Laptop Recomendation

wsuffa said:
Based on my experience with Dell support, I would not be particularly interested in buying another Dell product. I dumped Sonicwall after Dell bought them.
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Good thing Dell spun off Sonicwall. Back to the old level of support ;-)
 
Check out the Thinkpad T14. Thinkpads tend to hold on to ports a little longer than most, they are well built and those specs should hit the $1300 mark
 
DaleB said:
I'm --> <-- this close to buying an M1-equipped Macbook Air, a 35" monitor, and an external SSD.
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The price of the Macbook Air is really not far off that of any other comparable Windows laptop that I've looked at... unlike in the past, when you'd pay double for Apple hardware. I've looked at various other laptops, Surface, etc... I just can't bring myself to spend another dime on Windows running on Intel hardware. Been there, done that since PC-DOS, ready for a change.

I'm avoiding going to Costco, because I'm pretty sure a little Macbook Air will follow m home, and I want to make sure this is something I actually want to do rather than a little "retail therapy" to relieve boredom and stress.
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Make sure the macbook air with its on-chip graphics is able to drive the big monitor with a performance that is satisfactory.
 
DaleB said:
I'm --> <-- this close to buying an M1-equipped Macbook Air, a 35" monitor, and an external SSD. My dependence on Windows software is really down to two applications. One is 32-bit and should be able to run under Parallels, and it doesn't need to run all that fast (it's a cross-compiler for PIC processors). The other is 64-bit, but I recently tried KiCAD again and it's so many light-years ahead of where it was when I picked Eagle... I can use it for new designs, and it will happily import my old Eagle schematics and PCB layouts. Since Eagle got swallowed up by Autodesk, there's no way in hell I'm upgrading the last non-Autodesk version I have, so as long as my old stuff is still readable I have no real attachment to it any more.

The rest of my usage is web, email, docs, PDF exports, that sort of stuff. OK, I so use Cura for the 3D printer, but I have no doubt that either it will run OK on the M1 platform, or there's another suitable slicer I can use.

I've never been an Apple user, at least not since I could borrow time on some friends' Apple ][ systems to learn Pascal. Wife and I both have iPhones, she's got an iPad, but that's not a big factor. I just feel like downsizing my existing desktop (Core I7-7700 @ 3.6 GHz) to something I can easily carry when we travel, and use with a big monitor and proper keyboard when we're home. The price of the Macbook Air is really not far off that of any other comparable Windows laptop that I've looked at... unlike in the past, when you'd pay double for Apple hardware. I've looked at various other laptops, Surface, etc... I just can't bring myself to spend another dime on Windows running on Intel hardware. Been there, done that since PC-DOS, ready for a change.

I'm avoiding going to Costco, because I'm pretty sure a little Macbook Air will follow m home, and I want to make sure this is something I actually want to do rather than a little "retail therapy" to relieve boredom and stress.
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You'll miss your page up/down buttons.
 
Groundpounder said:
You'll miss your page up/down buttons.
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Not with the big keyboard I’d be using 95% of the time. I did notice while playing around with one in a store that it was a little annoying not to have them on the laptop keyboard. A little annoying, not a show stopper.
 
DaleB said:
I'm --> <-- this close to buying an M1-equipped Macbook Air, a 35" monitor, and an external SSD. My dependence on Windows software is really down to two applications. One is 32-bit and should be able to run under Parallels, and it doesn't need to run all that fast (it's a cross-compiler for PIC processors). The other is 64-bit, but I recently tried KiCAD again and it's so many light-years ahead of where it was when I picked Eagle... I can use it for new designs, and it will happily import my old Eagle schematics and PCB layouts. Since Eagle got swallowed up by Autodesk, there's no way in hell I'm upgrading the last non-Autodesk version I have, so as long as my old stuff is still readable I have no real attachment to it any more.

The rest of my usage is web, email, docs, PDF exports, that sort of stuff. OK, I so use Cura for the 3D printer, but I have no doubt that either it will run OK on the M1 platform, or there's another suitable slicer I can use.

