THE BORE

General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: james on October 30, 2020, 10:18:57 PM

Title: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on October 30, 2020, 10:18:57 PM
So Im thinking of getting a new laptop for Black Friday, work from home and all that.

Im reading reviews, and the Dell line has GLOWING reviews.

Except for one little fucking problem.

(https://content.syndigo.com/asset/89e09a78-2684-485d-80f1-8783295da7f9/960.jpeg)

NO ETHERNET
NO USB A
NO HDMI

Are they fucking serious?

It's 2020.

It's a pandemic.

And this is not a small laptop either. Im looking at the 17 inch model!

My current laptop is the same fucking size and not only does it have all that, it has a fucking DVD recordable drive too.

Like, fine, skip the DVD drive.

Ok, skip the VGA port and S-video ports, sure, we've moved onto HDMI.

SO DONT SKIP THE HDMI PORT YOU FUCKERS

And no ethernet!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Oh, and sure, lets have all this useless space instead of a number pad

(https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iLoRzqWzDtFKLnCE7VKPGG-970-80.jpg)

Absolute fucking imbeciles
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Mr Gilhaney on October 30, 2020, 10:21:56 PM
yeah but they included other nice features now

(https://i.imgur.com/oH52nZ1.gif)
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on October 30, 2020, 10:26:46 PM
Guess they just want to keep it that thin.  Just buy a USB-C hub (unless you need 4K 60hz, you can get them cheap with multiple USB-A ports, HDMI-out, ethernet, etc.) or USB-C-to-A adapters and you're set anyway.  You can also buy number pads separately.

Or...just buy a different laptop?  :o
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: headwalk on October 30, 2020, 10:31:43 PM
17inch? might aswell buy a desktop PC and a palacial mansion to keep it in you opulent fatso.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on October 30, 2020, 10:36:04 PM
Guess they just want to keep it that thin.

Or...just buy a different laptop?  :o

Thats the thing, it's really not any thinner. I understand it for the super skinny pieces of shit, but I want a workhorse, not something an aspiring writer takes to the cafe to look hot.

And yeah, that's what Im doing, Im not rewarding this behavior.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: team filler on October 30, 2020, 10:42:06 PM
https://www.amazon.com/Dell-Adapter-USB-C-HDMI-Ethernet-DA200/dp/B012DT6KW2

https://deals.dell.com/en-us/productdetail/5qww

 :whew
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on October 30, 2020, 10:42:44 PM
HP just restored my faith in humanity

(https://richmedia.ca-richimage.com/ImageDelivery/imageService?profileId=12026540&id=1514427&recipeId=729)
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: nudemacusers on October 30, 2020, 10:47:08 PM
buy HP laptops in 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020, brehs

those ports remind me of the hp garbaggio i use at work... terrible hardware. specs may be ok or even great depending on the model, but the trackpad is awful, screen sux, and the overall build quality is diarrhea.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: team filler on October 30, 2020, 10:48:22 PM
using an hpizzle rn and it runs like crap mostly  :stahp
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: nudemacusers on October 30, 2020, 10:51:20 PM
also my dude it's 2020 time to ditch ports for portability; just leave a dock somewhere if you need em that badly (which you prob don't)... pulling out a web of tangled cords from your jansport at work will just dry every puss in a 20 foot radius.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on October 30, 2020, 11:05:08 PM
buy HP laptops in 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020, brehs

those ports remind me of the hp garbaggio i use at work... terrible hardware. specs may be ok or even great depending on the model, but the trackpad is awful, screen sux, and the overall build quality is diarrhea.

Counterpoint: Dell reliability is also garbage

My current laptop is an Asus, which has held up well, but 7 years is a big ask for a laptop.

My current desktop is an HP Omen that turns 2 this week, and havent had a single issue.

also my dude it's 2020 time to ditch ports for portability; just leave a dock somewhere if you need em that badly (which you prob don't)... pulling out a web of tangled cords from your jansport at work will just dry every puss in a 20 foot radius.

So the idea is staying at my moms house for 5 weeks or so for the holidays. So it will basically be my desktop replacement while Im there. Thats why Im looking big and beefy.

The only time I use my laptop for work is when we're giving a presentation, and in those cases, the VGA port on my older model (2009) comes in like a heavy hitter because thats what the projector at the meeting sites usually demands anyway. Not that we're doing anything in-person any time soon.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: headwalk on October 30, 2020, 11:05:22 PM
"sorry babe, can't watch that film you wanted because i left my mini-hdmi adaptor in my other JNCOs. besides,"watch movies free online" is coming up dry and mom wants to use the big TV anyway."
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Human Snorenado on October 30, 2020, 11:09:33 PM
Buying pre-built desktops

(https://www.thecoli.com/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/scust.png)
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on October 30, 2020, 11:11:03 PM
So the idea is staying at my moms house for 5 weeks or so for the holidays. So it will basically be my desktop replacement while Im there. Thats why Im looking big and beefy.

You want to buy a new computer just for staying at your mom's house for a month?
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on October 30, 2020, 11:11:39 PM
Buying pre-built desktops

(https://www.thecoli.com/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/scust.png)

Got a great deal on mine in 2016.  It's a monster and still runs perfectly.
:rejoice
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on October 30, 2020, 11:17:38 PM
Are you wanting to play vidya?  If not, I'd just get a Chromebook or something.  The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is awesome and it's on sale for $229 at Best Buy. 
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Transhuman on October 31, 2020, 12:07:13 AM
What's the cheapest laptop I can buy that I can use to screen mirror to watch movies on my tb? The default Media Player app keeps crashing
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on October 31, 2020, 12:17:45 AM
What's the cheapest laptop I can buy that I can use to screen mirror to watch movies on my tb? The default Media Player app keeps crashing

Get a streaming device like a Roku and use Plex to stream locally-saved videos from your computer instead.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: brawndolicious on October 31, 2020, 12:26:29 AM
Chromebook isn't the worst idea, depends what kind of programs you need to use and also how important portability/battery life is to you.

buy HP laptops in 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020, brehs

those ports remind me of the hp garbaggio i use at work... terrible hardware. specs may be ok or even great depending on the model, but the trackpad is awful, screen sux, and the overall build quality is diarrhea.

