# Laptops.



## Randy-Darkshade (Dec 4, 2012)

I just wanted to see what your opinions were on laptops, such as the best make/model or the worst, do you prefer microsoft or apple? Do you repair laptops and hate it?

In my experience with laptop repairs I find that they are a right pain in the arse to take apart, well, except for the apple ibook g4 I recently got given as spares or repairs, it powers up but doesn't do anything, anyway the ibook dismantles a lot easier than many microsoft laptops I have taken apart. I know I normally slag apple off but I have to give the company credit where it's due. 

I don't like compaq, HP or Acer laptops. I find Acer's tend to break easily. 

My recommendations to anyone wanting a  laptop get either a Sony, Dell, Advent or Toshiba.


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## Fallowfox (Dec 4, 2012)

I use a samsung most of the time but I also have a toshiba. I don't repair them because they have never broken. If I am honest I would not know how to repair them if they did. 
I heard that towers are easier to repair and customise, but I'm not interested in customising my machine because I don't use it for demanding applications. 

I see you like toshibas, what do you think of samsung- are there any widespread flaws I should be aware of?


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## Randy-Darkshade (Dec 4, 2012)

Fallowfox said:


> I use a samsung most of the time but I also have a toshiba. I don't repair them because they have never broken. If I am honest I would not know how to repair them if they did.
> I heard that towers are easier to repair and customise, but I'm not interested in customising my machine because I don't use it for demanding applications.
> 
> I see you like toshibas, what do you think of samsung- are there any widespread flaws I should be aware of?



Not that I'm aware of. I also find laptops can be expensive to repair, especially if you don't know how to fix them and have to take it into a computer shop. I was given a nice acer but it had no screen and the board seems to be dead, by the time I'd have bought a new board and screen I may as well have gone bought another working laptop. 

It's no wonder so many broken laptops either get thrown out or sold on ebay as spares/repairs.


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## Bando (Dec 4, 2012)

ASUS is probably my favorite brand as far as laptops go (some desktop parts as well). They have excellent build quality, a good range of laptops to suit one's needs, and a fair price point for having good specs. My laptop was $700 and has an i5 provessor, 750gb of memory, and a dedicated graphics card. I love it to pieces.


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## Dreaming (Dec 4, 2012)

I got myself a HP back in 2010 and it's still running fine. There's a few major issues but they're not unique to HP, just general laptop issues. HPs are pretty cheap really, they run well for their price, and I've never had an issue with overheating, the supposed 'big flaw' of HP

Though I'd rather have  a Samsung Chromebook honestly, they're supposed to be the best affordable laptops



Fallowfox said:


> I heard that towers are easier to repair and customise, but I'm not  interested in customising my machine because I don't use it for  demanding applications.


The difference is that towers have space, all the components are spread out on a large board. Laptops are all squeezed into a small space, they're a bitch to take apart if you don't know what the hell you're doing, piecing them back together is just impossible


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## Arshes Nei (Dec 4, 2012)

I just don't pay over $500 for a laptop, something newer and better comes out so I space it out for 2-5 year use before I get another one at least.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Dec 4, 2012)

Dreaming said:


> I got myself a HP back in 2010 and it's still running fine. There's a few major issues but they're not unique to HP, just general laptop issues. HPs are pretty cheap really, they run well for their price, and I've never had an issue with overheating, the supposed 'big flaw' of HP
> 
> Though I'd rather have  a Samsung Chromebook honestly, they're supposed to be the best affordable laptops
> 
> ...



This is why when I first started tinkering with laptops I started on old non working one's that ran windows 98 or 2000 or something, so if I broke it even more during dismantling it didn't matter. Now, five years later I can take one apart fine, it's just a lot of bloody work. 



Arshes Nei said:


> I just don't pay over $500 for a laptop, something newer and better comes out so I space it out for 2-5 year use before I get another one at least.



Same, I don't see the point in upgrading just because the next new thing has been released.


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## Deo (Dec 4, 2012)

I used to have an Acer that I won in a poker game, and yeah, it was shit.

I'm thinking about getting a computer too since my company gives it's employees a discount on Apple, Lennovo, and Alien Ware computers. Anyone heard anything about those? It looks like Alien Ware is for some serious gaming (and a gamer I am not), and I know what Apple makes, but how about Lennovo? They look good I think (you can't really complain about a 1T harddrive and 8gb Ram with a thrid gen i7 processor now can you?)