I've never been an Apple user, at least not since I could borrow time on some friends' Apple ][ systems to learn Pascal. Wife and I both have iPhones, she's got an iPad, but that's not a big factor. I just feel like downsizing my existing desktop (Core I7-7700 @ 3.6 GHz) to something I can easily carry when we travel, and use with a big monitor and proper keyboard when we're home. The price of the Macbook Air is really not far off that of any other comparable Windows laptop that I've looked at... unlike in the past, when you'd pay double for Apple hardware. I've looked at various other laptops, Surface, etc... I just can't bring myself to spend another dime on Windows running on Intel hardware. Been there, done that since PC-DOS, ready for a change.

I'm avoiding going to Costco, because I'm pretty sure a little Macbook Air will follow m home, and I want to make sure this is something I actually want to do rather than a little "retail therapy" to relieve boredom and stress.
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I did exactly that, and I love it and hate it.

I'm not a Windows user for my home machines(I have been running Ubuntu Linux for a decade), but Mac OS is still a major annoyance. Having said that, I am willing to put up with Mac OS because it means that I just don't run out of battery life.

I bought a top of the line Air, and while I wish I could install Ubuntu on it, my biggest regret is the "top of the line" part. Mine has 8 graphics cores and 16 gb ram. I was planning on doing the thermal pad mod, but when I attempted it I discovered that they place a (weaker) thermal pad on the graphics cores on the 8 core model. Because of that, I was only able to do half the mod (I wanted it removable in case of a warranty claim). With the thermal pad mod, the 7 graphics cores see similar performance to mine with factory graphics cooling. I have a Windows computer that I was issued for work with 32GB RAM, and it isn't enough, but based on the performance I am seeing with the M1 Chip, I am confident 8GB would be enough (running an x86 version of Eagle, I would still expect 16gb would be worthwhile, but for most 8GB + $200 in your pocket would be a better solution).

Things to keep in mind, running Rosetta 2 (x86_64 compatibility) requires extra RAM, but native ARM programs will manage RAM much better vs x86_64 programs running on x86_64 hardware. This really pays off for me since I run mostly open source software, so I am not using many non-native tools.

Also, battery life will change the way you work in 2 big ways. 1) I never realized how much I stressed about battery until I just didn't. 2) On modern x86_64 hardware, there is a significant performance penalty when unplugged, with the M1 chips that just does not happen. So instead of putting off CPU intensive things until you have power, you just do them as the time comes. It is a significantly more natural workflow that improves productivity.

I can't wait until more manufacturers can offer power user level ARM laptops so I can go back to Ubuntu, but for now, even with the level of dislike I have for Mac OS, the M1 chips make putting up with Mac OS worth the frustration.
 
It’s the battery life and performance while running native apps I’m mostly looking for. Almost everything I will be using is open source, other than the PIC compiler. I also want to spend a lot more time playing with Python and things. Yes, I can do all of that with Windows.

None of the current Airs have over 8GB of RAM. I’m debating whether to pop the extra couple hundred for double the disk and an extra GPU core... probably worth it. But at this stage I’m in the “thinking about” stage, to coin a phrase.
 
DaleB said:
It’s the battery life and performance while running native apps I’m mostly looking for. Almost everything I will be using is open source, other than the PIC compiler. I also want to spend a lot more time playing with Python and things. Yes, I can do all of that with Windows.

None of the current Airs have over 8GB of RAM. I’m debating whether to pop the extra couple hundred for double the disk and an extra GPU core... probably worth it. But at this stage I’m in the “thinking about” stage, to coin a phrase.
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If ordering through Apple, all of the Airs can be configured with 16GB of RAM. But most resellers are not stocking the 7 GPU core version with 16 GB.
 
Groundpounder said:
I'm gonna put my purchase off for 6 months.
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You should spend those 6 months replacing your USB-A cables and peripherals with USB-C. You'll be happier for it in the long run.
 
Ur plain nuts if you don’t want a Mac! :)
Still using my 2013 model- it’s as fast and smooth as the day it was new- had never had that with a windows unit...
 
asicer said:
You should spend those 6 months replacing your USB-A cables and peripherals with USB-C. You'll be happier for it in the long run.
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There are some things, like the Garmin nav database updater, that can only run on USB-A.....I think. You raise a good point, might be worthwhile to look into.

