compufiggurts: asplain me this

[Van Cruncheon]

why can no major (or minor) pc manufacturer produce a laptop with apple's build quality, materials, and aesthetic? seriously: sony, dell, hp, asus, and toshiba all have some good-to-great product designers. why is apple STILL the only manufacturer to have laptops with full aluminum construction AND a giant well-implemented touchpad AND good battery life? the envy tried but failed on battery life and touchpad despite the superior hardware. WTF I WANT A PORTABLE MACHINE that is built like a macbook pro and nails the important features for a laptop -- great battery life and a great touchpad -- but also has the better hardware performance of a pc laptop. 20 fucking years and no-one -- no-one! -- in the pc manufacturing sector can keep up with jobs. SHAMEFUL.

[pilonv1]

I don't get it either. PC manufacturers either give you build quality and inferior hardware or plastic crap with high end components and poor heat distribution. The only thing that's sort of in that realm is Alienware but it's absurdly overpriced and only looks good if you're 14.

The first one who comes out with a MBP style PC laptop would clean up I think.

Lets make this happen

[brawndolicious]

The pointing stick on Thinkpads is the most useful mouse.  Macbooks look really nice in a store or in an ad but not somewhere where anybody can see you using one.  It's got that glossy finish and big apple stamped in the center and it just kind of feels attention-whorish.

[Van Cruncheon]

that's your jealousy talkin, nintenho.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

I've been wondering this for ages.

[MCD]

You are just getting old, papa Drinky.

Blinded by the Jobs.

[Bildi]

It's got that glossy finish and big apple stamped in the center and it just kind of feels attention-whorish.

I find vaio's more attention-whorish.  Dunno why, probably because I usually see wankers using them.

[huckleberry]

What amazed me is that there isn't a computer manufacturer out there who can build a goddam decent trackpad, except Apple.  How many decent looking laptops, and especially netbooks, have you seen that had decent looks and build quality only to have an atrocious trackpad.

[Smooth Groove]

I thought that the Asus gaming laptop you talked about on the podcast, was pretty nice.  My friend has one so I was able to play with it for a bit.  I was really surprised by how quiet and light it was despite being much more powerful than an average laptop.  I guess the only qualm is the lack of battery power since it's so damn powerful.  Also, a 15" version would be nice for those who prefer portability over a big screen.  It kinda sucks how manufacturers always assume that people who want more powerful laptops would want bigger screens as well.   

[Bildi]

but also has the better hardware performance of a pc laptop.

In what ways could the MBPs be better?  I'm not very computery, so this is a normal question not an indignant Macfag rhetorical question. 

The only people I know who actually push a MBP are music people (who use them if they must use a laptop) because of decent firewire which is apparently hard to get in a PC laptop.  They seem happy with the hardware performance for their needs (obviously the GPU is not a limiting factor).

[cool breeze]

I almost want to say that the touch pad thing is the truest.  I'm shocked by how many poor decisions have been made for touch pads on pcs.  I'm using an hp mini netbook somethingorother and the touch pad is awful.  It's cramped and they have the physical left/right click buttons as part of the touch pad itself.  That means you move the cursor when you want to right click.  Speed is inconsistent and it has trouble picking up the multiple finger gestures.  And worst is that you always feel like you're using an alien input method.

friend's mac laptops I've tried are much better.  I would buy one myself but I don't need a laptop (the one I have is 4+ years old and serves as back up if my main one potatoes).  My netbook was under $300 dollars and I frequently consider using it as a blunt weapon against people who drum in the library.  If Apple releases a small laptop that is that cheap, I'd buy it.  The aluminum would probably hurt more too.

[Van Cruncheon]

but also has the better hardware performance of a pc laptop.

In what ways could the MBPs be better?  I'm not very computery, so this is a normal question not an indignant Macfag rhetorical question. 

The only people I know who actually push a MBP are music people (who use them if they must use a laptop) because of decent firewire which is apparently hard to get in a PC laptop.  They seem happy with the hardware performance for their needs (obviously the GPU is not a limiting factor).

quadcores, real gpus. i like to do this thing called GAMING on my laptops, and the macbook pro isn't even remotely competitive as a gaming platform with even CHEAPER pc laptops. my asus g73 shits all over my macbook pro for gaming performance -- and performance overall. on the other hand, the g73 really shouldn't be shown in polite company.

[naff]

If MBPs had real quadcores and big gpu's/dual gpu's say goodbye to the decent battery life and quiet/cool operation. Apple understand what makes a good portable computer and have a focus on usability that is only occasionally matched imo by Lenovo (Thinkpads Kings of the nubbin). Buying a laptop for gaming is hilarious.

[Van Cruncheon]

there's nothing cool about a macbook pro -- those things turn into cooktops, especially the core i7 model

[Brehvolution]

Stinkpads

To think T42's were 'top of the line' at one point makes me 

Every time I see a stinkpad my brain says, "bloatware much"?

[drew]

AND good battery life?

i want some of whatever this guys on

[Van Cruncheon]

my mbp gets a good 7-8 hours per charge.

[Smooth Groove]

I'd love to see Van Cruncheon go hardcore all the way the next time he gets a gaming laptop and buy one of those top of the line SLI/Crossfire systems with 10 min battery life.  

I mean, what's the difference.  If you're playing any decent 3D game on a laptop for more than 30 mins, it's gonna have to be plugged into an electric outlet anyway.  

[naff]

True, the i5 runs pretty hot in the top left of the base when I play games but the heat seems to distribute fairly well probably due to the entire case acting as a heatsink.

[naff]

my mbp gets a good 7-8 hours per charge.

Likewise although when I'm running Win 7 that doesn't support graphics switching and a lot of the other power saving tricks Apple incorporated into the MBPs it lasts ~2-3 hours

Every time I see a stinkpad my brain says, "bloatware much"?

I'm talking about USABILITY. FACT Thinkpads have the best laptop keyboards and trackpads next to Macs along with a near indestructible build quality. Also I've never subjected myself to Windows on a Thinkpad. I've always wiped the disk clean and given myself a fresh *nix system install.

Bloatware 

Windows 

[drew]

my mbp gets a good 7-8 hours per charge.

how long have you had it?

[Van Cruncheon]

six months

[drew]

my mbp is from 2007 and im lucky to get an hour unplugged

[TakingBackSunday]

my mbp is from 2007 and im lucky to get an hour unplugged

reallhy?  mine is too and I get about 5 hours or so.

[Bildi]

quadcores, real gpus. i like to do this thing called GAMING on my laptops, and the macbook pro isn't even remotely competitive as a gaming platform with even CHEAPER pc laptops. my asus g73 shits all over my macbook pro for gaming performance -- and performance overall. on the other hand, the g73 really shouldn't be shown in polite company.

Admittedly, it didn't even cross my mind to do highest-end gaming on a laptop.  The G73 is a crazy piece of gear.

[demi]

I've always wiped the disk clean and given myself a fresh *nix system install.

Bloatware 

Windows 

:gay

[MCD]

Even gays ain't that gay.

[Brehvolution]

We're changing from Dells to HPs at work.

Ugh, can't fucking wait.

Any particular reason?

The recent dell lines have been great IMO. For laptops, the E6400/6410 line are fantastic, the Precision T5500 desktops are used by our engineers without complaint, and the PowerEdge R410's are beasts. Dell support is extremely easy to work with.

[Brehvolution]

I've only had one E series need a board replaced. I agree with the D series. We liked them so much that we bought 10 D630s from some place in Canada for $2400 to give to people as secondary machines.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

I set aside one for myself that has a fingerprint reader.

[close]