Ultralight Convertibles Approaching Desktop Performance 161
MojoKid writes Laptops with fully articulating hinges are starting to show up from more vendors than just Lenovo, though the company certainly got some mileage out of their Yoga brand of machines. Now it appears HP is getting in on the action as well, with the new HP Spectre X360 that's powered by Intel's new Core i5-5200U Broadwell-based processor with integrated Intel HD 5500 series graphics, along with 8GB of DDR3-1600 memory, a 256GB Solid State Drive (a Samsung M.2 PCIe SSD), 802.11ac WiFi, and a 13.3" Full HD (1920x1080) multi-touch screen. The Spectre X360 has a geared and spring-assisted hinges. The hinges swing open easily, and then offer more resistance as the screen is moved into an upright position, or swung around into tent, stand, or tablet modes. What's also interesting about this new breed of convertibles, beyond just its ability to contort into tablet mode and various other angles, is that performance for these ultralight platforms is scaling up nicely, with faster, low-power processors and M.2 PCIe Solid State Drives offering up a very responsive experience and under 10 second boot times. It has gotten to the point that 3 pound and under notebooks feel every bit as nimble as desktop machines, at least for mainstream productivity and media consumption usage models.
Now if they will sell them without MS Windows (Score:5, Insightful)
If they will sell them without MS Windows (and the "secure" bios and so forth and so on) then I'll be interested.
It used to be that I could zip down to Staples and purchase a laptop, bring it home, format it, install my favourite Linux version, and life would go on.
The last time I tried that I spent TWO SOLID DAYS at Staples trying to find a laptop that would boot with my Linux "live cd" flash drive.
I guess that the next time I need a laptop I'll have to mail order it from one of the Linux Laptop vendors that advertise online if I want something that will work properly.
Re:Now if they will sell them without MS Windows (Score:5, Insightful)
The last time I tried that I spent TWO SOLID DAYS at Staples trying to find a laptop that would boot with my Linux "live cd" flash drive.
You need to go into the BIOS and disable secure boot, then it should load on all of them. If it would boot your Linux distro it'd also boot whatever malware was trying to trojan Windows and that's exactly what they're trying to avoid. At least so far I haven't heard of any x86 machine where you can't do that, I'm sure that'd be major news both here and elsewhere if they started to block that.
Re:Now if they will sell them without MS Windows (Score:5, Informative)
You need to go into the BIOS and disable secure boot.
You don't even need to do that if you pick your linux version properly. I just finished installing Sabayon/Linux [sabayon.org] on my Lenovo U430p laptop after I decided I was going to reformat it anyway because of the recent Superfish fiasco. We've had a working secure boot shim [dreamwidth.org] for over 2 years now. No need to disable secure boot. Red Hat and Ubuntu both support it as well if you're looking for something a little more mainstream. At worst you may need to register a key with the BIOS (I did for Sabayon), but I'm not sure you even need to do that with Red Hat since their shim is actually signed by MS.
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Re:Now if they will sell them without MS Windows (Score:4, Informative)
Seriously?! Which part of that doesn't take a month to understand for someone that just wants to zip down to staples and grab a laptop with the expectation the install media will "just work" like it always has done for the last decade?
To use it, rename shim.efi to bootx64.efi and put it in /EFI/BOOT on your UEFI install media. Drop MokManager.efi in there as well. Finally, make sure your bootloader binary is called grubx64.efi and put it in the same directory.
Now generate a certificate and put the public half as a binary DER file somewhere on your install media. On boot, the end-user will be prompted with a 10-second countdown and a menu. Choose "Enroll key from disk" and then browse the filesystem to select the key and follow the enrolment prompts. Any bootloader signed with that key will then be trusted by shim, so you probably want to make sure that your grubx64.efi image is signed with it.
This part:
Secure Boot bootloader for distributions available now
Nov. 30th, 2012 07:51 pm
That link, as the text following the hyperlink says, is an announcement from 2 years ago. I referenced it to show how long this software has been available for use in other distributions. /boot partition manually? Zero. The hard part of those instructions are for the distribution maintainers. The second part is a one-time procedure of selecting "enroll-me.cer" from a list and then never doing it again. If you can select which partition you want to install your linux distro on, you can select which certificate to enroll.
Also, how many people who fit into your "just works" category are going to be making their own boot media? or managing their
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We'll see how it works out in the end. I really liked upstart when I was using it and don't care for how all-encompassing SystemD has become, but if it works, it works.
