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Old 14th May 2018, 22:56   #5116
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

I am considering a ThinkPad T480 (8th i7 8650U preferred over i5) but it is not yet available in India. The primary reasons I'm looking forward are its Mil-SPEC 810G standard build quality, dock, keyboard and dual batteries with hot-swap external battery which they promise to give upto 19 hours of battery life. I'm good even if I can get 10 hours roughly. Another reason is future expansion option additional SSD by ordering it with NVMe PCIe. I prefer to have RAID1 on my primary device for peace of mind.

Lenovo India replies on its estimated availability is not very promising. So I would be interested to know if Dell Latitude 7490 has easy expansion options given that the pricing may turn out to be cheaper than the ThinkPad T480 I was considering?
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Old 15th May 2018, 09:36   #5117
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Originally Posted by TrueDreamer View Post
I prefer to have RAID1 on my primary device for peace of mind.
I used to have RAID 1 on my computer 10 years back, but no more. Is it even required today? You can have real-time data syncing / backup on Google Drive. If security is a concern, you can keep the cloud data encrypted. Also take periodic image backups so that you can restore your customised system, should the need arise.

SSDs have an incredibly low failure rate so again, no need for RAID 1.

Having an extra hard-drive on a laptop just isn't worth the weight or cost penalties anymore.

Last edited by GTO : 15th May 2018 at 10:13.
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Old 15th May 2018, 09:58   #5118
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

My laptops built in speakers have gone bad. I now use external speakers when I want to watch prime/hotstar. I have a Phillips external speakers which I have now, but I am looking for something smaller & sleeker & preferably without wires - my current one has so many wires https://www.philips.co.in/c-p/SPA325...a-speakers-2.0

Any recommendations. I am not looking for expensive ones.
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Old 16th May 2018, 17:45   #5119
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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My laptops built in speakers have gone bad.
...
Any recommendations. I am not looking for expensive ones.

One piece of advice I can give you, after having gone through the same situation, be wary of Bluetooth speakers. At least Win 7 doesn't have good support. After installing the Intel Bluetooth drivers, it works somewhat, but every time I pause the video/audio the speakers (JBL Go) disconnect and switch off. To get sound again, you have to switch on the speakers and let it connect, which will take upto 10 seconds, if all goes well.


Better check if your system works with Bluetooth speakers before you purchase them.
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Old 16th May 2018, 18:23   #5120
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

Does it make sense to buy the MacBook Air now? Its for my wife's use - primarily she uses the laptop for connecting it via HDMI to TV to watch movies. Casual usage like browsing, microsoft office. Is the screen ok for watching movies.That was the main concern almost everyone states in reviews apart from it being around from 2010? without any major changes happening.
Any other suggestions apart from the MBA.Budget is around 50k.
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Old 20th May 2018, 11:56   #5121
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Originally Posted by carboy View Post

Any recommendations. I am not looking for expensive ones.

Get your laptop speakers repaired - this, I realized, is the best solution.


You can also go for clip on speakers which use just one USB cable for both power and audio. They just clip to the top of the laptop screen like a sound bar.
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Old 20th May 2018, 15:54   #5122
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Originally Posted by rajinibm View Post
Does it make sense to buy the MacBook Air now? Its for my wife's use - primarily she uses the laptop for connecting it via HDMI to TV to watch movies. Casual usage like browsing, microsoft office. Is the screen ok for watching movies.That was the main concern almost everyone states in reviews apart from it being around from 2010? without any major changes happening.
Any other suggestions apart from the MBA.Budget is around 50k.
I believe the Macbook Air on sale in it's current avatar was upgraded in the middle of 2017. 8 gb RAM, 128 SSD, i5 processor, 10-12 hour battery life, 1.3 kg weight is impossible in a Windows computer at this price point. For casual browsing and use it is perfect. I too had apprehensions about the screen, but it is fine. I am too lazy to connect it to a tv, so end up watching a lot of movies, tv shows on Netflix & Amazon Prime. I guess the difference in screen quality becomes more apparent when viewed side by side with the retina screens or if you are switching from a computer with a superior display.

