^If you don't need the storage, the air is definitely the way to go now. I'm currently debating putting my month old pro up for sale to snag one of the 13" ultimates but even the base 13 outscores mine in Geekbench. I'll lose my 8gb of ram but I've ended up not using it at all since I always end up booting into Win7 when I need it instead of using it as a VM.

7/24/2011 10:36:26 AM

what does the macbook air do for its $500+ premium over a number of non-apple tablets? just a larger display and keyboard?

7/24/2011 12:19:31 PM

I wouldn't really compare it to a tablet. Compare it to other ultra-light laptops.

7/24/2011 12:40:15 PM

^^ First it isn't a tablet. Other than that you have OSX, size, weight, performance, trackpad, resale, maybe keyboard/battery life, etc.

The main Air competitor is the Samsung Series 9 which is more expensive with slightly less performance. Pretty much anything else is going to be thicker, heavier, etc. The Thinkpad X1 is another one that's heavier with lower battery life but it does offer full speed processors. Unfortunately, it's still more money.

Last year's model just wasn't worth it. The new one kinda is.

[Edited on July 24, 2011 at 12:44 PM. Reason : .]

7/24/2011 12:44:22 PM

well, i know it isn't a tablet, but i was under the impression that a macbook air is just apple's version of a netbook...slower than a "real" laptop, but significantly lighter

in which case i'm curious as to what justifies its pricetag at 2-3x the cost of a non-apple netbook...aside from the fact that it's an apple product (i don't even mean that sarcastically...apple fanboyism is worse than for any other product or company, but i'll gladly admit that their products are of consistently high quality and "just work" and therefore command a higher pricetag and resale value)

i really haven't kept up with the macbook air, so i admit my ignorance...are they faster than a dual-core netbook running windows 7? do they get better battery life? a tablet was an admittedly poor comparison...it popped into my head because i'm thinking about getting one to replace my netbook

[Edited on July 24, 2011 at 4:53 PM. Reason : .]

7/24/2011 4:52:07 PM

Definitely not a netbook alternative. A lot of apple haters called them that but even at their lowest, you were still dealing with c2d processors that would tear up Atoms. They definitely were not high on power though. They were definitely way too expensive though.

The new ones are using 1.6 (11") or 1.7 (13") Core i5 for the base with an option for a 1.8 Core i7. 4gb RAM standard (sadly with no ability to upgrade as it's soldered to the board & apple doesn't offer anything else). All models are SSD with 64gb/128gb standard on the 11" & 128gb/256gb on the 13". Needless to say, they'll run circles around a netbook. The 13 also nets you 1440x900 resolution vs the 1366x768 that you normally get (or even the 1280x800 in the pro). The 13" i5 is doing 5800-6500 geekbench or so. My 2011 13" pro w/ 2.3 i5, 8gb, 320gb is a 5900.

I thought a lot about last year's air simply because I loved the size/weight & I was going to do a SSD no matter what. No matter what, it was simply way too much for old school SLOW c2d processors. The new ones are offering awesome performance for my needs and since size/weight are 2 of my biggest concerns, I'll probably end up getting one in the next month or so (luckily I haven't decided which SSD to go with yet). I fell in love with Samsung's Series 9 also but just didn't want to go all the way down to a 1.4. With the new air, I can get a 256gb ssd & 1.8 i7 for just a little bit more money. It's kinda like Apple forgot to add the apple tax to this one considering the 1st gen air could be configured to well over $2000.

Seriously, people can argue about apple computers being way too much money (& I agree to some extent) but if they start saying it about the new air, it just doesn't make sense. For the first time ever, they're the value leader in a class.

[Edited on July 24, 2011 at 5:33 PM. Reason : . ]

7/24/2011 5:31:31 PM

Quote :

"budget? most laptops that are a "great deal" will run hot when doing processor/graphics-intensive things"

Not a budget...it was a great deal because it was a refurb and it was a weekend when Dell had a 20% off coupon on refurbs...pretty sure the regular price for a new one like that was in the $1100-1200 range...bought it about 3 years ago, and it had a BD drive...fairly certain no budget laptops had BD drives at the time (they still dont)

Quote :

"2) What the heck kind of degree are you working on?"

