HP DV9869EA - help please

[Rainmaker]

Hi guys,

I'm currently running my main rig (desktop) which has a Gigabyte mobo, s969 Athlon 64 X2 4200+ cpu (2.2ghz dual core, 512k L2 cache), 2GB DDR RAM, 200GB hdd, GeForce 7300GT and dual boots between XP and Fedora 8.

Unfortunately for me, I'm disabled and finding it harder and harder to sit upright at a PC for as long as I'd like (or even half that time being honest lol) Basically I'm looking at a laptop as it would let me keep up my hacking (open source), downloading, game-playing and general peeing around etc but allows me to do it from bed or an easy chair. The desktop will probably be made into a headless NFS/FXP/HTTP server (it's already running lighttpd, ninan and webmin).

Anyway after much agonising with my £1,000 budget, I've discounted a Macbook (yes really) and decided on the now discontinued "but still in stock" HP DV9689EA laptop. It's the same price as its successors but slightly better specced.

Without linking to a competitor the specs are:

* Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor T7500 (2.20 GHz, Level 2 cache 4 MB)
* 2048 MB DDR2 RAM (2 x 1024 MB) - Supports up to 4 GB DDR2 memory
* 500 GB (2 x 250 GB) SATA Hard Disk Drive 5400 rpm
* HD DVD ROM with Super Multi DVD±R/RW Double Layer
* 5-in-1 integrated Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards,
MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, or xD Picturecards
* HP Pavilion WebCam with stereo Integrated Microphones
* TV Tuner DVB-T, (DVB-T service not available in Ireland) with remote
control; HP Mobile Remote Control
* Ethernet 10/100BT integrated network interface
* Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
* Bluetooth® wireless networking
* One ExpressCard/54 slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)
* Display 17" WXGA+ High Definition BrightView Widescreen - Resolution: 1440 x 900
* Video NVIDIA® GeForce™ 8600M GS - Up to 1023 MB total graphics memory with 256 MB dedicated
* Sound 3D Sound Blaster Pro compatible sound 16 bit integrated Altec Lansing® speakers
* Full size desktop keyboard (with separate numeric keypad layout)
Touch Pad with On/Off button and dedicated vertical Scroll Up/Down
pad, volume control, mute buttons, 2 Quick Launch Buttons
* Ports: 4 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI connector, 1 VGA port, 1 RJ11 modem
connector, 1 RJ45 ethernet connector, S-video TV out, 2
headphones-out, 1 mic-in, 1 IEEE 1394, remote control infrared port
(remote optional), cable docking connector

Etc etc etc About the only thing I can see it DIDN'T mention is the built-in fingerprint reader for securing the desktop and/or documents/files etc.

Basically, for £999 is this as great a deal as I think it is? Desktops I've started getting my head around (hardware wise) but laptops? I'm a greenhorn LOL

Would the 2x 250GB hdds be "raid-able"? I'm guessing so or what's the point of having two drives instead of one? I was hoping to buy another 2GB ram from OCUK to make it up to the maximum 4GB the mobo supports.

Any tips/advice gratefully appreciated!

 

[Rainmaker]

Actually (sorry!)... Just noticed the Sony Vaio VGN-AR61M is almost identically specced on balance, but nearly £200 cheaper! Plus it's a Vaio which I believe are quite bomb proof.

Intel® Centrino® Duo processor technology with Intel® Core™2 Duo processor T7500 (2.2 GHz and 800 MHz FSB) and Intel® PRO/Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (English version)
300 GB Serial ATA 4200rpm hard disk drive
2 GB DDR2-667 SDRAM (2 x 1024 MB - No free slot available), maximum 4 GB DDR2-667 SDRAM - in the case of 4GB, a portion of the system memory over 3GB might not be available to the operating system
17" WXGA+ (1440 x 900) widescreen X-black LCD
NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GT graphics processing unit with Total Available Graphics Memory of 1023 MB and dedicated Video Memory of 256 MB
Blu-ray Disc™ Combo drive (BD-ROM/DVD±RW/±R DL/RAM)
Built-in 'Motion Eye' Digital Camera (30 frames per second, 1.3 Mega Pixels) with Motion Picture Function (max. resolution (pixels) SXGA/1280*1024/raw data) and built-in microphone
Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n
3 Hi-Speed USB 2.0 ports
QWERTY keyboard

Same CPU, same RAM, but n wireless and LED-backlit display - which I'm not sure the HP has. The HP also only has g spec wifi. However the Vaio "only" has a 300GB hdd (at a mere 4200rpm at that) and only one of them. However as much as I like HP, something about a Sony Vaio makes me think "this'll be alright, then" LOL

BTW yes I know the Vaio lacks the bluetooth etc, but I wouldn't use that anyway. Would anybody kindly care to give some constructive ideas/criticism please before I waste a grand on the wrong lappy and delve into the seventh layer of depressive hell?