Hey guys Looking for some purchasing advice, my budget is flexible depending on how many of my requirements a particular notebook meets. Anything above £1000 would be pushing it. I'm looking for a laptop for work, mostly being used for web browsing/software development. Lightweight & portable Good performance No gaming requirements Good keyboard SSD a bonus, otherwise HDD size unimportant as Ill upgrade it Spec wise this probably looks like: CPU: i3 or i5 RAM: 4GB or 6GB Storage: Small SSD/HDD Screen: 12.5" or 13.3" GFX: No GFX card Weight: < 2.0 kg Not sure of performance of other CPU's for laptops so there may be better options out there for performance/price.
Check out business class system. They will feet perfectly your need (better warranty service, more solid system, and non-glossy). If you want a tablet PC: Dell Latitude XT3 Tablet PC, featuring: -> Multitouch screen -> Pen - with digitize screen -> 13inch - 1366x768 -> Gigabit Ethernet, VGA, eSATA, HDMI. -> Core i3, i5, i7 -> Up to 8GB of memory Check also the Dell Vostros line (budget business system). For long battery life, be sure to always get the large battery. Lenovo has interesting laptop and tablet as well.
Thinkpad! Or one of dell or HP's business-oriented laptops, they're all pretty good. I like the look of the thinkpad T420, though it's 14 inches so maybe a bit big?
And don't forget something to cover that bombastic light up apple logo. In all seriousness though the air does look like the best "ultrabook" at the moment if you like a nice aluminium construction.
The problem with the Mac Book Air, is that it's freaking fragile. You can't put it on a school back pack with books. The screen will break. An incident I saw twice at University. Ain't cheap to repair.
thinkpad x or macbook air. There aren't any other options really. All laptops that are not apple/thinkpad simply suck when it comes to day to day durability (toughbooks aside ofc)
Do you even own one? No? Thought not... I've got the new 2011 model, and the screen isn't going to break with a blow of the wind. Take the precautions you would with any laptop, and the MBA will be fine. The aluminium construction is arguably stronger than plastics anyway. Oh, and my MBA does go in a bag with books. I just put a padded sleeve on it.
Doesn't mean you don't have the issue, that other don't. When you see in class a girl pull out her new Mac Book Air in class for the first time with a broken screen.. she wasn't too happy about it. And how about the guy last semester with his Mac Book Air, same story, well he had it for a while, but the screen broke when he pulled it out. Not to mention the famous hinge problem that affects all Mac Book Air (have a look on YouTube). I don't need to be an idiot in buying it, and see how badly the engineering was. It's poor build quality and design problem is due that the system is too thin. I am sure the super sleek Thinkpad model, also have the same problem(s). If you wonder what happen to these 2 students. The Guy got a Mac Book Pro, the girl got a Dell Inspiron (I guess she was out of money, so she was unable to get a higher quality Dell system, but still works) I saw Lenovo and Dell system fall on the floor on concrete (including my Dell Laptop - well in my case, there was carpet, so it didn't scratch.. but there was concrete under it. Not even a dent, no hint of problem), and these system, despite what they may look (plastic or magnesium alloy), they are tanks. 12inch old Lenovo system, had a crack on the audio port.. but the plastic did not break. The laptop was 3 year old, based on he told me. I guess the plastic started to dry a bit. But beside that, and scratch from the dirty floor, nothing. As for the Dell (XPS 13), the system flip and hit the cover lid on the floor, minor scratch, but that is all. Both cases was due to a wire trip. In my case, my brother was passing my laptop, and due to some carelessness, slip from both our hands, and fell hitting the right, bottom corner, where the palm rest and base meet. The laptop lid was open. I can confirm that my accident, the HDD had no problem, or bad sector. I can't say about the other laptops. Also Dell has touchbooks like systems (4-5 year old model shown with the last gen Core 2 Duo, and Vista). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIiErEDVYqw And here is the Tablet XT2 being tested: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCjqsoDWjyg&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZehXjIX6Pxc&feature=relmfu So if you want extreme solid machine, Dell has them as well.
I'd agree with GoodBytes here, if your wanting something solidly built, decent specs with better aftercare support then your better off looking at the Lenovo/Dell/HP business laptops rather than most consumer notebooks. Easy enough to get a 13" with very good specs for less than a grand if you shop around. I'm pretty keen on the HP ProBook series.
No, this is merely anecdotal evidence. How did they store the Air? Did they throw it around, keep it in a protective sleeve, or did they baby it? To use exactly your method of evidence, I know a bunch of Air owners, ranging from the first generation onwards, and none of which have broken the screens. So surely the fact that I know 5 people with Airs without broken screens outnumbers your two? The 'infamous' hinge problem is rubbish. Yes, there were problems with the first generation, and occasionally people will get a screen that is looser than normal. However, it's basically a totally revised issue as the entire hinge has been redesigned on the 2010/2011 models, and they now match the MBP design. So yet again, the fact you have no hands on experience of ownership means you're relying on things you heard on the internet - and we all know how that turns out. I'll also let you know that Macs can right click... Yes, the MacBook Air is thin. No, it isn't a Panasonic Toughbook, but they're not poorly engineered or prone to falling apart as you seem to think. The carelessness of two users you know does not equal a global problem. Plastic is just as prone to cracking when dropped, or damaging screens as the entire screen assembly is usually the weakest point - aluminium will dent, but not crack. As for a wire trip, that's why Apple invented MagSafe. Saved my laptops multiple times over the last few years from clumsy idiots. I'm not saying Dell/Lenovo don't make systems that aren't worth looking at, but for the price, the MBA currently offers a very compelling hardware set. If you can get over the Apple hate that is. EDIT: Throw in the OP's requirements and you're pretty limited on what you can go for. They basically want an ultraportable, not a tank of a laptop that will survive drops on to concrete.
+1 on the Macbook Air. I currently own the 2011 revision of the 13 inch Air and find it a great ultraportable. One of the problems which is purely down to the size is battery life isn't great compared to its bulkier cousins. However, that is a trade off for thinness. The other contender which i was looking at was the Lenovo X220 which isn't as sexy as the Air it has a fantastic matte screen option. According to Bit tech, Intel are pumping a lot of money into ultra book development http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2011/08/11/intel-creates-300m-fund-for-ultrabo/1 So if you are prepared to wait... But hey, its always a waiting game.
