Advice for a web dev laptop

[gunemalli]

Hi Folks,

I'm in a dilemma to buy a laptop for my girlfriend. It's for her work, where most of the it's just web development in PHP/ASP.NET and would be running a web & db servers on it. the DBS would MySQL and SQL Server 2008. I have narrowed down my list for couple of laptops

Acer Aspire 5745
* i5-450m
* 15.6"
* 3GB RAM
* 320GB HDD
* 2.5kg
* 3.5 hrs battery

Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820T
* i3-370m
* 14"
* 3GB RAM
* 320GB HDD
* 2.2kg
* 8 hrs battery

which would be the best option for me?

Regards,
Gayan

 

[4745454b]

Whichever one has the highest resolution. When programming, the more desktop real estate the better. I always used two monitors. 1080 should be a minimum. I wouldn't worry about CPU or ram to much. SQL server will need some power, but a single user shouldn't pose a modern CPU much.

 

[WR2]

Hello gunemalli;

I agree with 4745454b that a higher resolution screen (1600x900 or 1920x1080) is really great for productivity.
But you might not find that type of option in your price range.

Both CPUs run @ 2.4Ghz and the i5-450M is a bit more powerful but not so much as you'd notice the difference.
Intel Core i3 370M @ 2.40GHz - Intel Core i5 450M @ 2.40GHz

 

[WR2]

Acer Aspire 5745G Review
Acer Aspire TimelineX 4820TG Review

Both get decent reviews for a mid-range budget laptop. Slight edge to the 4820TG.

The 5745G has a dedicated numberpad while the 4820TG does not. It could come down to the features like that. Is a number pad important to her work? I'd have a hard time working on a laptop without one.

Everything else being equal, unless a long battery life is especially important to her work, I think you can let her read those online reviews and pick the one she favors.
(gets you off the hook, you see)

 

[gunemalli]

Thanks both of you for the replies.

The main concern is the budget. It's about $640/£380 and the best i could find were those two laptops, and i'm leaning a bit towards the timeline x b'cos of its size and battery power.

I too like high res, but it's impossible at this budget. If you've got any other good suggestions please post them here.

Thanks & Regards,

Gayan