MAC program here at State. Its weird, I know, but there are some legitimate uses for SL...its not all about finding ways to have simulated sex with strangers.

7/27/2011 11:53:00 PM

Im looking to buy a new laptop that is capable of playing PC games, decent storage, A screen no bigger than 16", and in the $500 to $800 range.

I'm definitely only looking at laptops that have dedicated graphics cards. Ive bee looking at this HP Envy....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157967&cm_sp=Pers_ProductSimilar-_-34-157-967_1_AG-_-34-157-974

What do yall think about this Newegg deal? Is there something else that meets those criteria I should be looking at?

7/30/2011 6:32:01 PM

Any thoughts at all on this purchase? haha, Im getting ready to pull the trigger on this HP envy, but I would love the input of the tww experts first. It always makes me feel better.

8/1/2011 10:57:53 AM

The Envy line is one of the few laptop lines that I actually like. Overall they seem to be a pretty good choice. You didn't really give any details as to what you're looking to do so it's hard to really recommend anything (pc games = facebook crap or the latest gpu destroying rpg? What's "decent" storage?). If you think that one fits your needs then it should be a decent choice.

8/1/2011 11:31:18 AM

just picked up one of these for about $500 with a free Xbox 360 4GB console: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/en_US/pd/productID.231077100/

not sure how much i can sell the console for (folks on slickdeals say $150, but i think that might be a bit high)...i used discover to get 10% cashback, too (so...net cost of $350 or so?)

Acer Aspire TimelineX AS1830T-68U118
- 11.6" LED LCD (1366 x 768)
- Intel Core i7-680UM 1.46 GHz dual-core CPU
- 4GB DDR3 1333MHz
- 500GB SATA 5400RPM
- Bluetooth
- BGN wireless
- 6-cell (8 hours) battery
- 3.1lbs
- no optical drive (a plus for me)

granted, i don't know if it'll actually ship...slickdeals effect is in full swing

[Edited on September 1, 2011 at 8:25 AM. Reason : .]

9/1/2011 8:25:36 AM

funny..

i have this acer timeline 1810t (last years version)..up for sale on craigslist right now..

"Product Features
1.3GHz Intel Core2 Duo SU7300 Processor
4096MB DDR2 667MHz Memory
320GB SATA Hard Drive, Intel WiFi Link 1000 802.11b/g/Draft-N, Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR
11.6" HD Widescreen CineCrystal LED-backlit Display, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
Windows 7 Home Premium, 8+ hours of battery life
Processor, Memory, and Motherboard
Hardware Platform: PC
Processor: 1.3 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
System Bus Speed: 800
Number of Processors: 1
RAM: 4 GB
RAM Type: SODIMM
Hard Drive
Size: 320 GB
Manufacturer: 6
Type: Serial ATA
Ports and Connectivity
USB Ports: 3
Modem: None"






also, i read up earlier in the thread asking what the reason for the premium for a macbook air over a PC.
the unltrabooks (competitors to the MBA) are finally coming out and showing themselves...and apparently, for a PC equivalent to the MBA, you will be paying the same price, possibly even more! and you'll get a thicker notebook, with lesser specs. Every ultra book that has been announced has a 13in 1366x768 display...the MBA 13 has 1440x900...the vertical height is a huge difference.

I was really expecting the PC manufacturers to be able to compete with the macbook...but I don't understand why anyone in their right mind would choose any of these new ultra books over a MBA.
the customer service alone is enough of a reason to get the mac...much less the LACK of any real benefit to the PC version. no discrete graphics....nothing.

seriously, i don't understand what the fuck these companies are thinking....how do you compete with a product by introducing an inferior one?

[Edited on September 1, 2011 at 11:38 AM. Reason : asdfdsaf]

9/1/2011 11:36:39 AM

^ the fact that it's not a Mac is a big benefit to a lot of people whether due to being an apple hater or just being ignorant (or straight up NEEDING windows as many people in this segment do).

