Biggest gripes with laptops

[ZetZet]

Newer one can have IPS especially ultrabooks. Get one without a DVD drive then? Many of them don't have them. There is also a good number that have BD drives if that's what your looking for.

Oh yeah I know there are laptops with ips panels and there are ones without dvd drives. But I want it to become the mainstream thing.

[Clyne]

Then you bought the wrong laptop.

It was the perfect one to buy, i said SOMETIMES it's too heavy or to big to carry around, not always.

[TheProfosist]

1: Few manufacturer websites allow you to customize your own laptop.

2: Most come with hard drives

3: I prefer to have solid buttons to click on the trackpad but it seems they are going away from that.

4: Battery life sucks

5: The ones that perform well generally weigh a ton and cost a ton

6: I hate touch screens. I'd be more willing to try windows 8 if most new laptops didn't have a touch screen. Yes, I know i don't have to use it but just don't like it.

I think you should really look into a enterprise laptop as it would solve nearly all of that.

They don't have mechanical switches.

They generally don't last as long.

They cost too damn much.

Mechanical switches are impossible with the form factor. There are a few brands like think pad that have amazing scissor switches though. Speaking of a think pad that'll solve your durability issue. All the laptops that I've bought and fit my needs have lasted me the 3-5years I expect them to if not longer when I sell them off. As for price the entry price has gone done since the P4 days but the price of a good one really hasn't much.

[D2ultima]

My gripes with laptops:

- Can't get a 120Hz 1ms screen for them.

- Broadwell mobile chips are going to be integrated, meaning I can't swap for them. Which is silly.

- People don't understand how strong good laptops actually are.

 

I'm soooo resisting the urge to counter half the points in this thread hngg 

 

edit: And @TheProfosist took care of lots of points =D

 

Anyway, the last one I'll clear is to the guy who said $600 laptops suck for gaming.

 

Guess what? So do $600 desktops if you need to buy:
- 1080p monitor

- Keyboard

- mouse

- speakers

- UPS device (battery in laptops)

- Wifi card

- Bluetooth device (usually)

- DVD drive ($20 may be a lot in a $600 PC, no? =D)

- Webcam (usually)

- Mic (usually)

 

Low end laptops are sucky because the rest of the hardware must exist and there's only so much one can compromise. Laptops' good hardware starts more around the $1000 mark or so; give or take maybe $200. And if you got all the above in desktops, they'd start at a far higher price point too =D.

[legend8887]

Thermal throttling.

[rashdanml]

- Can't get a 120Hz 1ms screen for them.

- Broadwell mobile chips are going to be integrated, meaning I can't swap for them. Which is silly.

- People don't understand how strong good laptops actually are.

1) Would be pointless except for gaming laptops, but a) even those can't run games at 120fps to fully take advantage of the refresh rates and b) they're a niche product. 

2) Mobile CPUs are already soldered on, and for all intents and purposes, integrated; the only way to "upgrade them" would be to get the manufacturer to build it to order. The silly thing would be Broadwell chips being integrated into motherboards for desktop computers, but that doesn't change the situation for laptops. 

3) Depends on the price you're willing to pay. Business-grade laptops are really the only worthwhile laptops for me, as I don't see the point of gaming laptops. Power and mobility don't belong together, as the very definition of mobility is the opposite.

[D2ultima]

1) Would be pointless except for gaming laptops, but a) even those can't run games at 120fps to fully take advantage of the refresh rates and B) they're a niche product. 

2) Mobile CPUs are already soldered on, and for all intents and purposes, integrated; the only way to "upgrade them" would be to get the manufacturer to build it to order. The silly thing would be Broadwell chips being integrated into motherboards for desktop computers, but that doesn't change the situation for laptops. 

3) Depends on the price you're willing to pay. Business-grade laptops are really the only worthwhile laptops for me, as I don't see the point of gaming laptops. Power and mobility don't belong together, as the very definition of mobility is the opposite.

1 - I have a 120Hz screen AND my computer can run just about any game at 120FPS at 1080p. It's a niche market, but you'll be surprised at the amount of people that'll buy it. There's quite a few machines that can get 120fps in a lot of games out there, from many different manufacturers.

2 - Mobile CPUs are NOT soldered unless very low-end. I can lift out my CPU and put in a 4930MX right this minute if I felt like it, without any problems. Broadwell would be integrating the high-end i5s and i7s, which would be very stupid.

3 - It does depend, but I've had someone argue down that my computer could only game at 720p, and another tell me mobile i7 chips couldn't touch desktop i7 (not hexacore) chips. Both very wrong.

[vt3c]

What are some of your biggest gripes with laptop design? I'll start with mine:

1. Cooling usually sucks, with small fans and even smaller heatsinks

2. Going off of number 1, the intake vents are usually on the bottom where they will be blocked by a poorly positioned leg or when the laptop is used on a bed/

3. The speakers, the sound quality and volume are almost always terrible. 

 

What are yours? 

I can deal with all 3. 

