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So... the Zenbook's not going to be available until Q4, Acer Aspire s3/6 until Q3. I'm helping my fiancee choose a new laptop and I've been trying to convince her to be patient. Her laptop is imminently dying, as of a couple days the screen is half distorted. The Aspire S3 would be ideal if it was available now. Did anything get announced today that's actually available? Or is the wait for Haswell crew still waiting? If her patience runs out, any recommendations? She doesn't like the looks of the T430 and wants something slimmer/more stylish.
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Jun 4, 2013 02:51
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SurgicalOntologist posted:So... the Zenbook's not going to be available until Q4, Acer Aspire s3/6 until Q3. I'm helping my fiancee choose a new laptop and I've been trying to convince her to be patient. Her laptop is imminently dying, as of a couple days the screen is half distorted. The Aspire S3 would be ideal if it was available now. Get a tablet to tide her over, turn the old laptop into a desktop replacement. Edit: not the Google nexus, a new one of those is coming out soon too, supposedly
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Jun 4, 2013 03:26
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Honestly if you're not going to be playing any games and can live with 4-6 hours battery life getting an Ivy Bridge Ultrabook isn't that bad of an idea especially when they start getting discounted.
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Jun 4, 2013 03:35
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A tablet's not going to cut it, she needs full-featured MS Office and some other Windows programs for work. In that case, any particular ultrabook? The Acer Aspire S3 looks OK, she also liked the looks of the ASUS Vivobook. Sucks to get an Ivy Bridge ultrabook a couple weeks before they get discounted (especially after already waiting a few weeks), but her screen is borderline unusable at this point.
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Jun 4, 2013 04:07
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SurgicalOntologist posted:So... the Zenbook's not going to be available until Q4, Acer Aspire s3/6 until Q3. I'm helping my fiancee choose a new laptop and I've been trying to convince her to be patient. Her laptop is imminently dying, as of a couple days the screen is half distorted. The Aspire S3 would be ideal if it was available now. What does she do with it? If it's just browsing/Netflix/word, go with the $250 Samsung Chromebook at Best Buy and then get something nicer in a few months (or keep that, since it would probably be more than enough).
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Jun 4, 2013 04:08
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I EVER SPENT
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She's a translator, so she needs certain features of MS Word including a proprietary plugin her company uses. Plus there's some other text editor specifically for translators that looks like it's from the XP era, forget what it's called. But most jobs don't need it, so maybe if she kept her old laptop around for use as needed that could work. What are the MS Office capabilities of a Chromebook? If it's just the Office365 or whatever browser version I don't think that's enough.
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Jun 4, 2013 04:22
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SurgicalOntologist posted:She's a translator, so she needs certain features of MS Word including a proprietary plugin her company uses. Plus there's some other text editor specifically for translators that looks like it's from the XP era, forget what it's called. But most jobs don't need it, so maybe if she kept her old laptop around for use as needed that could work. What are the MS Office capabilities of a Chromebook? If it's just the Office365 or whatever browser version I don't think that's enough. So no chance of just getting by on an external monitor? If she wants a slimline one, I'd lean towards the T430s because keyboard quality is really important if you're typing all the time. I've yet to be impressed by an ultrabook keyboard.
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Jun 4, 2013 04:25
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Cream_Filling posted:So no chance of just getting by on an external monitor? That's brilliant. Why didn't I think of that. Thanks!
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Jun 4, 2013 04:29
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If she needs a laptop, try to pick up a Lenovo X120e. They're really good netbooks. Drop in a small SSD and you'll be set.
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Jun 4, 2013 04:59
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I'm really, really hoping they'll release a refresh of the yoga 13 with haswell and a 1080p screen, but they've been pretty mum as far as I know since the release of the 11S. Come on Lenovo, don't let me down.
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Jun 4, 2013 05:09
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WHERE MY HAT IS AT posted:I'm really, really hoping they'll release a refresh of the yoga 13 with haswell and a 1080p screen, but they've been pretty mum as far as I know since the release of the 11S. Expecting this from the same company that offers one of the shittiest panels known to the PC industry on its flagship industrial PC and has proceeded to abort the T4XX series over and over? HAH
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Jun 4, 2013 05:35
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SurgicalOntologist posted:That's brilliant. Why didn't I think of that. Thanks!
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Jun 4, 2013 05:43
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Guilty posted:That's exactly what I said.... Turn it into a desktop replacement... Sorry, I guess I misunderstood that. You're brilliant too.
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Jun 4, 2013 06:44
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Oh yeah also please include those GPU/CPU charts from Notebookcheck in the OP, they're pretty handy.
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Jun 4, 2013 07:56
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InstantInfidel posted:Expecting this from the same company that offers one of the shittiest panels known to the PC industry on its flagship industrial PC and has proceeded to abort the T4XX series over and over? Apparently the Haswell Lenovo items are expected to golive on June 13th. This information came to me from a Lenovo rep. Not sure if that's well known or not but figured it couldn't hurt to state.
