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New laptop – call in the techies!

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  • November 20, 2014 at 4:09 pm #22758
    notfastenough

    Ok, so I’m looking at a new machine, but can’t quite decide how I think the market is looking. Since I don’t currently hang around any tech forums, I thought I’d ask you people and see what gets suggested.

    Basically, when I refer to ‘how the market is looking’, I’m wondering whether the old habit of buying the thing with the fastest processor/biggest screen etc that you can afford is still valid, or whether the shift toward mobile devices and cloud services negates that. Anyone think I should be looking at a different direction, like a big tablet with a detachable keyboard? A chromebook-type device? Or are ‘proper’ laptops with grunt still the way forward? I have a 10GB data limit on my phone which I can use as a hotspot, so a thinner client with heavy use of cloud services is a possibility, if you assume that the connection will always be there.

    I’m a freelance IT consultant, and intend to shift part of my skills/business focus towards cloud services and architecture of things like Amazon Web Services, but to avoid needing an EXTRA device for all my other requirements, I suppose I need to add things like itunes, backup of my phone, sufficient storage for a bunch of sufferfest videos and likely a couple of virtual machines or whatever, plus things like a decent number of outputs for external keyboard/mouse, HD display, etc. This is in addition to the obvious stuff like office productivity software etc.

    Aesthetics-wise, something thin, light and metal would suit. I can already hear a couple of you going “MacBook Air!”, but although we have a macbook at home, I’ve never felt quite as comfortable with it as with Windows. Maybe I’ve just never taken enough time to delve under the surface and get to know the OS. I’m undecided on this bit. Whether I should be paying £750 for a machine with an 11.6 inch screen is another question entirely! Fortunately I can offset some of the cost to the business.

    Thoughts/comments/suggestions?

    Thanks all.

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  • November 24, 2014 at 5:03 pm #821439
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    Simon E

    kide wrote:All Apple

    kide wrote:
    All Apple recommendations because Windows users just don’t care enough to comment

    I don’t think that’s true.

    I’m not an Apple fanboy, I have used every iteration of Windows since 3.1. Wife has 13″ Toshiba, mum similar 15″, colleagues and friends have laptops and are forever moaning about them. In the end OS X is far more pleasant and intuitive to use. Also IME macs are more reliable and, as your experience suggests, Apple model life is quite a bit longer.

    When my mum wanted to replace her old desktop PC the main reason we didn’t buy a mac is because she’d have to relearn her way around the OS, something she really didn’t want to do and I didn’t want to pressure her into doing. Also, I couldn’t guarantee to migrate 100% of her email history in the time available so we played safe.

    I’m not saying a Windows laptop is rubbish but given the choice…

    November 24, 2014 at 3:33 pm #821437
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    notfastenough

    @adamtaylor – I must admit
    @adamtaylor – I must admit that the skill diversity aspect is something I should embrace anyway. I have a full HD 21 inch monitor. I’m thinking I should take advantage of black Friday this week and add extra RAM and -maaaybe- the core i7 chip to an Air.

    @freespirit – nice, although I don’t fancy adding 3kg to my rucksack weight for one of the nice ones – both this and my client’s secure laptop will need to be lugged around!

    November 24, 2014 at 2:58 pm #821435
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    adamtaylor

    If you want to learn how to
    If you want to learn how to run and configure Amazon Web Services, well half of that stuff is Linux based anyway. It might even be beneficial to become comfortable with a new (Unix based) operating system.

    A Macbook Air and a separate monitor is what I’d go for.

    November 23, 2014 at 11:07 pm #821433
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    kide

    All Apple recommendations
    All Apple recommendations because Windows users just don’t care enough to comment. I got an iBook 10 years ago and it was a great machine. And it still works. But when it became too slow to use, I looked at the low end laptop market and found a deal on a Fujitsu that fulfilled my needs at about quarter of the price of the cheapest Apple offering. The high end market might be a different story. Recommending a Windows laptop brand is very hard as they all seem to have bad reputations. Based on the experiences of people I know, I would avoid Acer and HP like plaque.

