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I am helping a good friend out with a laptop for Christmas, and need some help selecting one. She has really basic needs - just web browsing, light word processing, etc. - but the thing is, she isn't terribly tech-savvy and will be spending much of the next few years in underdeveloped countries, so she won't necessarily have access to friends or reliable shops for tech support. There are a couple of requirements: 1.) Durability. She isn't terribly gentle with her stuff to start with (though not abusive either), and it will be getting dragged through a lot of airports and cities in a backpack. 2.) Longevity. She doesn't like messing around with electronics, and doesn't want to have to replace her stuff every couple years. If she could get 4-5 years out of it, that would be great. 3.) Comes from Best Buy. Slightly negotiable, but she has a lot of gift cards from there. Things she would like: 1.) Good battery life 2.) Touchscreen I had her look at the new Thinkpad Yoga 14 and 13" Macbook Air last night. I know the Thinkpad is SUPPOSED to be durable (and once upon a time apparently it was pretty easy to get service worldwide?), and she likes the touchscreen and the different methods of using it. The Air would have great battery life, less worries about computer janitoring, a cheap extended warranty, and seems like it would be easier to find a place to service outside the US as well. She is not opposed to OSX, but she does seem to prefer the Thinkpad, and I'm worried that a 4gb of RAM Air might start showing its age sooner than later. Anything I'm missing? Something else we should look at?
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Dec 29, 2014 15:00
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I'm being treated to a new laptop for Christmas. I have my heart set on a ThinkPad, specifically the T540p and I have a few questions:
Then there's the matter of what to do once I get an SSD (not getting one from the Lenovo site because the prices are outrageous) with regards to reinstalling Windows with my given license, but I think that's a question more for the Windows thread. Mak0rz fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Dec 29, 2014 |
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Dec 29, 2014 18:10
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Mak0rz posted:I'm being treated to a new laptop for Christmas. I have my heart set on a ThinkPad, specifically the T540p and I have a few questions: Unless you want to max out your CPU all the time, you probably won't notice much of a difference. Battery life should be extended by way more than an hour (100Wh is almost twice as much as 56Wh so the battery should last almost twice as long). e: intel vpro is mostly about business data security so not critical for home use. The new X250 is also getting trackpoint buttons back, so the T thinkpads will almost certainly have them as well. I bought a used demo T430s with a free dock from a store on the cheap after trying the current buttonless trackpoint/touchpad which I loving hated even after playing with it for several hours and using it on lab computers so if you don't need a new laptop right now, consider waiting for a T550. The T450 apparently passed FCC testing or something in October so Lenovo might present new thinkpads on the CES in a week (or not). suck my woke dick fucked around with this message at 18:35 on Dec 29, 2014 |
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Dec 29, 2014 18:33
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I CANNOT EJACULATE WITHOUT SEEING NATIVE AMERICANS BRUTALISED!
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Mak0rz posted:I'm being treated to a new laptop for Christmas. I have my heart set on a ThinkPad, specifically the T540p and I have a few questions: Definitely get the bigger battery. If you have the cash to burn you could get the 4330M, but I doubt you'll see concrete performance increases in most things -- depends on what you plan on using the laptop for, really. I don't think the RAM upgrade is worth it.
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Dec 29, 2014 18:38
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Good to know, thanks! I'll add up my costs and see if I can drop the extra cash on the 4330M, but I otherwise won't fret about it. What kind of things would I notice from the RAM upgrade? I'm using it for the standards (word processing, internet browsing, etc), some light gaming (old or otherwise undemanding games, really nothing my current junker can't handle), and maybe some number-crunching as I'm working on some manuscripts from my M.Sc.blowfish posted:Battery life should be extended by way more than an hour (100Wh is almost twice as much as 56Wh so the battery should last almost twice as long).  Well this certainly seems worth the $30.blowfish posted:...if you don't need a new laptop right now, consider waiting for a T550. The T450 apparently passed FCC testing or something in October so Lenovo might present new thinkpads on the CES in a week (or not). And if they don't? How long do you figure before the T550 is out? My current machine is basically on life support, so I would prefer not waiting longer than a month.