Also, in the last day or two, I've noticed several announcements coming in through my google reader feeds that are showing good competitors for the air that match or better the air specs for equal/lower pricing. There's still not many but we're in the beginning so it'll just expand more. I'm a fan of the MBA but I really like some of the ones that I've seen that are coming around ~1/2" thick without the razor edge of the air. With the discounts available on non-apple PCs the next 6 months should show some great options on the Win7 side.

9/1/2011 6:08:31 PM

i won't bash a PC...for a well specd notebook you will pay under $400 and easily have a faster windows system than any air could be..
but I feel like the option of running osx or windows is a huge benefit..especially doing it on the same machine via bootcamp or parallels.
I still haven't seen any new ultra books that outshine the air in every area...some have faster CPUs and maybe more IO ports..but I have yet to see any that compare to the $999 11"...specs, size or anything really..

9/1/2011 7:34:26 PM

http://www.frys.com/product/6786225

Quote :

"THE LENOVO IDEAPAD® Z575 (129925U) NOTEBOOK - MANY DIMENSIONS OF MOBILE MULTIMEDIA This notebook is all about style, performance and a range of multimedia features at a very decent price. The 15.6" widescreen IdeaPad® Z575 notebooks are more affordable than others might think. They make multimedia more realistic with features like OneKey® Theater II for optimized audio-visual settings, SRS® Premium Surround Sound™ audio enhancement technology, and specialized stereo speakers for extra bass. Plus, you can complete everyday tasks faster, with the all new AMD A6 processor with integrated AMD HD graphics technology. Best of all, it’s from Lenovo, makers of the award-winning ThinkPad® business notebook. KEY SPECIFICATIONS AMD A6-3400M quad-core processor Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64 15.6" HD LED backlit display (1366x768), 16:9 widescreen AMD Radeon™ HD 6520M graphics 6GB DDR3 memory, 750GB HDD storage Integrated high-speed 802.11n WiFi HD graphics support and HDMI output Integrated DVD reader/writer USB 2.0, eSATA connectors and 5-in-1 card reader Integrated 0.3 webcam INSPIRE CREATIVITY AccuType keyboard with individual rounded keys for comfortable and accurate typing Gun metal gray finish for a classy look and touch Multitouch touchpad for easy scrolling and zoom functions SIMPLIFY Energy Management – protects the long-term durability of the battery and uses advanced energy-saving technology to increase time spent between charges OneKey® Rescue System makes data backup and recovery simple Lenovo ReadyComm – advanced networking and internet connection management CAPTIVATE AND ENTERTAIN DirectShare – easily synchronize your files with another notebook without connecting to the Internet SRS® Premium Surround Sound™ audio enhancement and stereo speakers HD graphics support and HDMI output OneKey Theater II – one-touch audio-visual optimization for clearer, brighter images and richer audio VeriFace® facial recognition technology Specifications: Operating System: Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit Processor: AMD® A6-3400M Quad-Core Processor Graphics: AMD Mobility Radeon™ HD 6520M Graphics Memory: 6GB DDR3 SDRAM Memory Storage Drive: 750GB Hard Drive Optical Drive: Integrated DVD reader/ writer Display: 15.6" LED Backlit Display, 1366 x 768 resolution Webcam: Integrated 0.3MP webcam Communications: 802.11b/g/n WiFi, 10/100M LAN Expandability: 5-in-1 card reader supporting SD, MMC, MS, MS pro & XD memory cards Ports: 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x eSATA/USB combo port, RJ-45, VGA, microphone, headphone, HDMI Battery: Standard Lithium-Ion battery pack Software: McAfee® VirusScan 2009 Trial Version, OneKey Rescue System, OneKey Theater, Lenovo Readycomm, ooVoo, Adobe Reader, Windows Live Toolbar, YouCam, Microsoft Office 2010 Starter Edition, Veriface, Lenovo Energy Management software, Cyberlink Power2Go (dvd +/- rw), Lenovo DirectShare, DDNI 2 Warranty: 1 Year Limited warranty "

Thoughts, just bought it online from the Slickdeals front page @ FRYS i'll pick it up friday i think but i mean I can also return it...