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## Bando (Dec 4, 2012)

Deo said:


> I used to have an Acer that I won in a poker game, and yeah, it was shit.
> 
> I'm thinking about getting a computer too since my company gives it's employees a discount on Apple, Lennovo, and Alien Ware computers. Anyone heard anything about those? It looks like Alien Ware is for some serious gaming (and a gamer I am not), and I know what Apple makes, but how about Lennovo? They look good I think (you can't really complain about a 1T harddrive and 8gb Ram with a thrid gen i7 processor now can you?)



Alien ware laptops aren't what they used to be. Really they're quite overpriced for what they have do offer. Your best bet for general usage would be the Lenovo, can't say too much about the brand though. No real personal experience. Although if you either like Apple products or use software for OSX, the Macbook Pro is a fantastic laptop. It's just expensive.


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## Deo (Dec 4, 2012)

Bando said:


> Alien ware laptops aren't what they used to be. Really they're quite overpriced for what they have do offer. Your best bet for general usage would be the Lenovo, can't say too much about the brand though. No real personal experience. Although if you either like Apple products or use software for OSX, the Macbook Pro is a fantastic laptop. It's just expensive.


Yeah, for the same price of a Mackbook Pro I can get a Lennovo with (I've heard) nearly double the storage/running capacity. So the only good thing would be Mac's virus-free operating system right?


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## Bando (Dec 4, 2012)

Deo said:


> Yeah, for the same price of a Mackbook Pro I can get a Lennovo with (I've heard) nearly double the storage/running capacity. So the only good thing would be Mac's virus-free operating system right?



Basically. You can get a PC with much nicer specs for the same price as a Mac. _But_ Macs have much more thoughtful design in nearly aspects. Creative software also is much stronger on a Mac. Plus the whole reduced threat of viruses, you're not immune but might as well be.


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## AshleyAshes (Dec 4, 2012)

It doesn't matter who makes the laptop.  All their guts are made by Foxconn.


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## Deo (Dec 4, 2012)

Bando said:


> Basically. You can get a PC with much nicer specs for the same price as a Mac. _But_ Macs have much more thoughtful design in nearly aspects. Creative software also is much stronger on a Mac. Plus the whole reduced threat of viruses, you're not immune but might as well be.


Yeah, I've heard that if I want it for art get a Mac. But the specs on the PC should be able to run the same stuff just as smoothly right? 8 gigs of ram should handle Photoshop and Firefox being used at the same time right? As for design, I'm not that hipster yet to choose a computer based on aesthetics.


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## Bando (Dec 4, 2012)

Deo said:


> Yeah, I've heard that if I want it for art get a Mac. But the specs on the PC should be able to run the same stuff just as smoothly right? 8 gigs of ram should handle Photoshop and Firefox being used at the same time right?



Yup, it'll run just the same. The only reason Macs are a bit better for creative purposes is sometimes software is only released for one operating system. But with standard things like Photoshop, you don't really have to care.



Deo said:


> As for design, I'm not that hipster yet to choose a computer based on aesthetics.



Well, I'll guess I'll just sit over here with my prescription Wayfarers and PBR.


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## Runefox (Dec 4, 2012)

I have a MacBook Pro 15".

If you hate Macs, may as well skip this paragraph. As far as laptops go, they are going to be a relatively expensive investment for one that's going to last any amount of time or haul any amount of ass. The engineering that goes into the MacBook is honestly pretty awesome, and the non-Retina Macs are just as upgradeable as a PC laptop. There are more powerful PC laptops out there, but usually they give up battery life, form factor, weight, or some other trade-off. Among other things, it _feels _solid. The price tag is much higher, yes, but the price tag also doesn't move much over time compared to a PC; You can still sell a 2007 MacBook for around $500 on eBay, which I'm pretty sure you won't be able to say the same for with Acers and Dells. Also, the fact that the OS doesn't have to support six hundred million hardware combinations is a nice touch as far as system stability and patching goes. Just don't ever buy factory upgrades from Apple. Holy shit. I grabbed 16GB of Corsair Value RAM for mine at half the cost of 8GB Hynix or Samsung OEM from Apple, and I'm looking at stuffing an SSD into it whenever I can get my hands on a decent one (Samsung 840 Pro series - I want).

