Hadlock posted:Honestly if this is a big part of your job and doing it quickly, you might be better off setting up a machine in say, AWS and farming the job out there. There might be issues running legal documents through an outside service...
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 00:05
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 10:20 |
|
|
Sorry in advance for the huge post. After leaving my previous job and relinquishing my work 13" MBP , I'm in the market to buy a laptop for personal use. My needs in priority order are: - Productivity like email, web browsing, the usual. Almost not worth mentioning because basically all laptops will do this fine enough I guess - Coding, specifically bringing into interviews and small personal projects/experiments. My field is mostly web development and infrastructure management. I'm not IDE dependent and I'll probably be writing and running a lot of Docker images for the foreseeable future and I'm comfortable coding in Ubuntu and MacOS. - 6+ hour battery life on productivity use and USB-C charging. I like not needing a specific, proprietary charger for commuting and travel, and being able to charge off USB-C PD power banks if necessary is very alluring. - Bright screen and PPI around the MBP 13" level (which was around 217 IIRC) - Light gaming (and therefore almost certainly dual-booting), like Minecraft with my brother, Slay the Spire, Stardew Valley, I'm not explicitly in the market for dedicated GPU, I do most gaming on my PC at home. I've specifically been looking at buying new, because I'd like to put a 2 year coverage plan on whatever I buy and plan on having it for longer than that. The three units I've been looking at, with various pros/cons I've noticed, are: X1 Carbon Gen 7 + Lightest by a small margin + Linux support with a decent track record + Best build quality track record + Best variety of input options. + Great, mostly standard keyboard + Most modularly serviceable, maybe even by myself + 10 gen Intel Comet Lake CPU - Smallest trackpack, though I don't mind the nub navigation - Apparently there's a screen manufacturer roulette with 1080p screen upon ordering. There's lower nits on 2560x1440 screens, and the 4k screen's power usage dips me slightly below the 6 hour threshold. Price: ~$2000 (10th gen CPU, 16GB LPDDR3 ram, 512 GB NVME SSD, 4k screen). I think I just missed a sale because they were something like ~1.7k a few days ago. Dell XPS 13 + Ubuntu support seems great out the box due to their Developer Edition offering (I'd get a Windows one dual boot) + Cheapest of three in desired configuration + Smallest in dimensions + 10 gen Intel Comet Lake CPU - Keyboard looks cramped horizontally. The tiny tilde/backtick key gives me concern, I wish they didn't squash (apparently) on account of the fingerprint reader/power button. - Unclear track record with servicing, whereas I've had experience with the other two manufacturers. Price: ~$1600 (10th gen CPU, 16 GB LPDDR3 ram, 512 GB SSD, 4k screen) Macbook Pro 16" + 16:10 aspect ratio is really alluring. + Best trackpack by far + Fastest servicing if things go wrong via my local Apple Store + Dedicated GPU if I change my mind about gaming on the machine + Mostly standard keyboard now that the escape key is physical + Best battery life as configured (reportedly hits 10h easily while the Carbon and XPS 13 are around 5.5 and 8 respectively. + DDR4 RAM, up to 64GB + The new hotness - Priciest as configured - Heaviest and biggest - Overkill for just productivity use at the cost of being gaming versatile - As configured not 4k - Bootcamp for dual booting, which I've never worked with before Price: $3299 (the higher end model upgraded with 32GB RAM, upgraded GPU) The 16" MBP is kind of an outlier in the graphical needs and overall cost, but I'm pretty flexible on price and it's just got a solid set of features that I'm willing to pay out for seeing as I plan on holding onto this thing for 2+ years, maybe even 4. I'm hesitate to pick up a 13" MBP now with the 16" just released and the possible future of a better keyboard. I guess I'm asking here for any personal experiences, other laptops to check out, or recommendations, even if they're just wait and see (maybe through CES?). I think I would have pulled the trigger on the 7th gen Carbon a week ago if its 2560x1440 panel was the same brightness as its 1080p and 4k options and they were still running the sale prices I saw. My absolute dream would be a 13 or 14" laptop with ~2560x1440 resolution, 16GB RAM, 512 GB SSD at most $1.5K USD that's still in the 2.5-3.5lb range. Apologies for the lack of specific question or request, I've been neck deep in trying to figure out what I necessarily want and it's been almost a decade since I last needed to know anything about the laptop market
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 00:42
|
|
|
