[GTALUG] Notebook Computer Recommendations

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Tue, Jul 05, 2016 at 06:22:03PM -0400, CLIFFORD ILKAY via talk wrote:
> Hello All,
> 
> I am in the market for a laptop with the following specs.
> 
> Supports at least 32GB of RAM. 64GB would be better if the premium is not
> too high. If the memory is not maxed out, it should be a matter of adding
> more sticks rather than throwing away what it already has installed. (I
> intend to run a bunch of virtual machines on this machine.)

At the cost of ram from the manufacturer, throwing away what it comes
with is often by far the cheapest option to max out the ram.

> At least 1920x1080 display. 3k or 4k would be "nice to have" but not
> essential.
> 
> 13" to 15" display would be fine. A 17" machine had better be exceptional
> for me to consider having to lug something that big around.
> 
> Excellent full-size, U.S. English keyboard and pointing device(s). I have a
> couple of older ThinkPads (A21p and T43) and love their keyboards, three
> button mice, and pointing sticks. If it must be a TrackPad, it had better
> work as well as the TrackPad on my Mac. I do not know if that is possible
> with Windows or Linux. I do not like laptops that have numeric keypads
> because that means the keyboard is offset to the left of the center of the
> screen, which I think would be like driving a car with the steering wheel
> that is offset a little bit from the center of the driver's seat.
> 
> The hard disk type or capacity is not important as long as I can upgrade it
> to whatever I want.
> 
> Options:
> 
> Used ThinkPad W530 can be had for under $1000 with the 32GB of RAM that it
> supports. I have seen a few brand new W541s (the "s" is for Spanish) but it
> is not clear to me if they have U.S. English keyboards.

Usualy lon thinkpads, s means slim.  I have not seem a W541s but have seen
W540s which from what I have seen people did not like since it dropped so
many of the features that made the W540 useful that it was pretty useless.
People wanted a portable workstation, not an ultrabook.

> New ThinkPad P50 - Linux support seems iffy. Numeric keypad means the
> keyboard is offset. Expensive.

I use a W541 at work, and yes the keyboard is offset compared to the
screen, but the touchpad is centered with the alphabetical part of the
keyboard, so I don't mind it.  My W530 doesn't have any way to get at
the number pad function in any way which can be inconvinient occationally.

The W541's 2880x1620 display is nice, but sure hard to see stuff on
until you scale things.  My W530 has the 1920x180 display which was the
highest it could have.

The P50 sure is expensive.

You could get a T460.  14" screen, 1920x1080 an option.  32GB ram is max
(I would NOT care what ram it comes with and just go to canada computers
and buy 32GB ram.  It is much cheaper).  It does not have a nuymber apd
and the keyboard is centered.

A T560 would have the same specs, but has a numberpad and offset keyboard.
A 3k (2560x1440) display is an option though.

If you need fast 3D graphics, you could go for a T460p or T560p but if
you don't, it is cheaper and simpler to work with if you don't get that.

I think the P50 is the only one to support 64GB ram and 4k display.
Not sure why the W550 ended up named P50 when it finally showed up.

Ordering a thinkpad with the specs you want is simple and pretty fast
and you can certainly get the US keyboard that way (and certainly would
want to).  I love the backlit keyboard, and have so far had no complaints
about the chicklet keyboards they went to with the x30 series.

> Dell and HP both have workstation notebooks. I do not know much about them.
> Any recommendations?

I have hated every Dell laptop I have ever used.  I don't know how anyone
can make such terrible keyboards and touchpads.  I have only dealt with
consumer HP laptops, and they were cheap unreliable junk, but the lenovo
ideapads are almost as cheap and unreliable.  Consumer laptops just seem
to be that way.

-- 
Len Sorensen