anrkitec

Yes, I know, see my post #58 from a week ago.

I blame autocorrect.

maortega15

So basically it’s like doing a clean install without having to insert a disk or use a USB thumbdrive?


What if I get it from like Microsoft Signature? Should I get their warranty?


I had the Dell Studio XPS 16 (2008-2009 model) Had to get stuff replaced many times.


To be honest, I’ll probably care more about the performance rather than the amount of battery. I’ll rarely have it uncharged to be honest. I’ll just use it on longhaul flights when I get bored, or when I’m in the lounge. Even then, I’d still probably charge it.


I’ll give it a closer look.

Is it it the current XPS 15? If so, yikes at the price!

Lastly, if anything, my biggest concern would probably be build quality. If its durable enough where I don't have to replace anything constantly like motherboards, SSD cards, etc., then I wouldn't have to worry about technical support and customer service.

pseudoswede

I finally got to play with one at the Microsoft Store a few weeks ago (I rarely go to the mall). It's a gorgeous machine, and the hinges are a work of art, but the reviews are right: the 1/4" gap at the hinges when in tablet mode gives me a rather uncomfortable feeling about too much flex.

pseudoswede

The two-year accidental damage warranty is actually very reasonably priced. Granted, I'm not sure about how well they handle warranty work.

If you are a Costco member, buying a laptop from Costco makes you eligible to purchase a 3-year accidental damage warranty for $100.

nkedel

Yes.

I'm not familiar enough with it as a buying channel to say. In general, for both Dell and Lenovo, buying direct and getting the manufacturer's service upgrade (including, especially if you travel heavily, on-site service if it's an upgrade for the model, and accidental damage service to eliminate any finger-pointing arguments.)

That was very much a consumer-oriented machine, and at a point in the life-cycle of the XPS brand when they were just barely trying to bring the XPS line into being as a premium consumer brand.

Those models were nowhere near the quality of the Latitude line (which was still behind where the Thinkpads were back then) and that was kind of the low point of the Latitude line because of the move of their manufacturing from Malaysia to China.

In that case, you'll want to avoid the Core M (or Core i5 Y-series) processors.

No, that's the current generation (actually it's a half generation back -- Haswell, not Broadwell) one which is not as compact -- the next generation XPS 15 which they teased (which had the super-narrow bezels like the that isn't out yet.

The prices presented there are only on fairly high-end configurations (quad core + discreet graphics + hidpi screen + 16gb RAM, surprisingly no SSD at that price) -- the more modest configurations were around $1500 when they still offered them. No idea what the configuration will be on the new one.

I have the "workstation" clone of it, the Precision M3800 which is the exact same machine except for the GPU model (Quadro rather than Geforce) and the lack of an NFC chip (no idea why you'd want one in a laptop to begin with.) List prices were even higher, although I bought it on a corporate discount so it was a little more reasonable. Other than the awful "wants to be a Mac" clickpad, it's an incredible machine.

For build quality, as I said above, your best bet is the traditional somewhat heavier-built business machines. Beyond that, defects and non-wear-related failures can happen on any machine, and for higher-end machines I don't know of any brands that are substantially better or worse -- the big difference is how well the brands handle repairs when they're discovered.

maortega15

So was the manufacturing move from Malaysia to China a good move or bad move? I assume bad move?

I’m not really considering business oriented machines. I would rather have a machine for entertainment. I assume all brands handle repairs similarly? Just pick out a laptop with the specs that fit my needs regardless of brand?

nkedel

In the long run, a neutral move, but in the short run with the first machines after the move, definitely a bad one. The quality control on the early Latitude E6000 series machines from late 2008 and early 2009 was terrible; by early 2010, it's back to their usual standards.

[quote]I’m not really considering business oriented machines. I would rather have a machine for entertainment.

What does a machine "for entertainment" mean to you? If you're referring to the cosmetics, you'll have to decide whether those are worth the loss of durability. Otherwise, the only area where the specs may differ in general are:
A) anti-glare vs. glossy screen (and this is by no means a universal difference.)
B) no high-end gaming GPUs on business machines (but given that your original specs don't mention GPU at all, and unless you're a gamer or doing professional 3D work, you're better off with integrated, this is a plus.)

A lot of business-oriented machines have a docking port, which you won't use, but it doesn't hurt any to have one.

As I tried to go over, the way brands handle repairs is not all the same, and there are basically two models:
1) The direct-sales model, where companies handle their own warranty (and often have on-site service available as an option)
2) The retail-only model, where companies tend to contract out everything and where return-to-depot (generally also run by a third party) is the only option.
(Not counting Apple, which extends direct sales with a network of retail stores.)

In my experience, the way repairs are handled is vastly better in case #1, whether that's Lenovo, Dell, or (anecdotally from others) HP. Paying for the accidental damage service also tends to really help, as it eliminates a big source of finger-pointing even if the issues is really a defect and not caused by damage.

--

Not sure if you can get a decent config in your budget, but you might look at the Lenovo X1 Carbon. U-series processor, so not incredibly fast, but very good build quality (and a premium-materials design -- probably the "sexiest" machine from Lenovo in years), excellent battery life, and a 14" screen in what would have in the past been a 13" class chassis.