Anyway, Apple shit out of the way, my favourite PC brands are Samsung and ASUS. Both make incredibly awesome computers, and both make most of the parts that go into them (Samsung usually makes ALL of the parts in their computers). They're almost always both rugged and stylish, with the ASUS Xenbooks being probably the sexiest Ultrabooks around (yes, including MacBook Airs - I'm not an Apple fanboy). Another brand that usually impresses me is Lenovo, at least in their higher end offerings. Hell, even Acer's Timeline series is pretty sexy and well-built; Actually, as of late, I've been noticing a sharp increase in build quality from Acer (though also a sharp increase in bloatware... Coincidence?  Also, NEVER try to contact Acer for warranty support. Just saying). Toshiba's also not bad, though usually bulkier; Their software support sucks, though, and if they use AMD chips, they have to run their own drivers, which is a pain - Especially after upgrading to Windows 8 and finding the only driver that works is Toshiba's, and it's a year old.

I do (or did; I've recently moved to a tech support job) repair laptops, and I usually find that Sony is a pain in the ass to repair; Certain replacement hard drives can cause the whole system to barf when trying to re-image. Same goes for HP, though in a different way - The laptops are usually fine, but the desktops... CODE PURPLE. Dell is probably the worst though. They almost always require removing the keyboard and a bunch of other shit to get to the RAM slots and hard drive nowadays. And fuck Alienware. Seriously.


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## Randy-Darkshade (Dec 5, 2012)

AshleyAshes said:


> It doesn't matter who makes the laptop.  All their guts are made by Foxconn.



The main boards in my bin disagree with you.


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## AshleyAshes (Dec 5, 2012)

Randy-Darkshade said:


> The main boards in my bin disagree with you.



*sigh*  It was a satirical generalization as the majority of laptops, desktop motherboards, game consoles and many handheld electronics all have their guts produced in Foxconn factories.


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## BRN (Dec 5, 2012)

The company I'm working with provided me with a Lenovo T420 to perform my work on. I'm not going to say it's stylish, but it's incredibly functional. It's got the power to run full screen games, let alone to do housekeeping jobs such as Word and Excel, but apparently it's affordable enough to outfit a company with them.

Integrated speakers, webcam; keyboard light, and a deliciously stodgy keyboard that feels great to use. The battery life is somewhere in the region of 2-4 hours, wifi connectivity is stable, the screen is a high resolution, and it's never overheated. I wish I could be more technical - sorry guys.

It feels solid, it looks good, and it's literally shitting ports. I suppose the only problem I have with it is its appreciable weight - 4kg? - but all in all, I'm really impressed; it's a quality build from a company I've not really had experience with before. I would genuinely endorse Lenovo.


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## Aetius (Dec 5, 2012)

The company named Sager is pretty awesome for gaming laptops. Got my gaming laptop from those guys, and it is pretty amazing. (Never ever buy from Alienware)


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## Runefox (Dec 5, 2012)

Sager is a custom shop that builds systems based on MSI kits; Technically, they sell customized MSI laptops. They are primarily gamer-focused, though they don't bother with bling bullshit like Alienware does. US only though, so I've yet to see one for myself, but I've heard very good things about them.


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## Lobar (Dec 5, 2012)

I like Lenovo's Thinkpad series.  Their aesthetics have not improved a bit since the early 90's, but they're durable and you won't have to worry about the hinge crapping out after a year or anything.  Also my current Lenovo is the easiest-to-upgrade portable machine I've ever had, three screws and the whole bottom surface comes off and I can get to the hard drive, RAM slots, wireless adapters, SIM card slot, everything.


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## RadioactiveRedFox (Dec 5, 2012)

I prefer Asus laptops. They are pretty cheap for what you get, are well built and perform well. I've been running the same one for four years now and have had no problems with it, except the ones that are of my own doing. I will say from experience that laptops are a pain to disassemble but that is just the nature of the beast.


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## Arshes Nei (Dec 5, 2012)

Bando said:


> Yup, it'll run just the same. The only reason Macs are a bit better for creative purposes is sometimes software is only released for one operating system. But with standard things like Photoshop, you don't really have to care.



Going to contest this.

