Laptop Computers

Gnomedolf

Gnomedolf

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Cor_sl said:
Sadly, no Retina MBPs at Apple's WWDC event (unless they show them off at the last second, anyway). They did announce new Macbook Airs, though, and they claim that the combination of Haswell and optimisations in the new OSX release boosts battery life by as much as 80%, which is pretty damn impressive if true. They also dropped the price of the new Macbook Airs, which is rather surprising.

It also looks like the new OSX version, 'Mavericks', will fix the Retina lag. On their 'advanced technologies' slide, they showed 'GPU resolution scaling', or something like that, which should fix that problem once and for all. They demoed all their stuff on a Retina MBP, too, and it all looked really smooth.

I guess we'll see updated Haswell Retina MBPs when OSX Mavericks launches in a few months time.
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I was hoping for new rMBP's, too. As you say, however, Maverick's should fix the UI lag on the retina machines. Because of this, I may just go with a refurb model, as I can get a much higher spec machine for less money. Battery life isn't that important to me, as my laptop is almost always plugged in.
 
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Cor_sl

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Gnomedolf_sl said:
I was hoping for new rMBP's, too. As you say, however, Maverick's should fix the UI lag on the retina machines. Because of this, I may just go with a refurb model, as I can get a much higher spec machine for less money. Battery life isn't that important to me, as my laptop is almost always plugged in.
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May as well. The refurbs are pretty damn good value at the moment, especially the October 2012 models.

Anand from Anandtech has confirmed on Twitter that the UI lag has been fixed in Mavericks, too. Good stuff, Apple.
 
Gnomedolf

Gnomedolf

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Cor_sl said:
May as well. The refurbs are pretty damn good value at the moment, especially the October 2012 models.

Anand from Anandtech has confirmed on Twitter that the UI lag has been fixed in Mavericks, too. Good stuff, Apple.
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Which Twitter account did that come from? I don't see it on the main Anandtech account.
 
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Dabamf_sl

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So when everyone upgrades to a Haswel system, I'm running a charity program where I take old laptops and give them to those in need. It's called the "Dabamf is still running an asus UL30VT with hybrid graphics whose drivers were abandoned 3 years ago Foundation". Some say it's equal in ambition to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but I'm just a humble poster who wants to do right by those in need.
 
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Cor_sl

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Gnomedolf_sl said:
Which Twitter account did that come from? I don't see it on the main Anandtech account.
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Ah, shit. I can't find it anymore. I believe it was on Anand's personal twitter. He might have deleted it.

In this thread -http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1595082- some people seem to be saying that the performance is improved while others are saying they've noticed no difference.

I hope someone does some testing, and soon.

Edit - Just saw this;https://twitter.com/anandshimpi/stat...49621942001665
 
Gnomedolf

Gnomedolf

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Talenvor

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Looking to get a new laptop. Here is what I'm shooting for:

Windows 7 preferred (would reluctantly learn Win8 though)
15.6" screen
Intel processor preferred (i5 or i7)
dedicated video card (I play games occasionally, but usually nothing too graphically intensive i.e. EQ 2 box)
at least 4gb ram
HDMI output
Don't need a blueray drive since we use a PS3 for that.
$650 max

Any suggestions? I don't know which brands are best, I just want something reliable that I can game on, use for Netflix when the wife wants to watch, etc.

Thanks
 
brekk

brekk

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Lenovo Outlet, Y series, older ones with Win7 by default.

If you're stuck with Win8 make sure its Win8 pro. The key is also considered a legit Win7 Pro key so you can reinstall Windows 7 without paying for the OS.
 
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Talenvor

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brekk_sl said:
Lenovo Outlet, Y series, older ones with Win7 by default.

If you're stuck with Win8 make sure its Win8 pro. The key is also considered a legit Win7 Pro key so you can reinstall Windows 7 without paying for the OS.
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Thanks. How often does the Lenovo outlet website update? Cheapest Y series with win7 or win8 pro is $735.
 
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Talenvor

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Checked Lenovo this morning and the exact same laptop that was $735 last night, was $588 this morning after a coupon worth $147 off was automatically applied when I searched their stock(OULET20). So overall I ended up getting a $1050 laptop for almost 50% off!
smile.png


Got a refurbished Y560
i7
Win7 home premium
ATI Mobility Raedon HD5730
6GB ram
15.6" backlit
500gb hdd

$630 after taxes so just within my budget. Thanks Brekk!
 
