Need an entertainment laptop.

[xBEEMANx]

1) What is your budget?
$1500-$2500

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
e. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
I will have a HDTV as a dual monitor for at home, so this really doesn't matter. I really like the numerical keypad on the 17 inch though.

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: I like name brands like Dell, HP, sony... but I have heard nothing but great things about sager.
b. Dislike: I have heard terrible things about alienware, maybe the new allpowerful m17x will be different.

5) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
I am getting this laptop purely for entertainment, blu-ray, dvd, tv shows, and some moderate gaming.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Both. While at home it will sit on a notebook cooler and be hooked to my HDTV (when not in use) as a dual monitor. I will also use it when I travel, long car rides, and when staying at relatives/friends

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games or types of games?
Yes, games like GTA IV, R6V2, and maybe Halo, COD, Gears...

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
I will be buying a spare battery, so I need 2 hours per battery at least.

9) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
I am planning to buy online, and I just want to see a few pictures.

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit

Screen Specifics

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
d. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Very small text and icons, that can be hard to read. Lots of stuff fits on the screen, which means less scrolling. Good for applications that require a high level of detail like CAD or Photo Editing.
I am going to be getting blu ray, so this is a must.

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Glossy

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yes, but its not a deal-breaker.

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
I want the possibility of 3-4 years, I will have it on a cooler, and I have a very sturdy laptop case, so I'll be taking care of it.

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 500GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
250-500, I will have lots of movies, games, tv shows, etc...d


16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
MUST have blu-ray player, I don't need to burn them.

Additional Notes
1. Since I plan on using decent ($100 - $200) speakers and some nice headphones with this laptop, should I get a better sound card if available? I don't have a home theatre or anything, just a simple 3 or 4 speaker set.

2. Does the speed of a hard drive matter? I have heard the 5400rpm's saves battery, but 7200rpm has faster transfer. I will probably be moving movies back and forth from my external to internal, so I don't want it to take forever, but how much of a difference does it really make???

3. I am considering a MacBook, just because I want to try some iphone app programming, and I was wondering if I could run games on boot camp through xp??? It's probably not going to happen, but I'm just trying to keep my options open.

4. I am not exactly certain on the processor, is 2.5-2.6 GHz enough to play most games???


Possibilities for laptops:

SAGER NP5797

SAGER NP9280

SAGER NP8662

Dell XPS M1730 Laptop

Alienware M17

HP Pavilion dv7t series

HP HDX 16t Premium series

Sony VAIO FW Series

[jrnewhouse]

1) What is your budget?
$1500-$2500

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
e. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen
I will have a HDTV as a dual monitor for at home, so this really doesn't matter. I really like the numerical keypad on the 17 inch though.

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: I like name brands like Dell, HP, sony... but I have heard nothing but great things about sager.
b. Dislike: I have heard terrible things about alienware, maybe the new allpowerful m17x will be different.

5) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
I am getting this laptop purely for entertainment, blu-ray, dvd, tv shows, and some moderate gaming.

6) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Both. While at home it will sit on a notebook cooler and be hooked to my HDTV (when not in use) as a dual monitor. I will also use it when I travel, long car rides, and when staying at relatives/friends

7) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games or types of games?
Yes, games like GTA IV, R6V2, and maybe Halo, COD, Gears...

8) How many hours of battery life do you need?
I will be buying a spare battery, so I need 2 hours per battery at least.

9) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
I am planning to buy online, and I just want to see a few pictures.

10) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit

Screen Specifics

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
d. WUXGA - 1920x1200; Very small text and icons, that can be hard to read. Lots of stuff fits on the screen, which means less scrolling. Good for applications that require a high level of detail like CAD or Photo Editing.
I am going to be getting blu ray, so this is a must.

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
Glossy

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Yes, but its not a deal-breaker.

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
I want the possibility of 3-4 years, I will have it on a cooler, and I have a very sturdy laptop case, so I'll be taking care of it.

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 500GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
250-500, I will have lots of movies, games, tv shows, etc...d


16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
MUST have blu-ray player, I don't need to burn them.

Additional Notes
1. Since I plan on using decent ($100 - $200) speakers and some nice headphones with this laptop, should I get a better sound card if available? I don't have a home theatre or anything, just a simple 3 or 4 speaker set.

2. Does the speed of a hard drive matter? I have heard the 5400rpm's saves battery, but 7200rpm has faster transfer. I will probably be moving movies back and forth from my external to internal, so I don't want it to take forever, but how much of a difference does it really make???

3. I am considering a MacBook, just because I want to try some iphone app programming, and I was wondering if I could run games on boot camp through xp??? It's probably not going to happen, but I'm just trying to keep my options open.

4. I am not exactly certain on the processor, is 2.5-2.6 GHz enough to play most games???


Possibilities for laptops:

SAGER NP5797

SAGER NP9280

SAGER NP8662

Dell XPS M1730 Laptop

Alienware M17

HP Pavilion dv7t series

HP HDX 16t Premium series

Sony VAIO FW Series

I just got an HP dv7t 2000 series and I am really impressed with it. The only thing that might turn you off is the 1600 x 900 display resolution, but I have found Blu-ray movies to look great on it. The price is right as well, as I got the set up in my sig for less than $1500 including the 3 year warranty.

[xBEEMANx]

I just got an HP dv7t 2000 series and I am really impressed with it. The only thing that might turn you off is the 1600 x 900 display resolution, but I have found Blu-ray movies to look great on it. The price is right as well, as I got the set up in my sig for less than $1500 including the 3 year warranty.

Yea, I did really like the price, but I wasn't sure on the display....

[brunoroc]

the hp is good but u wont be able to play much games maxed out

[xBEEMANx]

What do you guys think of the sony? It seems to have decent specs and its the cheapest of them....