Thinking of an Ultrabook

[TheGreatSatan]

I currently have a 12 inch laptop from Alienware and love it, but the screen is starting to separate along the edges. My lappy is about 5lbs, but has 8GB of RAM, a 1GB GeForce GT330 and a 128GB SSD. I even get an average of 6 hours on my battery. I originally thought I wanted it because I would be gaming on it, but I never, ever do...

The new Ultrabooks look really sweet and are obviously super light and many have great batteries with SSD's too, but I really don't have an opinion on which to get. I've been looking at the Lenovo u300 thus far.

Any opinions?

[Technochicken]

My dad got an Asus UX31 Zenbook a few months ago, and it is really nice. In the reviews I read, they complained about the trackpad, but Asus seems to have fixed the drivers since then. The only downside is no backlit keyboard. I don't particularly mind, but some people like it.

[d_stilgar]

I would wait for systems built for windows 8. I think those are going to be really amazing.

[TheGreatSatan]

Windows 8 looks like a Crap-in-tosh

[Outlaw]

Most systems today won't have any issues running Win8 if the user desired to have it. Personally, I like the sleek look and portability. I would pass ONLY because of the price to hardware ratio. And actually, which version of the 300 were you looking at? I see the u300s, u300e..

u300s
http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-10802BU-13-3-Inch-Ultrabook-Graphite/dp/B005NHPEYW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330955693&sr=8-1 (3 reviews)

u300e
http://www.lenovo.com/products/us/laptop/ideapad/u-series/u300e/

But if it will do everything you need within your budget. Why not? You cant beat the aluminum shell either for durability.

[diluzio91]

My vote is for the Zenbook 31x because of the screen resolution. I have a 13 inch 1600x900 panel and it's awesome

[Cale_Hagan]

My dad got an Asus UX31 Zenbook a few months ago, and it is really nice. In the reviews I read, they complained about the trackpad, but Asus seems to have fixed the drivers since then. The only downside is no backlit keyboard. I don't particularly mind, but some people like it.
i saw those asus at sam's club, they are thin like a macbook air, and look beyond slick! personally, the bigger the laptop, the better imo for what i use it for...i own an hp hdx18, and the only thing i wish it had extra is the backlit keyboard... :( i have a netbook for on the go.

Windows 8 looks like a Crap-in-tosh

:whistler: mhmm.

[TheGreatSatan]

The Zenbook is just as pricey as the Mac

This Toshiba at my work seems really nice

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0382160

[billygoat333]

I was actually gonna suggest that toshiba to you. I like the looks of it and the price isn't terrible.

[diluzio91]

I know engadget did pretty indepth reviews on all of them. My friend has the Acer one and my biggest complaints about it is the keys. it seems like they don't travel far enough down when you're typing... it's very weird.

[Twigsoffury]

http://www.sagernotebook.com/


Some bad mam-ma jammas right above. I recommend them on the ww2ol forums pretty much all the time (i should get a free laptop from them lol) but anyways i've never heard one complaint, and nothing but positive responses from the people who've bought them.


But they do weigh a lot, They are pretty thick as far as 2012 laptops go.

But they offer SLi/Xfire, Over the top cooling, Triple hard drive w/ raid capabilities, When they say 8 hours of battery life.. they mean 8 hours because the batteries are huge.

Quad channel memory on the intel models, With the latest and greatest from both vendors, (AMD/Nvidia as well)

The warranties and support are some of the most awesome around from what i've heard, and they've got excellent hand holding skills when it comes to RMA's and support calls. (none of that" call back after your done" and you get another person over and over.... they'll wait on the phone with you the whole time)


But to make my point short, I'd consider them along side all of the "major" vendors offerings.

[AmEv]

One more option: S76 (https://www.system76.com/laptops/). Albeit they're Linux lappies, getting Windows installed wouldn't be too hard. But an i7 in a 14"?

