I've been looking at the Haswell laptops. Some of them are hard to find right now at a good price.

Considering some other deals:
http://www.staples.com/Lenovo-Flex-Dual-Mode-156-Touch-Screen-Laptop/product_279254#desc_content

Thoughts?

11/29/2013 5:31:09 PM

Not a bad deal but you'd be missing out on the slate mode which is awesome.

Just got this yoga 2. The screen is ridiculous. Aside from the lack of apps in the Windows App store everything has been great.

11/29/2013 11:32:24 PM

Looking for the $500-700 range, so I'm not sure slate mode is even an option. I saw a refubrished Yoga 11s in that range, but was lacking in some other aspects. I love the Yoga 2 after some research, but just isn't in the range for me right now.

Also looking at a beefier Lenovo laptop:
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/ideapad/z-series/z510/?sb=:000001C9:0000F7B2:&cid=us:cse:OAB9Cs:ca|Dealnews|59400172&CA_6C15C=600003960000003202

And some ASUS vivobook and ultrabooks that are in my range on Amazon and NewEgg.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F0RD2H6/ref=s9_simh_gw_p147_d0_i4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1RKTS936V2XE847GRA9J&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1630083462&pf_rd_i=507846

11/30/2013 12:44:45 AM

Any thoughts on a $200-$400+ budget range laptop that will run Minecraft decently? My kids are forever using my PC for just Minecraft and other little games. I would be interested in a Steam Box, but since those aren't out yet I would open it up to either a decent laptop (does not have to be a big monitor though) or an HTPC. I have a TV that I could run it on and already have a couple of 360 remotes that I use on my big desktop. So an HTPC might be an option as well. Thoughts or suggestions?

12/2/2013 10:17:50 AM

Uh... why not just buy an Xbox 360?

12/2/2013 12:04:57 PM

^^^Amazon is selling the Dell XPS 12" for $799. It's the 4gb/i5 version but still a pretty sweet deal. 1080p screen.

[Edited on December 3, 2013 at 10:57 AM. Reason : s]

12/3/2013 10:56:32 AM

I went and played with the Yoga 2 (and a bunch of other shit) at Best Buy today. Wow, what an amazing device. Crazy how light and streamline it is, and with great specs. Fantastic screen.

12/6/2013 6:07:56 PM

I have a dell latitude E5500. I'm looking for $250 for it. Won it in a raffle, good shape, works. Anyone interested?

[Edited on December 9, 2013 at 2:58 PM. Reason : ]

12/9/2013 2:55:02 PM

Still trying to find a new laptop in the $500 - $650 range. There was a sale model at Best Buy that ended up expiring so now I'm back to looking. Definitely a preference towards something ultraportable but not necessarily a tablet combo. i5 processor, preferably 4th gen but may not that important. Would like a hi-res screen, but everything in this price range seems to be 1366x768 with the exception of some older models. I feel like I might as well get a Windows 8 touchscreen if that option falls within the price range.

Basically I just watch Newegg, Amazon, Best Buy, and Staples currently. Not sure if there's a better resource.

12/9/2013 11:50:52 PM

tiger direct

i dont know if you can sign up on their website but since ive bought shit from them in the past they send me an email basically every day.

some of their laptop 'deal of the day' stuff is pretty awesome. sometimes theyre refurbs though so beware (if thats not your thing).

12/10/2013 12:10:57 AM

I'll have to see if I can get a deal of the day email or something. I typically only have Tiger Direct on my peripheral because I don't like the search function for narrowing product specs. Might have to pay attention more anyway.

12/10/2013 1:02:12 AM

I ended up getting two Lenovo Ideapads. A 14" 2Ghz A6 processor for $349 for the kids and a 11.6" 1.9Ghz Intel Pentium for my wife for $249.

12/12/2013 7:40:17 PM

^Where'd you pick those up?

12/12/2013 8:56:45 PM

The Ideapad S415 is from Newegg and was like $349 at the time: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313589
The Ideapad S210 is from Bestbuy and is a deal of the week, so its still the same price at $279: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ideapad-s210-touch-11-6-touch-screen-laptop-4gb-memory-500gb-hard-drive/2452121.p?id=1219072955096&skuId=2452121&st=ideapad&cp=1&lp=4

12/13/2013 11:54:49 AM

I really need someone's thoughts about Haswell vs. Ivy Bridge processors, and if Haswell is really the golden god-child every tech blogger wants me to believe. My price range is $500-$675.

