Support NeoGAF

[Izick]

Okay, so after messing around with a Nexus 7, I've come to realize how much I appreciate my laptop, but I think I'm ready to upgrade.

I've had this Toshiba for a couple years now, and haven't had any real problems besides the HDD dying out. So I replaced it with a 500 GB HDD and that's about that. So I figured that if I sell my laptop for around at least 300$ (any suggestions on price is welcome) and when I return my Nexus 7 (it had a screwed up screen) I should have about around 600$ to go on.

I'm looking for something that can basically browse the web, play videos in HD, and multi-task without stuttering or locking up. Something that's fast in those regards. Maybe something I can do some real light gaming on, maybe some TF 2, but that's not really a concern. I'm down for anything really, as long as it's a solid product.

 

[Izick]

 

[MThanded]

Damn I lost it when I saw this post.

 

[LuchaShaq]

I love my new Samsung 550 Chromebook.

So fucking fast to wakeup from sleep. Great in the sun. Better battery than most netbooks. Quick in the browser.

That said

No non browser games (I have a gaming pc for that).

Little storage (all my shit is in the cloud or streaming service so I don't care in the slightest.)

450 for wifi non 3g version.

 

[sazzy]

What is going on in there I don't get it

 

[Izick]

I love my new Samsung 550 Chromebook.

So fucking fast to wakeup from sleep. Great in the sun. Better battery than most netbooks. Quick in the browser.

That said

No non browser games (I have a gaming pc for that).

Little storage (all my shit is in the cloud or streaming service so I don't care in the slightest.)

450 for wifi non 3g version.

That's interesting, but I'm not sure how I'd like having the Chome OS compared to Windows.

EDIT: Also the screen seems kind of small.

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

What is going on in there I don't get it

That's the owner of Dallas, who are losing badly. Also look at the series lead in the lower right.

 

[ChiTownBuffalo]

Samsung QX series

 

[Wuthering_Heights]

Looks like Cuban is putting on some lbs.

 

[Izick]

Looks like Cuban is putting on some lbs.

 

[LuchaShaq]

That's interesting, but I'm not sure how I'd like having the Chome OS compared to Windows.

EDIT: Also the screen seems kind of small.

Honestly unless I'm playing games on my desktop 99%+ of my time on that machine is already in a browser. Reading your post is the first time since I bought this that I realized oh yeah chrome os not windows 7.

Screen is 12.1 inches but I wanted something I could just toss in any of my bags/on a school desk etc not have to worry about size getting in the way. I wouldn't have a desktop if I wanted a 15-17 inch laptop that is essentially a desktop replacement.

 

[Izick]

Honestly unless I'm playing games on my desktop 99%+ of my time on that machine is already in a browser. Reading your post is the first time since I bought this that I realized oh yeah chrome os not windows 7.

Screen is 12.1 inches but I wanted something I could just toss in any of my bags/on a school desk etc not have to worry about size getting in the way. I wouldn't have a desktop if I wanted a 15-17 inch laptop that is essentially a desktop replacement.

I think I'm personally looking for something around 15 inches screen wise. I like that size of screen, and I only need enough mobility for it to be able to be moved around the house. Something lighter/cooler would be nice to when I have it in bed with me when I browse Gaf or something.

Part of me just wants to save up for the newest Macbook...but I'm not sure.

 

[Emily Chu]

I love my new Samsung 550 Chromebook.

So fucking fast to wakeup from sleep. Great in the sun. Better battery than most netbooks. Quick in the browser.

That said

No non browser games (I have a gaming pc for that).

Little storage (all my shit is in the cloud or streaming service so I don't care in the slightest.)

450 for wifi non 3g version.

I can't honestly recommend a Chromebook if that is his main laptop
it's so locked down in terms of software....

look at a thinkpad T430 direct from Lenovo

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/...003352:&smid=FC448E05D12BD000069CA73F6D0D1FA8

with the TF2 requirement your gonna want an i3 with a Intel HD4000 for the graphics

add an extra 50$ if you want better graphics power
NVIDIA NVS 5400M Graphics with Optimus Technology, 1GB DDR3 Memory

a solid all around workhorse laptop

Thinkpad T430

I have a T410

might be over budget though @ 685$

but I think it's worth if it you want to use it for the next 3-5 years

 

[MarkusRJR]

I'm in the same situation as you OP. I was going to post this in the "stupid questions" thread but it'd seem more relevant here. I currently am using a semi-broken slow ass netbook for school notes and docs while I use a tablet for internet browsing, videos, and music (pretty much all I would use a computer for if I wasn't in university). I have the same price range as you too. I was looking at the Chromebooks for the longest time but ended up saying no because they don't have MS docs and I probably couldn't live off of Google docs for school. I was also looking at the Macbook Air because it would be perfect for me but it's just so fucking expensive. Anyone have some recommendations for me too?

