anybody?

2/3/2014 6:30:46 PM

^No you wont be able to play league of legends. You wont even be able to watch League of Legends videos in HD on youtube with a C2Duo laptop that old.

For web browsing, non-hd video playback and basic office/productivity they will be great. But not for anything else.

----------------------------------

For the Apple trackpad question:

And no, there is absolutely no PC trackpad that even approaches the beauty that is the Apple trackpad experience. It's quite simply phenomenal and more importantly patented to hell.

All PC trackpads are manufactured by Alps or Synaptics (all being 95+ percent). Both use capacitive touch pads. However Apple owns a number of multi-touch patents, and their trackpads are in reality just multi-touch surfaces without displays underneath.

[Edited on February 3, 2014 at 7:23 PM. Reason : f]

2/3/2014 7:23:29 PM

^ exactly what i needed to hear, why thankyou sir

2/3/2014 8:10:09 PM

wait no ... I'm talking about the i7

: HP Pavilion Multimedia Laptop

Model DV6-2190us. This is a serious quad-core i7 machine with the power for gaming, CAD, photo/video editing, etc. The battery on this machine is BRAND NEW.

Specs:

* Intel Core i7-720QM processor with 1.60GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.80GHz
* 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 DIMM) (expandable to 8 GB)
* 320GB (7200RPM) Hard Drive (SATA),
* LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, * Up to 3.25 Hours of Battery Life
* 15.6" Diagonal High-Definition LED HP BrightView Display
* Nvidia GeForce GT 230M CUDA Graphics w 2GB GDDR3
* 4x USB 2.0, VGA, HDMI, Multicard Reader
* Integrated Wifi and Bluetooth
* Webcam

$350

2/3/2014 8:31:49 PM

^yes that will be fine for what you're doing then.

2/3/2014 9:43:56 PM

I am looking at Asus and Toshiba for my next laptop. Need:

8 GB ram
1 tb hdd
i7
Optical drive

Any particular models that you guys recommend?

And how is Samsung for laptops, cuz they seems to have some good machines?

Btw, are netbooks no more? Haven't seen them in a while... guess they got replaced by tablets and ultra books?

2/7/2014 8:30:32 PM

Price range would help. Also 1TB might be a little harder to find if you look at higher end Ultrabooks as most of them have transitioned to SSDs and you'll typically get an option for 128 up to 512 GBs. Although I wouldn't pay the premium for storage space on an SSD.

2/10/2014 10:53:59 AM

^^Samsung makes great laptops.

If you can swing it, i'd suggest getting an ultrabook with an external optical drive and external HDD for storage and grab a 256gb SSD (or 512 if you can swing the cost) on board.

Having an optical drive on device is going to significantly reduce your option, and increase the weight of anything you do find.

I have a Dell M4700 at work that I really like, has all of your checklist, but it's heavy. I only carry it around for short jaunts from meeting to meeting and I loathe occasionally having to take it home with me or on work trips because of the weight.

2/10/2014 2:18:28 PM

^,^^

Thanks.

Went looking today, and narrowed it down to 2 machines with identical specs, except for the processor.

Toshiba S50 (touch screen)
i7 4700MQ
8 GB ram
2GB vram
1 TB
15.6"
$1,093

Samsung NP 870 (w/out touch screen), NP880 (w/ touch screen)
i7 3635MQ
8 GB ram
2 GB vram
1 TB
15.6"
$1,280/$1,333

I compared at http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processor-comparison/compare-intel-processors.html and found that both processors have identical specs in all the things that matter, such as frequency, cores, turbo, L2/L3 caches, etc.

The Samsung was a premium series, and came in all dark blue aluminum finishing, and JBL audio. Yes, it was gorgeous, but that's not a primary consideration. I guess that's why it was expensive. It was also without an optical drive, but still heavier than the Toshiba which was with one. Actually, even though the 2 Samsungs were identical, the NP880 was significantly heavier, I want to say it felt 15-20% heavier to me. Is that because of all the extra stuff needed to make a touch screen? The Toshiba felt as heavy as the NP870, or maybe a tad bit lighter. (optical drive not essential, I decided)

Is it that important to go with the Haswell over the Ivy Bridge if they (laptops AND processors) have otherwise identical specs?

