Actually, maybe the Toshiba isn't a bad idea :) do you have a link to that one?
Developers, developers, developers, developers
- Thread starter Tsutarja
- Start date
- Status
Meganium
[i]memento mori[/i]
- 17,226
- Posts
- 13
- Years
- Houston, TX
- Seen Mar 12, 2024
I found a better one for Toshiba. Worth digging a little deeper.
It's slightly better in terms of storage and memory, but not sure about resolution/graphics.
It's slightly better in terms of storage and memory, but not sure about resolution/graphics.
Cordelia
Banned
- 9,523
- Posts
- 12
- Years
- Age 37
- Seen Nov 21, 2014
I'm on my fourth toshiba laptop. I love them.
Legendary Silke
[I][B]You like dragons?[/B][/I]
- 5,925
- Posts
- 13
- Years
- Age 30
- Seen Dec 23, 2021
Just remember that resolution isn't everything. Sometimes you might want to keep it low if only because Windows PPI scaling isn't the best thing around, especially if you don't use either IE or Firefox on the desktop. Same thing goes for games - obviously, things run better at a lower resolution, and they look nicer at the native resolution. This is pretty important with mobile chipsets, as they tend to be either fill rate-limited or shader-limited.
Your best bet, though, is to look at the laptops in person, as spec sheets won't tell you anything about the displays themselves aside from size and resolution. Some laptops have incredibly dim LED-backlit displays even though they're not supposed to be. (Most LED-backlit displays I've seen can torch the eyes, but there are still some outliers.)
Open up Notepad and type, too. Get a feel of the keyboard. Is it mushy or bouncy? Does it has good travel? Travel and bounce are relative words with modern keyboard technology, though, and it's pretty easy to make short-travel scissor-switch keyboards which feels more tactile than cheap desktop keyboards.
Try to use the trackpad, too. If the system has a metallic body, keep one hand on the body, while the other hand is using the trackpad to eliminate erratic behaviour. Does it have good acceleration? Try multi-touch gestures, too. The most basic you should try to do is the two-finger scroll and the two-finger click. (If you can't click, tap.)
If the display looks tinted, don't worry - that can be easily fixed with some tweaks with either the GPU's control panel or Windows' own display calibration tools. I wouldn't be too worried with displays with low colour gamut - it's excess colour gamut that's more annoying, and thankfully, it usually affects only AMOLED displays, which you can't find in a laptop.
Some people might prefer matte displays because of their glare resistance, but any glossy display can be converted back and forth with a screen protector of the right size.
Your best bet, though, is to look at the laptops in person, as spec sheets won't tell you anything about the displays themselves aside from size and resolution. Some laptops have incredibly dim LED-backlit displays even though they're not supposed to be. (Most LED-backlit displays I've seen can torch the eyes, but there are still some outliers.)
Open up Notepad and type, too. Get a feel of the keyboard. Is it mushy or bouncy? Does it has good travel? Travel and bounce are relative words with modern keyboard technology, though, and it's pretty easy to make short-travel scissor-switch keyboards which feels more tactile than cheap desktop keyboards.
Try to use the trackpad, too. If the system has a metallic body, keep one hand on the body, while the other hand is using the trackpad to eliminate erratic behaviour. Does it have good acceleration? Try multi-touch gestures, too. The most basic you should try to do is the two-finger scroll and the two-finger click. (If you can't click, tap.)
If the display looks tinted, don't worry - that can be easily fixed with some tweaks with either the GPU's control panel or Windows' own display calibration tools. I wouldn't be too worried with displays with low colour gamut - it's excess colour gamut that's more annoying, and thankfully, it usually affects only AMOLED displays, which you can't find in a laptop.
Some people might prefer matte displays because of their glare resistance, but any glossy display can be converted back and forth with a screen protector of the right size.
Last edited:
quilzel
net start w3svc
- 223
- Posts
- 12
- Years
- Age 33
- Kansas City, Kansas
- Seen Sep 10, 2014
It's the Surface RT, and the Lumia runs Windows RT, so they are both Windows RT, I would still be pretty limited.
My problem is that if I have a laptop, I want to use it more, and then my computer at home gets like no use. It is a decently specked machine too. (i7, 8GB RAM, GTX 570, SSD and HDDs)
I don't want to waste the resources of my desktop and limit myself to a laptop. I was thinking of going with a tablet so I would be forced to use my desktop for and then hopefully I will not fill that I have wasted my money on the i7.
