Recommend a laptop for me

Originally Posted by musicguy

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Thanks for the follow up! The Lenovo looks plenty good for me. I'm leaning towards getting one. The samsung looks pretty damn awesome too, but is a bit pricey and doesn't have an optical drive. Still, that's one powerful tiny computer.
the x220 also has no optical. if you buy a dock you can fit an optical drive in there (not sure if it already comes with the optical drive.

Originally Posted by badsha

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T420s is pretty light. Weight feels the same as a X220. Screen is LED backlit like the X220 and is 1600x900, its pretty damned good. Battery life is much improved over the T410s. Speaking from real world experience on all 3 laptops. indesertum also mentioned the Lenovo X1. 13" Screen and has a gorilla glass screen.
interesting. i've heard quite a few people say that the screen sucks, but i havent seen them in person so i cant personally judge. the x220's regular screen is led backlit, no ips, but you can upgrade for 30 to ips. imo def worth it. the x1 is super sexy. you might want to wait for that.

Sony Vaio SA/SB

Similar specs to x220 but with a 6630m. The SA has a higher resolution screen than the SB.

Build quality won't be as good as the IBM, and neither will the screen, but it has a dedicated GPU(switchable)





Other options;
new envy 14 (not out yet)
lenovo E420s(can be upgraded with a dedicated gpu)
Vaio Z
MBP

Originally Posted by knodel

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Sony Vaio SA/SB

Similar specs to x220 but with a 6630m. The SA has a higher resolution screen than the SB.

Build quality won't be as good as the IBM, and neither will the screen, but it has a dedicated GPU(switchable)


SB standard at your budget. The 6630 is not available on the SB but you don't need it at your level. The x220 is good as well but lacks a few features and looks really outdated.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921666318655

Don't get the Macbook air / samsung series nine since they are lacking a lot of features you seem to want.

MacBook Pro is good as well if you get the 13' version with employee discount.

x220 outdated? It just came out with 2nd i5/i7 processors and sandy bridge chipset. It has better specs than your Sony Vaio. What exactly is the X220 lacking?

Originally Posted by badsha

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x220 outdated? It just came out with 2nd i5/i7 processors and sandy bridge chipset. It has better specs than your Sony Vaio. What exactly is the X220 lacking?
If you read my post I said it looks outdated. The design of the laptop has not changed for 5+ years and the original poster said he wanted something that looked good. The X220 looks clean but plain and old. And for the price range the Vaio has better specs. This is for the prebuilt $949 models which is along with the base set by the poster (since updated to be able spend more). Going along X220 build progression: Processor: Both i5 2410, good standard processor OS: X220 is better Home vs. Pro SA includes good Adobe bundle of software (PS/Premiere etc elements) Display: Same res, SA slightly bigger Graphics: SA has a decent discrete graphics card vs. Intel integrated. Means SA can play games, X220 barely. Ranking on notebook check 152 vs. 182. Link Memory: SA: 4GB X220: 2Gb (free 4gb upgrade until 6/8) Webcam: SA yes, X220 no ($30 upgrade) X220 does have a better noise cancelling mic HDD: SA: 500gb 5400rpm X220:320gb 7200rpm until 6/8 Battery: Both have additional docking batteries and both last up to 7 or 8 hours. Weight: Sony 3.8 pounds X220 ~3 But Sony has an optical drive x220 does not. So explain how the X220 has better specs? Sony has the same/similar or better in all categories. The X220 lacks: discrete graphics, HDD space, RAM, optical drive, webcam, "good" looks. EDIT: If I said SA I meant SB and since build / design were also factors: Build quality: The X220 is better, but the Sony is not far behind. Design: Is this even a question? SA trumps the X220.

OP a little more expensive but worth it is a macbook air...

Originally Posted by stevent

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If you read my post I said it looks outdated. The design of the laptop has not changed for 5+ years and the original poster said he wanted something that looked good. The X220 looks clean but plain and old. And for the price range the Vaio has better specs.

This is for the prebuilt $949 models which is along with the base set by the poster (since updated to be able spend more). Going along X220 build progression:

So explain how the X220 has better specs?

Sony has the same/similar or better in all categories. The X220 lacks: discrete graphics, HDD space, RAM, optical drive, webcam, "good" looks.

EDIT: Since build / design were also factors:

Build quality:
The X220 is better, but the Sony is not far behind.

Design:
Is this even a question? SA trumps the X220.

The way you stated it earlier made it sound like X220 was old. Lenovo's are usually more expensive because they are designed for business users and corporate environments. Of course you are going to pay more for Lenovo.

You cant go wrong with either one, but would advise 3 yr warranty for either laptop. Which laptop do you own?

Originally Posted by sinnedk

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OP a little more expensive but worth it is a macbook air...

MacBook Air is really nice, but wait for the refresh.

Originally Posted by badsha

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The way you stated it earlier made it sound like X220 was old. Lenovo's are usually more expensive because they are designed for business users and corporate environments. Of course you are going to pay more for Lenovo.

You cant go wrong with either one, but would advise 3 yr warranty for either laptop. Which laptop do you own?

MacBook Air is really nice, but wait for the refresh.

