Cal Poly Pomona and San Luis Obispo University Forums - View Single Post

ak · 11-05-03, 07:34 PM

I'm one of those people with notebooks.

I used to have a 9lb laptop and CLEARLY learned my lesson. I returned it right away and waited until the beginning of Fall '03 to buy another one.

I opted for the Sony VAIO PCG-V505BL. Why?
(a) Light (4.5lbs with battery!)
(b) Price at the time $1100 - $100 rebate
(c) Hardware is potential enough (I can even play CS or Starcraft without lag)
(d) 3.5-4.0 hours standard battery life

Things I upgraded to accomodate my needs:
-Upgrade to 512mb RAM (eBay $25.00 shipped)
-Bought a Linksys 802.11b PCMCIA Network card ($60.00 at the bookstore, $40 on eBay)

I do NOT need a P4 3.0ghz to type documents (plus it drains the battery faster) or a 15.0" (adds TOO much weight). My desktop is my main game rig!

Anyway, send me a PM if you need any help. Building computers and repair is my hobby so I can fill you in about hardware.

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Edit: About LEAP

Almost ALL wireless network cards will work on campus whether they support LEAP or not. You do not need to buy the Cisco 350/352 (which costs $100-125).

General Info:
http://www.csupomona.edu/~helpdesk/wireless/aegis.htm

Basically, AEGIS (software) allows your network card to get online. It has built-in LEAP support.

11-05-03, 07:34 PM	#5 (permalink)
ak Cal Poly Guru Joined: Oct 2003 Location: LA Posts: 605	I'm one of those people with notebooks. I used to have a 9lb laptop and CLEARLY learned my lesson. I returned it right away and waited until the beginning of Fall '03 to buy another one. I opted for the Sony VAIO PCG-V505BL. Why? (a) Light (4.5lbs with battery!) (b) Price at the time $1100 - $100 rebate (c) Hardware is potential enough (I can even play CS or Starcraft without lag) (d) 3.5-4.0 hours standard battery life Things I upgraded to accomodate my needs: -Upgrade to 512mb RAM (eBay $25.00 shipped) -Bought a Linksys 802.11b PCMCIA Network card ($60.00 at the bookstore, $40 on eBay) I do NOT need a P4 3.0ghz to type documents (plus it drains the battery faster) or a 15.0" (adds TOO much weight). My desktop is my main game rig! Anyway, send me a PM if you need any help. Building computers and repair is my hobby so I can fill you in about hardware. ------------------------ Edit: About LEAP Almost ALL wireless network cards will work on campus whether they support LEAP or not. You do not need to buy the Cisco 350/352 (which costs $100-125). General Info: http://www.csupomona.edu/~helpdesk/wireless/aegis.htm Basically, AEGIS (software) allows your network card to get online. It has built-in LEAP support. __________________ If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. Education is the progressive discovery of our own ignorance.