I am down to a few different choices. Two of them are Lenovo ideapads, but if you look into them at all, they are RIDDLED with wi-fi issues. Lenovo claims to have finally fixed this in production, but people are saying the problem is still pretty well represented. It makes me nervous, even though I'd really like to try their ideapads out.

The Lenovo U310 Touch, which is an older model with a 3rd-gen i5 CPU, 720p (1366x768) screen, pretty run of the mill, is on sale for $499 at Office Depot:
http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/579098/Lenovo-IdeaPad-U310-Touch-59365302-Laptop/

My other choices just come from fiddling around at Best Buy. Best Buy has the distribution rights for the newer Lenovo U430 and U530 ultrabooks, and they're a lot nicer but also a bit more expensive. The 14" model that I'm interested in is 4th-gen i5 CPU, 1600x900 which is better than the other choices in my price range. It doesn't even have a hybrid HDD though, which is only okay because I'd probably replace it with an SSD anyway. I think this computer was the nicest one, best build quality, and a $679 pricetag.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ideapad-ultrabook-14-touch-screen-laptop-4gb-memory-500gb-hard-drive/9130047.p?id=1218992520815&skuId=9130047&st=categoryid$pcmcat247400050000&cp=1&lp=5#tab=specifications

Last option is the kind of generic, well-priced balance between the two. It's the size of the U310, but with the 4th-gen i5. Same not so great screen. Cheaper than the U430. Everyone I talked to at Best Buy seemed to think it was the best balance for buck in the entry-level range, and I can see why they'd say it. Pretty solid build, nice finish. Screen isn't very crisp. Currently selling for $599.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/vivobook-13-3-touch-screen-laptop-4gb-memory-500gb-hard-drive/1737388.p?id=1219062285511&skuId=1737388&st=categoryid$pcmcat247400050000&cp=1&lp=1#tab=overview

Best Buy employees couldn't say if anything would go on sale the last weekend before Christmas.

12/16/2013 11:17:44 PM

i own a U310 touch that i picked up from the outlet for ~$350 and my wife has the first-gen yoga with the 1600x900 screen

the U310 was buggy as balls when i got it...i understand that 4GB is fine for "most" people, but this thing would be using 3.75GB just being on...no one program was sucking up all the memory, it just looked like a lot of crap

also, it would NEVER go to sleep...not unless i closed the lid or explicitly told it to do so

also also, it just felt...bad...choppy, unresponsive, slow, just blech

i had an unused copy of windows 8 pro, so i spent $120 upgrading the memory to a single 8GB stick and replaced the 24GB mSATA cache SSD with a 64GB and installed windows 8 on that (using the 500GB HDD as storage)

the actual use has been perfect ever since...smooth, great battery life, etc...but it STILL won't go to sleep most of the time

i've heard the wireless card is problematic, as well, so that might be it...though i don't have any actual connectivity issues, just the "i refuse to go to sleep" problem

with the upgrades, i'm happy with my purchase at $470...the build quality is great and it's comfortable to use...but it would have gone right back to the store if it had been this buggy at $500

that said, mine was a refurb...it was cosmetically perfect, but it's possible i got something with a bad install or whatever, hence the reason it was returned

other notes: at 13.3", i don't really mind the resolution, though the 1600x900 of my wife's 13.3" screen is definitely nicer...at 14", i'd probably go no less than 1600x900

12/17/2013 10:34:40 AM

The problem with needing to upgrade it to get any good function is that it voids the warranty, and I know lots of people do this anyway, but it would make me concerned with a computer that has a lot of reported issues. I also just found out the wifi chip is locked in, and this is something of a thing for Lenovo. Makes me hesitant, even though I like the Ideapad line.

12/17/2013 12:58:39 PM

My Yoga 2 Pro Lenovo has a pci-e slow for the wifi chip. Actually just ordered a new dual band AC one to swap out.

12/17/2013 1:16:08 PM

woops double post.

