CodeMan72
Member
All I have to say is that if you are looking for reliable it doesn't get much better than a ThinkPad. I've never had a problem with one and am on my 3rd right now (Over the last 5+ years...not because I've broken them) 
. I would really steer clear of the Toshibas. We've had nothing but trouble with them at work. Especially the screens.
As for Sony? I've got a dead one sitting here in my closet but it is a problem particular to that model so it's not really representative of all of them. Basically, the motherboard had a short and it will no longer charge a batter. I don't prefer Sony's but they're not bad laptops.
Basically, I just love the Titanium cover on my TP A31. No worries of something coming down on the screen when it's closed and breaking it from the outside. The keyboard is rock solid. The A series has the extra UltraBay that can take another battery instead of a floppy or something like that. They aren't the cheapest but quality never is. One thing, it doesn't have Firewire or USB2 but I have a PCMCIA card for that...downside is that CardBus doesn't shuttle data as fast as those two standards provide so that is a downer. Newer models might have that standard however.
One question...have you looked at a UXGA screen in person? 1600x1200 is a LOT of pixels on a screen that size. I went with a SXGA+ (1400x1050) and really liked it when compared to the 1600x1200 UXGA screen but that is very much personal preference. Before you spend that kind of cash I strongly recommend you find one and play with it for a bit because I think it's a love/hate thing if you like that kind of resolution or not. Plus, screens don't resize as well on a laptop like the do regular screens so it doesn't look very good if you feel like running it in a lower mode later. Just my two cents on that one.
Good luck! You know you'll need a new bag now for all that camera and computer gear! May I recommend a LowePro Stealth AW? That's another $200.
-Mike
. I would really steer clear of the Toshibas. We've had nothing but trouble with them at work. Especially the screens.As for Sony? I've got a dead one sitting here in my closet but it is a problem particular to that model so it's not really representative of all of them. Basically, the motherboard had a short and it will no longer charge a batter. I don't prefer Sony's but they're not bad laptops.
Basically, I just love the Titanium cover on my TP A31. No worries of something coming down on the screen when it's closed and breaking it from the outside. The keyboard is rock solid. The A series has the extra UltraBay that can take another battery instead of a floppy or something like that. They aren't the cheapest but quality never is. One thing, it doesn't have Firewire or USB2 but I have a PCMCIA card for that...downside is that CardBus doesn't shuttle data as fast as those two standards provide so that is a downer. Newer models might have that standard however.
One question...have you looked at a UXGA screen in person? 1600x1200 is a LOT of pixels on a screen that size. I went with a SXGA+ (1400x1050) and really liked it when compared to the 1600x1200 UXGA screen but that is very much personal preference. Before you spend that kind of cash I strongly recommend you find one and play with it for a bit because I think it's a love/hate thing if you like that kind of resolution or not. Plus, screens don't resize as well on a laptop like the do regular screens so it doesn't look very good if you feel like running it in a lower mode later. Just my two cents on that one.
Good luck! You know you'll need a new bag now for all that camera and computer gear! May I recommend a LowePro Stealth AW? That's another $200.
-Mike
