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I am thinking of getting an ultrabook--specifically, the kind that is a tablet that separates from the keyboard. Are there any good ones at that $600 range? I will not be using it for games. It will be for paperwork and classroom type stuff. I'm looking to use it for teaching, so there will be multimedia, but I won't be making or editing videos or anything like that.
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Nov 14, 2014 00:08
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Thinkpad Helix 1 maybe? For $625, New (other) condition: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Thin...=item462c5c8c50 Surface Pro 2 perhaps. There aren't terribly many options for detachable Ultrabooks. HP Spectre and Split, and ASUS Transformer are other options. The others are either convertible and not detachable, like the Yoga, or are detachable and run on much slower hardware (Atom processors), like the Thinkpad Tablets 2 and 10.
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Nov 14, 2014 00:55
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Those half and half laptops with detachable keyboards have a lot of parts and requiring two batteries + putting the battery behind the display drives up the cost a lot. If you can find one a Yoga does 99% of the same thing for slightly less + a more reliable hinge Thinkpad Helix 1080p with i5 factory refurb for $675 on lenovo outlet 
Hadlock fucked around with this message at 01:13 on Nov 14, 2014 |
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Nov 14, 2014 01:11
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Dell's answer to this are their 2-in-1 that are hinged as well but I think they're a little high in price. http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-13-7347-laptop/pd.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn
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Nov 14, 2014 01:45
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Hello laptop megathread, Is the information in the OP applicable if I am looking for a laptop on which I would only be using the internet and Microsoft Office? I will soon be buying a new laptop (my MacBook has had a nice 6 1/2 year run but won't run updates anymore) and don't want to buy something that's more expensive than what I would be using it for. Price range is $200-$500 but I'm cheap and would like to pay less without sacrificing too much quality.
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Nov 14, 2014 02:05
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Rexxed posted:Since your gf is a photographer and artist I'd compare the recommended requirements for software she does or may use like Photoshop or something else to the available laptops in that price range. I'd assume that they will fall well below the recommended level and therefore not be suited for her work. Also, if she does art that does or could use a stylus of some kind, a touch screen that handles an active stylus may also be useful and there aren't many decent ones on lower end laptops that I'm aware of. It also may help to show her mother some examples of laptops that would meet the requirements so that she may better understand what the acceptable price range is going to end up. If her mother isn't very tech savvy then explaining the requirements for the hardware versus what she's looking at in her price range may help. I mean good news the budget is now 500 bucks but it has to be from office depot on black friday. And neither my girlfriend nor I are going to get down there. Are there any computers decently specced in that price range I can toss out as possible buys? Just so if one shows up she (her mom) can get one that isn't a complete piece of poo poo?
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Nov 14, 2014 02:16
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Cat Army 
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KozmoNaut posted:And 1366x768 is OK on an 11.6" display.
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Nov 14, 2014 02:33
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roomforthetuna posted:It really isn't. You can't even fit the common Facebook-game sized panel on screen without full-screening the browser window. How many other things do you need to be doing while getting your Facebook stalk on?
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Nov 14, 2014 02:35
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1366x768 is fine for facebook, netflix, msword and youtube, which is about 99% of what most people use their laptops for (and why Chromebooks are designed the way they are) Power users, obviously, need more pixels. Depends on your use case.
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Nov 14, 2014 02:38
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vandalism posted:I am thinking of getting an ultrabook--specifically, the kind that is a tablet that separates from the keyboard. Are there any good ones at that $600 range? I will not be using it for games. It will be for paperwork and classroom type stuff. I'm looking to use it for teaching, so there will be multimedia, but I won't be making or editing videos or anything like that. 3rding what other said, I don't think you will find a better true convertable in that price range than the helix (I love my surface pro 2, but I don't consider it a true convertable)
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Nov 14, 2014 02:39
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VulgarandStupid posted:How many other things do you need to be doing while getting your Facebook stalk on? That doesn't just stop you from doing other things, you can't even see the proper details of the one thing you're doing.
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Nov 14, 2014 02:44
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So it seems like the Acer c720 is a legit option for a student if I don't care about much other than word processing and accessing notes online. However is there any reason not to step up a bit more for something like the T420 as a refurb? Seems like I'd get more computer for the money at that point, and it wouldn't hurt to be able to gently caress around on some steam games, but in no way is it necessary. I have pretty consistent Internet access, but If I don't does that really cripple the chromebook to the point where it's annoying?
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Nov 14, 2014 02:45
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Quite A Tool posted:So it seems like the Acer c720 is a legit option for a student if I don't care about much other than word processing and accessing notes online. However is there any reason not to step up a bit more for something like the T420 as a refurb? Seems like I'd get more computer for the money at that point, and it wouldn't hurt to be able to gently caress around on some steam games, but in no way is it necessary. Annoying yes but not totally crippling. You can't really do anything beyond take notes without wifi though.
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Nov 14, 2014 02:54
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My old Asus is on its last legs and the powers that be have determined that I can go for a newer model instead of sending this one off again. While I do feel semi-competent at dealing with and building desktops, laptops are not something I deal with often. I can tell you from a repair perspective which ones I like and hate, but I've only ever had an HP and this Asus. What models and vendors can you guys recommend? Obviously Thinkpads are held in high regard and rightfully so. I've worked with them through my job and they're solid machines. However, while I don't usually care much about ascetics, they're a bit bleak for something I want to use for my personal machine. Why are Samsung machines not in the OP? I've always found them to be pretty good laptops. Here's the desired specs to the best I can suppose. I don't really care for laptop gaming, this is more for carrying around campus, notes, and coding/compiling. Price: 800ish, preferably less. Nothing over a grand for sure. Screen: Don't really care. Don't particularly want a touchscreen. Processor: >= i5 Memory: 4 at least, preferably 6 or more Storage: 500 Gigs or more. SSDs would be nice Misc: I would strongly perfer the keyboard has a numpad. A disk drive would be nice, but isn't required. A charger similar in style to what Macbooks have would be amazing; my only beef with this Asus is that the DC jack has broken about 3 times now. I've had this machine recommended to me: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834317890&FM=1 While it's a tad expensive for my tastes, I think it meets most of my needs. I would hold out for Cyber Monday, but I need something that works now for upcoming projects. The other half is the vendor. Newegg and Amazon are go to candidates, but I'm willing to try others. I'd take my business to Best Buy, but they've trimmed down their range of machines. While I do want a protection plan, BB's markup and service are both undesirable. Does anyone have recommendations regarding a warranty plan? I've used Squaretrade in the past and have been happy with my service with them.
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Nov 14, 2014 03:04
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The Iron Rose posted:Annoying yes but not totally crippling. You can't really do anything beyond take notes without wifi though. That's good to hear. I was worried it required Google docs or whatever to take notes and that it'd have little to no functionality without WiFi.
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Nov 14, 2014 03:16
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Quite A Tool posted:That's good to hear. I was worried it required Google docs or whatever to take notes and that it'd have little to no functionality without WiFi. It does, but google docs can run in 'offline mode'.
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Nov 14, 2014 03:19
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The Iron Rose posted:I mean good news the budget is now 500 bucks but it has to be from office depot on black friday. And neither my girlfriend nor I are going to get down there. It's possible there'll be a black friday deal on something that will not be total rear end that will put it down to that price, but since she's being so rigid about requirements I'd just be rigid in return on specs. No AMD processors. An Intel i5 minimum. 8gb of ram minimum. Certain screen resolution (I won't use below 1600x900 but I'm picky and like screen resolution for programming, etc, you could tell her "1080" because literally every screen is called HD now). She may end up with something that's mostly plastic and won't hold up but at least with those specs it will be useful. As the OP noted: Hadlock posted:So, you walked in to this thread with the nice, round number of $500. Well I have good and bad news for you, the bad news is that inflation has had an impact on the minimum cost for a quality laptop. The good news is that retailers know this and are lining up around the block to sell you a substandard disposable laptop for $499. Do you have the willpower to make the right decision? Well, do ya punk? ... so with regular pricing out of the window there a sale will be the best bet. It's not impossible but it may be challenging.
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Nov 14, 2014 04:15
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oooh didn't look in refurbished, is this a bad option for a good value tough laptop? Outlet ThinkPad T440
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Nov 14, 2014 12:16
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I have a Lenovo $100 coupon code if anyone can use it (and if it's even transferable)quote:For a limited time, treat yourself to up to an additional $100 off* your next purchase, even good on sale items. View full offer details here.
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Nov 14, 2014 17:23
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Ok guys, I need some suggestions. My Alienware M15X is starting to show it's age, and I am looking to upgrade to something new. Things I need: Large HD Windows 7 Backlit keyboard 14.5" or larger screen
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Nov 14, 2014 17:59
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Bob Morales posted:I have a Lenovo $100 coupon code if anyone can use it (and if it's even transferable) FYI, it's $100 off an order of two grand. $50 off one to two, etc.