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I've been using Sabayon for a few years now - it's a nice combination of some fairly nice features (being able to mix entropy and portage, Gentoo-style config file management, fairly bleeding edge packages) and making other things just work (bumblebee, UEFI). I agree that the documentation is a bit weak (downside of a small community), but in practice the only difference from Gentoo is the package manager and default config. (The Arch wiki is also quite useful.)
SystemD works pretty well once you get the han
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No it wasn't. IBM for Z-Series and I-Series was involved in secure boot technology long before Intel and Microsoft were even part of it. Linux by the early 2000s had lots of secure boot advocates. As soon as Microsoft seriously planned to introduce secure boot they started working with Linux vendors like RedHat, Suse, HP... to make sure it would work with Linux.
Why not save the paranoia and instead complain when people are actually doping something bad to you?
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By jbolden
No it wasn't. IBM for Z-Series and I-Series was involved in secure boot technology long before Intel and Microsoft were even part of it. Linux by the early 2000s had lots of secure boot advocates. As soon as Microsoft seriously planned to introduce secure boot they started working with Linux vendors like RedHat, Suse, HP... to make sure it would work with Linux.
Sounds like they did...
Re: Now if they will sell them without MS Windows (Score:1)
My YogaPro 3 works just fine with Ubuntu 14.04.
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I just bought the Lenovo Edge Flex 15 and on Linux the Wifi card doesn't work, period. The only "fix" is to wait until 3.20 kernel adds support. Piece of shit OS or piece of shit Lenovo for not ensuring Linux compatibility? (Anyway, the keyboard sucks, so don't buy it)
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I just bought the Lenovo Edge Flex 15 and on Linux the Wifi card doesn't work, period. The only "fix" is to wait until 3.20 kernel adds support. Piece of shit OS or piece of shit Lenovo for not ensuring Linux compatibility? (Anyway, the keyboard sucks, so don't buy it)
You could upgrade the wifi card to something that works in Linux and get 802.11ac at the same time.
See page 39 of the hardware maintenance manual:
http://download.lenovo.com/con... [lenovo.com]
Just make sure you get a wifi card that is in the BIOS whitelist.
The BIOS whitelist is a list of PCI devices that have been approved by Lenovo for each laptop. If not in the list, the BIOS will refuse to boot.
This is just an imposed restriction by Lenovo, decent laptop makers don't do such a thing.
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Isn't this part of FCC type acceptance? That is the excuse I have heard from the laptop makers.
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My YogaPro 3 works just fine with Ubuntu 14.04.
Well, does the screen brightness control work properly? At least my experience is that with most laptops the brightness goes multiple steps with one keypress in Ubuntu and other Debian-based distros.
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Not sure what they're looking at? (Score:5, Insightful)
So, I personally don't follow performance numbers too much these days, but I just went and did a comparison of this "new" system against my current desktop (most components are 4-5 years old inside)
Theirs:
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cp... [cpubenchmark.net]
http://www.videocardbenchmark.... [videocardbenchmark.net]
Mine:
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cp... [cpubenchmark.net]
http://www.videocardbenchmark.... [videocardbenchmark.net]
So, the thing barely tops my "ancient" (by today's standards) desktop computer for CPU performance. It has half the RAM (even my old 10" netbook has 8GB DDR3)
Really, I think I'll just label this article as another #Slashvertisement.
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Yep,
I thought legally that they were supposed to disclose such things as advertisements......
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Yep, I thought ethically that they were supposed to disclose such things as advertisements......
FTFY
Re: Not sure what they're looking at? (Score:1)
Ethics in marketing can be found right beside unicorns and the Loch Ness monster.
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The point is that legally DICE can do whatever the fuck they want with this site. There is no law saying that any medium needs to label an advertisement as such. The reason newspapers don't try to pass ads off as legit news* stories is about journalistic ethics, not legal concerns.
*well, this used to be true... [poynter.org]
Re:Not sure what they're looking at? (Score:4)
Exactly this. They are also barely upgradable, you need to pay 5x more for a laptop with decent specs, and many have weird linux compatibility issues in Linux, whereas most desktop's just work (on my Asus for instance, the I need to send a kernel parameter so it doesn't think my wifi is turned off).
And, they will wear out faster, be less maintainable, etc. Lets revisit this story when laptops are modular.
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Nothing to see here. Move along now.
