i recommend gaming desktop + lightweight laptop unless you really need to game on the go

3/2/2017 10:59:35 AM

^This.

3/2/2017 12:22:33 PM

has anyone used the active pen with the new xps13? I'm down to the new yoga x1 carbon, the xps13, and the new surfacebook. very low latency pen input is a must but pressure sensitivity and all that good stuff isn't a necessary.

3/6/2017 3:36:34 PM

Quote :

"Dell XPS 13 or Asus UX305. Two of my friends just purchased the Asus UX305 and love it. The Asus is only $699 and has a 256GB SSD, 8GB of ram, 1080p screen, fanless design, and only 2.6 lbs. It does have a Core M processor so it'll work fine for browsing and stuff but I wouldn't try gaming on it. For $700-800 you can either get a decent ultrabook (like the two above) or invest in a heavier laptop with a worse battery life but potentially better for gaming. Which matters more to you?"

What's the 2017 equivalent of the UX305

7/6/2017 9:30:48 AM

just got a new 13" mid-2017 macbook pro fully upgraded at work and i'm a massive fan - coming from a mid-2012 with the superdrive though so it's a huge change

7/6/2017 4:46:01 PM

I got the November 2016 Macbook Pro Touchbar in January, which replaces my 2011 Macbook Air. It's pretty nice so far.

7/7/2017 10:21:58 AM

Looking for a new laptop or 2-in-1 for work that might be able to run autocad. I don't really know shit about computers, but our old laptop struggles with it. Would also be cool to be able to whip out a tablet like thing to show customers pictures and whatever, but I get that that might not be able to run autocad. Preferably under $1,000. Any suggestions?

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-requirements-for-AutoCAD-2017.html

10/15/2017 6:15:03 PM

if you were willing to drop 1200 I'd go this route
https://slickdeals.net/f/10581452-hp-spectre-x360-15t-laptop-i7-8550u-15-6-4k-touch-8gb-ddr4-1200-free-shipping?src=SiteSearch

I have the previous model with the 7th gen i7 and it's easily the best laptop I've ever used. build quality, stylus quality (has an active digitizer), screen (15" 4k ips), and performance. it's also pretty light for the size and material quality.

I have the 16gb ram, 2gb 940m, 512gb nvme model from the first half of this year, you might find that for under 1000

10/15/2017 8:48:21 PM

Looking to order an xps 13 in the next few days. Other great laptops out there, but it seems they just can't put the full package together like dell has with the xps series.

10/17/2017 7:51:08 PM

My $1,333 then-top-of-the-line ASUS laptop has died after just 3 years, but it had been giving me trouble for the last 1.5 years.

I seem to have the shittiest luck... why should such a high-performance expensive machine start giving trouble after 1.5 years and die after 3 years only?
*************************************************************

Does brand matter? After having terrible luck with 2 HPs and 2 Dells from 2003 to 2014, I went with ASUS specifically because according to some electronics insurance company's report (posted on TWW), the top 3 brands with the highest reliability were/are Sony, Panasonic, and Asus (in descending order), and the worst was Acer, with HP and Dell in the middle or below the middle.

Well, the super-expensive ASUS with top-of-the-line specs just crapped out after 3 years

People post here about their laptops working for 5+ years with no problem and it makes me jealous. I don't even take mine anywhere, it sits on a table, and the same with previous ones. Having said that, my wife's Samsung has been working for 5+ years now with no issues, so maybe I should go with Samsung?

**************************************************************

Anyway, I hope someone can help me find/recommend something. I went to Amazon and my head started spinning. First time buying a laptop online, so I don't know how to narrow it down with the million variables, not to mention, a million websites other than Amazon.

