All modern laptops suck.

[redsky]

The display is by far the most important consideration when purchasing a laptop to do real work. So why the fuck do they all have 16:9 aspect ratios now? When I'm writing code, editing lengthy config files, reading documents, browsing the web, chatting etc., I want at least 1200 vertical pixels and no more than 1600 horizontal. Yet the most common 'HD' displays are bottom of the barrel 1366x768 TN LCDs with a low contrast ratio, and a surface finish that resembles a fucking mirror and makes the thing totally unusable in a well lit room or outdoors. For an extra $100 I was able to source a 'Full HD' anti-glare panel for one of my machines, which has 1920 horizontal, but only 1080 vertical! Great for TV, mediocre at best for computing. Do these assholes actually think we buy laptops for the sole purpose of watching movies and gaming, or are they trying to cheap out and standardize manufacturing processes throughout all electronic product lines? Not even going to discuss the absurdity of touch screens.

And what the hell happened to quality keyboards? The Thinkpad T420 had the last good design, then they switched to island style and became as shitty as Macbooks.

Fuck you all for giving us gems like Ivy Bridge/Haswell CPUs, double digit GB DDR3 RAM and fast SSDs wrapped up in shiny, poorly designed polished shit.

[Arnox]

*shrugs* My HP laptop came with a built-in anti-glare screen. It was 1366x768 sure, but more pixels means more graphics power is needed and the first thing most computer manufacturers do to cut costs is skimp out on the video card. Also, more pixels means needing a bigger screen and more power consumption for such which would also add to the weight and size. People (me included) usually don't need or want that big of a screen. As to your touchpad complaints, why are you using that so much in place of a mouse? (and to be honest, I like the touchpad better anyway) Touchscreens are downright indispensable if you're any sort of a digital artist. However for the average user, you're right, it's a rather useless feature. Doesn't matter anyway though since they still make and have laptops without a touchscreen readily available to buy pretty much everywhere still.

So no, I think you're quite wrong.

[GothicSeraph]

The display is by far the most important consideration when purchasing a laptop to do real work. So why the fuck do they all have 16:9 aspect ratios now? When I'm writing code, editing lengthy config files, reading documents, browsing the web, chatting etc., I want at least 1200 vertical pixels and no more than 1600 horizontal. Yet the most common 'HD' displays are bottom of the barrel 1366x768 TN LCDs with a low contrast ratio, and a surface finish that resembles a fucking mirror and makes the thing totally unusable in a well lit room or outdoors. For an extra $100 I was able to source a 'Full HD' anti-glare panel for one of my machines, which has 1920 horizontal, but only 1080 vertical! Great for TV, mediocre at best for computing. Do these assholes actually think we buy laptops for the sole purpose of watching movies and gaming, or are they trying to cheap out and standardize manufacturing processes throughout all electronic product lines? Not even going to discuss the absurdity of touch screens.

And what the hell happened to quality keyboards? The Thinkpad T420 had the last good design, then they switched to island style and became as shitty as Macbooks.

Fuck you all for giving us gems like Ivy Bridge/Haswell CPUs, double digit GB DDR3 RAM and fast SSDs wrapped up in shiny, poorly designed polished shit.

Frankly I think Mass consumer comes first with Laptop produciton. Students who need the battery to last 8 hours, Workplace mobile machines, "Gamers". Especially since laptops are disposable, after a couple years either it will Break or become obsolete.

For a real powerhouse machine you need a desktop. I just built one for a guy who does video production it was about 5k but it was twice the machine that is commercially available at that price range.

[Ninja]

http://www.inc.com/ss/john-brandon/5-high-resolution-3k-laptops

[zok jr.]

Is it just me or are the only people who hate Macs for seemingly no reason too poor to have ever afforded one? What's wrong you hate top of the line hardware and superior build quality? Seriously?

[equanimity]

What's wrong with Macbook keyboards?

I love mine.

[redsky]

Y'all are missing the point. I'm not bitching about low resolutions, but rather the use of TV aspect ratios on laptops. These screens need to be tall, at minimum 900 vertical pixels to be usable for the kind of work I and other developers do. Massive horizontal resolutions do nothing but drain the battery and waste GPU rendering power.

My 1600x1200 20" LCD desktop monitor is awesome. I can fit over 100 lines of code on my screen. A 1366x768 laptop? Utterly useless, even for banging out a couple scripts while sitting in a hotel room on a business trip. Poor contrast, GUI apps and icons appear massive and take up most of the screen, no vertical real estate. These displays are designed for watching films and playing games.

Is it just me or are the only people who hate Macs for seemingly no reason too poor to have ever afforded one? What's wrong you hate top of the line hardware and superior build quality? Seriously?

EL OH FUCKING EL. I cleared $4K this month, but I have no interest in an overpriced hipster machine with mid-range, locked in hardware. For a similar price I can get a new Dell Latitude and have a vastly superior chassis, screen, and keyboard with the ability to add more RAM and a large SSD if I so desire. But whatever floats your boat, several of my colleagues own Macbook Pro models and they are certainly built more solidly than your average $500 consumer laptop. I don't hate them, but I largely blame Apple for starting the idiotic glossy screen trend some 8 years ago.

(Typical Mac fanboy ignores the OP in order to respond to a tangential comment poking fun at his precious Apple products)

What's wrong with Macbook keyboards?

Island style keys with poor spacing and inadequate tactile feedback.

[GothicSeraph]

My 1600x1200 20" LCD desktop monitor is awesome. I can fit over 100 lines of code on my screen. A 1366x768 laptop? Utterly useless, even for banging out a couple scripts while sitting in a hotel room on a business trip. Poor contrast, GUI apps and icons appear massive and take up most of the screen, no vertical real estate. These displays are designed for watching films and playing games.

