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How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops (2020)

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Re: How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops (2020)

#71

Post by em-bee »

cf100clunk wrote: post #23
bhouston wrote: post #22

Hmm... okay... Why the SD Card thing when you can just use the built-in OS cloud syncing capabilities in Windows or MacOS? Also you can take my M3 MacBook Air 15" from my cold dead hands. That laptop is ultra-lite, perfectly quiet, and ultra-fast. Wouldn't trade it for a 10 year old laptop.

Old article... 2020. Maybe cloud syncing wasn't suitable for that person back then, I'm guessing.

cloud syncing a large disk (which today is at least 1TB or 2TB, but will grow in the future) won't ever be suitable.

Re: How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops (2020)

#72

Post by scarface_74 »

nuancebydefault wrote: post #70
scarface_74 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In 2025, I expect my laptop to be lightweight, fast, 14 hours+ on a single charge, silent and run cool. I care more about all of those features than the replaceable parts.

Do you work 14 hours in a row?

I travel for work not as much as I use to. But a full day on and off planes with layovers can turn into 14 hour days.

And that 14 hours turns into 8 going back and forth between conference rooms with it powering a USB C portable monitor which is getting power and video from one USB C cord.

Re: How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops (2020)

#73

Post by mystified5016 »

Every new laptop I've touched in the last few years just makes me more sure of my decision to ride out this thinkpad from 2013 until the poor quad core can't keep up with the web.

It's had no failures at all in its life apart from the battery. My two year old work laptop went in the trash after its USB ports all died.

This thing has been around the planet twice and it just keeps going.

Re: How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops (2020)

#74

Post by zepolen »

scarface_74 wrote: post #43
cconcannon wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you considered a Framework laptop? They have 13-inch and 16-inch models and are designed to be upgraded. https://frame.work/

Do they have 15 hour battery life, run cool and silent like my MacBook Air? The Framework laptop has way too many compromises https://www.theverge.com/24185827/framework-laptop-16-six-mo...

Sure, when it's switched off, which is the only way you're getting 15 hours of battery life from a Macbook air.

Re: How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops (2020)

#75

Post by CT4u8798 »

scarface_74 wrote: post #57
CT4u8798 wrote: post #52

I never buy new laptops, and I always put linux on the ones I do buy. My only issues have been running the more resource intensive applications I needed to run as a student, and the fact that the university expects you to be running windows. But as an everyday machine a used/refurbished laptop is the way to go.

Aren’t you kind of burying the lede? You had a laptop that didn’t meet your needs?

No the laptops met my needs perfectly. They were cheap, and they ran fully up to date operating systems and the latest software. The issues with the university are issues with the university.

Re: How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops (2020)

#77

Post by nottorp »

em-bee wrote: post #69
cconcannon wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you considered a Framework laptop? They have 13-inch and 16-inch models and are designed to be upgraded. https://frame.work/

sadly, i'd prefer a size in the middle, a bit larger than 13.5 inch. also, i really need a trackpoint and dedicated mouse buttons, as i keep triggering the touchpad accidentally, so i have to disable at least the tap options, if not the whole touchpad alltogether. if framework would add some options there i'd consider it.

> as i keep triggering the touchpad accidentally

That's the miracle with apple's OS. And I say OS because I'm sure it filters out accidental input in software. The trackpad is made by whoever makes them for the x86 laptops too, but I really can't remember when it registered a touch when I didn't want it.

(I'm sure it happens occasionally, but not enough to be worth keeping track of.)

Re: How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops (2020)

#78

Post by em-bee »

scarface_74 wrote: post #67
em-bee wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the difference between a thinkpad T14 with replaceable RAM and SSD and a T14s with soldered RAM and SSD are minimal. depending on the specific generation and features, the T14s can be heavier than the T14. i'd accept soldered RAM if it is at least 16GB, (though 32GB would be better) because i'd rarely need more than that. but a soldered SSD never. that holds my precious data, and even if i have a full backup, i do wa…

If you had a full backup, why would you worry about your data? My important documents are synced with cloud storage, my photos and videos are synced with iCloud, Google Photos and OneDrive. My code is pushed to a remote git repository. I can add more external storage. I would be more concerned about RAM.

a cloud backup for a 2TB disk is too expensive or to slow. an offline backup is not automatic and only current the moment i run it. a combination of both is more complex. an always synced full backup is difficult to achieve. it is possible when the only places where i use the laptop are at home and at the office. as soon as i add traveling and using expensive mobile data my backup becomes unreliable or to expensive to maintain or restore. in other words, even if i have a full backup, i can't always rely on it.

Re: How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops (2020)

#79

Post by bhouston »

em-bee wrote: post #71
cf100clunk wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Old article... 2020. Maybe cloud syncing wasn't suitable for that person back then, I'm guessing.

cloud syncing a large disk (which today is at least 1TB or 2TB, but will grow in the future) won't ever be suitable.

Why not? Here in Canada true fiber to the home is available in most urban centers at up to 8Gbps speeds. You only make small changes usually if you are a normal person so not problems at all.

The only issue is cloud costs which are high for 2tbs in the cloud at this point.

Re: How and Why I Stopped Buying New Laptops (2020)

#80

Post by scarface_74 »

CT4u8798 wrote: post #75
scarface_74 wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aren’t you kind of burying the lede? You had a laptop that didn’t meet your needs?

No the laptops met my needs perfectly. They were cheap, and they ran fully up to date operating systems and the latest software. The issues with the university are issues with the university.

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