Ideally, I would like:

- 8 GB or more RAM
- 256 GB or more SSD (no HDD, for the first time)
- 13.X" - 14.X" range (15.X" ok, but not ideal)
- Windows or Chrome OS (as long as I can use full MS Office on the latter)

Will not go lower than:

- 4 GB RAM
- 128 GB SSD
- 13.X"

My budget is up to $800, but I would like to ideally spend in the $600 range. (since I will spend $100/yr on online storage like Dropbox)

What do y'all who have bought laptops within the past 2 years recommend? I would like to order one by this Sunday or Monday, but can wait up to 10 days for better deals/suggestions.

Thank you.

10/18/2017 1:24:09 PM

if you've killed 2 HP's, 2 Dell's, and now an ASUS, i think you are the problem and not the laptop. What are you doing to these things?

10/18/2017 1:55:28 PM

Like I said, I don't even take them anywhere.

All I do is

- MS Office
- Internet (email, surfing, YouTube, music streaming)
- Windows Media Player
- IrfanView (picture viewer)

And that's it. No gaming, no intensive applications like video editing or the like, nothing else.

I do always have 50-70 browser tabs every single day. Surely, if laptops die because of that, they need to redesign them.

10/18/2017 2:03:00 PM

Quote :

"After having terrible luck with 2 HPs and 2 Dells from 2003 to 2014.."

Business class?

If you're having all these problems with business class laptops then it's clearly not the laptops at fault.

[Edited on October 18, 2017 at 3:06 PM. Reason : How did your ASUS "die" too btw? What are the symptoms ]

10/18/2017 2:59:17 PM

For recommendations check past pages. I always get off-lease/refurb Dell Latitudes for cheap.

[Edited on October 18, 2017 at 3:05 PM. Reason : Just have to wait on a 40-50% off coupon code]

10/18/2017 3:01:34 PM

No not business class, just regular home laptops.

The Dells and HPs were in the $600-800 range in their days. Only really expensive one was the ASUS N-Series with quad-core i7, 16 GB RAM, 4 (2?) GB video RAM, 1 TB HDD, and 15.6".

Dell Latitudes? Alright thanks, will check them out. Any particular model/spec set in the Latitude line?

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=dell+latitude

I mostly see refurbed ones above... is there a reason for that?

And how long will refurbed laptops last? What if one dies after the 30-day return window? Are you screwed, unless you opt for the extended warranty from Aamzon?

10/18/2017 3:10:18 PM

the Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme

10/18/2017 3:51:47 PM

For a personal laptop I paid $500 for a Samsung Chromebook Pro and couldn't be happier. I'm super tempted to sell it and get the new Google Pixelbook for some more storage and ram but so far ChromeOS has been smother than any Window or OSX machine I've used in the past. Upgrades take seconds. It restarts in seconds and I can powerwash (basically wipe the whole thing) super quick. The browsing experience is the best I've ever had on a laptop and it weighs 2.2 lbs.

10/19/2017 4:25:31 AM

^ That sounds tempting. Can you please link to the model you have? Thanks. And by powerwash and wiping clean, did you mean physically cleaning the device, or electronically wiping it clean?

I am guessing Chrome OS has full fledged MS Office? Is it possible to download applications from websites like on a Windows machine, and install and use them? Or do software makers make separate Chrome versions? Sorry, I just haven't researched Chrome OS yet in terms of it's functionality.

10/19/2017 6:17:40 PM

I have this version: https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE510C24-K01US-Chromebook-Pro/dp/B071LB1GG4/

There's also a slightly cheaper version (silver Samsung Chromebook Plus). The only difference is the Pro version has an Intel M3 processor while the Plus has a less powerful ARM processor.

I've also got Linux running in parallel to Chrome OS using Crouton (https://github.com/dnschneid/crouton) for anything I'm not able to do in Chrome OS.

It also supports full Android app integration which is awesome. Anything you can run on your Android phone can run in Chrome OS.

I'd say for $500 you'd be hard pressed to find a Windows laptop with the build quality and low weight (it only weighs 2.2lbs).

For some reason Microsoft isn't letting users install Word and Excel via the App store on devices with larger screens but the Office 365 web apps work fine and for personal use I mainly use Google Docs anyway.

The Asus C302 is the big competitor to the Samsung. You're getting a much better screen and trackpad on the Samsung but the keyboard is better on the Asus and it's a 16:9 ratio instead of 3:2 on the Samsung.

Starting at $999 the Google Pixelbook is supposed to be great but I'm waiting on some reviews first.

-Powerwash is the ChromeOS term for wiping clean and starting from a fresh install. It would be the equivalent to re-installing Windows or OSX. You can do it super fast on ChromeOS and since everything is tied to your Google account it's a painless process. You can also enable developer mode and switch to the beta or developer channels to get all the latest updates and support the development community which is fun. I haven't had the courage to switch to the developer channel but beta has been great.

The reddit community has been super active recently and it's a great resource for asking questions: https://www.reddit.com/r/chromeos/

[Edited on October 19, 2017 at 7:39 PM. Reason : answer your power wash question]

10/19/2017 7:32:29 PM

Quote :

"And by powerwash and wiping clean, did you mean physically cleaning the device"

Quote :

"And by powerwash and wiping clean, did you mean physically cleaning the device"

Quote :

"And by powerwash and wiping clean, did you mean physically cleaning the device"

[Edited on October 19, 2017 at 11:22 PM. Reason : just get a refurb latitude. it'll still work after humanity is long gone.]

10/19/2017 11:21:18 PM

Anything new in the last 7 months? Need a new laptop for work, mostly just emails and QuickBooks, a lot of web pages and stuff, and probably Autocad/sketchup. Gonna be using it personally too so I want it to last.. Does it make any more sense to spend $1500-2000 over like 800-1000?

5/3/2018 8:25:22 PM

That price will bring you longer battery life, a better screen, an SSD, and a thinner chassis. You can get a 8th gen i7 in either an Ultrabook or a traditional thicker form factor, and Dell, Asus, Lenovo, HP, and Acer are at the top right now with little to choose between them until the Ultrabook category, but Dell has had a 3+ yr resurgence across their entire laptop lineup. If you can give up a bit of battery life and screen quality (no photo editing), then a good 15" 1080p i7 can be had for around a grand.

I still don't see the benefits of a touch screen or a 2 in 1, but that's my use. And a 4k screen definitely is overkill.

[Edited on May 4, 2018 at 6:57 AM. Reason : Fndjd]

[Edited on May 4, 2018 at 7:03 AM. Reason : Fndjd]

5/4/2018 6:56:14 AM

work just gave me a new T470 (7th gen i7 and 16or 32GB RAM), I am running dual 4k monitors and do light CAD and it handles it fine (I think it only pushes the dual 4k monitors at 30hz though, so wouldn't be great for media). The screen is only FHD, but I think the t470s has up to WQHD. They generally don't spend a lot for people who don't need workstations, so if I got it I assume it's <$1000 on the lenovo outlet.

5/4/2018 9:01:41 AM

How is this laptop and offer? Any direct or indirect experience with this series?

https://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/ideapad-700-series/Ideapad-710S-Plus-13-IKB/p/80W3006QUS

Reduced to 900 from 1,350.

Processor
7th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-7500U Processor (2.70GHz 4MB)

Operating System
Windows 10 Home 64

Display Type
13.3" FHD IPS AntiGlare (1920x1080) with integrated camera

Memory
16.0GB DDR4 2400 MHz (Onboard)

Hard Drive
512GB PCIe SSD <--- it is worth it for this right here (and the one above)

Optical Drive
No Optical Disc Drive

Warranty
One year

Graphics
Intel® HD Graphics 620

Battery
4 Cell 46 Watt Hour Li-Cylindrical

Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version 4.1

Keyboard
Backlit English Keyboard

Wireless
Lenovo AC Wireless (2x2)

5/21/2018 2:40:43 PM

go for the 720 with the 8th gen cpu

5/21/2018 6:57:43 PM

Just make sure you powerwash and wipe it clean when you get it.

