Sound card doesn't matter.
> >>
> >> I also would not buy a machine today without a DVD burner ... I no
> >> longer consider a "combo" drive (burns CDs but only plays DVDs) to be
> >> adequate (the issue is not "movies" but rather data backup).
> >>
> >> You can get a machine that has everything you want in the $600 to $800
> >> price range. If you go to www.techbargains.com, there is a coupon for
> >> Dell that gives you 20% off any machine of $999 or more (e.g. configure
> >> a $1,000 machine, pay $800).
> >>
> >>
> >> shareyourknowledge********.com wrote:
> >>> I went to Office Depot to buy a HP laptop DV6131OD and were sold out,
> >>> but the mgr. said they were waiting for the models with Vista, so i
> >>> went to Dell and did some research. In order to run Vista Dell
> >>> recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB RAM, plus a dual core processor. That
> >>> changes the base price quite a bit. I really don't plan to use it for
> >>> gaming or video editing, but may use it for downloading music or pics
> >>> and occasional internet.I made a comparison between XPPro and Xp Media
> >>> Center. Of course they recommend XP Pro because it's $150.00 more, but
> >>> it looks like it Media Center offers more. Ther's lots of limitations
> >>> in the XP Pro multi- user environment section.So i don't know which
> >>> options to choose. Maybe those who have already gone through the
> >>> upgrading process with Dell or other companies can enlighten me. For
> >>> example, what processor should i upgrade to if at all based on my
> >>> needs? How about sound options? etc.etc. I've had alot of coffee
> >>> tonight and could type much more but i don't want anyone to read a
> >>> novel! Thanks to all.
> >>>
> >

The issue isn't memory, the 128MB chip is the X1300, the 256MB chip is
the X1400. The difference should be primarily in 3D performance, rather
than appearance of what you see, which will generally be identical.


shareyourknowledge********.com wrote:
> And my final question is about the difference between 128 mb ATI
> MOBILITY and the 256 mb ATI MOBILITY.What advantages does the 256 have
> over the 128? Again, i'm not going to use it for gaming or serious
> video editing, but if it means the screen will have a cleaner, sharper
> look in all applications, then i will choose the 256.
> Barry Watzman wrote:
>> The Dell E1505 offers three video options:
>>
>> The base option is chipset video, which happens to be GMA950 (which can
>> run Aero_Glass).
>>
>> The next option up is the ATI Mobility X1300. There is some confusion
>> over whether this runs Aero or not (it has a bizarre memory architecture
>> with 64MB of video dedicated memory combined with 64MB of shared video
>> memory). I think that it does but I'd sure like to see Dell say that.
>> At one time last November, if you selected this option and also the
>> Vista express upgrade, you got a compatibility warning that Vista was
>> not compatible with the X1300 video. But that warning, which I think
>> was a mistake, is no longer given. It's hard to imagine Dell charging
>> extra for a supposedly higher end option that won't do something which
>> the base video does fine.
>>
>> The last option is the X1400 which I'm pretty sure will run Aero.
>>
>> Now if you go to the Dell web page on Aero compatibility, here is what
>> they say about the E1505's ability to run Aero:
>>
>> "Yes with 1GB of Dual Channel Memory (2 x 512MB Memory Module DIMMS) and
>> a premium graphics card"
>>
>> [It's instructive to look also at the E1405, for which Dell says "Yes
>> with 1GB of Dual Channel Memory (2 x 512MB Memory Module DIMMS)". The
>> E1405 only offers GMA950 video, which dell says won't run Aero on the
>> E1505. But for the E1405 there are no other video options, and they say
>> that it will run Aero. Go figure.]
>>
>> So Dell is saying (with all of the clarity of mud) that base video
>> (GMA950) won't run Aero in the E1505, although the same video E1405
>> will, and they are saying here that the X1300 video upgrade will run
>> Aero, but in November they gave a compatibility warning when you tried
>> to order the X1300 with Vista (but not when you tried to order base
>> video with Windows).
>>
>> And, to make matters worse, last November they also gave a compatibility
>> warning with one of the LCD screens and Vista (without regard to which
>> video option was driving the screen).
>>
>> Like I said, all the clarity of mud.
>>
>> Bottom line is that ***I THINK*** that all 3 options will run Aero, but
>> I can't be absolutely certain of that (and I've tried asking Dell
>> directly, and they don't even understand the question, or what about
>> their presentation is unclear).
