e6500 Configuration, thoughts?

There are infinite ways of configuring software to the hardware, so all I can do is give you a few of my settings. I don't use the awful Vista, so can't comment on it. After using XP exclusively for 4 years, I now use Ubuntu 98% of the time. Ubuntu is easiest to configure - it is very HD-friendly. In Ubuntu 9.04 I set the default screen font to 10, and Firefox to 20. Openoffice.org Word view is varied according to need- starting at 150%.
XP is more involved, starting with changing default ppi in advanced display settings to up 125% to 120.
Icons are left at default size, but font size increased to "extra large". Further, I experiment a little with text in menus etc in "advanced appearance" settings, generally by increasing some font size to 12 and bold. Each program running on an OS has its own qualities of course, so any changes there are program-specific. For example, in Firefox and Thunderbird I set the font sizes at 24 or 22, Internet Explorer font to "largest", and Word view magnification at 130%.

I can read and write with such settings all day and all night with no eye strain at all. I do have some problems with some HD-unfriendly web sites, but not to many - If I really have to see a web site better, I try a different browser: Opera or Explorer (especially).

7200rpm HD's are of course superior in speed to a similar-sized 5400rpm drive, but the speed comes generally at the cost of heat, vibration and power - and bigger drives are much faster in use than smaller drives of the same rotation speed, so picking a really big slower-spinning drive is akin to a faster-spinning but smaller drive. For most users I would think a big 5400rpm HD would be the best option, for price and reduced system stress. Really serious gamers and other power-users etc will generally go for the 7200rpm drives anyway, whatever the comparable heat and power costs. Others who seek the quietest possible efficient work environment should at least consider either a SSD (though they come in smaller sizes and at much greater cost) or the biggest possible 5400rpm HD, in every case coupled with as much system ram as the particular OS used can utilize - and you can afford.

 

I'd just like to leave a comment: Vista DPI scaling is considerably better than XP. Using a high resolution screen in Vista is not so bad. However, 1920x1200 is a VERY high resolution, so it might not suit you.

If you are going to use XP, forget high resolutions.