[TheGreatSatan]

http://www.sagernotebook.com/


Some bad mam-ma jammas right above. I recommend them on the ww2ol forums pretty much all the time (i should get a free laptop from them lol) but anyways i've never heard one complaint, and nothing but positive responses from the people who've bought them.


But they do weigh a lot, They are pretty thick as far as 2012 laptops go.

But they offer SLi/Xfire, Over the top cooling, Triple hard drive w/ raid capabilities, When they say 8 hours of battery life.. they mean 8 hours because the batteries are huge.

Quad channel memory on the intel models, With the latest and greatest from both vendors, (AMD/Nvidia as well)

The warranties and support are some of the most awesome around from what i've heard, and they've got excellent hand holding skills when it comes to RMA's and support calls. (none of that" call back after your done" and you get another person over and over.... they'll wait on the phone with you the whole time)


But to make my point short, I'd consider them along side all of the "major" vendors offerings.

How is this an Ultrabook......?

Yeah, no

[CrazyTeaPot]

Sager is great if all you care about is power and quality, but their laptops are pretty ugly in my honest opinion. I wouldn't call them ultrabooks for that reason and only that reason.

"Ultrabooks are designed to feature reduced size and weight, and extended battery life without compromising performance."

If you're looking into getting one now rather than later, I would say get a Zenbook. They seem to be the best choice right now. Just make sure you get the right model. You can see the difference between a few of the most popular ones here.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006740&IsNodeId=1&srchInDesc=ultrabook&page=1&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&CompareItemList=32%7C34-214-596%5E34-214-596-TS%2C34-230-171%5E34-230-171-TS%2C34-230-168%5E34-230-168-TS%2C34-131-131%5E34-131-131-01%23%2C34-246-216%5E34-246-216-TS

That 13" model is the best one there I would say. I'm not sure why that Samsung costs so much, though?

Personally, I think I'll wait for more powerful models to appear. I wouldn't call integrated graphics "without compromising performance". Though, it's not like they cost a bagillion dollars I guess.

So either a Zenbook or a Macbook Air is what I would go with. The Zenbook has better screen resolution and a mini-HDMI port. The Macbook has... Thunderbolt I guess. (I'd go with the Zenbook)

[AmEv]

Apple and TGS do NOT go together.

[CrazyTeaPot]

Apple and TGS do NOT go together.

Apple and TheGreatSatan meet in Hell. What did TheGreatSatan say to Apple?

Get off my throne.

[Technochicken]

So either a Zenbook or a Macbook Air is what I would go with. The Zenbook has better screen resolution and a mini-HDMI port. The Macbook has... Thunderbolt I guess. (I'd go with the Zenbook)

The Zenbook is also cheaper (1,099 vs 1,299)

[CrazyTeaPot]

The Zenbook is also cheaper (1,099 vs 1,299)

Unless you buy the "older" model for $900, which is actually technically better than the "new" model in some ways.

HD Graphics 3000 - 3DMark06 - 3500 (New)
GeForce 320M - 3DMark06 - 4300 (Old)

Though...

1.7GHz Core i5 - 3DMark06 - 2700
1.8GHz C2D - 3DMark06 - 1300

And...

4GB DDR3
2GB DDR3 (Though you could just upgrade and still save money.)

Otherwise they're basically the same. I guess it depends on what you want to do. Personally though, I think the older version is better over-all. That i5 is pretty nice, but it's not like that C2D is slow or anything. I mean, if you really need processing power... you wouldn't be looking at the Macbook Air anyways. lol

So I don't know. For a $400 difference, I wouldn't be tempted to get a faster processor in favor of a slower GPU unless the old processor sucked, which it really doesn't. If you need something more powerful... get a Macbook Pro. It's not *that* much thicker and boasts quite a bit more powerful hardware for the same price or better. It's still a very attractive laptop.

Ergo, I would be comparing the MBA's $900 version with the Zenbook's $1100 version.

