Macbook Air vs Zacate laptop?

[slackerinabox]

I'm looking for a 11.6" laptop for working on the field (photoshop, html, etc.) and am pretty convinced that the Macbook air's my best bet but these E-350 laptops are pretty great values. If weight, durability, and battery life are my biggest factors, which would you prefer? I have an iMac and 4 windows pcs so I'm ok with either ecosystem. My one worry with getting say the HP zacate laptop is that I've seen miserable screens in sub-$1,000 windows laptops, is that a valid concern? We're looking at $500 vs $850 (refurb air), is the screen on the air $350 "better?"
Thanks!

 

[corkyg]

You are citing physical differences. My decision would be based on which OS i want to deal with. For real field work I would also look at Panasonic Toughbooks.

 

[slackerinabox]

You are citing physical differences. My decision would be based on which OS i want to deal with. For real field work I would also look at Panasonic Toughbooks.

Well, I don't really have a preference - I like win7 and osX equally. I used to hate OSx and its no full screen apps silliness but I've finally gotten used to it, and I actually like it on my iMac (helps with multitasking), but I wonder how that would scale to 11.6". I should define "field work" - I'm a real estate agent and would like to update my blog and listings on site. I have a thinkpad 11.6" and the form factor was awesome, but it had maybe 3 hours of real world battery life. I don't think I need anything as rugged as a toughbook but my crappy MSI Wind had keys falling off after a few months - definitely need something more robust than that.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

My favorite two Zacate laptops are the HP DM1Z & the Lenovo X120e. Both are far, far better than any MSI notebook I've handled (especially their lousy Wind netbooks) in terms of build quality. The 11" Air is not exactly a rugged laptop, so in terms of durability, the DM1Z, X120e, and Air are all about the same in my opinion.

Your concern about miserable screen quality in the less expensive PCs is very valid. I wouldn't call the DM1Z's screen miserable, but it's definitely mediocre. The X120e's screen is also mediocre, but has the enormous advantage of being matte finish; both the DM1Z and Air use glossy screens. (Well, that's an enormous advantage to me. I dislike glossy screens.)

For what it's worth, the AMD E-350 in the Zacate notebooks performs very similarly to the Core 2 Duo 1.3ghz cpu in my Lenovo Edge 13.

I don't know what $350 is worth to you, but I'd recommend the X120e + a RAM upgrade to 4GB + a decent-sized SSD like the Intel G2 120GB. You'll still spend $100 less than the Air and have a machine that performs just as well, has better battery life, a screen you can use outside, and the glorious trackpoint!

 

[jaydee]

Well, I don't really have a preference - I like win7 and osX equally. I used to hate OSx and its no full screen apps silliness but I've finally gotten used to it, and I actually like it on my iMac (helps with multitasking), but I wonder how that would scale to 11.6". I should define "field work" - I'm a real estate agent and would like to update my blog and listings on site. I have a thinkpad 11.6" and the form factor was awesome, but it had maybe 3 hours of real world battery life. I don't think I need anything as rugged as a toughbook but my crappy MSI Wind had keys falling off after a few months - definitely need something more robust than that.

If it's just for field work, why not a tablet? iPad 2 has a gorgeous screen, great battery life, OSx interface. How much typing are you doing? That'd be the only real limitation for me. It won't do photoshop very well (if at all?), but if you've got 4 other PC's and a mac, perhaps you can do that on one of your other machines?

 

[tfinch2]

I just ordered the Lenovo Thinkpad X120e from buy.com:

http://www.buy.com/prod/lenovo-think...220428976.html

According the description it comes with Windows 7 Pro instead of Home or Home Premium. I have a Kingston V-Series 64G SSD from the laptop I am replacing that will go in it.

<bartscott>CAN'T WAIT!</bartscott>

 

[m88k]

RETHINK(occurred to me right before posting): Do you need a new laptop? if you have a model you like already, you could consider A) upgrading the battery, and B) getting a car charger arrangement; three hours may well become 5 given a boost while you move from one location to the next.


