Is this the right time to buy a laptop? (Also, suggestions wanted)

[killazys]

I'm looking for a portable notebook/laptop to bring around with me, mainly for university use. My current solution is the Lenovo x220, but the trackpad sucks and I find the screen slightly too small. Also, I output to TVs sometimes for watching movies, and DisplayPort -> HDMI is a large hassle.

I'm looking for a laptop with a matte display, HDMI/mini-HDMI output, and the ability to output 10-bit 1080p (with GPU accelerated encoding) with the slowest of x264 settings (--preset placebo, for example). At the very least, I would like lag-free playback of blu-ray files (m2ts).

Also, the screen size should be 13.3"-15.4", but the weight needs to be manageable for up to 20 minute walks with a messenger bag. That means under 4.5lbs, I'd imagine.

So basically my only choice is the Zenbook Prime UX31A, but I'm not sure if Intel 4000 QuickSync is robust enough; additionally, the screen bleed issues really, really scare me. Can anyone comment?

I don't really mind waiting for newer ultrabooks to come out, but if the consensus here is that the UX31A fits my needs well enough then I may just go ahead and buy one.

P.S. This is not my main machine. Usually I copy the video files I want to watch for the day to my laptop and delete them when I'm done, or something to that effect.

Thanks for any help.

 

[PeeluckyDuckee]

I like the Samsung Series 9 build quality better than the UX31A. Looks aesthetically more pleasing. If I was planning on using strictly a mouse I would not have though twice about getting the Series 9, but alas using a mouse on a laptop is an inconvenience for me and the fact that the trackpad was less than stellar made it a deal breaker for me. The UX31A does seem to have more keyboard stroke depth, the Series 9 keyboard does take some getting used to.

Regarding *.m2ts and *.mts files, I'm not sure if my personal recorded 1080p videos from my Panasonic SD90 digital camcorder can be compared to blue-ray mastered movies, in terms of CPU use, but the ones I've played back on my 2011 Mac Air played fine without a hiccup using VLC in windows 7. I'm guessing bit rate is the unit of measurement of a video's quality, and not its output resolution, I don't know enough to tell you one way or another.

 

[lakedude]

Everyone I personally, locally know has eventually regretted buying a netbook or ultrabook due to their I/O limitations and/or small screens. That zen's display is barely bigger than what you have now.

I think you would have a better experience buying a normal 15" laptop for half the cost. You will get a more capable machine with a bigger display for less money. The only drawback would be having to carry around an extra couple pounds.

I say man up and carry the weight!

 

[crab0]

The only drawback would be having to carry around an extra couple pounds.

I would think an inferior screen would be a drawback as well, most 15 inchers are terribad 1366 x 768 and if your getting a 1080p IPS one its not half the cost, its near par (I don't know if Zenbook's IPS issue are worse than the HP/Sony Red problem).

I play 10bit bluray rips with lossless audio on my 2011 Macbook Air (older chipset and no quick sync). It does ramp the CPU way up but it works fine. I didn't think 10bit did gpu acceleration...?

 

[killazys]

You're right, 10bit is not GPU supported (yet). I meant for other 8bit implementations such as raw BD files.

And the issue with the 15" laptops is indeed the subpar screens.

EDIT: Doesn't madVR still offset frames to the GPU for rendering?

 

[corkyg]

Last week, I was in the Charlottesville, VA area visiting my son. We stopped for coffee and a muffin at a "Mudhouse" coffee shop - a local wi-fi spot.

I looked around, and there were 6 people working on laptops along the wall tables - all of them were Macs. They looked like MacBook Pros, about 15-inchers. I found it interesting that there was not a PC book in the room.

 

[killazys]

Your point being? mplayer2's readme/manual doesn't refer anywhere to target gamma curve support or calibration via .3dlut files or even YCMS.

Additionally, my experience with OSX over the past three or four years has been nothing short of frustrating and generally stressful (my old high school provided iMacs for graphics design as well as newspaper publishing, both of which I was involved with).

To the others reading this, how's this look? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-34131315-L04B

I've never heard of the Armor2 line, though.

 

[corkyg]

No point - just an observation. I know what a minority felt like with my Lenovo T510. 🙂. The model you cite at Newegg looks very good.

 

[gorcorps]

Your point being? mplayer2's readme/manual doesn't refer anywhere to target gamma curve support or calibration via .3dlut files or even YCMS.

Additionally, my experience with OSX over the past three or four years has been nothing short of frustrating and generally stressful (my old high school provided iMacs for graphics design as well as newspaper publishing, both of which I was involved with).

To the others reading this, how's this look? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-34131315-L04B

I've never heard of the Armor2 line, though.

Most people will be hindered by 128gig drives as their only drives. The OS and other junk on there take up more space than you expect leaving you with little space for other stuff. If you're one to load movies, music, pictures, etc on there you won't be happy with the capacity.