considering ASUS K42JR-A1 laptop

[dearnold]

My Dell Latitude 610 has finally hit the wall and I need to replace it.
1) budget? tight
2) size? 14" - lots of travel
3) country? USA
4) brand preferences? considering ASUS, Dell
5) uses for notebook? Photography (Photoshop, Digital Pro, Publisher), Genealogy, MS Office/Adobe Acrobat-scanning
7) playing games? Rarely
8) hours of battery life? 3 hrs
9) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person? No
10) What OS do you prefer? Win7 Home or Pro 64bit
Screen Specifics
11) What screen resolutions would you prefer? As much as I can get in 14”
12) glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non glossy screen? Don’t care
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? No
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last? I want it right now; will keep 3 years
Notebook Components
15) hard drive size? 500GB or more
16) optical drive? Yes - CD/DVD Burner (maybe Blu-Ray reader)
17) What speed CPU/Processor would you like? Dual core CPU?
Other/Questions:
Bluetooth? Does it just use up one USB port?
RAM – Pros/Cons of going from 4GB to 6GB now - $270 seems like a lot for the extra 2GB - and I for sure can’t afford to go to 8GB? Also, what is the “real” difference between the 1066MHz and 1333MHz for my uses?
Availability? Is this model (customized) likely to be available quickly?

[powerpack]

I think it is a fine choice. On the 4GB vs 6GB RAM. While I do not think you need 6GB I guarantee you do not get it as a $270 upgrade. You can get cheaper on your own. But I think 4GB is fine no need for 6GB for your listed needs.

[dearnold]

On the 4GB vs 6GB RAM. While I do not think you need 6GB I guarantee you do not get it as a $270 upgrade.

Thanks - not sure I understand this - in the Xoticpc customizing wizard, the upgrade from 4GB to 6GB is $270 (for the 1333MHz). What am I missing?

[Maverick494]

"tight" budget really doesn't tell me a bunch, especially if you are considering a 300 dollar upgrade to the laptop.

If it was me I would rather spend the money on the i7-620M over the 2GB extra RAM. JASC Paintshop Pro 9 is what I have for photos and it works fine on my machine with 4GB of RAM even dealing with RAW formated photos from a pentax SLR camera (granted my wifes is only the 6 megapixel model).

For what you are going to use the laptop for the 1066 will perform just fine compared to the 1333, to the point where you won't even notice the difference if you upgraded.

so spec'd with an i7-620M, the free IC diamond thermal paste upgrade and the rest stock this machine is 1248.00

If that is your only scree size option, if you could deal with a 15.6 then I would suggest you look at http://www.xoticpc.com/msi-gx640098us-p-2766.html?wconfigure=yes

[powerpack]

You can upgrade to 6GB 1333Mhz for $250 on your own then sell the 4GB that came with for $50 putting your cost at $200.

But 6GB 1333Mhz vs 4GB 1066Mhz not going to make much real difference real world. I would not get the upgrade.

[dearnold]

"tight" budget really doesn't tell me a bunch, especially if you are considering a 300 dollar upgrade to the laptop.

Yes, I realize that's a fuzzy term -- but I'm really looking for comments on the trade-off I asked about. Guess it means I'm willing to spend a few extra hundred if it would make a huge difference.
Appreciate your comments; 14" is just my own limit on a laptop for lots of travel; too much photog stuff to tote along with the laptop.

[dearnold]

You can upgrade to 6GB 1333Mhz for $250 on your own then sell the 4GB that came with for $50 putting your cost at $200.
But 6GB 1333Mhz vs 4GB 1066Mhz not going to make much real difference real world. I would not get the upgrade.

Thanks - good thought on the 6GB issue.

[Mekhit]

Yes, I realize that's a fuzzy term -- but I'm really looking for comments on the trade-off I asked about. Guess it means I'm willing to spend a few extra hundred if it would make a huge difference.
Appreciate your comments; 14" is just my own limit on a laptop for lots of travel; too much photog stuff to tote along with the laptop.

No, the 1333 RAM isn't a VERY minimal difference to the 1066 RAM. Don't waste the money on upgrading IMO. If you're going to upgrade to 6gb ANYWAY, then sure that could work. But, don't if you don't have to. It's a waste.