>>
>> Note1: GMA950 will run Aero_Glass on a Toshiba A105. Fact. (I've got
>> one here with Vista RC2 installed and it run Aero). That does not mean
>> that Dell could not have screwed it up so that GMA950 in a Dell laptop
>> won't run Aero, but I don't think that they did.
>>
>> Note2: All of these video options use shared video memory, and to run
>> Aero in any computer using shared video memory, the minimum total memory
>> is 512MB plus the amount of shared video memory (but not less than
>> 128MB). Hence, for all of these options, to run Aero you do need 1GB of
>> memory (or more).
>>
>> shareyourknowledge********.com wrote:
>>> One question Barry. You said to get a video card that will run
>>> Aero_Glass. I checked at the Dell site for an explanation of choosing a
>>> video card. There are three options for the 1505 in the mid-range
>>> options section and one in the integrated options section. There isn't
>>> any reference to Aero_Glass and GMA950. Which one of those should i
>>> choose? Thanks again.
>>> Barry Watzman wrote:
>>>> Dell's recommendation as you cited ("Dell recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB
>>>> RAM, plus a dual core processor") is far above what is necessary (which
>>>> is not to say that more is not better, but there is a difference between
>>>> better and necessary).
>>>>
>>>> That said, at this point, I would recommend an Intel Core Duo or Core 2
>>>> Duo processor. Core Duo is now kind of the "base" processor, while Core
>>>> 2 Duo will cost more (and, of course, both come in a variety of speed
>>>> grades). Most laptop hard drives will be 5,400 rpm unless you want to
>>>> pay a substantially higher price. 5,400 rpm is fine, 7,200 rpm is
>>>> better but quite a bit more expensive. The minimum size I'd get in a
>>>> new laptop is 80GB, and, again, more is better (and if you stay in the
>>>> 5,400 rpm rotational speed, 100GB or 120GB doesn't cost that much more
>>>> than 80GB). A gigabyte of memory is fine for most users, 2GB is of
>>>> course better but is going to cost you $100 to $200 more, which is a lot.
>>>>
>>>> As for the OS, given the current upgrade offers, I'd go with Media
>>>> Center (Windows XP Media Center Edition, aka "MCE"). MCE ***is*** XP
>>>> Pro with a few changes. If you don't need domain networking, it is
>>>> going to give you all of the features of Pro and in many cases it's now
>>>> available as the "base" OS, e.g. at no extra cost. Be sure that the
>>>> video system that you get will run Aero_Glass (note that Intel GMA900
>>>> will not run Aero_Glass, but GMA950 will). Sound card doesn't matter.
>>>>
>>>> I also would not buy a machine today without a DVD burner ... I no
>>>> longer consider a "combo" drive (burns CDs but only plays DVDs) to be
>>>> adequate (the issue is not "movies" but rather data backup).
>>>>
>>>> You can get a machine that has everything you want in the $600 to $800
>>>> price range. If you go to www.techbargains.com, there is a coupon for
>>>> Dell that gives you 20% off any machine of $999 or more (e.g. configure
>>>> a $1,000 machine, pay $800).
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> shareyourknowledge********.com wrote:
>>>>> I went to Office Depot to buy a HP laptop DV6131OD and were sold out,
>>>>> but the mgr. said they were waiting for the models with Vista, so i
>>>>> went to Dell and did some research. In order to run Vista Dell
>>>>> recommends 7200 RPM and 2 GB RAM, plus a dual core processor. That
>>>>> changes the base price quite a bit. I really don't plan to use it for
>>>>> gaming or video editing, but may use it for downloading music or pics
>>>>> and occasional internet.I made a comparison between XPPro and Xp Media
>>>>> Center. Of course they recommend XP Pro because it's $150.00 more, but
>>>>> it looks like it Media Center offers more. Ther's lots of limitations
>>>>> in the XP Pro multi- user environment section.So i don't know which
>>>>> options to choose. Maybe those who have already gone through the
>>>>> upgrading process with Dell or other companies can enlighten me. For
>>>>> example, what processor should i upgrade to if at all based on my
>>>>> needs? How about sound options? etc.etc. I've had alot of coffee
>>>>> tonight and could type much more but i don't want anyone to read a
>>>>> novel! Thanks to all.
>>>>>
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