Ask HN: What does one look for in a laptop these days? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What does one look for in a laptop these days?

#681

Post by da39a3ee » Sun, Oct 17, 2021, 11:38 AM UTC

smoldesu wrote: post #450

mustache_kimono wrote: post #435

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you feel like you're missing in userspace?

- A good (not Homebrew and not quite Macports) package manager. - Ways to permanently disable Gatekeeper - Some kind of quick setup. On Linux I use a bootstrapping script, MacOS does not offer the same extensibility. - Real virtualization support like QEMU - Real container support (if I set up another local Docker host on a Mac I swear to god...) - Up-to-date coreutils - A way to install Git without dragging along a…

What do you want to do that homebrew doesn’t do well?

Re: Ask HN: What does one look for in a laptop these days?

#682

Post by netjiro » Sun, Oct 17, 2021, 12:05 PM UTC

These days I've become a bit picky, with a couple of absolute deal breakers:

Today I run an older xps13 which is quite close. My next will probably be a framework (immediately) when they get a matte screen option.

!: matte screen, >350nit, >150dpi, >12", !: good keyboard. subjectively of course.

!: >10h, full day's work on battery.

!: good linux compatibility. I'll run my own and don't need the headache.

!: dead silent and cool. I run underclocked mostly, with fans off.

!: Things I don't need:

-: very fast cpu. I mostly run seriously underclocked, have a small cluster to offload compiling and heavy work onto.

-: design. Just plain, simple, no flashy-flashy nor logos nor stickers.

-: touch screen.

What I would like:

:) >16h battery.

:) :) oled or similar, 300dpi. Best would of course be primarily reflective instead of transmittive. If we're already dreaming.

:) mouse nubbin thingy, or eye tracking (!)

:) good on board sound and a 3.5mm jack.

Re: Ask HN: What does one look for in a laptop these days?

#683

Post by walterbell » Sun, Oct 17, 2021, 12:11 PM UTC

nightpool wrote: post #544

smoldesu wrote: post #450

Earlier quoted context omitted.

- A good (not Homebrew and not quite Macports) package manager. - Ways to permanently disable Gatekeeper - Some kind of quick setup. On Linux I use a bootstrapping script, MacOS does not offer the same extensibility. - Real virtualization support like QEMU - Real container support (if I set up another local Docker host on a Mac I swear to god...) - Up-to-date coreutils - A way to install Git without dragging along a…

Wait, are you saying that if you set up FileVault to not use your iCloud account, Apple still holds a master key? I thought that was the whole point of using your own recovery key

Seconding this question!

2017 article says Apple doesn't have a copy without iCloud enabled, https://www.macworld.com/article/229963/want-to-recover-a-fi...

Re: Ask HN: What does one look for in a laptop these days?

#684

Post by marianov » Sun, Oct 17, 2021, 12:30 PM UTC

da39a3ee wrote: post #679

marianov wrote: post #645

Earlier quoted context omitted.

X220 is my primary computer. It never uses more than 4 of the 16GB RAM. I ran the fan almost all the time at full speed tough. The killer app (in a bad sense) is Zoom. It kills the CPU and can't handle virtual backgrounds.

How much RAM is used is determined by you pattern of application usage (and OS), not by your choice of computer.

I know. I just wanted to emphasize on Zoom being the only thing that makes an otherwise perfect computer not powerful enough (for me of course).

Re: Ask HN: What does one look for in a laptop these days?

#685

Post by Smithalicious » Sun, Oct 17, 2021, 1:42 PM UTC

erhk wrote: post #495

Smithalicious wrote: post #166

0. Linux compatibility, I am not super picky about getting everything to work perfectly but I should be able to trust that the software I prefer to use will run and my laptop will connect to wifi and play audio properly and so on. 1. IPS screen (mostly a given nowadays, but this wasn't always so) 2. Trackpoint, I hate trackpads. Pretty rare option so I could possibly be convinced otherwise if the trackpad is particul…

Yes you did describe explicitly a thinkpad. Why is trackpoint a preference?

Because it's just much more pleasant to use. Plus, being able to manipulate the mouse without taking my hands off the keyboard is also a big advantage.

I've never used a trackpad that did not have at least one of: bad palm rejection, inaccuracy around the edges, clicking that feels bad and/or makes the mouse cursor drift while trying to click.