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Nov 14, 2014 18:33
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Twobirds posted:FYI, it's $100 off an order of two grand. $50 off one to two, etc. You're right. What a poo poo coupon! $20 of $500-$999 
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Nov 14, 2014 19:39
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Bob Morales posted:I have a Lenovo $100 coupon code if anyone can use it (and if it's even transferable)
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Nov 15, 2014 02:19
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Here are some i5 and i7s from our old 15R/17R series. Looks like we got some colors back in which is rare. Limited supply. 
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Nov 15, 2014 05:05
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I wandered in to the Microsoft Store today and they had an insanely priced $179 Asus X205 which is basically an intel based chromebook with Windows 8.1 running on a 32GB SSD/eMMC (same thing) with about 20GB of free hard drive space. They go for about $200 on Amazon but I was rather impressed with the quality given it's under $200 and runs a legit x86 version of Windows 8.1 Trackpad was pretty decent too. Only 2GB RAM but hey it's a $200 windows laptop that's not atrocious build quality. It looked more slate gray than purple to me, but maybe that's just the lighting. They also had a big table of HP Slate 7 x86 based tablets running Windows 8.1 on a 1280x800 IPS screen. Great screen and pretty usable, I almost bought one on the spot (they're $99!) to play with. They're kind of "thick" if you compare it to an iPad Air but this would have been bleeding edge tech in 2008. I am headed to Columbia and I'm thinking about bringing this instead of my venerable Thinkpad. If I had kids I would probably buy each of them one of these plus a usb mouse and keyboard. http://winsupersite.com/mobile/hp-stream-7-first-impressions 
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Nov 15, 2014 05:24
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My 3 or 4 year old Thinkpad W520 needs a new battery, there are 3rd party resellers on sites like Amazon advertising compatible batteries. Would it be dumb to buy a battery from one of those resellers? Not sure how to evaluate build quality or what to look out for when buying replacement batteries.
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Nov 15, 2014 06:21
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Listerine posted:Would it be dumb to buy a battery from one of those resellers? Not sure how to evaluate build quality  "A laptop battery contains roughly the stored energy of a hand grenade, and if shorted it ... hey! You can't arrest me if I prove your rules inconsistent!" Do ya feel lucky punk? Well, do ya?
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Nov 15, 2014 06:30
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Hadlock posted:
Yeah that's what I figured. So I should only buy replacements direct from the manufacturer?
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Nov 15, 2014 06:45
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Hadlock posted:I wandered in to the Microsoft Store today and they had an insanely priced $179 Asus X205 which is basically an intel based chromebook with Windows 8.1 running on a 32GB SSD/eMMC (same thing) with about 20GB of free hard drive space. They go for about $200 on Amazon but I was rather impressed with the quality given it's under $200 and runs a legit x86 version of Windows 8.1 Trackpad was pretty decent too. Only 2GB RAM but hey it's a $200 windows laptop that's not atrocious build quality. It looked more slate gray than purple to me, but maybe that's just the lighting.  I've been waiting for this to come out. I think eMMC isn't going to be as blazingly fast as a regular SSD. You can add a 64GB Micro SDXC to expand the limited storage, which makes this workable. I've read reports that the screen has very bearable viewing angles.I'm actually pretty glad to read your 'not atrocious build quality for the price' qualifier. That's all it had to be. I've got a few people I know that so far still haven't ditched their limping Windows XP boxes because of cost concerns. Out of curiosity, when you say legit x86 Windows, is that to specify it's not Windows RT (or whatever they call it now), or is it actually also a 32 bit version (and not 64 bit)? I thought I read Bay Trail Atoms were capable of 64 bit anyway. Or did Microsoft only rework the 32 bit Windows version to fit on cheap devices with limited space?
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Nov 15, 2014 10:17
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It's full Win 8.1, I forgot to check and see if it was 32 or 64 bit, but the eMMC and 2GB RAM are both permanently soldered to the motherboard so it's kind of a moot point. But yes it's to specify that it's not lovely WinRT, it's "full" Win 8.1. The way they shrink Win 8.1, they compress the whole OS in to a special partition kind of like a recovery partition that only takes up ~2.4GB, but there's a performance hit on decompressing out of that partition. It still ends up being faster than a rotational drive though. This technology is called WIMboot and microsoft has a tutorial on how to do it (which means you could retrofit a chromebook with Windows 8.1, in theory) but generally you want to leave it to the manufacturer as it seems like kind of an involved task. As for the screen this is the only picture I took of it (so I would remember the cryptic model number). Off-angle viewing appears to be pretty good. 