 

[Izick]

I'm in the same situation as you OP. I was going to post this in the "stupid questions" thread but it'd seem more relevant here. I currently am using a semi-broken slow ass netbook for school notes and docs while I use a tablet for internet browsing, videos, and music (pretty much all I would use a computer for if I wasn't in university). I have the same price range as you too. I was looking at the Chromebooks for the longest time but ended up saying no because they don't have MS docs and I probably couldn't live off of Google docs for school. I was also looking at the Macbook Air because it would be perfect for me but it's just so fucking expensive. Anyone have some recommendations for me too?

I was personally thinking about getting an older gen MBA, but I'm not sure.

 

[mr stroke]

used/refurb Macbook Pro 13/Air



or low end DELL ultrabook

http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-14z-5423/pd.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs

 

[xJavonta]

My buddy just picked a a Lenovo U400 and he loves it.
http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/laptop/ideapad/u-series/u400/

It's $750 on the Lenovo site for the newer model, but on Newegg the older model is around $560 I believe. He got the older model and he's played Minecraft, The Binding of Isaac, and Civ V on it. Should be good for taking notes and school usage with light gaming on the side, and Lenovo has superb build quality.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

You should really just save up and get a $1000 Ivy Bridge Ultrabook. I'd either get a MacBook Air or wait for the Microsoft Surface Pro.

 

[Clockwork]

My buddy just picked a a Lenovo U400 and he loves it.
http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/laptop/ideapad/u-series/u400/

It's $750 on the Lenovo site for the newer model, but on Newegg the older model is around $560 I believe. He got the older model and he's played Minecraft, The Binding of Isaac, and Civ V on it. Should be good for taking notes and school usage with light gaming on the side, and Lenovo has superb build quality.

I'll second the Lenovo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834246323

i5 2.5ghz
6GB Ram
500GB HDD
1GB Radeon HD6470M


$579.

Major complaint is the touchpad. If you are using it on a desk or table I'd invest in a mouse anyway.

EDIT: I personally hate the design and would prefer most of the ports be located in the back, but it looks like the way the screen flips open prevented that. For the money though it is an excellent value.

 

[Izick]

You should really just save up and get a $1000 Ivy Bridge Ultrabook. I'd either get a MacBook Air or wait for the Microsoft Surface Pro.

I was actually considering saving up and doing that. It's just pretty damn expensive. What advantages does the MBP have over the air?

 

[Fezan]

http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=8198552921644784018
Have this one and love it

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I was actually considering saving up and doing that. It's just pretty damn expensive. What advantages does the MBP have over the air?

MBP as in MacBook Pro? Nothing important, in my opinion, unless you're going for the for the Retina display version, which comes with its own share of troubles.

If you mean MSP (Microsoft Surface Pro), it's hard to say at this point since no one has had a chance to try it. We can only assume it will be priced at $1000.

Anyway, if it lives up to its promise, it should be awesome. It's both a tablet with a good touch screen as well as a laptop with a good trackpad and decent keyboard all in a very compact form factor. I'm really excited for it, but I'd still probably go with a MacBook Air if I had to decide today. I wouldn't buy a Windows laptop right now simply because I've never found one with a trackpad that comes close to the MacBook trackpads. Not even in the same realm, honestly. Though it looks like Vizio is working on changing that with their upcoming laptops.

 

[MercuryLS]

11" MBA is the best damn computer ever made.

 

[Izick]

MBP as in MacBook Pro? Nothing important, in my opinion, unless you're going for the for the Retina display version, which comes with its own share of troubles.

If you mean MSP (Microsoft Surface Pro), it's hard to say at this point since no one has had a chance to try it. We can only assume it will be priced at $1000.

Anyway, if it lives up to its promise, it should be awesome. It's both a tablet with a good touch screen as well as a laptop with a good trackpad and decent keyboard all in a very compact form factor. I'm really excited for it, but I'd still probably go with a MacBook Air if I had to decide today. I wouldn't buy a Windows laptop right now simply because I've never found one with a trackpad that comes close to the MacBook trackpads. Not even in the same realm, honestly. Though it looks like Vizio is working on changing that with their upcoming laptops.