I've had it for 1.5 years and it has been my primary computer for 4 months now. No complaints except I wish I had more disk space. Screen can live with.

Hope this helps!

Last edited by promit : 20th May 2018 at 15:56.
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Old 20th May 2018, 17:25   #5123
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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I believe the Macbook Air on sale in it's current avatar was upgraded in the middle of 2017. 8 gb RAM, 128 SSD, i5 processor, 10-12 hour battery life, 1.3 kg weight is impossible in a Windows computer at this price point.
There is the Dell Inpsiron which has everything similar PLUS 256 GB SSD



DELL Inspiron 5370 13.3-inch Laptop (Core i5-8250U/8GB/256 SSD/Windows 10/ Pre-installed Microsoft Office Home & Student 2016 /Integrated Graphics), Silver.

Never used it but just saw the specs.
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Old 20th May 2018, 17:58   #5124
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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DELL Inspiron 5370 13.3-inch Laptop (Core i5-8250U/8GB/256 SSD/Windows 10/ Pre-installed Microsoft Office Home & Student 2016 /Integrated Graphics), Silver.

Never used it but just saw the specs.
I stand corrected. You are right - it seems better value with a better screen, disk space and MS office. I was relating to my own purchase experience way back in February 2017. Good to see options to choose from now.
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Old 29th May 2018, 10:27   #5125
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

All,

I am looking at a new laptop. I have a MBA but I am missing my MS Excel and I think my work is done best on a windows laptop. So looking to buy a new Windows laptop. Primary usage is documents, excel, ppt, pdf + some low-end video editing.

Would anyone of you have a view on Lenovo Thinkpad 520 or Lenov Yoga 520? I like both but am not sure whether the consumer series of Lenovo is a reliable one.

I have a Thinkpad given by office and it is ofcourse superb. But I cant afford a Thinkpad.

My budget is ~65k.

My wish-list is (i) large good screen (ii) light weight (iii) should last for 5 years.

Thanks for all the help in advance.
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Old 29th May 2018, 17:12   #5126
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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All,

I am looking at a new laptop. I have a MBA but I am missing my MS Excel .... Primary usage is documents, excel, ppt, pdf + some low-end video editing.
....
My budget is ~65k.

My wish-list is (i) large good screen (ii) light weight (iii) should last for 5 years.

Thanks for all the help in advance.
Since MBA is already meeting your wish list (except for Large Screen), Why not simply buy MS Office for Mac (Home & Student edition), should cost in the ballpark of 6K which will leave you enough room to buy yourself anything between iPhone 8 / 8+ / Pixel 2/ pixel 2xl / S9. I think you get the gist.
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Old 29th May 2018, 20:25   #5127
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

All,
On the hunt for laptops with requirements similar to that of TrueDreamer - this will be for our small startup. Thought of sharing my experience and also get some tips.

Looking for i7 based CPUs as these laptops will be Desktop replacements - mainly used for compile and VM jobs - so good CPU + lots of storage needs (atleast 512GB) + Docking options. I have used Thinkpad, Dell Latitude and currently use Mac pro - so I was open to all 3 with a preference towards Dell thanks to good experience with their support. Budget is not a big criteria as these are the "most important tools" for a software company.

Shortlisted Precision 5520, X1 carbon and added Macbook pro thanks to some experiences that I am listing below. Happy to hear about suggestions to mitigate the cons.

Dell/Lenovo
Pros:
1) Business models like Precision/Latitude allow for a lot of customizable option. For eg I can get a small SSD + large HDD, multiple CPU options etc allows us to get good bang-for -buck.

2) MIL standards, specifically reasonable spill proof protection. My current Macbook pro had a small amount of water splashed on it and went kaput. To make matters worse, pretty much everything is soldered onto the MB - so no way to "rescue". As a side note, in some cases even speaker issues and keyboard issues lead to MB replacement (not sure whether this is because the service folks wanted to take it easy thanks to warranty or not).