Ironically as I sit here at my dad's house on my old Chromebook, I now remember back to when I thought this thing would be all I need, boy was I wrong. You see, for the most part, as long as the only thing I want to do is browse the web, then yes, this thing is awesome. Killer battery life, and it charges fast too, but when I really needed it to do something, I found that I could not print from it by plugging it into a printer. I also would have a hard time using this thing for a presnetion or something. I think that I am going to go ahead and get a decent laptop. I will use that for the most part, and I will just host a Minecraft server and or Fold@Home with my desktop.
tl;dr
I just convinced myself to get a laptop.
I'm a fan of Acer, they have absolutely terrible customer service, but you probably won't need them, as their laptops are tanks. I have had my old Acer Aspire 5315 for nearly 5 years now, the orignal battery still lasts nearly an hour, the only thing I have ever had go wrong with it is the WD HDD. I have had two of them fail. I don't trust WD anymore. >_>
Legendary Silke
[I][B]You like dragons?[/B][/I]
- 5,925
- Posts
- 13
- Years
- Age 30
- Seen Dec 23, 2021
At least, all things considered, even a Windows RT device can still do more things than a Chromebook. (Mostly because it can truly run apps offline.)
I think x86 hybrids might be the future, but I'm not ready to give up my HDDs, optical drives, and keyboards yet. Not when mobile data is still expensive.
Either way, have you ever thought of eventually giving up the desktop to someone who needs it more and get a *gasp* gaming Ultrabook?
I'm very afraid of the Acer brand these days. To me, they scream "cut corners", especially with their poor showing of the first 8" Windows tablet. Bad first impressions don't make a lot of new customers. I used to have an Acer laptop back in the Vista days, too, and the less said about it, the better.
I never had a preference for HDD brands seeing as HDDs tend to have a higher failure rate than usual compared to other PC hardware, aside from SSDs.
quilzel
net start w3svc
- 223
- Posts
- 12
- Years
- Age 33
- Kansas City, Kansas
- Seen Sep 10, 2014
Never Never Never! They are expensive, and you can't upgrade them, plus they cost more than my desktop.
When one thing gets outdated on my desktop, I can upgrade it. Every few years I can upgrade the whole thing. I think I will go with a cheaper laptop, that way if it gets lost/stolen/broken I am not out 2k. Not to mention, laptops don't have nearly the life of a desktop. Laptops are being moved around tend to just get treated rougher than desktops. This is not really a laptop design problem, but more of a life problem.
I am the same way with Dell. I had one, and it was a POS. but I am considering a Dell this go, simply because they are actually pretty cheap. I don't like HP, and I want customer service this go around, so I am going to try Dell.
Legendary Silke
[I][B]You like dragons?[/B][/I]
- 5,925
- Posts
- 13
- Years
- Age 30
- Seen Dec 23, 2021
Hehe. Nothing beats the customizability of a built desktop, but then again, there's the "in a single unit" advantage of a laptop. Any hardware problems go to the exact same place.
I know it pretty well. I tend to treat my portable devices pretty rough. Even with the right bags and cases, if you're rough, you might be looking at a repair bill pretty soon.
Just do remember that you do get what you pay for. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to pay a bit more upfront to have nicer things. (The most important thing is still to actually use the laptop in person.)
Mark Kamill
I like kitties
- 2,743
- Posts
- 11
- Years
- Age 30
- Seen Jun 13, 2023
Dells not that bad you guys. Most laptops I've run across are pretty durable. HP's and Fujitsu's are the ones you avoid, with Toshiba's and Vaio's having a bit of a premium price.
Legendary Silke
[I][B]You like dragons?[/B][/I]
- 5,925
- Posts
- 13
- Years
- Age 30
- Seen Dec 23, 2021
Hehe.
Either way, you guys might want to take a look at this article while thinking about your next laptop.
My laptop actually had a broken lid within the first year. Got it fixed easily, though. It feels weird knowing that the base of the laptop is older than the lid!
Last edited:
- 13,600
- Posts
- 15
- Years
- Age 31
- Seen Dec 11, 2023
HP Laptop - 2 years
Dell Laptop - 3.5 years and still running... fairly smoothly. Biggest problem is the fan and the battery (which I really just need to replace) but overall? Not bad!