I meant Mac Book Pro, I just realized how weird that question was when quoting your post and the whole MSP thing.

I keep hearing about this amazing MBA track-pad, so I'm definitely intrigued. Is the newest one the way to go with the price, and older model or what? I suppose I could save up some more money down the line.

 

[Izick]

11" MBA is the best damn computer ever made.

My worry there is that the screen would be too small. My computer has a 15.6" screen and it feels really great. It's still a concern for the 13" too, but 11" seems to drastic a change.

 

[Kalnos]

ThinkPad, trust me. (so Lenovo)

 

[Deleted member 17706]

I meant Mac Book Pro, I just realized how weird that question was when quoting your post and the whole MSP thing.

I keep hearing about this amazing MBA track-pad, so I'm definitely intrigued. Is the newest one the way to go with the price, and older model or what? I suppose I could save up some more money down the line.

I'd go with the newest model with Ivy Bridge. Don't go farther back than the 2011 Sandy Bridge models if you try to find one used.

The trackpad really is pretty damn amazing, especially with the OSX gestures. I highly recommend you go to an Apple store if one is nearby and mess around with the computer.

 

[rozay]

There are some great deals on Thinkpad laptops right now in the $600-700 range if you are cool with a 14 inch laptop (T430) and they'll handle light gaming like TF2 with or without a discrete GPU

 

[Alligatorjandro]

I've had this Asus for about a month and its worked pretty good for me.I can play some indie games like Bastion,Trine 2,etc but nothing demanding.

http://deals.bestbuy.com//laptops2/...t+laptop++4gb+memory++320gb+hard+drive++black

 

[Clockwork]

There are some great deals on Thinkpad laptops right now in the $600-700 range if you are cool with a 14 inch laptop (T430) and they'll handle light gaming like TF2 with or without a discrete GPU

Why not just go with the IdeaPad I linked in that case?

It's less than that and has a discreet GPU (that will actually run games fairly decent since the resolution is fairly low on the 14" screen).

 

[tino]

Lenovo 220... or pony up for MacBook Air.

 

[mr stroke]

11" MBA is the best damn computer ever made.

+1

even though its a tad higher than $600


at $759 this refurb 11 Air is an awesome all around computer.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_air/11


small enough to use on the couch and full featured enough to use as a real day to day computer

 

[Izick]

+1

even though its a tad higher than $600


at $759 this refurb 11 Air is an awesome all around computer.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_air/11


small enough to use on the couch and full featured enough to use as a real day to day computer

That's definitely within price range sooner, but I just don't know if I can get by that (near) 12" display, coming from a near 16" display though.

 

[Technosteve]

buy a used high end laptop?

 

[Izick]

buy a used high end laptop?

Like I said, that 11" MBA is enticing, but I'm just worried about the screen size.

 

[The Technomancer]

That's definitely within price range sooner, but I just don't know if I can get by that (near) 12" display, coming from a near 16" display though.

How mobile do you intend the laptop to be? If you're going to be carrying it around everywhere trust me, the 12" screen will be fine (I'm currently rocking a 13" MBP) and you will come to wonder how on earth you lugged around that honkin' big laptop before.

 

[Milchjon]

used/refurb Macbook Pro 13/Air



or low end DELL ultrabook

http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-14z-5423/pd.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs

I looked at MacBook refurbs when I was searching for a new PC and they're in another price league. And 11" is seriously small.

I got a Lenovo U410 and I'm very satisfied so far. It can't offer the same build quality as a MacBook, but it's about $400 cheaper and better than any notebook I've had before. Quick, looks nice and has a pretty good battery life.

It might be slightly out of your price range, but I just wanted to give my opinion on current Lenovos, since they're mentioned here.

Edit: Looks like you're worried about MBA screen sizes. I'd honestly take a look at an 11" MBA in a store before buying. It's pretty tiny. It's great for a lot of things, but personally I wouldn't want to use it as a primary device.

 

[Izick]

How mobile do you intend the laptop to be? If you're going to be carrying it around everywhere trust me, the 12" screen will be fine (I'm currently rocking a 13" MBP) and you will come to wonder how on earth you lugged around that honkin' big laptop before.

