RE: [OT] Developer Laptop
Hi guys,
We have one of those HP Envys - it's the PC version of the MacBook, right?
But the screen res is 1920x1080, not x1200 I think?
Got it during the HP clearance for $2000 (which is awesome given the chip
is an i7-820M)
Downside is the screen doesn't open fully and also HP would only give us a 1
year warranty (I prefer my laptops to be covered for 3 years given that's
the depreciation life of it - doesn't seem so easy to do these days.)
You will need to replace the hard drive with an SSD (on account of the HP's
5400 RPM pig of a drive), but I saw CPL had high performance 120G OCZ SSDs
for $300. Always go SSD aftermarket as the performance of vendor sponsored
SSDs is pretty bad.
Last laptop I ordered was a 15 Dell XPS - 10% RACV discount code. So I got
a decent screen res (1920x1080) and 3 year warranty. But it takes ages for
them to deliver. This one is taking a month.
I also bought an 11 Alienware recently. That has a pretty good build
quality so I'd probably consider looking at Alienware as well when
purchasing another lappie.
Regards,
Tony
From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com]
On Behalf Of Corneliu I. Tusnea
Sent: Tuesday, 30 November 2010 11:24 PM
To: ozDotNet
Subject: Re: [OT] Developer Laptop
I've got an HP Envy 15 (1104TX) that has all you want:
1. Supports up to 16Gb Ram
2. 1960x1200 resolution (in a 15.6 screen). I like the screen. It's not
Dell's Adobe RGBLED but it's close.
3. Core i7
Price was $3000 back in February. There is a new version released recently
by HP that might be much better.
4. + After market SSD
$2100 on eBay with SSD
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW---HP-Envy-15-Laptop---i7-820-8G-RAM---128G-SSD-HD
D_W0QQitemZ260695699625QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=176625346640
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW---HP-Envy-15-Laptop---i7-820-8G-RAM---128G-SSD-H
DD_W0QQitemZ260695699625QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=176625346640query=%7bquery%7d
fitem=260695699625linkin_id=8062051mt_id=641kw=%7bquery%7d
query={query}fitem=260695699625linkin_id=8062051mt_id=641kw={query}
The bad:
- Keyboard has an extra set of keys to the left which is really annoying but
you get used to it.
- Crap battery life (1h)
- Crap support (they didn't want to help me find out the Bluetooth drivers
because I was not running the OEM W7 version).
- Bluetooth is a bit flaky
- Few of the keys started to loose the paint :( No chance for a replace as
it's my fault (f*u* HP)
- No VGA output (only mini HDMI). You need a special HP cable at $240 to
output VGA
- Any hardware support means shipping the laptop to HP and waiting 10-20
days for them to review, get parts and fix it. It's considered a consumer
product not a business one which is plain stupid. How many consumers buy a
$3000 laptop?
I'm quite happy with it. Does not get terribly hot and it's very nice and
light and relatively small.
If HP support would be on par with Dell this would be the best laptop ever.
I might even consider upgrading to 16Gb of RAM one day. Never had the
feeling I need it but one day ...
Corneliu.
On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 11:13 AM, James Chapman-Smith
ja...@enigmativity.com wrote:
Hi folks,
I've been using a Dell XPS M1710 laptop now for the nearly the last 4 years.
It's been a good little beast and it still performs better than many of the
newer machines that I get lumbered with on some client sites.
It is now time for me to upgrade. Being a development machine I want good
graphics, lots of screen real estate (1920x1200 preferred) and memory
(12GB+).
I've initially looked at the latest Dell offering - the XPS 17
http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-17/pd.aspx?refid=xps-17s=
dhscs=audhs1~ck=mn - it looks good, it can be configured with 16GB of
RAM, but it only has 1680x900 resolution. The XPS 15
http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-15/pd.aspx?refid=xps-15s=
dhscs=audhs1~ck=mn offers 1920x1080 but has an 8GB RAM limit. The other
Dell offerings are getting old so I'd like to avoid them.
So it might be time to jump ship from Dell.
I'm looking for advice from my fellow devs on which laptop brands and/or
models are highly regarded. I'm happy to pay for quality.