[Edited on December 17, 2013 at 1:18 PM. Reason : s]

12/17/2013 1:17:54 PM

Quote :

"The problem with needing to upgrade it to get any good function is that it voids the warranty, and I know lots of people do this anyway, but it would make me concerned with a computer that has a lot of reported issues."

agreed...i'm not too worried about mine because, as a refurb, the lenovo sticker that covered the screw to remove the bottom was already broken...which they were aware of, so it's not like they'll be able to tell i did anything to it if i had to send it back

again, $470 including the upgrades was a good value for me...i can't imagine spending $500 on it WITHOUT the upgrades (which, as you noted, will void the warranty) and STILL have issues with it

Quote :

"I also just found out the wifi chip is locked in, and this is something of a thing for Lenovo. Makes me hesitant, even though I like the Ideapad line."

by "locked" do you mean soldered to the board? because i'm 95% sure it's a standard half mini pcie...the intel 2200, maybe? i distinctly recall seeing it when i opened mine up, and there's nothing special about it

Quote :

"My Yoga 2 Pro Lenovo has a pci-e slow for the wifi chip. Actually just ordered a new dual band AC one to swap out."

which one are you getting? i'm thinking about doing the same...$20-30 is easily worth it if it will fix the no sleep issue

[Edited on December 17, 2013 at 1:31 PM. Reason : .]

12/17/2013 1:28:11 PM

This one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GUNZUG0/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_1

The Bestbuy version of the Yoga 2 Pro I got had the basic single band N chip. Lenovo's website had the upgraded AC Dual band chip but it was a month to get one from there and with Bestbuy I have until January 15th to return it no restocking fee.

My apartment complex is so flooded with 2.4ghz that 5ghz works way better plus I just picked up a new AC router so I'm going to see how 5ghz AC works.

12/17/2013 1:46:47 PM

All right, so in the interest of indecision, I just went to Office Depot and picked up one of the U310s at the sale price. And quagmire, $499 for new (non-refurbished) is okay in my mind, but I will NOT keep it if it's buggy and slow with the wifi. If it's all good (which some other recent purchasers tell me it is) because of correction on the production line, then I'm more than satisfied with a 3rd-gen i5 / Windows 8 / touchscreen / hybrid HHD / 4GB at $499 with the option to slap some upgrades on after I'm comfortable with the year warranty. If I don't like it, I'll just return it and get something else. 30-day return should be enough for me to decide.

I'm very indecisive but my money is tight, so I'm not sure $100 more for Haswell is necessary. I haven't really gotten the rundown about if I really, really need it.

12/17/2013 2:16:16 PM

Another suggestion someone gave me was to get a refurbished unit of something on eBay with an IPS screen and other goodies that don't come new in my price range. I am nervous about refurb though, because I've been burned before. I know you have 90 days with refurbs, generally, to access they're working, but I'm afraid of the bait and switch.

12/17/2013 2:18:00 PM

Quote :

"And quagmire, $499 for new (non-refurbished) is okay in my mind, but I will NOT keep it if it's buggy and slow with the wifi."

yeah, if you don't have the issues that are common (and you may not, as they certainly don't affect everyone), i think it's a decent deal

12/17/2013 3:09:25 PM

I just picked it up. Going to start assessing it. How can you best gauge if it has the wi-fi problems? Would that be reflected in a speedtest.net type of assessment? Or is that not the same as what you computer pulls from the wi-fi card?

12/17/2013 3:52:20 PM

just use it for a little while and try using it in other rooms

i never had any issues with connectivity, but it seems that for those who did, it was random but frequent enough to be noticeable

12/17/2013 3:57:28 PM

I don't know if you have access to your U310, but if you could double check a few things for me, that would be great. I'm noticing a bit of looseness in the trackpad towards the bottom edge where you could click. Like it depresses and clicks a bit without actually performing the click. Press down a bit more and the click comes. DOesn't seem to be moving around in the frame so much, so I wanted to check if this is normal.