Granted I have not used an expensive, modern laptop in a while and it could be much better now, but even then I just think the trackpoint is better UX and better posture, there's something uncomfortable about having to awkwardly squish your arm between you and the laptop to manipulate the cursor.

Re: Ask HN: What does one look for in a laptop these days?

#686

Post by mwint » Sun, Oct 17, 2021, 2:11 PM UTC

godDLL wrote: post #668

mwint wrote: post #566

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Again, don’t know where you’re getting this. 2020 MacBook Air has a glass panel. Ctrl-F “glass” on https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/specs/ .

Would you please do something for me? Open your new MacBook Air, place a single grain of sand smack in the middle of the keyboard between the G and the H. Close the lid. Turn around and sit on it. Tell me all about glass then. If you record it I'll have a listen.

Holy crap, now I have to sit on it? That’s a bit different than the original claim…

Re: Ask HN: What does one look for in a laptop these days?

#687

Post by fvv » Sun, Oct 17, 2021, 2:21 PM UTC

In order, Very good screen nits 400+minimum( I think its improving with mini led) , high ram 64gb+ better 128 ( would be good with dd5 I think), efficient sleep and working hibernation, replaceable battery , usb3/4 charging of the battery from a power bank and power supply

Re: Ask HN: What does one look for in a laptop these days?

#688

Post by nikau » Sun, Oct 17, 2021, 2:21 PM UTC

motoboi wrote: post #674

nikau wrote: post #638

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nope, its from charging to 100% constantly which accelerates wear massively. I've had my Lenovo carbon x1 for a few years set to 80% max charge and its battery life is still good. Battery stats report 480 charging cycles, capacity has dropped only 8 percent from rated.

It’s not charging to 100% that wears batteries out. It’s storage at 100% that does that. If you charge to 50% and keep it there, it basically last years. If you use your notebook primarily on AC, battery is charged and kept on “storage” until you unplug from AC. Over the years, this is equivalent to a battery stored on a box. So, time stored on a box with 50% is better than 80%, which is also better than 100%. But. I…

> If you use your notebook primarily on AC, battery is charged and kept on “storage” until you unplug from AC. Over the years, this is equivalent to a battery stored on a box.

I'm not sure what you mean, by default most laptops will charge to 100% and keep trickle charging it to that level consistently while on AC.

Setting a charge max of 40% would be ideal, but there is point where you want to maintain some level of runtime when removed from AC, so 80% is a reasonable compromise.

Re: Ask HN: What does one look for in a laptop these days?

#689

Post by nikau » Sun, Oct 17, 2021, 2:25 PM UTC

IncRnd wrote: post #678

nikau wrote: post #661

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its akin to not driving your car in the redline constantly - sure you can do it, but its going to reduce engine life. Its the same with batteries, you keep them at 100% constantly they will wear out. Its just a limitation of the technology. Some devices now try and use "machine learning" to determine max charge, for example iphones will maintain a medium charge throughout the night then do a final top up charge to re…

> Its akin to not driving your car in the redline constantly - sure you can do it, but its going to reduce engine life. Yes, of course. That's not the issue, though. > Some devices now try and use "machine learning" to determine max charge, for example iphones will maintain a medium charge throughout the night then do a final top up charge to reach 100% just before you wake up. That's different and even opposite from…

Right, so what vendors are doing now is calling batteries consumables that last one, maybe two years with the default 100% charging limit to get max run time on battery.

Consumers can either accept this and pay for a new battery every few years, or if they want they can limit to 80% and get way longer life battery life if they can live with the reduced runtime.

I'm not aware of any vendors claiming x capacity battery with mandatory limiting charging to 80% of x, rather its an option you have the choice to explicitly enable.

Re: Ask HN: What does one look for in a laptop these days?

#690

Post by fvv » Sun, Oct 17, 2021, 2:27 PM UTC

foobarbaz33 wrote: post #119

> if I'm missing on any new developments since 2015 Yes, you missed something huge. Apple Silicon M1 or nothing. It's just too good. Low power consumption allows the laptop to actually be used as a laptop. The power use-to-performance ratio is unmatched by anything on the market. Apple is breaking us free from decades of stagnation on the hardware front. Nothing else on the market comes close. I expect this to change…

M1 with official Linux will be perfect except for price (especially ram and storage price , I need 128gb ram and 2 tb ssd), I think m1 is 'cheap' because Apple is buying apple customers not just selling laptops..