P.S. Of course, if the Haswell laptop is cheaper, I should go with it, right? Well, if there won't be any difference in performance due to the different processors, I would rather pay a small premium and go with the Samsung, because the Toshiba was, how to say this, a bit ugly! And the sound on the Samsung blew my mind!

P.P.S. The HP rep there of course wanted to sell his machine, an Envy with same specs as the above 2 but with 16 GB ram and the 4700 processor, plus it had Beats audio, and it cost halfway between the 2 above. Anyway, he said that it is better to get machines with a detachable battery rather than an integrated one as integrated batteries don't last that long, because when your machine is plugged in, the battery is still being used whereas with the other one you can take the battery out.

Is that true, what I bolded?


[Edited on February 11, 2014 at 7:59 PM. Reason : ]

2/11/2014 7:36:40 PM

Haswell will get you the same performance clock for clock as ivy bridge, with anywhere from 20-50% better battery life. It's a HUGE difference.

Laptop batteries today will retain their charge for ~3 years, with 5-6 years as a usable lifespan. Yes, having a replaceable battery is a good idea, but it really depends on your needs if it's worthwhile. Replaceable batteries generally mean heavier, bulkier designs that add more cost.

So if you are the type who truly buys a new laptop once every 5-7 years, maybe it's worth it. If you are going to refresh every 2-3, it's not a features worth much.

2/11/2014 9:03:27 PM

Thanks for clarifying

2/11/2014 9:33:27 PM

this thread keeps reminding me that I need a new laptop. My wife and I both have work laptops so that has caused us to put off newer personal laptops longer than I normally might have, but I really need another personal laptop.

My wife's died last year and I replaced hers with a Nexus 7 since she was fine with her work computer + a tablet. Mine is still alive and kicking and works fine for everyday stuff, but I really should upgrade purely for staying up with technology more. I'm still running CS4 on Windows XP on my 7 year old Lenovo (2nd battery and even it barely holds a charge anymore).

2/12/2014 9:56:03 AM

Quote :

"integrated batteries don't last that long, because when your machine is plugged in, the battery is still being used whereas with the other one you can take the battery out."

Not entirely true. Modern batteries will last around 500-1000 cycles before they go below 80% of their capacity. A cycle is a complete discharge so if you leave your laptop plugged in it's really not cycling through a discharge.

Even if it's not "user replaceable" most ultra books you can still swap out the battery after a couple years assuming you can find the right battery. The Yoga 2 Pro shows you how to swap it out in the manual.

2/12/2014 11:34:34 AM

Looking to buy a new laptop primarily for my wife to replace our '07 MacBook. I've got a home built desktop for any CAD/gaming/etc., but I wouldn't mind this computer having reasonable performance in those departments for me if the budget allows - targeting $700 or less.

I would definitely like a resolution of 1600x900 or better and a screen size of about 14". For mobility, she wants it to be in the ballpark of 5lb or less and have decent battery life of maybe 5 hours of casual work minimum (MS Office and the like).

I'm currently eyeing a Lenovo Z410 with the 1600x900 screen, i5-4200M CPU, 8GB RAM, Intel HD4600 graphics, & a 1TB 5400RPM HDD. It's listed at $600 until Tuesday. My only hesitation is Windows 8.1 (no experience with it) and how I've been spoiled by a SSD in my desktop. Any better suggestions?


[Edited on March 2, 2014 at 11:59 PM. Reason : ]

3/2/2014 11:57:28 PM

I was looking hard at the Lenovo X1 Carbon. But then i realized that it's pretty much the same price as a 13" retina MBP. Hrmmm

3/15/2014 12:27:43 PM

Ended up pulling the trigger on the Yoga 13 - actually really enjoying the combo laptop/tablet functionality!

3/15/2014 5:40:05 PM

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=8699251&sku=LCU-102133189

anyone have any hesitations or feedback about this laptop ?

3/29/2014 1:17:14 AM

F that.

Get a Latitude refurb and throw an SSD in that mug.

3/29/2014 2:07:38 AM

any particular reason ?

3/29/2014 11:18:21 AM

I'm just partial to them since they hold up so well...also I hate Windows 8...also I really like SSDs. Are you wanting a touchscreen?