Compared to this my Dell latitude had a full water bath thanks to my kid pouring water on it. Left it to dry for a day and thats about it - it still keeps going after 4 yrs.

3) Anti-glare screen options. Glossy screens look great for many jobs, but one thing they don't like is Vim editor with dark black background :-). Also a startup like ours will have to manage with office spaces that don't have the most ideal lighting - so matte screen is preferred.

4) Related to point 2, repairability and flexibility to add stuff later: adding RAM, batteries, keyboards - you name it.

Cons:
1) Maybe specific for me - I am particular about keyboard and trackpad feel. Dell/Lenovo have no experience centers to try out their business offerings!! Given that we are talking about something that will be used for 3-4 yrs, I am really keen to know what I will be getting. Went to Dell/Lenovo experience showrooms and no one even offers to get a demo piece. To make matters worse, some sales reps end up asking us to try the models present there claiming that response will be similar.

Dell/Lenovo really need to fix this - they don't have to stock a demo piece for every config, but they need to have a representative piece for every product line.

2) Lack of India specific website to configure things. I know this is the exact opposite of point 1 in pro - but I am not contradicting. You need to find a small business contact to make this happen. Tried and failed with Lenovo, but luckily got a contact for Dell through our forum member.

Believe me, the chat/contact-us button in those sites are hopeless - it doesn't take us to the proper sales rep at all. When I contacted Lenovo folks on that number and asked for a way to try out the laptop, the person asked me "Whats the need to go a shop when I am giving you such a good price" :-)

Mac
Pros:
1) Tried out the mac pro and yes, just the fact that I could try it out itself is a big advantage. The butterfly keyboard wasn't so bad like what I expected and after 20 mins, I started enjoying it. Fyi, I have a mac pro that has the Chiclet keyboard.

2) Solid build, great trackpad - didn't care too much for the gimicky touch bar though. Not a deal breaker, but its a feature for the sake of doing something different.

Cons:
1) Lack of hardening, lack of repairability - a machine so costly and that too for enterprise use needs to be more rugged. The build is solid, but basic spill proofing is a must. To make matters worse, even if I am ready to buy insurance - there is no tie-up by Apple. I will anyway go ahead and buy the insurance if I do go ahead with this.

2) Lack of configuration flexibility - again it hurts. I really want atleast 512GB storage and this means getting pushed into the higher end model.
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Old 29th May 2018, 21:00   #5128
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

Mods: Please add this to the previous post, just crossed the window I guess.

Missed out the biggest con in Mac pro - butterfly keyboard issues and resulting lawsuits.
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Old 30th May 2018, 09:18   #5129
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Originally Posted by roamer012 View Post
Since MBA is already meeting your wish list (except for Large Screen), Why not simply buy MS Office for Mac (Home & Student edition), .....
I agree. However, I was shortsighted and ended up buying a 11" MBA 2 years back and the small screen is now really bothering me when I want to work for prolonged periods.

But still a good suggestion - let me think about it and give my MBA another try. I am really handicap without proper MS Excel - I use it extensively for my work.

Thanks!
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Old 30th May 2018, 10:15   #5130
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Re: The Laptop Thread: Configs, deals & questions

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Originally Posted by keviv View Post
I agree. However, I was shortsighted and ended up buying a 11" MBA 2 years back and the small screen is now really bothering me when I want to work for prolonged periods.

But still a good suggestion - let me think about it and give my MBA another try. I am really handicap without proper MS Excel - I use it extensively for my work.

Thanks!
If you are looking at static setup at work or at home then even buying 2 LED monitors along with compatible dongles will not cost you as much as new laptop. Else you can look at "Lenovo 2017 320S Business Flagship Laptop 14 LED-Backlit Display Intel i5-7200U Processor 8GB DDR4 RAM 256GB SSD, 802.11ac, Windows 10-Silver" on amazon however thin and light with large screen do not go together.
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