[dearchichi]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Just wanted to inform the thread, Apple's M1 Air seems to be selling on Amazon for 67k.

Hello. Could you please confirm if buying from Amazon is safe (Appario Retail)? I see a lot of threads in Reddit about about buyers being scammed when they purchase phones on Flipkart.

[three10]

I can’t add much - the recommendations are spot on!

If windows is non-negotiable, thinkpads especially the flagship T series or a workstation class ones if you want to step up are the logical choice. buy direct from Lenovo and they offer I think up to a 5 year extended warranty.

FWIW, i have a thinkpad X201 that I bought way back in 2007 that still runs windows 7 just fine. The only reason I don’t use it is because it goes only up to 8 GB RAM and the port selection is outdated by today’s standards. It has undergone 3-4 battery replacements and still does a solid 4-5 hours on a full battery charge with normal use.

If you can shed some light on your requirement with windows, we can see if there is a workaround on the macOS side.

Contrary to the MacBook Pro recommendations made here, I would recommend a Mac mini plus an M1 IPad Air combo (or the supposedly upcoming M2 based iPad Air). If you have the budget, splurge on an iPad Pro. That’s the best combination of portability and horsepower.

Also, a fresh install plus a careful transfer of data is worth it - cloning a hard drive directly may not lead to optimal performance. Plus you take stock of what you have and organize better .

[inwester]

Originally Posted by GTO

Guys, please suggest a powerful laptop that'll be used to run Team-BHP .

Requirements:
- Horsepower for heavy multitasking.
- Reliability
- Great after-sales service & long warranties
- Open to screen sizes, battery life etc.
- Would have bought the Macbook M1 / M2, but I absolutely need Windows. It's a non-negotiable.

Okay, so recently I went on a laptop buying journey. Maybe you'll find some of it helpful.

I have used HP Spectre 13 inch 2-in-1 laptops for personal use the last several years (since 2015). They are light, looks brilliant, well made and comes packed with high end specs, mainly they have better screens compared to budget laptops.

My use case is pretty similar to what GTO has described and I am not an avid gamer so didn't need a discrete graphics card. I also prefer Windows to macOS, although I have MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs in the home.

Here are some of the criteria that was important for me and used while selecting a laptop

1. Good display, i.e. higher than 1920 x 1080 resolution
2. At least 16GB RAM
3. Core i5/i7 12th/13th gen Intel processor
4. At least 512 GB SSD
5. Lightweight, i.e. under 1.5 kg (~3.5 lbs)
6. Good battery life
7. Well made and looks good

Researched multiple brands and ended up selecting these 2.

1. LG gram 16" 2-in-1
   
   Key Specs
   16" WQXGA 2560 x 1600 IPS Touchscreen
   16GB LPDDR5 (Dual Channel, 5200MHz)
   512GB NVMe Gen 4 M.2(2280) Dual SSD slots
   Intel 12th Generation i5-1240P
   80Wh Battery
   1.48 kilos (3.26 lbs)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Samsung Galaxy Book 3 pro
   
   Key Specs
   14" WQXGA+ 2880 x 1800 AMOLED
   16GB LPDDR5
   512GB NVMe, Dual SSD slots
   Intel 13th Generation i7-1360P
   63Wh Battery
   1.18 kilos (2.58 lbs)
   
   
   

I kept both for a few weeks and ended up returning Samsung, mainly because I found the LG's touchscreen and 2-in-1 gave the extra versatility of using it as a tablet/media device (which I often use on a treadmill) and the battery life was significantly better than Samsung. Not to mention it was cheaper.

Now most Windows laptops don't give the claimed battery life compared to MacBooks which last forever, but LG at the end of the day gave me anywhere between 7-8 hours compared to 4-6 for Samsung. It's also been a while since I used a "big" laptop (my first laptop was a super heavy Sony Vaio 16" more than 2 decades ago in grad school and ever since I have been using 13" laptops) and since its so light and relatively small in dimensions I didn't find it cumbersome.

One additional benefit of having the LG, I have completely stopped using my iPad Pro 12.9" as this serves both as a tablet and laptop. Add a case and iPad Pro basically feels like the same weight as LG Gram 16. The bigger screen is definitely way better than the iPad Pro.

Apple Macbook Air M2 15 is a great option but you want Windows. So not recommending that here. Attached are some comparison photos with Air M2 13.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by inwester

I kept both for a few weeks and ended up returning Samsung

I didn't know you could return laptops! Where did you buy it from?

[inwester]

Originally Posted by carboy

I didn't know you could return laptops! Where did you buy it from?

