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Rexxed posted:For the most part the cheapest thing will do this. Even a tablet will skype and hearthstone and stream netflix if it supports HDMI output. I think with a chromecast or otg to hdmi adapter even my nexus 7 2013 would handle these tasks, although I find hearthstone less annoying with a mouse (but the tablet can do that, too). Hey, thanks for the help. Options are a little more limited in Australia. I guess I'm looking at something like the Acer ES1-311-C9XM 13" Notebook for $300. No idea what the processor is like though [Intel Core Celeron N2840 Processor (1MB Cache, 2.58 GHz)]. For better "value", I can see the ThinkPad E450 on sale for $900, but I'm not sure I need any of its extras.
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Apr 4, 2015 06:43
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Optiquest posted:Is the touchscreen on the xps 13 better than the non touch? Anyone find themselves utilizing the touch screen or do you forget its there? Hows the keyboard? Looking for something lighter than my T420 with better battery that I can carry around school all day. I'm also curious if the touch screen and the QHD screen are worth it. I've read a couple reviews that mention scaling issues with the upgraded screen but not sure how prevalent they are.
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Apr 4, 2015 07:10
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SteveMcQueen posted:I'm also curious if the touch screen and the QHD screen are worth it. I've read a couple reviews that mention scaling issues with the upgraded screen but not sure how prevalent they are. Scaling issues with a QHD screen are more of a windows issue, you can read a review of just about any super-high-def-screen computer and read about them.
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Apr 4, 2015 10:38
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Someone wrote that this model of laptop have loose screws and maybe superfish. Is there anything else i should know about it? Lenovo Z710 17.3" Full HD GeForce 840M, Core i7-4702MQ, 8GB RAM, 1000GB SSHD, DVD±RW, Windows 8.1
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Apr 4, 2015 10:44
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teagone posted:You might not even need to install Ubuntu. When you jump into Chrome OS you'd be surprised at how efficient it is for most things. Netflix being one of them Planning to install "alongside" with a handy shortcut key to switch between them. I'm a Rails dev and need to get some work done so running Ubuntu isn't really an option if I'm not running OS X.
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Apr 4, 2015 12:15
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There's a Netflix "app" in the Chrome Web Store that you can pin to your Chrome OS shelf that also gives you the option to run Netflix in it's own separate window.
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Optiquest posted:Is the touchscreen on the xps 13 better than the non touch? Anyone find themselves utilizing the touch screen or do you forget its there? Hows the keyboard? Looking for something lighter than my T420 with better battery that I can carry around school all day. The non-touch version with the 1080p screen has significantly better battery life, which sounds like something that would be useful for you.
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Apr 4, 2015 12:30
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MaxxBot posted:The non-touch version with the 1080p screen has significantly better battery life, which sounds like something that would be useful for you. Also, as mentioned, scaling is a windows issue. If you have a 1080p screen that's only 13 inches and run scaling lots of little things look weird like a pixelated iTunes icon or menu items. If you turn scaling off, or to 100%, the windows stuff becomes small enough to juuuuust be on the edge of comfortability for me. So if you get QHD you'll pretty much have to use scaling just to be able to see your mouse cursor. If scaling bothers you, don't get the QHD. I got the 1080p non touch and run scaling at 100% because the pixelation bothered me. I love it.
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Apr 4, 2015 13:42
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SteveMcQueen posted:Did you go for the 1080p screen or the upgrade? I'm about ready to pull the trigger but unsure on if the screen upgrade is worth it. I just got the standard, it's great. I am probably not knowledgeable enough to really comment on whether it's better than the upgrade or not. I just can't believe how clear and crisp everything is. Also the keyboard is really satisfying somehow..
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Apr 4, 2015 15:17
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Trying to learn Unity in my spare time, but my laptop just broke. I think it was a wire that attached to my charger, and I may be able to sided it for a few more weeks of life, but it's on it's way out. I used to have an Asus K55n which I got for about $300 USD, and found reasonable value for the price. I'm poor as dirt and can't really afford much better, but want to be able to run games, what's my best option? EDIT: I'm also apparently a Gorilla, as my laptop casing was falling apart, so please warn me if the system in question is fragile. Moriatti fucked around with this message at 16:24 on Apr 4, 2015 |
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Apr 4, 2015 16:20
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Moriatti posted:Trying to learn Unity in my spare time, but my laptop just broke. I think it was a wire that attached to my charger, and I may be able to sided it for a few more weeks of life, but it's on it's way out. There was a guy a page or two back trying to offload his old laptop. An older gaming notebook for 500 or so is probably your best bet.
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Apr 4, 2015 17:51
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Cat Army 
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Guess I'll go with the non touch xps 13. 8.1 or 8.1 pro? 256gb an okay value for the extra $100 or should I just install a bigger ssd myself? Are both displays IPS? Guess everyone is about out till the 23rd anyway Optiquest fucked around with this message at 20:39 on Apr 4, 2015 |
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Apr 4, 2015 18:43
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A MIRACLE posted:Planning to install "alongside" with a handy shortcut key to switch between them. I'm a Rails dev and need to get some work done so running Ubuntu isn't really an option if I'm not running OS X. I didn't realize dual-booting on a Chromebook was an option, haha.