...just to be clear though, I would still get the Zenbook. There's just something about it... that's so much sexier. The MBA is like a model who went through plastic surgery and had every little thing removed so it's now this bland faceless "idea" of beauty, whereas the Zenbook is just itself and doesn't care what people think. It has natural beauty while also being unique. And for only $200 more? Not a bad deal really. It's still a hit in the GPU department, but it's better or on par in basically every other way so I'd say it's worth the extra cash. I also prefer its style and OS as well.

[diluzio91]

You're kind of missing the point... TGS would never use apple hardware for anything more than target practice..

[AmEv]

Or to take the case and mod it. Past the point that you could no longer tell it was Apple.

[xr4man]

You're kind of missing the point... TGS would never use apple hardware for anything more than target practice..

me too!

[CrazyTeaPot]

Anywayyssss... was just making a point in regards to the previous comments, not TGS. For TGS, I'd recommend the Zenbook. Its also from a fairly reputable brand too. I laso like Samsung, but Im not really digging their ultrabooks.

[diluzio91]

of course.. this makes a compelling argument...
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/12/asus-zenbooks-to-get-ivy-bridge-refresh-optional-1080p-and-back/

[TheGreatSatan]

I do love the option for a backlit keyboard, but hate Asus almost as much as [Cr]Apple.

I'm thinking Toshiba, Lenovo, or Samsung maybe...

It needs to be 13 inches and stupid light. I picked up the Toshiba model in the store and was shocked how rediculously light it was. That was my moment of WOW! I don't care about graphics or processing power, because the SSD will make it seem powerful. My laptop is literally a tool for processing Mod photos and visiting TBCS. That's it.

[diluzio91]

I've used the Toshiba you're talking about. Aside from the keyboard (which drove me nuts, but is almost exactly the same on all ultrabooks) it seems solid and is defiantly crazy light.

[CrazyTeaPot]

I do love the option for a backlit keyboard, but hate Asus almost as much as [Cr]Apple.

I'm thinking Toshiba, Lenovo, or Samsung maybe...

It needs to be 13 inches and stupid light. I picked up the Toshiba model in the store and was shocked how rediculously light it was. That was my moment of WOW! I don't care about graphics or processing power, because the SSD will make it seem powerful. My laptop is literally a tool for processing Mod photos and visiting TBCS. That's it.

Hmm. I just bought my first Asus.. why do you not like Asus?

[diluzio91]

3 letters can explain that... ROG. All the rog stuff asus has been putting out has been crap, ,their mobo designs leave much to be desired, and aside from their premium laptop lineup, their quality has gone to pot, but their prices have stayed high. Also, since typing is such a big part of what you do with that ultrabook you should play with the keyboard, the shallow travel distance is something that can and will drive you insane.

[CrazyTeaPot]

3 letters can explain that... ROG. All the rog stuff asus has been putting out has been crap

What's crap about any of the ROG products? They're almost all awesome and have great reviews? For example...

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=ASUS+ROG

I see like one product there that has 3/5, the rest are pretty much all 4/5 and fairly well reviewed. Seems pretty good to me or that people aren't finding anything to complain about at least?


their mobo designs leave much to be desired

As far as motherboard designs go, these all look pretty decent and well reviewed to me. A good couple of them are pretty cool looking too. Looks like they've also won a few awards as well.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007627%2050001315&IsNodeId=1&name=ASUS

There might be better options out there, but that doesn't "leave much to be desired." They seem to be on par with the other brands at the very least, with a few being above par. (though every brand has it's unique flagships)


aside from their premium laptop lineup, their quality has gone to pot, but their prices have stayed high

The quality seems pretty good as well. For example; literal pages upon pages of well reviewed items with great ratings...

