Holiday laptop?
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Any suggestions of a "lightish" laptop which I intend some simple VS code programming over holiday break. Will get low useage through out the year. Screen size helpful, resolution more then physical. So many £300 laptops but 720p resolution. Been using Mac Book Pro 2011 since 2011. Getting slow. Resolution getting a bit nagging. Also considering replacing the aging tablet, so maybe kill two with one by spending on something that folds up for bed tablet viewing? thoughts?
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/tablets/convertibles/thinkpad-yoga/ThinkPad-X1-Yoga-3rd-Gen/p/22TP2TXX13Y https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-x/X395/p/22TP2TXX395
Caveat Emptor. "Progress doesn't come from early risers – progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." Lazarus Long
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Quick google, price made me skip a beat, but I think slowly rationalising replacing tablet as well, which this looks like if folds nice.
I had the same reaction to the list price, fortunately I snagged it during a sale which made it much more reasonable. It does fold well and stays in whatever spot I select, be it laptop, tablet, or A frame for display. There is a slight gap due to the chassis shape when you go full tablet mode. Never had a problem though since it seems to handle being fully folded just fine and the gap comes back after you release any pressure.
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I'm running a 13" HP Spectre x360 for exactly what you described, currently about a year old. It was light to travel internationally with and I've had no problems coding on it. I even use it in tablet mode with a stylus for taking notes in meetings since my recall is better with handwritten notes and then I don't have to retype them afterwards for storage! Does most everything I need it to without complaining. Only problem I've found is that it doesn't handle newer games all that well due to the Intel video card. Guessing if I picked up an eGPU and ran it through that I'd see much better results though.
My main complaint with mine is the 'feel' of the keyboard when using it as a tablet. just feels odd in my hands, even though the keyboard is inactive, I dislike the feel of the keys in table mode.
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, navigate a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects! - Lazarus Long
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My main complaint with mine is the 'feel' of the keyboard when using it as a tablet. just feels odd in my hands, even though the keyboard is inactive, I dislike the feel of the keys in table mode.
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, navigate a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects! - Lazarus Long
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Any suggestions of a "lightish" laptop which I intend some simple VS code programming over holiday break. Will get low useage through out the year. Screen size helpful, resolution more then physical. So many £300 laptops but 720p resolution. Been using Mac Book Pro 2011 since 2011. Getting slow. Resolution getting a bit nagging. Also considering replacing the aging tablet, so maybe kill two with one by spending on something that folds up for bed tablet viewing? thoughts?
Raspberry Pi 4 4gb. you can get a desktop kit for $120, and just add a monitor.
".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
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You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
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When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013 -
Any suggestions of a "lightish" laptop which I intend some simple VS code programming over holiday break. Will get low useage through out the year. Screen size helpful, resolution more then physical. So many £300 laptops but 720p resolution. Been using Mac Book Pro 2011 since 2011. Getting slow. Resolution getting a bit nagging. Also considering replacing the aging tablet, so maybe kill two with one by spending on something that folds up for bed tablet viewing? thoughts?
I would like to add my Samsung Galaxy Book 10 to the list of suggestions. OK it has a chiclet keyboard but it's not too bad, the screen (2K) is amazing and the sound is too. I have added a fast 64 GB microSD card to have a bit more storage. The charger is no bigger than my phone charger so it's easy to pack & tote.
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I'm running a 13" HP Spectre x360 for exactly what you described, currently about a year old. It was light to travel internationally with and I've had no problems coding on it. I even use it in tablet mode with a stylus for taking notes in meetings since my recall is better with handwritten notes and then I don't have to retype them afterwards for storage! Does most everything I need it to without complaining. Only problem I've found is that it doesn't handle newer games all that well due to the Intel video card. Guessing if I picked up an eGPU and ran it through that I'd see much better results though.
OT. How was Copenhagen?
