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The Last PC Laptop

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Re: The Last PC Laptop

#31

Post by dvhh »

StavrosK wrote: post #12
zalew wrote: post #4

> And even programmers, the audience who would most need all the power and flexibility of laptops, are switching to tablets. programmerS? the link is the only guy I heard of so far, and I even know die-hard ipad fans who laugh at the idea of a tablet being a serious workstation.

I would never consider working on a tablet, even if it could perfectly run my development environment. I absolutely need a keyboard, and I might as well take the laptop if I'm going to pack a keyboard with the tablet.

Agreed, it's not only the keyboard but also the blazing fast application switching (at a keyboard shortcut distance), decent code editors.

The only thing that come near that for me are the asus transformer series running ubuntu, but I'm still encountering multiple fatal issues (plus the touchpad is sub-par).

Re: The Last PC Laptop

#32

Post by onosendai »

jacobr wrote: post #24

He has a desktop computer with a bunch of monitors, so I guess his laptop is mostly for email, entertainment and web browsing. Of course a tablet can do that just fine. If you're using a laptop as your main machine, you have different needs. Personally I am planning to retire my desktop computer and buy an ultrabook, probably a Samsung 900X3C. The Samsung is tinner and lighter, and I read it's a bit more solid in the…

I've been considering both the 900X3C and 900X4C myself, but Linux support isn't quite there yet. The most annoying outstanding issue (maybe the only one when Ubuntu 12.10 hits) is a nasty ACPI bug that causes Linux to fail to recognize when certain events take place, like lid close/open and battery charge/discharge, both pretty much show stoppers for a laptop IMHO. It seems to affect lots of Samsung laptops, not just the series 9. Here are a few useful links if you want to keep track of the overall issues:

https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=44161

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SamsungSeries9

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1737086&page=24

If they ever get the ACPI bug worked out, I probably wouldn't go for the X3C. Even though it has a better display (IPS) and is slightly thinner the RAM isn't upgradeable at 4 GB, unlike the X4C which comes with 8 GB and is upgradeable to 16 GB.

Edit: Forgot to mention that you need Windows installed in order to upgrade the BIOS.

Re: The Last PC Laptop

#33

Post by jawngee »

jpkeisala wrote: post #11

I have considered Zenbook over my MacBook Air but I have not changed yet. I am somewhat reluctant moving back to Windows but in the same time I am not much of a Apple fan either. I guess I am on deadlock here, waiting a linux miracle. So, it all boils to software.

But you can run both on the Mac, at the same time too. I do a lot of OpenFrameworks stuff for in-store retailing (touch screen, interactive displays) and I can run opengl openframework apps in Parallels 8 at 60 fps no problem in coherence mode (WIndows apps run in windows integrated with your mac desktop). They aren't exactly trivial apps either (some run at 2560x1440 and are doing Kinect processing + OpenCV + 3D). I develop with XCode, flip over to Visual Studio to recompile and debug (we dev on macs, deploy on Windows).

Re: The Last PC Laptop

#34

Post by jcfrei »

brador wrote: post #3

Is this an ad or genuine? I'd trust it more if it didn't come with an amazom affiliate link.

yep, definitely an affiliate link. in previous posts atwood would disclose the affiliate links in the post (not sure why he didn't do so this time). amazon usually pays 4% on referrals (in this case 42$), so depending on the loyalty of his readership this "review" might be moderately lucrative.

Re: The Last PC Laptop

#35

Post by buro9 »

Zak wrote: post #28
linker3000 wrote: post #23

"Want the smallest most portable device you can get away with? " "Want to be always connected to the Internet? Sure you do;" "Just try opening a laptop on a crowded subway train or bus." Someone needs to stop trying to arrange their life around their tech and try it the other way around. If you are so overloaded with work, or so keen at your work, or so behind in your work, that you need to open your laptop on the tr…

Train rides are kind of boring. Why wouldn't I get out my laptop on a train? I did, recently, to add depth-of-field compensation to a blurry image detector I'm writing for my own amusement. I don't think that would be nearly as fun on a stupidly-big phone.

> Train rides are kind of boring. Why wouldn't I get out my laptop on a train?

To allow yourself a momentary disconnect. To watch the world out of the window, or the people around you. To take an interest in the weather and season. To give your mind a chance to digest what you mean to do or what you have done.

I cherish my time travelling from one place to another, even if that is just a walk to the shops, a trip on the bus or ride on the Underground.

I also like to have 100% focused work time and space. It's hard to find that focus when you're willing to mix work with everything.