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Nov 15, 2014 10:45
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That definitely looks like it could be my next laptop with Linux on it. It just needs a little more RAM for comfort.
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Nov 15, 2014 11:43
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Good poo poo, Hadlock, thanks. Looking into that HP tablet you posted brought me to the HP Stream 11, which is another $200 neo-netbook. Very similar. Instead of the Intel Z3745D processor the X205 has, it has a Celeron N2840 though. It's not immidiately obvious to me which would be preferable. Battery life looks a little less spectacular at 8.5h (vs 12h). I'll have to look into it. E: Apart from the obvious fact that the HP only comes in hideous colors. E2: So, how important is better single thread performance for a computer like this if the total of all cores adds up to something similar? Flipperwaldt fucked around with this message at 12:26 on Nov 15, 2014 |
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Nov 15, 2014 12:02
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I'm looking to pick up a laptop on black friday, something around $400. This is my current winner http://www.staples.com/Toshiba-C55-B5356-Intel-Core-i5-8GB-RAM-1TB-Hard-Drive-156/product_1390557 at $400 on bf. It looks like all the promotional laptops are using Intel 4400 GPUs, is there anything with a better GPU near that pricepoint? I'm not looking for a gaming laptop, but I am going to be doing some gaming on it. Frame durability isn't a huge issue to me, since it won't actually be moving around much.
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Nov 15, 2014 12:23
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I am selling a new Lenovo ideaPad y410p gaming laptop! http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3681486
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Nov 15, 2014 12:24
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Trackpad buttons aside, what were your feelings on that model? I was looking to get something similar.
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Nov 15, 2014 17:08
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Hi guys, looking for a laptop recommendation. I currently have a Lenovo Yoga 13 (great laptop, but I don't need a touch screen, ultra portability, and a 128GB SSD is lacking as I want a Linux/Windows dual boot) Budget: $800-1200 (would like to hover around 1000 max, would pay a little more if it's worth it) Screen: 14-15", 1080p resolution preferred Processor: i5 minimum RAM: 8GB minimum 256 GB SSD Video card: I don't want a super gaming laptop, but something a step above the integrated graphics would be nice. I have a gaming rig but it would be fun to have a laptop to run some games at medium quality if I'm at a friend's house. Light-up keyboard It seems like I can't find a laptop that fits those requirements. I've found a lot that come close, but they usually are lacking the SSD and have a 1 TB HDD instead. I'm open to suggestions, it seems that the Lenovo Y40/Y50 don't have a light up keyboard and a sub-par screen, a few others are too expensive, the closest I've found so far is the MSI GT 60. I'd rather not go Acer, but I'm stumped on something like this. I'm also considering Xoticpc to build a laptop, remove the HDD and replace with an SSD.
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Nov 15, 2014 17:13
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Can anyone give me an idea as to the build quality of a Lenovo Y50-70? I was thinking about getting a T440, but in the UK they only cost about £100 less than the Y50-70, and it seems like a big upgrade for relatively little cost. http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/lenovo-y50-70-15-6-gaming-laptop-black-10022707-pdt.html#cat-0
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Nov 15, 2014 18:00
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Darkmage, have you looked at the prices of mSATA drives lately? Did you know your Yoga has two mSATA slots? I would buy a 240gb Samsung Evo 840 drive for $130 and put it in the other slot and be done with it.
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Nov 15, 2014 20:35
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I've got an Ideapad Y530 that I bought new. I still like it, and for my uses, it's all I need for now. However, the trackpad has started not working very well at times. Is this not a replaceable part? I haven't had luck looking for the part online...is it integrated into the mainboard or something? If it's available, and can be replaced mechanically (i.e. no soldering) I'd love to get a replacement. If not, I guess I may be in the market for a laptop
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Nov 15, 2014 22:57
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Darkmage posted:Hi guys, looking for a laptop recommendation. I currently have a Lenovo Yoga 13 (great laptop, but I don't need a touch screen, ultra portability, and a 128GB SSD is lacking as I want a Linux/Windows dual boot) The Thinkpad Yoga 14 fits all of those except the SSD. Upgrading to an SSD is really easy with it, though.
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Nov 15, 2014 23:34
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