[Edited on September 21, 2011 at 4:14 PM. Reason : ps. for basic use. not a crazy gamer but would like to play sometimes like spore.]

9/21/2011 4:12:39 PM

It has more power than you would ever use probably.

9/21/2011 4:25:24 PM

http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/30/samsung-unveils-series-7-laptops-we-go-hands-on/



Hot looking laptop. Slightly better specs than the Macbook Pros for roughly half the price.

[Edited on September 21, 2011 at 4:35 PM. Reason : s]

9/21/2011 4:34:24 PM

^^ &^ ya more power but i am looking to keep it for 4-5 years, kinda like the one i have now.

Wait ^ that isn't mine that's samsung

[Edited on September 21, 2011 at 4:40 PM. Reason : wait]

9/21/2011 4:37:58 PM

Completely separate. Just saying the Samsung is a nice looking laptop and cheap compared for what it has.

9/21/2011 4:53:55 PM

Yeah, air's are just ultraportable but still 'fullsized' laptops. You pay for the low weight. A lot.

With a MSRP of $1299 - $999.99 only the high end options can garner the 'almost twice the price' treatment. That said these are expensive compared to other windows laptops.

9/21/2011 5:23:02 PM

more thoughts on what i posted they just called me b/c they sold out and the customer wanted mine but i told them no b/c i save it for me.

WTF frys for not paying for it ASAP online.

9/21/2011 6:07:10 PM

Quote :

"That said these are expensive compared to other windows laptops."

It's all relative. A civic is expensive compared to a Kia. $999 is mid-range for a laptop. Especially one that has better specs than a $2000+ Macbook Pro.

9/21/2011 9:15:26 PM

Setting up the 4th MBP this year that won't belong to me afterwards.

I'm pretty sure that I could ask the company to pay for one, especially if I'm going to have to support OS X for the roadwarriors, but I dunno that Samsung looks pretty slick and I loved the NC10.

I guess I have some time to decide anyway what with the refresh around the corner.

9/21/2011 9:39:40 PM

Everyone wants the overpriced macs, lol.

9/22/2011 8:17:48 AM

They're overrated. The ONLY reason I prefer my Macbook Pro over my work laptop for personal use is the track pad for web browsing. I feel like the touch pad is the only redeeming feature of Macs. Windows is better on almost every other front especially how integrated the business world is with Microsoft Office.

9/22/2011 8:57:47 AM

Definitely the touchpad but also the build quality. I think I paid 1099 for a 13" and that samsung is the first model I have seen that would rival it. I was going to spend around 850 for a similarly specced Lenovo and got the extra 250 approved on those two aspects without hesitation.

9/22/2011 9:38:40 AM

True. Build quality is great. Would almost sell my 13" MBP for that Samsung. Then I'd just stop using my work laptop though. Haha.

9/22/2011 9:42:23 AM

Just to give you a heads up. For 350 dollars you can get a Samsung 300u1a (Princeton) at Staples. It has a Core i3 1.3 ghz CPU, 320 GB hdd, 11.6" 1366x768 screen, 4 gb RAM. I bought one, and it is awesome. Very fast, no shit installed. Go to slick deals for a coupon.

10/15/2011 4:12:19 PM

not a bad deal for a netbook price.

10/15/2011 7:29:49 PM

^^ i ordered it online and it's set to be delivered on tuesday

i ordered it for a friend who is looking to replace her old 12" dell, but it might be too small or she may not want it...i'm considering replacing my dell XPS 13 with it...my current proc (P8600) has a passmark score of 1621 and the i3-2357M has a score of 1704, so between the updated architecture and slightly better raw power, it should perform better than what i've got

10/16/2011 1:40:35 PM

Think I may have posted in the wrong thread earlier by accident, anyway:

Never used slickdeals.net before. Just curious, how often does the "computers" section get updated?

10/22/2011 7:47:34 PM

As soon as someone posts a new deal or replies to an old one. Usually Every few minutes.

10/23/2011 12:50:27 AM

I think i will try putting Mac OS X on it. I read someone on insanelymac putting Mac OS X on it, and most of the features worked on it.