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Dec 29, 2014 19:57
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Mak0rz posted:Good to know, thanks! I'll add up my costs and see if I can drop the extra cash on the 4330M, but I otherwise won't fret about it. What kind of things would I notice from the RAM upgrade? I'm using it for the standards (word processing, internet browsing, etc), some light gaming (old or otherwise undemanding games, really nothing my current junker can't handle), and maybe some number-crunching as I'm working on some manuscripts from my M.Sc. Benchmarks and Number crunching. Maybe heavy gaming (I think intelgrated  GPUs use RAM?). Never in office stuff.quote:
 the first thing I do when getting a new laptop is max out the battery/buy a bay battery.quote:And if they don't? How long do you figure before the T550 is out? My current machine is basically on life support, so I would prefer not waiting longer than a month. Well CES is in a week and if the T550 doesn't appear on the shop soon you can still buy a T540/refurb T530.
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Dec 29, 2014 20:15
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By the way I looked at the lenovo shop. You should get a  better display, 1366x768 on a 15.6'' screen looks like rear end, it's barely sufficient for a 12.5'' screen so get the full HD screen and stay with the i5 4200m if you don't want to overspend, maybe downgrade other stuff like the fingerprint reader if you don't need it.fake edit: and the more expensive 8gb RAM is the same RAM but on one RAM stick instead of two, so unless you see yourself upgrading to 16gb it doesn't matter. For that matter, you could stay with the base RAM and get a $50 stick on amazon and install it yourself - since it's a thinkpad, it shouldn't void your warranty. Same for the SSD, $320 for the SSD upgrade is ridiculous when you could spend $140 on a Samsung 850 EVO, install it yourself, and get a free hard drive.
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Dec 29, 2014 20:29
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Alright, I'll stick with the stock RAM option.blowfish posted:By the way I looked at the lenovo shop. You should get a Don't worry, the 1080p FHD display is included in the budget  blowfish posted:Same for the SSD, $320 for the SSD upgrade is ridiculous when you could spend $140 on a Samsung 850 EVO, install it yourself, and get a free hard drive. That's the plan! Thanks for the help 
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Dec 29, 2014 20:38
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We purchased 2 lenovo t540p laptops. I have no complaints about the laptop and the only complaint from my coworker was "Why would I ever want to run at 2880x1620 I cant read ANYTHING!" The bigger battery is definitely worth it. However it does stick out from the back. What I ended up doing is going with the stock ram and hard drive and purchasing samsung SSD and some 3rd party ram to bring it up to 16gb. I second upgrading the screen. Something else to consider you can purchase a hard drive bay that you can replace your dvd drive with to put that stock hard drive to use. I want to say I paid something like $30 for it but it is a lot nicer then carrying around one of those external USB hard drives. Installing your OS on the SSD its pretty easy. Make a set of DVDs or a USB installer using the wizard and you are all set. Your other option is to contact support and ask for them to ship you a set of restore media. Tell them the create media set program errors out. I did this twice so I would have a Windows 8 and a Windows 7 set.
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Dec 30, 2014 00:20
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My dad wants a laptop to replace his aging desktop computer, he wants something with a 17" screen that is durable and high quality which is obviously really unlikely but I think I could talk him up to 6-700 dollars, are there any good options around there with decent performance?