What laptop can anyone recommend for my next dev machine?
Cheers.
James.
RE: [OT] Developer Laptop
Sony Z series? The screen might be a bit small though (13) FWIW, when working at my desk at home, I have two monitors connected (one via HDMI, and one via a USB video card), so I don't really use the laptop panel at all. I wouldn't be too hung up about the 8GB of RAM. 8GB SoDIMMS are only just starting to come out now. So you might find that a machine rated at 8GB max (2 x 4GBs) can actually support 16GB (2 x 8GBs) provided the chipset has this support. You just need to upgrade the RAM internally down the track. I'd also get an SSD for the best improvement to performance IMHO. Cheers Ken From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] On Behalf Of Craig van Nieuwkerk Sent: Tuesday, 30 November 2010 8:25 AM To: ozDotNet Subject: Re: [OT] Developer Laptop VMs use a lot of ram but also it is not a single program. Currently I have 8 applications running that I am using, not including things like services in the tray. Craig. On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 11:19 AM, Wallace Turner w.tur...@fex.com.aumailto:w.tur...@fex.com.au wrote: out of curiosity, what programs are you running that use up 8 GB ram ? VMs? Or future proofing? (to a degree) On 30/11/2010 8:13 AM, James Chapman-Smith wrote: Hi folks, I've been using a Dell XPS M1710 laptop now for the nearly the last 4 years. It's been a good little beast and it still performs better than many of the newer machines that I get lumbered with on some client sites. It is now time for me to upgrade. Being a development machine I want good graphics, lots of screen real estate (1920x1200 preferred) and memory (12GB+). I've initially looked at the latest Dell offering - the XPS 17http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-17/pd.aspx?refid=xps-17s=dhscs=audhs1%7Eck=mn - it looks good, it can be configured with 16GB of RAM, but it only has 1680x900 resolution. The XPS 15http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-15/pd.aspx?refid=xps-15s=dhscs=audhs1%7Eck=mn offers 1920x1080 but has an 8GB RAM limit. The other Dell offerings are getting old so I'd like to avoid them. So it might be time to jump ship from Dell. I'm looking for advice from my fellow devs on which laptop brands and/or models are highly regarded. I'm happy to pay for quality. What laptop can anyone recommend for my next dev machine? Cheers. James.
Re: [OT] Developer Laptop
I've got an HP Envy 15 (1104TX) that has all you want:
1. Supports up to 16Gb Ram
2. 1960x1200 resolution (in a 15.6 screen). I like the screen. It's not
Dell's Adobe RGBLED but it's close.
3. Core i7
Price was $3000 back in February. There is a new version released recently
by HP that might be much better.
4. + After market SSD
$2100 on eBay with SSD
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW---HP-Envy-15-Laptop---i7-820-8G-RAM---128G-SSD-HDD_W0QQitemZ260695699625QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=176625346640query={query}fitem=260695699625linkin_id=8062051mt_id=641kw={query}
The bad:
- Keyboard has an extra set of keys to the left which is really annoying but
you get used to it.
- Crap battery life (1h)
- Crap support (they didn't want to help me find out the Bluetooth drivers
because I was not running the OEM W7 version).
- Bluetooth is a bit flaky
- Few of the keys started to loose the paint :( No chance for a replace as
it's my fault (f*u* HP)
- No VGA output (only mini HDMI). You need a special HP cable at $240 to
output VGA
- Any hardware support means shipping the laptop to HP and waiting 10-20
days for them to review, get parts and fix it. It's considered a consumer
product not a business one which is plain stupid. How many consumers buy a
$3000 laptop?
I'm quite happy with it. Does not get terribly hot and it's very nice and
light and relatively small.
If HP support would be on par with Dell this would be the best laptop ever.
I might even consider upgrading to 16Gb of RAM one day. Never had the
feeling I need it but one day ...
Corneliu.
On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 11:13 AM, James Chapman-Smith
ja...@enigmativity.com wrote:
Hi folks,
I’ve been using a Dell XPS M1710 laptop now for the nearly the last 4
years. It’s been a good little beast and it still performs better than many
of the newer machines that I get lumbered with on some client sites.