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Asus

http://www.newegg.com/Store/BrandSubCategory.aspx?Brand=1315&SubCategory=280&name=Intel-Motherboards&Order=RATING

http://www.newegg.com/Store/BrandSubCategory.aspx?Brand=1315&SubCategory=20&name=LCD-Monitors&Order=RATING

http://www.newegg.com/Store/BrandSubCategory.aspx?Brand=1315&SubCategory=48&name=Desktop-Graphics-Video-Cards

http://www.newegg.com/Store/BrandSubCategory.aspx?Brand=1315&SubCategory=145&name=Wireless-Routers

http://www.newegg.com/Store/BrandSubCategory.aspx?Brand=1315&SubCategory=57&name=Sound-Cards

If the quality was shot, I don't think they would be getting good reviews...


Also, since typing is such a big part of what you do with that ultrabook you should play with the keyboard, the shallow travel distance is something that can and will drive you insane.

As far as typing with an ultrabook goes, aren't they all like that? But, reading some of the reviews from around the web... there seems to be two verdicts about the keyboard. They either complained that there was no back-lighting option, or they were satisfied with the keyboard and only mention that it's slightly harder to press the keys, but that it isn't a real problem. So? Of course, every user experience will vary, so it's kind of a subjective point.

Does anyone have any real reason(s) why they don't like Asus? Having just looked through all of that, my opinion that they are a quality brand has only been reinforced even further. And unlike apple, they aren't priced 15-25% higher than similar products. Their prices seem to be right on par with similar products.

[diluzio91]

My experience with Asus products has been: the symbol (R) denotes ROG product.

Mobo: Socket AM2+ - Screaming caps 6 months out
Mobo: Socket AM3 - Crashes under any overclocking, even using unlocked multi
Mobo (R): Socket 1156 - Blew out after 12 hours of overclocked Prime 95
Mobo: Socket 1156 - Blew out after 5 months of gaming
Laptop (R): Overheated while gaming using a cooling pad.
Laptop (R): Sound stops outputting, drivers, fresh install, still no sound through headphone jack
Laptop: Touchpad would not work (fixed by taking it apart and removing misplaced conductive tape)

My good experiences with asus have been:
Laptop (Asus U series, the aluminum one with the i7 at bestbuy): Solid and works well.
GPU: 6870, Overclocked well, stayed within normal heat range
Mobo: Socket AM3, Worked, but isn't under any stress
Mobo: Socket AM3+, works, but audio is completely shot, fortunately customer has dedicated sound.
Sound Card: Xonar rocks.

If you don't believe me that the ROG branding has gone down hill, ask any of the guys here who work at micro center how often they have ROG boards come back, Rog laptops, ect.. I'm not saying asus is a crap brand in it's entirety, but they seem to have an extremely high rate of failure.

If you havn't tried a keyboard on an ultrabook it's hard to explain how annoying it is. have you ever been walking down a flight of stairs and then you get to the last step and it's way shorter than all the other stairs? that jarring feeling is how typing on most ultrabook keyboards feels. I'm coming from a mechanical keyboard, and i can say that the typing experience ruined the ultrabook for me, especially when i can go out and spend 800 for a laptop with great battery life, a 13 inch form factor, and a higher resolution screen, which lacks a shallow keyboard.

Also, you asked why TGS dislikes asus products and I told you exactly why. I know that they make good products, and i'm sure that everyone here has had a similar experience with any hardware vendor you can think of. In my personal experience I avoid asus boards, but I love their sound cards. I would also like to point out that their EEE series of netbooks where basically tanks. In my personal opinion these are the brands i stick with because they have never let me down.

Mobo:
Evga, Gigabyte (I have a board from them that actually survived a burned out PSU and is still chugging away in my HTPC.) Budget build? ASrock.

Graphics
Evga, Gigabyte, XFX

PSU:
Corsair, PPC, Seasonic, XFX.

SSD:
OCZ, Corsair

HDD:
Western Digital

Sound Cards:
Asus

Laptop:
Dell, Sony, Acer (only certain models, but i still wind up recommending them occasionally), Asus (non ROG products) Alienware (Price markup? Yes, Quality? Yes), and of course Lenovo (They will ALWAYS have a place in my heart due to the nubbin).

