From: Paul Khoury (pkhoury_at_loop.com)
Date: Tue Feb 10 1998 - 00:25:50 EST
On Mon, 9 Feb 98 9:52:16 HST, David Ross wrote:
>> Different people need different capabilities. I use my TP as a desktop
>> replacement, and I am doing large scale software development.
>
>Whenever these weight vs. performance questions arise, it is good to
>remember that different machines are filling different niches. The 770
>is really a lightweight 'luggable', an adequate desktop replacement
>with the added benefit of being relatively portable. I have a Micron in
>my office that serves this purpose. However, I never travel with the Micron -
>too heavy for my taste - and frankly don't even like to hold it on my lap
>because of its weight. For me, 4-5 pounds is the outer limit of what I
>will carry on trips (and on my lap), which is why I had a 701 and now a 560.
>
And for those of us who are students, price is an IMPORTANT factor. So we
may not even have a wide variety of choices. :(
>> I find
>> a 1024 xs 768 screen pretty indispensible, and cannot live with 800 x 600.
>
>Some Windows software (and much of the DOS software I use) won't let you change
>the font size; this makes it hard to use at higher resolutions. For this reason
>I personally hope that 800x600 or lower res screens stay around for a while.
>
Can't you just change the res. back to 640*480 or 800*600? And I'm sure you can just
create a new font size, and drag it to make it global if it's too small.
>> Obviously we all would like it if we could get a notebook that was both
>> light and acceptably powerful, but so far we have not had this option.
>
>Myself, I find almost all the machines on the market today - including
>the ultralights - remarkably powerful. Of course, my perspective is twisted
>from my days of programming fairly serious apps in less than 4K of RAM.
>
>Nowadays the software world is riddled with lazy programming and bloated apps,
>which is why these really amazingly fast laptops seem so slow. I used to use
>one particular data analysis program on my 701, and it was perfectly usable. The
>latest version - with very little genuine extra functionality - is painfully
>slow on my P133 560.
>
Don't forget that cache and hard drive speed also make a difference.
However, when everyone says that notebooks go slower than desktops,
I can imagine this is because of the cache missing, and not a raw speed
measurement like Dhrystones (my personal favorite).
>> I also really welcome a screen that can be used in bright light. The 770
>> is the first screen that can really be used in bright light successfully
>> (it is MUCH brighter than any previous TP screen).
>
>Still not good enough! Why don't manufacturers make the case backs out of
>clear plastic? Then the backlight can be supplemented by the ambient light,
>and I might finally be able to use a laptop sitting outside on my deck!
>
That's not too bad an idea, but I'm sure there's a reason why it has not
been implimented yet!
-- Paul Khoury pkhoury_at_loop.com http://pkhoury.dyn.ml.org (if you can't get to the website, then I'm not online)To request a list of available docuements, reply with DOCUMENTS in the subject line.
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