It is now time for me to upgrade. Being a development machine I want good
graphics, lots of screen real estate (1920x1200 preferred) and memory
(12GB+).
I’ve initially looked at the latest Dell offering – the XPS
17http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-17/pd.aspx?refid=xps-17s=dhscs=audhs1~ck=mn–
it looks good, it can be configured with 16GB of RAM, but it only has
1680x900 resolution. The XPS
15http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-15/pd.aspx?refid=xps-15s=dhscs=audhs1~ck=mnoffers
1920x1080 but has an 8GB RAM limit. The other Dell offerings are
getting old so I’d like to avoid them.
So it might be time to jump ship from Dell.
I’m looking for advice from my fellow devs on which laptop brands and/or
models are highly regarded. I’m happy to pay for quality.
*What laptop can anyone recommend for my next dev machine?*
Cheers.
James.
RE: [OT] Developer Laptop
Yes, pretty much - VMs, future proofing - plus SQL server, LINQPad (which can use a lot of RAM), Outlook and several Visual Studio instances. From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] On Behalf Of Wallace Turner Sent: Tuesday, 30 November 2010 10:50 To: ozDotNet Subject: Re: [OT] Developer Laptop out of curiosity, what programs are you running that use up 8 GB ram ? VMs? Or future proofing? (to a degree) On 30/11/2010 8:13 AM, James Chapman-Smith wrote: Hi folks, I've been using a Dell XPS M1710 laptop now for the nearly the last 4 years. It's been a good little beast and it still performs better than many of the newer machines that I get lumbered with on some client sites. It is now time for me to upgrade. Being a development machine I want good graphics, lots of screen real estate (1920x1200 preferred) and memory (12GB+). I've initially looked at the latest Dell offering - the XPS 17 http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-17/pd.aspx?refid=xps-17s= dhscs=audhs1%7Eck=mn - it looks good, it can be configured with 16GB of RAM, but it only has 1680x900 resolution. The XPS 15 http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-15/pd.aspx?refid=xps-15s= dhscs=audhs1%7Eck=mn offers 1920x1080 but has an 8GB RAM limit. The other Dell offerings are getting old so I'd like to avoid them. So it might be time to jump ship from Dell. I'm looking for advice from my fellow devs on which laptop brands and/or models are highly regarded. I'm happy to pay for quality. What laptop can anyone recommend for my next dev machine? Cheers. James.
RE: [OT] Developer Laptop
I'd suggest looking at the Lenovo http://shopap.lenovo.com/au/en/products/professional-grade/thinkpad/w-series/index.html W510. They aren't cheap, but if you need more than 8GB, they're your best bet. Cheers Chris @http://twitter.com/ChrisWalshieChrisWalshiehttp://twitter.com/ChrisWalshie From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] on behalf of James Chapman-Smith [ja...@enigmativity.com] Sent: Tuesday, 30 November 2010 11:13 To: Oz Dot Net Subject: [OT] Developer Laptop Hi folks, I’ve been using a Dell XPS M1710 laptop now for the nearly the last 4 years. It’s been a good little beast and it still performs better than many of the newer machines that I get lumbered with on some client sites. It is now time for me to upgrade. Being a development machine I want good graphics, lots of screen real estate (1920x1200 preferred) and memory (12GB+). I’ve initially looked at the latest Dell offering – the XPS 17http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-17/pd.aspx?refid=xps-17s=dhscs=audhs1~ck=mn – it looks good, it can be configured with 16GB of RAM, but it only has 1680x900 resolution. The XPS 15http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-15/pd.aspx?refid=xps-15s=dhscs=audhs1~ck=mn offers 1920x1080 but has an 8GB RAM limit. The other Dell offerings are getting old so I’d like to avoid them. So it might be time to jump ship from Dell. I’m looking for advice from my fellow devs on which laptop brands and/or models are highly regarded. I’m happy to pay for quality. What laptop can anyone recommend for my next dev machine? Cheers. James.