Carrying a 20" Laptop would be absurd... The Desktop "replacements" never left the desktop. A 1366x768 is perfectly fine for the average user that most laptops are targeted and marketed for.

[redsky]

I suppose you're right, most consumers don't use laptops for productivity, so a bottom of the barrel widescreen display suits them fine. I just want something like my Thinkpad T61 with modern hardware. IMO that was probably the best laptop ever made.

[GothicSeraph]

I suppose you're right, most consumers don't use laptops for productivity, so a bottom of the barrel widescreen display suits them fine. I just want something like my Thinkpad T61 with modern hardware. IMO that was probably the best laptop ever made.

I feel ya on that one but you know those wide screens are great for "HD" Porn.

[LiquidIce]

Funny OP, I'm typing this on a T420. God fucking best keyboard I ever had the pleasure to use. And the screen? Sure, the viewing angles aren't all the hot by today's standard but 1600x900 man - I can get some serious work done on this machine.

Are there really no comparably machines that have god tier a keyboard/screen? I would love to upgrade to something with an even higher resolution and a Broadwell (dat battery life) but if the keyboard is like the one you find on macbooks - I'll pass.

Honestly, it feels like most people don't understand this because they've never had the chance to work with a keyboard this good. I'm also not surprised so many developers use macs - as far as I am aware, they were the first to sport higher resolution screens, but I might be wrong on this one.

God, now you have me scared, OP. Are the new thinkpads shit? What brands should I be looking at if I'm thinking of getting something new? If I have to use a keyboard the feels like tapping on cardboard, I'll fucking start skinning people.

[zok jr.]

Y'all are missing the point. I'm not bitching about low resolutions, but rather the use of TV aspect ratios on laptops. These screens need to be tall, at minimum 900 vertical pixels to be usable for the kind of work I and other developers do. Massive horizontal resolutions do nothing but drain the battery and waste GPU rendering power.

My 1600x1200 20" LCD desktop monitor is awesome. I can fit over 100 lines of code on my screen. A 1366x768 laptop? Utterly useless, even for banging out a couple scripts while sitting in a hotel room on a business trip. Poor contrast, GUI apps and icons appear massive and take up most of the screen, no vertical real estate. These displays are designed for watching films and playing games.

Is it just me or are the only people who hate Macs for seemingly no reason too poor to have ever afforded one? What's wrong you hate top of the line hardware and superior build quality? Seriously?

EL OH FUCKING EL. I cleared $4K this month, but I have no interest in an overpriced hipster machine with mid-range, locked in hardware. For a similar price I can get a new Dell Latitude and have a vastly superior chassis, screen, and keyboard with the ability to add more RAM and a large SSD if I so desire. But whatever floats your boat, several of my colleagues own Macbook Pro models and they are certainly built more solidly than your average $500 consumer laptop. I don't hate them, but I largely blame Apple for starting the idiotic glossy screen trend some 8 years ago.

(Typical Mac fanboy ignores the OP in order to respond to a tangential comment poking fun at his precious Apple products)

What's wrong with Macbook keyboards?

Island style keys with poor spacing and inadequate tactile feedback.

My MacBook pro has two ssds and 16 gb ram all upgrades i put in so much for locked in hardware.
Also lol at a latitude having a superior chassis... how is a plastic turd superior to a unibody chassis milled from a single billet of aluminum? I think you are just poor and bitter.

[degenerate matter]

My MacBook pro has two ssds and 16 gb ram all upgrades i put in so much for locked in hardware.

Maybe on a 5 year old Macbook Pro. Try upgrading the memory and SSD in a recent model and you're in for a surprise. The RAM is soldered in place and Apple's SSD connector is incompatible with all aftermarket drives. Uh oh.

Also lol at a latitude having a superior chassis... how is a plastic turd superior to a unibody chassis milled from a single billet of aluminum? I think you are just poor and bitter.

LOL. Aluminum surfaces, machined magnesium internal frame, steel hinges. Business laptops are designed to withstand abuse, while Apple will deny your warranty claim if they find dents in their low grade Al chassis. The fact that you think a Latitude is plastic proves that you are 100% full of shit and have zero experience with anything but junk grade consumer equipment. Kill yourself immediately.

[zok jr.]

My MacBook pro has two ssds and 16 gb ram all upgrades i put in so much for locked in hardware.

Maybe on a 5 year old Macbook Pro. Try upgrading the memory and SSD in a recent model and you're in for a surprise. The RAM is soldered in place and Apple's SSD connector is incompatible with all aftermarket drives. Uh oh.

Also lol at a latitude having a superior chassis... how is a plastic turd superior to a unibody chassis milled from a single billet of aluminum? I think you are just poor and bitter.

LOL. Aluminum surfaces, machined magnesium internal frame, steel hinges. Business laptops are designed to withstand abuse, while Apple will deny your warranty claim if they find dents in their low grade Al chassis. The fact that you think a Latitude is plastic proves that you are 100% full of shit and have zero experience with anything but junk grade consumer equipment. Kill yourself immediately.

you're talking about the MacBook pro retina and while the ram is soldered on the board (better performance) their ssds are removable and the connection is not proprietary it's a mini pci connector and plenty of aftermarket drives are available.

Also just so you know the latitude is an entire laptop line not just a single model and more of them are shitty plastic than not.

You're poor and stupid and bull shitting and you keep getting banned so obviously you are mad

[degenerate matter]

How many times do I have to trounce you in these debates before you stop repeating the same misinformed drivel and finally admit that I'm at least an order of magnitude smarter and more educated than you?