Silenus
Senior member
For a while now I've been patiently waiting to upgrade my now very old and creaky Celeron M based notebook which weighs a ton and has the worlds most pathetically bad TN panel on it. I have desktop machine that is for any type of heavy duty tasks and PC gaming. Sometime this year I want to get a new laptop for my wife and I for casual use. It's mostly a couch computer but is also something I used for light photo editing when traveling.
Over time I and through experience I have come up with the following list of priorities I for a notebook upgrade:
1) Must have at least a reasonably decent display, greater than 1366x768. 16:10 would be preferred but I know it's way hard to find.
2) Bigger than 11" but no larger than 14" screen. No more 4lbs. Closer to 3lbs even better.
3) Include SSD or I'd add one myself immediately.
4) I do NOT need optical drive OR discrete graphics. I'd actually prefer integrated graphics because I simply won't need more and would rather have it less power/heat/cost.
5) Back lit keyboard important! Often using at night or in bed and find it very difficult to type when dark.
6) Something less than ARM+LEG in cost. I'd be willing to consider up to maybe around $1200 if I could get everything I want.
I don't about you guys but that sure as hell sounds damn near exactly like a 13" Macbook AIR to me. Mind you I made this list well before the new airs came out!
Now I've always been a Windows/PC guy. I am very competent with it and have always been a tweaker, overclocker and builder of my own machines. I don't have have anything against Macs just never been style is all. I am not familiar with the OS and have put off trying to learn more about it for a long time. But I do find it kind of depressing that there is hardly anything that come close to my requirements as a Windows machine. Sony Vaio Z, Samsung 9's are closest but neither are just right. Way too much money for Sony and lacking a high res display for the Samsung.
I do have some small hope for something good to come from Intel's Ultrabook initiative and I will be looking at what comes soon from that. However...I fear that for the manufacturers to get close to Intel's target prices there will be corners cut....and those will almost certainly be display quality/resolution and build quality. The more I think about it the more that 13" air actually seems a bargain for its price. Seems the the air could be a better Ultrabook than an Ultrabook!
PS- anyone run Win 7 on the Air? How does it work? I am a lightroom user and currently have only the PC version.
Over time I and through experience I have come up with the following list of priorities I for a notebook upgrade:
1) Must have at least a reasonably decent display, greater than 1366x768. 16:10 would be preferred but I know it's way hard to find.
2) Bigger than 11" but no larger than 14" screen. No more 4lbs. Closer to 3lbs even better.
3) Include SSD or I'd add one myself immediately.
4) I do NOT need optical drive OR discrete graphics. I'd actually prefer integrated graphics because I simply won't need more and would rather have it less power/heat/cost.
5) Back lit keyboard important! Often using at night or in bed and find it very difficult to type when dark.
6) Something less than ARM+LEG in cost. I'd be willing to consider up to maybe around $1200 if I could get everything I want.
I don't about you guys but that sure as hell sounds damn near exactly like a 13" Macbook AIR to me. Mind you I made this list well before the new airs came out!
Now I've always been a Windows/PC guy. I am very competent with it and have always been a tweaker, overclocker and builder of my own machines. I don't have have anything against Macs just never been style is all. I am not familiar with the OS and have put off trying to learn more about it for a long time. But I do find it kind of depressing that there is hardly anything that come close to my requirements as a Windows machine. Sony Vaio Z, Samsung 9's are closest but neither are just right. Way too much money for Sony and lacking a high res display for the Samsung.
I do have some small hope for something good to come from Intel's Ultrabook initiative and I will be looking at what comes soon from that. However...I fear that for the manufacturers to get close to Intel's target prices there will be corners cut....and those will almost certainly be display quality/resolution and build quality. The more I think about it the more that 13" air actually seems a bargain for its price. Seems the the air could be a better Ultrabook than an Ultrabook!
PS- anyone run Win 7 on the Air? How does it work? I am a lightroom user and currently have only the PC version.
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