HP sells a lot of enterprise desktops and I always hated them, but their laptops are legitimately good. Great screen, arguably the best keyboard/trackpad (even compared to macbook), and ports galore.

Whether you get HP, Lenovo, or whatever I would suggest getting something with one of those new Ryzen 4000 series CPUs. Huge boost in performance and battery life, Intel doesn't have anything that compares.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: nudemacusers on October 31, 2020, 12:32:29 AM
Quote
HP sells a lot of enterprise desktops and I always hated them, but their laptops are legitimately good. Great screen, arguably the best keyboard/trackpad (even compared to macbook), and ports galore.
probably but that port side view gave me ptsd  :walkaway
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: team filler on October 31, 2020, 12:46:16 AM
the keyboard and trackpad are nice  :trumps
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: benjipwns on October 31, 2020, 12:54:41 AM
just buy a cheap usb numberpad

also buy like six or seven models and report back which one is the best for entering mass amounts of numbers, the one I got for $4 off a Target clearance rack like a decade ago is kind of mushy
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Himu on October 31, 2020, 01:18:39 AM
laptops these days are total rip offs
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on October 31, 2020, 02:05:29 AM
So the idea is staying at my moms house for 5 weeks or so for the holidays. So it will basically be my desktop replacement while Im there. Thats why Im looking big and beefy.

You want to buy a new computer just for staying at your mom's house for a month?

I don't have 6 weeks of vacation day dude I need to work
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: remy on October 31, 2020, 05:48:12 AM
using an hpizzle rn and it runs like crap mostly  :stahp
poor one out for filler man damn
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: MMaRsu on October 31, 2020, 06:16:55 AM
Laptops are total garbage
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: nudemacusers on October 31, 2020, 06:26:06 AM
I have two macbook airs (2020 ver) and they are nice  :-[
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Pissy F Benny on October 31, 2020, 06:29:00 AM
:success
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Pissy F Benny on October 31, 2020, 07:34:44 AM
But you’re also giving up 2x data to the chi-coms now :heh

Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: nudemacusers on October 31, 2020, 10:00:54 AM
But you’re also giving up 2x data to the chi-coms now :heh
bruh i work for the gov, china already has it all anyway. :trumps :salute
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Cauliflower Of Love on October 31, 2020, 02:02:20 PM
What laptop is that?

If it's anything from this year, those are thunderbolt ports and you can get a hub to plug in all that shit.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: EightBitNate on October 31, 2020, 03:00:25 PM
Why do you need an Ethernet port on a laptop in 2020
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on October 31, 2020, 03:20:01 PM
So the idea is staying at my moms house for 5 weeks or so for the holidays. So it will basically be my desktop replacement while Im there. Thats why Im looking big and beefy.

You want to buy a new computer just for staying at your mom's house for a month?

I don't have 6 weeks of vacation day dude I need to work

So maybe tell us this?  I take it you use your desktop at home for work, then?  Are you driving to your mom's?  Why not just take the desktop with you and buy a portable monitor or something? 

Again...you want to buy a new computer just for staying at your mom's house for a month?  :dizzy
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on October 31, 2020, 03:30:58 PM
laptops these days are total rip offs

Not really.  Just depends on what you need and where you're buying from.  But I certainly wouldn't buy a gaming laptop right now just because of the new Nvidia and AMD cards that will start coming out in laptops next year.

Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: team filler on October 31, 2020, 03:44:17 PM
can't wait to spend 1700+ to f5 thebore.comm all day  :-[ n watch/listen to stolen movies n music  :rash
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on October 31, 2020, 03:45:09 PM
So the idea is staying at my moms house for 5 weeks or so for the holidays. So it will basically be my desktop replacement while Im there. Thats why Im looking big and beefy.

You want to buy a new computer just for staying at your mom's house for a month?

I don't have 6 weeks of vacation day dude I need to work

So maybe tell us this?  I take it you use your desktop at home for work, then?  Are you driving to your mom's?  Why not just take the desktop with you and buy a portable monitor or something? 

Again...you want to buy a new computer just for staying at your mom's house for a month?  :dizzy

I live in NJ. I have a great desktop I got in 2018. Runs like butter.  Mom lives in Cali. No way this monster is flying across the country.

My current laptop is from 2013. It put up a good fight, but is incredibly slow. I basically use it as an external hard drive to backup old photos (secondary backup, I have a real external HDD as well).

I usually go to Cali for 2 weeks for vacation. With work from home and COVID, I figure Ill go 5-6 weeks. Take 2 weeks off, and work the rest from her house. If Im buying a laptop, I figure I might as well get something good. Maybe in March Ill also work remote from my dads or something.

I need a laptop that can handle basic design work - InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and your basic office suite. I dont work with video.

Be nice if it could also handle basic games - I like stuff like Planet Coaster and Civilization. So I need something that can handle 2,000 unhappy customers running around. Dont care about first person shooters and billions of frames per second.

Good battery life would be great. Mostly so 4 years from now, when the battery is at 50%, its still useful.