RobCH

Reply to tev9999 on p1 of this thread: http://lifehacker.com/disable-windows-annoying-adaptive-brightness-feature-on-1567886994

boltjames

Please go look at the new MacBook Retina from Apple.

It's the best travel notebook in the world. I'm running Windows 10 and it's a flawless performer in an unbelievable size. Spend the extra money, you won't have to worry about repairs and warranties.

BJ

maortega15

What I mean is things mostly cosmetic as you say like premium finishes, etc. An all black Lenovo Thinkpad just doesn’t look good to me for using it as an “entertainment” notebook. To each its own I guess



So you mean I should buy it direct from the manufacturer such as Dell.com or HP.com or by calling them using their 1-800 number opposed to buying it at big box stores like Best Buy, Staples, etc.? I prefer direct too as I get better deals. I also feel that the ones from Best Buy and the like are mostly low wend ones where if you want like an XPS type of Dell, you have to get it direct. I’ve made only 2 purchases from big box stores namely Circuit City and Best Buy. Both were bad in my opinion with both giving me a hard time returning the product. I remember about 10 years ago or so, I purchased a Dell Dimension via catalog and it was durable. Lasted me about 8-10 years. The Dimension line was probably one of the most durable computer’s I’ve had.

maortega15

Like I've said in my previous replies, I will not consider the Mac. It would be too much of a hassle with buying extra software alone.

nkedel

Even for many Mac users, the performance and number of ports will be inadequate, and the screen/keyboard too small. For those for whom they aren't, and who like Macs, it's a great choice, but it's not something I can recommend in general.

In general, if someone wants a Mac, I'd recommend looking between the Macbook Pro 13" and the Macbook Air 13".

The 11"-class ones whether Air or just Macbook now have always been a niche product, and many of the models are darn slow, and the Pro 15", while a beast of a machine, is too pricy for those who don't have a professional need for that much power.

I tend to prefer my tech to be unobtrusive-looking rather than flashy, so I really can't relate to that. The quality of the materials (sold vs. plasticy) varies highly model-to-model and is something where on the whole, recent Dell models have done better than Thinkpads -- the X1 Carbon as a notable exception -- although the Latitude line is still pretty unobtrusive-looking, and you do pay for the more solid construction in weight.

Of business like machines, if you care about the fashion, I'd reiterate the recommendation to look at the X1 Carbon. It is a very thin, very angular dark slab, not at all boxy, and the material quality is superb.

If it's the black color that bothers you, the XPS 13 is another superb machine -- roughly similar guts, and more portable, although I don't find the overall build quality to be quite as good, and I (personally) prefer the 14" screen. The keyboard has its annoyances on both, although the worst things about the 2nd generation X1 Carbon were fixed in the current model and I think overall it's the better of the two keyboards.

Failing that, if you post an example of what sort of appearance you like, I can recommend something closer to that.

Yes.

I haven't found either one to be generally better than the other price-wise -- deals come and go far too quickly, and far too variably to generalize -- but the ability to customize configurations when buying direct is really nice, and the fact that your purchase will be in the system immediately and you have direct contact to the manufacturer for warranty issues is a huge plus.

Dimension was a very broad consumer line for a long time, and had good models and bad, depending on both the generation and the model line.

maortega15

The HP Spectre and Dell XPS 13 are probably my top picks for design. But I would like to check out the new XPS 15 you mention.

I had the Dell Dimension 4100 (2000 model) and the Dimension 8400 (2004-2005 model). The Dimension 4100 lasted longer than my 8400 but both were solid. Customization and being able to negotiate are the main reasons I like buying direct from the manufacturer. I can get a few hundred dollars off a prebuilt configuration or get a lower price for upgrades. It’s not like years ago where you can fully customize it like the processor, amount of ram, software installed, etc.

I remember years ago when Dell wasn’t found in stores and the only way to purchase a Dell was by phone or online ordering. I was getting monthly catalogs from them.

Many thanks nkedel for all your help. Really appreciate it.

nkedel

The new XPS 15 is at least a few weeks out from a formal announcement, and could still prove to be a engineering sample that never makes it into selling product -- but there have been a couple of semi-public showings at conferences that I think it's very likely, and probably among the first group of Skylake-based machines to show.

Will be very interesting to see if they have a lower-end configuration available; the quad-core models will almost certainly still be around $2000 since they're marketed as a competitor to the Macbook Pro 15".

You managed to miss a very problematic generation (hardly just for Dell) in between those two.

That's still possible on some business models, even with public/small business accounts, and for most business models on corporate ("premier") accounts. Although other than the OS license, I don't think I've ever seen a good deal on pre-installed software.

maortega15

I remember years ago where you can have some software not to be installed like today. Today, you have a 12 month trial of McAfee preinstalled on Dell systems. I'ts a hassle to uninstall all bloatware that comes with it.

Many thanks for your suggestions. Happen to know when the best time is to make my purchase? I'll be needing it by December for my Hawaii holiday and would like about a month or so to test it in case of any issues that might come up.