Ideas for new laptop - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 11:19:37 am
content: This is alittleoff topic but I am in the market for a new laptop. My current core2 duo machine is about 8 years old and starting to struggle.This should be easy - I've bought and built enough computers but I can't quite find what I want and wondered whether anyone had any ideas.Perhaps the problem is that word "built". I normally build my desktop machines so can get the spec exactly was I want but have to pick something "off the shelf" with laptops - and, as with clothes, the fit is not perfect.Use will be the usual web surfing & email but I also want to run Linux, run kdenlive for video editing and transcoding with ffmpeg as well as a little software building.I want:15.6" is probably the sweet spotFull HD with a decent panel(why is this not standard for a 15.6" screen - everything is a poxy 1368x766 and several of the full HD ones I've looked at have poor panels)Separate graphics is OK as long as there are Linux drivers but it's not primarily for gaming.4 core processor, preferably intel i7, not totally against AMD but intel preform better at the momentDoesn't cook itself under high CPU load (some otherwise interesting "gaming" machines seem to fall down on this one).Weight is less important but if I can get it under 2.5kg I will be happy.4 hours battery life under sensible loadsPreferably black, silver/grey OK, other colours possible but white or pink non-startersTouch-screen: meh but I wouldn't avoid if the other spec was OKAnd I'd like to spend less than £600 if possible.The ACER Aspire VN7-591G is quite close, it's a bit more than I want to spend but the real killer is reviews suggest it just overheats and throttles under high CPU load (absolutely no good for ffmpeg).Over to you

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 11:40:08 am
content: I was with you until I reached the part where you said that your price limit was 600 GBP. Go and find your local Lenovo dealer and discuss your requirements with them. There are a variety of models and options but you will probably spend more than your initial budget.Why?I'm typing this on a nine year old Thinkpad W500. In those nine years the only repairs I have ever made have been a faulty DVD drive (repaired by Lenovo next day) and overheating due to a clogged heatsink fan. The Thinkpad range are designed for business users and built like tanks, they will therefore last.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 11:52:48 am
content: I really dislike Acer. We use them at work and they are average at best. The word "unstable" comes to mind, very much a "budget" model computer in my opinion.In the past I've owned Dell, HP (business-grade) and the old IBM laptops and have found them all to be excellent in terms of quality and stability (although you did pay a premium and this only applied to those with Intel CPU's and chipsets). I think these days Lenovo have taken oven IBM's laptop business but I wouldn't look past them.Some Toshiba models have also been excellent, but expensive. At the end of the day you're going to really need to find a compromise on specs and quality vs. price. After all, you generally get what you pay for when it comes to computers. Given your price range I'd consider a HP or Dell.

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 11:53:06 am
content: Quote from: German_EE on July 08, 2015, 11:40:08 amI can go higher - I paid £800 for the core2 duo machine. It's just that I'd like to think things had moved on a bit in the last 8 years.QuoteI've looked at the Z50 but (apart from the colour) it is a 2core/4thread machine and review suggest the panel isn't great so not on the list at the moment.I don't really have a "local dealer" for anything - well, except PC World and I wouldn't trust them to advise me on anything.QuoteThe current machine is an Acer and hasn't really dropped a beat.I realise some of my requirements are slightly self-contradictory but they are the points I'm aiming for. For one thing I'm not sure that 4 cores, less than 2.5kg and 4+ hours batery are simultaneously possible.

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 11:58:03 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on July 08, 2015, 11:52:48 amI'm fairly agnostic on brand. I'd broadly agree that Acer is a budget brand but I find modern machines to be fairly close in build quality when it comes down to it. After all they are generally all produced in the same far east factories.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 12:05:28 pm
content: Quote from: German_EE on July 08, 2015, 11:40:08 amI disagree. Lenovo's poor quality has ruined the ThinkPad range. My ThinkPad X201 has been nothing but a let-down. In order: Three AC adapters failed by breaking at the cord, the abysmal battery life of 2.5 hours under real world usage (and now 30 minutes as it has worn out - battery only lasted around 2 years), the Wi-Fi chipset has permanently failed (not recognised by Windows or Linux), the CPU fan is intermittent/failing and making a grinding noise & the keyboard has been replaced after three home keys fell off.