AVeryLargeRadish posted:There might be issues running legal documents through an outside service... It's HIPAA compliant/elibigle, and perhaps more importantly, probably should not be scanning legal documents on a contractor's laptop, that's how you end up with stories like "CEO leaves laptop in Taxi, 200 million customers' personal info compromised". At least with something like AWS the data is going into an S3 bucket with centrally managed IAM permissions by the IT department. You would almost certainly fail an SOC I/II audit if they found out that kind of processing was being done on a laptop.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 00:44
|
|
|
Statutory Ape posted:i know ive probably asked this, but what are yall using as a 100w PD charger? and also any experience with these / similarly prices modules ? https://www.amazon.com/Adapter-QGee...0NsaWNrPXRydWU= I have been using the Dell 97W USB-C charger interned for the XPS 15 9575 on my XPS 15 9570 with no issue BUT the thing got chewed up probably by my robot vacuum, which is a shame. I'm eyeing the Anker Atom here now: https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Chargi...ASIN=B07VSMK849 It wasn't available when I got the other charger, but I'm going with this next. The extra ports will be nice because that'll cover my phone, Switch, and the iPad Pro I'm aiming for. My partner's Chromebook, too.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 02:40
|
|
|
Keep in mind with the Anker Atom, the minute you connect another USB device to it, the max output on the USB-C port is 50w. You will also need an emarked cable to charge at that rate. I also find it odd that they don't have a 15v profile on that. Without that, you can't charge a Nintendo Switch beyond 7.5w. Still not a bad option though. Right now, I'm using this CalDigit combo TB3 and USB-C dock with 85w power delivery with my notebooks. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VL675DT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 02:58
|
|
|
Nur_Neerg posted:Anyone seen any decent post Christmas sales? I'm in Virginia visiting family instead of Washington, so night be nice to take advantage of half sales tax >< So far seeing the Dell G5, XPS 15, Helios 300, and Razer Blade as potential options, any thoughts or other recommendations?
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 03:50
|
|
|
bull3964 posted:Keep in mind with the Anker Atom, the minute you connect another USB device to it, the max output on the USB-C port is 50w. You will also need an emarked cable to charge at that rate. I picked up that CalDigit and like it a lot, but I noticed that my XPS 13 2-in-1 7390 (same as yours, Costco deal!) can't seem to be woken up from sleep when connected to the dock and leaving the lid closed. Have you had that issue? Edit: Also, for anyone interested in that CalDigit dock, CalDigit themselves are running a 15% off sale right now; I picked up a second dock for work for $169 from their site.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 05:04
|
|
|
Check the BIOS for tb3 behaviors on the xps13 if you haven't yet
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 06:58
|
|
|
SourKraut posted:I picked up that CalDigit and like it a lot, but I noticed that my XPS 13 2-in-1 7390 (same as yours, Costco deal!) can't seem to be woken up from sleep when connected to the dock and leaving the lid closed. Have you had that issue? Truth be told, I've only used the dock with my work T480 so far since in use the XPS from the couch.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 07:06
|
|
|
Via Lenovo's Outlet I found a refurb X1 Carbon 7th Generation with basically my desired configuration (4k screen, i7-8565U instead of a Comet Lake, 16GB RAMand 512 GB SSD) for $1.3k shipped. After looking into some benchmarks and thinking for a while longer I decided a Comet Lake s definitely overkill, and even with it being a refurb that price was too good not to pull the trigger. I'm still anxious about the battery life under the 4k screen and only a 1 year depot warranty, but I'm excited nontheless.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 08:35
|
|
|
You can add more warranty later. They will happily accept your money.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 09:39
|
|
|
Hadlock posted:It's HIPAA compliant/elibigle, and perhaps more importantly, probably should not be scanning legal documents on a contractor's laptop, that's how you end up with stories like "CEO leaves laptop in Taxi, 200 million customers' personal info compromised". At least with something like AWS the data is going into an S3 bucket with centrally managed IAM permissions by the IT department. You would almost certainly fail an SOC I/II audit if they found out that kind of processing was being done on a laptop. I will certainly look into dumping the job into the cloud. I'd not thought of doing so. As AVeryLargeRadish pointed out, I will need to clear the service to ensure that it meets our own standards. Processing documents on a laptop is not a problem (in fact our courts are largely moving to paperless).