Yeah I guess it could have looked that way. I have a Vaio Fw (3yrs old) but have used a X220 type for work as well as Macs at home. I'm looking at new laptops now but am waiting for the MBA refresh as well (hoping for Sandybridge and a good GPU along with 256gb SSD). Leaning towards an SA atm since the FW was just too heavy. Wish Sony provided a better GPU though. I'd gladly pay an extra $100-200 if they gave an option for a 6770 or something like the dvt6q offers. The HPs just look terrible and I can't live with a laptop that looks like that. The lenovos go way down when it's corporate bought I think though since I think Sony is usually priced a bit high as well for the design factor.

Z sounds like an interesting idea as well as a 2 part laptop but I think I travel too much for it to be useful

SB looks good, but I hear the screen sucks, which is very important to me. I like everything else though, especially the ports and optical drive. If only the screen was better...

x220 is on sale now, so it's cheap and powerful. No 1080P display options anymore, which would make it even nicer.

I looked at the MBA at the Apple store and it's built really nice and is lightweight. However, 13 inchers are quite a bit more expensive than x220 (considering I'd have to buy Windows 7), although they include SSDs which are a great addition.

I might wait for the new Envy 14..... sheesh I'm running out of time!

Seriously considering the x220. Intel Core i5-2410M Processor (2.3GHz, 3MB L3, 1333MHz FSB) Genuine Windows 7 Professional 12.5" Premium HD (1366x768) LED Backlit Display, Mobile Broadband Ready, 3x3 Antenna Intel HD Graphics 3000 4 GB DDR3 - 1333MHz (1 DIMM) Fingerprint Reader 320 GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm ThinkPad Battery 29+ (6 cell) ThinkPad b/g/n10 720p Webcam Is only $962.10 I found an external BD drive for under a hundred. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827135251 Under $1050 for the computer is pretty unbeatable.

I think the few things you should consider is do you need an optical device? -most people dont need one for a portable computer can you upgrade the HDD/RAM? -factory ones are super overpriced and previous generation does it have a good screen and is it worth the price? -IPS led backlit is preferable. higher resolution is preferable. i highly highly highly recommend looking for a laptop with an IPS screen. It makes life so much more pleasurable will this machine last you more than 2 or 3 years? -unless you're balling or dont mind changing laptops often you clearly want something that will last you a long long time. a minor question might be does it have newer generation SSD interfaces like SATA III and mSATA? -without SATA III you might as well stick to previous gen SSD devices that cant utilize the 6gbps speeds. mSATA is also fantastic since you can incorporate a SSD and a HDD in the same device. the other questions i can somewhat ignore, but screen really took the cake envy 14, mba, vaio sa/sb all lack IPS. mba is way too glossy. and to get the higher resolution in the vaio series you need to pony up $400. sony vaio and mbas also pretty fragile. unless you really baby them no way they're lasting 4+ years without a hiccup. also whatever laptop you're going to get i highly recommend a laptop cooler (here and here) -keeping your laptop cooled will make it last much longer. try and keep the idle cpu below 46 degrees. also batteries last longer when they stay cool. a good mouse (here)

toshiba r700!
http://us.toshiba.com/computers/lapt...700/R700-S1332

i have one and i absolutely love it. for about the same price as some macs run up to, this gets you a lighter laptop with i7 and SSD

Originally Posted by musicguy

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SB looks good, but I hear the screen sucks, which is very important to me. I like everything else though, especially the ports and optical drive. If only the screen was better... x220 is on sale now, so it's cheap and powerful. No 1080P display options anymore, which would make it even nicer. I looked at the MBA at the Apple store and it's built really nice and is lightweight. However, 13 inchers are quite a bit more expensive than x220 (considering I'd have to buy Windows 7), although they include SSDs which are a great addition. I might wait for the new Envy 14..... sheesh I'm running out of time!
The more expensive version of the SB the SA has a higher res screen but no one knows how good it is. From seeing the X220 screen vs. the SB screen it's better, but not THAT much better, although you can still see the difference. At this size you can't expect to get a nice screen unless you pay in excess of 2k. Useful thread here debating the two of them: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/568923-sony-vaio-sb-vs-lenovo-thinkpad-x220.html

Okay, here's my update.

Went to bestbuy and tried the sony out. The screen is too bad for my liking.

I tried out the MBA too. It has great build quality, but I'd have to buy Windows 7 and I hear that it doesn't work great with the MBA. So for 1500 bucks I'd have a 13" MBA with 2 USB ports, no eSata or USB 3.0 and a slower processor. I decided against it.

So I tried to buy the X220 from Lenovo. The ship date they gave me was June 21, less than a week before I leave the country. I hear that they have a tendency to push the ship date to much later... So I called sales and told them my dilemma. They gave me no assurances that I'd get it in time... and if I didn't, I can return it but still I'd be liable for a 15% restocking fee.

Decided not to do it.

Went to TigerDirect and found a preconfigured X220 for sale... only 999. But it doesn't come with the premium (IPS) display... which is the main reason why I wanted to get it.

So I'm screwed. I'll wait for the Envy 14 refresh on the 15th. If it's nice, not too heavy and ready to ship I may get it. If not, then I'm just going to bring my 20lb computer and buy a monitor in Chile. Lame, but it's cheaper anyway.