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 12:18:59 pm
content: Sorry to hijack your forum thread, but I'm planning in buying a laptop for study purposes (electronics).Low quality devices aren't for me. My motor skills are like from a troglodyte, so I need something enough robust to not get broken in months.I'm very slow handwriting, from text to schematics but...I'm a __very fast__ touch typer, but I press keys like if using a hammer to type on an old unlubricated typewriter... with all my fingers. People get really scared of it or annoyed because of noise. I use an IBM Model M because of that, I'm not able to write fast and push buttons softly. Soft keyboards hurt my fingers a lot if using them over long periods.I would like to develop a way to use some EDA package, vectorial drawing app and/or spreadsheet formulas to draw schematics and graphs. And insert them in the class notes. I don't want to wear heavy books, just a laptop synced with Dropbox, my calculator and my toolbox.Ireally _____H_A_T_E____trackpads, I think somebody should have killed the inventor of that shit before becoming mainstream! I don't see the point of such an inefficient and space wasting pointing device. I hate mices just a bit less. I love trackballs, specially my BIG CST one.I might play some game occasionally, but it's going to be used for study and electronics. I would like something at least 1080p, able to run SPICE simulations, some CAD, SketchUP/Blender and the usual EDA software (even Altium).I would like to record the classes in voice and video with some discrete device, most teachers don't like that but I really need it.

author: rollatorwieltje
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 12:19:10 pm
content: Quote from: German_EE on July 08, 2015, 11:40:08 am10 years ago yes. Now they are just the same plastic garbage like any other consumer grade laptop. I'm typing this on a T530. Search for "T530 cracked case". They aren't made like the IBM Thinkpads, they use a very cheap feeling plastic. Even the magnesium display cover is gone.Also the 1600x900 panel looks like it was made 15 years ago.

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 12:26:19 pm
content: QuoteThis is one of the things I just don't get - panels on current laptops haven't really moved on since I bought the acer (which has a pretty mediocre panel and it's one thing I'd like to improve)

author: HighVoltage
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 01:47:43 pm
content: +1 for Lenovo, I would not buy anything else.I am typing this on aW520(W standing for Workstation) Notebook and have several CAD programs open at the same time and it works better than my larger desktop PC's. They are reliable and of good quality. If you have the money, get the next model, the W530 but the W520 will give you really good performance.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 02:07:47 pm
content: IMHO they key to buying any computer is to stay far away from consumer and low budget models. Acer is just utter crap. Stay away if you value your sanity.Better get a computer which has been designed for business use with slightly lower specs per $. In the past I have sold lot's of Toshiba and later on Dell laptops because they gave me the least amount of trouble. In my home it's all Dell business machines (desktops and laptops) because they work and keep working.

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 02:41:56 pm
content: Are there a good reliable laptop with trackBALL instead of a shitty trackpad? ADHD proof (think about a rude and distracted boy) , of course...

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 02:58:06 pm
content: Quote from: grumpydoc on July 08, 2015, 11:19:37 amI don't see the shiny/matte choice.Another usable thing is the possibility to add a second battery.SSD+HDD is also on my list.

author: JVR
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 03:30:04 pm
content: I was in the same sort of boat after the SO dropped some coffee on mine. I settled for a MSI GE70 Apache. 1TB/16GB/i7Quad with HT/GTX970/FHD and enough ports to plug in the world.Downsides? Battery is a bit shit, but I can live with that as I'm always close to power, on full crawl mode it will manage just over 3 hours. The GE60 is the 15" version.It feels solidly built, and its everything I've ever wanted in a desktop replacement EE machine.