Each person has their own personal preferences in parts suppliers, and we all have our own reasons for them. If you stick around long enough you'll even hear alot of stories. Out of everyone on this forum the only guys i can think of who are using ROG products (off the top of my head, i'm sure there are more) are L3p, and possibly SXR or x88x, although i could be completely wrong on those guys, Feel free to chime in if I am.

Also, Asus does have a series that in my opinion is better than their ROG lineup, and that's the saber tooth. those boards are pretty awesome.

[CrazyTeaPot]

Personal experience doesn't really mean much. Take Western Digital and Seagate. You have people on both sides saying the same things.

But, if you want to go by user experience... read some of those reviews. Or, I could get one of my friends to speak up on here. He's got a ROG motherboard and an Asus G73. Been about a year now and both are still working just fine (I overclocked his Core i7, but only to 3.8Ghz and I used the Asus software on his board to OC the GPU as well, by a smidgen).

Anecdotal evidence is just kinda meh in making a point. Especially as it could be user error related, or it could be manufacturer defect, or it could be that they sell more so you'll naturally get more RMA's, etc etc. I mean, these are "easy oc" boards after-all. I can't imagine that attracts experienced users all that much... So it very well could be a "nature of the beast" type of thing.

Also, about the Alienware laptops.. I've heard more than a few stories about faulty hinges and other build quality issues. Though I agree with your list otherwise. All good brands. I'd say in those categories they're even better than Asus, but I'm just saying.. that's not really reason to dislike asus which was really the whole point in asking TGS why he disliked Asus. Especially since we're considering notebooks here, not motherboards. As far as notebooks go, Asus seems to be doing pretty well. So he might dislike Asus, but I don't see a reason why that should make a difference when considering ultrabooks.

[xr4man]

I do love the option for a backlit keyboard, but hate Asus almost as much as [Cr]Apple.



really? you're gonna go that far with your asus hate? i mean, i hate acer and e-machines, but i wouldn't put them anywhere near the hate i have for apple. i do put chevrolet in that category though. oh, and dodge vipers.

[Twigsoffury]

"Ultrabooks are designed to feature reduced size and weight, and extended battery life without compromising performance."


Well tell me when you find one, Because i don't Consider any laptop i've seen posted so far as "ultra"

Maybe backlite keyboards, fancy logos and intel graphics or a ATi 4200 don't impress me as much as they do yall.

I'll stick with quad channel memory GTX560's and triple hard drive capacity w/ RAID packaged into something that won't fall apart in 12 months, and can take a lick with out going fukushima

[diluzio91]

Well tell me when you find one, Because i don't Consider any laptop i've seen posted so far as "ultra"

Maybe backlite keyboards, fancy logos and intel graphics or a ATi 4200 don't impress me as much as they do yall.

I'll stick with quad channel memory GTX560's and triple hard drive capacity w/ RAID packaged into something that won't fall apart in 12 months, and can take a lick with out going fukushima

Considering Ultrabook is a marketing term created by intel.

An Ultrabook is a higher-end type of subnotebook defined by Intel. Intel has applied to register the name as a trademark. Ultrabooks are designed to feature reduced size and weight, and extended battery life without compromising performance. They use low-power Intel processors with integrated graphics, solid-state drives for responsiveness, and unibody chassis to fit larger batteries into smaller cases

So while you stick with a very powerful laptop, it's not an Ultrabook

[CrazyTeaPot]

Well tell me when you find one, Because i don't Consider any laptop i've seen posted so far as "ultra"

Maybe backlite keyboards, fancy logos and intel graphics or a ATi 4200 don't impress me as much as they do yall.

I'll stick with quad channel memory GTX560's and triple hard drive capacity w/ RAID packaged into something that won't fall apart in 12 months, and can take a lick with out going fukushima

Well ultrabooks are defined by Intel, but, by their own definition I would say Ultrabooks arent Ultrabooks. They seem like super powerful netbooks or watered down notebooks.

