[WMCoolmon]

Raa-if you're not really playing games with this thing, and going to have it plugged in all the time, what's the problem with buying a desktop? Do you have a lot of classes with outlets in the seats or something?

[Taristin]

Err. I don't want to buy a second desktop, and I don't want to lug this one around.

I want a laptop for the ultra-portability of it, so I *can* take it with me if I want to, and not be forced to stay in my room all the damn time, like here.

The only games I'll play on it will be Starcraft, and possibly FS, but I doubt the latter.

[WMCoolmon]

In that case, you probably shouldn't try to spend the extra money on a 'decent' video card...the 9700 is going out the door, and any sort of name brand video card tends to jack the price up to $1000, regardless of laptop specs. Not only that, but they're typically underpowered when compared to their desktop counterparts and just add to the heat problem. They also aren't replacable (At least, when I looked I couldn't find any, that may have changed in the last few months). In other words: if you don't need it, drop the decent video card requirement and look for a reliable chipset. It can save you a load of money.

For a game like Starcraft, the requirements are ridiculously low anyway. Anything over a P-233 should be more than enough. If you can run Windows XP, you can run Starcraft.

[Taristin]

Well.. yeah... and I guess SC runs on Mac too.

[Sandwich]

My (current) Dream Laptop



[q]W1N's minimalist, ergonomic design is balanced by the brushed aluminum exterior, dark gray keys, and orange LEDs. Design modern enough to turn heads, but classy enough to always be in style. Every detail about W1N is carefully and elegantly tailored to provide a distraction free environment, allowing you to concentrate on exactly what you need to do.
Features

• Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology

- Intel® Pentium® M Processor 1.7GHz
- Intel® 855 Chipset Family
- Intel® PRO/Wireless Network Connection 802.11b/g

• Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
• ATI Mobility™ Radeon™ 9600 graphics processor with 64MB
• 15.4-inch, 16:10 widescreen , WSXGA+ 1680x1050 Res.
• 1GB of memory
• Built-in DVD/CDRW Drive
• Integrated 4-in-1 Memory Card Reader

Boom, Boom, Boom!     

Relax and groove to your favorite songs whether it's the rich, orchestral sounds of Beethoven's 9th Symphony or bass-heavy, head-bobbin beats of the latest hip-hop track. The built-in subwoofer speaker and 4.1-channel surround sound enable powerful sound performance.
   

Ergonomic 16:10 Widescreen LCD

The viewing angle of human eyesight is wider horizontally than vertically. W1N, with its 16 x 10 wide screen display, is more natural and comfortable to the human eye. W1 allows you to watch DVD and HDTV movies the way they are meant to be watched. And widescreens improve productivity too. No more switching back and forth between two files. The W1N is wide enough to display multiple documents side-by-side files while you work.


Elevate Your Game    

The W1N has a dedicated ATI Mobility RADEON 9600 graphics processor that provides explosive graphics performance to elevate your 3D gaming and video viewing experiences. While most notebooks have trouble playing last year's games, W1N is powerful enough to handle the hottest DX9 titles such as Half Life 2 and FarCry.


Battery Saving Technology

The exclusive Power4 Gear+ technology allows you to control CPU speed to maximize battery performance. ASUS Power4 Gear+, the all-new battery conservation feature, automatically and intelligently adjusts CPU speed according to system load. Offering eight different modes designed for gaming, watching DVDs, listening to music, processing documents etc., this innovation maximizes battery life for reliable operation.


Enhanced performance

At the same CPU clock speed, the W1 enhances computing performance by 30% compared to conventional notebooks. The W1N uses Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology, which includes a Pentium® M Processor, Intel® 855PM chipset and Intel® PRO Wireless 2100/2200BG. Enhance your mobile computing experience with longer battery life and high-speed wireless networking! [/q]

:drool:

EDIT: Raa, if you want a machine to play SC on, keep one point in mind: SC's fixed at 640x480, so if you want to have it stretched to full-screen on a laptop LCD and still look decent, you'll want to get a machine whose LCD's native resolution is 1280x960, which will be hard. :-/

[WMCoolmon]

Actually, that's another thing to consider...LCD screens don't really have a refresh rate, but they do have a response time. If you have a screen with a low response time (Say, 25 ms) it can be extremely annoying for some games - especially 2D ones.

[Taristin]

Sarnie: Wie kostet das?

[Sandwich]

WMC: Don't you mean 3D games?

Refresh rates of 16ms and lower are pretty good for gaming, 12ms is ideal.

Raa: Froogle is your friend. ~$2100-2500.