author: kingofkya
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 03:37:47 pm
content: I got a used leveno a few months back with very simmaler requirement. Also a real keyboard was the only thing i had to add to your description:) As far as i am concerned modern keyboard on laptops suck.At the time i got a second gen i7 with 8gb of ram with windows 7 on it. for $350http://arrowdirect.com/search?q=lenovo#/?_=1&filter.category_hierarchy=Notebooks&page=1&filter.cpu_type=Intel%20Core%20i7%20Gen2&filter.cpu_type=Intel%20Core%20i7%20Gen3&filter.memory.low=8000&filter.memory.high=8500&sort.price=ascAlso the battery life on mine was fantastic normal web browsing i can get nearly 9 hours out of it.And a side not arrow just install win7 no crap ware it was really nice to get a pc i didn't immediately need to reinstall:) I know arrow is probbly not an option for you because your in the uk but i had to say it:)

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 03:47:47 pm
content: Except for the HD scree. It pretty much describes my Toshiba I bought last year for just under $600 US. If going for the i7 make sure you get a real i7 with at least 4 actual cores. (Will show up as 8 ).

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 03:50:39 pm
content: Quote from: grumpydoc on July 08, 2015, 12:26:19 pmI cannot agree. Nowadays many laptops come with decent IPS LCD panels at affordable price (need to be sure about particular laptop product code as one models usually comes with a variety of LCDs, from shite TN to very good IPS) . 5+ years ago only rare laptops had decent LCD, and not at affordable price at all. Of course if you are tight ass you'll still get awful LCD as before.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 03:59:33 pm
content: Quote from: grumpydoc on July 08, 2015, 12:26:19 pmA very high resolution panel on a laptop sucks. The lines in many CAD packages become too thin to be useful.

author: rollatorwieltje
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 07:42:07 pm
content: Quote from: nctnico on July 08, 2015, 03:59:33 pmIt's not the resolution that's the problem, the panel is basically not capable of displaying the color red. I have turned blue down about 50% on my work T530 and it still looks bad. If I calibrate it "properly" so that all colors are displayed equally the damn thing almost turns monochrome. My ancient Toshiba 210CT has better colors.It's not an individual problem either, all our T520 and T530 models have this shitty panel. The 1080p display should be better, but I haven't seen one of those in person.This is one of the reasons I bought a Macbook pro, piss on Apple all you want but they do use nice panels. My previous Dell 8600c also had a very good panel, although a little dim.

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 07:57:52 pm
content: OK, several points and a couple of suggestions.As to budget - I'm not trying to be tight but there's a chunk to pay to the tax man at the end of the month and I don't think "I can't pay you because I splashed out on a laptop" is going to cut it. £800 is as high as I can/wish to go.The Lenovo W520 & W530 are no longer available. The new W series models - the W550s and W541 are budget busting at over a grand but otherwise look like they would meet my spec, I can see it will be worthwhile looking over all of the Lenovo models to see if one gets close enough.The W530 can be had used on ebay within budget but laptops are one item I'm wary of buying 2nd hand.Likewise the MSI GE70 does seem interesting although, again, it's a bit budget busting - the best I can find is the one with 1TB HDD for £870 at laptopsdirect.Both suggestions are food for thought - thanksAs to matt screen vs shiny I don't have enough of a preference - probably slightly in favour of matt, similarly SSD vs HDD isn't really an issue - anything I buy is likely to have a HDD, SSD capacity is woeful unless you move significantly up in price.10 years ago I would fully have agreed with buying a Dell, HP or similar "business" machine, but I'm not so sure now - Dell in particular had very good support but I hear that their consumer level support is not different to anyone else's these days - i.e crap.I definitely think that LCD panels have not moved on as much as you'd expect - still lots of 1368x766 on 15.6" budget and not so budget laptops which is a bit inadequate IMO, especially when you look at tablet resolution. That said I think the benefit beyond 1920x1080 is questionable. As to CAD packages drawing lines too thin to see - well, that's something of an orthogonal issue and just part of moving to higher res displays. You can wind up with the same problem on desktops now that 4k is becoming more common - the software vendors need to fix their applications.Trackpads meh - I use a mouse when I can, never been a big fan of trackballs either (outside of a couple of video games) - just personal taste I guess.

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 10:34:13 pm
content: I want a modern version of this, please!http://jasontaylor.dyndns.org/blog/mac-museum/powerbooks-macbooks/powerbook-through-the-years-the-100-series/

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 10:48:52 pm
content: Yeah, but even apple ditched the trackball.