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Dec 30, 2014 01:22
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Crazy t540 deal in the Lenovo outlet: $750 for a 8Gb quad i7 1920x1080 machine, ~150 left http://outlet.lenovo.com/outlet_us/itemdetails/20BFS0LN00/445
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Dec 30, 2014 02:38
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I'll be back in america in a bit and will keep an eye on the lenovo outlet. I wanted to buy something that will last 4+ years, but would anyone be willing to use an HD4600 around for that long? I have an HD4000 and even europa universalis is unplayable. CarrKnight fucked around with this message at 07:44 on Dec 30, 2014 |
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Dec 30, 2014 07:38
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Bob Morales posted:Crazy t540 deal in the Lenovo outlet: $750 for a 8Gb quad i7 1920x1080 machine, ~150 left What is up with lenovos website? Its always doing some wierd poo poo 
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Dec 30, 2014 11:55
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eXXon posted:Oh, it also has a glossy touchscreen with no digitizer. Is a model with a proper SSD, matte screen and digitizer too much to ask for? I'm not sure what you mean by digitizer (the touchscreen? I can do without it) but I'm also looking for a laptop with a proper SSD and matte screen, for a friend. Does anybody have any hints?
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Dec 30, 2014 13:58
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So I ended up buying the T440s and have zero complaints so far, the case is nice and rigid (I'm a carry-it-by-the-corner-with-one-hand kinda guy) and the trackpad works exactly as it should. What's my best dock option for this thing? I only need monitor, keyboard and mouse. Do I even need a dock for that?
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Dec 30, 2014 19:43
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Some would argue that's the only thing a dock is good for, along with any external hard drives or other usb devices you don't want to have to disconnect every time you leave home / reconnect when you come back. That said, for the T440/540/s/p, there is the Ultra Dock: http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkPad-Ultra-Dock-40A20090US/dp/B00E0E2DIE I have gotten docks pretty cheap on ebay before. I remember something about a OneLink dock being made to serve the same purpose, but can't find any for sale. etatoby posted:I'm not sure what you mean by digitizer (the touchscreen? I can do without it) but I'm also looking for a laptop with a proper SSD and matte screen, for a friend. A digitizer is for accurate pen/stylus input for taking notes, drawing, and doing anything you'd want to do on paper but with unlimited digital ink, paper, and the ability to copy/paste and move stuff around. Not to mention being able to carry around and backup all of your handwritten and notebooks in one or multiple hard drives. A lot of business class ultrabooks have either soldered or proprietary SSDs that are hard to impossible to replace, some with matte screens. For normal notebooks with normal SSDs, you're better off buying a matte version with a regular HDD and minimal amounts of RAM then upgrading both later to save on cost. Look for Business class laptops like Lenovo Thinkpad / Dell Latitude / HP Elitebook. Otherwise glossy is the more common screen type on consumer-oriented laptops, along with oftentimes cheaper build quality. You can find really good deals on their respective outlets and on ebay (rarely amazon will have a comparable or better deal than similar ebay offerings); don't be afraid of manufacturer refurbished or 'scratch and dent'. Lenovo Outlet Dell Outlet Hp Outlet For specific models, see the OP and the second OP to see what you think your friend might like more. Tons of good information, but search specifically for the business class laptops.
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Dec 30, 2014 21:18
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Basch lives. posted:Some would argue that's the only thing a dock is good for, along with any external hard drives or other usb devices you don't want to have to disconnect every time you leave home / reconnect when you come back. That said, for the T440/540/s/p, there is the Ultra Dock: Thanks for the links. There are some good prices
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Dec 31, 2014 03:12
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Bob Morales posted:Crazy t540 deal in the Lenovo outlet: $750 for a 8Gb quad i7 1920x1080 machine, ~150 left Hmm. Not that great, really. The "ready to ship" one in Lenovo's regular store is $649. Has an i5 though....but also has identical specs otherwise with a 3 yr warranty (vs 1 yr on the outlet). I guess if you need an i7 and want only a 1 yr warranty, the outlet one is for you.
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Dec 31, 2014 04:25
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jadeddrifter posted:Thanks for the links. There are some good prices Sign up for Dell Outlet's newsletter and you'll eventually get a 25% or 30% off what you want. Can save a lot of cash.
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Dec 31, 2014 04:58
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So unless I can get something better for ~$300, I'm thinking of getting a Toshiba Chromebook 2 HD. Unfortunately I'm having a tough time tracking one down. Does anyone have any suggestions for reliable retailers to look ato?