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but it doesnt have to be like this, its because the manufacturers have been pushing the ultrabook class cpus into everything because they are cheap.
for example, you used to be able to get this processor in a 600-700$ laptop
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cp... [cpubenchmark.net]
That is 3x the performance of these U series processors. It even matches my 2600k. However since the U's are much cheaper, and as stated in the summary, most users wont even know the difference since all they do is surf and watch movies
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I get that, I mean that is what the U's are designed for. My issue with them, more the manufacturers, is that they are putting U's in non-ultrabook form factors. The only way to get non-U anymore is to buy a 'gaming' laptop which usually costs 2-3x as much as a laptop used to cost with the same processor
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Performance hasn't increased that much over the last couple of years. Mainly power consumption and die size decreased and GPUs have been integrated, most laptops come with SSDs, but other than that things just aren't that much faster. It's not like the late 90s where you went from a Pentium 66mhz to 3ghz in practically no time.
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I remember the 90s. It felt like you couldn't get a PC home from the shop before it was considered obsolete.
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Smart phones are tapering out faster but they went through a similar effect. the processor and gpu of the original iPhone vs any smart phone now for example.
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And are reaching the same point. The upgrade cycle is lengthening. Manufacturers are having to turn to fashion as their model to drive sales now.
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Exactly what i was thinking and i'am grateful you did the tests to prove it.
If only i had some mod points to use.
These stories are always non-sensical (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes, laptops, even smartphones, are always "approaching desktop performance"... for some older definition of desktop performance. Same shit is true even of super computers. The original super computer, the Cray 1, pulled about 80 Mflops of performance. Most high end smartphones these days pull in the realm of 500+ Mflops. So they are more powerful than a supercomputer!!!! ... well than a super computer from the 70s.
Same deal with this laptop and desktops. Yes even small laptops compete with desktops of a few years ago. However that isn't what desktops of today are like. Those are moving targets as well and they've gotten much faster. How useful that is you can argue and can vary person to person, but trying to act like these small laptops are anywhere near them is silly. You can get desktops today with 8 cores, 64GB of RAM, and multiple large video cards if you wish. No ultralight is coming anywhere near that. Now in 5-10 years? They may well be there... and desktops will be somewhere else.
Desktops will always be more powerful simply because they have a higher electrical and thermal budget. Sticking a 90-150 watt CPU and 200+ watt GPU in a desktop is no big deal. Trying to stick that in a laptop is a recipe for disaster.
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I shouldn't even have to mention the fact that the ultrabook convertible is far more portable and has an IPS panel touchscreen, which I doubt your system has.
My system has a 30" IPS panel, and it is even better than a touchscreen, it comes with a mouse, which is much more controllable and efficient.
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12 in laptop != desktop (Score:4, Insightful)
So while approaching DT performance might be a proper analysis, i dont think laptops can replace desktops
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consoles are superior to desktops because you get the living room "lean back" experience and a console is 10x cheaper than a bleeding edge gaming rig.
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oh yeah then whats GTA and AC and everything else? FPS? NO!
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This
Also the games being cheaper on a PC is a huge factor if your looking at it from a gaming/price stand point. If your willing to wait 6mo you can have the same title on PC for 10-15$ or even less vs. still paying 50-60 for a console version. After a few games the price difference in hardware between a console and pc vanishes. then your left with what is still a vast cheap library of games and a piece of hardware that is incrementally upgradable
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the problem with a PC on a TV is that the PC game user interface is designed for an individual with a high-rez screen and sitting 24" away. not for people in front of comparatively low-rez screens and sitting 8 feet away. so I find PC games in the living room unusable.
Not to mention the weirdness of having the keyboard/mouse set up when sitting on the couch.
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Comparatively low-res?
Since the 1080p panel size won the supply-chain wars, most computer monitors are just TVs without tuners. The resolution is the same. Or it should be. Does anyone know what the hell "overscan" is and why I need to turn it on to get my 1080p desktop stretch to fill my entire 1080p LCD television screen when connecting using HDMI? (also why it stretches a little too much?)
Re:12 in laptop != desktop (Score:5, Informative)
So while approaching DT performance might be a proper analysis, i dont think laptops can replace desktops
Not to be mean, but it already did. Far more people have a laptop and no desktop than the other way around. If you add tablets too they together have 80% of the market, desktops 20%. Apart from the performance, you can always hook up a laptop to a keyboard, mouse and external screen. And as for performance, it's probably equal to a 2005 desktop which is plenty for most people. Sure it won't replace my gaming rig or anyone else doing "serious" computing at home, but we're in a very tiny minority. Heck, I think that apart from the interface a smartphone has enough computing power for a lot of people. If you look at the Steam Hardware Survey 19% now use Intel, even among gamers it's not all hardcore.
