I hoped to filter out some of the clutter from the larger thread to create a more specific thread about relevant laptops - this would be about current manufacturer offers, laptops models, configurations, software recommendations, and tech requirements as of 2010. I'd like to be able to add highly recommended laptops to the following categories within this first post: Netbooks : Light/Portable/Everyday laptops : Premium/Powerhouse/Business grade laptops : Macs : Someone with more technical savvy can feel free to re-organize/suggest changes to these categories. I'd prefer this thread to stay factual, post a laptop model, your configuration of it and/or upgrades you suggest, what category it should be placed in, pros and cons. The back and forth discussion should go into the "Great Laptop Debate" thread, sorry for sounding so anal, but I'd like to keep this as streamlined as possible so that people searching for new laptops can easily research suggested models without having to sift through hundreds of posts to run across a laptop that might fit their needs. Thanks

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2010 Laptop discussion

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shadow

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20 Mar 2010, 09:50

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gkumar

Hi shadow, do you have the right link to the larger thread? i got a lot of noise in the results when searching...

the-great-laptop-discussion-forum-61513.html

GoBruin

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20 Mar 2010, 16:27

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I would suggest not buying anything until 1-2 months before school starts. Laptops only get cheaper and better as time goes by (even a couple months).

boogs

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21 Mar 2010, 21:31

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I pretty much agree with shadowsjc, battery life and portability are probably more important than power for business school uses. A good keyboard is also very important for easy typing during class and meetings. I have an old 9" netbook, and it is very tricky to type quickly.

My current recommendations now would be:

Netbook: HP Mini 311 - it has hardware video acceleration, so HD YouTube will play smoothly. It is choppy for most current netbooks.

Netbook/main laptop: I second shadowsjc's recommendation of the Acer 1810T. I actually recommended the Acer 1410 (cheaper, slightly weaker sibling) for someone, and it has met all expectations.

If I were to choose my setup right now, I'd probably just get an Acer 1810T, with an external keyboard/mouse/monitor docking set at home.

hwiya320

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22 Mar 2010, 06:50

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My sister receieved a HP Elitebook from work and it looks like a great laptop. It's 14" so it gives you plenty of screen dimension with nice titanium/metal casing.

Has anyone had any of the HP laptops? I haven't had one in a while and i'm curious.

Jerz

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22 Mar 2010, 15:33

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hwiya320

I had a full-size HP laptop for work before I went to school. It was decent, a little on the heavy side (which probably is less of an issue with the compact model) and had a couple reliability issues. Overall, it wasn't quite as solid as a ThinkPad or with nearly as nice a keyboard, but not nearly the same POS as a Dell.

futurestrategist

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22 Mar 2010, 15:54

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Hey now, why is Dell a POS? I found the Dell XPS and Latitude series to be quite nice. I currently use a Latitude E6400 for work and it's much better than my 6 year old laptop at home :O

Jerz

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23 Mar 2010, 08:33

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Just my opinion based on my experience and from talking to people at work who had Dell laptops. They were heavier, ran hotter, and had much more reliability issues (read: Blue Screen of Death) than any other laptops.

asimov

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23 Mar 2010, 21:21

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My take on laptop for bschool. I think the two most important attributes for a school laptop is portability and battery life. With textbooks fighting for space in your backpack, every cubic inch and ounce counts. Performance isn’t really an issue with the modern laptops, even Atom processor can handle all the PowerPoint and Excel you can throw at it, but having a long battery life makes life easier – no adapter to carry, no need to fight for outlets.

Size: 13.3”-14” -- It offers a good balance of screen real-estate and weight. They’ll usually weigh in below 5 lbs. I would not go with 15” or larger laptop because it’s difficult to fit it in your backpack, and much heavier. Smaller screen size lowers productivity, as you will be scrolling around just to see the entire window.

Processor: Most modern processors will do. I prefer CULV lines of processors, which live on a diet of 10W or less. This will do wonders for your battery life. Most CULV laptops will have 6+ hours of battery life with a 6-cell battery. Almost enough for a full days (or nights) work.

OS/Memory:
Windows XP – 2 GB should be plenty
Windows Vista – don’t bother, either downgrade to XP or upgrade to Windows 7.
Windows 7 – 4 GB (if you are have a 64 bit processor)

Ports/Media:
VGA (monitor) – must have, it’ll be very useful for plugging in your laptop for presentations. I couldn’t go with a laptop with only DVI or mini-DVI ports (a.k.a Macs) since DVI ports aren’t universally accepted.
DVD drive – useful, but not necessary. Data storage on DVD/CDs are fading, but when you need one, it’s nice to have (this is one reason for laptops over netbooks).

Everything else are either standard with all laptops (USB, audio) or not necessary (HDMI, Firewire).

Top brand for reliability:
Lenovo – The ThinkPad has been the gold standard for business laptop. Other Lenovo lines are also very good, except for the consumer grade G-series.
ASUS – A little known brand among the general population, but solid reputation among the 1337 h4x0rs. It started out making mother boards, and moved on to computers. It’s UL line of laptops are very good, with excellent battery life (10+ hours).

