Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Perfect Laptop

blog.brossia.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 354 posts

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#61

Post by 542354234235 »

lylejantzi3rd wrote: post #14

Am I the only one who likes 17" laptops? I miss my old lunch tray.

For me, I would much rather carry a 13” laptop, which is not only light but also opens up my bag options to small backpacks, slings, etc. and then pack nice peripherals like a keyboard and mouse. The size and weight requirements for a 17” laptop just do not work for me. When traveling and trying to not check a bag, that space is a premium and the flexibility of being able to store the peripherals separate, rather than the whole inflexible lunch tray really helps. Around town I don’t want to be lugging around that much weight since I like my spine and don’t need anymore back problems.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#62

Post by phaedrus13 »

I've picked up the Samsung Galaxy book Pro or whatever it is, in 16" - and it pretty much checks all these boxes.

Fullsize HDMI, 16:10 screen, headphone jack, sd card reader, USB C and USB A, large touchpad, keyboard is quite good (for me), screen is AMOLED (glossy but nice), battery life is quite good (I get about 6 hours of medium use), it's quite thin with small bezels,fans are a bit noisy but it's not something I care about, SSD is upgradeable (plus another slot for expansion/dual boot), RAM is soldered unfortunately, webcam is good, mics are good. Linux support is getting better, originally it was useless but after a few kernel updates it works quite well. Fingerprint reader doesn't work on Linux though.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#63

Post by shafoshaf »

bee_rider wrote: post #40

I was initially annoyed at the lack of a headphone jack on my laptop, but USB-C to headphone dongles are very common and good enough for portable use. For desk use, might as well get a devoted DAC/AMP. So, I think they are a waste of space now. Webcams are a waste of bezel space, might as well get a non-junk USB one. Plus you can position it for shots other than up your nose. Give me like 8 USB-C ports and nothing el…

I've tried really hard to understand the outrage of not having a 3.5 mm headphone jack. I have Bose wired headphones and just use a dongle on the plane with my phone and tablet. My Laptop does have a jack, but it would be no big deal to use a dongle. I guess I'm just not an audiophile, but I doubt that many people are.

+1 to 8 USB-Cs!

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#64

Post by nicbou »

I bought a 12" Macbook last year because my 15" is too heavy to lug around. It's so light that I forget that it's there. I spent months on the road with it. At home I would just plug it into my USB-C monitor and use a keyboard and Magic Trackpad.

Unfortunately it's too slow to play YouTube Music in the background, especially if Docker is also running.

I would buy an M2 version in a heartbeat if Apple made them. I recently bit the bullet and got an M2 Air. It's a lovely machine that's better in every respect, but it's 30% heavier, and I can feel that every time I take it with me.

A 900 gram laptop that charges with a phone charger is just incredible to have.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#66

Post by nicbou »

twic wrote: post #7

> the body of a 12" laptop I've always owned 15" laptops, and i've never had any trouble fitting them in bags, even in a sleeve. I understand why people might want 7" or 10" netbooks, but a 12" machine just seems like a waste of space to me. I understand that most people feel very differently, though! > webcam that doesn’t make it look like your laptop (or you) are a potato during a videoconference And also doesn't l…

My 12 inch Macbook is half the weight of a 15 inch model of the same year. That's almost a kilo less in your bicycle bag or backpack. It's very noticeable, especially if you're always on the go, but not always between desks.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#67

Post by bxparks »

kwanbix wrote: post #17
lylejantzi3rd wrote: post #14

Am I the only one who likes 17" laptops? I miss my old lunch tray.

Love my ThinkPad P51 with 15.6". Which laptops have 17"?

Dell Precision 77xx, 5750, 5760, 5770: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Precision

(No first-hand experience with any of those.)

(Updated: to add more models.)

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#68

Post by lawn »

> a great keyboard, look to the 2008-11 era ThinkPads for inspiration

For me a great keyboard includes having an ergonomic layout and being programmable via QMK or similar.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#69

Post by dayvid »

twic wrote: post #7

> the body of a 12" laptop I've always owned 15" laptops, and i've never had any trouble fitting them in bags, even in a sleeve. I understand why people might want 7" or 10" netbooks, but a 12" machine just seems like a waste of space to me. I understand that most people feel very differently, though! > webcam that doesn’t make it look like your laptop (or you) are a potato during a videoconference And also doesn't l…

Really depends on how much time you spend working portable or not. 14" seems like the best compromise for me on power, portability and screen size. 15" is a little big and the lightweight 15" laptops feel a little too flimsy at times.

I bought a used Thinkpad 220 and it's a cool little swiss army type of device. The keyboard is VERY different from modern thinkpads. More tactile and a lot of cool features. Would be interesting with a technical update. I think the Japanese Panasonic Let's Note may be the closest modern equivalent.

Post reply on HN