Ports are important to me. Ethernet a must. SD card slot is a basic requirement for photo transfers. I, like a normal functional adult, use a mouse, so USB A is always used. Extra USB A for external HDD also important and might as well throw in a couple more. HDMI is useful if I need it for work and we use a projector. Not an absolute requirement, but Im suspicious of anything that lacks basics. USC C of course because its 2020. Number pad is not a requirement, but I also question why it would be missing if it fits.

I see a lot of laptops are skimping on HDD space, which is odd. 500GB bare minimum. 1tb preferred.

Screen size is important to me. No way Im going under 15. Im looking at 17 because the XPS 17 is actually the same size as most 15 inch laptops, but not a deal breaker either way. I dont need 100% adobe colors (Im not paying $3,000) but the screen shouldnt be crap either.

For reference, my current laptop size is around 10x15x1 and 5ish pounds. Im fine with that. I dont need ultralight. Aside from a few plane rides, it will be used at a desk. Im a big boy, I can carry 5 lbs. Ill go up yo 8lbs.

Im looking at $800-$1400.

This is my current laptop
https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16834231114

I paid $999.99 on October 29 2013

This is my desktop:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/omen-obelisk-gaming-desktop-intel-core-i7-8700-16gb-memory-nvidia-rtx-2080-2tb-hdd-256gb-ssd-hp-finish-in-shadow-black/6285801.p?skuId=6285801

I paid $1,499.99 on 11/23/18 which I recall was a $500 off Black Friday special

Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Cauliflower Of Love on October 31, 2020, 03:49:40 PM
Oh it's the XPS 17. Those are thunberbolt ports and can handle all those connections via a small dock.

Youl'll find it'd preferable to have a single cable to the dock than having all these random shit plugged in.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: team filler on October 31, 2020, 05:17:31 PM
I had an a nice dell xps, it was slammed(twice) on the carpeted floor of the house I was staying at while at fort benning. girl was pissed and hit me where it hurt most  :stahp took it to a shop and they got it running, but it was never the same  :fbm
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on October 31, 2020, 06:12:17 PM
I had an a nice dell xps, it was slammed(twice) on the carpeted floor of the house I was staying at while at fort benning. girl was pissed and hit me where it hurt most  :stahp took it to a shop and they got it running, but it was never the same  :fbm

Did you take her to court for damages?
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: team filler on October 31, 2020, 06:17:49 PM
how much should I have sued for  ??? you guys are priceless  :heart

she also started swinging on me while I sat on the couch  :stahp I just covered up so my glasses wouldn't break  ::) she kept hitting my head, but afterwards I maybe had some scratches and her she was crying because her hands hurt  :lol she can beat up other girls, but my haki is too powerful  :pimp
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on October 31, 2020, 06:25:57 PM
how much should I have sued for  ??? you guys are priceless  :heart

Cost of laptop x3
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: nudemacusers on October 31, 2020, 06:29:36 PM
how much should I have sued for  ??? you guys are priceless  :heart

she also started swinging on me while I sat on the couch  :stahp I just covered up so my glasses wouldn't break  ::) she kept hitting my head, but afterwards I maybe had some scratches and her she was crying because her hands hurt  :lol she can beat up other girls, but my haki is too powerful  :pimp
Why sue when you could have pawned her off to some other garrison dolt you hated thus dooming them both to a life of dependa misery.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: nudemacusers on October 31, 2020, 06:31:49 PM
Even better would be to separate then come back in the picture after 12 years, fukk her, get them divorced, and force the dude to pay alimony for the rest of his life.  :pimp

It really depends on how much you want to hate humanity.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: team filler on October 31, 2020, 06:33:09 PM
weaponized breeding :nudemacs
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: BIONIC on October 31, 2020, 06:34:52 PM
No wonder filler is a misogynist  :titus

You deserve better  :tocry
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Himu on October 31, 2020, 06:38:06 PM
Laptops have never been better, and more affordable...

This forums is weird lol

I'm sorry but I"m bitter because of my macbook. Comes with zero usb-a, no hdmi, no card slots. It's gimped as fuck to me when my 2008 asus rog laptop had all of these things.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: team filler on October 31, 2020, 06:38:44 PM
at the time I was using meth and afraid her screaming and bullshit was going to make the neighbors call the cops  :neogaf shit came out of nowhere, I had put myself to sleep and woke up to her banging on the door and just opened it without thinking  ::) had I been sitting there awake I would never have answered as I just recently did some shid I knew had her raging  :snoop  :doge
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Tripon on October 31, 2020, 07:30:36 PM
XPS are great laptops. They're ultrabooks and are made to be thin, light and elegant.

Try a thinkpad from Lenovo for mobile work stations.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on October 31, 2020, 09:34:31 PM
Laptops have never been better, and more affordable...

This forums is weird lol

I'm sorry but I"m bitter because of my macbook. Comes with zero usb-a, no hdmi, no card slots. It's gimped as fuck to me when my 2008 asus rog laptop had all of these things.

That's Apple for you.  And then there's the various ultrabook type Windows laptops that are similar.  But it's like Cauli noted- you just get a USB-C dock and/or adapter with all the ports you need.  I decided to get one for use with my Chromebook Duet and didn't need a lot of ports.  This one works great and was $20 on Prime Day:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089M7WSHM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71bMDsN6ThL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

There's various kinds out there.  Need more USB ports or card readers?  Those are available on other models too.  These adapters are small and easy throw in your laptop case or backpack so it's not really a big deal, plus if you don't need to bring them with you, then it's just one single cable to disconnect to take the laptop on the go.  I just wish laptop makers would include things like these with the laptops that only have one or two USB-C ports, but whatever.

