From what I've seen (and please, please correct me if I'm wrong), all performance laptops are 17", 8 pound+ behomoths, that nobody in their right mind would carry around and actually use as a laptop. Sure, they are classified as "desktop replacements", but why can't they produce a smaller, slimmer notebook with powerful components? I mean, apparently, the 7800GTX Go is lower power and cooler than the 6800 ULTRA, so why can't it find its way into lets say, a 15"? So far, it seems, that the closest "notebook" solution to gaming is Acer's Ferarri, or the 6600 equipt Alienwares (and likewise). With screen resolutions jumping up (Alienware even has an upgrade to 1900x1200), how can a X700 or 6600 possibly power anything besides video and older games? They've managed to match everything else but graphics power. Are all gamers masochists who enjoy breaking their backs, and playing with desktop processors for about 30 minutes on fully charged batteries? So, why can't they develop a small (let's say 15", because anything larger is TOO BIG), notebook with a 7800? Notebooks getting larger isn't progress. I thought it was making them smaller than thinner, and instead, we're getting 17", 10 pound, 3" thick machines! Now, if you know of a 15" laptop with good power, I am perfectly willing (and even hoping) to be wrong.
I guess it all comes down to how you define a 'gaming' laptop. There are 15" Pentium M laptops with X700s that weigh under 8 pounds. An X700 can run modern games at fairly high resolution/specs. I've done maximum everything on WoW at 1024x768, and it was quite playable on my X700 pro. (Upgraded to a X800GTO2.) Honestly, if I wanted a gaming laptop, that's about all I'd want with it. Anything more, and my battery life would be really short.
Hey, my laptop weighs almost 7lbs by the bathroom scale, and it's barely suitable for windows, let alone DTR. But, on the rare occasions I do tote it around, it's the only excercise I ever get. It's not THAT hard to carry around. When I bring it around, it's in a backpack with a stats textbook and four binders, and although it's fuller than it should be, it's definately managable weight-wise. Bunch of pansies. If you want a lightweight computer, get an old PDA. Carrying seven to ten pounds is hardly backbreaking.
Well, it's really not that heavy, but I'd like to have good battery life, and be able to actually USE my tiny desk, instead of having a laptop take up all the real estate. X700 is certainly fair, but why not a 7800!? X700 is beginning to get old, so old even, ATI is going to integrate them into chipsets for use as an IGP.
You're obviously not a man if you cant carry around a DTR laptop! I mean, it's the only strenuous exercise geeks get apart from frivilous arm movements from gaming and occasional trips to the toilet/fridge.
I don't like gaming on a DTR, but it's not SO bad. I carried the Alienware plus my own Ultra Portable with me to the states when I went to learn about Valve's Cinematic Technology. I didn't think it was too bad to be honest - pop it on your back and it's just like you're carrying a backpack full of books.
bigz - bit-tech hard man. When you talk to him on the phone he doesnt speak, but simply replys in grunts and "grrs" to cement his hardness.
It's not an argument on how hard it is to carry a 17", it's just that I don't like the sheer size, and it doesn't do battery life any wonders either. I can understand how gaming on a bigger screen or movies/media could be improved, but it's not always practical to carry something that large. Not to mention having everybody in the lecture hall or boardroom look at you when you power up your "jet engine" laptop cooling system. I'm just saying why they can't make something smaller. It should be technically possible, and there should be a market for it.
nvidia are releasing the go 7600 that should be pretty good for gaming in smaller notebooks, with power better than a regular 6800. coupled with a new yonah it should be pretty decent for games. theres a review of the Acer TravelMate 8204WLMi - Dual Core Notebook, which has the mobility x1600, the follow up to the x700, at trustedreviews.com, which got a 3dmark05 of 4385 which is pretty impressive for a 15.4" sub 3kg notebook. id say the 7600 will easily surpass that so my advice is wait a few months and there will probably be something pretty good out there
it would be nice to have small laptop with the power of the behemoths. size is what has kept me from buying a gamin laptop for years. they are always big akward to carry and nosiy as far as laptops go. i'm with scq somebody out there needs to make a small powerful laptop for gaming. it would be nice to sit in the recliner and play half life 2.
The Chuck Norris of Bit? Meh, if you want a big screen on your laptop, get a 12" something and spend the money saved on a big external TFT. Want it portable? Leave the display behind. Wanna go to the LAN? Bring it with you. I couldn't imagine laptop screens having great specs for gaming (response time, contrast, etc) anyways. Just so I have a "standard" I'll use Apple's laptops at base-model price. The $300 difference between a 12" and a 14" iBook should get you an external TFT that is both bigger and higher resolution, with fairly decent specs. Of course you wouldn't get an apple laptop to game, but they're really the only manu that has a "simple" product line (more or less the same base-model stats)
this is exactly what i did before my old laptop was too out of date to run any games. don't know cause well my pc is too sweet to leave behind when going to lan parties.
If you want a heavy laptop go back 5 - 10 years and get a toshiba satelite thats heavy and you'd struggle runnnig word on it, and what about the first *portable computers* it was like carrying a washing machine with you, and it wasnt that powerful either *if you can call them portable* but on the other side with the 17" and crap GPU/Battery lifes i agree with you they need to sort it out. but then people want big screens and there is a trade off, manufacturers can not make 40000000000 different spec machines for every type of need the end user may have so they comprimise.