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 10:59
|
|
|
I don't suppose there are rumors around when the Thinkpads are getting 10th gen processors? Excepting an X1 that is non-customizable, everything's still listed as 8. I'm teetering on the edge of replacing my 5-year-old T440 refurb, but it's not in such dire need of replacement that I can't wait six months. Is it even worth waiting and paying a premium for 10th gen? If I can get by with my increasingly ancient machine with minimal problems, the latest and greatest is unlikely to be all that necessary.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 20:47
|
|
|
Cugel the Clever posted:I don't suppose there are rumors around when the Thinkpads are getting 10th gen processors? Excepting an X1 that is non-customizable, everything's still listed as 8. I'm teetering on the edge of replacing my 5-year-old T440 refurb, but it's not in such dire need of replacement that I can't wait six months. Maybe during CES (starts Jan 7 I think) they'll announce something, but who knows how long it'll be before they're actually available for order
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 21:26
|
|
|
Speaking of CES, I have no source on this at all, but based on how LG did not refresh the Gram series for 2019, I would expect refreshes at CES at the soonest. edit: Pinging because the above might be of interest to you. Went and found sources: https://liliputing.com/2019/12/the-new-lg-gram-17-inch-laptop-weighs-3-pounds-has-intel-ice-lake-processor.html http://www.lgnewsroom.com/2019/12/new-lg-gram-lineup-proves-that-portability-performance-and-battery-life-can-coexist/ edit edit: feature matrix for the new versions  edit edit edit: Observations: They are really pushing the original definition of the LG Gram. Also, ugh, UHD graphics and slow RAM on the 2-in-1. SwissArmyDruid fucked around with this message at 21:43 on Dec 28, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2019 21:31
|
|
|
So the ROG Mothership actually got released... and I ordered one because I'm loving dumb.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 08:21
|
|
|
MSI GF65. i5 9300H, 1660 Ti, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB NVMe, 15" FHD 120 Hz. $1k - $250 with code SAVEGF65 makes that a pretty sweet $750 for a 1660 Ti gaming laptop (just add another 8 GB of RAM and maybe a 2 TB FireCuda.)
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 08:37
|
|
|
sigher posted:So the ROG Mothership actually got released... and I ordered one because I'm loving dumb.  Very cool device. It’s obviously not meant for the average consumer but I love what they did with the form factor, I hope this catches on as a new market segment in the future. I believe they are only making a few hundred of these?
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 08:46
|
|
|
sigher posted:So the ROG Mothership actually got released... and I ordered one because I'm loving dumb. Wait...how much are you spending on this thing?
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 09:05
|
|
|
eames posted:
I believe Linus said 600 or so? Atomizer posted:Wait...how much are you spending on this thing? A lot. It's ok, because I have a good excuse: I'm stupid.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 11:11
|
|
|
Would definitely be interested in a write-up once you get it!
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 11:28
|
|
|
Dear laptop industry. Make more surface-like form factor devices. Touchscreens are poo poo without the kickstand.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 11:53
|
|
|
If I had the income to do stupid purchasing decisions I too would buy a Mothership. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 12:18
|
|
|
Shrimp or Shrimps posted:Would definitely be interested in a write-up once you get it! It arrives Friday so it'll be a bit but I'll give impressions for sure; I'm curious to see how it performs against my current laptop which I've loved so far and picked up thanks to this thread.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 12:25
|
|
|
isndl posted:If I had the income to do stupid purchasing decisions I too would buy a Mothership. I mean, same. Either it takes off or these are a weird collector's item in 15 years.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 16:35
|
|
|
As I unfurl the mothership at my local Starbucks (it's always too busy in here), I can't help but notice the look of passing interest from the woman next to me. "Wow that thing is pretty complicated to get out and turn on huh?" She hazards with a faint smile, aborting my landing sequence. Annoyed, I square my body up against my 'ship "Ma'am it was actually only on hibernate I would only shut it off if I was going somewhere like a long trip and knew I couldn't have it with me like a plane ride to my mom's or maybe a longer train ride
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 17:00
|
|
|
sigher posted:So the ROG Mothership actually got released... and I ordered one because I'm loving dumb. And then it has a detachable keyboard, also playing into the "you use it at a desk" model of things. But if you're using it at a desk, would you not generally be better off with a desktop? So it only makes sense if you're using it at more than one desk, like moving around, maybe playing multiplayer games in other people's houses? Which, okay, I can see that's a use, but it doesn't seem like the most efficient way to set up a device for that. Given you're obliged to use it at a desk anyway, it might as well be, and I don't think this product actually exists, I'm suggesting they should have made it instead, a smallish lightweight screen with a stand, a keyboard and mouse, and a small lightweight [compared to a desktop] "gaming laptop guts" box (maybe the battery could also be separated out for heat efficiency reasons, and because if you're always going to use it at a desk maybe you don't actually want the weight of the battery), and a well designed carrying case for these parts. I guess like going for portable desktop rather than stationable laptop. I'd buy one of those.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 21:59
|
|
|
roomforthetuna posted:
I keep thinking of getting a Falcon Northwest fragbox but trying to find a monitor that’s durable and easily portable is difficult.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 22:42
|
|
roomforthetuna posted:That looks extraordinarily niche. I like a gaming laptop, but I like it because I can use it without sitting at a table/desk, and using it that way doesn't make sense with the device as designed. Or you just get one of those heavy desktop replacement laptops, similar specs and weight, but slightly better form factor. I see this thing, and the aforementioned desktop replacement laptops as things for people who need a portable workstation. For example if your job involves a lot of travel and you need to do some high powered computing on the go these things make some sense. But the mothership is aimed at gamers, not professionals, so it's just a silly thing to show off at trade shows and such, imo.
