ideas for laptop selection

[Daniel Pocock]

On 30/04/17 17:00, Steven R. Baker wrote:
> I've spent a lot of time thinking about this lately. My next machine
> will be a Purism Librem, I think. But I've been a life-long fan of
> ThinkPads. I currently have a W550s, an X250, and an X1 Carbon. Cannot
> recommend enough.
> 

I've also been on ThinkPad for more than 10 years.  I'm comfortable with
servicing them and I'm happy with their TrackPoint.

As long as other options such as the Purism are not 100% free, I would
not favor them completely over another ThinkPad.

Even if some of the vPro stuff is hard to avoid, can ThinkPad be ordered
without vPro or can it be sufficiently disabled?

>> The main reasons for replacing the X220 tablet:
>>
>> 1. weight - I'd like to get something under 1.5kg, the lower the better
>> and there are plenty of models between 1.0 and 1.2kg these days.
>>
>> 2. screen resolution - the 768 pixel screen height is troublesome for
>> some applications
> X270 will solve this nicely. So will the X1 Carbon. I have two machines
> with "HiDPI" (the W and the X1 Carbon) and it's very well supported by
> both GNOME and KDE.
>

What were the factors for you in choosing between X1 Carbon 2017 and the
X270?  I noticed you preferred X270.

The older X1 Carbons were a bit bigger but now they have made it smaller
by reducing the edge around the screen it is very tempting for me.

One particular concern I have is that there is nothing with quad core in
the ultraportable market but I guess I just have to live with that if I
want long battery life.  Compiling projects like reSIProcate benefits
from extra cores.

>> 3. battery - it is not like new any more
> The X270 has a replaceable second battery, so you can carry around as
> many as you need.
> 

In 2015 I bought a new battery for the X220 Tablet but I've found that
"new" batteries are never as good as when the laptop is new.  When you
buy a "new" battery for an old laptop, there is every chance the battery
has been sitting in a warehouse for 3-4 years.  So to get a real new
battery experience, the only option is usually buying a current model
laptop.

Regards,

Daniel