1+2. Use it on a desk and use low CPU frequency settings using Power4Gear (given you have an Asus)

3. Headphones and a mini iHome speaker for $15

But my biggest gripe is the integrated graphics. I had an Asus U56E-BBL5 and that thing was beautiful. Ran great, never crashed. Never overheated and was rock solid stable. But the CPU... was completely ruined by a lacking GPU. 

The HD 3000 included on the i5 2410m (which is a REALLY GOOD processor) is so weak I can't even play tf2 on medium at 720p. CPU usage is sitting at less than 10% too. But if I asked it to do anything CPU intensive like opening hundreds of tabs and streaming a 1080p HD video, it did it instantly.

GPU just sucked.  

[elecxonica]

They're designed for consumers. No ethernet, no firewire, next to no expandability just so that John or Jane Smith can have a laptop that's about 5 MM skinnier.

 

And then on top of that they add another $100 just so that John or Jane can wipe there finger around on the display. 

 

So, if I want a decent machine for my workloads then I need to pay significantly more for a useless touchscreen and then even more because I can't put more ram in it myself.

[rashdanml]

1 - I have a 120Hz screen AND my computer can run just about any game at 120FPS at 1080p. It's a niche market, but you'll be surprised at the amount of people that'll buy it. There's quite a few machines that can get 120fps in a lot of games out there, from many different manufacturers.

2 - Mobile CPUs are NOT soldered unless very low-end. I can lift out my CPU and put in a 4930MX right this minute if I felt like it, without any problems. Broadwell would be integrating the high-end i5s and i7s, which would be very stupid.

3 - It does depend, but I've had someone argue down that my computer could only game at 720p, and another tell me mobile i7 chips couldn't touch desktop i7 (not hexacore) chips. Both very wrong.

1) Actually, yours is a niche item within an already niche market. At 10lbs, I would cease to consider it a laptop, and at that starting price, a desktop would be preferable. 

2) Mobile CPUs are soldered on for most of the CPUs. Very few laptops actually have high end parts like yours. 

3) Again, yours is an extremely niche item, so it will hold up to a desktop i7. However, if you were to compare say the i7 4770K to its mobile equivalent in numbering, then you'd be able to see the difference in performance. It matters which particular CPUs you're comparing, as you can easily compare the highest end mobile i7 to a lower end desktop i7. 

[D2ultima]

1) Actually, yours is a niche item within an already niche market. At 10lbs, I would cease to consider it a laptop, and at that starting price, a desktop would be preferable. 

2) Mobile CPUs are soldered on for most of the CPUs. Very few laptops actually have high end parts like yours. 

3) Again, yours is an extremely niche item, so it will hold up to a desktop i7. However, if you were to compare say the i7 4770K to its mobile equivalent in numbering, then you'd be able to see the difference in performance. It matters which particular CPUs you're comparing, as you can easily compare the highest end mobile i7 to a lower end desktop i7. 

The highest end mobile i7 would actually beat an i7-4770K due to extra clock speed if I remember correctly.

 

And as much as my stuff is niche, there are lots of customers. You should see Notebookreview's forums. More people than you think buy and use them.

 

As for the 10lbs, mine is actually a bit less . But either way, I can toss it in my backpack and go to class or a gig or whatever. It's perfectly fine and doesn't weigh as much as one would think, I can promise that.

[D2ultima]

They're designed for consumers. No ethernet, no firewire, next to no expandability just so that John or Jane Smith can have a laptop that's about 5 MM skinnier.

 

And then on top of that they add another $100 just so that John or Jane can wipe there finger around on the display. 

 

So, if I want a decent machine for my workloads then I need to pay significantly more for a useless touchscreen and then even more because I can't put more ram in it myself.

You are looking at the WRONGGGGGGG laptops, bro. WRONG. Definitely 150% wrong.

[elecxonica]

You are looking at the WRONGGGGGGG laptops, bro. WRONG. Definitely 150% wrong.

If you know of any good laptops with windows and at the very least Ethernet, feel free to let me know.

[D2ultima]

If you know of any good laptops with windows and at the very least Ethernet, feel free to let me know.

Price range and intended use?

[elecxonica]

Price range and intended use?

$1000 and super light gaming, note taking in class, web browsing etc. Also, Firwire isn't required (that would make this next to impossible)

[D2ultima]

$1000 and super light gaming, note taking in class, web browsing etc. Also, Firwire isn't required (that would make this next to impossible)

super... light... gaming? Okay. And 15.6" I suppose then?

 

And do you need Windows pre-installed?

[elecxonica]

super... light... gaming? Okay. And 15.6" I suppose then?

 

And do you need Windows pre-installed?

yeah super light. I ahve a PC for gaming. and 15.6 is the best size, so yeah. Windows pre-installed is preferable, but not necessary.

[TheProfosist]

Oh yeah I know there are laptops with ips panels and there are ones without dvd drives. But I want it to become the mainstream thing.

IPS panels wont happen. I mean most laptop's are still 1366x768... DVD drives should happen soon its already started to happen. I do like mine though as bought the adapter to pop another HDD in which I later swapped for a SSD.

It was the perfect one to buy, i said SOMETIMES it's too heavy or to big to carry around, not always.