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Dec 31, 2014 06:24
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I just got mine (ordered last week) from Best Buy. Appears to be still in stock online.
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Dec 31, 2014 13:35
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Is there a good place to find baseline Lenovo prices? Their website has the T540p with decent specs for hundreds less than places like Microcenter. Their outlet also seems to be stocked with things like Y2P with 8/256 for $600. Seems a little too good to be true...
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Dec 31, 2014 17:51
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Chaplin posted:Is there a good place to find baseline Lenovo prices? Their website has the T540p with decent specs for hundreds less than places like Microcenter. Their outlet also seems to be stocked with things like Y2P with 8/256 for $600. Seems a little too good to be true... Thinkpad prices (except student sales) are often insane in other online shops. Go buy from the lenovo store if it's cheaper, worst case you wait a few weeks for the laptop to get assembled to your chosen spec. That also seems to be the case for other business laptops like Dell Latitudes.
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Dec 31, 2014 19:14
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Yeah cheapest Lenovo prices are going to be directly from them/their outlet store Thinkpad prices anywhere else, you're paying for the convenience of not waiting 3 weeks for your laptop to arrive, or buying refurb, or buying used on ebay. Some lenovos are cheaper in big box stores, but you're getting a custom model with vastly lower specs than the version they sell on lenovo's site. Best Buy sells most of the Lenovo line, but they're all detuned versions, with an i3 (or celeron) instead of i5, HD4000 instead of HD4600, rotational instead of SSD drive, 2GB instead of 4GB ram, no bluetooth, offbrand wifi instead of intel, etc.
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Dec 31, 2014 19:34
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Ah ok, that makes sense on the convenience front. It was surprising as most electronics prices have stabilized (within reason) between online and brick and mortar. Seeing that T540p for 2/3 the price with better specs in every way was disorienting considering Microcenter is unbeatable for things like CPUs.
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Dec 31, 2014 19:43
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I picked up my haswell i5 cpu from microcenter for something like $25 under market rate last year, I think they do it as a loss leader (bought the rest of the PC off newegg) Blowfish is right though, the business laptop market is very different from the consumer market; you're buying a commercial tour bus instead of a family minivan and pricing to consumers is going to be high when and if you can find it.
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Dec 31, 2014 19:56
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So I'm looking for a new laptop to replace my current one that I've had for about 3 1/2 years at this point. I have an Acer Aspire 7741, and it's served me really well, aside from the fan needing to be replaced in 2013. I've been looking at an Asus N551 for about 900, but what's the consensus on Windows 8.1? I've been alright with 7 while I've had the Aspire, but I've seen some very negative reviews of 8.1. Is it possible to get something like the Asus with Windows 7 on it?
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Jan 1, 2015 03:31
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I have an N550JK with a 4700hq, 850M, 1080p non-touch screen and 8.1 While I'd definitely prefer 7 it isn't worth the hassle of trying to get it installed so I've stuck with 8.1. As for the system itself its okay I guess - the keyboard is kinda mushy and I don't like the standard Asus layout very much, and the display is actually a bit disappointing - while colours do look good it isn't especially bright and does suffer from the 'spotlight effect'. Also these all seem to come with a slow as balls mechanical hard disk so you'll need to factor in the cost of slipping an SSD in there (you have to undo so torx screws but aside from that its easy enough) Also the system has air intakes on the bottom of the case which if blocked cause the system to heat up alarmingly when gaming - you'll want a solid surface for heavy usage
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Jan 1, 2015 03:44
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dissss posted:I have an N550JK with a 4700hq, 850M, 1080p non-touch screen and 8.1 Hrmm, maybe I'll keep looking around for other options tomorrow, then.
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Jan 1, 2015 04:19
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I have a new semester starting up soon and I'm looking at getting a laptop for being able to do classwork on the move (and also because the CAD labs have embarrassingly tiny monitors/resolutions). I'll be doing mostly AutoCAD/Solidworks, with a bit of Revit and 3DSMax thrown in. Is the $500 price difference between the Thinkpad W540 (here) and the Thinkpad T540p linked above worth it? I have no familiarity with workstation graphics cards, like the Quadro, so I don't know how big of a difference it would make over the integrated graphics in comparison to a gaming card.
