Techie Advice - Poker Laptop

[JayCo]

So I'm ready to splurge on a laptop that will be 100% dedicated to poker, wireless surfing, and watching DVDs.

Any thoughts, recommendations on specs & brands I should look into would be greatly appreciated. I'd love a mac, but posts on SoftPC leave me thinking my $ is better spent in PC land.

I'd spend as little as $1,000 (if it would do the job ) or over $2,000-$3,000 if the extra goodies seem worth the investment. (I usually play 3 tables on Party, and some kind folks there were kind enough to finance this little extravagance for me.)

Thanks,
J

[tiltboy]

I have a Dell Inspiron at work and it is the best laptop I've ever owned. As a comparison, I've previously owned them by Compaq, HP, and Gateway and I wouldn't buy any of those again based on my previous experience with them.

[Miah]

Just make sure to get a screen that doest at least 1280x1024, preferrably much more. This will enable you to play many screens at once, hopefully without any overlapping.

Monitor slickdeals.net, techbargains.com, and techdeals.net for good laptop deals.

[slavic]

Remeber 1600x1200 on the display. That likely means a 15" or better panel. This is important because you want to see all the action at one time on party.

[mosch]

My advice, first and foremost buy the "business-class" machine for whatever manufacturer you're looking at. The lower end machines aren't as well supported, and have fewer production controls, which can lead to an aggravating experience. Secondly, look for a nice big screen. All the displays on major manufacturer laptops are adaquate in terms of brightness, so you really just need to look at physical size and resolution. Lastly, if you want nice long battery life (and a laptop that doesn't double as an easy-bake oven) look for a centrino model.

IBM ThinkPads are the best laptops on the market at the moment. They're extraordinarily reliable and can be had in nearly any configuration you'd like. They cost a little more than other laptops, but they're worth it.

Dell Latitudes and Precisions are good quality laptops, Inspirons are very hit or miss, as they're built with significantly lower quality parts. I have a grudge against Dell because they screw resellers like myself, but I'll admit that Latitudes and Precisions are good machines, though not as sturdy as ThinkPads.

Compaq EVO series laptops are solid, but I don't think they have any higher-res displays available. I could be wrong on that, though.

Personally, my pet peeve is that there are no semi-reasonably priced laptops with transflective displays (allows the display to be seen clearly in direct sunlight, as well as indoors), but so you know, if you're planning on pokering from your back yard, you'll need a shaded area.

[slavic]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a grudge against Dell because they screw resellers like myself

[/ QUOTE ]

How so?

[Cyndie]

Be sure to check out the FUJITSU LifeBook.

Once you look at the screen, you will never lood at another laptop again!

I purchased mine two days ago...14.1 screen, maybe bigger, dvdread write drive, 512 single chip...expandable to at least a GIG of ram without having to remove any chips, wireless capable without any configuring, 60 GIG hard drive and 64 med of dedicated Radeoon video memory.

I got mine for $1725 plus, of course, the $200 service loaner contract at Frys Electronics.

Like I said, once you see the screen, you will never settle for anything else.

[jasonHoldEm]

I agree with the poster who suggested the Dell Inspiron. That's what I have and it's sweet. With two batteries I can go for about 5-6 hours before I run out of juice.

Also, IMHO the high end screen (I forget what it's called, but it's the best one you can buy) is worth it. I can run 1600 x 1200 and it is crystal clear (better than my CRT at the same resolution).

One thing I'd recommend...you can get really burned on memory buying it directly from dell. The better option is to just take whatever base memory they offer and then go to crucial and buy whatever you need and install it yourself. This probably voids your warranty, but I'm not one for extended warranties either.

jHE

[mosch]

Let's say Dell has a desktop that's selling for $1000. They'll only give me about a 5% discount on these lower-end machines, so I'm getting it for $950. Now let's say I quote it to the customer as a $960 machine, giving me a whopping $10 of profit on that item, seems like a pretty good deal.

The customer can then fax my quote to Dell, WITH my letterhead, and they'll beat the price substantially, actually offering the customer a lower price than they'll offer me.

On the other hand Compaq is the epitome of the friendly supplier. If anybody undercuts my price on a Compaq, I can then fill out some paperwork to get special pricing, below my normal rates, so that I can, at worst, match that price.

This is why resellers don't like Dell. They don't even give us the option of taking a zero-profit sale, they force us to either lose the business, or lose money on the business. Very raw deal.

[slavic]

With most of the major venders this will not void your warranty. If you have any questions on that call their customer service line and ask, I'm willing to bet your all good.

The only vendor I know that use to void service was Apple, but I'm not sure that's true anymore either.

[slavic]

You obviously haven't worked big accounts with Hpaq. Even in some cases IBM, just having them underbid you is being nice. Dell is up front an honest about their direct model.

Why not let Dell have the hardware and do the service side? I guarantee your getting the better end of that deal.

[curtains]

Very important question -- I want a computer where I can play something like 6-8 games at once with no switching from screen to screen, on party/empire etc. Right now I can play 5 comfortably but if I step it up to 6 or more, it becomes very difficult sometimes. However if I could buy a computer where all games are on the screen at the same time without overlap, it should be no problem. Is this even possible, does anyone know?

[mosch]

Because then the customer also buys their servers, switches, routers, printers, etc from Dell instead of me, and those items actually have profit.

As far as big accounts with Compaq go, you're right I'm not a big account. I do about $2m a year with Compaq, which is a step above nothing but far below the big boys. At this level, I have very few bad things to say about them.

[mosch]

I assume you mean on a desktop, in which case it's very possible. Your least-cost option would probably be to buy a dual-head video card and two monitors. It's a very workable setup especially if you take the time to tune your mouse acceleration settings so you can quickly move across both screens, but then slow down and accurately click.