12/17/2013 4:27:04 PM

sorry, just saw this...i don't check tww outside of work hours these days

i'll check when i get home and let you know...i don't recall anything especially weird about the trackpad, but i'll pay attention

12/18/2013 8:22:52 AM

So far it hasn't been buggy. I'm worried it might have troubles coming back from sleep like you mentioned. Touching the trackpad and keyboard didn't do anything, but I didn't press the power button. It was asleep with lid open, but when I closed and opened the lid, it came too. Otherwise not seeing anything like a bug. Windows 8 is a different but not the impossible task some seem to think. Need to see if my trackpad is consistent with others, but other than that, things seem good so far. Definitely a sleek unit for being an early ultrabook.

12/18/2013 11:27:24 AM

i never had trouble with it coming out of sleep...i had trouble with it GOING to sleep in the first place

it happened/happens on the original lenovo install (windows 8) and my fresh install (windows 8 pro), even when i had nothing but stock windows installed...which makes me think it's a driver or firmware bug

if you haven't had trouble with it, that's great...can you tell me which wifi card is installed on your machine?

12/18/2013 11:38:31 AM

Intel Centrino N - 2230

12/18/2013 1:10:46 PM

okay, same one i have...i just updated to the 16.6.0 intel proset software and we'll see if that fixes the no-sleep issues

as for the touchpad, it feels "normal" to me

12/18/2013 6:02:55 PM

So, realized my trackpad wasn't set into the chassis correctly. Went and exchanged it at the Office Depot on Creedmoor. Just finished re-updating (which takes forever, getting all the updates for 8, then downloading and installing 8.1). I noticed that the wifi speeds are shady out of the box, were on both units, but was fixed after updates both times. Would be watching it fall and rise from 5.5mbps to 120mbps (which is what it should pull I guess) but mostly stay down low. After updating the Intel drivers, it stays around 116mbps pretty much consistently. Should have downloaded the W8 updates wired, would have gone faster. Downloaded 8.1 via ethernet but Windows Store seems to take long no matter what.

Anyway, new unit doesn't have any trackpad issues. Will play with it a couple days and see if anything else shows up. If there's any issues I'll just return it for full refund. If not, I won't feel bad keeping it. I actually really like the Ideapad U310 design. I'm a sucker for aluminum shell. Even though it's not EXACTLY an Ultrabook (despite branding it as so), it still feels like a solid ultraportable. The screen looks way better than reviews online said. Some Lenovo designer really dropped the ball on making the lid so difficult to open though.


I was talking on the phone with my Dad earlier in the week, and it motivated him to pick up one of these units too (he has an old Toshiba and needed an upgrade). Office Depot's "Holiday Blowout" actually has a ton of good computer deals. A good price on HP Envys (which look nice, but I've all but given up on HP) and some Toshibas. Some good Logitech wireless mice if you need one.

12/19/2013 6:48:08 PM

Erh, nevermind, apparently I don't know shit about how wifi works. The speed indicated on the networking sharing panel isn't actually the speed you're pulling from wifi. My new issue seems to have some wifi problems the other one didn't... looking into some software fixes.

12/20/2013 11:06:07 AM

Quote :

"Erh, nevermind, apparently I don't know shit about how wifi works. The speed indicated on the networking sharing panel isn't actually the speed you're pulling from wifi. My new issue seems to have some wifi problems the other one didn't... looking into some software fixes."

Actually generally it is. If you go to network adapters and click 'status' on the adapter then the speed indicated there is generally what you'll get over the network. I've been testing my new AC router and chip I installed on my laptop and when I do file transfers they're pretty much in line with what that status says.

Now if you're doing speedtest.net or something internet bound then that has nothing to do with your network. That's simply the bandwidth you're getting from your isp at that moment in time. I can get 500-600 mbps in my bedroom over the network but my internet is still is capped at ~50mbps. I like the headroom though as I'm often transferring a large file while using the web.