|
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 23:07
|
|
|
roomforthetuna posted:That looks extraordinarily niche. Many people living in city apartments/studios don't have room for a full size desk dedicated to a PC. This is kind of a mobile All-in-One PC that you can put on any small table and stow away when not in use. I think it's quite smart. I imagine it's good for for hotels or vacation homes too.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 23:13
|
|
|
It's niche because it's a $6,000 monster. You can just get a $1400 Lenovo that plays pretty much any game at 1080 ultra.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2019 23:15
|
|
|
eames posted:Many people living in city apartments/studios don't have room for a full size desk dedicated to a PC. This is kind of a mobile All-in-One PC that you can put on any small table and stow away when not in use. I think it's quite smart. I imagine it's good for for hotels or vacation homes too. Ugly In The Morning posted:I keep thinking of getting a Falcon Northwest fragbox but trying to find a monitor that’s durable and easily portable is difficult. Hm, maybe the thing I want to exist does exist, apart from the "carrying them all together neatly" case part. Ideally you'd have a case that you can slot things into without disconnecting the wires, that protects those joins, so you can pack it up and carry it without disconnecting anything but the wall. This monitor looks okay for portability, at 2lb and with a case/stand. This thing seems to be an adequate gaming box, at under 7lb. (Edit: and it has a hilarious skull on it!) Add a mouse and keyboard of your choice and you pretty much have a portable desktop gaming rig, and it weighs less than the Rog (though the specs are not as high obviously). And it would be a pain to get through an airport because those security folks know what a laptop is, but they'd look at that mess and be like "what the gently caress is this, a bomb?" roomforthetuna fucked around with this message at 01:38 on Dec 30, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2019 01:33
|
|
|
Cugel the Clever posted:I don't suppose there are rumors around when the Thinkpads are getting 10th gen processors? Excepting an X1 that is non-customizable, everything's still listed as 8. I'm teetering on the edge of replacing my 5-year-old T440 refurb, but it's not in such dire need of replacement that I can't wait six months. Thirst Mutilator posted:Maybe during CES (starts Jan 7 I think) they'll announce something, but who knows how long it'll be before they're actually available for order Yeah expect Dell, Lenovo, HP etc to announce their new business class laptop designs between now and Jan 10 Lenovo has started offering Thinkpads with AMD chips starting ~2 years ago in their non-low end models. Intel has really been struggling to produce chips in volume below 14nm for years now. Lenovo is still selling "new" Thinkpads with 8th gen chips.... $599 this week for an X390.... "only" add $700 more to get a 10th gen x390 (i5-10210U) Lenovo can take between three weeks and six months for newly announced designs to make it to market.
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2019 01:49
|
|
|
roomforthetuna posted:That looks extraordinarily niche. I like a gaming laptop, but I like it because I can use it without sitting at a table/desk, and using it that way doesn't make sense with the device as designed. A desktop would be better (considering you can get more performance at a fraction of the cost), though I plan on taking this thing places even though that's a really stupid idea and it's not terribly convenient. However, it's mostly because the thing exists that I want it. It's like those ridiculous concept cars that never go into production, except this thing did.