If you have the budget for it, I'd say get 2 1600x1200 flat panels that support rotating the display 90 degrees, such as the LaCie photon20vision.

8 games at once.... holy schmoly...

[daryn]

good for Dell.

[barrett]

I'm a techie by trade - I have a Compaq Presario x1000 and I love it. It's a widescreen 15.4" and I also got the WUXGA model (1920x1200) so I can easily fit 3 tables from Party.

It gets a thumbs up from me although I've heard good things about the Dell laptops as well.

[innebandy]

I use an IBM Thinkpad at work and like it. I've also had good experiences with Dell (laptops and desktops).

My last work laptop was a Gateway, which was ok too but I wouldn't recommend it over IBM or Dell.

Also, get WiFi (wireless networking). The Thinkpad has it built in so I don't need an extra card for it - there's no going back once you've gotten used to surfing the net (or playing poker) on the couch while watching TV.

[Lost Wages]

slavic,

When you get a 1600x1200 display is that the only resolution that will look decent? In other words, can you switch to say 1024x768 when you are using another application so it is readable?

Thanks,
Lost Wages

[mosch]

Yeah, great for Dell, bad for small businesses like mine, bad for my customers as well. I make my money by helping my customers run their businesses more efficiently. Dell makes their money by selling them things.

There's a world of difference in philosophy and result.

[Miah]

[ QUOTE ]

One thing I'd recommend...you can get really burned on memory buying it directly from dell. The better option is to just take whatever base memory they offer and then go to crucial and buy whatever you need and install it yourself. This probably voids your warranty, but I'm not one for extended warranties either.

jHE

[/ QUOTE ]

I seriously doubt it voids any warranty, and if it does it is extrmeley easy to remove it without anyone being able to detect the memory's former presence.

[JayCo]

Thanks for all the reponses on specs & sites to check out. Looks like Centrino, Wifi-g, non-manufacturer memory, & long battery rating are must-haves.

I was checking out the Fujitsu and saw a Tablet PC listed. Anybody try these with online poker? Seems like they'd be a good streamlined/small solution for plopping on your lap, turning off the chatbox, and just using the pen to click check/fold/raise.

A smallish machine with as close to 1600x1200 resolution does sounds good, though I haven't yet found a laptop w/ <15" screen and <8 or 9 lbs with that available.

I also didn't even think to go physically look at the screen quality/size. I seem to remember a Gateway in our office that was supposed to be 1600x1200, but 1) it looked awful if you changed the settings, and 2) only got to 1600x1200 by scrolling the screen when you got near the edges.

J

[slavic]

It looks a little funny. Most of the newer laptops have a software feature that allows you to run at 1600/1200 and then scale fonts to the size you want. This works pretty well on well written apps but some (i.e. Party Poker) don't handle it well. Unfortunatly there is no perfect solution here.

[Cyndie]

I researched all the tablets i could find, but they are all PIII not PIV, someone said the chips weren't ready for the confines of a tablet, and none of the tablets i saw had higher than XGA video...need SXGA to get the 1600 resolution that is critical.

All of you who are in favor of Dell, please go see a Fujitsu screen and see if I am the only one who is just in love with it.

[jek187]

[ QUOTE ]
I want a computer where I can play something like 6-8 games at once with no switching from screen to screen

[/ QUOTE ]

As has been mentioned, you can do this by using 2 monitors at 1600X1200. You could also fit 9 tables on one monitor, without any overlap, if you were able to achieve a resolution of 2400X1800. I am not aware of any monitors that are capable of this. I would be curious to know if anyone has heard of anything capable of supporting 2400X1800.

[Moyer]

I hope this isn't too off topic, but how the heck do you manage to play 8 tables at a time? I realize I'm a newbie, but I find it stressful enough when I'm playing two tables. I'll be in the middle of a tough hand and then get pocket aces at the other table and flip out. Am I missing something or does it just take a lot of practice?

-Moyer

[jek187]

[ QUOTE ]
how the heck do you manage to play 8 tables at a time?

[/ QUOTE ]

I can only handle 5 tables right now. This is at 1/2. As I move up in limits I need to scale back. However, I think if I had 2 21" monitors side by side (instead of the current config of a 21" and a 17") then I could someday get 8 going profitable. Once you've played gazillions of hands, almost all decisions are automatic. Keep plugging away, I'm sure you'll be able to increase from 2 tables.

[MaqEvil]

Just make sure it has a UXGA monitor, otherwise it wont run 1600x1200. I'm happy with my Dell ($2100)

[kbagge]

would anyone mind getting in to explaining WiFi as far as how it works and what it takes to get it? /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[rusty JEDI]

[PuffsNutz]

Toshiba has a 17' WIDESCREEN notebook...
Its like 3.2 Ghz, DVD RW, built in wireless, etc etc.
For around $1850 at Costco.

Its probably one of the heaviest laptops on the market,
so its a bit hard to travel with.
But for moving it around from room to room in a house
its ideal.

The widescreen is great for multi table play.
No other laptop Ive seen compares.

If you read the reviews at amazon.com, you'll see
some very postive feedback.

[slavic]

Most notebooks you buy today are Wi-Fi enabeld. If you buy a centrino (tm) notebook it's guaranteed to have an Intel 802.11B(Wi-Fi) radio installed. It's not the fastest thing out there but it will work well for internet poker.

Now if you want to use this at home and you have a broadband connection today, you need to buy a Wi-Fi base station. These devices tend to run less than $100 and are pretty much plug and play. Fire up the machine and your wireless up to a theoretic 100yards.

Now if you happen to be lucky and live in a neighborhood like mine, 5 of your neighbors have base stations and don't bother to encrypt the signal. This gives all of us great covereage for a good half mile. Very nice when your playing poker and smoking ribs.