Re: [OT] Developer Laptop
I have seen people recommend Lenovo before. Looking at the W510 it seems to be around twice the price of a similar spec'd Dell. What makes it worth the additional cash? Craig. On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 3:37 PM, Chris Walsh ch...@walshie.me wrote: I'd suggest looking at the Lenovo http://shopap.lenovo.com/au/en/products/professional-grade/thinkpad/w-series/index.html W510. They aren't cheap, but if you need more than 8GB, they're your best bet. Cheers Chris @ http://twitter.com/ChrisWalshieChrisWalshiehttp://twitter.com/ChrisWalshie -- *From:* ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] on behalf of James Chapman-Smith [ja...@enigmativity.com] *Sent:* Tuesday, 30 November 2010 11:13 *To:* Oz Dot Net *Subject:* [OT] Developer Laptop Hi folks, I’ve been using a Dell XPS M1710 laptop now for the nearly the last 4 years. It’s been a good little beast and it still performs better than many of the newer machines that I get lumbered with on some client sites. It is now time for me to upgrade. Being a development machine I want good graphics, lots of screen real estate (1920x1200 preferred) and memory (12GB+). I’ve initially looked at the latest Dell offering – the XPS 17http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-17/pd.aspx?refid=xps-17s=dhscs=audhs1~ck=mn– it looks good, it can be configured with 16GB of RAM, but it only has 1680x900 resolution. The XPS 15http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-15/pd.aspx?refid=xps-15s=dhscs=audhs1~ck=mnoffers 1920x1080 but has an 8GB RAM limit. The other Dell offerings are getting old so I’d like to avoid them. So it might be time to jump ship from Dell. I’m looking for advice from my fellow devs on which laptop brands and/or models are highly regarded. I’m happy to pay for quality. *What laptop can anyone recommend for my next dev machine?* Cheers. James.
Re: [OT] Developer Laptop
On 30 November 2010 14:45, Craig van Nieuwkerk crai...@gmail.com wrote: I have seen people recommend Lenovo before. Looking at the W510 it seems to be around twice the price of a similar spec'd Dell. What makes it worth the additional cash? I left ThinkPads for Latitude. My take is that the ThinkPads are definitely a lot better quality - solid build etc - but the support is generally RTB and pretty ordinary compared to Dell. Dell have excellent support. Worth twice the price? I'm not sure. -- *David Connors* | da...@codify.com | www.codify.com Software Engineer Codify Pty Ltd Phone: +61 (7) 3210 6268 | Facsimile: +61 (7) 3210 6269 | Mobile: +61 417 189 363 V-Card: https://www.codify.com/cards/davidconnors Address Info: https://www.codify.com/contact
RE: [OT] Developer Laptop
I personally use a Dell Latitude E6510. Works like a charm, 8GB RAM Core i7, SSD blah blah, can't fault it (now). It was a replacement from Dell for the horrible E6500. For twice the price the Lenovo's aren't worth it. Paying a fortune for on-site warranty etc where Dell it's cheaper. I'd go with the new XPS 15 laptops. But if you really need 8+GB of RAM, you're stuck at the moment for something new. As the XPS 14, 15, 17 models are new. Might take some time to filter down with new options. Might be worth pinging @MartyAtDell to see if he knows any more on the 17 models. From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] on behalf of Craig van Nieuwkerk [crai...@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, 30 November 2010 15:45 To: ozDotNet Subject: Re: [OT] Developer Laptop I have seen people recommend Lenovo before. Looking at the W510 it seems to be around twice the price of a similar spec'd Dell. What makes it worth the additional cash? Craig. On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 3:37 PM, Chris Walsh ch...@walshie.memailto:ch...@walshie.me wrote: I'd suggest looking at the Lenovo http://shopap.lenovo.com/au/en/products/professional-grade/thinkpad/w-series/index.html W510. They aren't cheap, but if you need more than 8GB, they're your best bet. Cheers Chris @http://twitter.com/ChrisWalshieChrisWalshiehttp://twitter.com/ChrisWalshie From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.commailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.commailto:ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com] on behalf of James Chapman-Smith [ja...@enigmativity.commailto:ja...@enigmativity.com] Sent: Tuesday, 30 November 2010 11:13 To: Oz Dot Net Subject: [OT] Developer Laptop Hi folks, I’ve been using a Dell XPS M1710 laptop now for the nearly the last 4 years. It’s been a good little beast and it still performs better than many of the newer machines that I get lumbered with on some client sites. It is now time for me to upgrade. Being a development machine I want good graphics, lots of screen real estate (1920x1200 preferred) and memory (12GB+). I’ve initially looked at the latest Dell offering – the XPS 17http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-17/pd.aspx?refid=xps-17s=dhscs=audhs1~ck=mn – it looks good, it can be configured with 16GB of RAM, but it only has 1680x900 resolution. The XPS 15http://www1.ap.dell.com/au/en/home/notebooks/xps-15/pd.aspx?refid=xps-15s=dhscs=audhs1~ck=mn offers 1920x1080 but has an 8GB RAM limit. The other Dell offerings are getting old so I’d like to avoid them. So it might be time to jump ship from Dell. I’m looking for advice from my fellow devs on which laptop brands and/or models are highly regarded. I’m happy to pay for quality. What laptop can anyone recommend for my next dev machine? Cheers. James.
