From: sean@pet.mni.mcgill.ca (Sean MARRETT)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.laptops
Subject: REQUEST - 1st PC - Notebook or desktop system for home?
Date: 12 Dec 92 01:41:54 GMT
Organization: Positron Imaging Labs, Montreal Neurological Institute

I find myself in a philosophical quandary at the present time. Or maybe
I just have a very bad case of wanting to have my cake and eat it too.
Here is my situation:

Some folks in my lab and who I consult for are willing to fund the
purchase of a computer for home/personal use, up to some limit (Assume
the limit, for all practical purposes, is $3500.00 (U.S.) (~= $4500.00
(Canadian), including currency +GST +PST). It is unlikely that I could
fund the purchase of such a machine from my own pocket, so the machine
I purchase is going to be *it* for now. Hopefully it will be a machine
that is useful for my wife, as well, who is also a student who
occasionally needs to use a computer for some word processing tasks.

The tasks for this system are (in descending priority):

1) Use it for text processing (using TeX and WP)
2) Use it for thinking about data and models (MatLab and some other
modelling software
3) Use it for communicating with the machines in my lab (primarily
with a terminal emulator, bit possibly also SLIP)
4) Use it for programming  in a C/C++ environment (using Borland C++ or
similar product)

Requirement (1) means that I would like to get a deskjet or a
bubblejet, since TeX on an impact printer does not seem like a useful
way to go.

requirement (2) implies that I need a math co-processor and a
reasonable amount of memory (minimum of 8 megs)

requirement (3) implies a decent communication system (at *minimum* a
2400/9600 faxmodem)

requirement (1-4) implies a minimum amount of disk space (at least 170 Mbytes)

the decision I have to make is, given that this is the *one* machine I
will have purchased in the next 12 months, what is the best set of
options to go with:

Option 1) A solid desktop system with 24 bit graphics and a deskjet
printer (This can be had for  $3200.00 (Canadian) locally  - leaving me,
theoretically, with $1300.00 (Canadian) for a notebook).

Option 2) A good quality notebook with an external keyboard and
monitor for home, along with a good printer(which can be purchased for about
$4200.00 (Canadian). This does *not* buy me a printer or a good
quality external monitor/keyboard. It also would only give me 120 Mb
of disk space (based on a quote for a Dell 325N).

I find myself staggering from Option 1 to Option 2 and all points in
between. The convenience of the laptop is fantastic, and will allow me
tremendous flexibility in where I work and think.  On the other hand, a good
notebook system is just too darned expensive. 

So, if you have made it this far, what is your advice to  a PC
neophyte (I work on X-terminals /SGI workstations in my lab). Which
way would you jump, and more importantly, how would you rationalize.
Any cheap alternatives that you can think of?

Thanks for any help. I will summarize any responses I receive.


Sean

--------------------------------------------------------
Sean Marrett                     email: sean@pet.mni.mcgill.ca 
wb213, PET Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute.
3801 University St., Montreal, Quebec.	H3A 2B4 
                                 tel:(514)-398-1537,1996 Fax: 8948