Interesting thin and light notebook computer

by philg

One of the readers with whom I shared coffee this evening in Orlando had what looked like a stack of papers. One of the papers turned out to be a notebook computer with an aluminum case. It was marvelously light and very sleek. What was it? A Dell V13, which is buried among hundreds of other products on the Dell Web site. It sells for $450 with Linux and 2 GB of RAM, a 250 GB hard drive, and a built-in Webcam. Deficits: no optical drive (impossible at this weight and thickness); no Thinkpad-style pointer nub in the middle of the keyboard so you’re stuck with a trackpad (the owner said he would have preferred the keyboard nub but liked the machine anyway due to its “disposable price” so that he doesn’t have to worry about losing it or dropping it).

I’m wondering who designed this thing because it doesn’t look like anything that Dell has ever sold before.

[Update: I ordered a Lenovo ThinkPad Edge after reading all of the comments heaping scorn on the Dell and praising the Edge’s durability. Also, I have always loved the trackpoint in-keyboard nubby pointer thingy.]

12 thoughts on “Interesting thin and light notebook computer”

  1. It does look very thin but starting at 3.5lbs it isn’t very light. The ThinkPad X line includes sub 3lb laptops with optical drive.

  2. Cotton: I checked out ThinkPad X on their site. Their cheap/light one has an 11″ screen so it does not seem comparable. They do offer a $2000 machine that is 3 lbs. with a 13″ screen, but it costs $2000 and it doesn’t seem to include an optical drive in the default specs. For the extra $1500, couldn’t I buy 5 years worth of gym membership and take the 0.5 lbs. off my body rather than off the laptop?

  4. @philg
    The comparable Thinkpad is the Thinkpad EDGE 13. (Starts at $525)
    13.3inch, 3.5lbs, trackpoint and trackpoint, no optical drive.

    Lenovo thinks the EDGE is a little more durable than the Vostro too:
    http://www.thinkpads.com/2010/04/23/lenovo-thinkpad-edge-vs-dell-vostro-in-lcd-stress-test-video/

    Thinkpad X300/X301 are excessively pricey to get rid of that last half a pound. If you’re looking for a real laptop (not a $500 throwaway) consider the Thinkpad T410s. 14inch (1440×900) LED backlit, 3.97lbs, trackpoint, trackpoint AND optical drive. It’s still thin and light, but the 2.4Ghz Core i5 and max 8GB ram mean you’ll actually still use the system after the 3yr warranty expires.

    Btw, don’t look on the Lenovo.com store site for Thinkpads, ALL the details are listed for the preconfigured models in the partner docs (PSREF sheets). Not only do they usually have lower prices than CTO models, but it’s possible to get them shipped quickly through channel sales with inventory.

    Tabook.pdf for mainstream Thinkpads (T, W, X, R Series)
    http://www.lenovo.com/psref/pdf/tabook.pdf
    SLbook.pdf for cheap Thinkpads (SL, Edge)
    http://www.lenovo.com/psref/pdf/slbook.pdf

    Just search for the Type-Model number you’re considering. I avoid Lenovo CTO like the plague, it’s a time and money sink to get your config just-right. I don’t work for Lenovo, but do buy Thinkpads at work.

  7. There’s only one big minus: battery life. The rest is fine: really thin, good display (really big for its weight), can be configured with core2duo ULV (much, much better than Atom).

  8. /It’s a modified version of the Dell Adamo./

    But the Adamo costs $2000+ and this is $500.

  12. All I can say is that I’m sick of the way Dell treats the .edu market. I just priced a Vostro V13. It came out to $1050. At that price, I would suggest a Macbook. I did choose the Core Solo processor and 4GB RAM. It defaulted to a three year warranty, but I usually recommend that for laptops anyway. (I just had a prof that wanted to buy a $2500 Dell Studio 9000 from the consumer site, but Dell said I couldn’t order one thru the .edu contract.)

    I don’t think I’m ready to support linux for any of my faculty/staff.

    In the last month, I’ve ordered four Thinkpad x100e for people. Partly because I think the Lenovo rep messed up my quote… for $281 I’m getting the dual core processor, 4GB RAM, 160G disk, 6 cell battery. I haven’t seen one in person yet, but the specs look good. It has an 11.9″ screen, which I think people will be happy with.

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