***DISCLAIMER: four years ago I began a torrid affair with a trackpoint; since then, my judgement may be compromised when it comes to Thinkpads***

I was recently contemplating the same category (not a mac buyer though); then I happened across the Lenovo outlet. My refurbished x201 should be arriving this weekend or Monday. Some fantastic deals are available depending on how flexible you are. I have my own copies every piece of software I want, and have no qualms about upgrading ram myself.

The x201 comes with up to a 9 cell battery, giving a reported real-world life of 5+ hours. There's also a battery "slice" you can add to the bottom if battery life is your primary goal.

All that said, the x120e looks to be a great option if you like what it's offering. The E350 apu is a real leap forward, especially for small laptops.

Another thing to consider while looking at any options may be if there's a memory card reader; I'd imagine a real estate agent posting listings on the fly might take some photos too...

 

[hans007]

the x120e is about $400 now... add an ssd and its probably about as good as the macbook at everything speed and power wise. that and its easier to upgrade (cant upgrade ram or ssd on the macbook air)

i have one, though the screen's viewing angles and colors are not great (not a big deal for me, but if you are doing real photoshop it probably is for you). so based on what you want maybe thats important enough to spend $450-500 more its up to you i guess..

 

[Emulex]

but the lenovo is butt fugly!

 

[hans007]

but the lenovo is butt fugly!

i really don't get how it is ugly. at best its boring, but its probably better than your generic asus or msi machine. i have a work w510 too and it looks well respectable.

i mean i dont even understand the love for the apple style. its a metal rectangle with a screen and keyboard inside. if it didnt have an apple logo on it it'd look like any generic laptop other than being made of metal..

 

[m88k]

Hans, I can't quite agree with you. While Mac's are minimalist, they do definitely carry their own style. Begin with a solid block of materials; round the edges and corners. Now bisect your rounded prism, creating the two halves of the clam-shell. That's it! The most important part now is to walk away and just accept the praise you receive for innovative, modern design. This is where most industrial designers fail: THEY KEEP GOING. They add the little flourishes; a compound curve here, a WAN antenna there, and, worst of all, serviceable part doors. Pretty soon it's all just too cluttered.

See, to the Mac cultist, a Thinkpad is hideously functional. Why would you ever even think to ruin what could be a seamless unibody with expansion ports, expresscard holes, and doors over the FRU's?


In all seriousness though, I think the x201 is worth a look if you don't mind a little extra size. It's a hell of a lot more computer than either of the options you put forth at the same price as the Air. If you get the x120e, get the e-350 in it; there's no reason to save 50 bucks and get a single core processor that uses just as much power!

 

[slackerinabox]

Seriously considering the x120e but I'm still a bit wary after owning the x100e - I *loved* the build quality/keyboard/trackpad but it got molten hot, had terrible battery life, and had a nasty bug and would hit CPU utilization of 100&#37; and stall the system even with zero programs running (on a clean install too)! Removed all the bloatware and the problem continued, so I donated it to my dad. And the lcd was mediocre but not awful, I'd call it workable, but barely.

The macbook airs tempting because I take a lot of pictures and it's just hard to photoshop on crappy LCDs for me, especially when you're dealing with interior photos. Color temperature's also vastly different - my windows laptop of choice (a dell vostro) favors blues while my iMac seems more neutral. I wonder if this sort of quality carries over to the air, however. Of course I'd have to carry around an SD reader, which is annoying..

I'd love to hear from real world users of the x120- does it get hot? Does it last the advertised 6+ hours?

If all else fails I might just go for a more higher priced ultra portable.. I have so many well reviewed yet ultimately disappointing little laptops sitting around that I'm thinking I should spend the (moderately) big bucks and just get something that works vs a "good bargain." God, I hate cheap keyboards, cheap trackpads, and cheap lcds yet very few people seem to care on review sites. My two HPs have trackpads that are so miserable that they're collecting dust and should probably go on eBay to torture someone else!