Ha ha, sorry I should have mentioned it, Amazon.com (US). You can return pretty much anything here.

[bravo82in]

Originally Posted by harry10

This is an excellent deal if someone was thinking of getting the Macbook.

Where is this deal? Can’t find it on Amazon or flipkart app. Mind sharing a link if it’s still there.

[HTC]

Folks,

Big billion sale is ON.
I'm totally out of touch with latest in laptops. My niece needs to buy laptop for her engineering. She is in first semister of information science branch.

Any suggestions are much appreciated. I was keen on Lenovo thinkpad. But none on sale.

[Romins]

Other options to get high computing power but to retain the current hardware; depending on the technology stack and other factors.

1. Get a high-end Dell Optiplex or Precision workstation - you can configure and add upto 512GB RAM, NVIDIA card with 32GB etc. Then remote desktop to this PC using the current laptop. Higher capex but lower opex- a good configuration will cost around 2lac but you can upgrade and use this for next 10years.


2. Buy Windows VM on Azure
Remote desktop to this VM and scale up or down hardware as and when needed. Low capex and higher opex. You can use this setup forever unless you change technology stack.

3. If you want to use Mac hardware and Windows OS- you could use Parallels and run Windows on it.

[harry10]

Originally Posted by Kurrant

Hi, can share the platform where you spotted this deal? I checked Amazon and it was showing a price between INR 63k and INR 65K

Originally Posted by bravo82in

Where is this deal? Can’t find it on Amazon or flipkart app. Mind sharing a link if it’s still there.

This deal was live when sale started on 6th night. As is Tradition Amazon must have raised prices afterwards. Now it's 65k after discount on Amazon. Every year BBD and Amazon sale for anything mobiles, laptops or electronics of any kind gets cheapest deal in first hour when sale starts.

[Aroy]

It all depends on how much your budget is. If you want a server grade laptop, then it will cost you 2L+. These are called "Mobile Workstations". Lenovo P series, Dell and HP have them. I prefer Lenovo thinkpad due to their excellent service.

. I7/I9
. 32-64 GB RAM, ideally 128 GB. This is essential if you want a lot of tabs opened.
. 4K Screen (non touch)
. 1TB or 2TB SSD. Some have provision for 2 drives.

Couple this with a USBC hub and you can easily attach two (upto 4K) monitors for an excellent real estate. (I have 1x HD and 1 x 4K apart from the HD of the laptop).

For storage use USB HDD. I use 3TB, 3TB and now 5TB. One attached for working and the rest as timed backups.

Another thing to note is that if you are using the laptop as your main computer, then consider the effect of data corruption in memory. For short jobs it is of no significant effect, but for long jobs especially RDBS based ones the cascading effect of memory errors is disastorous. In that case consider using a laptop that has

. Xeon chips or AMD equivalent that supports ECC memory
. ECC memory

If budget is tight, then get a Thinkpad T series with I7 and 32/64 GB RAM

[ashvek3141]

Hello Folks,

I know I'm a little late to the party (BBD / Amazon sale) but my wife is looking to get a new laptop for herself.

Her current one is,
- 4 years old
- 14" Lenovo Thinkpad
- i3, 7th Gen
- 4 GB RAM
- 1 TB HDD.

It's screen has given up and has gotten pixelated which hinderance the usage big time. Screen replacement in aftermarket shops costs upwards of 6k INR. Moreover, the model has been stopped and hence procuring parts might be difficult they say.
The laptop has gotten pretty slow too and opening any MS office files or any other apps takes ages. Considering all this, she intends to pick a new one for herself.

I own Macbook Air M2 myself which I purchase in Jan 2023; however, she isn't quite keen on a Macbook. She isn't tech-savy either and hence a windows laptop is just fine for her as she has been using it since. Also, it's good to have one of each - Mac & Win laptops respectively.

Usage requirement are as under -
- Uses MS office big-time + a lot of statistical apps (which sometimes are power hungry).
- Entertainment stuff like YouTube, Music, OTT (occasionally)
- A few low-end graphic apps (not very high-end though)

Laptop Requirements -
- Need a compact size = 14" maybe
- Full HD (or better) display
- Lightweight
- Decent processor = i5 or i7? No idea about their clock speeds or generations.
- 512 GB SDD. If 1 TB isn't very expensive than 1 TB would be great.
- RAM possibly upto 16 GB if that will be sufficient for above use case?
- Good battery life (as she has to work on lot of presentations)
- Good looks (not priority).
- No brand preference in particular.

Request you kind inputs to help me pick one as I am out of touch on latest in Windows laptops.