Docks are awesome too but I dunno if I'd buy one for personal use.  I guess if I only used a laptop I might but I was glad that work gave me a dock to take home for use with that laptop.

And speaking of thunderbolt, I just tried this out for the first time today, lol.  I picked up a portable monitor and to test it, hooked it up to my GPD Win Max- pretty awesome seeing a single cable powering the monitor and displaying the image. 
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on October 31, 2020, 09:48:17 PM
It'll be a cold day in hell before I use a dock. I'm not a fucking boat.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on October 31, 2020, 09:50:43 PM
I need a laptop that can handle basic design work - InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and your basic office suite. I dont work with video.

Be nice if it could also handle basic games - I like stuff like Planet Coaster and Civilization. So I need something that can handle 2,000 unhappy customers running around. Dont care about first person shooters and billions of frames per second.

Good battery life would be great. Mostly so 4 years from now, when the battery is at 50%, its still useful.

Ports are important to me. Ethernet a must. SD card slot is a basic requirement for photo transfers. I, like a normal functional adult, use a mouse, so USB A is always used. Extra USB A for external HDD also important and might as well throw in a couple more. HDMI is useful if I need it for work and we use a projector. Not an absolute requirement, but Im suspicious of anything that lacks basics. USC C of course because its 2020. Number pad is not a requirement, but I also question why it would be missing if it fits.

I see a lot of laptops are skimping on HDD space, which is odd. 500GB bare minimum. 1tb preferred.

Screen size is important to me. No way Im going under 15. Im looking at 17 because the XPS 17 is actually the same size as most 15 inch laptops, but not a deal breaker either way. I dont need 100% adobe colors (Im not paying $3,000) but the screen shouldnt be crap either.

For reference, my current laptop size is around 10x15x1 and 5ish pounds. Im fine with that. I dont need ultralight. Aside from a few plane rides, it will be used at a desk. Im a big boy, I can carry 5 lbs. Ill go up yo 8lbs.

Im looking at $800-$1400.

OK, gotcha.  For your price range, I don't think you'll have any problems finding what you want, but you might want to go with a 15.6" model over a 17" model to save some cash and then use that money saved for a few extras, which I'll touch on below.

-Having lots of ports is good and I'm sure there's something out there that will have what you need, BUT as mentioned already, you can also just buy a USB-C adapter with all that stuff available, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

-Ditto on the storage space.  Just make sure to get something that has one or two additional bays for storage and then you can buy and slap in another HDD or SSD as needed. 

-You might want to consider a portable monitor for working- having two screens is always awesome and a must for me for work.  A 1080P screen isn't going to cost too much and lot of them are often on sale on Amazon for $150-$200.  I'd recommend the LePow brand and the Z1 Gamut model if you want the best color.  These things are pretty thin and really light, so they won't take up much space.

-If you want anything with remotely decent battery life, avoid anything "gaming."  The gaming laptop I have is about four years old and it still runs games great (has 16GB of RAM and a 1060, plus I added a 1TB SSD) at 1080P.  It has all the ports you're asking for.  But one thing- the battery life is not very good.  When not plugged in it runs in a lower-power/performance mode and even then it's maybe got 2-3 hours max of battery life.  That's OK for me because I didn't buy it for use when not unplugged.  The only device I've had that actually REALLY works great and has crazy good battery life has been this Chromebook.

Would recommend checking out The Wirecutter for laptop reviews.  Dave 2D on Youtube also has lots of quick bullshit-free reviews/impressions, but he mostly covers gaming laptops.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/electronics/laptops/
https://www.youtube.com/c/Dave2D/featured

This guy does Chromebook-related videos, but his portable setup is worth checking out.  I picked up the same laptop stand he recommended.  Didn't get the LePow monitor because of him; that's just a coincidence.  I got that based on a review from another Youtuber (ETA Prime, who mostly covers various devices you can use for emulation) whose opinion I trust on tech.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ60vdvq24Y
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on October 31, 2020, 10:07:02 PM
It'll be a cold day in hell before I use a dock. I'm not a fucking boat.

If you mean those $20-$30 USB-C adapters (they're not docks), you're just making things unnecessarily more difficult for yourself, but you do you.
:idont
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Cauliflower Of Love on October 31, 2020, 10:47:26 PM
It'll be a cold day in hell before I use a dock. I'm not a fucking boat.

Then stop looking at ultra slims, wtf

btw, I consider those small adaptor docks
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Ghoul on November 01, 2020, 06:35:04 AM
(https://media1.tenor.com/images/fa9acbf22afa524499713f5f3c4addfc/tenor.gif?itemid=17774431)
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on November 01, 2020, 01:52:09 PM
OK, gotcha.  For your price range, I don't think you'll have any problems finding what you want, but you might want to go with a 15.6" model over a 17" model to save some cash and then use that money saved for a few extras, which I'll touch on below.

-Having lots of ports is good and I'm sure there's something out there that will have what you need, BUT as mentioned already, you can also just buy a USB-C adapter with all that stuff available, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

-Ditto on the storage space.  Just make sure to get something that has one or two additional bays for storage and then you can buy and slap in another HDD or SSD as needed. 

-You might want to consider a portable monitor for working- having two screens is always awesome and a must for me for work.  A 1080P screen isn't going to cost too much and lot of them are often on sale on Amazon for $150-$200.  I'd recommend the LePow brand and the Z1 Gamut model if you want the best color.  These things are pretty thin and really light, so they won't take up much space.

