[PD] [half OT] laptop processors for rt sound

[julien.breval at tremplin-utc.net]

hello

just planning on buying a generic laptop pc soon, for realtime music 
applications under linux (pd, ardour) and under windows xp (max/msp), but I 
need some information / experiences about it (on the internet the main topic I 
found is this eternal amd/intel debate and I don't really care about this)


regarding the cpu, there are two main technologies

- desktop processors adapted to notebooks (for example, intel mobile pentium 4 
or amd mobile athlon xp): these ones give you the same performance as a desktop 
computer, but you shouldn't unplug the computer from the external energy source 
for too long

- mobile-oriented technologies (intel centrino/pentium M, amd sempron): focus 
on mobility (low consumption, embedded WLAN, less heat hence less fan noise, 
etc) but almost nothing is said about their performance compared to the above 
category; as these processors work differently (other instructions, other 
architecture), I would like to know if any of you use such machines for making 
music in realtime, because I didn't find anything serious about it on the 
internet

So the question is not "amd or intel ?" but "sempron/centrino or mobile-athlon/-
pentium4 ?" 

For a given price, I can't make any compromise on calculus performance and I 
don't plan on using the laptop on batteries too much (anyway my sound card 
needs external power), so maybe the first category is the best for me, but as 
there are more and more second-category laptops, I certainly have to take them 
in account too.

Most probably I will have to choose between amd sempron, amd mobile athlon xp, 
intel mobile pentium 4 and intel pentium M / centrino. I don't need a huge cpu 
power but I don't want this laptop to be less performant/reliable than my 
current 2 years old 2.4 GHz shuttle desktop computer.


notes: I fear 64-bit will be too expensive so I won't focus on it. Also, I 
don't see clearly the difference between a "mobile xxx processor" and its "xxx 
processor for notebooks equivalent that you can find in both amd and intel 
ranges :)


thanks for your help,
-j