Re: [OT] Developer Laptop
Here is the Lenovo web site with prices for Australia http://shopap.lenovo.com/au/en/notebooks/thinkpad/w-series/w510 http://shopap.lenovo.com/au/en/notebooks/thinkpad/w-series/w510I am sure you can get it cheaper than $3200 but the specs of the W510 on there seem comparable to some $1000 laptops I have seen. 250gb HDD?? 3gb ram?? Craig On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 3:47 PM, David Connors da...@codify.com wrote: On 30 November 2010 14:45, Craig van Nieuwkerk crai...@gmail.com wrote: I have seen people recommend Lenovo before. Looking at the W510 it seems to be around twice the price of a similar spec'd Dell. What makes it worth the additional cash? I left ThinkPads for Latitude. My take is that the ThinkPads are definitely a lot better quality - solid build etc - but the support is generally RTB and pretty ordinary compared to Dell. Dell have excellent support. Worth twice the price? I'm not sure. -- *David Connors* | da...@codify.com | www.codify.com Software Engineer Codify Pty Ltd Phone: +61 (7) 3210 6268 | Facsimile: +61 (7) 3210 6269 | Mobile: +61 417 189 363 V-Card: https://www.codify.com/cards/davidconnors Address Info: https://www.codify.com/contact
Re: [OT] Developer Laptop
On 30 November 2010 15:00, Chris Walsh ch...@walshie.me wrote: I personally use a Dell Latitude E6510. Works like a charm, 8GB RAM Core i7, SSD blah blah, can't fault it (now). It was a replacement from Dell for the horrible E6500. For twice the price the Lenovo's aren't worth it. Paying a fortune for on-site warranty etc where Dell it's cheaper. I'd go with the new XPS 15 laptops. But if you really need 8+GB of RAM, you're stuck at the moment for something new. As the XPS 14, 15, 17 models are new. Might take some time to filter down with new options. Might be worth pinging @MartyAtDell to see if he knows any more on the 17 models. I think if you value your time and productivity Dell support is the way to go. I have had a fair few issues with my E6500 but every time you just ring prosupport in Sydney, phone picks up straight away with an Aussie who takes you seriously and does not ask you to re-install Windows. Their techs are always on site the next day, prompt, courteous and normally come with enough parts to rebuild the machine from scratch. So if something stuffs up you just book them in for lunchtime and then bugger off to subway - when you come back your machine is fixed and ready to go. A bit off topic but their server support is amazing. I got an SMS from our network monitoring at 6am on a Sunday that one of the batteries in the RAID controller was faulting. I rang them and the parts were on my front steps at home 45 minutes later. The tech rang shortly after telling me he was outside the data centre. -- *David Connors* | da...@codify.com | www.codify.com Software Engineer Codify Pty Ltd Phone: +61 (7) 3210 6268 | Facsimile: +61 (7) 3210 6269 | Mobile: +61 417 189 363 V-Card: https://www.codify.com/cards/davidconnors Address Info: https://www.codify.com/contact
