Defining power-user
However, there are still compromises that mobile workers make to fit their computing experience into a box that will fit into a briefcase.
For most people the need is for the lowest cost machine that will fulfil their basic computing experience.
That can start at below R6 000 and stretch as far as the imagination and the budget can go. However, there’s a class of notebook that exists beyond the imagination of mere mortals – the mobile equivalents of the high-end workstation. Looking at the price of that type of machine – which can start at the high end of the market in terms of price and move upwards from there – it can sometimes be hard to see the value that’s provided by investing in such a machine.
PC manufacturers don’t often send out workstation class products to be reviewed, so it was with some interest that I took possession of the Dell Precision M65. As delivered it costs around R27 000. And while that may seem a touch on the high side, it’s worth remembering that the licence fees for the software such systems run will typically be higher than that, making hardware only part of the equation.
In fact, it’s the close relation-ship between work-station vendors, such as Dell, and those providing high-end computer-aided design software or sophisticated 3D modelling software, where the hardware is certified to run the software, that matters. That provides a level of comfort that when an investment is made, there’s going to be a minimum of speed bumps when the time comes to deliver the goods.
The workstation came equipped with an Intel Core Duo processor, which runs at 2GHz. A quick peek at the Dell website indicates that’s roughly in the middle of its range. It also came with 2Gb of memory and a 100Gb hard drive, which is probably the clearest indication of the purpose for which this machine was intended.
When taken in context, the smallest amount of RAM that Dell will specify on this machine is 1Gb, twice the industry standard for a normal laptop. The highest amount of RAM is a massive 4Gb, the maximum this generation of Intel processors can support and double that of most other portable machines.
In the world of high-end number crunching, the speed of the processor is only half the equation: if the machine doesn’t have enough memory, then everything slows to a grinding halt. In the workstation world that isn’t just a minor inconvenience but also has a major effect on productivity.
Dell has outfitted the M65 with a 15,4" wide screen, which (unlike its consumer and corporate cousins) has a resolution of 1 200 x 1 900, which means that it’s possible to squeeze a lot more detail on to the screen.
Dell’s other real differentiator in workstation class machines – its graphics card – powers the screen. While most notebook computers get by with integrated graphics cards or cards designed specifically for mobile applications, the M65 uses a Nvidia Quadro card, which instead of being designed to provide great gaming performance is specifically modelled for the tasks that high-end workstation users do, including 3D modelling and video editing.
There are drawbacks to that kind of power. This isn’t a light machine and when its internal fan gets going, as it would on a regular basis with any power user, the noise level is quite high for a portable computer.
And the model reviewed was still sporting the first generation of the Core Duo processor, now replaced by the imaginatively named Core2 Duo. The new processor is faster and more power efficient than the old one, so any prospective buyer should think twice about his needs before buying a machine based on the old architecture rather than waiting for this model to be upgraded.
That said, the system is already Vista capable. So running the next generation of Windows won’t be a problem. The new processors will also support 64-bit extensions meaning that the 4GB limitation on memory imposed by the existing processor design will cease to be a problem. The limits will then be set by the amount of space physically available to put the memory in. And for users that use memory intensive applications, this could be a real benefit.
This isn’t a computer for your 16-year-old son to surf the Internet but the mobile equivalent of a sniper’s rifle – fast and deadly – and not for the faint of heart.
Finweek
Loading ...