5/21/2018 8:12:41 PM

^ would you recommend a hand soap, dish soap, or laundry detergent to wipe it clean?

^^ thanks:

https://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/ideapad-700-series/Ideapad-720S-13-Intel/p/88IP70S0893

5/21/2018 8:53:43 PM

Quote :

"I'm building a freeNAS box with 4TB of RAID-Z2 storage. The box will be used for streaming media and general file server use. Parts list: [...] 3/3/2012 7:28:53 PM"

The last original hard drive died last week.

Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 S/N S1E0B1WJ

August 4, 2012 - October 25, 2018

"Rest now your weary heads."

10/31/2018 12:27:43 PM

I just replaced the drives in my NAS with 4TB seagates

11/1/2018 8:47:44 PM

Eww. Seagate.

11/2/2018 11:28:18 AM

So what drive do you grab when you're reaching into the cooler for a cold one?

I've been replacing failed NAS drives with 2TB but plan to install 4TB drives beginning with the next failure. The oldest drive is 4 years old.

11/2/2018 3:45:37 PM

https://www.backblaze.com/blog/tag/hard-drive-stats/

11/2/2018 6:41:30 PM

correction, I have hitachi deathstars

11/5/2018 12:26:30 AM

I need to get a new laptop. Lots of specials right now so I think I can get a good deal. Based on these needs, at which brands/models should I be looking? (Note, I don't speak computer lingo very well, so explain it to me like you would to a grandparent)

- I save lots of files and work on video projects, so I'm looking for 1TB storage
- High resolution widescreen for video and graphic design projects
- No Apple/Mac products (personal preference)
- Durable for travel
- Windows office suite
- CD/DVD drive (this seems to be a rarity in new laptops...I know I can get external ones but that's a hassle for travel)
- If it's relevant information, I'm not a gamer

12/6/2018 6:21:23 PM

if you can find a way to ditch the optical drive it will help your search a lot

12/7/2018 8:55:20 AM

What is the risk of getting a refurbished laptop?

1/29/2019 5:38:17 PM

caveat emptor

1/29/2019 7:34:56 PM

^^ usually a shorter warranty, that's pretty much all I buy and it's never been an issue for me

1/29/2019 8:09:56 PM

Quote :

"What is the risk of getting a refurbished laptop?"

You can look on past pages, but refurbished latitudes all i buy for myself and my customers. I would not buy a consumer class refurb, just business class. Never had an issue.

I usually get them on deals like this:
https://bensbargains.com/bargain/50-off-any-item-499-633227/
https://bensbargains.com/bargain/450-off-dell-latitude-5480-laptops-633079/
https://www.dealcatcher.com/dell-financial-services-coupons


But ebay and Newegg have pretty good deals too.

[Edited on January 29, 2019 at 11:35 PM. Reason : are you really gonna need an optical drive when you travel? it ain't THAT MUCH of a pain in the ass.]

1/29/2019 11:34:25 PM

I have a USB cd/dvd-rw drive that weighs practically nothing and is tiny for that 1 or 2 times a year I need an optical drive. Its USB powered, you dont even need a power cord. I'd look at that vs. an optical drive unless this is a daily thing (what industry are you in that you still need frequent optical drive use?)

1/30/2019 7:30:28 AM

Yup. External drive ftw

1/30/2019 11:27:37 PM

any good deals for Prime day? can't decide if i want something better than average, or just some HP with decent storage

10/11/2023 1:36:46 AM

anyone ever bought a refurbished laptop off of amazon?

10/11/2023 3:18:16 AM

^^get a ThinkPad and join the TrackPoint fan club

https://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=652899

10/11/2023 1:16:53 PM

Dell latitudes have them too, right?

10/11/2023 4:46:46 PM

not the latitude 7640 I'm on right now

10/16/2023 3:13:47 PM