Re: The Last PC Laptop

#36

Post by ossij »

abecedarius wrote: post #15

Along with this, I'm considering the Thinkpad X1 Carbon or the Samsung Series 9 -- they're all advertised as lightweight, powerful, and with more vertical resolution than the usual piddling 768px. Anyone tried them and want to weigh in? http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/08/a-worthy-ultrabook-ap... (edit: previous discussion at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4428262 ) I'm leaning towards the Thinkpad since I g…

I reviewed Thinkpad X1 Carbon, Samsung Series 9 and both Zenbooks recently (tech journo here) at our test lab.

Samsung has the best battery-per-weight ratio, but it has the worst screen out of the three. Still better than average, except its gamut which is typical = bad. The screen is the brightest out of three and 2nd best in contrast after Zenbook. The mouse has some problems, it likes to think you meant to select/drag'n'drop when you just move the cursor and try to click. If you need ultra light, this is the way to go.

Thinkpad's battery life is a bit disappointing, an hour or so less than Samsung's. The screen in general is better, the gamut is almost full sRGB. It's a very solid performer in all aspects. But it's much more expensive; you can get two (cheaper) Zenbooks with the price of one X1 Carbon.

Zenbook (UX31A and UX32VD) has superior display because of the fullHD, almost full sRGB gamut, best contrast ratio and almost as bright display as Samsung. UX31A:s battery lasts IIRC longest out of these, or at least it's similar to Samsung's. UX32VD is a tad cheaper, has the same excellent display, but with power-hungry Nvidia graphics makes its battery last as long as Thinkpad's, so not that long. (3ish hours playing video.) Also, hard drive makes it suck compared to other laptops with SSD.

Out of these, I'd choose UX31A. Good battery life, excellent screen, good performance, light and thin, and not insanely expensive. IMHO not worth the extra 1000 euros/dollars for X1 Carbon.

Oh, and if battery length is the most important thing for a light laptop, MacBook Air 13" is the way to go. Its display is though worst out of these mentioned in this post.

Re: The Last PC Laptop

#37

Post by ybother »

john2x wrote: post #8

My biggest problem with PC laptops is getting Linux to run on it painlessly (their trackpads are a close second). How does Linux run on this one?

ASUS has been known to be one of the more Linux-friendly vendors.

Re: The Last PC Laptop

#38

Post by Bakkot »

linker3000 wrote: post #23

"Want the smallest most portable device you can get away with? " "Want to be always connected to the Internet? Sure you do;" "Just try opening a laptop on a crowded subway train or bus." Someone needs to stop trying to arrange their life around their tech and try it the other way around. If you are so overloaded with work, or so keen at your work, or so behind in your work, that you need to open your laptop on the tr…

The basic premise of your post is that people only use technology to do work. To put it lightly, this has not been my experience.

Re: The Last PC Laptop

#39

Post by shrughes »

ossij wrote: post #36
abecedarius wrote: post #15

Along with this, I'm considering the Thinkpad X1 Carbon or the Samsung Series 9 -- they're all advertised as lightweight, powerful, and with more vertical resolution than the usual piddling 768px. Anyone tried them and want to weigh in? http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/08/a-worthy-ultrabook-ap... (edit: previous discussion at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4428262 ) I'm leaning towards the Thinkpad since I g…

I reviewed Thinkpad X1 Carbon, Samsung Series 9 and both Zenbooks recently (tech journo here) at our test lab. Samsung has the best battery-per-weight ratio, but it has the worst screen out of the three. Still better than average, except its gamut which is typical = bad. The screen is the brightest out of three and 2nd best in contrast after Zenbook. The mouse has some problems, it likes to think you meant to select/…

The Zenbook Primes are not actually half the price of an X1 Carbon in the U.S., it's more like 75%. Also, the MacBook Air 13" has the best display for programming because it's physically taller than all the other 13" or 14" netbooks' 16:9 displays.

Re: The Last PC Laptop

#40

Post by Roritharr »

buro9 wrote: post #35
Zak wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Train rides are kind of boring. Why wouldn't I get out my laptop on a train? I did, recently, to add depth-of-field compensation to a blurry image detector I'm writing for my own amusement. I don't think that would be nearly as fun on a stupidly-big phone.

> Train rides are kind of boring. Why wouldn't I get out my laptop on a train? To allow yourself a momentary disconnect. To watch the world out of the window, or the people around you. To take an interest in the weather and season. To give your mind a chance to digest what you mean to do or what you have done. I cherish my time travelling from one place to another, even if that is just a walk to the shops, a trip on…

This. As much as i'm an always on, 2 smartphones per pants guy, i desperately need a forced disconnect on a daily basis.

If you are always in the stream of data that the internet provides you don't find the time to contemplate if you are moving in the right way on the short term stuff... Most of my best decisions have come from going to wash my hands or just walking outside the office for 5 minutes. Our ever connected world makes it harder each day to see the big picture.

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