Post: #1

So I looked around, and it seems all the dorks doing the reviews at cnet.com and other sites mainly want to use their laptops for gaming and fapping.

Has anyone bought a sleek laptop that could run MS Office and other software (no games) without trouble, start up fast AND have a long battery-life (+7 hours)?

All advice appreciated!

Post: #2

I think an Ultrabook might be for you then. The lower end models that can still run standard office stuff (but not modern games) aren't that expensive, but they have all the qualities that you desire. I've never bought an Ultrabook, so someone else will have to chime in though.

Post: #3

If you just need something to run office, an eeePC might be what you're after. They can be had for a couple $100 and will perform any basic tasks you need.

They also run pretty much forever

Post: #4

HP envy sleekbook. 4 hour battery life on a big screen. Very thin. Starts up very quick.


What size screen are you looking for?

Post: #5

Duplicate of post below.

Post: #6

http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-IdeaPad-11-.../B009AEPIP
10-11 hours of battery life.
It'll be good for text editing, watching movies, browsing the web, etc.
Not ideal for heavy use though.

If you want more power: check this other ideapad yoga out(it is above your budget however):
http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-13-3-Inch-C...B00ATANVLG

Laptops with the new Haswell CPU from Intel are coming out around this time.
They will have more power than Yoga, but usually a little less battery life. They are refreshing Yogas but not till November.

This is a good option if you don't care for screen resolution(It's the latest Haswell CPU):
http://www.amazon.com/Ultrabook-S400CA-D...B00COQXXPC

Good laptop, but it's not Haswell. Does have 1080p resolution though. I linked it though because they're coming out with a Haswell version very soon.
http://www.amazon.com/UX31A-DH51-13-3-In...B009AEYDZA

Powerful Haswell at your budget:
http://www.amazon.com/HP-ENVY-17-j020us-...B00CXFHB2U


My final recommendation if you can't wait and you want something that has balanced power, battery, res, etc. is to get this:
http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-IdeaPad-Y41...00D74HEEG/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you can though, I'd hold off at least 1 more month and just keep searching for Haswell deals.
You're bound to find something good.

Post: #7

As Architekt says, the eee pc could perform the basics for a very cheap price. I looked around for a similar model and the best fit that I found was the Lenovo E145. Long battery life, 11 inch screen. No need to pay for MS Office, just get LibreOffice.

http://shop.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/thi...ries/e145/

Post: #8

I'm in the market for an ultrabook, but am waiting until the Haswell processors come standard across the board, and more offer 8G of RAM. A Cnet article said 13" screen was the minimum size for everyday computing. That's a good starting point. I'd prefer a 14" or around, as I don't need a 15" or higher from not watching movies or playing games. Asus and Samsung have some good models out right now, but I have a couple of months to keep looking. Whatever you do stay away from Dell, HP, Acer, and Sony.

Post: #9

Why would you say stay away from Dell and HP. I've never had bad experiences with either. In fact, the laptop I'm on right now is a Dell. Had it 4 years with zero problems.

Post: #10

The only thing keeping Dell alive is guvmint contracts and their credit program. HP is shit quality and there are better options, like Toshiba (meh), Asus, and Samsung. I'm not sure about Lenovo, but NY Digital can chime in on it.

Whatever you don't buy anything from Walmart or other discount stores. The quality of product is sub standard. Tiger Direct has some deep discounts on Samsung right now. Like $450 off some models.

My price range will top out a $1200, and plan on keeping it for at least 3 years. That's why I'm looking at least for a i7 processor and 8G of RAM. A 256G SSD is more than I'll ever need, and those are becoming pretty standard on ultrabooks.

Post: #11

Buy a used Mac for 800 even if it's 5 years old. Your new windows laptop will come with a virus (windows) and anti- virus which is another virus within itself. You'll haave to wipe the windows 8 virus off and load in the other virus windows 7 as 8 was designed to be partially touch screen but if that's what you want get an ipad.

Post: #12

Asus, Lenovo, Acer, and Toshiba are all good brands. Not sure about Dell but don't get an HP.

Post: #13

(09-09-2013 10:34 AM)el mechanico Wrote:  Buy a used Mac for 800 even if it's 5 years old. Your new windows laptop will come with a virus (windows) and anti- virus which is another virus within itself. You'll haave to wipe the windows 8 virus off and load in the other virus windows 7 as 8 was designed to be partially touch screen but if that's what you want get an ipad.

Get off this thread Mac fanboy! Windoze 8 is fucked up. 7 is solid. Why people want a touchscreen laptop is beyond me anyway. Tablets are cheap now and great when traveling a lot. Ipads are gay.