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2019 04:11
|
|
|
roomforthetuna posted:Yeah, but the thing I was suggesting would be that too, apart from not "all in one", but is that even a valuable feature? (Laptops are already not actually all-in-one because you also have to wrangle the power brick.) All-in-one as a feature is as valuable as you make it. If you set it on a desk and never move it again then it's a waste of money, but if you have intentions to move around then it starts gaining value really fast. I'm sure quite a few people have had miserable visits to family for Christmas this year, imagine if you could bring your easily bring your desktop with you and perhaps even set it up in the living room without drawing ire for how ugly a desktop typically is given cabling everywhere and the massive footprint. Someone in a university dorm might need to switch rooms every semester, some jobs need you to move from site to site for weeks at a time, etc. Frequent travelers greatly appreciate being able set up or pack up in a minute flat, as well as stowing away neatly without inventory tetris. It's niche but it's not at all an unusual niche. The Mothership is very clearly intended to straddle the space between laptop and desktop: it has the compactness and portability of a laptop, but also attempts the raw power of a desktop. Yeah, you could just buy a heavy duty gaming laptop, but that comes with compromises in that it's got the attached keyboard which is inherently limiting in how and where you can use the laptop. With the separated keyboard you can position both the monitor and keyboard more comfortably (putting the monitor on an elevated platform would be a good idea for long term locations, you can also center the monitor more relative to the KB/M positioning), you can use it in more crowded spaces (couch co-op except you don't have to clear the coffee table, you can sit back with the KB while your partner uses a controller, etc.), plus the kickstand gives better airflow than the standard horizontal layout which the typical keyboard mandates (and you don't toast your fingers under heavy load like a lot of laptops). And if you have a nicer keyboard you prefer you can put the stock one into storage instead of getting funky with both a laptop and desktop keyboard on the table.. TL;DR: the Mothership is a product that is nothing special on paper but has incredible potential in the usability details.
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2019 06:00
|
|
|
Acer Predator Helios 300 vs Acer Predator Triton 500: assuming the same specs, what really differentiates them? Microsoft store has the Triton w/ 9750 & 2060 on sale for $1399, Best Buy has the Helios with same components and storage (512gb SSD) for $1279. Can't find the Helios to try out in person, but can hit the Microsoft store to try the Triton. They both seem to be exactly the same size (14*10*1) with the same components...what am I missing?
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2019 06:35
|
|
Nur_Neerg posted:Acer Predator Helios 300 vs Acer Predator Triton 500: assuming the same specs, what really differentiates them? Microsoft store has the Triton w/ 9750 & 2060 on sale for $1399, Best Buy has the Helios with same components and storage (512gb SSD) for $1279. Can't find the Helios to try out in person, but can hit the Microsoft store to try the Triton. They both seem to be exactly the same size (14*10*1) with the same components...what am I missing? The Triton has better build quality, IIRC.
|
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2019 06:39
|
|
|
Triton has a bigger battery, Helios has a 2.5" drive bay. Also, the Triton apparently has an inverted motherboard. bull3964 fucked around with this message at 06:45 on Dec 30, 2019 |
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2019 06:43
|
|
|
lol at the people telling the dude with a $6500 laptop that he overpaid for the performance seriously what are you worried about/trying to prove itt trying to find ways to justify/unjustify his purchase and ownership of The Thing his $6500 laptop could be used as a coaster and it would make more economic sense than using this current machine to post on 20 year old internet forums- altho it is winter and the waste heat put out by the unit in this room may be useful. congrats on your laptop please if its actually as ludicrous and insane irl as it looks pls pls take a picture of that at the most bougie starbucks table you can find or if youre feeling brave panera near a college around lunch
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2019 13:56
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 10:20 |
|
|
I don't know anything about laptops and my mom wants some advice on what to upgrade her 10 year old Acer laptop to. Her budget is $400 CAD give or take. She wants a 14-15' screen. She wants it to be speedy browsing the web (Facebook, eBay, etc), watching videos (YouTube, Netflix etc). She has a Skype video call every week with her church group so a webcam/mic is a plus. She also does some minor business/productivity stuff on it but I assume that can be done on just about any laptop. The kicker is that she also wants to be able to play a few games on it, nothing more intensive than WoW, though. Does such a laptop in that price range exist? Used is also fine.
|
|
#
?
Dec 30, 2019 16:21
|
|