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Jan 1, 2015 05:26
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Friar John posted:Thank you for the details! What do you mean about the standard Asus layout? And what do you mean by spotlight effect? Do you mean there are variations in the brightness along the bottom of the screen? Also, the N551 I'm looking at says the HD is 7200 RPM, is that really so slow? The keyboard layout thing is fairly minor - I just fine the area around the right control/shift, enter and arrow keys too crowded. I'm sure if it was your only system it wouldn't be an issue but its a bit of a pain when you are constantly switching.  As for the screen it is entirely possible I'm using the wrong term but what I see is a sharp drop off in brightness if you move your head so you aren't looking at the screen directly head on. Colours still look good, and nothing washed out like a TN panel but none the less its a little disappointing. Aside from that and the aforementioned slight dimness the screen looks fine to me, mine has no significantly bleed or IPS glow, the matte coating is barely noticeable and 1080p is fine on a 15" screen (preferable to anything higher IMO) Mine actually came with a 5400rpm disk but I don't see 7200rpm making an enormous difference - either way it is going to be much, much slower than an SSD Also I should probably mention I'm on my second one as the space bar was squeeky and the clickpad unreliable on the fist one - I bought it from a local retailer so returning it wasn't a big issue but I can see it being a pain in the arse if you order it online.
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Jan 1, 2015 05:50
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Alright, I've been without a computer for quite a while, and have been doing most everything Internet related via my phone and various gaming console Internet Browsers. I'm finally going to be given a new computer as a belated Christmas gift, and was thinking of getting a 2-in-1 to replace the old dead desktop. This way, I'd have a computer that I could just take with me, and the Touch Screen use could be a nice thing. Only issue here is that I have no idea of what to look for outside of a small bit of knowledge gleamed from reading a bit of this thread. So feel free to let me know if it's actually a dumb idea, but I don't realize it. I'm probably going to mostly be using it for general Internet and Media use, as well as probably some gaming. Not expecting to be running things like DA:I on Ultra Max or whatever. More like just playing what I've accumulated on Steam over the years and such. Most intensive thing I could think of would probably be Borderlands 2 and I wouldn't be expecting the highest graphics settings. If anything, that would be more of a surprise/bonus, not an expectation. I'd also be taking it with me to places occasionally, but it likely wouldn't be handled roughly. More likely, it'd be taken to places like a Card/Hobby Shop, but also occasionally an Auto Repair Shop. Budget isn't a huge issue, but I feel like going above $1k would be a bit much. Although, it is going to essentially be a Desktop replacement in all but hardware specs and should also last for quite some time. Any advice or suggestions for a situation like this would be great.
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Jan 1, 2015 11:49
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My wife is finally retiring her 2010 Macbook Pro, it's just slow and old at this point at it's driving her nuts. She's discovered my secret love for buying a bunch of poo poo on Steam that I'll never play, and wants to get a PC laptop that'll run some games at a decent clip. It doesn't have to be perfect, but medium-high settings, decent futureproofing, etc. Basically, here's what I think I've narrowed down her needs to: Dedicated graphics card and a backlit keyboard are a requirement to her. 15" or smaller. Durability is the top priority, she can be a touch clumsy. Budget of 1k +/- 200. We looked at the Y50 for a while, but getting hands on with one at Best Buy she found the screen, particularly the viewing angle, feels incredibly underwhelming. It's on the maybe list, but I'd like to look at other options if at all possible. Has anyone gotten any hands-on time with the UHD Y50? Are the screens less awful in them? If the screen quality is more on par with my Y2P, that'd be just excellent and probably worth the extra cash.
