I had a few requirements for the notebook, the formost of which was that the notebook had to be truly portable since I do a lot of walking. I wanted 3D support as well so those GL games would be supported. I didn't need 1600x1200, but figured that 1280x1024 might be important for future applications and some of the graphics work I do.
Basically I've broken the candidates down to:
- IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad X60
- Dell XPS M1210
- Sony VGN-SZ140 CTO - no link but you can find it on Sony.ca
I discounted a number of manufacturers (HP/Toshiba) because their 12" offerings were difficult to find. Sony had a lot of 12" or less notebooks, but most seemed overpriced for the same functionality of other notebooks.
I like the trackpoint on the Lenovo, it's a big plus; I've always disliked touchpads, they get oily and I feel more precise with the trackpoint.
The Dell offers quite a bit of value for the price.
Sony, is Sony. Their notebooks have always been pretty slick, but the VGN-SZ140 CTO lacks a lot the other two notebooks have.
I'm leaning towards the Lenovo, but there's been a lot of chatter lately about Lenovo not supporting Linux. IBM, however, has been comitting to Linux in a pretty big way the last while. I'll update the web log if I get a chance to try out some live CDs on these books.