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Jun 4, 2013 11:53
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SoggyGravy posted:Apparently the Haswell Lenovo items are expected to golive on June 13th. This information came to me from a Lenovo rep. Not sure if that's well known or not but figured it couldn't hurt to state. Dell also said their Haswell refreshes will be available around the same time.
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Jun 4, 2013 12:39
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I know this is very subjective, but any opinions on buying an iPad versus laptop for using it on the couch and maybe on my porch? I'm looking for something to use while watching TV, etc. I'm primarily interested in playing games on it but nothing too heavy.
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Jun 4, 2013 12:42
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If you're not doing anything productive on it then the iPad is a great choice. There's plenty of games and fun apps to try out. The screen is also more beautiful and sharper than 99% of laptops out there.
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Jun 4, 2013 12:47
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Apologies if this is a stupid question but: I want to buy a desktop to game on because the new consoles have not really impressed me. In order to keep the price manageable, I'd like to piecemail the new PC in. Could I buy a tower and, while I get money for a proper screen et al, use my year old laptop as the screen?
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Jun 4, 2013 12:59
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So I'm in the market for a new laptop. There are some stipulations though from my IT guy at work. 1) Has to be an HP 2) Has to be a business model (ProBook, EliteBook, or maybe even a work station) I honestly don't do any CAD work but if needed I could ask for a work station and they would get it for me. I would like to lightly game with it if possible while traveling but the video options seem to be lacking. This is what I've gathered from here HP Link I'd like a true quad core (I7 or I5 with a QM suffix) My video options are Intel HD 4000, AMD Radeon HD 7570M (1 GB GDDR5 dedicated) , and the word station cards (FirePro M4000 or a Qaudro). Any one have any advise?
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Jun 4, 2013 14:08
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The Bananana posted:Could I buy a tower and, while I get money for a proper screen et al, use my year old laptop as the screen? Nope.
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Jun 4, 2013 14:32
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The Bananana posted:Apologies if this is a stupid question but: I want to buy a desktop to game on because the new consoles have not really impressed me. In order to keep the price manageable, I'd like to piecemail the new PC in. Could I buy a tower and, while I get money for a proper screen et al, use my year old laptop as the screen? You'd need to buy an LCD controller board to do so, and for that price of that you can buy a decent used LCD monitor off craigslist or wherever ($30).
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Jun 4, 2013 15:51
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Well poo poo. Thanks for the answers.
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Jun 4, 2013 15:58
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The Bananana posted:I'd like to piecemeal the new PC in. Could I buy a tower and, while I get money for a proper screen et al, use my year old laptop as the screen? Nope, but a 15' HDMI cable is about $10 on amazon, and will plug in to the back of most any modern TV. 40" gaming rig! You may need a $3 DVI->HDMI adapter if your card didn't come with one or doesn't have HDMI out for some reason.
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Jun 4, 2013 16:03
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Hadlock posted:Nope, but a 15' HDMI cable is about $10 on amazon, and will plug in to the back of most any modern TV. 40" gaming rig! You may need a $3 DVI->HDMI adapter if your card didn't come with one or doesn't have HDMI out for some reason.
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Jun 4, 2013 16:06
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Anyone know if the Intel Atom based Windows 8 tablet convertible are powerful enough to do basic Word/Evernote/Endnote and reading Pdf? My guess is that they'd be fine, but I'm a bit worried about the 2 Go of ram. I already have an Asus TF700, but android isn't enough for productive work, now that I do research instead of simply note taking during class. I know that Haswell ultrabooks are coming, but I really need the battery life that Atom and Arm provides, and I've got a powerful desktop for more intensive work. Also, I don't want a 'real' laptop since I really loved having a convertible, but I need something with the real Windows 8 really soon (1-2 weeks). I guess I could have posted in the tablet thread, but since it's not Arm-based, I hope that thread is fine.
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Jun 4, 2013 16:16
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Doctor rear end in a top hat posted:That's fine if you're just playing games but you'll want to gouge your eyes out after trying to read a paragraph on a tv. Ah, that works. Thanks a lot.
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Jun 4, 2013 17:19
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2880x1620? Yes. Too bad about the aspect ratio. And the keyboard. And the ugly. And the trackpad/size/weight/heat/everything but the number of pixels on the screen. http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-3121_7-57587536-220/msis-haswell-laptop-comes-with-a-3k-screen/
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Jun 4, 2013 18:53
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No HD5000 on the 35W -M parts  Am I the only one that couldn't give a drat about CPU performance to the detriment of GPU performance in stuff that isn't Ultrabooks (especially with turbo hitting mid-2ghz in dual core operation anyway)? It seems like for most "mainstream laptop" work, CPU performance is already good enough. HD4600 as the baseline is hardly very exciting.