12/25/2013 2:48:40 PM

Looking for a new laptop for work, general MS Office shit, Google Drive, general web browsing...don't need a fancy gaming rig...here's what I have in mind:

Price range: $600-$1200

MUST HAVE:
- Fast processor, decent amount of RAM
- Pretty good Video card, for a laptop
- Good battery life

PREFER BUT NOT REQUIRED:
- SSD
- Awesome video card, for a laptop
- Numeric Keypad

DON'T CARE ABOUT:
- screen size, as long as it's at least 13-14"
- optical drive
- OS (wouldn't mind Win7)

Anyone run across a good machine with similar specs lately? I haven't looked yet

12/26/2013 12:18:49 AM

you won't get a number pad in anything short of a 16-18" form factor. if you don't game, why do you need a video card? haswell v2/amd apu should be great

12/26/2013 8:23:13 AM

Office uses GPU acceleration to improve performance in PowerPoint, Excel, and Word in some contexts (rendering 3D charts, slide transitions, etc.). VLC and other popular media players can use GPU acceleration to encode and decode high-def video.

12/26/2013 11:12:51 AM

^Yes and a Haswell CPU will be plenty for those applications.

12/26/2013 11:51:54 AM

I realize the number pad will only be on larger machines, but it's not a necessity. I'd be fine with a 15" display.

As for video card, I guess my current laptop just sucks so bad I want something better. I use Creative Suite but I guess a lot of that is just regular old RAM and not VRAM.

12/26/2013 12:56:16 PM

Best Buy has a 15.6" ASUS Touchscreen--might be in the Vivobook family, Q501A I think--with a 4th-gen (Haswell) i5, 6GB RAM, 1080p IPS display, aluminum finish, full keypad. It should be about $699. It's a decent entry-level current-gen Intel laptop. It has a version with a discrete GPU as well, but it doesn't sound like you really need it.

If I had the budget I'd get an ASUS Zenbook, personally.

12/26/2013 5:22:53 PM

any updates here? I have pretty much the same needs as TT10 ...

the most intense game I might play on it would be League of Legends... But I'll be in med school in the Caribbean, so my gaming, especially online, will be extremely limited.

Everything else is the same tho. I need a solid laptop for school work etc. I'd prefer a 15-16" screen over a 13" or 18" if that makes sense.

1/31/2014 5:41:42 PM

I got a Macbook Air 13.3" through my new employeer. I've actually enjoyed it quite a bit, though I've never really liked OSX for much more than browsing. Build quality is enviable though, I will say that. "Value" is hard to say with the price tag.

1/31/2014 9:43:50 PM

anything else? sadly I don't have the want nor the budget for a mac.

2/1/2014 7:58:02 PM

15" Dell Latitudes have numeric keypads for those looking for them.

It's dumb that the new XPS 15 doesn't have one.

2/2/2014 2:11:38 AM

Given my requirements is there any reason not to get fregacs laptop in the classifieds thread?

http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=640804

2/2/2014 11:14:08 PM

I messed with a lenovo carbon x1 a couple weeks ago... The thing is sleek, but its a piece of unusable shit. The screen is touch, and the pointer doesn't return when you go back to the touch pad mouse. For example, the pointer is there, you use the screen to select something, pointer disappears. Switch back to touch pad, pointer does not reappear, mouse over behaviors occur, but pointer is still not visible.

Obviously this is some sort of software/drivers issue that can be patched, but I was sorely disappointed.

2/2/2014 11:32:27 PM

^I've had a similar issue on a couple of the Thinkpad Helix devices we're getting in at work. Plus the screen autorotation does not work in Win7 and they have no plans to make it work. Thanks, Lenovo.

On another note the original Surface Pro has dropped to $499. Tempting at that price, even considering its drawbacks... Sold out at Best Buy (at least online) but the Microsoft Store still has it as of yesterday.

2/3/2014 9:58:29 AM

Is there a Windows laptop with a trackpad as good as a MBP?

I've had MBPs, and still use my fiancees daily. The trackpad on these are a real joy to use and i feel just as comfortable as with a mouse. Well 95% at least. As opposed to my shitty work Dell E6420 and my old T400 which 1.5x1.5" square primitive pieces of complete crap track pads which aren't worth the aggravation of using period.

I've heard the Lenovo X1 has a good track pad. Anything else out there? At a minimum i want sold two finger scrolling.

2/3/2014 10:47:09 AM

All the newer ultrabooks I've used have great track pads. I love the one on my Lenovo Yoga 2. Asus and Samsung have similar offerings in regard to track pad quality I believe.

2/3/2014 1:29:14 PM