2014-2015 Laptop Discussion

Question

It is that time again! I am wondering if I should continue my trend of being an Apple Mac user (especially now that the MacBook Air has more storage space), or if it is time to look through all the PC options. I have to return my work computer next month, so I am starting my laptop search.

What is everyone looking at, and why?

What is everyone looking at, and why?

mgg234 · Answer

Definitely a windows laptop.

More value for your buck than apple, and less having to worry about compatibility issues. Plenty of people have Macs at business school, but you have to either 1) re-learn excel shortcuts for Mac or 2) dual-boot and use windows on a mac, which seems complicated.

Plus in general macs are just over priced for what they offer, and since I'll be broke again soon, I want the most value for my dollar, instead of a luxury brand.

farful · Answer

Doesn't Yale give you a standard issue laptop (Dell)?

speedyb09 · Answer

As of this year, not anymore. They are stopping with this incoming class... which is why I am so clueless because I didn't even know I needed to think about it until now.

astryker · Answer

I picked up a Lenovo Y510p about a month ago and have been loving it. It's an all-purpose beast with an i7 processor, 8 gigs of RAM, a 1 TB hard drive plus a 24-gig SSD for caching, a dedicated graphics card, great speakers and webcam, etc. Honestly, I bought that particular model because I needed something suitable for b-school that would also allow me to play games between classes.

Here's a link: https://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/le ... ies/y510p/ Also, it looks like you're a fellow Consortium student. The Consortium recently announced it's struck a deal with Lenovo to offer discounts on its products. More details here: https://www.cgsm.org/special-savings-on- ... m-members/ If you don't need the gaming horsepower, I guess you could use the discount on one of the other models Lenovo offers; there are plenty.

brandon432 · Answer

Don't forget to check your school's tech/bookstore prices. Most universities get far better deals than what you can find online. Office, Acrobat, and loads of other software tends to be free as well.

mgg234 · Answer

I just bought the "Lenovo Y50 Laptop - 59416755 - Black" for $1050 (got $100 off with corporate discount). The non-touch screen version (which I bought) was just released today. Seems like the biggest bang for your buck in regards to graphic card, processor, and hard drive space in that price range. I don't know much about computers anymore, but this is what my google research showed me haha. It's pretty much the slightly newer version of what the above poster bought.

https://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/cont ... 3A&redir=y

Intel Core i7-4700HQ Processor (2.40GHz 1600MHz 6MB)
Windows 8.1 64
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M 2GB
8.0GB PC3-12800 DDR3L SDRAM 1600 MHz
15.6" FHD LED AntiGlare Backlight (1920x1080)
Hybrid 1TB 5400 RPM+8GB SSHD

jumsumtak · Answer

How is it different from https://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/le ... ies/y510p/ ? Don't they have the same specs (except y510p having a 6 cell battery vis-a-vis a 4 cell battery for y50)?

mgg234 · Answer

y50 is higher resolution (1920x1080 versus 1366x768), and better video card (Geforce 860M versus 755M), and also has a 8GB SSD. Both have same intel processors and memory. Looks like I get worse battery and no optical drive though.

farful · Answer

My recommendation is that you get a 1080p laptop. This isn't the standard display and you'll have to dish out a bit more $$, but having the larger resolution when you're doing Excel and having many different windows open is immensely useful.

Also, try to skip out on all software and even the OS. This will cut costs and you can obtain most (if not all - Office is probably the exception) for free at school.

jumsumtak · Answer

Ah yes. Missed the video card aspect. But, I was looking at the upgraded thing. That has the same resolution and 8GB SSD.

Just a quick check - Should I expect some discounts on/near July 4?

mgg234 · Answer

I heard if you wait Late august early September you can start getting the christmas discounts, July 4 might be a bit too soon. I bought now so I'd have access to corporate discounts before I leave/my current laptop is on its last legs.

bioflyer · Answer

Is the Thinkpad Carbon X1 still a good way to go? A lot of people on here have raved about it previously. I definitely want some Thinkpad variety - Stern pushes its Dell partnership a lot, but I'm not falling for that!

DefyingGravity · Answer

I just purchased the Lenovo X1 Carbon.

Posted from my mobile device

farful · Answer

Anyone have any opinions on these new touchscreen laptops? Examples: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D4AX780/ The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon comes in a touch variety as well.

jumsumtak · Answer

I like S7. It looks really sleek and packs okay specs for a decent price.

On touch screen laptops - I have one and I hardly use the touch screen. It's a luxury, really. You tend to use it when you're lazy or want to try some jazzy stuff/show off. Also, if you're buying for B-school, I don't picture you using that feature a lot. I'd say not worth the extra $$, but that's me.

GMATify · Answer

If you like Mac you can still use windows on it. I worked part-time in my b-school's computer lab and we would create a separate memory partition in a Mac and install Windows operating system in that. So you Mac would have both your Mac OS and Windows OS. Not sure if this is a standard thing in other schools but it was pretty useful for those who wanted to have a Mac for their personal use but for school they wanted Windows. Worth checking it out from your school.

ashkul123 · Answer

I have a mac and was planning to use the same for my studies. Just curious ...apart from doing work on excel , PPT and word , where else would you need a windows OS ? Do B schools have applications that can only be accessed on windows ?

GMATify · Answer

We used tools such as Crystal Ball, SPSS, and some other for data analysis. These might vary by school, so it would be a good idea to check with your school about what all tools you would need on your laptop. Your school may not have the license for the required tools for both Windows and Mac or a tool may not be available for Mac.

Schools generally have this information up on their websites, but it is better to call them and get a complete list of what is available and what is not.

Daniellaaa · Answer

So how necessary is a dedicated graphics card? I was thinking about the Thinkpad Yoga since there's the option for a Wacom digitizer so I can take notes right on the screen. However, there's a new Asus that's coming out soon that looks a lot nicer and has all the specs I need plus the dedicated graphics card:

https://www.amazon.com/Zenbook-UX303LN-D ... B00KTL21RA

I definitely want to keep it at 3.5 lbs max and I have a desktop at home so this would just be to get work done in class. Also, how does a 12.5" screen do with excel files? Would it be too uncomfortable?

2014-2015 Laptop Discussion

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards