I am a college student and was planning on buying a new 2 in 1 laptop and I wanted some honest advice and opinion from Jow Forums. There are probably better places to ask this but I'm most comfortable in 4 chan, so here I am.
What I will be mainly doing with it: 1) Lab reports from 1000 to 3000 words on a weekly basis (a lot of typing). 2) Taking plenty of notes in lectures and normal notes outside (handwritten). 3) Commuting a lot with it, so a fair bit of usage on a bus (mainly reading and little typing, unless last-minute assignment). 4) No editing or anything and only moderate specialist application usage (mainly Chem Draw if people know what that is) 5) Go for a full day of normal college usage without having to worry about charging. 6) Longevity, won't be buying a new computer for next 3-4 years minimum! So even be able to use it after college.
There are a lot of option out there and have done a fair bit of research but I am not computer expert or rich. So these are the options that I think make sense to me: 1) Eve V (i5, 8 GB, 128 GB) (1100 euro) (wireless keyboard it VERY enticing!) 2) Surface Pro (same spec BUT only if I can get the whole bundle on a student deal, under 1000 euro) 3) Acer Alpha Switch 12
That's about all I think are good options for me but I don't know much.
My budget was in the 800 euro but after hearing about Eve V I decided to push it to 1100 MAX! So I was wondering if you lot have any better recommendations for me or will it be better for me to consider a convertible 2 in 1 than a hybrid? If so what would be a good one (I have googled a bit but there are so many, it just confuses me!)
Extra questions: 1) Anyone using a hybrid or convertible and find any hidden issues with them that you don't think about normally? Like difficulty of using a hybrid to type on your lap? Something like that? 2) Does the pen wear out after a while or even the keyboard that you might have to replace it?
Where do I post this in then? Or where would be a good forum I can ask in?
Nathaniel Young
install gentoo
Benjamin Phillips
You are way too demanding. Surface pro is a overheating machine. Acer is, has always been, and will always be shit Eve V is a meme
Basically these 2 in 1 are small stuff that can be handy (I have a Thinkpad 10) but if you need a real computer, get a used laptop (pro series) for 250€ max and use it as long as it'll last.
Isaiah Nguyen
Get lg gram, it has insane battery life. Or just pick up a thinkpad and buy an extra battery
Matthew Reyes
Your laptop alone costs more than my first car. A $150 Chromebook with pen and paper can do all that except the meme 2 in 1 bullshit.
Bentley Harris
What do you mean by Eve V is a meme?
Levi Jackson
I get that but I have tried just doing normal notes in lectures but then coming back to them to study it makes no sense to me trying to compare it back to the lectures so I want to to try and do the notes on the lecture slides themselves (I know I could print out the notes but I just lose them and it just becomes a mess). I am in a chemistry/biology degree and there is a lot of diagrams and figures that I will have to label and edit. So it just seemed really practical to get a 2 in 1. Believe me, I don't want to be spending this kind of money at my stage!
Liam Bennett
>1) Lab reports from 1000 to 3000 words on a weekly basis (a lot of typing). buy an external keyboard then
Chase James
You say you're a poor college student so here's my advice; don't do the stereotypical dumb college kid thing and put yourself deeper in debt with shit you don't need.
You seriously are contemplating a fancy $1500 niche machine for note taking and a specialist chemistry software suite that in all likelihood doesn't require high end specs? Acer makes a Spin 3 and Spin 5 that both convert into tablets and accept Wacom pen input, some models have a GeForce 940M, and none is more expensive than like 700eurobux. Even if it breaks in 2 years you're still ahead.
Lol OP bankrupt, his family on suicide watch. Why do we have to deal with dumb american college students here. What does he want to do, create psychedelics for NASA lmao
Nolan Adams
You might want to deal with your reading comprehension skills first before you complain, I doubt American students list prices in Euros
Thomas Sullivan
Ok Spin 5 seems pretty good! I can get it here for around 700 euro.
I was wondering how good it would be using a stylus?
Thank you for the advice.
Julian Morris
>2-in-1 why?
Leo Harris
It just seemed like it would be pretty useful in my case. I want to have a decent machine to take notes on with a stylus.
Alexander Moore
I have the model previous to the Spin 5,the R5 14. I know one of the improvements they touted over the previous models was better pen input as they wanted to make it more appealing for graphic designers.
That said, if it's like the R5 it should be very solid, aluminum and rubberized surfaces. The only downside is the screen tends to be dim, so the only usage id say these wouldn't be good for is outdoors.
Owen Wood
Ok. Sounds really good! What would be a good stylus that would be compatible with it?
David Stewart
Hey OP, most of people here are neets and never move around.
What you want from 2 in 1 is a good tablet to keyboard connection that'll hold/keep the device on your lap. Metal or plastic keyboard is a plus, both for stability and just typing more than an email.
The one that in your picture is fine for desks but at uni you might not have enough space to open it like that and on your lap it will be useless.
Second don't buy these for their spec. You might preffer to focus on good pen support and the keyboard and battery. Get a laptop for doing intense working at your room or even a desktop You'll save a lot of money this way.
Also 360 type laptops are good if you'll type more than handwrite and if you're fine with carrying more.
Good luck.
Luke Parker
For that much money you could buy a used ThinkPad + another device to fill the gap it leaves in your use case.
Kevin Perez
used thickbads can't play 1080p60 or display more than one program
Xavier Walker
Just buy a MacBook
Luis Moore
If you don't mind chink shit, Chuwi Surbook is 360€ and meets your needs.
Why not a samsung chromebook pro? I believe is good enough for notetaking and you can always put linux in it if needed.
Oliver Taylor
Chuwi Hi13 is exactly the same but has a real keyboard without that pointless stand. Seriously these stands are cancer, they look good but make device unusuable on uneven surfraces, such as in bus, on your lap or in bed etc. And these keyboards double as stand anyways. And you can plug it in a way that it'll be at a super low angle - useful for drawing.
>these keyboards double as stand anyways. Picture related I need to shill that on Jow Forums so the companies will see how dumb that cancer on back is and will stop making these dumb stands.
I wish there was a thread for it, cos you all give zero bullshit answers.
What's a good 800 euro laptop without 2in1? I'm looking at different models but the displays on stuff like the Swift 3 are so shit. There's a massive jump in price to the XPS 13 or similar laptops.
Carson Gutierrez
Thank you! I'll keep that in mind. Good pen support is important for me and I will be doing a lot of typing so I guess going for a 360 type is the best. Do you have any good options under 1000 which includes a good stylus? A lot of the one I google are pretty expensive.
Bentley Clark
I am slightly worried about buying Chinese products, mainly because if something goes wrong, you are kind of screwed and when the package gets her the customs will tax it...
>2-in-1 Most of these look shit to me. They either aren't a tablet or aren't a laptop. I ended up buying a regular laptop and separately a tablet. You could actually end up spending less money in total if you bought cum-stained Thinkpad. Toshiba Z20t looked appealing to me but it's 16:9 and I don't know how well it's made.
Fucking yes. I'll shill 4:3 bezelless displays and eventually we'll get the perfect 2-in-1 or at least the hardware part of it.
Detachable keyboards are shit. Get a proper hybrid - Lenovo Yoga.
Camden Gray
Surface Pro 3 is breddy good if you can find one used, I got mine (with the i5) for 300 Canadian shekels plus 80 for type cover
Matthew Ross
get a rocketbook, you can scan your notes after taking them and view them on a pc
Owen Hughes
College fag here, in grad school for ChemE. >don't spend a bunch on a laptop or hybrid >use lab machines as much as possible, you're paying for them >handwritten notes are just better >smartphones are the ultimate communication tools, learn to use them and abse them >learn go to program your graphing calculator >if you need a laptop, learn to use your school system via ssh/vpn and buy a cheap one I have a c720 I still use for the occasional thin-client job by mostly I just work on paper and move random documents I worked on in the lab by phone. Tablets and hybrids are a meme don't fall for them. Buy a folder for your notes and meticulously sort them for future reference.
William Wilson
>(handwritten) I like my surface pro 4 for this, especially when its notes with diagrams/equations that are annoying to type if you cant hand write them.
If you will be using something with a small screen as your main pc though I would get an external monitor/keyboard to type for comfort so you dont hunch over.
My SP4 isnt my main pc though - beware its not user repairable so please backup your work to a NAS or use cloud storage for non-sensitive school work.
Caleb Foster
Get the best toughbook you can afford can comes with a Wacom pen. You can get them refurbished for cheapish. They're hands down the best hybrids with durability to spare and legions of support thanks to millions of industry people on them daily. >inb4 it's a heavy brick Yeah it has a handle for a reason, just carry it like a briefcase. You should have electronic copies of all your books to cut down on weight. I never carry a bag on campus just my toughbook and a phone with a pencil in case of suprises.
Asher Parker
Oh and whether you use a surface pro 4 or not, onenote is your friend. Havent found a better replacement for handwritten stuff.
