2012-13 Laptop Discussion

Thought i'd post this.
After doing a lot of research I really like the Lenovo U410 ultrbook with the I7 processor (there are numerous versions, make sure it's the new I7, and that it's the ultrbook version).

It's under a grand, and while it is last years model it is still more then powerfull enough to run excel etc... Plus has a dedicated video card for games.

I'l probably be getting it for b school.
Haven't found any better alternatives in the same price league.

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So I deperately need a new laptop, however I have yet to decide on a program for the fall.

Assuming I buy a new PC with good specs, is there any reason I should wait to hear from the programs on computing details? Do some schools offer discounts on certain progams (Office, adobe, etc) to save me some money?

I would hold off on purchasing office/adobe, you may get a discount through your school of choice.

I'm likely going to buy a Lenovo IdeaPad U510. Seems like a good option

Personally, I'm planning to keep my MacBook Pro and use Parallels or a Virtual Machine to run Windows as needed. That said, if the MBP isn't cutting it, I'd probably go with a Lenovo ThinkPad X230. Seems like a solid little laptop for the price!

I'm a fan of 13 inch laptops, mostly for portability reasons. I will probably also get a secondary display for home in the 21-24inch range.

It would be cool to save the cash and combine the display with my TV (using appleTV or similar), but I think the resolution would probably suck.

For the Mac guys, there are some promotions currently going on in my city by Apple's resellers who are looking to clear their stock. One interesting one is a "late-2011 model" 17-inch MacBook Pro half off. Worth it? Or if I want a Mac, should I get one of the new ones?

specs?

and pardon me for the lack of knowledge, but these re-sellers you talk about, do they sell refurbished stuff or new ones?

By resellers I mean they're part of Apple's distribution channel. In Thailand, there are no Apple Stores. Instead, there are other shops that officially sell Apple products, such as iStudio.

It's too late since they sold all their stock already. Basically they were all end of life (EOL) models.

Well, it looked like a good deal to me! Let me know if they have something like this in near future, I might travel to Thailand on a weekend - I'm sure that will be cheaper than buying stuff here!

Just a couple thoughts:

1) I would probably wait until you see what your school tech bundles are, normally they'll be slightly cheaper than retail and may be just what you're looking for.
2) It's probably worth waiting until laptops are released using Intel's new haswell chips. These should be available (I would guess) some time this summer. The haswell chips are probably not as revolutionary as Intel would have you believe, but it's worth waiting an extra month or two for anyways.
3) If money isn't much of a concern, I think the top PC contender is the Lenovo X1 Carbon. Aside from that, Macbook Air/Pro with Parallels is a great setup as well. (The X1, Air, Pro, will probably all be released using haswell chips this summer / early fall)

Haha, I'm always on the lookout for deals like this. Will definitely let you know if something interesting comes up.

Apple products are generally the same price here as they are in the US if you buy from official channels.

hi all,

i was looking at the x1 carbon and the macbook pro with retina. has anyone been in my situation? i really like the x1 carbon, but when i first saw it in person, i immediately noticed the awful screen. i think this is something that would really bother me. but at the same time, i don't want to get a mac and have compatibility issues in school?

anyone in the same boat?

I'm in the same boat, but I think I've decided on the macbook pro/air instead of the carbon.

To avoid compatibility options, I would invest in Parallels - software that lets you run windows virtually from osx. This works very well, I actually use a macbook air for work (at IBM) and have never had any problems at all because of Parallels. One neat trick is that you can install windows as a bootcamp partition (this is offered directly in osx), and then you can load that bootcamp partition through Parallels if needed, which means that you can run the same windows system natively via bootcamp or virtually through parallels and any changes you make via parallels will be reflected when you use bootcamp and vice versa.

I'm leaning towards an ultrabook (Lenovo/Asus/Sony). Really digging the portability and battery life. Only downside is the missing optical drive. Will this be a problem or should I suck it up and get a regular laptop?

I don't think you would have an issue with not having an optical drive (you can always throw it in your locker/car/bag). You will need it maybe once a semester or so and most in-class software is downloaded or distributed on a USB drive rather than a CD. Occasional CD's will happen but that's once every few months). I would not consider optical drive an issue at all. Anyone has arguments for a DVD Drive?

Same here, but I agree with BB. You'll need an optical drive maybe once per semester. Maybe we can get some classmates to split the price of a usb dvd drive and share?

OR, maybe someone would be nice enough to rip the image and put it on a usb for us...

Either way, if its a hassle once a semester or not, I think its worth the portability and extra battery life.