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The Perfect Laptop

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Re: The Perfect Laptop

#71

Post by samuell »

The Asus ExpertBook B9 (12th gen Intel) I got from work, and now running Linux Mint on, is the closest thing to this spec I've experienced.

I love the sub-1kg weight and paper thin feel despite being a 14". The first laptop I comfortably use in my lap.

Only annoyance is the random short bursts of (low) fan usage, even on light load. Been able to fix the worst with pinning the max frequency down while doing light work, but looking to find a way to program it better. I would prefer a constant low fan use much more than these constant turning on and offs.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#73

Post by zitterbewegung »

There is one more possible drawback and it is business continuity or long term support (macOS and Windows by default and Linux for both (Apple eventually will have great Linux support)) and while Lenovo and Apple seem that they will be on the market for the considerable future we can't surmise that The Framework will be.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#74

Post by user_7832 »

I had probably written a longer comment earlier on HN, but if anyone is looking at this and is waiting for the perfect laptop... don't. (Assuming you have the money & time, I unfortunately do not right now.) The catch is that you would need to have moderate levels of proficiency with mechanical and electrical skills.

At the end of the day, commercial clamshell laptops... 1. Have terrible ergonomics, due to the small distance between the keyboard and the screen (unless you're a baby, in which case, hi!). The small screen size doesn't help unless you're okay carrying a 17" laptop around. 2. Have components that will fail due to hardware wear and tear. Most noticeable are the hinges but also USB/audio ports and sometimes keyboards. Be it gunk or an accidental pet dropping the laptop on the port.

A few companies occasionally try to address [1] - like the Asus Easel or the Lenovo/Asus folding laptops that improve portability or screen angle/position. Framework laptops address [2], but are traditional clamshell.

If you truly want a solution, a. Choose a decent single board computer (SBC) as a base, like a gigabyte brix. b. Print a 3d case for it to make it as small as possible. c. Spin your own display from panelook. d. Attach case from (2) with an expanding hinge-type contraption. e. Embellish with desired parts. I'd suggest framework expansion cards. f. ??? g. Profit!

(It doesn't hurt that 4"*4" and VESA-compatible SBCs and miniPCs are often standardized at least in 2 dimensions. And if anyone's interested in anything more on this front - making one, selling it, making a business of selling it etc - feel free to reach out to me (email in profile). I'm frustrated with modern laptops and fortunately have a degree in mechanical engineering.)

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#75

Post by dot5xdev »

shafoshaf wrote: post #63
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!

The outrage comes from having to carry both the wired headphones AND the dongle. The dongle is small and easy to lose. It's much harder to lose your headphones.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#76

Post by jehb »

binkHN wrote: post #70

I’ll be that guy—The Perfect Laptop requires a TrackPoint. ;)

I came here to make this comment if it hadn't already been made.

Seriously though, this is the one thing that has kept me a ThinkPad user ever since I got my first university-issued laptop 21 years ago. I've had other laptops since then, and I've never liked any of them. Once I've got my hands in a comfortable position for typing on a laptop, I often have to move either my entire arm or my entire laptop in order to use a trackpad. I don't even really want my laptop to have a trackpad, it's just something for my palm to accidentally hit.

No, it's not comfortable for extended gaming or other things like that, but honestly if I'm not using an external mouse for that I'm going to be pretty grumpy anyway.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#77

Post by Night_Thastus »

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 used to feel the same way about headphone jacks on phones.

Then I tried a cheap external dongle, the Ifi Go Link. It's fantastic and I'd never go back to the crap they put into the phone.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#78

Post by CraigJPerry »

maximamas wrote: post #46

I'm no die hard apple fan, but you would think I was if you heard me talking about my 16" m1 pro. It's an absolute beast, battery for days, and I've never heard the fan spin up once. It would take a lot for me to even give another machine a chance.

Heavy though. Coming from an m1 air to a 16” pro is cartoon-eyes-out-on-stalks surprising when you first pick it up.

I can’t help wonder if the m2 air 15” is the best on the market currently.

Re: The Perfect Laptop

#80

Post by agloe_dreams »

Night_Thastus wrote: post #56

>good quality DAC or audio interface (headphone jack), this is also something Apple tends to do a little better than competitors No laptop has a decent DAC. If you want a good dac, just get something external. Don't need to spend a lot either, even a relatively cheap ~$70 product will vastly outperform anything in a laptop, desktop or phone.

To be clear, unless you are in the > $2,500 headphone space, DAC quality has a hard limit of actual hearable use. Under that point, most external DACs are pure snake oil. If A user has $200 to spend on a pair of over-ear headphones. they should spend $9 on the DAC and $191 on the headphones.

Hell, the $9 headphone adaptor vastly outperformed a number of $100+ DACs.

The primary limitation of headphone quality onboard laptops is generally EMI, not the DAC. The Apple hardware is shockingly good on this front.

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