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Jan 2, 2015 00:15
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Why don't you just put an SSD in the Macbook Pro and max out the ram? Going from a MBP, even a slightly older one, to a consumer level Lenovo is a big step down. And 2010 isn't really that old. The most likely reason it's slow is a failing mechanical HDD.
Dick Fagballzson fucked around with this message at 00:23 on Jan 2, 2015 |
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Jan 2, 2015 00:18
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Dick Fagballzson posted:Why don't you just put an SSD in the Macbook Pro and max out the ram? Going from a MBP, even a slightly older one, to a consumer level Lenovo is a big step down. It's core2duo era. Maximum 4GB ram, which it's already got in it. It's had a drat fine run, but it's showing it's age badly. An SSD would help, but it's also in need of a new battery, and there's just nothing to be done about the fact that it's 5 year old hardware. I think she's at the point that it feels like more effort than it's worth and would rather just get a new toy. I need to revisit the retina MBPs though, we might be dipping close enough on the scale that it's not as much of an overpriced option as it felt when she started talking about it a couple months ago. Also, as I said, she wants to play some games with the thing. Boot camp is a good option, but the machine doesn't have the oomph to get in to much more than indie titles and older games it seems. Vegastar fucked around with this message at 00:28 on Jan 2, 2015 |
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Jan 2, 2015 00:26
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Vegastar posted:Has anyone gotten any hands-on time with the UHD Y50? Are the screens less awful in them? If the screen quality is more on par with my Y2P, that'd be just excellent and probably worth the extra cash. This is the first laptop I've ever plugged a mouse into. Edit: link to more positive trip report 2 from earlier roomforthetuna fucked around with this message at 01:22 on Jan 2, 2015 |
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Jan 2, 2015 01:18
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roomforthetuna posted:I got one at the end of November, I like it a lot except for the godawful trackpad. I hate touchscreens, but with how bad the trackpad is I wish I'd splashed out for the touchscreen model. (Though also, with how bad the trackpad is, I'm suspicious that the touchscreen would have been horrible too.) Yeah the trackpad on my y50 is dreadful, too. The "no visible buttons" trend needs to die.
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Jan 2, 2015 01:22
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DoctorWhat posted:Yeah the trackpad on my y50 is dreadful, too. The "no visible buttons" trend needs to die.
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Jan 2, 2015 01:23
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Volfogg posted:Alright, I've been without a computer for quite a while, and have been doing most everything Internet related via my phone and various gaming console Internet Browsers. I'm finally going to be given a new computer as a belated Christmas gift, and was thinking of getting a 2-in-1 to replace the old dead desktop. This way, I'd have a computer that I could just take with me, and the Touch Screen use could be a nice thing. Only issue here is that I have no idea of what to look for outside of a small bit of knowledge gleamed from reading a bit of this thread. So feel free to let me know if it's actually a dumb idea, but I don't realize it. You're not going to really be able to play games at any appreciable quality with a $1000 laptop. At that price point I'd suggest a Lenovo Y50 and buying a 850 EVO to put in aftermarket on your own dime. That should play just about everything at low-medium, even AAA games from last year. It almost certainly won't play DA:I at all. Keep that in mind. E: I have a Y50 and the trackpoint is perfectly acceptable. It's nothing spectacular but there's a clear divided line between the buttons and for games and the like you're going to connect a mouse anyway. It's not great. But it's by no means the worst thing in the world.
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Jan 2, 2015 02:01
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Cat Army 
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The Iron Rose posted:You're not going to really be able to play games at any appreciable quality with a $1000 laptop. At that price point I'd suggest a Lenovo Y50 and buying a 850 EVO to put in aftermarket on your own dime. That should play just about everything at low-medium, even AAA games from last year. It almost certainly won't play DA:I at all. Keep that in mind. That does make sense. Also, the DA:I bit was mostly put to mean "I don't really care about the newest of the new that much" and such. So, I'm guessing it'd potentially just be better to get a Y50 and put the money that would go to the 850 EVO towards saving up to build a simple gaming desktop box over time.
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Jan 2, 2015 02:15
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