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Apr 4, 2015 21:58
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Optiquest posted:Guess I'll go with the non touch xps 13. 8.1 or 8.1 pro? 256gb an okay value for the extra $100 or should I just install a bigger ssd myself? Check out the chart: http://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/windows/enterprise/products-and-technologies/windows-8-1/compare/default.aspx You probably don't need any of that. The SSD is standard sized M.2 so it's replaceable, but you won't get a 256gb for $100 so it might actually be worth the upgrade. Both are 1080p.
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Apr 4, 2015 22:19
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Demonachizer posted:Will I regret getting the 3k display on the W550S? Sorry for quoting myself but I think it might have gotten lost on last page in the middle of the night. EDIT: I guess from my research the scaling in windows sucks. I was wondering because it seems the macbook pro retinas are 3k panels as well and they are considered cream of the crop. Is there a bright spot on the horizon? I really want a touch screen but it if 3k would actively be a detriment I guess I could live without. Does it look like W10 will have better scaling? Demonachizer fucked around with this message at 04:13 on Apr 5, 2015 |
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Apr 4, 2015 23:51
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Well drat. I was trolling the local classifieds online this morning and found a T440s for $550. Got the guy to $500 just by asking. 1080p IPS touch i5 4300U 8gigs RAM 256 SSD Fingerprint/webcam/backlit 2.9 years left on the warranty Was running Ubuntu but I downloaded the 8.1 Pro USB installation from Microsoft. The key in the BIOS activated instantly. Looks like it's never been used. Lucky day I guess. I'm not sure he understood what he had, but cool. I know it has the horrendous single slab clicky pad but I am over it. Was eyeing the Dell infinity touch, but no more.
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Apr 5, 2015 04:51
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They come with a 3 year warranty so yeah that has to be nearly brand new.
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Apr 5, 2015 05:04
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The T450s apparently comes with three m.2 slots if configured correctly. One is taken up by the cache drive and is easily replaced. A second is taken up by the WLAN card, which seems like a good idea to leave in. The third is, as best I can tell, a 2242-sized slot that requires a single-sided SSD. Do these things exist? After a bit of searching last night I couldn't find anything that seemed to be 2242 and single-sided.
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Apr 5, 2015 06:36
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Optiquest posted:Is the touchscreen on the xps 13 better than the non touch? Anyone find themselves utilizing the touch screen or do you forget its there? Hows the keyboard? Looking for something lighter than my T420 with better battery that I can carry around school all day. They're about the same quality, if you search my posts in this thread I have some side by side pics. The touch looks a little nicer as the screen has a sheet of glass that's flush with the front. The non touch is recessed a little bit like a regular screen. They're equally bright, equal color reproduction. Non touch is matte though. Which is a good thing if you're a laptop snob. Dell really pulled out all the stops with this one. Hadlock fucked around with this message at 10:45 on Apr 5, 2015 |
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Apr 5, 2015 10:36
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The only real complaint I've seen (the webcam is not a real complaint, who cares?) is that apparently the screen is dimmer than the competition. Personally I've never found a need to really kick up the brightness on a laptop though.
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Apr 5, 2015 11:38
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Dell Australia, why won't you let me get a non-touch XPS13 with a 256 GB drive.  Anyone know any discounts or deals applicable down here to Dell, by the way?
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Apr 5, 2015 11:54
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MikeJF posted:Dell Australia, why won't you let me get a non-touch XPS13 with a 256 GB drive. Is AAA a thing in Australia? In the US they'll get you like ~15% off, which'll pay for a year of their service and then some.
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Apr 5, 2015 15:04
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AAA pays for itself so many times over annually if you actually remember to use it
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Apr 5, 2015 16:08
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My brother is looking to get a laptop for music production. He doesn't want a MBP because he basically thinks he can get a comparably spec'd setup from a windows PC that is nice enough. His budget is ~$1500 and his must haves are: i7 quad core 16gb ram ssd 15 inch screen portable (in terms of a 15" so like 4-6lbs) Things like the ram and SSD do not need to be options from the manufacturer, as long as the ability to upgade is there. The models he is considering are: Acer Aspire V15 Nitro Black Edition VN7-591G-77FS (This has a 5400 rpm drive that is supposedly not totally easy to replace) ASUS ROG GL551JW-DS74 MSI GS Series GS60 Ghost-444 He is really having trouble making a decision and is by no means tied down to any of the models listed. He is open for whatever you folks wanna suggest. Thanks for any help!
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Apr 5, 2015 17:03
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I think a lot of acer laptops I've worked on tend to put the HD under the keyboard, and the keyboard doesn't seem to always want to go back in properly from what I've seen, at least on their lower end models  Otherwise I've always had good luck with acer
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Apr 5, 2015 17:14
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I use my macbook pro on a wooden table that has a metal covering. It gets really hot. Should I worry about this overheating long-term with 3-8 hours of use per day?