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Jun 4, 2013 19:04
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Srebrenica Surprise posted:No HD5000 on the 35W -M parts There's an HD5100 dual core part at 28 W (i7-4558U). That might be a decent option if you can forgo having a quadcore. I imagine the lack of bigger GPUs on lower power quad-core CPUs has everything to do with how much wattage the GPU takes.
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Jun 4, 2013 19:45
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So to clarify product differentiations: i7 mobile - all quad core except one, all have HD5xxx graphics, all have turbo boost i5 mobile - all dual core, all have HD4xxx graphics, all have turbo boost i3 mobile - all dual core, all have HD4xxx graphics, none have turbo boost or to put it another way i3 - dual core intel processor i5 - dual core intel + turbo boost i7 - + quad core intel (mostly) + turbo boost + HD5xxx graphics am I missing anything?
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Jun 4, 2013 20:21
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Stick a chart in the OP, that list doesn't really clarify anything.
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Jun 4, 2013 20:50
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I'm looking at buying a MacBook Pro. While I can use OSX, I've never owned a mac before so I was hoping you guys might weigh in with a bit of advice. I considered a thinkpad after reading the recommendations in the last thread but after a bit of an investigation, it seems that their pricing here in NZ is relatively high and not subject to any of the special discounts available in US. I'm looking at a 13inch retina MBP refurb. I believe the entry-level model will be sufficient for what I require from a laptop but I'm wondering what else I should be considering since it will be my first mac. Should I be waiting until a new range is released in hopes of a price drop or should I just go out and buy one when I'm ready? Also, what does the release of Haswell mean for someone considering a mac? Is it irrelevant or should I be considering the thinkpads again? Thanks!
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Jun 4, 2013 20:50
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Clown Meadows posted:Also, what does the release of Haswell mean for someone considering a mac? Is it irrelevant or should I be considering the thinkpads again? Do you need a laptop immediately? Will you be using it unplugged ever? It would be a very good idea to wait for WWDC 2013 next week if you can, new Macs should be announced with Haswell processors. If you care about battery life at all, it's worth waiting to get a Haswell mac.
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Jun 4, 2013 21:06
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Clown Meadows posted:I'm looking at buying a MacBook Pro. While I can use OSX, I've never owned a mac before so I was hoping you guys might weigh in with a bit of advice. I considered a thinkpad after reading the recommendations in the last thread but after a bit of an investigation, it seems that their pricing here in NZ is relatively high and not subject to any of the special discounts available in US. Once the new macs are announced at WWDC, it's possible that the previous generation refurbs will be cheaper (though admittedly I know very little about the pricing of Apple products). In any case, I would wait to see what gets announced over the coming weeks. Also, the Mac Hardware thread will probably be able to provide you with more information and specifics http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3426201
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Jun 4, 2013 21:11
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Weinertron posted:Do you need a laptop immediately? Will you be using it unplugged ever? It would be a very good idea to wait for WWDC 2013 next week if you can, new Macs should be announced with Haswell processors. If you care about battery life at all, it's worth waiting to get a Haswell mac. The Retina 13" right now has pretty good battery life (7+ hr), I wouldn't buy one right now with Haswell around the corner but I doubt there will be huge gains in battery life. Shofixti posted:Once the new macs are announced at WWDC, it's possible that the previous generation refurbs will be cheaper (though admittedly I know very little about the pricing of Apple products). In any case, I would wait to see what gets announced over the coming weeks. Also, the Mac Hardware thread will probably be able to provide you with more information and specifics http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3426201 The refurbs won't really get cheaper - Apple is famous for older refurb products being priced strangely high.
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Jun 4, 2013 21:36
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Bob Morales posted:The Retina 13" right now has pretty good battery life (7+ hr), I wouldn't buy one right now with Haswell around the corner but I doubt there will be huge gains in battery life. Depends on the usage. You'll get a fairly big increase for idle time/watching poo poo.
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Jun 4, 2013 21:38
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Thanks for the info. I don't need a new laptop right this minute but I do need one really soon. My well-traveled Asus 1201n is on it's last legs... Regularly overheating while playing videos, crashes due to hardware failure, terrible performance at doing anything. I would like to think that waiting a few weeks will make a difference for me and I'll stick it out just to see what is announced at WWDC but being in New Zealand, the benefits of new tech releases in the States have a relatively slow trickle-down effect to us.
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Jun 4, 2013 22:16
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micron posted:
What's your actual usage? How often are you at your desk vs travelling? When you travel how do you do it? Personally I'm using a 2560p (which is only a dual core but that's plenty for most tasks) + docking station + dual monitors. This combination gives a decent experience when I'm at my desk but is sufficiently small and compact to travel with while having great battery life. The serious downside is using the laptop display is somewhat painful, its a 1366x768 panel and not a good one either.
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Jun 4, 2013 23:11
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Nice eBay daily deal for $225 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Inspir...=item58a0b94891 Inspiron 11Z Core i3 11" 250GB Windows 7 2GB RAM 
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Jun 4, 2013 23:38
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