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Yep - and not just power, but storage. High-def video footage takes a lot of space, and it's not sensible to have your OS +programs on the same physical disk as your footage, and it's even better to have a multi-disk RAID for footage (RAID 5/6?), AND a separate disk for renders. Can't see them putting 3 or more drives in a laptop anytime soon.
I've spoken to a number of people who want to edit/produce their own videos, but the most complaints come from people using laptops, i.e. OS + programs, footage, and
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So while approaching DT performance might be a proper analysis, i dont think laptops can replace desktops
Not to be mean, but it already did. Far more people have a laptop and no desktop than the other way around.
Well I suppose it depends on how you frame the question. If w go with the "Honey Boo-Boo" effect, lowest common denominator becomes the ruling factor, we are mostly all just consuming content on our smartphones so there is absolutely no need for even a laptop, and I have read articles on just that. The smartphone is going to replace all of your computers, plus your camera, plus your wallet.
If we ignore market share, and go with performance - then smartphones and tablets and even laptops start to fall a l
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"A desktop should be powerful,"
All of my real work is done on compute servers in the data center that is climate controlled with redundant power and networking. I don't care how much local processing I have as long as I can be editing one deck of slides while I have one pivot table open without closing VNC and Remote Desktop.
"have large/multiple screens."
I'm driving three displays when I plug in at work. My main constraints on going to four are desk space to set them down and strain on my neck from turning
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Everyone finds larger screens useful.
The "need" for power, boils down to how creative they are. If they are more creative. They will likely find use for the extra power. That's what the P in PC stands for: PERSONAL.
Genuine voice recognition will gobble up cycles.
What other things have I not thought of? Hard to say. That's rather the point. It's better not to handicap the end user just because we might not have thought of something.
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Go into your average business full of clerks and office workers. How many of them need powerful desktops and large/multiple screens?
I can daisy chain two 27" 2560x1440 monitors onto my laptop. It has a i7, 8GB memory, and a 256GB PCIe SSD. Other than accessing the Internet, there is no noticeable delay to anything I do. I doubt if I will buy a desktop computer ever again. What is the point?
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again, im in no way saying that a laptop cant do most things a desktop can well, and sometimes even better, but to say that laptops can replace a dedicated desktop to me just seems like we are not there yet, and until we handle the cooling issues, it wont be.
depends at what level (Score:2)
Even integrated video can handle Sketchup reasonably well, which is about as much CAD work as the average person will ever do.
As for video encoding, most people are fine with letting it run overnight so the speed delta doesn't matter.
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Even integrated video can handle Sketchup reasonably well, which is about as much CAD work as the average person will ever do.
As for video encoding, most people are fine with letting it run overnight so the speed delta doesn't matter.
That really helps when the deadline is 5:00 p.m.
The most amazing thing about the desktop/laptop wars is it always comes down to two things
1. We have to go to the "most people" scenario to invalidate the high end desktop performance. Sorry, some of us need more than what any laptop can deliver
2. There is no power/performance solution for laptops that couldn't be implemented better in a desktop, so it's a never ending chase.
It's a real estate and energy density issue. I love my laptops, but really nee
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Well... A SLI portable isn't a _laptop_ - unless one want to get extensive tissue damage of legs and sexual organs.
But it is impressive what can be put into a sub 2kg notebook computer nowadays - the Aorus x3 have a GTX 970M with 6GiB video RAM...
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it's not an ultrabook though since it's i7 core?
desktop replacement laptops have ALWAYS been near desktops in speed. unsurprisingly so.
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it's not an ultrabook though since it's i7 core?
desktop replacement laptops have ALWAYS been near desktops in speed. unsurprisingly so.
That's why every CG movie maker uses rendering farms of laptops.
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Go into the Cricket store and the workers will be on a small tablet trying to punch in and change your account information. No shit - last time I went in there, they still had their full desktops, but they were only used for ringing up purchases. Other stuff was done on the tablet. The tablet this particular employee was using had issues connecting to the network, so it took forever, and I had time to ask her, "You can't just do it on the computer?" No, they are actually mandating employees to use tablets now.
Same at the AT&T store. They were busy trying to use some clunky interface on a tablet to order my friend a new SIM card. After awhile they gave up and went and did it on the desktop.
They FAIL at trying to pretend that tablets are actually a useful tool in an office environment.
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Go into your average business full of clerks and office workers. How many of them need powerful desktops and large/multiple screens?
Anybody running modern Windows OS and Office needs multiple screens. Back in the day, you could work just fine on a single 17" monitor running 1200X1600 resolution, but now most Windows programs make horrible use of screen real estate such that it is necessary to have multiple monitors to be able to place a couple of open applications on so that you can do your job,
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"for most people", then "simply no reason for desktops to exist"
Make up your mind. Is it "most people", which implies that some need the extra power/cooling/storage/whatever, or is it "no reason", which implies that laptops will cover all scenarios?
Or did you not think it through?
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Well....yes. I have enough respect for you (i.e. not posting AC) to spend a little effort correcting your faulty argument.
You're welcome.
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What is this, 2008? For most people a laptop/convertible has more than enough power (my work provided machine is a Surface Pro 3 which I run with 2 additional monitors and it works) for anything I can't do on that I have AWS or vCloud. There is simply no reason for desktops to exist anymore.
Do you think about only yourself when you masturbate?
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The G1 (The Android, designed by Google) (Score:1)
They got it right from the first. If anyone knows a phone with the same design but more power, please let me know here.
G1, G1 clone, G1clone, 5row keyboard, Android Keyboard Phone.
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Yeah, um, all you gotta do is take off the spurious / after the .php
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MojoKid = hothardware.com (Score:4, Informative)
Just like snydeq [slashdot.org] always posts links to InfoWorld, MojoKid [slashdot.org] always posts links to Hot Hardware.
mainstream productivity? media consumption? (Score:2)
Yeah right (Score:3)
Sure, maybe it's competitive with a bottom-end office desktop, where the most intense thing it has to run is Youtube.
But it's competitive with a $500 desktop [pcpartpicker.com], while it costs $1000. It's not hard to get similar performance when you literally double your budget.
Biggest problem for me is lack of RAM (Score:3)
I work with OpenStack, and regularly want to simulate 3+ VMs on my laptop. I've got 16GB of RAM, and could use twice that, but almost no laptops support 4 DIMM slots. (You pretty much have to get the mobile workstation ones, and they cost a lot.)
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I wonder if any manufacturer of highly integrated platforms like laptops, tablets, NUCs, etc, has thought about a "prosumer" line of products tailored to those kinds of needs. At the end of the day, I don't think it needs gross enhancement -- support for more RAM and possibly a second NIC.
The "workstation" laptop seems just overwrought -- they're too big and too expensive.
Personally, I'd like to do a VMware cluster on NUC but would really appreciate a second NIC.
It's kind of too bad that USB3 can't get mor
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Why would you want to simulate a VM?
Also, non-pedantic question: Why are you using a laptop for this? Why not use a desktop/server, which seems more appropriate for your needs?
Nimble? (Score:3)
"Nimble" does not mean that it performs well.
If "mainstream productivity" refers to word processing and web browsing, you are fine. But if you're doing photo, video, audio editing, heavy software compilation, scientific simulation or other work, fast boot times are not what you're after. Gaming, too, why not CPU-heavy usually, demands GPUs that only high-end, very expensive laptops can deliver.
Yes, laptops keep getting better, but so do workstations. For the same money, you get much more bang from a desktop as compared to a laptop.
The real story is how well the bottom has reached decent levels for "mainstream productivity." 5 years ago, a $200 netbook was really disappointing in terms of everyday performance: web browsing was slow, video playback was choppy at higher resolutions, and even word processing could get laggy. These days, machines at that price range are totally acceptable. Entry-level laptops like the Acer E3 or the HP Stream 11 are surprisingly good. Unless you're doing "workstation" work, they won't feel any slower than a laptop that costs 10 times as much.
I think that might actually be what this article is clumsily trying to say.
Great machines...for a while (Score:2)
I'm sure these computers are fabulous. I'm equally sure they'll burn out in two or three years...or less. Meanwhile, I've got a seven year old desktop PC that has never been shut off for any length of time, only rebooted.
It's fine. Yes, I have a more up-to-date machine, which I use when I need it. It will eventually take its place as my reliable backup, when the old one finally croaks...if it ever does.
I like the tablet/laptop two-in-one design (Score:5, Informative)
Speaking of Slashvertisements, I'm running Linux on a Dell 11" 3147 two-in-one. I can use it as a small laptop machine and I can also use it for watching Netflix in the tablet configuration. Although the two-in-one is thicker and heavier than a tablet, it can be better than a tablet for watching videos because there are several configurations where the keyboard acts like a stand so you don't have to constantly hold it.