Eli Gomez
I know this is a worn out answer but honestly, Thinkpad. I started collage with my old Dell and quicky transfered to thinkpad after a few of colagues got me interested. I bought business used T450 for some 500euros (that was 3 years ago when it aired). Now to think of it, I would recomend getting X series since they are smaller but retain all functinality as T series. Last year I booted Arch linux paired with i3 and started playing with it
>Battery lasts 20 hours without Wi-Fi, 10 hours with wi-fi, 5-7hours charging my phone and listening to music while working + I carry another old battery I have to switch just in case >virtually indestructible so I use it while commuting always >arch and i3 is a good pair with thinkpads and increases my workflow >very utalitarian, many ports >water-dust-drop-resistant
Cons >not the fastest laptop out there >not the best screen out there But these don't bother me anyway since I use minimalist arch and only code
Trust me, Thinkpads arent' just a meme, these are good laptops made for working. I am currently stydying in my uni library and see at least three thinkpads around me
btw, for all the inb4 fags saying that is not arch linux but windows 10, it's an old photo that I had laying in my MEGA, here's the desktop for all unixporn fags out here
Thank you for the advice. What do you think of THINKPAD L380 YOGA - BLACK. I can get the whole package for 900 euro which I can spend. All the detail and specs seem great!
Matthew Bell
trash
Logan Russell
>L380 DON'T GET ANYTHIGN APART FROM X, T AND W SERIES This is not accidentally in caps, I am serious - you will have bad experience/not real thinkpad experience. I know a few friends who now regret it deeply they got L or E series. They aren't made of same durable materials (usually just common laptop plastics), they aren't waterresistant/as durable, and don't have magnesium roll bars inside. Buy only T- regular models X-smaller T series W or P-heavy work big laptops
And don't pay attention too much on inner hardware like processors, GPUs, RAM. All better thinkpads have good specs and room inside for further imrovement (I have free slots for extra 8gb of RAM). If you have 1000e to spend I'd reccomend going with the newer models(even though some say that the "old" ones are superior) Also buying used ones is a common thing people do, but if you want brand new at lower prices search for people who buy used-business laptops since they usually haven't been used but the tech company that owned it swithched to newer models. I bought mine from a black(or grey?) market dealer and it was unboxed with 5 year warranty. If you're going with this option, I'd reccomend X1 carbon 2017, I think you could find them in that price range. Otherwise try X270(s) or X260(s). And if you are booting arch or some other minimal OS you can go older since specs won't make that much difference on those systems
What are you doing at Uni ? Programming, engineering, something else ?
I'm doing a chemistry degree with some bio. I really want a laptop which will be good for note taking on top of normal stuff. I don't care too much for water resistance and that sort of stuff. It will be very straightforward use in college and home. And I don't intend to use anything but Windows 10 in this just because I don't know enough about computers to experiments on them. I live in Ireland and I don't really know enough about the computer industry to reliable get a used model I guess.
Lucas Martin
Than just get X270, it'll work just as any other laptop out of the box. And as for the resistive properties of thinkpads, I didn't think those are important before buying but trust me - you'll feel a lot more comfotable woth industrial design laptop than some flimsy plastic one. It took me a while to realize that when buying a laptop you choose reliability, ruggedness and quality over specs. Laptops are for work and unless you edit video specs are irrelevant. Thinkpads arent the only option here - check Dell Latitude laptops - similar quality to thinkpads although I prefer thinkpad keyboards over Dell ones
Are these stylus/pen supported? I need to be able to use that extensively.
Christian Butler
I think they are now, when I was buying my laptop the dealer offered me 50euro more expensive one with touchscreen
Christian Russell
Thanks a lot dude for all your input! It definitely helped me focus in on Thinkpad products! I definitely get what you are saying about durability, but for my usage, the L yoga seems really good! It's inbuilt pen support, ports, battery, price, specs ( I know you said it's not that important but having that assurance that if I need to do something its there!). I am 95% sure that I want to get this now! And Lenovo is big here and so repairs will be straightforward.
I currently have a Lenovo IdeaPad for around 5 years now and still going really strong. It is just big and cumbersome and the battery is completely fucked, so that is the only reason why I want a new more portable one. I will still keep it as my "desktop" at home and use it for any heavy work!
Nathaniel Sanders
Quick question: What is the difference between 8GB DDR4 2400MHz SODIMM and 8GB(4+4) DDR4 2400MHz SODIMM.
Does it mean 2 separate RAM sticks? What is the benefit?
Colton Collins
Oh and will 128 GB be enough? Most files and stuff will be saved on Drive. 256 Gb is an extra 70 euro. I would really have videos, pictures, games on it.
Jeremiah Rogers
I got a Surface Pro. The only hidden issue is having to deal with Windows. Sometimes stuff just stops working. Rotation lock was grayed out randomly after it booted up, and it stayed that way unless I did some tinkering in regedit after googling. Last week the exact same issue but with nightlight. Try to find a good app for your notes, because you'll need that. Don't expect a premium typing experience with such covers because they are fairly unpleasant to type on due to the hollow feeling and low key travel. Still better than no typing cover at all. Depending on what you do and how bright your screen is, i'd say you barely can get through a full school day with it. Just don't plan on browsing facebook a lot on it when you're not taking notes.