3/29/2014 12:10:15 PM

not particularly... i can't really see the benefit.

3/29/2014 1:53:20 PM

can you find me a latitude ? the only ones i can seem to find are first gen i5's with 4gb ram instead of 6 for ~ the same price.

3/29/2014 3:25:19 PM

Dell Outlet comes out with a 25/30% off coupon pretty often, but that's not going on right now. That's usually the best time to strike.

In general though, I'm willing to sacrifice on the specs a little to get business class laptop over a consumer class one. Build quality is much higher, and they're engineered for reliability instead of focusing on features and specs. Pretty safe to say they'll last longer.

http://1sale.com/electronics/computers-tablets/dell-latitude-141/?ref=cj
http://tinyurl.com/laedqjl

But like I said, Dell Outlet is best. I've been getting mine off eBay lately and adding an SSD (and RAM if needed). Depending on size, you're probably be looking for these:

Quote :

"E5410: 14.1" Essential (Core i3/i5/i7) E5510: 15.6" Essential (Core i3/i5/i7) E6410: 14.1" Mainstream (Core i3/i5/i7) E6510: 15.6" Mainstream (Core i3/i5/i7) E4310: 13.3" Ultraportable (Core i5)"

3/29/2014 6:19:28 PM

solid

3/29/2014 8:10:53 PM

Keep an eye on these too: http://tinyurl.com/poj32ro http://bensbargains.net/search/latitude/?sr=1

3/30/2014 3:47:14 PM

Just got a e7440 Ultrabook for work. Loving it so far. Got my IT department to upgrade all the screens to 1080p. I can't have another 1366 by 768 laptop. Makes it almost not usable.

3/30/2014 5:57:57 PM

my work laptop is an E6410 and the screen is pathetic and the bezel is like 1" all around. :/

3/31/2014 7:58:33 PM

Yeah I had a 6410 before I got the 7440. Kind of sad to see it go. I had the half-way decent resolution of 1440 by 900. The bezel really wasn't that bad for a Dell business laptop (they don't get much better). I bumped the ram up to 8GB and added an SSD to it.

Also I love the matte 1080p screen on the 7440. Not a bad laptop.

Not matte in the pic but it's slicker than the previous line:



[Edited on March 31, 2014 at 8:48 PM. Reason : s]

3/31/2014 8:44:58 PM

Quote :

"25% off any refurbished Dell Laptop or Tablet w/ code QWKSX8WQCKK2FG [Exp 4/12]"

4/12/2014 2:43:18 PM

Quote :

"Samsung NP 870 (w/out touch screen), NP880 (w/ touch screen) i7 3635MQ 8 GB ram 2 GB vram 1 TB 15.6" $1,280/$1,333"

Good call on this... was looking for like two weeks. Just got the Book 8 from best buy, $1200, the touchscreen version. I'm shocked at how responsive both the touchscreen and touchpad are, as that was one of my main things I was looking for. If anything, the touchpad is too sensitive, but it's pretty solid. Only real negative at the moment is the sound mostly seems to come from the bottom of the computer, so it's muffled if it's sitting in your lap. For all the hate Windows 8 got, I'm liking it. The touchscreen being so awesome, I'm kinda wishing I had gotten a model that folded down into a tablet, but this will do.

[Edited on April 21, 2014 at 10:20 PM. Reason : it's so sensitive, it's hard to be accurate with mouse... gonna take some figuring out...]

4/21/2014 10:06:46 PM

http://tech.woot.com/offers/hp-14-core-i5-elitebook-2

Processor: Intel Core i5-520M (2.4GHz) Max Turbo Boost 2.933GHz
3MB Cache
Processor Core: Dual-Core
Screen Size: 14"
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Resolution: 1366 x 768
Display Type: HD LED-backlit
Graphics: Intel HD
Memory: 4GB DDR3 (expandable to 16GB)
Hard Drive: 250GB SATA (5400rpm)
Optical Drive: SuperMulti DVD±RW
Network: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
Wireless: 802.11b/g/n
Card Reader: Multi-Format Card Reader (SD, MMC)
54mm ExpressCard
Smart Card Reader
Battery: 6-Cell Lithium-Ion
Speakers: Built-in
Webcam: None
Keyboard: Full-Size
Pointing Device: Touchpad & Point Stick


This is a 2010 model, refurbished, with Win7 Pro for $279 on Woot - the benchmark comparison below indicates a not-so-great performance level, but I'm currently running a 2009 model with an older intel processor.

http://www.laptopmag.com/review/laptops/hp-elitebook-8440p.aspx

Is it worth it for a home/internet unit at $279?