For me, it was $260 well spent (via the Dell outlet store). I'm pleased with the device even though the Linux support is merely adequate. No multi-touch for the touchscreen and I can't access the accelerometer. AFAIK, everything else works. I wrote little scripts to rotate the display and disable the keyboard and touchpad. I get over 5 hours of battery life while mostly watching videos. I like that the Linux desktop and/or virtual consoles are only a click or two away because I like to tinker. There are a bunch of hardware improvements that would be nice, starting with a lighted keyboard, but for the price, I'm not complaining.
IMO, if the price is decent you might as well buy a laptop with a touchscreen that folds all the way back. I think it is a good use of resources and it makes the device much more versatile. For me personally it is better than a separate tablet and laptop. I may never buy another laptop that doesn't convert to tablet mode.
Wait a minute (Score:2)
Re:Wait a minute (Score:4, Insightful)
oh?
Here's a few black swans for you.
I have a stack of Dell Latitude laptops ranging from a CP PII/233 (A REAL COMPUTER) up to an Inspiron 8200 P4/2.0 (A REAL COMPUTER), that all use the same batteries. The youngest battery I have for them that still holds charge, is marked with an incept date of March 2006. The oldest battery I have is marked incept November 1999. It charges to 26% of nominal capacity and runs the CP for about twenty minutes. Replacements cost £36 a pop (in 2006) for the 4400mAh packs - from Dell.
My Asus EeePC 1008HA (A REAL COMPUTER) is four years old (purchased May 2011). The battery charges to 53% nominal and I get six hours out of that watching video. Replacement would cost about £35 - from Asus. But I'm not in a rush for that as I get to watch a couple movies on the train to Scotland without having to plug in.
My Toshiba (A REAL COMPUTER) is about the same age as the Asus (A REAL COMPUTER) (purchased March 2011). Battery is good for about three to four hours, don't know what it charges to - probably about 60% even though I totally abuse it. Replacement? No idea.
I can get practically any laptop keyboard for less than £50. They are necessarily built ot a much higher quality than desktop keyboards because for one thing they form part of the structure. A DECENT wireless keyboard (eg a Dell Bluetooth MM) costs about the same. You want to go cheap? Go nuts, tell me how long your £4 piece of shit Xenta or Kensington lasts.
FWIW I not only fixed computers on a daily basis from 2002-2008, I designed and built them as well. Even after retirement I still found myself designing, specifying orders and building the things. It's as much as thing as breathing once you've been touched by it, is PC design.
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uh, no, you have clearly not the first fucking clue about what I did for a LIVING.
Tent mode, stand mode, tablet mode (Score:2)
Now there's marketing-speak for you - putting something on a table in a funny way is now a "mode."
I'm not sitting down, I'm in "chair mode"!
slashvertisement (Score:2)
U's Not So Great (Score:2)
Until, this series, my 3-year old 2520m was faster than any U series processor. The current crop just edges out a 3-year old chip. The intel integrated GPU is still a boat anchor, and if anyone thinks that a GPU like that is going to keep up with a good desktop GPU--even like the defamed GTX 570, then they are out of their minds.
better solution: (Score:2)
1. buy a stupid slow cheap laptop
2. remote desktop to your beast pc
3. enjoy working with desktop power from the coffeeshop
caveats: bandwidth, security, and i am using my remote pc for programming, not gaming/ photoshop/ movie editing/ etc
biggest caveat: i really need multiple screens. it was a fun experiment, but not every day
Mainstream Productivity (Score:2)
ow do they define "productivity models"? The last big company I worked for defined "productivity applications" as things like Outlook e-mail (so your boss could get in touch with you whenever) and calendars (so your boss could see what you were up to). Real work got done on UNIX workstations.
Competative? (Score:2)
A laptop is competitive with a desktop right up until the time it fails because of marginal cooling. Then it becomes competitive with a brick.
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Neither, they are using the standard weight measurement of the target audience of slashdot which is part of the civilized world that you seem to be interested enough to join and make stupid comments in.
Slashdot is an American centric site in case you didn't know.
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I finally learned the difference between Yuan and Renminbi. RMB is a measure of value, like silver (or sterling), and CNY is a unit of measurement like dollars.
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What am I going to do with a 13" screen? Carry it around without feeling like I'm lugging a 15" suitcase.