Dear mdpa,
If I were to regularly play three simultaneous games of poker, I would
choose a widescreen laptop or one with a resolution of 1600x1200. You
can't rely on finding a touchpad with decent tactile feedback on any
laptop, since the very concept of the touchpad is deeply flawed, so I
agree that an external input device is the way to go. Every laptop has
a mouse port on the back. You can attach your favorite mouse, or, if
you're like me, a trackball. I find that using a trackball improves my
speed and accuracy while reducing wrist fatigue over long
clickety-click sessions. In particular, I use the Logitech Marble
Mouse, a symmetrical device with a rather large ball that you can
handle in different ways -- with fingers, thumb, palm -- so as to vary
your mousing motions to help avoid repetitive stress injury. It's
modestly priced, to boot.
Logitech: Marble Mouse
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=6,CONTENTID=5003
What will cost you a pretty penny is the laptop. The last thing you
want is to run out of juice in mid-game, so I recommend that you plug
the machine into an outlet whenever possible. You may want to carry a
lightweight extension cord in the laptop carrying case so that you're
prepared for contingencies. Furthermore, you will want to carry one or
two spare batteries for those situations where no outlet is in sight.
However, given that you need an Internet connection to play poker,
which, in turn, requires either an Ethernet jack or a wireless access
point, you are likely to be in the vicinity of a power outlet anyway.
When it comes to reliability, I would not trust any wireless network
card to keep me online in the midst of a crucial hand. This is not
because the network cards themselves are faulty -- in fact, they are
all made with high-quality components -- but because of the inherent
noise and interference of wireless communications. My recommendation,
then, is that you plug directly into the nearest network router.
You'll want to carry a variety of Ethernet cables for this purpose,
say a ten-footer, a 25' cable, and a 50' cable. Ethernet cable comes
in a variety of grades, but any one of Cat 5, Cat 5e, or Cat 6 will
suit your purposes. One good source for Ethernet cable is Tiger
Direct.
Tiger Direct: Cat 5 cables, 25-foot length
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=738
So you're all wired up with an Ethernet cable, a power adapter, and an
external trackball, but where's the action? One widescreen laptop that
the CNet editors reviewed favorably is the Acer Aspire 2020, offering
a five-hour battery life and a 1280x800 resolution.
CNet: Acer Aspire 2020
http://reviews.cnet.com/Acer_Aspire_2020/4505-3121_7-30873506.html?tag=lst
The editors also like the widescreen Dell Latitude D800, with a
four-hour battery life, but the generally poor users' reviews leave me
doubtful.
CNet: Dell Latitude D800
http://reviews.cnet.com/Dell_Latitude_D800/4505-3121_7-30880949.html?tag=lst
For the greatest possible display area, you'll want to buy a fatter,
heavier laptop with a 1600x1200 screen resolution. A friend of mine
has been satisfied with the overall quality of one such model from
Toshiba, although he complains that the battery life rarely exceeds
two hours. The Toshiba line-up is large and constantly changing, and I
don't know what's available in your area, but here's a review of a
super-resolution Toshiba laptop. My friend's model looks very similar
to this one.
Toshiba Satellite 5200-A751 Laptop Review
http://www.notebook-laptop-review.com/toshiba-satellite-5200-A751-laptop-review.html
Finally, if you can afford to pay a hefty price for top-quality
hardware, you should consider Apple notebooks. Their top-end model
comes with a 17-inch, 1440x900 resolution screen. The claimed battery
life is "up to five hours", meaning that you can typically expect
three or four.
Apple: PowerBook G4 17-inch
http://www.apple.com/powerbook/index17.html
Remember to purchase spare batteries plus a charger, and always plug
into the wall if possible.
If you feel that my answer is incomplete or inaccurate in any way, please
post a clarification request so that I have a chance to meet your needs
before you assign a rating.
Regards,
leapinglizard |
