I need a laptop.

[panteragstk]

As the title states: I need a laptop. I don't like them due to heat issues, poor design, etc, but I'm finally finishing my degree (EE) so it has become necessary. I could take notes by hand, but I type much faster than I write, and I can't read my writing when I write fast so there's that.

I haven't bought a laptop in many years, but my requirements aren't that hard to get. I just don't know who makes a decent laptop. I would need the following.

1. VERY good battery life.
2. Not too big (no reason for a 17" screen) or too heavy.
3. I can't stand the anemic Atom processors and the like so it needs to be decently fast.
4. Durability. It will get banged around.
5. Last, but not least it can't be too expensive. I'm thinking around the $600 range.

I'm only using it for school so my requirements aren't too high (at least I don't think so). I just have no clue what mobile cpu's are decent or who makes a solid notebook. I used to like toshiba, but haven't seen what they have to offer in a while. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[bialio]

Best build quality you will find are in Apple's line of laptops - they are fast, sturdy, and have great battery life. It will double your budget though

I use Apple, but run Win7 on them. It's been a very good combo for me.
btl.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by bialio

Best build quality you will find are in Apple's line of laptops - they are fast, sturdy, and have great battery life. It will double your budget though

I use Apple, but run Win7 on them. It's been a very good combo for me.
btl.

That is what I'd love to do, but for my purpose I can't justify spending over a grand on something that will not be used for anything else but taking notes, and doing PowerPoint and whatnot. I just won't use it enough. Now, if it were for work I'd buy a macbook pro without hesitation. Their build quality is unmatched.

I think this little guy would be perfect. Sandy bridge cpu, intel graphics. Slow hard drive, but that is easy to fix.

Thoughts?

[OneOfMany]

I like ASUS books.. we sell a lot, and customers are very happy. Just watch where you get them. Most come with a 2yr global, although some bb stores offer 1yr.

Grant

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by OneOfMany

I like ASUS books.. we sell a lot, and customers are very happy. Just watch where you get them. Most come with a 2yr global, although some bb stores offer 1yr.

Grant

Thanks. I found one with the exact same specs as the toshiba, but $100 more. I wonder if the extra price is worth it. I've always liked asus products though.

[ThePaladinTech]

Love my Asus W2JB - It's getting old but still a solid machine.

[OneOfMany]

We sell a lot of notebooks, various brands. We have been happy with ASUS because our customers don't keep bringing them in with hardware issues. Of course, having said that to you...

Grant

[panteragstk]

My buddie is trying to convince me to get a chromebook.

[OneOfMany]

LOL..

Grant

[IVB]

I buy only Dell laptops because they have this uber-cool extended warranty where they just ship you replacement stuff.

i happen to be mega-hard on laptops, I get the 3 year warranty and end up replacing:
- keyboard 3-4 times
- hard disk at least 1x
- monitor 1 at least 1x
- once i had to replace the mobo as the connector where the power cable went in was getting loose.

granted, i paid $300ish for that, so I end up not thinking twice about contacting them. Esp when I know i'll get my replacement bit in 3 days...

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by OneOfMany

LOL..

Grant

Yeah, after reading the reviews I don't think that will happen. I'm leaning toward asus as they have always been solid for me. I'd love to have a macbook pro or air, but the price is a bit much.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by IVB

I buy only Dell laptops because they have this uber-cool extended warranty where they just ship you replacement stuff.

i happen to be mega-hard on laptops, I get the 3 year warranty and end up replacing:
- keyboard 3-4 times
- hard disk at least 1x
- monitor 1 at least 1x
- once i had to replace the mobo as the connector where the power cable went in was getting loose.

granted, i paid $300ish for that, so I end up not thinking twice about contacting them. Esp when I know i'll get my replacement bit in 3 days...

Cheaper dell laptops have burned me in the past so I'd like to avoid them. Their xps line is awesome, but again the price.

[blade]

I've heard good things about Lenovo, but I've never used one before.

[panteragstk]

I have an idea (well my boss did actually). I'm going to get the cheapest iPad with the logitech zagg keyboard to just take notes. I will also be able to use remote desktop to be able to do whatever I need to do (including sage) so it will be a win win with lots of battery life. If it doesn't work out I'll still have an iPad.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

I have an idea (well my boss did actually). I'm going to get the cheapest iPad with the logitech zagg keyboard to just take notes. I will also be able to use remote desktop to be able to do whatever I need to do (including sage) so it will be a win win with lots of battery life. If it doesn't work out I'll still have an iPad.

Right-so now you have 2 pieces of hardware to carry around with you.

Gerry

[bialio]

The keyboard is an iPad case, so while it is two, it feels like one.
btl.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Right-so now you have 2 pieces of hardware to carry around with you.

Gerry

Originally Posted by bialio

The keyboard is an iPad case, so while it is two, it feels like one.
btl.

Yep, it is this one.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by gplasky

Right-so now you have 2 pieces of hardware to carry around with you.

Gerry

Originally Posted by bialio

The keyboard is an iPad case, so while it is two, it feels like one.
btl.

Originally Posted by panteragstk

Yep, it is this one.

That is pretty cool. OK-I take it back.

Gerry

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by gplasky

That is pretty cool. OK-I take it back.

Gerry

I was surprised it works as well as it does. When they pick up the ipad by its screen and the keyboard sticks I was REALLY surprised. I know I could get a really good laptop for the same money, but the battery life will be half of what I can get from the ipad. That alone makes it worth not having an actual laptop.

[texneus]

I second the Lenovo comment. I just bought a Thinkpad T420i and while it's not flashy, it is a serious business class laptop with no real shortcomings that I can find. Definitely worth a look. I looked at Asus laptops as well and went Lenovo instead. The difference in build quality was quite remarkable. I DO NOT recommend Dell. I have a top of the line 2 year old Studio and it's an absolute POS. It's been through 2 power supplies, an HDD, and the screen and DVD both have not worked right since new, and it gets freaking hot...to hot to actually use on your lap!

1. VERY good battery life.

T420 is rated for 9 hours with the standard 6 cell battery. In reality I get 6. You can also get a 9 cell battery which gives you 15, or add the "slice" battery on top of either of those for up to 30 hours.

2. Not too big (no reason for a 17" screen) or too heavy.

T420 is a 14" laptop and is amazingly light (probably a couple pounds). T520 (15.6") is also available for not allot more.

3. I can't stand the anemic Atom processors and the like so it needs to be decently fast.

T420/520 come with the sandy bridge i3 with options to upgrade to the i5 or 7. The integrated graphics on these should be more than adequate, but you can also get models with NVidia graphics if you need it.

4. Durability. It will get banged around.

The IBM Thinkpad line built it's reputation on their durability. Lenovo Thinkpads definitely continues that tradition.

5. Last, but not least it can't be too expensive. I'm thinking around the $600 range.

I got a base T420 (T420i w/i3) and only upgraded ram to 4GB and upgraded the screen (1600x900). Cost $675ish delivered back around mid-May. Watch for sales and coupons (e.g. FatWallet), they're very frequent.

"I don't like them due to heat issues" - This Lenovo is quite good. It barely get's warm.

Also, have you considered looking into what you can get with a student discount?