That said I prefer Dell to HP anyday. Not saying Dell is great since I know people who have had a bad experience with one but I have also known a person or two who still has a Dell after several years so hit or miss? Though that goes for most laptops anyways.
Dell Laptop - 3.5 years and still running... fairly smoothly. Biggest problem is the fan and the battery (which I really just need to replace) but overall? Not bad!
That said I prefer Dell to HP anyday. Not saying Dell is great since I know people who have had a bad experience with one but I have also known a person or two who still has a Dell after several years so hit or miss? Though that goes for most laptops anyways.
- 12,201
- Posts
- 18
- Years
- Age 34
- London, UK
- Seen Nov 4, 2021
In my eyes, you get what you pay for. If you spend £300 on a laptop it isn't going to last that long, because it will normally have been build with cheap parts.
From experience, Dell have been awful for me, service and build wise on laptops. HP have been decent for me, but I haven't had one in a long time, as my laptops will always be Macbooks from now on; I pay more but get more in the long run. I have had my current Macbook Pro for 4 years now and it is still running smoothly and never had problems with it.
From experience, Dell have been awful for me, service and build wise on laptops. HP have been decent for me, but I haven't had one in a long time, as my laptops will always be Macbooks from now on; I pay more but get more in the long run. I have had my current Macbook Pro for 4 years now and it is still running smoothly and never had problems with it.
Legendary Silke
[I][B]You like dragons?[/B][/I]
- 5,925
- Posts
- 13
- Years
- Age 30
- Seen Dec 23, 2021
Sometimes it does make me wonder whether paying the equivalent price of a MacBook (Air/Pro) for a Windows laptop gives you something really good.
How are Lenovo Thinkpads in terms of the price then? It's a Windows laptop :P
I'm looking to buy a new laptop this December, under $1000. If there's something I learned, I need a laptop with durability and long battery life. I don't feel like spending on a Macbook, but what are the competitors other than Lenovo? It's the only one I know because a friend of mine has one, and it works for her. I've only had one laptop all my life so far, so I don't really know the market.
I'm looking to buy a new laptop this December, under $1000. If there's something I learned, I need a laptop with durability and long battery life. I don't feel like spending on a Macbook, but what are the competitors other than Lenovo? It's the only one I know because a friend of mine has one, and it works for her. I've only had one laptop all my life so far, so I don't really know the market.
quilzel
net start w3svc
- 223
- Posts
- 12
- Years
- Age 33
- Kansas City, Kansas
- Seen Sep 10, 2014
It really depends on what you want. Apple's low end laptops are actually not too overly priced. If you are going for that slim sleek look, then I would suggest you search around for an ultra book. Acer and Asus makes some really nice ultra books.
As for me, I think I am going to look around at laptops locally and got with a sub $500 laptop. I tend to be rough on mobile technology, so if I don't get something made of plastic, I'm probably going to break it.
Legendary Silke
[I][B]You like dragons?[/B][/I]
- 5,925
- Posts
- 13
- Years
- Age 30
- Seen Dec 23, 2021
Try looking in the price range of $800 to $999. Last thing you want is a plastic horror laptop that doesn't do what you want it to do.
Anyway, besides durability and long battery life, what else do you look for in the laptop? Being able to play games (at respectable settings instead of minimal settings)? Fast boot times? A nicer display than the standard 1366x768 TN panel? Hybrid? Optical drives?
How did you manage to put Apple and low end in the same sentence without blowing your brain up in the process?
Boot time is pretty good. Other features don't do much for me though, you can't really fit a higher resolution than 1366x768 on a sub-15 inch display without the dpi getting too high and the gui not making sense (unless windows 8 addresses this). I'm not a fan of touch myself, since I get around fine with keyboard and mouse (also because I mostly type on my laptop).
Legendary Silke
[I][B]You like dragons?[/B][/I]
- 5,925
- Posts
- 13
- Years
- Age 30
- Seen Dec 23, 2021
It might be a better idea if you listed what models you want. I will be able to work from there.
Mark Kamill
I like kitties
- 2,743
- Posts
- 11
- Years
- Age 30
- Seen Jun 13, 2023
Okay need help. Updated Firefox, now won't let pages redirect or open new windows(ex photos on gsm arena are pop up windows), what do I do?
- Status