-If you want anything with remotely decent battery life, avoid anything "gaming."  The gaming laptop I have is about four years old and it still runs games great (has 16GB of RAM and a 1060, plus I added a 1TB SSD) at 1080P.  It has all the ports you're asking for.  But one thing- the battery life is not very good.  When not plugged in it runs in a lower-power/performance mode and even then it's maybe got 2-3 hours max of battery life.  That's OK for me because I didn't buy it for use when not unplugged.  The only device I've had that actually REALLY works great and has crazy good battery life has been this Chromebook.

Would recommend checking out The Wirecutter for laptop reviews.  Dave 2D on Youtube also has lots of quick bullshit-free reviews/impressions, but he mostly covers gaming laptops.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/electronics/laptops/
https://www.youtube.com/c/Dave2D/featured

This guy does Chromebook-related videos, but his portable setup is worth checking out.  I picked up the same laptop stand he recommended.  Didn't get the LePow monitor because of him; that's just a coincidence.  I got that based on a review from another Youtuber (ETA Prime, who mostly covers various devices you can use for emulation) whose opinion I trust on tech.


I think you're right about sticking to 15 inches. I keep forgetting how much monitor prices have dropped, it really incredible. I can probably get a 22 inch for my moms house for 100 or so on black friday.

Sort of weird that laptop prices are always the same (ie ~1,000) but monitors are dirt cheap these days.

I did some research on Thunderbolt and it blew my mind. I just knew it as a weird square port stupid apple used to be different. I didnt realize its also USB shape now and does so much.

I guess Im stuck in the past. In my mind, you need one cable for video, one for audio, one for internet, one for power etc etc. The fact that a single port can do it all at the same time is pretty mind blowing. Im still impressed that HDMI does video AND audio.

That being said, I still want to avoid needing an adapter/dock. Its just one more thing to lose or forget. I want my laptop to have everything I need to avoid that anxiety.

Quote
-Ditto on the storage space.  Just make sure to get something that has one or two additional bays for storage and then you can buy and slap in another HDD or SSD as needed. 

Is this really a thing? In my mind, with a laptop, what you buy is what youre stuck with. I had a dell where the graphics card kept giving me a blue screen of death. They had to replace the entire motherboard to fix it (under warranty thankfully).


Im still leaning towards gaming laptops though.

From what I can tell, laptops are sold under the following types:

-Regular or chromebooks. Cheap, good for MS office, internet, and nothing else
-Professional. Not cheap, not powerful, but sold to business types who dont know shit apparently. Long battery life tho.
-Gaming. Best components. Stupid shit I dont need like color changing keybaords but whatever. Mediocre battery but fans for days.
-Ridiculous tier. Laptops that cost $6,000 no thank you sir Im not Mr Pixar.

When I bought my current one, there was a "multimedia" tier which was gaming-like components, but not gaudy, Those seem to be less common now.

Honestly 2 hours battery life is good enough for me.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Cauliflower Of Love on November 01, 2020, 02:03:23 PM
Quote
Is this really a thing? In my mind, with a laptop, what you buy is what youre stuck with. I had a dell where the graphics card kept giving me a blue screen of death. They had to replace the entire motherboard to fix it (under warranty thankfully).

Depends on the price point, when you're nearing 1500, they should defnitely have at least accesible memory and an additional ssd slot.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on November 01, 2020, 02:05:36 PM
I think you're right about sticking to 15 inches. I keep forgetting how much monitor prices have dropped, it really incredible. I can probably get a 22 inch for my moms house for 100 or so on black friday.

You can get a 22" 75hz 1080P ViewSonic "gaming" monitor right now for $109 off Amazon, so that definitely would not be a problem.

Sort of weird that laptop prices are always the same (ie ~1,000) but monitors are dirt cheap these days.

Again, it depends on what you want to do with them- you can get a good laptop for $500-$600 if you don't really care about playing games.

Quote
That being said, I still want to avoid needing an adapter/dock. Its just one more thing to lose or forget. I want my laptop to have everything I need to avoid that anxiety.

Again, you do you.  Just know that the option is there. 

Quote
Quote
-Ditto on the storage space.  Just make sure to get something that has one or two additional bays for storage and then you can buy and slap in another HDD or SSD as needed. 

Is this really a thing? In my mind, with a laptop, what you buy is what youre stuck with. I had a dell where the graphics card kept giving me a blue screen of death. They had to replace the entire motherboard to fix it (under warranty thankfully).

LOL, yeah.  Like mine has a port on the underside of the laptop with a single screw to remove to get to the extra bay.  I slapped an extra SSD into it in like two minutes.

A "budget" $1000-$1200 range gaming laptop is not a bad pick at all if you're OK with the battery life (and knowing that it's really going to need to be plugged in for any kind of real "power" use) and should give you all the ports you need, but the pandemic may have affected prices.  Plus you may end up paying more money for features you don't need, I.E. a 144hz screen.

Would check out the Acer Helios 300 (Predator) and Lenovo Legion lines.  IIRC the latter is available for sale at Costco if you're a member.  The Lenovo laptops also look way less "gaming."  When I got my laptop in 2016, I initially went with a Lenovo model and only returned it for an Acer because the Acer model had a better graphics card for the same price.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on November 01, 2020, 02:32:08 PM
Right now Im liking the HP Omen 15 and the Lenovo Legion 5. Ill read up on the Acer. I like my Asus, but apparently they have heat issues on the current lines.

I do have a Costco membership (via my mom) so thats an option for sure. One weird thing is that theyre selling the HP with 2020 components but in the 2019 body, which apparently has heat issues. So might look elsewhere.

I need to see if they let me expand the SSD. That would be cool. I work with lots of photos, so they fill up fast. Much better than dealing with an external HDD which I rather have as a backup instead of a daily driver

Good stuff guys. This has made the shopping experience easier.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Cauliflower Of Love on November 01, 2020, 02:37:24 PM
mmm top of page dock

DOCK!
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on November 01, 2020, 02:38:21 PM
Right now Im liking the HP Omen 15 and the Lenovo Legion 5. Ill read up on the Acer. I like my Asus, but apparently they have heat issues on the current lines.

I do have a Costco membership (via my mom) so thats an option for sure. One weird thing is that theyre selling the HP with 2020 components but in the 2019 body, which apparently has heat issues. So might look elsewhere.

I need to see if they let me expand the SSD. That would be cool. I work with lots of photos, so they fill up fast. Much better than dealing with an external HDD which I rather have as a backup instead of a daily driver

Good stuff guys. This has made the shopping experience easier.

Costco is great because they let you return anything, no questions asked, for like two years.  So good way to check out one of the laptops and not have to worry about not being eligible for a refund or having to pay a restocking fee.

For all your photos, have you looked into using cloud storage? 
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on November 01, 2020, 02:42:37 PM
Right now Im liking the HP Omen 15 and the Lenovo Legion 5. Ill read up on the Acer. I like my Asus, but apparently they have heat issues on the current lines.

I do have a Costco membership (via my mom) so thats an option for sure. One weird thing is that theyre selling the HP with 2020 components but in the 2019 body, which apparently has heat issues. So might look elsewhere.

I need to see if they let me expand the SSD. That would be cool. I work with lots of photos, so they fill up fast. Much better than dealing with an external HDD which I rather have as a backup instead of a daily driver

Good stuff guys. This has made the shopping experience easier.

Costco is great because they let you return anything, no questions asked, for like two years.  So good way to check out one of the laptops and not have to worry about not being eligible for a refund or having to pay a restocking fee.

For all your photos, have you looked into using cloud storage?

I use free google photos as a backup to my backup, but no, I dont trust the cloud.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Pissy F Benny on November 01, 2020, 02:45:39 PM
if you use the cloud some nsa or chi-com spy is probably wanking over your pics :shaq
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Himu on November 01, 2020, 07:04:53 PM
Laptops have never been better, and more affordable...

This forums is weird lol

I'm sorry but I"m bitter because of my macbook. Comes with zero usb-a, no hdmi, no card slots. It's gimped as fuck to me when my 2008 asus rog laptop had all of these things.



That's Apple for you.  And then there's the various ultrabook type Windows laptops that are similar.  But it's like Cauli noted- you just get a USB-C dock and/or adapter with all the ports you need.  I decided to get one for use with my Chromebook Duet and didn't need a lot of ports.  This one works great and was $20 on Prime Day:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089M7WSHM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71bMDsN6ThL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)

There's various kinds out there.  Need more USB ports or card readers?  Those are available on other models too.  These adapters are small and easy throw in your laptop case or backpack so it's not really a big deal, plus if you don't need to bring them with you, then it's just one single cable to disconnect to take the laptop on the go.  I just wish laptop makers would include things like these with the laptops that only have one or two USB-C ports, but whatever.

Docks are awesome too but I dunno if I'd buy one for personal use.  I guess if I only used a laptop I might but I was glad that work gave me a dock to take home for use with that laptop.

And speaking of thunderbolt, I just tried this out for the first time today, lol.  I picked up a portable monitor and to test it, hooked it up to my GPD Win Max- pretty awesome seeing a single cable powering the monitor and displaying the image.

thanks
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on November 01, 2020, 08:30:41 PM
Oh yeah, one more thing about USB-C adapters- if you get one, make sure it has pass-through charging!
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Beezy on November 05, 2020, 01:19:35 PM
https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/5/21549504/razer-book-13-laptop-intel-tiger-lake-screen-price

Saw this earlier and thought of james.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: G The Resurrected on November 05, 2020, 01:25:01 PM
Holding out for Tuesday. That Razer is nice though, even the new Dells are looking good.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on November 05, 2020, 02:44:57 PM
I just don't get why y'all need all the ports on the laptop itself.   It's occasionally a pain to misplace an external dongle/adapter, but it's a laptop.. you carry it in a bag, put dongles in the bag, done.   

USB-C makes it all so much better, and laptops are a lot thinner and lighter now.   

I'm typing this on my MacBook Pro which has a single cable going into/out of it.  That cable fully powers the laptop, send both video and audio to my monitor, and my monitor acts as a KVM, so I can use my keyboard and mouse and just change inputs and be on my windows PC.

Same.  Totally fine with a USB-C adapter as a trade off for a thinner, lighter design.  My work laptop is an old model and is docked- the dock takes up more space and has a bunch of cables in the back.  Sure, I don't need to move it around, but I'd be all for ditching the dock and just having a dongle with the same cables plugged in that could be hidden away or easily packed up and brought with me if needed.

Glad that the newer tech I have for personal use has USB-C.  It makes things easier and it's especially awesome that a monitor can even power a laptop and provide video via the same port if it's thunderbolt.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: nudemacusers on November 05, 2020, 03:45:29 PM
The one thing apple unambiguously got right is the battle of weight vs ports
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Cauliflower Of Love on November 06, 2020, 06:11:57 PM
https://slickdeals.net/share/android_app/t/14506652
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on November 14, 2020, 10:00:44 PM
So Im back to not being able to decide between 15 and 17. I was working a bit on my old laptop, and frankly, 15 sucks. Completely sucks.

Any thoughts on these two bad boys?

Lenovo Legion 5 Laptop, 15" FHD, Intel Core i7-10750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Phantom Black, Windows 10, 81Y600DCUS
$1,099.00
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lenovo-Legion-5-Laptop-15-FHD-Intel-Core-i7-10750H-NVIDIA-GeForce-RTX-2060-16GB-RAM-512GB-SSD-Phantom-Black-Windows-10-81Y600DCUS/713520359?irgwc=1&sourceid=imp_UGa1puRAMxyORcxwUx0Mo38XUkEzGp3R1yp4T40&veh=aff&wmlspartner=imp_10451&clickid=UGa1puRAMxyORcxwUx0Mo38XUkEzGp3R1yp4T40&sharedid=


Lenovo Legion 5i (17”) gaming laptop
$1,249.99
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/legion-laptops/legion-5-series/Legion-5i-17/p/81Y80007US
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: nudemacusers on November 14, 2020, 10:04:04 PM
damn bruh almost 6lbs.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on November 14, 2020, 10:11:57 PM
damn bruh almost 6lbs.

Do you even lift bro?

Aside from the occasional cross-country flight, and very rare on-site work meeting, these bad boys will stay on a desk

I do wish I could go to the store and see them in person though :fbm
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Tasty on November 14, 2020, 10:26:57 PM
I am OK with ultrabooks.

Longer battery life is more important to me than ports I never use. An ideal reality to me would look similar to the current one, but have totally wireless charging/electricity and no batteries/cables. Fuck cables, fuck charging, and fuck electronics dying when you need them most.

I'm also a fan of modern laptops allowing USB-C charging on both/either sides, eliminating a major prior complaint I had with the laptop form factor. (USB-C being reversable is also a major improvement over USB-A and most other ports IMO.)

There's 1 or 2 vestigial electronics in the household still using USB-A or Micro, but that won't last forever, and I've been encouraged by the adoption of USB-C among my own family members. SD cards I gave up on and bought a USB adapter 10 years ago, so that format's not an issue for me either.

I'm a softbrained Nindrone tho, don't mind me
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: nudemacusers on November 14, 2020, 10:57:55 PM
damn bruh almost 6lbs.

Do you even lift bro?

Aside from the occasional cross-country flight, and very rare on-site work meeting, these bad boys will stay on a desk

I do wish I could go to the store and see them in person though :fbm
i lift my dick out ur dads mouth every day :ufup
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Tasty on November 14, 2020, 10:58:31 PM
Fwiw, I had planned to use a projector to play scary movies at a recent Halloween party, but was unable to because my Pixelbook only has two USB-C ports and no HDMI ports. Things were thrown together at the last minute and some assumptions didn't hold up when the time came.

That also said, what actually screwed me was not remembering I *did* buy a USB-C hub with my Pixelbook. I didn't remember and find it in time, so no movies that night as I had planned, but the party was still ace. :trumps
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on November 14, 2020, 11:16:23 PM
Fwiw, I had planned to use a projector to play scary movies at a recent Halloween party, but was unable to because my Pixelbook only has two USB-C ports and no HDMI ports. Things were thrown together at the last minute and some assumptions didn't hold up when the time came.

That also said, what actually screwed me was not remembering I *did* buy a USB-C hub with my Pixelbook. I didn't remember and find it in time, so no movies that night as I had planned, but the party was still ace. :trumps

Last week, when I went to DC, my friend asked me to bring an HDMI cable so we could hook up the laptop to the TV in the Airbnb. Well, she has a mac, and forgot her dock, so plan ruined. So yeah, docks suck. Of course, I had my 7 year old slow-boi and we used that instead, once it decided to boot up.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Tasty on November 14, 2020, 11:53:13 PM
HDMI is bulky. This is the only time I've needed to use it. I like how thin and light my laptop is. :idont

Life is full of trade-offs, this one is worth it to me.

james I fully believe you have enough BDE to haul around a 13-pounder (:teehee), unlike that fairy nudemac. You do you.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: bork on November 15, 2020, 07:16:21 PM
Fwiw, I had planned to use a projector to play scary movies at a recent Halloween party, but was unable to because my Pixelbook only has two USB-C ports and no HDMI ports. Things were thrown together at the last minute and some assumptions didn't hold up when the time came.

That also said, what actually screwed me was not remembering I *did* buy a USB-C hub with my Pixelbook. I didn't remember and find it in time, so no movies that night as I had planned, but the party was still ace. :trumps

Last week, when I went to DC, my friend asked me to bring an HDMI cable so we could hook up the laptop to the TV in the Airbnb. Well, she has a mac, and forgot her dock, so plan ruined. So yeah, docks suck. Of course, I had my 7 year old slow-boi and we used that instead, once it decided to boot up.

It's no different than forgetting to bring your own laptop power cord with you and not being able to use it because you don't have enough battery.
:idont
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on November 15, 2020, 07:29:19 PM
Fwiw, I had planned to use a projector to play scary movies at a recent Halloween party, but was unable to because my Pixelbook only has two USB-C ports and no HDMI ports. Things were thrown together at the last minute and some assumptions didn't hold up when the time came.

That also said, what actually screwed me was not remembering I *did* buy a USB-C hub with my Pixelbook. I didn't remember and find it in time, so no movies that night as I had planned, but the party was still ace. :trumps

Last week, when I went to DC, my friend asked me to bring an HDMI cable so we could hook up the laptop to the TV in the Airbnb. Well, she has a mac, and forgot her dock, so plan ruined. So yeah, docks suck. Of course, I had my 7 year old slow-boi and we used that instead, once it decided to boot up.