Josiah Perez
Ok. Thank you for that. My friend recently got one as well but he spend like 1200 euro on it! Way too much for me but it definitely seems handy which is what got me thinking about a 2 in 1.
Henry Taylor
Don't, they're shit.
Isaac Mitchell
[citation needed]
James Allen
thinkpad yoga
get whatever the latest
Hudson Perry
It may be the same thing listed differently, but if it happens to be a single 8GB stick then you have a free slot to put another one in.
Dylan Johnson
Ya, that is the conclusion I have gotten to so far! Just waiting for these two questions.
Brody Nguyen
Alright ok, thanks!
Alexander Price
256 is barely enough if you save movies and games, but honestly you should just pick the 128 and offload the bigger files to your main computer while leaving older documents on cloud storage.
Nathaniel Myers
Sorry, what I meant was, I wouldn't have those stuff. So 128 should be fine then.
Justin Reed
2x4gb is tiny bit faster based on benchmarks but it is negligible and the same
enough to install the OS, dev things like ide,compilers and 2-3 games and stil have 60gb free i suggest get a seperate storage for pictures, vids movies
Jonathan Murphy
Ok, thanks.
Austin Phillips
And does it mean that I could add another stick in the future?
Oliver Reyes
If you already have two you can swap either of them, provided they're removable, and if you have one you can just put another in.
Alexander Foster
Ok cool. 8 will realistically be more than enough for what I need.
Kayden Murphy
This is the specs: Processor: Intel Core i5-8250U Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.40 GHz) Operating System: Windows 10 Home 64 Operating System Language: Windows 10 Home 64 WE (EN/FR/DE/NL/IT) Display : 13.3" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Anti-Glare 300nits, Touch Memory : 8GB DDR4 2400MHz SODIMM Graphics Card: Integrated Graphics Body Color: Black Camera: 720p HD Camera with Microphone Keyboard: Keyboard Backlit - English UK Fingerprint Reader: Integrated Fingerprint Reader Pointing Device: Fingerprint Reader, Black Optional Pen: ThinkPad Pen Pro Security Chip: Hardware dTPM TPM Setting : Hardware dTPM2.0 Enabled Hard Drive: 128GB Solid State Drive SATA3 M.2 2280 Battery : 3 Cell Li-Polymer Battery 45WH Power Cord : 65W AC Adapter (3pin) - UK (USB Type C) Wireless: Intel Dual Band Wireless AC(2x2) 8265, Bluetooth Version 4.1, vPro Display Panel: 13.3" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Anti-Glare 300nits Touch 720p HD enable, Aluminium GS Black Base: Intel UHD Graphics 620 Language Pack: Publication - WE (FR/GE/IT/DU/EN) Warranty: 1 Year Depot or Carry-in
Total: 830 euro. Should I get extended warranty or something?
ThinkPad t420 >Keyboard comfy enough to type even a million words a day >Great for taking notes >Very sturdy for commuting and accidents >Will last a day charged >Very cheap >Very little botnet.
Cameron Flores
T420 is too large,I'd say X220 if he really needs something that strong (spec-wise that is).
Camden Reed
OP here, thanks to everyone for their help! I made a complete u-turn on what I wanted to get and I think it was for the best! So I got this Thanks again guys.
Surface Pro 4 actually dosen't throttle during combined CPU+GPU load. Cooling on it is super impressive. I would guess the newest version is fine too. I know the Pro 3 and below had some issues.
Personally, I love my surface for writing. Not the most dependable device in the world but OneDrive and OneNote are incredible. Notes on your desktop, laptop, phone, anything. Works great for me. Haven't tried a pen that I like more than the surface. Any digitized solution like N-Trig or Wacom would be good, Bluetooth only is shit IMO. Digital notes have changed my life.
Mason Mitchell
unironically ipad pro
Joshua Wilson
2x4gb can harvest more "usable" RAM. It's aleays better to split Ram(if possible) because 8gb will have around 7gb usable but 2x4gb will have around 7.5gb
Sebastian Nguyen
No , I am serious - don't get L, E, Idea, Yoga or anything apart from T, X, P, W. It's not even remotely the same thing. Buy the best, a budget of 900e will be more than enough to cover a good thinkpad. I believe T470/X270 goes for around 600e right now
depends on what you do, but definetely get SSD. I used to dual boot windows and arch and split 128gb each, but it was a real strech (I couldn't really install any games on Windows since the system took 30% of the space alone) 256Gb for one OS will be enough for a few games (maybe like two bigger ones) and all your data. Movies don't take much space anyways, you could reserve 50gb and store 25 movies easily. I can confirm that using Arch right now 90% of my space is still empty (out of 256gb), windows will take at least 30-40bg alone so be careful with that
