Laptop Recommendations

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CB_24

366 posts

Ultimate Geek

#245074 17-Jan-2019 12:12

Needing to buy a new laptop for my new job, they do a BYOD scheme.

Looking for something to last 3yrs, 16GB minimum (to run a portable lab on it) and touch screen as well.

Likely the look of the new Surface Pro 6 and Laptop 2 from MS

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#2162526 17-Jan-2019 12:20

Surface warranties are pretty bad as a work device unless you purchase the commercial versions and the additional warranties on top of that, if you go for those options they are good devices but pricey

Id recommend something from the HP Elitebook and up range, decent spec, decent price, 3 year next business day warranty which makes it a good work horse.

gehenna

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#2162538 17-Jan-2019 13:01

Dell XPS if not Surface. Thinkpad T480s also comes highly recommended.

SheriffNZ

671 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2162552 17-Jan-2019 13:28

I writing this on an HP Elite X2 which is my work provided laptop/tablet. I'm pretty happy with it other than it inexplicably disconnects from my external monitors a couple of times a day (unplugging and plugging the USBC cord fixes it) and the laptop screen turns off sometimes when running through external monitors (meaning I only have the two external monitors remaining).

fearandloathing

503 posts

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#2162555 17-Jan-2019 13:44

I really like the surface laptop, have one for work, don’t think you will go wrong with one. It would be my first recommendation. Not such a big fan of the surface pro, not so great when working on your lap, kick stand and flex in the type cover.
That said,j ust purchased a MacBook Air to replace a surface pro 3 that just died, I am waiting for it to be delivered. I would of replaced it with a surface Laptop 2, if I didn’t have one for work.

timmmay

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#2162570 17-Jan-2019 14:10

I prefer my solid thinkpad to my light surface pro 3, other than the weight. HP Elitebook are meant to be good.

CB_24

366 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2162590 17-Jan-2019 15:00

While the Surface would have been good the price is much higher than other brands like Dell and HP>

Liking the look of the HP Elitebooks

gehenna

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#2162595 17-Jan-2019 15:11

Surface Pro 6 starts at around $1350

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nathan

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#2162618 17-Jan-2019 16:05

CB_24: Needing to buy a new laptop for my new job, they do a BYOD scheme.

Looking for something to last 3yrs, 16GB minimum (to run a portable lab on it) and touch screen as well.

Likely the look of the new Surface Pro 6 and Laptop 2 from MS

what do you mean by "portal lab"?

VMs?

describe those a bit more, in terms of the workloads, are they I/O bound?

jonathan18

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#2162634 17-Jan-2019 16:14

nathan:

CB_24: Needing to buy a new laptop for my new job, they do a BYOD scheme.

Looking for something to last 3yrs, 16GB minimum (to run a portable lab on it) and touch screen as well.

Likely the look of the new Surface Pro 6 and Laptop 2 from MS

what do you mean by "portal lab"?

VMs?

describe those a bit more, in terms of the workloads, are they I/O bound?

OP said 'portable lab' not a 'portal lab', which sounds far more Star Trekky than I think is intended.

I'm assuming he meant exactly that - a portable lab like https://www.velamed.com/products/portable-lab?lang=en?

CB_24

366 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2162660 17-Jan-2019 16:50

Yeh Portable Lab.

Currently run VMware Workstation on my current work laptop with a number of small VMs to play with different things or demo things.

Will be looking at doing the same thing with this new laptop.

dt

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#2162668 17-Jan-2019 17:10

if you go for an elitebook, get a docking station (or 2 one for home one for work) makes life just that much simpler.. they're a lot cheaper second hand than they are brand new anywhere from a 1/3rd to 1/2 the price ..

nathan

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#2162686 17-Jan-2019 18:15

CB_24:

Yeh Portable Lab.

Currently run VMware Workstation on my current work laptop with a number of small VMs to play with different things or demo things.

Will be looking at doing the same thing with this new laptop.

OK cool so VMs as I expected.

if you can provide better info about the VMs you'll get a much more intelligent answer with suggestions.

ie I asked if the VMs were I/O bound etc....

nathan

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#2162687 17-Jan-2019 18:16

jonathan18:

OP said 'portable lab' not a 'portal lab', which sounds far more Star Trekky than I think is intended.

I'm assuming he meant exactly that - a portable lab like https://www.velamed.com/products/portable-lab?lang=en?

right so its VMs, not a Vela Med portable lab :)

CB_24

366 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2162689 17-Jan-2019 18:22

The VMs I'd be running won't be built for performance, just demo purposes mostly.

nathan

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#2162691 17-Jan-2019 18:35

CB_24:

The VMs I'd be running won't be built for performance, just demo purposes mostly.

cool, so you won't need multiple spindles then.

Personally I'm using a Surface Laptop 2 with 16GB and happily run multiple demo VMs quite happily. If ever I've needed additional I/O I'll plug in an external mSATA USB3 SSD etc.

I've setup my Hyper-V to run multiple VMs, with the same original source VM and differencing disks

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