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Apr 5, 2015 17:15
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Jewce posted:My brother is looking to get a laptop for music production. Always nice to actually see enough of your timeline/plugin windows in a DAW. I did Cubase on 1366x768 for three years and you basically can't get anything done.
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Apr 5, 2015 18:52
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IPS is indispensible for productivity?
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Apr 5, 2015 18:57
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Nitrousoxide posted:Is AAA a thing in Australia? In the US they'll get you like ~15% off, which'll pay for a year of their service and then some. I don't believe there's any link between the American Automotive Association and the Australian Automotive Association. In any case, certainly no deals.
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Apr 5, 2015 18:57
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Jewce posted:My brother is looking to get a laptop for music production. He doesn't want a MBP because he basically thinks he can get a comparably spec'd setup from a windows PC that is nice enough. Are we talking america? Because in my native land of weird prices, the kingdom of Denmark, a laptop specced like a rMBP will cost you the same as a real rMBP.
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Apr 5, 2015 19:35
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sarehu posted:IPS is indispensible for productivity? I've got a bit of confidence in the IPS technology guaranteeing at least a passable screen. I'll never buy a TN panel unseen again, however. Some are ok, some are really, really bad and make me want to cry.
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Apr 5, 2015 19:35
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Jewce posted:My brother is looking to get a laptop for music production. He doesn't want a MBP because he basically thinks he can get a comparably spec'd setup from a windows PC that is nice enough. Macs don't have anywhere near the price premium they used to, and sometimes are even the cheaper option. If he wants a rMBP, he should get an rMBP, I can't think of any non-Apple laptops that are comparable without costing more. He might look at the Dell M3800 series, but by the time you spec them nice they're $2000+. If he's willing to sacrifice screen quality, build quality, and get a bulky laptop, he could look at Sager / Clevo machines, that's going to be the cheapest way to a 15" machine with a beefy quad core. They're certainly not bad, just a little big.
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Apr 5, 2015 20:07
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sarehu posted:IPS is indispensible for productivity? its indispensable if you value your eyesight
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Apr 5, 2015 20:35
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go3 posted:its indispensable if you value your eyesight I know it's trendy to be too good for TN, but I'm going to play devils advocate and suggest that on productivity laptops that aren't doing graphical content creation, IPS is a luxury and not a necessity. Panel quality is more important for watching movies or looking at photos than it is getting work done. TN panels don't have to be bad either, the Macbook Air still uses a TN panel and it gets recommended around here like crazy. Edit: Am I missing something? Can someone explain to me how TN panels hurt your eyes? Have you guys just tried turning down the brightness? Twerk from Home fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Apr 5, 2015 |
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Apr 5, 2015 20:38
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Again, depending on the value your put on your eyesight.
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Apr 5, 2015 20:54
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Demonachizer posted:Sorry for quoting myself but I think it might have gotten lost on last page in the middle of the night. It's more random application developers than it is windows itself- Some things will work totally fine scaled to 150-200% DPI, others will be hilariously awful depending on how terrible/lazy the dev in question is. That said, Microsoft's own programs are included in the hit and miss factor, which is sorta mind boggling, but that's the way it is. Win10 is probably better in that MS is fixing more of their own stuff as time goes on (And anything metro/modern UI/whatever has perfect scaling too, and they're moving more windows UI and settings to that style), but it's still nothing like a magic bullet.
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Apr 5, 2015 21:02
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There's a second issue with a flag a program can set. Let Windows handle scaling, or the program will scale itself. Many choose the latter but then don't actually do anything.
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Apr 5, 2015 21:08
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Twerk from Home posted:I know it's trendy to be too good for TN, but I'm going to play devils advocate and suggest that on productivity laptops that aren't doing graphical content creation, IPS is a luxury and not a necessity. Panel quality is more important for watching movies or looking at photos than it is getting work done. TN panels don't have to be bad either, the Macbook Air still uses a TN panel and it gets recommended around here like crazy. LIght weight is a luxury. A good panel is a necessity.
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Apr 5, 2015 21:08
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Twerk from Home posted:Edit: Am I missing something? Can someone explain to me how TN panels hurt your eyes? Have you guys just tried turning down the brightness? I have one of those in a 2014 Lenovo laptop, in case you thought I was a time traveler from 15 years ago. I've seen TN panels that are perfectly ok as well. I just don't think it's worth taking the gamble when ordering a laptop, typically sight unseen from a website. You're already spending $1000-$1500, why handicap it with a lesser screen. Some well known and known good laptops may get a pass based on reputation and a wealth of good reviews. Most laptops don't have that going for them.
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Apr 5, 2015 21:43
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Flipperwaldt posted:Some well known and known good laptops may get a pass based on reputation and a wealth of good reviews. Most laptops don't have that going for them. Even where they do the actual panel used is something that can change without notice and vary widely in quality - even Apple is affected by this (although they at least make an effort to keep standards consistent)
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Apr 6, 2015 00:36
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Boiled Water posted:Again, depending on the value your put on your eyesight. TN panels don't hurt anyone's eyesight. (Maybe this is hard for you to understand if you spent your childhood in front of a CRT, the X-rays zapped your neurons.)
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Apr 6, 2015 01:39
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