Worst brand for reliability:
Sony – Expensive POS. I do not know any Sony (Vaio) owners who did not have problems with the product. You are pretty much paying $400 extra for the badge.

gmatvit

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23 Mar 2010, 21:44

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asimov

Worst brand for reliability:
Sony – Expensive POS. I do not know any Sony (Vaio) owners who did not have problems with the product. You are pretty much paying $400 extra for the badge.

Admittedly, you don't know me, so your statement that you don't know those who did not have problems with their Sony laptops, may hold true

But for the sake of the argument, I can be counted as one who have not had problems with my Sony laptop (yet?). I have had it only for 5 months though. I would still vouch for Sony. As for the price - you are right, but the same is true for Dell and some other better known brands apart from ASUS and Lenovo.

Jerz

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24 Mar 2010, 08:03

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asimov

VGA (monitor) – must have, it’ll be very useful for plugging in your laptop for presentations. I couldn’t go with a laptop with only DVI or mini-DVI ports (a.k.a Macs) since DVI ports aren’t universally accepted.

Not disagreeing, since this is your personal criteria for choosing, but wanted to point out that you can get a $20 adapter from DVI to VGA. Plenty of my friends have Macs and have no problems using them with the projectors/TVs in classrooms and study rooms.

asimov

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24 Mar 2010, 08:08

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Sony Vaio is one of the few laptop lines that has a dedicated "Problems" section in wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VAIO#Problems

I've known 5 Vaio owners, who all had issues with their Vaio. Albeit, they started having problems after the warranty expired. This is why I don't buy Sony. YMMV.

asimov

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24 Mar 2010, 08:14

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Jerz

Yeah, I agree, you can do that. I'm a purist when it comes to laptops, I barely like carrying the AC/DC adapter and I wish it were smaller. I prefer my laptop to be fully functional without carrying accessories like monitor adapter, external media drives, etc. To me, carrying extra stuff defeats the purpose of having a portable device.

PBateman

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24 Mar 2010, 09:35

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Has anyone looked at the T510 thinkpad? Seems to be the T410 with a built-in optical drive. I wish I could just make a damn decision on this stuff.

Through employer discounts, I put together a nice one with 3-year warranty for about $1,200. And that was probably adding on a few things I don't need, but I'm always a sucker for getting something in between the base option and the elite one. If I trimmed that down a bit, I'm guessing it would've been more around $1,000-$1,100.

shadow

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24 Mar 2010, 10:21

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PBateman

the specs on that are exactly the opposite of what we'd been discussing as ideal for a b-school laptop: big (15+"), bulky (almost 6 lbs), overpowered (built in optical drive is nice, if you need it) and expensive.

nink

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24 Mar 2010, 10:35

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asimov

Mine (Vaio TT) failed after 11 months. Motherboard was fried up, so I had to send it in for repair last November. It is indeed fragile, but god it is so light and mobile. :oops:

It also makes weird (but low) UFO sound or a turbine sound. I noticed this with other Vaio owners. Maybe they did it on purpose....after all, Sony Walkman commercials used to have that blue alien on it.... :-D

asimov

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24 Mar 2010, 11:40

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PBateman

T510 isn't an upgrade to the T410. The difference is that one is 14", the other is 15.6".
The base Thinkpad would be the SL series, and the upend Thinkpad is the X series.

Car analogy: The T series is like the Mercedes E-class (or BMW 5 series), middle of the road model for the brand.

PBateman

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24 Mar 2010, 11:43

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asimov

PBateman

I initially thought that was the case too, but isn't the X series actually less powerful (though more portable) than the T series?

I just want a Thinkpad with good power, decent size/weight, and, preferably, an optical drive.

Someone just make the decision for me!

Thanks!

asimov

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24 Mar 2010, 11:57

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X series is the ultra portable version, which is almost always less powerful than the standard version. T410 or T410s (the slim version) would be the way to go for ThinkPad.

Car Analogy: T series would be a Chevy Camaro, powerful workhorse sports car. X series would be a Lotus Elise, less power, more nimble, and arguably more fun (and more expensive), but not an everyday driver.

Jerz

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24 Mar 2010, 12:50

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asimov

X series is the ultra portable version, which is almost always less powerful than the standard version. T410 or T410s (the slim version) would be the way to go for ThinkPad.

Car Analogy: T series would be a [strike]Chevy Camaro, powerful workhorse sports car[/strike] rocket-powered bus, powerful but big and heavy. X series would be a Lotus Elise, less power, more nimble, and arguably more fun (and more expensive), but not an everyday driver.

Perhaps just my bias, but the T series are much bulkier and heavier than the X series.

asimov

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24 Mar 2010, 13:09

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The T510 is bulky. But the T410 is ~5lb, and the T410s is <4 lb, so it's not as bad it you think. Even the older TXX (2 digit) aren't that bad. For me 4-5 lb is acceptable. The 1 lb of extra weight (over X series) isn't as annoying as extra thickness/size.