It's about time to buy a new laptop. I'd like something that'll replace my EeePC, but I'd also like quite a bit more power than a lowly Celeron M @ 900MHz. I'd also like to hop on the Windows 7 bandwagon. My budget's about $650 max, though I'd much prefer <$600. I'm looking at an Acer Aspire Timeline.

• 11.6" LCD (glossy, 1366x768)
• Core 2 Duo SU7300 1.3GHz
• Intel GS45 chipset
• 2x2GB DDR2
• 320GB 5400 RPM drive
• Intel 4500MHD IGP
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• "8+ hours" battery life
• 802.11b/g/draft-N
• Bluetooth 2.1
• Built-in microphone
• Built-in Webcam
• Memory card reader
• "Multi-gesture" touchpad
• Keyboard with the Ctrl key in the right corner

$600 for that. I think the size (11.2" wide, 8" deep, 0.87"-1.18" tall) and weight (3.1lbs) is right.

I was looking at some larger laptops as well; a few 15.6" models. Other than the weight (5.9lb minimum), I found they had a bit more processing power but not much more. Most of them were Core-based or K10-based dual-cores at 2GHz/2.1GHz with about 3GB RAM, a 250GB drive, and ran Win7 32-bit. They had better graphics (Radeon 4100, 4200, Mobility 4570), but the 15.6" LCD still had a low resolution; still just 1366x768. Yeah, 50% more processing power than a 10W C2D at 1.3GHz, but I didn't find that all too impressive, considering that they still wanted $450-550. Not enough advantage (to me) to justify the larger and heavier package. It was about the best specs and best size (ei: smallest) that I could find.

Didn't you get an NC10? Whatever... what i want to know is why you have tons of mediocre/low end machines instead of one mid/high end machine?

I build/rebuild plenty of machines. I tend to list those as "mine" when they're in the family, since I built or rebuilt them, repair them, and eventually replace them. Having an E2140 at 3.2GHz with an HD3850 is fine for my gaming, though I've not happened to use that machine in 2 months. The Athlon X2 4200+ is for my sister; I upgraded that system with a dual-core and an 8800GT, which gave it plenty of power to play her Sims 2 and Sims 3, as well as her various other... things. The P4 doesn't need to be upgraded but it does need to be replaced; probably with some 15.6"/16" laptop. When only Firefox, Thunderbird, Office 03, and a few other low-power things are needed, even an old 3GHz P4 is plenty. As for my laptop, it's an EeePC 900. I bought it because it was small and light. It's served me well but it's been commandeered into an odd position; as my main PC for a while. It works fine, but I've grown out of it and it's not worth upgrading. When I replace it, I'll probably just format and install WinXP and use it as a spare PC for x, y, or z.

Is it really worth spending $600 on something you're going to use for "x, y and z"? Laptop's in my experience last no longer than four years, which isn't a long time in anybody's books. If you were using it as your main PC then why don't you do some upgrades to your E2140 rig? Or just use it as is, it'l be good enough for "x, y and z".

Because I can't bring a desktop, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers into class.

And X, Y, and Z just means a variety of things... I'd like to play some Source, maybe try Runescape HD, various other titles (not much really new), use Office, Photoshop, and watch HD videos. A bit of a range, but I'd of course keep my desktop for more serious gaming. The major reason I want a new laptop is because I'm out of storage space. 4+8GB is plenty if I have another system, but it's not enough to use as a main computer for weeks at a time. My desktop's biggest advantages remain; more storage space, better gaming, and more powerful. The laptop I have now is just light and small, which is fine most of the time, but not all the time. I need something that combines the two; more powerful and with more storage while staying at a similar size. 10.1" is too small for me, so a 11.6" seems like a good compromise. Not to mention that they're rather cheap; a lot less than other UMPC's.

Honestly, it depends on what mainly you are going to use it for. If you are just going to use it for school and RS HD, then that model looks pretty good. If you are going to do a little more gaming (Crysis ), then I would suggest something a little bigger, and more powerful. The 5400RPM may be a little slow for school work, but then again, you are on a budget. 320GB should be okay, that is what I have, and I use nothing near that.

It looks pretty good, but the 1.3GHz processor (even duo core), is a little slow. Even for that price though. I'd suggest that you go one step up, to 2GHz, duo core. That will probably put you around you budget. But, if you don't mind the slower processor, then it looks pretty decent.
~Vincent

Well all you'd be carrying it round the campus for would be notes, yes? I'd have thought your netbook would fill this capacity quite well. If not then try a cut down Linux distro. You could then transfer them to your desktop when you get back. Would cost a lot less, just a few upgrades here and there. I know many students who would love to have $600 just for food...

HD videos on a 12" screen?

I think you should buy a mac.

I just saw that... I'm sorry, but I don't think that you can really watch HD videos on a 12" screen...
~Vincent

It has the resolution. 720p means 1280x720. My current laptop doesn't cut it for full frame-rate movies, but the laptop should do more than fine. And yes, you can play HD on sub-12" screens; another reason I'm looking smaller rather than bigger is that the 11.6" models have the same screen resolution as quite a few 15.6" models; 1366x768. 720p is actually not HD, but the EeePC skips around a bit too much.

For this PC, it's a combination of five issues; 1024x600 resolution, slow processor, and not enough RAM, ran out of storage space, and the little fact that even Linux is a bit... slow... on it. Dropping even $40 into a 2GB stick for this PC? I think it'd be on the verge of a waste, because I'd still be stuck with all the other little issues. And as for what I do on campus? Play a few games, surf a bit of internet, and occasionally Wikipedia something. This little laptop can do most of that, but only just barely. I'm not looking for a mobile supercomputer; just something small and light to replace this for daily duty. With better battery life. I don't carry around my charger on this little laptop for various reasons, though the main one is because of how I have my desk wired. With a <4hr battery now 18 months later, I am getting rather annoyed when I have >4 hour days of class. I have an 8-hour day, a 6-hour day, a 4-hour day, and finally a 2-hour day. At least two days a week I'm out of battery early, the third depends on how long class runs (commonly end up with a dead battery), and the last is just fine.

To be honest, I'd like to make this more into a music-center PC. I have an external 320GB drive (another reason I want a "real" laptop) but it's rather useless on the go, considering the fact that it's a 3.5" drive and uses a wall wart. For what I do, an LCD and a tiny mITX (S775, a dual-core, and 2-4gb RAM with nVidia IGP) system would work just fine, but I don't have space for an LCD right now. Plus, it'd make my mom infinitely happy to hear that I am fully mobile in 2 suitcases, a laptop bag, and an armful or two of audio equipment (two "small" full-range loudspeakers and an amplifier). Do you have any idea how easy that is to pack into a car? How easy that is to slip a more-capable laptop into a bag and fly internationally or cross-country? I'm looking forward to the future with the system; a few weeks to a few months in Europe this summer and then going into law school a year after that. Come December 1, I'll officially be a Junior (at age 18).