 

[frostedflakes]

Not sure about that CPU utilization bug, but the heat and battery life issues have definitely been fixed. The casing doesn't get warm at all (check out reviews with IR thermometer readings of the case if you'd like specific numbers). However, the fan in it can work pretty hard at times, especially if you put a good load on the machine. Doesn't get loud/obtrusive, but isn't inaudible either. Battery life seems to be much improved as well, I haven't used it for any extended period away from the wall yet, but based on the battery meter estimates 6+ hours definitely seems doable with the brightness down (40&#37; or so I think, screen gets very dim at the lower settings by the way) and doing basic stuff like web browsing. Obviously with the brightness up and stressing it more, though, you'll probably get closer to 5 hours, something like that.

With regards to looks, I guess this is more a matter of opinion, but I think the ThinkPads look very professional and sophisticated. They look like nice, high quality products in person too.

But as others have mentioned, screen on the X120e is probably mediocre compared to the MBA. Touchpad is also tiny to make room for physical buttons, although I find myself using the TrackPoint most of the time. But if you're used to the spacious touchpads and multitouch gestures on Macs, the X120e is probably going to be a disappointment in this regard. X120e's GPU is also weaker than the Air's, although CPU performance of the two machines is pretty comparable I believe.

 

[McWatt]

You could aim a little higher and get a new X220 Thinkpad with a 12.5" IPS screen. It runs much cooler than a Mac and has 9-25 hours of battery life, depending on which battery you pick. But you'd have to wait until some time in April for it to arrive.

The screen will be nicer than the Air (equivalent contrast ratio but matte, allowing you to use it outside), it will be immensely faster than the Air, and it should be a lot more durable than anything in the Macbook line.

 

[Emulex]

screen and touchpad is what i used 80&#37; for mine. I have a desktop if i need to bust out big figures since i have to have 24"-30" DPI

Sadly the trackpad is so bad i was thinking of applying a magic trackpad for a windows laptop lol

 

[hans030390]

If I remember correctly, the GPU in the Air is more powerful than what you'll find in Zacate laptops (if that matters to you). The Air also comes standard with a SSD. To me, that's an advantage...unless you need the space.

 

[slackerinabox]

You could aim a little higher and get a new X220 Thinkpad with a 12.5" IPS screen. It runs much cooler than a Mac and has 9-25 hours of battery life, depending on which battery you pick. But you'd have to wait until some time in April for it to arrive.

The screen will be nicer than the Air (equivalent contrast ratio but matte, allowing you to use it outside), it will be immensely faster than the Air, and it should be a lot more durable than anything in the Macbook line.

Read a stellar review for the x220 - waiting might be a good idea, especially since a macbook air sandybridge upgrade's inevitable as well. A i5 macbook air 11.6 or an x220 might be overkill for my needs but.. What's wrong with overkill

 

[Joseph F]

but the lenovo is butt fugly!

I'm guessing you're a frequent Apple customer.
BTW I'm a very big fan of the Communistic look of the Thinkpads... Nothing says &#1056;&#1086;&#1089;&#1089;&#1080;&#1103; quite like an all-black brick laptop.

 

[m88k]

Joseph, that's just because you haven't seen a olive-drab brick laptop with &#1053;&#1072;&#1088;&#1086;&#1076;&#1085;&#1099;&#1081; &#1082;&#1086;&#1084;&#1087;&#1100;&#1102;&#1090;&#1077;&#1088; printed on the backside of the LCD.


~&#1089;&#1083;&#1091;&#1075;&#1072; &#1089;&#1083;&#1072;&#1074;&#1085;&#1086;&#1081; &#1090;&#1088;&#1077;&#1082;&#1087;&#1086;&#1080;&#1085;&#1090;