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 08, 2015, 11:46:33 pm
content: Quote from: grumpydoc on July 08, 2015, 10:48:52 pmApple ditched usability and exchanged it by design, just like the rest.We live in idiocracy. Survival of the fashionable crap, despite it's nearly unusable for most stuff.iPhone is a good photo camera, at least. Despite it sucks for everything else.New Apple laptops have only one USB****connector, you just need to carry another iDevice for more USB ports.****it!Eat****, billions of insects can't be wrong!

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2015, 12:20:51 am
content: Every touchpad I've ever had was terrible. The best thing I've ever used on a notebook is the little pointing stick thing on Thinkpads. Took a bit of getting used to though. I prefer a mouse, but that can be awkward at times when using a notebook.

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2015, 08:22:36 am
content: Quote from: rdl on July 09, 2015, 12:20:51 amTrackpads aren't great but I really can't get excited by nipples - well, that's a contextual thing, in the right situation they can be very exciting** - just not on laptops** I nearly said titilating but decided that was a bit too Carry OnQuote from: Circuiteromalaguito on July 08, 2015, 11:46:33 pmApple are about creating a product which people will aspire to own - granted that is because Apple have invested a great deal into convincing the sheeple that they need to own Apple products; it is also about creating a closed infrastructure which sucks you into buying more of their product. Their choices of interfaces, numbers of sockets etc often make sense when viewed from that perspectiveBUT you can guarantee that if trackballs sold laptops somebody would still build a laptop with a trackball.I quite like them as an interface -untilyou try to add buttons which will need to be pressed with the same fingers that you are using to manipulate the ball - then it all just starts to get ugly.Mice are better formosttasks, trackballs and pen devices are better for a couple of niche applications.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2015, 09:03:38 am
content: Quote from: grumpydoc on July 09, 2015, 08:22:36 amYou might be surprised.We have these (in corded USB) on all our PCs and you can use 2 buttons and the ball at the same time.http://www.logitech.com/en-nz/product/wireless-trackball-m570?crid=8Even convinced a 70 yr old grumpy doc mate to go this way and he curses me for being right about them.Absolutely brilliant on my messy desk, no room needed to move them like a normal mouse.Use one on your knee or any surface, no optical problems like a mouse.Never have to take your eyes off the screen....it's always in one spot.No problem for Altium or similar that I have found.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2015, 09:11:12 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on July 08, 2015, 02:07:47 pmExactly,Acers are built like toys--my E1-531 screen hinge broke when the threaded brass inserts on the main body of the thing just pulled straight out.In trying to fix it I damaged some other bits.OK,--my bad!,but I didn't break anything when I worked on the Toshiba I'm using at the moment.Looking on eBay for replacements,I came across an E1-531 "broken-for parts" with the same problem.OK,the sample is too small to say "they all do it!",but I'd like to be that certain of the Lotto numbers!

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2015, 10:29:47 am
content: Quote from: tautech on July 09, 2015, 09:03:38 amI agree.Bigger or smaller, I'm able to move the ball and click three buttons at same time with the same hand. Am I a magician?I use aCST L-TracX. It's rock solid and works amazingly.Trackballs are very undervalued, they are the best pointing devices for most tasks. Even some pro-gamers use it

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2015, 10:42:37 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on July 09, 2015, 09:11:12 amEquallymyAcer has been fine - I even dropped it from about 1m onto a hardish floor and, although I needed to take it apart and re-seat everything nothing actually broke.The thing is that these days yu can't extrapolate from an 8 year old device, heck, you can't even extrapolate from one model in a manufacturer's current range to another.The "stationary mice" style trackballs certainly look better than the one's I've tried in the past - might even think about giving one a go. However I do find myself wondering what the gearing is like - it must be quite hard to get it set up so that fine control is possible without huge effort needed to get the mouse pointer from one side of the screen to another.

