What the type of pentimum processor should I choose for my laptop if I
intend to use it for developing Java and .Net based business applications.
Should I go with the ones with highest processing power (2.8 ghz with
HT or more) or should I go with the Centrino. Please explain the
rationale.

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Clarification of Question by visualbasic_guru-ga on 06 Feb 2005 12:31 PST

Logically it seems that higher the Mhz the better, but the perception
I got while browsing the laptops(and reading about) them on Dell web
site was that the laptops based on Intel Centrino are faster than ones
based on the higher Mhz non-Centrino processors.

As an IDE, for Java I use and for .Net I use the Microsoft IDE.

At present I develop on a Desktop with Intel Pentium 2.5+ Mhz with 1
GIG Ram and still the WSAD IDE is quite slow.

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Clarification of Question by visualbasic_guru-ga on 06 Feb 2005 12:32 PST

Clarification : As an IDE, for Java I use WSAD (Websphere Application
Developer Studio)

Java is processor intensive. So you're going to want to go with the
highest horspeower available. Intel really wouldn't be the recommended
one for that, I'd say AMD.  When it comes to calculations, they blow
intel out of the water.

I'd go for at least a 3.2 gigahertz, 3.6 most likely.  When you're
dealing with code as you know, it eats alot of the processing power
away.  The better the system it is, the quicker it'll be.  The time
you save a day might not add up to much, fifteen minutes here, half an
hour there, but over a month you can save a day or two's time when
comparing to a 2.4... and to a celeron, well, maybe a week's.

I personally would go with an amd 64 3700.  Hard core numerical
processing and almost all forms of coding will run like a dream.  Much
faster.

http://www.caselab.okstate.edu/research/benchmark.html
just a website to show you some very good benchmarks.

Two points

1) Do you really want to develop on a laptop ?

2) It is often wiser to develop on slower machines
   - speed problems become obvious a lot more quickly
   - just about Ok code on a slow machine is snappy on a fast one
   (If one is using a compiler then fast machines help a lot
    However neither Java or .NET are truly compiled, so one is only concerned
    with the speed of the IDE)

I would definately go with the AMD processor as mentioned above.  The
Athlon processor uses a type of processing called RISC (Reduced
Instruction Set Computer) which makes the executions of the programs
and equations faster.

In lay terms, a Pentium may set instructions to walk forward 4 steps,
turn right, take 2 steps, extend arm, grab the handle, turn to the
right 180 degrees and pull towards self.  An Athlon would say, "Open
the door".  Much simpler eh?

I have a Centrino on a laptop I recently purchased and do minor
coding, but not full Java and it works fine, but the Centrion is based
for mobility not power, and gives more battery life and stuff that
goes with mobility. If you want a super powerful laptop, check out
this site, but of course power costs... http://www.go-l.com  Good
Luck!!

i do a lot of java programming.  I use Netbeans 4.0, which is probobly
not the most optimized piece of software.  Now I haven't touched the
insides of my computer much in 2 years, I run an AMD Athalon 1800+,
and there is virtually no slowdown when I run the IDE.  I also have no
problem running MS Dev studio 6.0 (the version prior to .net). 
Processing power is not going to be your bottleneck, for a fast system
you want like 512mb or more of DDR sdram.

Centrio, a feature in newer intel chips, is solely for improved
wireless signal strength and battery life.  It doesn't effect raw
processing power.