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
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Any suggestions of a "lightish" laptop which I intend some simple VS code programming over holiday break. Will get low useage through out the year. Screen size helpful, resolution more then physical. So many £300 laptops but 720p resolution. Been using Mac Book Pro 2011 since 2011. Getting slow. Resolution getting a bit nagging. Also considering replacing the aging tablet, so maybe kill two with one by spending on something that folds up for bed tablet viewing? thoughts?
I have Asus Aspire switch 10 and it's OK. I have installed VS code and runs smoothly.
Behzad
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Any suggestions of a "lightish" laptop which I intend some simple VS code programming over holiday break. Will get low useage through out the year. Screen size helpful, resolution more then physical. So many £300 laptops but 720p resolution. Been using Mac Book Pro 2011 since 2011. Getting slow. Resolution getting a bit nagging. Also considering replacing the aging tablet, so maybe kill two with one by spending on something that folds up for bed tablet viewing? thoughts?
If you don't need Windows, a Chromebook might be an option, they are light and cheap: chromebooks-for-general-use-around-300[^] There is a version of VS Code for Chromebooks: Visual Studio Code for Chromebooks and Raspberry Pi[^] Newer Chromebooks can also run Linux apps, more information here: Should You Run Linux Apps on Your Chromebook? | Best of ECT News | LinuxInsider[^]
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Any suggestions of a "lightish" laptop which I intend some simple VS code programming over holiday break. Will get low useage through out the year. Screen size helpful, resolution more then physical. So many £300 laptops but 720p resolution. Been using Mac Book Pro 2011 since 2011. Getting slow. Resolution getting a bit nagging. Also considering replacing the aging tablet, so maybe kill two with one by spending on something that folds up for bed tablet viewing? thoughts?
Holiday laptop???????? :suss: Holiday is for relaxing, recharging your battery. Take a good book. (or a tablet with a number of books and some games) I stay away from computers or other technology during my holiday :zzz:
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maze3 wrote:
Been using Mac Book Pro 2011 since 2011. Getting slow.
Save yourself some money on a new laptop and just wipe/reinstall the OS on the one you have. CPUs don't get any slower over time; it's useless background tasks that accumulate over time. If it was fast enough back in 2011, there's no reason for it to be any slower today - unless you're also now running more demanding software?
True, the CPU doesn't run any slower, but in the last 8 years software has gotten bulkier and bloated, from the OS on -- developers "taking advantage" of faster hardware and larger storage. If Maze3 was running software from 2011-2013, the laptop is probably fine. That said, I agree with doing a clean install on an SSD, which will remove a lot of evils that have developed over time. Re-install only the needed applications. Periodically I run a start-up manager (on Windows) which identifies the startup processes -- it's scary what gets installed in only 3 months. I remove things I don't need, which helps a lot. Granted, nothing may help the laptop become fit for the intended purpose, but it will probably be more than sufficient as a web browser/email machine.
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:doh: Thanks, I think I swapped in an SSD, but just ported partition data over some time ago. No clean install. The Windows dual boot didnt port, so slowly giving up on the laptop. Fans spin hot alot, boot time is in the minutes which I blame the last OS upgrade (not mojove - unsupported) I will try giving a round of TLC to see where I can get.
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If you don't need Windows, a Chromebook might be an option, they are light and cheap: chromebooks-for-general-use-around-300[^] There is a version of VS Code for Chromebooks: Visual Studio Code for Chromebooks and Raspberry Pi[^] Newer Chromebooks can also run Linux apps, more information here: Should You Run Linux Apps on Your Chromebook? | Best of ECT News | LinuxInsider[^]
Your response triggered a question I have had percolating (semi related : Percolatin' Blues) in the back of my mind for a while: don't Chromebooks need a constant network connection to get anything done? I could live with that at home, but what about on the road, plane, car or what have you?
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, navigate a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects! - Lazarus Long
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If the fans are spinning a lot, it might be the temp sensor on the HDD/SSD. Make sure it's connected correctly.
After 8 years, it's also likely there's a lot of dust that has accumulated inside. Time to take a good ol' fashioned air compressor. (I'm not talking about those puny pressurized air cans - my dad's a mechanic and I've used the commercial air compressor in his garage countless times over the decades. Despite all warnings, I've never had a problem. Of course, I'm not being a dumbass and letting it spin the fans at a billion RPM...)