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2015, 12:19:27 pm
content: Quote from: grumpydoc on July 09, 2015, 10:42:37 amNot in my trackball, it's even easier for me than a mice! It's high resolution and has a poolball size ball, some people even mod it to put a real one!Quote

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2015, 08:33:53 pm
content: Quote from: grumpydoc on July 09, 2015, 10:42:37 amThe acceleration settings can take care of that.I'm using a 2 monitor 4:3 setup and I get ~1/2 the screen travel with a roll of the thumb.2 quick flicks and I'm on the other screen.When the ball itself is really clean you can spin it enough that it's own inertia can also assist fast/long movements.Sure it will be a case of teaching an "old dog new tricks" but it won't take more than a day or so of good use for you to see the light.Yes you do have a valid concern about long movements, particullary if you still use the "back" button on a browser, a real PITA IMO, but years ago I switched all our mice to using the scroll wheel button to a "back" command. (Alt + Left arrow).Took a while for her indoors to come to it, but hooked now.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2015, 10:57:22 pm
content: I never thought I'd be happy with a laptop without physical track pad buttons, but being able to two-finger scroll has made me a convert.I really only miss the right click since my track pad seem to take a lot of pressure to click.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 12:18:39 am
content: Quote from: tautech on July 09, 2015, 09:03:38 amA trackball gives me instant pain in my hand so no option for me. Another good pointing device is a drawing tablet (AFAIK Wacom is the only surviving supplier).

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 07:24:49 am
content: Currently looking at PC specialisthttp://www.pcspecialist.co.uk- I can configure the15.6" UltraNote IIwith 1920x1080 IPS panel, quad core processor (i7-4712MQ), 8G RAM, 750GB 7200RPM HDD, and 802.11AC WLAN, and still come in under £600 (£586 in fact). I think that config ticks all the boxes.If I wish to bust the budget just a little I can swap the spinning rust for an SSD and still come in under £700.It helps that I can buy without an OS - this is fine as I have an unused Window 7 media and licence kicking around somewhere and, apart from Photoshop, would not miss Windows at all.I think it will have to wait until after the end of the month though

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 08:00:04 am
content: If there is msata or m.2 slot on the motherboard, you can put there small form factor SSD and still keep the HDD. Usually they are about the same spec and price as 2.5" SSDs and share the same model name. SSD makes much more effect of responsiveness and speed in daily use rater than beefier CPU or more RAM. Actually for me it became a pain to use a computer without the SSD.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 08:51:54 am
content: Quote from: grumpydoc on July 10, 2015, 07:24:49 amI'd google for reviews first. My experience with these kind of laptops is not good at al.

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 09:00:26 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on July 10, 2015, 08:51:54 amI'd agree. The real attraction, as I said, is I can save money by not buying an OS licence that I don't need - that really helps with the budget.In fact, as I have a 2TB 2.5" HDD that I bought for another project, but didn't use I can avoid the HDD as well. Except the one I have is only 5400 RPM and I suspect I'd change it anyway - bulk storage is be elsewhere in the network.There's a review on techradar - it doesn't sound too bad, they critisised the panel but it was the cheapest 1366x768 option which I would not go for.

author: rollatorwieltje
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 10, 2015, 10:30:51 am
content: You might find more information if you search for the actual manufacturer, it's a Clevo barebone sold under many different names.

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2015, 01:40:17 am
content: Quote from: nctnico on July 10, 2015, 12:18:39 amMices and trackpads gives me hand pains over +1hr sessions, even worse after +3hr.Trackballs are very pleasant for me.I'm not sure why. Maybe my hands are odd...

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2015, 03:54:52 pm
content: I think that you cannot beat Panasonic for laptops, easy to work on and modify as well as being extremely tough. I have had several over the years and currently have a CF19 model.http://business.panasonic.co.uk/computer-product/products-and-accessories/introducing-the-full-toughbook-range?channel=ppc&gclid=CN6wtIK308YCFQnLtAodMRIMRg

author: timofonic
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2015, 04:22:17 pm
content: Quote from: G7PSK on July 11, 2015, 03:54:52 pmHow much does Panasonic laptops cost? Can I add a trackball?I never seen Panasonic laptops on local shops...