Huckster79 said:
Ur plain nuts if you don’t want a Mac! :)
Still using my 2013 model- it’s as fast and smooth as the day it was new- had never had that with a windows unit...
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Had a Macbook Air for two years, good hardware, and Mac OS was ok, but I remember being frustrated by so many "you can't do that with a mac" moments that I went back to windows. Windows 10 has been flawless for me.
 
A few years back there was a guy at work that claimed that a mac couldn't do 90% of what he needed done (e.g., a utility for this or that)... partially true, but the rest of the story is most of the stuff he claimed he needed to run weren't needed on the mac. His claim was exaggerated crap - he should have just pointed at the 2 software packages that he needed to use which were only available for the window platform (with no suitable alternative for a mac platform).
 
Bob Noel said:
A few years back there was a guy at work that claimed that a mac couldn't do 90% of what he needed done (e.g., a utility for this or that)... partially true, but the rest of the story is most of the stuff he claimed he needed to run weren't needed on the mac. His claim was exaggerated crap - he should have just pointed at the 2 software packages that he needed to use which were only available for the window platform (with no suitable alternative for a mac platform).
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I've got some that the Mac will do, and some that it won't. For example, some engineering and antenna design software that I have just plain won't work on Mac. Problems with some of the Jepp stuff, too (though that may have changed). But most of the office and photo stuff I use work fine on the Mac. Some of the graphics stuff is better on the mac.

Comes down to a good needs analysis. And a willingness to put up with the crap that each of the two companies forces you to accept.
 
My needs are meager - MS Office and web browsing are 99.9% of what I use. I can to both on a Mac easy enough. No, strike that, not easy at all. I either have to use Libre Office, which isn't compatible with MS Office for advanced formatting features and not as user friendly, or a Mac ported version of MS Office, which by all accounts is clunky. And then there are the little things - grabbing windows, absence of the right click functionality, a very difficult to understand "Finder" file manager, etc... which all added up, makes me very unproductive using a Mac.

We had a Macbook Pro once. Maybe it was an Air, I don't remember. It was redeemed from Cathay Pacific mileage points. The case was solid. The keyboard wasn't. After about a year, the Q broke. I know people that like Macs really like them a lot, but I sure don't get it.
 
Groundpounder said:
You'll miss your page up/down buttons.
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Actually... looks like I pretty much won't at all. A quick Google hunt tells me that two fingers on teh touchpad will scroll web pages (hadn't thought to try that), and the cursor keys double as PgUp/PgDn/Home/End keys using the Fn key to shift their functions. No big deal.

MarkH said:
If ordering through Apple, all of the Airs can be configured with 16GB of RAM. But most resellers are not stocking the 7 GPU core version with 16 GB.
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Yeah. I've been hearing that 8GB is more than enough... and it's $150 less at Costco for the 8/8/8/512GB version. I don't know what Apple's return policy is, but Costco will let me return it if I decide I've made a terrible mistake.
 
SoonerAviator said:
I understand that. However, that's what made me ask the question of why "apple" was the answer when it generally takes a specific use case for it to be the best solution. Unless it's proprietary software or you are locked into the Apple ecosystem with 2 or 3 other iDevices, the financial cost doesn't typically make sense versus a similarly equipped PC.
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My laptop software needs are pretty generic, MS Office, Photoshop/Premiere, Fusion 360 etc. My wife uses an iphone and ipad in addition to her Air but my Macbook is my only idevice.

As I said earlier though, I used to go through laptops about every 2-3 years, so about 4 new units every 10 years. My first Macbook cost me about double what I would typically spend on a PC laptop and it lasted me 10 years. We've had similar results buying Macbook Air's for my wife. They last us longer so they end up costing less over time. And that doesn't take resale into account at all. A quick check of Ebay shows 2015 Macbook Pros are listed for about $400-$500. I haven't looked so I could be wrong but I suspect you'd be hard pressed to get anywhere close to $400 for most 2015 Windows laptops these days.
 
Groundpounder said:
Had a Macbook Air for two years, good hardware, and Mac OS was ok, but I remember being frustrated by so many "you can't do that with a mac" moments that I went back to windows. Windows 10 has been flawless for me.
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How long ago was that? I bought my first Mac around 2006 or so. I bought just to learn the OS it because I was running into them in the field and needed to know my way around them. Like you, I ran into a ton of 'you can't do that' moments back then. I always had other PC's around so it was always do whatever I needed even if the Mac couldn't do it. But I honestly can't remember the last time I ran into a you can't do that on a mac issue. But my software needs are pretty generic so YMMV.
 