It's no different than forgetting to bring your own laptop power cord with you and not being able to use it because you don't have enough battery.
:idont

The fact that laptop power cords aren't standard is pretty shitty, yes
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Mr Gilhaney on November 15, 2020, 08:32:30 PM
many can now charge through usb-c, which is pretty cummy. some (all?) cant run on full power mode at the same time without losing battery though, but I can run my pc just fine on battery saving/normal performance.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Transhuman on November 15, 2020, 08:43:29 PM
I don't know how anyone can defend Apple's dongle ethics after it refuses to curb e-waste by dropping the inferior lightning cable for USB-C because it wants a captive market for peripheral sales.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: chronovore on November 15, 2020, 10:38:12 PM
Apple's using USB-C in all their new designs, aren't they? I mean, my iPad Pro from last summer unpleasantly surprised me by being incompatible with my sadly vast collection of Lightning chargers.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Mr Gilhaney on November 15, 2020, 10:55:24 PM
I thought so too. But their phones still comes with lightning for... Whatever reason
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: NekoFever on November 16, 2020, 03:37:30 AM
Fwiw, I had planned to use a projector to play scary movies at a recent Halloween party, but was unable to because my Pixelbook only has two USB-C ports and no HDMI ports. Things were thrown together at the last minute and some assumptions didn't hold up when the time came.

That also said, what actually screwed me was not remembering I *did* buy a USB-C hub with my Pixelbook. I didn't remember and find it in time, so no movies that night as I had planned, but the party was still ace. :trumps

Last week, when I went to DC, my friend asked me to bring an HDMI cable so we could hook up the laptop to the TV in the Airbnb. Well, she has a mac, and forgot her dock, so plan ruined. So yeah, docks suck. Of course, I had my 7 year old slow-boi and we used that instead, once it decided to boot up.

It's no different than forgetting to bring your own laptop power cord with you and not being able to use it because you don't have enough battery.
:idont

The fact that laptop power cords aren't standard is pretty shitty, yes

They are if you get a USB-C one.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Tasty on November 16, 2020, 07:48:17 AM
USB-C Power Delivery is another reason I dig the standard and don't mind dongles. :blessup
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Olivia Wilde Homo on November 16, 2020, 08:34:23 AM
also my dude it's 2020 time to ditch ports for portability; just leave a dock somewhere if you need em that badly (which you prob don't)... pulling out a web of tangled cords from your jansport at work will just dry every puss in a 20 foot radius.

Can concur. I have a gold MacBook Air in a blue leather pouch and it’s a panty dropper by comparison.

At this point, 95%+ of my needs are handled with my phone anyway.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Cauliflower Of Love on November 16, 2020, 09:27:42 AM
Get the new macbook and then tell me if it's worth it for the new gen next year.
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: james on November 16, 2020, 10:37:36 AM
So Im back to not being able to decide between 15 and 17. I was working a bit on my old laptop, and frankly, 15 sucks. Completely sucks.

Any thoughts on these two bad boys?

Lenovo Legion 5 Laptop, 15" FHD, Intel Core i7-10750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Phantom Black, Windows 10, 81Y600DCUS
$1,099.00
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lenovo-Legion-5-Laptop-15-FHD-Intel-Core-i7-10750H-NVIDIA-GeForce-RTX-2060-16GB-RAM-512GB-SSD-Phantom-Black-Windows-10-81Y600DCUS/713520359?irgwc=1&sourceid=imp_UGa1puRAMxyORcxwUx0Mo38XUkEzGp3R1yp4T40&veh=aff&wmlspartner=imp_10451&clickid=UGa1puRAMxyORcxwUx0Mo38XUkEzGp3R1yp4T40&sharedid=


Lenovo Legion 5i (17”) gaming laptop
$1,249.99
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/legion-laptops/legion-5-series/Legion-5i-17/p/81Y80007US

Anyone want to take a look at the specs and tell me if Im off track?
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: Transhuman on November 16, 2020, 02:54:53 PM
My advice is that you already have a laptop so you don't need another one.

:idont
Title: Re: Laptops: WTF
Post by: brawndolicious on November 17, 2020, 12:16:37 AM
So Im back to not being able to decide between 15 and 17. I was working a bit on my old laptop, and frankly, 15 sucks. Completely sucks.

Any thoughts on these two bad boys?

Lenovo Legion 5 Laptop, 15" FHD, Intel Core i7-10750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Phantom Black, Windows 10, 81Y600DCUS
$1,099.00
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lenovo-Legion-5-Laptop-15-FHD-Intel-Core-i7-10750H-NVIDIA-GeForce-RTX-2060-16GB-RAM-512GB-SSD-Phantom-Black-Windows-10-81Y600DCUS/713520359?irgwc=1&sourceid=imp_UGa1puRAMxyORcxwUx0Mo38XUkEzGp3R1yp4T40&veh=aff&wmlspartner=imp_10451&clickid=UGa1puRAMxyORcxwUx0Mo38XUkEzGp3R1yp4T40&sharedid=


Lenovo Legion 5i (17”) gaming laptop
$1,249.99
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/legion-laptops/legion-5-series/Legion-5i-17/p/81Y80007US

Anyone want to take a look at the specs and tell me if Im off track?

The new Intel chips aren't bad but AMD still has the performance/price/battery life lead. Hopefully this helps narrow down your choices:

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/laptop/#S=381000000,391160000,396240000,406400000,431800000,439420000&A=1397,1378,1399

Basically all of them are in your price range and should be able to play well the type of games you mentioned. If you want my top suggestion that seems to tick all of your boxes:

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-IPS-Type-GeForce-Battery-TUF506IU-ES74/dp/B0863DW238?tag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=tomshardware-us-1317861685362174000-20


I guess it doesn't have an SD card slot but how often do you use that? Maybe you can save a couple hundred by waiting for Black Friday but I can't really find another model that has EVERYTHING so ymmv with deals.