Depending on how ofter the sometimes is it may be too much for me.

My gripes with laptops:

- Can't get a 120Hz 1ms screen for them.

- Broadwell mobile chips are going to be integrated, meaning I can't swap for them. Which is silly.

- People don't understand how strong good laptops actually are.

 

I'm soooo resisting the urge to counter half the points in this thread hngg

There are some 120hz laptop screens but I dont know their response rate but you dont need lower than ~8ms in reality.

Thermal throttling.

Well designed laptops dont have that issue...

-snip- 

3) Depends on the price you're willing to pay. Business-grade laptops are really the only worthwhile laptops for me, as I don't see the point of gaming laptops. Power and mobility don't belong together, as the very definition of mobility is the opposite.

I agree with this very much so.

If you know of any good laptops with windows and at the very least Ethernet, feel free to let me know.

So it just has to have windows and a ethernet port? If so there are plenty to choose from.

[D2ultima]

There are some 120hz laptop screens but I dont know their response rate but you dont need lower than ~8ms in reality.

I own one. It's 10ms. I would at least like a 5ms one.

[TheProfosist]

$1000 and super light gaming, note taking in class, web browsing etc. Also, Firwire isn't required (that would make this next to impossible)

Lenovo ThinkPad L440 maybe T440?

[TheProfosist]

I own one. It's 10ms. I would at least like a 5ms one.

if it 10ms 120hz doesnt like work 1sec = 1000ms/120hz = ~8ms per refresh/frame

[D2ultima]

yeah super light. I ahve a PC for gaming. and 15.6 is the best size, so yeah. Windows pre-installed is preferable, but not necessary.

http://www.xoticpc.com/sager-np7358-clevo-w350ss-eta-july-p-6991.html?wconfigure=yes

 

Select the back 2 school special for free wifi upgrade to 7260ac (also choose 7260ac lower down)

Scroll till you see thermal compound; set to IC diamond

scroll till you see primary hard drive; set to free 1TB 7200RPM upgrade

scroll till you see wifi card and set the second 7260ac here.

 

$1002 USD + free shipping to USA if paying with a wire transfer or uhh... e-cheque? I can't remember the second way. Otherwise $1034. Has ethernet port, can play BF4 on medium @ 1080p at the least, has 4 USB ports. Enjoy =D.

[rashdanml]

The highest end mobile i7 would actually beat an i7-4770K due to extra clock speed if I remember correctly.

 

And as much as my stuff is niche, there are lots of customers. You should see Notebookreview's forums. More people than you think buy and use them.

 

As for the 10lbs, mine is actually a bit less . But either way, I can toss it in my backpack and go to class or a gig or whatever. It's perfectly fine and doesn't weigh as much as one would think, I can promise that.

The very definition of niche is that while their may be a "lot" of customers in terms of numbers, relative to the entire laptop market, they're the minority (say, 1-5% or less). Much like custom-built gaming rigs being a minority in the desktop market, even with say 10 million PC gamers (the actual number should be a lot higher, but not all of them are guaranteed to be custom-built). 

It might be less than 10lbs, but either way, it defeats the purpose of "mobility". Lugging around even a 5lb laptop can get pretty tiresome. 

[D2ultima]

It might be less than 10lbs, but either way, it defeats the purpose of "mobility". Lugging around even a 5lb laptop can get pretty tiresome. 

Then there we must agree to disagree. While I DO believe high end laptops aren't for everyone, I will stand by the fact that if you can't toss a 5 pound laptop in a backpack and go about your day, you shouldn't be using a laptop at all. It's not like you have 20 pounds attached to your back or something; THAT I could understand being a serious pain for people.

[rashdanml]

Then there we must agree to disagree. While I DO believe high end laptops aren't for everyone, I will stand by the fact that if you can't toss a 5 pound laptop in a backpack and go about your day, you shouldn't be using a laptop at all. It's not like you have 20 pounds attached to your back or something; THAT I could understand being a serious pain for people.

It is a problem for students, as a laptop isn't the only thing in a backpack. Add a textbook, and it'll start to cause serious discomfort. Add a couple of notebooks and any extra things you may need during the day and you can easily push 20lbs on your shoulders - which will be painful after a couple of hours. If a 5lb laptop was the ONLY thing in a backpack, then I would agree, but that's rarely the case. 

I've carried around a 5lb laptop by hand when I didn't have time to put it into my backpack. 15-20 minutes of that started to hurt, even for someone like me with decent arm/upper body strength. 

 

"Desktop replacement laptops" aren't made for mobility. Frankly, it's appalling that they're even called laptops. Yours is supposedly 9.26lbs, which is pretty hefty for lugging around in a backpack. 

 

Laptops are meant for mobility. Anything above 4lbs starts to limit a laptop's mobility, and anything over 7lbs is just silly. 

Laptops with good hardware can be built for around 3lbs. They're not the highest end mobile chips, but even a power user won't need the performance of an enthusiast chip. The mainstream/performance chips are adequate for majority of laptop users from consumers to power users. Gamers and enthusiasts are niche markets, and that's a fact despite there being "lots of them".