(09-09-2013 10:38 AM)NY Digital Wrote:  Asus, Lenovo, Acer, and Toshiba are all good brands. Not sure about Dell but don't get an HP.

Acer used to suck real bad, unless their quality went up the last couple of years. Asus has a really good international warranty.

http://support.asus.com/warranty.aspx?SL...rbToBTBO0X

That's gold for those traveling.

Post: #14

Battery life is a hard spec to acquire, as it comes at the expense of computing power (and if the battery is big enough, portability). I've bought laptops that say 6 to 8 hours of battery life and after a month or so of using them it's impossible to get more than two to four hours of untethered usage. Be prepared for some disappointment.

Post: #15

I had a Lenovo E325, I think it was, and loved it. Sturdy, sleek and reliable.

I am only using this computer for work and correspondence - the heaviest duty work I'd do would be Econometrics.

Thanks for the tips, gents.

I'd definitely prefer a 13-14'' screen. 11 is too little for work.

Post: #16

The laptop doesn't matter at all. What you are after is and SSD drive. These things will make any laptop boot in 10 seconds or less. You could fill it with the worst spyware and it would still scream.

SSD or else.

Post: #17

A Chromebook might suffice if you only need to do office related tasks, not creative or heavy work:

http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/

Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.

Napoleon Hill

Post: #18

ElJefe,
if your budget is 800$, then add an extra 200 bucks and you'd get the best machine in the biz, a Macbook Air. Nothing out there can match let alone compare to it in every aspect. If you need more power, get a Macbook Pro. Either way, you won't beat that and will be very happy with the choice.

Post: #19

(09-09-2013 07:11 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  ElJefe,
if your budget is 800$, then add an extra 200 bucks and you'd get the best machine in the biz, a Macbook Air. Nothing out there can match let alone compare to it in every aspect. If you need more power, get a Macbook Pro. Either way, you won't beat that and will be very happy with the choice.

Serious question: what does the Mac bring to the table in this situation? I understand that Macs make sense for people in certain fields like graphic design or video production or even if you're just absolutely in love with the Apple OS. However, if someone is just looking for a machine to run Office and some statistical software, what's the appeal of paying over a 25 to 40% premium?

Post: #20

Macs are attractive, yes... but my USD800 is in the high end, and like j r says, why bother with it if I'm already comfortable with and use Office regularly?

So...

13-15'' screen
Solid performance with MS Office and other non-gaming software
Long battery-life
Light-weight

Seems like it's going to be ASUS. But additional ideas happily accepted!

Post: #21

I'm actually considering a Mac, so I'm curious to hear the case. Right now, I'm riding out my $250 ASUS netbook that I bought over 3 years ago. I didn't expect it to last this long, so I'm wondering where I should go next.

Post: #22

(09-09-2013 09:39 PM)ElJefe Wrote:  Macs are attractive, yes... but my USD800 is in the high end, and like j r says, why bother with it if I'm already comfortable with and use Office regularly?

So...

13-15'' screen
Solid performance with MS Office and other non-gaming software
Long battery-life
Light-weight

Seems like it's going to be ASUS. But additional ideas happily accepted!

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400007,00.asp

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptop-buying-guide/


At this point spend a little time at retailers playing around with some different models. Don't forget to look around for "thin and light". Not much difference but cheaper. Getting a hands on is important, as you have an idea but something will stand out.

Post: #23

I have a Lenovo G580 that I bought for $500 a few months ago. It has a 500GB HD, Intel core I5 2.6gh cpu, and 8 gigs of RAM which is more than enough to run any program you can think of. Honestly, all you really need is something with a dual core CPU & 4 GB ram, which can be found for $300-$400USD

Post: #24

I'm going to once again state that the major factor in how "fast" a pc or mac will be in that it has an SSD drive.

Processing is at a point where for the average user you can't tell the difference, but traditional hardrives are a huge bottleneck in laptops.

For those that are more visual you can watch 2 identical laptops boot with only the type of hard disk changed.

The SSD boots in 11 seconds. 11 god damn seconds. See for yourself.

Post: #25

Question for you experts. I'm in the same boat as the OP. I will use Office most of the time, browse the internet and occasionally watch tv shows or movies. I really like that Yoga from IBM, and can wait for the new one. If I'm ok spending 1200 on a laptop, should I just get that one? It looks pretty cool, can replace the tablet, and is supposed to be super light and thin with Haswell (whatever the hell that is) and good battery life.

Thoughts?