This* used* to be true but there are a lot more art related programs that are released now a days that far outnumber "Mac Only"

Sketchbook Pro? - This is on Mac and PC
Corel Painter? - PC is truly 64 bit, and now Mac is behind - though available for both platforms
Photoshop -Available for Mac and PC
Open Canvas? - PC Only
Easy Paint Tool Sai? PC Only
AZ Drawing and AZ Painter? PC Only
Gimp - Linux, PC, Mac
Fire Alpaca - Mac and PC
Artrage? - Mac and PC

I have yet to hear of some "must have app" these days that you can only get on Mac that pros and most other artists use.


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## Runefox (Dec 5, 2012)

Generally speaking, the *only *reason a Mac is 'better' for art would be the screen. Particularly the Retina MacBooks, but also the iMacs as well both have professional, wide-gamut screens with ridiculous resolutions. Realistically, you can get a similar (or exactly the same screen) to the iMac screens separately for a PC, though the laptop world has yet to catch up with the Retina MacBooks for resolution and colour depth.


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## Bando (Dec 5, 2012)

Arshes Nei said:


> Going to contest this.
> 
> This* used* to be true but there are a lot more art related programs that are released now a days that far outnumber "Mac Only"
> 
> ...



Hm, good to know. I actually haven't kept up to date on the compatibilities of software, mostly because I don't use any of them. 

I believe the same goes for music production software, so either a Mac or PC would be a good option.


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## Runefox (Dec 6, 2012)

Actually, music production is usually better on a Mac from what I've found. There's Apple's own Logic software, and also rather good handling of inputs and outputs that Windows hasn't really managed to master yet (though WASAPI was a good start, and more or less comparable to ASIO for things that support it). I've seen cases where vocal amps for instance produce a loud buzzing sound on Windows 7, but not on a Mac (or Windows XP, oddly enough). I've also had loads of trouble getting other stuff to work properly on Windows, particularly when it comes to recognizing that a device is actually plugged in (M-Audio stuff is very bad for that). Most of the audio producers I've spoken with in my travels tend to prefer the Mac platform to Windows for audio, and from what I've experienced, I'm inclined to agree, but I'm by no means an audio professional myself, and I'm sure there are plenty of Mac audio horror stories out there as well.


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## Deo (Dec 8, 2012)

Dudes, I am looking to buy a new Lennovo laptop for *$729*, please tell me if I am getting a good deal or not.

Configuration details:
 	 	  â€¢ 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3630QM Processor( 2.40GHz  6MB)
 	 	  â€¢ Windows 8 64
 	 	  â€¢ NVIDIA GeForce GT650M 2GB
 	 	  â€¢ 8.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3 SDRAM 1600 MHz
 	 	  â€¢ 14.0" HD Glare with integrated camera 1366x768
 	 	  â€¢ Industry Standard Multi-touch 2 button touchpad
 	 	  â€¢ 1TB 5400 rpm
 	 	  â€¢ DVD Recordable (Dual Layer)
 	 	  â€¢ 6 Cell Li-Polymer
 	 	  â€¢ Intel Centrino Wireless N-2230
 	 	  â€¢ Bluetooth Version 4.0
 	 	  â€¢ One year
 	 	  â€¢ Notebook
 	 	  â€¢ Integrated HD Camera
 	 	  â€¢ HDMI (Out)




Yes, no? Good deal? Meh deal? Or an "I know a laptop deal, here Deo take this link to a better priced awesome computer and be happy".


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## BRN (Dec 8, 2012)

Deo said:


> Dudes, I am looking to buy a new Lennovo laptop for *$729*, please tell me if I am getting a good deal or not.
> 
> Configuration details:
> â€¢ 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3630QM Processor( 2.40GHz  6MB)
> ...


Sounds like RRP to me, really. You'd find similar specs in a lappy here for around the same price...

Your bonuses are in Lenovo's sturdy construction and reliability, and your negatives are in Lenovo's lack of particularly stylish construction. Pricewise, you're around what I'd expect.


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## Deo (Dec 8, 2012)

SIX said:


> Sounds like RRP to me, really.


RRP?


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## Namba (Dec 8, 2012)

Deo said:


> RRP?



Recommended Retail Price


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## EllieTheFuzzy (Dec 18, 2012)

(As i've mentioned in the other thread) I have a Lenovo and an Acer, Opinion wise seeing as i am a gamer I'd rather leave the gaming and intense tasks to my Spooky moopy (i7 3770k computer) But i love the laptops for being low and relaxing tasks like Listening to music or watching videos In bed.

