Reconsidering 6715b

In light of recent personal financial developments, I'm re-evaluating my laptop choice. I am reconsidering the HP 6715b. If I choose to purchase this laptop now, it would ultimately cost GBP 517 (RM 3,600) after all the cash backs. It is a very good deal for a laptop of it's class. Let's look at the pros and cons for a laptop of it's class.

Pros:

• 15.4" hi-res 1680x1050 screen
• AMD TL-60 X2 2GHz processor
  
• 2Gb unified RAM
  
• 160Gb hard disk
• Integrated BCM4311AG wireless
• 1000/100/10Gbps ethernet
• Integrated 5-in-1 card reader
• DVD-RAM DL drive
  
• Certified for use with SuSE Linux 10!
  

Cons:

• ATI X1250 integrated graphics (slow games)
  
• Trusted Platform Module 1.2 (Scary!)
  
• Windows Vista Business (What a waste of money)
  

Insignificant:

• TV-output (I don't own a TV. Might be useful for movie parties with friends)
  
• Integrated BlueTooth (I don't own any bluetooth devices. But this keeps future options open)
  
• Fingerprint reader (Don't see any benefit in it. Too easy to hack anyway)
  
• Integrated audio (As long as it's good enough for music, coupled with a good set of speakers)
  
• Integrated software modem (In this age of broadband, who uses a modem anyway. Good for emergencies)
  
• Uninspired business class chasis (Well, I'm hardly a teenager anymore).
  

The main draw of this laptop is the high resolution screen. A higher resolution screen means more screen real estate to work with. As everything on-screen is drawn in pixels, having more pixels means being able to display more information in a specific amount of space. This display resolution can even almost be considered true hi-def quality (1080p). I am really attracted to the screen, as I'm already starved for screen space on my current 1024x768 notebook display.

The only major drawback is the lowly X1250 graphics, which would only be good enough for pre-2005 games. I can most certainly live with that. I hardly play any games anyway. If I need to play games, I could always buy a Wii for the price difference between this and the Compal IFL90. The TPM module should be something that I can deactivate. Windows isn't an issue as this notebook is certified for Linux anyway. The cash back offer is worth more than a Windows refund. So, I can always wipe out Windows.

I've even compared the price of similar laptops in Malaysia. It's more expensive in Malaysia than it is here. So, this has convinced me that this is a great deal. I should really take it if I want to purchase a new laptop. I do believe that if there are no new developments in the next week or so, I will settle and buy this notebook soon. The cash back promotion ends this month anyway.