But they arent classified as gaming either, so they can technically say that they are even if theyre a bit weak in comparison. Theyll still perform just fine for normal computing needs and thats what theyre intended for i think.

Intel needs to redefine what an ultrabook is or be more specific. They arent weak, but they sure arent on par with current technology either.

Maybe if they add something like "for everyday computing". Though the whole term is kinda ridiculous. Just make it easy and say an ultrabook is anything thin and light. Like, less than an inch thick and less than 3lbs or so. In reality, thats all an ultrabook is anyways...

Edit: And battery life. Perhaps anything more than 7 hours?

Either way, youre still compromising power in favor of those things, which is against the current definition.

[Stonerboy779]

I do love the option for a backlit keyboard, but hate Asus almost as much as [Cr]Apple.

I'm thinking Toshiba, Lenovo, or Samsung maybe...

It needs to be 13 inches and stupid light. I picked up the Toshiba model in the store and was shocked how rediculously light it was. That was my moment of WOW! I don't care about graphics or processing power, because the SSD will make it seem powerful. My laptop is literally a tool for processing Mod photos and visiting TBCS. That's it.

Just got my best friend to buy a Samsung notebook.

Actually still can't believe I convinced her because it does have a pink coloured brushed aluminium casing around the screen. Although it did mean she saved $2-300 on going with either a black or silver version.

Either way


Processor: Intel® Core i5 Processor 2430M (2.4GHz)
Memory: 4GB DDR3 RAM 1333MHz
Display: 12.5" LED HD (200nit, non-gloss and this is my favourite thing along with the responsiveness of the touch pad, This screen I could view it from angles of 100 degrees clearly granted you don't see much from there lol and the anti glare they market works, tried shining all kinds of light on it to no avail)
Graphics: Intel HD 3000
Storage: 500GB HDD 5400RPM (getting switched to a 120GB Patriot Pyro SE next week for better battery (already at 6 hours plus) temps and of course performance.
Communication: 10/100/1000 Gigabit LAN, Wireless-N 130, 802.11 bg/n (up to 150Mbps), Bluetooth® 3.0 High Speed
Input: Touch Pad(Scroll Scope, Flat Type as i said i loved it one of the best pads I have used in fact I would rate it better than macbooks which is saying something, as much as i hate apple and macs they do get there touch right, physical buttons at the bottom too)
Physical Specifications: Dimension: 298.9 x 197.8 x 26mm, Weight: 1.4kg (it is ridiculous almost has me wanting one with how light it is however no I still need my laptop to perform well with cad)
Power: 6-Cell Standard battery (umm think somewhere between 6-7000 mah which is decent)
I/O Port:
VGA(Dongle)
HDMI
Headphone-out/Mic Combo
Internal Mic
2 x USB 2.0 (Sleep-and-Charge)
4-in-1(SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC) multi card slot reader
RJ45(LAN)
DC-In(Power Port)
Standard as all hell ports and no optical drive because honestly who uses them.


I would recommend it or a model from same family but with only newegg to go on some recs of good american stores to look at for laptops/notebooks/ultrabooks would help me help you.

Oh and $600AUD for all that which is damn nice for a change.

[Twigsoffury]

Well ultrabooks are defined by Intel, but, by their own definition I would say Ultrabooks arent Ultrabooks. They seem like super powerful netbooks or watered down notebooks.

But they arent classified as gaming either, so they can technically say that they are even if theyre a bit weak in comparison. Theyll still perform just fine for normal computing needs and thats what theyre intended for i think.

Intel needs to redefine what an ultrabook is or be more specific. They arent weak, but they sure arent on par with current technology either.

Maybe if they add something like "for everyday computing". Though the whole term is kinda ridiculous. Just make it easy and say an ultrabook is anything thin and light. Like, less than an inch thick and less than 3lbs or so. In reality, thats all an ultrabook is anyways...

Edit: And battery life. Perhaps anything more than 7 hours?

Either way, youre still compromising power in favor of those things, which is against the current definition.