4/22/2014 7:38:20 AM

Swap the had for an ssd and it'll be a lot more performant.

4/22/2014 12:00:01 PM

^^ for $279, i'd look at a high performing tablet. that screen resolution is pretty terrible and will be common for laptops under ~$450 or so

4/22/2014 12:06:05 PM

Quote :

"Resolution: 1366 x 768 "

4/22/2014 12:47:06 PM

haha.... same as my current setup, but duly noted.


...nothing like my 27" @ 2560x1440 work computer monitor

4/22/2014 1:26:39 PM

Yeah when 1920 by 1080 is standard on cell phones now getting a laptop at 1366 by 768 is just silly. My 8.4" tablet's resolution of 2560 by 1600 is glorious.

4/22/2014 2:37:46 PM

http://slickdeals.net/f/6928480-dell-outlet-inspiron-15-3537-non-touch-refurbished-or-scratch-and-dent-haswell-core-i3-6gb-ram-starting-at-275-tax

5/14/2014 3:54:07 PM

Picked up a 'dud' laptop one of our PM's damaged that was slated for the trash for a non-functioning monitor....

Win7 home premium, i5, 6GB ram, 500GB HD, 15". I'm going to replace the display cable first because the monitor itself has no visible damage, then if that no workey i'll do the monitor (it's a gamble either way, but I can use the VGA & HDMI outputs to another monitor with no issue)

5/14/2014 4:31:40 PM

hold a bright light over the screen and look. it might be the inverter for the backlight. ive fixed a couple of those for like $20

5/15/2014 9:19:48 AM

^will do.

5/15/2014 1:42:33 PM

Is Acer's bad reputation well-deserved?

Do they go bad quicker, on average, than other brands? Does a bigger percentage of them go bad, than other brands?

Found a sweet new Acer model, and trying to decide between that, a Lenovo model, and an Asus model.

Any comments/advice/personal experience?

5/16/2014 5:44:30 PM

for the most part, they're all the same...you'll find people who hate and love every brand, with good reasons

individual models might have specific problems, but overall you get what you pay for (for example, a thinkpad will last longer than an ideapad, but you'll pay the premium for it)

5/16/2014 6:24:27 PM

Thanks.

Anybody here have personal experience with either of these machines:

Asus N550 i7 4700 HQ
Lenovo Z410 i7 4702 MQ
Lenovo Z510 i7 4700 MQ

Don't know what to choose. Have read a ton of reviews and comparisons for the past 1 hour.

5/17/2014 9:08:55 PM

I am picking up a new laptop in the next couple of days.


What should I do to my current one to make sure all my files are permanently deleted from it, without having to reformat it?

Just simply deleting files and emptying the trash does not delete them, right? Anybody can get them back using easily downloadable 'undelete' programs. Are there also programs which do permanent deletion?

5/18/2014 1:21:11 AM

HEY! LOOK WHAT I FOUND OUT WITHIN 2 MINUTES OF GOOGLING:

Quote :

"Freeraser permanently deletes your data. Its an amazing software and the best part is that it is free !!! You can download it from - http://www.freeraser.com/ "

5/18/2014 6:43:17 AM

Thanks

Anybody have any experience with any of the 3 models I posted ^^^

5/18/2014 10:18:16 AM

I just bought a MacBook Pro. Worth every fucking penny. Best windows 8 machine money can buy.

5/18/2014 11:13:13 AM

Aside from like... no touchscreen?

5/18/2014 1:20:15 PM

Like I said. I use my computer to do shit. I have a tablet to goof around on and play games

5/19/2014 7:55:49 PM

So you'd agree that Metro as a touch interface is only good for goofing around and playing games and not actually doing work?

But yeah I see your point. I really only ever use my Yoga 2 Pro's touch screen for the Reddit or maybe Kindle app.

5/20/2014 10:42:59 AM