    November 23, 2014 at 7:52 pm #821431
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    freespirit1

    Try having a look at these.
    Try having a look at these. You can order them without the OS and a separate DVD to install yourself.

    My stepson has the NNB13 (I think) and I must admit I am very impressed and a little bit jealous!!

    http://www.novatech.co.uk/laptop/?s=2,1

    November 22, 2014 at 11:17 pm #821429
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    notfastenough

    Ok, so it looks like a
    Ok, so it looks like a MacBook is the way forward, after doing some reading. I like how people talk about the ‘apple tax’ but an equivalent windows spec (e.g. Acer Aspire S7) is often at least as expensive. Interesting also how many here have mentioned the Mac but none have suggested anything else.

    I did think that the £150 premium between the 13″ air and the 13″ pro with retina was more than justified by the better display, faster CPU, more main memory and hardly any more weight, but after reading an in-depth comparison, I’m unsure – it seems that in reality the pro is only slighter quicker and the display is only any use if you use retina apps. I’m not into photography or graphics design, so perhaps the air is better as a business laptop with its lower weight, longer battery life and lower price.

    Thanks folks.

    November 21, 2014 at 11:18 am #821427
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    Simon E

    But yes, bigger is better.
    But yes, bigger is better. Consultants, like designers and their 27″ iMacs, need to look the part 😉

    Having used the 11″ for 3 years at work I’d choose the extra pixels of the 13″ now. Though a 13″ Macbook Pro is not much bigger or heavier… A mac can be set up to boot into Windows easily enough.

    Maybe consider bluetooth for keyboard & mouse/trackpad if you need them as the Air doesn’t have many USB ports; it’s also less fiddly than wires.

    If you’re a fan of the tablet format and features that route might suit you but I’m a bit old skool and prefer a ‘proper’ OS with access to command line tools and not having to install a new app for every little function.

    edit:
    some Macbook Air FAQs at http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook-air/macbook-air-faq/ including Air 13 v Pro 13

    November 20, 2014 at 5:08 pm #821425
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    notfastenough

    vbvb wrote:I’m intrigued that

    vbvb wrote:
    I’m intrigued that a freelance IT consultant seeks consumer tech advice on a cycling forum!

    Ha! That did occur to me, I suppose I was just thinking about it when Road.cc was in front of me and figured that there would be enough other tech-minded souls here to have a view…

    November 20, 2014 at 5:01 pm #821423
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    harrybav

    I’m intrigued that a
    I’m intrigued that a freelance IT consultant seeks consumer tech advice on a cycling forum!

    Do apple pay proper tax yet? If you get a visitor day pass for local uni library, then connect to wifi, maybe you’ll get apple education pricing, saving 15%, which you ought rightfully to donate to the treasury as a tax offering – as soon as govt renounces trident obvs! <:P

    November 20, 2014 at 4:53 pm #821421
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    darrenleroy

    I use the 11 inch MacBook Air
    I use the 11 inch MacBook Air and would recommend. It lasts for at least 10 hours a day in constant use and is reliable and solid. It’s pricey but if I get an extra year out of it in comparison to another laptop (my last Macbook lasted six years) I’ll be happy.

    November 20, 2014 at 4:38 pm #821419
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    notfastenough

    mike the bike wrote:There’s

    mike the bike wrote:
    There’s no way I’m spending £750 on an 11-inch screen. No sir, I’m forking out £850 on the 13-inch.
    Go on, you know you want to.

    I should have said that, of the Air range, it’s the 13″ that would appeal…

    November 20, 2014 at 4:20 pm #821417
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    mike the bike

    There’s no way I’m spending
    There’s no way I’m spending £750 on an 11-inch screen. No sir, I’m forking out £850 on the 13-inch.
    Go on, you know you want to.

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