Juliet Hotel said:
My laptop software needs are pretty generic, MS Office, Photoshop/Premiere, Fusion 360 etc. My wife uses an iphone and ipad in addition to her Air but my Macbook is my only idevice.

As I said earlier though, I used to go through laptops about every 2-3 years, so about 4 new units every 10 years. My first Macbook cost me about double what I would typically spend on a PC laptop and it lasted me 10 years. We've had similar results buying Macbook Air's for my wife. They last us longer so they end up costing less over time. And that doesn't take resale into account at all. A quick check of Ebay shows 2015 Macbook Pros are listed for about $400-$500. I haven't looked so I could be wrong but I suspect you'd be hard pressed to get anywhere close to $400 for most 2015 Windows laptops these days.
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I've never had a laptop (or desktop) that needed to be replaced every 2-3 years, so I can't even fathom that scenario lol. I've had 3 desktop computers since 2001, 1 HP Pavillion, 1 Dell Optiplex refurb, and 1 Dell XPS (currently 2 years old). I got 8-10 years out of them as personal computers for the same basic stuff (less PS/Premiere) and had no issues until they were so long in the tooth that the software was the limiting factor more than anything. My work laptops, which still had mostly MS Office (Excel/Access/Powerpoint) as the primary needs in addition to accounting software clients (not particularly resource intensive), were doing just fine for each 5 year stint until they were upgraded. I even made a request with one of them that I keep it until IT absolutely had to retire it solely because "it just worked" and I didn't want to deal with any teething problems by moving to newer OS and such. I honestly don't feel that any computer that came with Windows 10 is really at risk of needing to be upgraded on a 2-3yr timespan. I can understand those who had fits with Vista/Windows 8/etc. There's nothing wrong with an iDevice, I just can't justify paying the Apple-tax to do the same stuff I do on the Windows box, when my experience has been that opposite of yours.
 
SoonerAviator said:
I've never had a laptop (or desktop) that needed to be replaced every 2-3 years, so I can't even fathom that scenario lol. I've had 3 desktop computers since 2001...
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Desktops sure. I tend to replace or upgrade them about once every 5-10 years. But I never got that kind of longevity out of a laptop. Maybe I'm just hard on the hardware. Shrug.
 
kayoh190 said:
Interesting. Certainly light and well priced. One issue I see is the 13" version only comes with 8GB of RAM and I don't see any way to bump it higher. I tend to think 16GB is the baseline these days.
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Saw that as well. The flippy version, which I said I didn't want, comes with 16gb of ram, but loses the USB-A. Hmmmm....
 
While I didn't buy a Mac, I bought exactly what I said I didn't want. I placed an order for a Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360. It is flippy and it doesn't have a USB-A port. Sometimes I don't understand myself....

But they have a 15 day money back return policy, so if I don't like it, I will send it back.

Looks like they are planning on having an almost Apple level of integration with their handheld devices. I will be curious to see how it will sync with my non-Samsung android.
 
Cool - let us know what you think! I wasn't aware of the Samsung options until you mentioned them.
 
kayoh190 said:
Cool - let us know what you think! I wasn't aware of the Samsung options until you mentioned them.
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Will do! I didn't really know what they offered either until a youtube channel I follow posted a video about the new Samsung products. Good timing.
 
I've had my new laptop for about a week now. I really like it. Super thin and light. Well built, no noticeable flex. Keyboard is good despite the keys having very little travel. Screen is really nice. Battery life is good, but I have no idea how you could get the 20 hours that they say is possible. I have not used it on battery for a complete cycle, but going by the battery time remaining tab, it will be 10 hours at best. Have not used it in tablet mode aside from just trying it out. Not sure how much I will use it.

Overall, I really like this laptop. I'm actually considering switching to a Samsung phone from my Pixel to see how the "seamless integration" that they are talking about actually works. We'll see.....
 
How is the screen in daylight? That's one thing I wish my current lappys were better at.
 
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