10/23/2011 2:04:13 AM

^^^ very fast, you are talking about for forum that has almost a million users... If it's a good deal, it gets front paged very fast.

10/23/2011 4:41:40 PM

Looking to buy new laptop. Multiuse. Will mostly be used for internet surfing..but also want it for watching movies and some gaming (command and conquer, moh, cod type games). Wld like 17" as I wont travel w it a lot, but may also change my mind and just get 15" and just hook it up to my led monitor from my defunct desktop.
My main problem is I dont know squat ab mobile graphics cards. Want to keep it under a grand. Willng/able to wait until black friday/xmas deals. Brand/model suggestions?

10/24/2011 1:35:09 AM

i truly don't understand the desire for a 17"+ laptop...i get that some people never take their computer ANYWHERE but still like knowing they can if they WANT to...but at that point, i feel like they should be getting a decent desktop for half the price and then buying a netbook or low-end laptop if/when they need it

15.6" laptops annoy the crap out of me, too...way too big

i'll NEVER go less than 14" again, and 13.3" seems to be the sweet spot for me...i couldn't work on my 10.1" netbook for very long, but it does the job when i don't want/need my "real" laptop with me

10/24/2011 8:30:47 AM

Quote :

"i'll NEVER go less than 14" again, and 13.3" seems to be the sweet spot for me"

o_O

10/24/2011 8:36:11 AM

i know, i know...given the plethora of 15.6" options out there (and their much more competitive value pricing), i'm in the minority

i use my wife's 14" lenovo sometimes and it just seems so big

10/24/2011 9:08:20 AM

i'll NEVER go less more than 14" again?

10/24/2011 9:34:40 AM

OH.

reading writing comprehension fail

yeah, that's what i meant

10/24/2011 10:00:56 AM

New Macbook Pros are out.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook_pro

10/24/2011 12:50:24 PM

bueller

bueller....bueller

10/25/2011 2:53:08 PM

is the asus g74sx the best gaming laptop at a decent price?

11/1/2011 2:18:06 AM

http://www.abesofmaine.com/item.do?item=ASG74SX-3DE&l=AFFILIATE&kbid=lw9MynSeamY-.lMazuEtxvHVvfe8oXc2ZQ

11/6/2011 1:55:45 AM

i feel like i have a new laptop

i bought a toshiba almost a year ago and they havent been updating the drivers for the components (ati card, intel drivers, etc...) so on a whim today i decided to see if there were workarounds and low and behold, this is the first time my wife and i said wow when we turned watched a blu-ray rip and minecraft actually runs beautifully now in windows 8

so my advice is don't get a toshiba unless you are willing to put in the work to get what you paid for

11/6/2011 1:03:52 AM

I'm debating whether to get a new Nook Tablet or a Kindle Fire. I like iPad's, but they are over twice the cost and I don't want to pay that kind of price when a new one might come out soon.

http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/nook-tablet-vs-kindle-fire-how-the-specs-compare-2011117/

here is a comparison. I am leaning towards the Nook because it seems to have a lot better features for only $50 more, which isn't much money in absolute terms.

11/8/2011 8:40:21 AM

^ i think the $50 is well spent when you consider just the extra 8GB of internal space and SD slot of the nook color...that's assuming you're going to do more than read books on it, though

nook claims better battery life, too (which is believable considering it's a bit larger)

11/8/2011 11:14:24 AM

plus, someone will have a hack to open either one of them in the near future.

11/8/2011 12:17:02 PM

doesn't the nook run android? i guess the fire might, too, but i don't know

i want someone to liberate my k3 keyboard for use as as worldwide 3G tethering device

11/8/2011 12:48:18 PM

Picked up a Lenovo G570 at tiger direct/compusa last week on sale for $399, went ahead and upgraded from 4MB ram to 8MB... I love finally buying a computer and not having tons of useless shit preinstalled on it.

[Edited on November 9, 2011 at 8:16 AM. Reason : http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=650895&CatId=4938]

11/9/2011 8:16:13 AM