Well I'm not sure about you guys, But when i think "ultra", I'm not thinking about Intel integrated graphics and low end processors.

They should call them featherbooks or litebooks, or thinbooks or slimbooks or something like that.

Because "ultra" should be reserved for

http://img.techpowerup.org/090710/P1512_10-07-09.jpg

[AmEv]

*drool*

[xr4man]

What The Hell Is That? And Why Does It Have 4 Cooling Fans?


hmm, the site just turned my all caps post into just the first letter in caps. interesting

[Twigsoffury]

What The Hell Is That? And Why Does It Have 4 Cooling Fans?


That's a Sager laptop, and because its ultra.

[CrazyTeaPot]

Does it even have a battery, or would that be kind of pointless? lol

That's no laptop... that's a portable desktop with power-outage protection! :o

Now if they could just make it thin, light and with good battery life... Now *that* would be ultra.

[AmEv]

Yeah, it has a battery. It just seriously de-throttles to save battery.

[TheGreatSatan]

I don't hate Asus for no reason at all. I sell computer components at work all day long. We sell 20 Gigabyte boards for every one Asus and at least 50% of them come back. Republic of Garbage boards are far worse. At least 80% of them are dead within a couple of months.

I'm willing to bet that 90% of reviews are from people who have owned the product for a couple of days and of course, have nothing but great things to say. That new Maximus board is too early for me to say, but the crap Rampage was the worst ever. We had one customer go through 5 of them before he found one that had no problems. It's never all the same stuff either. It's usually dead PCIe's or SATA ports or it just doesn't work at all.

I also see Asus RoG laptops always being sent back to the manufacturer too. It's almost funny looking at the carts going to the warehouse with one HP and three RoG's.

I do not trust Asus and will never give them a cent again.

[CrazyTeaPot]

What brands do you trust then? Doesn't every brand have it's duds, either in the past or present?

Instead, I'd just use judgement based around current information rather than past incidents. Else you end up never buying from anyone ever again.

[Stonerboy779]

Can microcenter order you in a samsung series 3 with 2nd gen core i5? then just replace the HDD with a SSD

[TheGreatSatan]

They can and I wasn't necessarily going to buy from Micro Center. I thought about buying Dell's version, but the reviews aren't the greatest

[Stonerboy779]

They can and I wasn't necessarily going to buy from Micro Center. I thought about buying Dell's version, but the reviews aren't the greatest

Well I was struggling to see much selection of decent notebooks going around on the American entail lets I know.
Knowing where you work though it would be good for you to literally browse supplier catalouges and use employee discount.

Not surprised you didn't find favourable reviews.

[TheGreatSatan]

I only get a $50 discount on the Ultrabook. The big discount I get is on the store warranty. The 3 year accidental plan is less than $50 where it would normally be $300-ish

I like this one on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Portege-Z835-P370-13-3-Inch-Ultrabook/dp/B006GTDQ7S/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1331925531&sr=1-2) too

[Stonerboy779]

I only get a $50 discount on the Ultrabook. The big discount I get is on the store warranty. The 3 year accidental plan is less than $50 where it would normally be $300-ish

I like this one on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-Portege-Z835-P370-13-3-Inch-Ultrabook/dp/B006GTDQ7S/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1331925531&sr=1-2) too

Does that plan include dropping it, spilling water ect if so I really hate you haha

Love a good toshiba (had two laptops of theirs in the past) however for the specs is it not cheaper to get an identical speced laptop and add the SSD in yourself? Adding the SS yourself mean bye bye bloatware and restrictions too.

[Stonerboy779]

http://promotions.newegg.com/nepro/12-0736/index.html?cm_sp=homepage_top-_-nepro/12-0736/wk%201-_-http%3a%2f%2fpromotions.newegg.com%2fnepro%2f12-0736%2fwk+1%2fhomepage_696x288.jpg

http://promotions.newegg.com/nepro/12-0736/winners.html

[TheGreatSatan]

^Entered!