[ajayc123]

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

Hello Folks,

The laptop has gotten pretty slow too and opening any MS office files or any other apps takes ages. Considering all this, she intends to pick a new one for herself.

Request you kind inputs to help me pick one as I am out of touch on latest in Windows laptops.

Since your existing laptop has only 4 GB RAM, that could be a bottleneck. You should explore if RAM upgrade could solve the problem.

Even 7th gen processors are quite capable, I am using a 7th Gen intel processor for one of my machines (though it is i7), with 16 GB RAM, and it is still super snappy and fast.

If you really want to change to a new machine, I would say go for i5 or i7 (current or last generation), with at least 8 GB RAM (with an extra RAM slot for expansion - i typically buy an 8 GB machine, and add another 8 GB RAM - usually a more cost effective option), or go for 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD (nvme only).

In your cost of ownership, factor in at least 3 year warranty, and buy the warranty along with the machine, for peace of mind. During my most recent purchases for friends and family, I have concluded on ASUS Zephyrus (Amazon) and HP pavilion machines (direct online). If having licensed MS Office is important, then ASUS usually has some good bundled offers for MS Office, along with 3 year warranty.

Likewise, I have seen some good extended warranty offers by HP direct during festive season.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

Hello Folks,

.........................................
Usage requirement are as under -
- Uses MS office big-time + a lot of statistical apps (which sometimes are power hungry).
- Entertainment stuff like YouTube, Music, OTT (occasionally)
- A few low-end graphic apps (not very high-end though)

Laptop Requirements -
- Need a compact size = 14" maybe
- Full HD (or better) display
- Lightweight
- Decent processor = i5 or i7? No idea about their clock speeds or generations.
- 512 GB SDD. If 1 TB isn't very expensive than 1 TB would be great.
- RAM possibly upto 16 GB if that will be sufficient for above use case?
- Good battery life (as she has to work on lot of presentations)
- Good looks (not priority).
- No brand preference in particular.

Request you kind inputs to help me pick one as I am out of touch on latest in Windows laptops.

I bought a Thinkpad E14 last year. Full HD, 16+8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Ryzen 5000.

I use it with two external Monitors - 4k and HD, so three screens. For data I use external USB disks - 2TB, 3TB and 5TB.

I have been using Thinkpads since 2003 and feel that they are superior to most of the competing laptops - excellent build, Excellent screen and over all support. Once you use thinkpads, you do not think of anything else.

Both my sons have Apple laptops - top of the line with the works, but I still prefer my Thinkpad.

[three10]

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

Hello Folks,

I know I'm a little late to the party (BBD / Amazon sale) but my wife is looking to get a new laptop for herself.

Her current one is,
- 4 years old
- 14" Lenovo Thinkpad
- i3, 7th Gen
- 4 GB RAM
- 1 TB HDD...

Unless there’s physical damage to the screen, it doesn’t get pixelated. What you’re seeing is probably windows running pretty bad due to a slow hard disk and very little RAM.

It’s. Thinkpad - pretty indestructible like a Toyota.

Upgrade the RAM to the max supported (most probably 16 gb) and a 1 tb ssd. It should work pretty well. Get a new battery if it has degraded ( it would have, considering it’s 4 years old)

Just for a frame of reference, my thinkpad x201 I bought in 2007 has a 1st gen core i5 processor. I upgraded the ram to 8 gb and a 500 gb ssd. It runs pretty much everything as far as day to day use is concerned. No physical damage either, and is on its 4th battery.

EDIT: use the money you save to get a nice big monitor, ideally 4K and 27inch and above. It makes a world of a difference when working with excel / financial modelling apps.

[PaddleShifter]

Posting here as I accidentally posted in the macbook thread while searching for SSD related discussions. I really need advice regarding this one as the return window closes tomorrow, 24-10-23
…………

I bought a WD SSD from flipkart during sale with following details:

2TB capacity WD Blue SATA SSD
Price: 7900/- (usual price is more than 11k)

Its a guaranteed new/unused item.

Its date of manufacture is JAN 2021 (I guess not many takers for 2TB SSDs).

I registered the product on WD and got an email stating that unless I can submit document from flipkart stating that this is a new peoduct and not a used/refurbished purchase, they cant support warranty etc for this drive.

WD Blue SSDs carry 5 years warranty while flipjart page mentions 3 years warranty.

Flipkart customer support tells me that they cant give a written letter etc in this regard. And also they say that I can return the product if I want.

Can you guys (especially those working in IT etc) give suggestion whether I should retain (and risk) this hard drive or return it? Considering the discount.