I'll second the sturdyness of the lenovo, Mah (I like saying it that way durp xD) G550 feels like you could put it into a Oven and the thing wouldn't melt or overheat (I wont try it though), I've dropped it twice i think it only has a tiny tiny crack, So it feels pretty sturdy and i think if your out and about not revving the hell out of the laptop i say It's pretty damn perfect. 

My Acer (Aspire 5742) I'll have to admit it doesn't feel as tough as the lenovo it's thinner but the materials don't feel as so... yeah XD, dropped it a few times and it's screens broke along with a bigger crack (due to fix), But i'd give it props if you like to do a little gaming or a bit more intense tasks on it, so i think the two help eachover here or there. 

I also have a packard bell i've never tried, Old as hell and is a brick (it's a XP laptop with 512MB ram) Thinking of putting Windows 2000 on it and use it as a nostalgia machine. 

I used to be a bit critical of laptops since you couldn't modify them as you like (Graphic cards, Changing CPU (heard some laptops have CPU's sandered onto their board), bit of a hassle to install a 2ND HDD More prone to breaking) but as comfort computers or just computers you will want to just use for internet perfect

Though if you are pretty into your gaming i'd stick by getting a Desktop, Saving any money saved in a good graphic card (For example i'll say if i put a good graphics card into my older dell i think it'd have outperformed my acer in gaming (acer = i3, Dell = Core 2 Duo)


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## Arshes Nei (Dec 18, 2012)

I like my Lenovo now that I got a one working with sound...but I went through a customer service nightmare getting one that worked fine in the first place.

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Lenovo-...novo-G570-Sound-problems-Still-No/td-p/574407


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## EllieTheFuzzy (Dec 18, 2012)

Just got a Fujitsu T4215 tablet for drawing , but fuck IT EATS BATTERY!!!!! but it's epic dude 

BEWBIES 8D XD


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## Demache (Dec 18, 2012)

zashko said:


> Just got a Fujitsu T4215 tablet for drawing , but fuck IT EATS BATTERY!!!!! but it's epic dude


I have a university issue Fujitsu T731 tablet. They are decent I guess. But god forbid you play games on it. Its not so much that it has an intel GPU, its that for some reason, the CPU fan doesn't kick in to full speed, causing it to get ridiculously hot, like 92C hot (it gets hotter than my engine coolant in my car). No dust in the fans or anything, its just never spools up the fan to full speed for some stupid reason. Then the CPU underclocks itself causing massive FPS drops yadda yadda. I have to force games to run at 30 fps or else it overheats.

I had a pretty good experience with my old Gateway laptop though. One of the first gen mobile Core 2 Duos @ 2 Ghz with 2 GB of DDR2 RAM. It was a beast back in 2006. Still holds up pretty well now and my dad uses it for web browsing. Terrible for playing games though (intel GMA 950....gross. Wanna play Source games? Too bad.).


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## EllieTheFuzzy (Dec 19, 2012)

Demache said:


> I have a university issue Fujitsu T731 tablet. They are decent I guess. But god forbid you play games on it. Its not so much that it has an intel GPU, its that for some reason, the CPU fan doesn't kick in to full speed, causing it to get ridiculously hot, like 92C hot (it gets hotter than my engine coolant in my car). No dust in the fans or anything, its just never spools up the fan to full speed for some stupid reason. Then the CPU underclocks itself causing massive FPS drops yadda yadda. I have to force games to run at 30 fps or else it overheats.
> 
> I had a pretty good experience with my old Gateway laptop though. One of the first gen mobile Core 2 Duos @ 2 Ghz with 2 GB of DDR2 RAM. It was a beast back in 2006. Still holds up pretty well now and my dad uses it for web browsing. Terrible for playing games though (intel GMA 950....gross. Wanna play Source games? Too bad.).



[video=youtube;pLFDF8al2Io]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLFDF8al2Io[/video]

Nuf said XD

I'll be NOT using it for gaming as said in another post that's for my spooky moopy i7 PC to handle, But as more for the art applications SAI PS SKBKPRO Flash and such  But i can back you up in saying that it damn does get hot, I monitored the temperatures of the CPU for a bit and it was upto 60C but the temperature it generates (the case) is pretty crazy, So yeah if you got a tablet I wouldn't use it for gaming (unless it's a flash game but that's kicking it) 

Don't know if yours is the same but, is the cuts for air to get to the fans kinda rediculously small? 

But i love my tablet still ^w^ <3


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