McCheese

McCheese

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How safe is it to buy refurbished laptops from places like Newegg or the Lenovo Outlet? I've never bought refurbished but the prices can be pretty enticing sometimes. Do you have to worry about a refurbished laptop shitting the bed within a year or having other random problems quickly?
 
gogusrl

gogusrl

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I just bought a refurbished Dell E4310 (13", i5, 4gb ddr3, 250gb hdd) from a local retailer with a year of Dell NBD warranty and the year after from the seller so 2 years total for ~300$. The notebook is impeccable in every way, came with a 7200rpm WD Blue hdd with 200h hours and 3 cycles on the battery. My last laptop was also refurbished (Lenovo x301).
 
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Talenvor

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McCheese, I just bought a refurbished laptop from Lenovo outlet. Should be here tomorrow and I can let you know what kind of shape it's in.
 
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Dabamf_sl

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Are there any Haswell laptops out yet that rely on the integrated gpu? The only ones I can find are ultra performance ones that have a dedicated GPU. I'm kind of thinking about buying a new laptop, and if the haswell integrated gpu can almost compete with higher end dedicated gpu mixed with the massive battery increase, that might be just what I'm looking for.
 
Joeboo

Joeboo

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I have a buddy looking for a haswell laptop and all the ones he is finding right now have dedicated gpus. As of right now he is leaning toward the Lonovo Ideapad 410p. It still has a geforce 750M in it, but it has a damn nice 1600x900 screen and it costs around $800. Most other haswell laptops are currently $1000+, I haven't seen any budget ones yet.
 
Denaut

Denaut

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Dabamf_sl said:
Are there any Haswell laptops out yet that rely on the integrated gpu? The only ones I can find are ultra performance ones that have a dedicated GPU. I'm kind of thinking about buying a new laptop, and if the haswell integrated gpu can almost compete with higher end dedicated gpu mixed with the massive battery increase, that might be just what I'm looking for.
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What do you want to do with the laptop?
 
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Dabamf_sl

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I want to use it for grad school and playing the occasional game. Right now all I play is Path of Exile, but I'd like to able to play games with it for a few years to come (I have no problem putting graphic settings on minimum 2+ years down the line). I looked through lenovo outlet and eying some Y500s with 650/750 cards, but I figured if the haswells are coming out soon, I could get a thinner laptop (perhaps an ultrabook?) with much better battery life (haswell improvement + dropping the dedicated gfx)

My priorities are (1)grad school use, (2)reasonable game performance for a while to come, and (3) price. Battery life and mobility are bonuses.

Another thing I'm concerned about is the touchpad. My current laptop (asus ul30vt) has the biggest piece of shit touchpad that's ever been conceived. It is 100% worthless as it randomly clicks all the time and my fingers get stuck because it is flush with the rest of the laptop with the same material. I've read somewhere that other laptops have similar issues, so that's a big concern. Getting another laptop with similar touchpad issues would be worse than taking a girl home and finding out she's got a dick.
 
Denaut

Denaut

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Dabamf_sl said:
I want to use it for grad school and playing the occasional game. Right now all I play is Path of Exile, but I'd like to able to play games with it for a few years to come (I have no problem putting graphic settings on minimum 2+ years down the line). I looked through lenovo outlet and eying some Y500s with 650/750 cards, but I figured if the haswells are coming out soon, I could get a thinner laptop (perhaps an ultrabook?) with much better battery life (haswell improvement + dropping the dedicated gfx)

My priorities are (1)grad school use, (2)reasonable game performance for a while to come, and (3) price. Battery life and mobility are bonuses.

Another thing I'm concerned about is the touchpad. My current laptop (asus ul30vt) has the biggest piece of shit touchpad that's ever been conceived. It is 100% worthless as it randomly clicks all the time and my fingers get stuck because it is flush with the rest of the laptop with the same material. I've read somewhere that other laptops have similar issues, so that's a big concern. Getting another laptop with similar touchpad issues would be worse than taking a girl home and finding out she's got a dick.
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Hmm, little bit of a quandary. You are right in that Haswell is the way to go, but your requirements are a little contradictory on the grad school/gaming end. You could get a powerful but portable computer, but then you would probably pay quite a bit for it. For grad school, do you intend to take hand-written notes? Would you want something with a stylus? What, more specifically, is your price range?
 
Denaut

Denaut

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Forgot to add, I actually have the exact same laptop (Asus ul30vt) and I love it, never had any issues with the trackpad. I have heard many complaints though.
 
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