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Your response triggered a question I have had percolating (semi related : Percolatin' Blues) in the back of my mind for a while: don't Chromebooks need a constant network connection to get anything done? I could live with that at home, but what about on the road, plane, car or what have you?
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, navigate a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects! - Lazarus Long
My wife has an Acer chromebook 11-cb311 which till now she has not used offline, but newer Chromebooks like this can be used offline as well. More info here: Can you use a Chromebook offline? | Android Central[^]
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True, the CPU doesn't run any slower, but in the last 8 years software has gotten bulkier and bloated, from the OS on -- developers "taking advantage" of faster hardware and larger storage. If Maze3 was running software from 2011-2013, the laptop is probably fine. That said, I agree with doing a clean install on an SSD, which will remove a lot of evils that have developed over time. Re-install only the needed applications. Periodically I run a start-up manager (on Windows) which identifies the startup processes -- it's scary what gets installed in only 3 months. I remove things I don't need, which helps a lot. Granted, nothing may help the laptop become fit for the intended purpose, but it will probably be more than sufficient as a web browser/email machine.
BryanFazekas wrote:
True, the CPU doesn't run any slower, but in the last 8 years software has gotten bulkier and bloated, from the OS on
How true. It used to be that a system with 2GB of RAM was fine for "just email and browsing the web" and you could recommend one of those to grandma. These days, for grandma, "browsing the web" means Facebook, and with its infinite scrolling (where more and more crap on a page gets loaded without ever letting go), it's basically unusable. Facebook is horrible and should die in a fire for many, many reasons, but even from a page design perspective, it's simply appalling because it'll make one of those machines crawl for minutes on end.
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Any suggestions of a "lightish" laptop which I intend some simple VS code programming over holiday break. Will get low useage through out the year. Screen size helpful, resolution more then physical. So many £300 laptops but 720p resolution. Been using Mac Book Pro 2011 since 2011. Getting slow. Resolution getting a bit nagging. Also considering replacing the aging tablet, so maybe kill two with one by spending on something that folds up for bed tablet viewing? thoughts?
I am using a Samsung Notebook 9. Not the note the Notebook. They come in 2 flavors and work as a tablet with a stylus or an actual laptop. Battery life is decent and doesn't cost the x360 price. though it is still spendy. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-notebook-9-pro-2-in-1-13-3-touch-screen-laptop-intel-core-i7-8gb-memory-256gb-solid-state-drive-platinum-titan/6332955.p?skuId=6332955 clicikity above for the 13" model. There is a bigger one as well. I like it
To err is human to really mess up you need a computer
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OT. How was Copenhagen?
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
It was a blast! It rained most of Thursday so didn't venture too far from the hotel but Friday was mostly clear skies and sunny so I more than made up for it. Friend of mine who lives there recommended visiting Nyhavn, Christiana, and Tivoli so I did all three! Getting back to Stockholm was an adventure, I didn't realize that my train left from a different station and the local ticket machines wouldn't accept any of my cards. Made it with about 5 minutes to spare.
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Any suggestions of a "lightish" laptop which I intend some simple VS code programming over holiday break. Will get low useage through out the year. Screen size helpful, resolution more then physical. So many £300 laptops but 720p resolution. Been using Mac Book Pro 2011 since 2011. Getting slow. Resolution getting a bit nagging. Also considering replacing the aging tablet, so maybe kill two with one by spending on something that folds up for bed tablet viewing? thoughts?
I use a Microsoft Surface Pro for my bring everywhere with me computer. It is so light I hardly know I'm carrying it. And the display is wonderful! They have a pretty wide range of models so you should be able to find the balance between speed, storage and and cost you like. If you do get one with low storage to save money, you can expand the storage with a micro-SD card. It will of course fulfill your tablet use, simply tear off the keyboard, or fold it behind (you do have pay extra for the keyboard and pen though).
