laptop advice time...

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Thu, Aug 22, 2013 at 12:54:57AM -0400, D. Hugh Redelmeier wrote:
> Those are good.  But heavy and expensive.
> 
> Note that there are sometimes astonishingly good deals on thinkpads
> (but not when you want them).  Over the years I've purchased three
> such bargains.  There are EPP codes floating around to help.

I got mine during black friday last november.  Given that was about 2
or 3 weeks after the screen on my old laptop failed and I managed to
make it worse when trying to fix it, the timing wasn't too bad then.

> I find the new ultrabook format attractive but have never actually
> used one:
> 
> - svelte
> - light (but not as light as they look)
> - long battery life (some models)
> - not upgradeable (battery, ram, disk are often not replaceable)
> - chicklet keyboard
> 
> | - a really nice keyboard -- I spend most of my day typing.  Lenovo
> | used to have the nicest eyboards around but I thin that has really
> | changed.
> 
> The chiclet keyboards are apparently cool.  You've got to decide it
> you love them, hate them, or don't care.

Also the chiclet keyboard on an eeepc and a thinkpad is not the same
thing.

> Intel graphics is good enough for me.
> 
> nvidia graphics (discrete) is now combined with intel graphic (on
> chip) on many ThinkPads.  The combinatino is awkward.  For low power,
> you use intel; for heavy-duty graphics you turn on and switch to the
> nvidia.  Supposedly this is automatic, but I don't think that it works
> in Linux yet.  I use a BIOS setting to switch (requires a reboot --
> not convenient).  Lennart referred to Bumblebee which is supposed to
> do it better.
> 
> | - half-decent speakers would be nice too, as I watch movies & stff on my laptop.
> 
> Do you need a DVD drive?  That knocks out ultrabooks.
> 
> | That's really about all I need.  I really welcome your help!  Thanks,
> 
> My desire is for a lot of pixels.  That seems to seriously increase
> the price of a notebook.  Lenovo usually has decent screen options for
> ThinkPads (not cheap).
> 
> There are a million inexpensive notebooks that might be good enough.
> 
> Haswell chips (the latest generation of Intel processors) seem to
> increase battery life significantly.  But that may be mostly while
> they are idle (not sure).
> 
> SSDs have their place.  They make for fast boots.  Depends on your
> capacity needs.

I have noticed that the build and design of a thinkpad is quite different
than most laptops.  The hinges for the screen are much stronger and
will last.  So far I have had to glue the hinge back on to the case 3
times in 18 months on my wife's ideapad.  Different price but also very
different design and durability.

-- 
Len Sorensen
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