On Wed, Aug 05, 2015 at 11:20:10PM -0400, D. Hugh Redelmeier wrote: > Most notebooks don't have the performance of desktops because the > tradeoffs are different. > > - Most notebook CPUs are weaker than desktop CPUs. Fewer cores and > lower clock rates, for a start. There are exceptions but they are > outliers. > > - Ditto for GPUs. But GPUs may not matter much for what you hope to > do. > > - adding disks and RAM is more constrained. May well be OK anyway > > - desktop displays can and should be better than notebook displays > (but I seem to care more than most folks) > > - in a fixed installation, notebooks are a bit awkward (but you can > fix that by using an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse). > > Many new notebooks don't let you replace batteries, RAM, or disks. > Beware. Of course this is not the case with ThinkPad T420 notebooks. > > If you want portability, the T420 is too old: more modern Intel CPUs take > a lot less power for the same performance and thus the battery lasts > longer. > > If you don't want portability, a W-series ThinkPad may be more powerful > and expandable (may depend on the generation). My son's W520 will accept > up to 32G of RAM, I think. Lennart has a similar one. And it comes with > a larger screen.
The W530 is perfectly portable. It closes and fits in a large bag and can be carried places. :) I would hate to do it on a regular basis though. It does support 32GB ram and in my case has a Core-i7 CPU, which means quad core + hyperthreading at about 3GHz. The fact it has a 170W power supply probably tells something about the power consumption. > Here's an example of a very powerful non-portable notebook: > <http://www.nmicrovip.ca/rog-core-i7-4710hq-16gb-ram-1tb-hdd-17-3-gtx860m-2gb-1920x1080-dvdrw-windows-8-1-bilingual-kb-g751jm-sh71-cb-refurbished/> > - quad core i7-4710hq > - 1920x1080 17" IPS screen > - 16G of RAM (that may well be the limit) > - NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX860M Graphics with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM > Beware: bilingual keyboard Actually I suspect it is french canadian keyboard. One of the worst keyboard layouts ever made. Looking at some pictures, that is in fact the case. Of course things can be fixed: http://us.estore.asus.com/collections/replacement-keyboard/products/g751jm-1a-k-b_us_module-as-90nb06g1-r30300 I did that with my wife's ideapad a few years ago (partially because the keyboard broke and it was easier to get a US replacement which was also desirable). > | I currently have T43, and its keyboard is difficult to type on, at least > | for me. > > Many people love ThinkPad keyboards, especially the ones on older > ThinkPads. One of the main complaints about newer ThinkPad keyboards is > "they aren't as good as the old ones". > > How can this square with your observations? > > - keyboards are at least partially a matter of personal taste > > - your T43 might have a dud keyboard. > > In any case, the only way you'll really know if you'll like a keyboard is > to try it. > > Me? Lots of keyboards seem bad, some seem elegant but not to my taste, > many seem fine / good enough. None has captured me. > > | - it's stiff, so you need to "push" rather than "tap", > | - it doesn't spring back, fast enough or "crispy" enough, so you > | actually notice and become aware of the keypresses. And, that > | interferes with my typing. I suspect the newer chicklet style thinkpad keyboard might actually be an improvement then. > Many typists like being sure when they press a key. > > Significant key travel is considered desirable by many (but not all). > And rare in modern notebooks because of the quest for thin. > > A tactile signal of a keypress registering is considered a Good Thing > (except by many gamers). Something sort of lost with most modern > key structures. > > There has been a renaissance of mechanical keyboards. They cost > several times as much as regular keyboards. And a great deal has been > written about the characteristics of each. I thought that I'd like > Cherry blue, brown, or clear keys. > <http://www.keyboardco.com/blog/index.php/2012/12/an-introduction-to-cherry-mx-mechanical-switches/> > > I'm using a mechanical keyboard to type this (Rosewill RK-6000; > imitation Alps keys, somewhat like Cherry Blue). It is fine, but not > a revelation. I have the same reaction to my wife's keyboard with > Cherry brown switches. I find it especially disappointing that a key > can register on my keyboard without a click and a click can happen > without a registration (these problems don't seem to happen with the > way I type). > > In ThinkPads, I like my x61's keyboard better than my T530's. I suspect I would be the opposite. I like the W530 keyboard (which is the same as the T530). -- Len Sorensen --- Talk Mailing List [email protected] http://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