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 11, 2015, 04:40:15 pm
content: You wont see them in your local shops, they mostly go to large businesses and organizations like the police or military. A new MK8 CF19 is around £2700 but there are loys of second-hand one around at a tenth of that price and upwards.Have a look at this site and E bay.As for adding a track ball built in you probably can, I built an oscilloscope into a toughbook a few years ago, by taking a picoscope apart and puting it into the place that the GPRS board was previously. The case is cast magnesium and is easily workable even weld it if required.http://www.pan-toughbooks.com/panasonic-toughbook-cf-19-39-c.asp

author: rollatorwieltje
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 11, 2015, 04:51:18 pm
content: Quote from: G7PSK on July 11, 2015, 03:54:52 pmAlso obscenely expensive for not that impressive specifications if you want a new one. The latest CF54 starts at around €2000 of so. The actual rugged models are at least twice that.

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 15, 2015, 10:09:50 pm
content: I know this topic is somewhat old but in the end funds were sorted, I had a bit more to spend than I originally thought and I talked myself up-spec (as you do)So I bought aPC Specialist Optimus VI 17.3"Only time will tell whether this was a wise purchase, I'm not going to do a review because, well, this isn't a laptop review site and there is already a review of the 15.6" version by KitGuruherewhich is perfectly adequate; even though you do get the impression the reviewer would rather be doing something else.I will make a few comments though.Value for money is reasonable but not stellar - I actually bought a pre-built one from ebuyer as it was cheaper than the same spec from PC specialist. The ones ebuyer sell are configured slightly differently to the pre-built ones from PC specialist themselves so there is actually quite a good range available.In the end I paid £879 and got an i7-4720HQ (4 cores/8 threads, 2.6GHz base 3.5GHz turbo ), 2TB hdd, 8G RAM, Nvidia 960M graphics, 802.11ac Wifi, a fairly standard DVD drive and a full HD matt LED backlit panel.There are several similar machines at this price including theGigabyte P17F,MSI Prestige PE70,ASUS G751JLand theCube Chameleon GTX-7870to name but a few. All very similar specifications.Visually it looks OK, I don't mind the distinctly "utilitarian" aesthetic, but as soon as you pick it up the fact that the chassis is all plastic becomes very apparent. I doubt it would take much rough treatment (fortunately I don't plan on any). The panel is "OK" - streets ahead of my old laptop and I like the matt screen (even if notquiteas good for movies); there is considerable flex though as shown in the KitGuru review and viewing angles could be better. Despite the comment in the video the case finishissomething of a fingerprint magnet.Connectivity is reasonable - 4xUSB 3, display port, HDMI, VGA (a little surprised to see that), WiFi, Bluetooth and Ethernet.One thing which did attract me to this platform is that it was very easy to find aservice manualfor the Clevo barebones which actually includes the schematics. However that must be taken against the fact that PC Specialist seem to have no support/download area on their website at all (there is a forum). Clevo have some drivers available for download but any BIOS updates are OEM partners only.Linux (Fedora 22) works but with some issues with the Nvidia driver - especially the "optimus" support, TBH, I probably won't need the dedicated GPU much in Linux; if I do run games on here it will be under Windows. The Fedora installer didn't complete properly either and left me looking at a "grub> " prompt, which is never reassuring.If I were to choose one word to describe this laptop I'm afraid it would be "bland" - there is nothing to really dislike. The spec is good for the price and competitive; but neither is it extraordinary. I am not at all unhappy at the moment but neither am I sitting here feeling terribly smug about the purchase.I might add an update once I've had it for a few weeks

author: Obin
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2015, 09:26:10 pm
content: somehow it amazes me that nobody mentioned Dell.Good stuff, good costumerservice, lasts long and pretty good for the price

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 16, 2015, 10:19:52 pm
content: I have an Dell Inspiron 1525 that i have bodged (not really, just had stuff mechanically break, and tried to fix)to keep running.My next laptop will either be a lattitude, or a precision.

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2015, 09:42:21 am
content: Quote from: Obin on August 16, 2015, 09:26:10 pmIt was definitely considered (and mentioned earlier in the thread).Yes, they are nice machines, however, the equivalent 7000 series machine is a similar price, but only dual dore and the Alienware gaming machine closest in spec (slightly better graphics) is > £1200 so significaltly more expensive.