Really only going to be in my house. But I'll still be moving around a bit. Not a ton but I'll move it around a few times a day likely.

 

[ClassyPenguin]

Lenovo/Asus.

I have an Asus and has put up with a lot of abuse. Even though the materials might feel cheap, it's damn sturdy.

 

[The Technomancer]

Really only going to be in my house. But I'll still be moving around a bit. Not a ton but I'll move it around a few times a day likely.

Ah yeah, what I said doesn't really apply then.

 

[rozay]

Is your budget really $600 or are you willing to spend more? Even a 13 inch macbook is at least 400-500 above that amount.

If you have the money for a macbook or find OSX enticing, go for it, but for the uses you listed and your price range in the OP it's not going to be significantly better at any of those tasks versus a windows laptop.

 

[LuchaShaq]

Really only going to be in my house.

Why don't you build a desktop if it's house only? 600$ in desktop parts will be magnitudes more powerful than any laptop in the same range.

 

[Technosteve]

11 inch is too small, can you buy a used gaming laptop?

 

[Izick]

Why don't you build a desktop if it's house only? 600$ in desktop parts will be magnitudes more powerful than any laptop in the same range.

Because I still would like enough portability to move it around to different rooms, plus I'm not much of a PC gamer oddly enough. It looks awesome, but it's just not for me, at least right now.
---------------------

So there's a 13" 2011 MBA for 929 and a 2011 MBP for the same price, both refurbished. Why is that, and which one is superior?

(Not sure if I'm still going Macbook, but I'm still curios as to why they're priced the same.)

11 inch is too small, can you buy a used gaming laptop?

I'm willing to if it looks good enough.

 

[To Far Away Times]

If you're up for a more "out there" suggestion maybe try saving up a bit and going for the x64 version of the microsoft surface tablet. I think it's going to be the catalyst to get tablets to the point where they can start replacing laptops.

 

[The Technomancer]

Because I still would like enough portability to move it around to different rooms, plus I'm not much of a PC gamer oddly enough. It looks awesome, but it's just not for me, at least right now.
---------------------

So there's a 13" 2011 MBA for 929 and a 2011 MBP for the same price, both refurbished. Why is that, and which one is superior?

(Not sure if I'm still going Macbook, but I'm still curios as to why they're priced the same.)

Pricing...I have no clue, Apple spins a roulette wheel or something. The main difference between them is that the MBP is larger, heavier and more powerful (while still being lightweight for a laptop) while the Air is incredibly light-weight, has a SSD and lacks a disc drive.

 

[Izick]

If you're up for a more "out there" suggestion maybe try saving up a bit and going for the x64 version of the microsoft surface tablet. I think it's going to be the catalyst to get tablets to the point where they can start replacing laptops.

It definitely has me intrigued. This Nexus 7 was really cool in a lot of respects, but I felt like I was using something inferior to a trackpad/mouse and keyboard. Just felt like everything was too much of a hassle in comparison.

Pricing...I have no clue, Apple spins a roulette wheel or something. The main difference between them is that the MBP is larger, heavier and more powerful (while still being lightweight for a laptop) while the Air is incredibly light-weight, has a SSD and lacks a disc drive.

I think I would go with the Air then in that case.

 

[Good Job Bob]

The 13" Air also has a better screen than the Pro, 1440x900 vs 1280x800.

 

[Milchjon]

It definitely has me intrigued. This Nexus 7 was really cool in a lot of respects, but I felt like I was using something inferior to a trackpad/mouse and keyboard. Just felt like everything was too much of a hassle in comparison.



I think I would go with the Air then in that case.

I'm guessing the Air only has a 128 GB SSD, are you aware of that? Not that it will matter that much, probably.

 

[xJavonta]

The MBA is a nice machine, but if you're gonna get one, get the 13". I thought 11" would suffice for me when I was looking at them, but I stopped at Best Buy and looked at them. My iPad is just under 10", buying an 11" laptop would be a total waste.

Either get the MBA 13, MBP 15, Lenovo u400, XPS 13, Inspiron 14,HP Envy Sleekbook 6z, or even the Vizio Thin and Light 14.

I'd probably go with the Vizio since I love the look of it.

Specs:
Intel Core i3-3217U @ 1.8GHz
4 GB Memory
14" 1600x900 screen (My desktop has a 1440x900 screen lol)
Intel HD 4000 iGPU
128 GB SSD (You'll never want a slow laptop HDD again)

$900.

Pics: