I’m in the market for a real computer that’s small and light and runs windows.
I have an old, bottom of the line Lenovo yoga. I love the form factor (the hinge lets it work as a laptop, or flips all the way over to be a tablet, or anything in between), and the keyboard and touchpad are okay. But it’s achingly slow, even to load web pages. And i feel like i can’t use it for anything “real” because it’s so underpowered.
My main computer is a Mac book pro, which is working great. But I’m not sure I like the future of where Mac is going, and I’m thinking i might ease myself into the windows world.
So I’m thinking of getting an Ultrabook, to be my travel computer and my “this software only comes in Windows” computer.
So what’s good these days?
The Lenovo yoga 930 is an obvious choice. I’m not sure what distinguishes it from the 730 version, and whether that’s stuff I care about.
I’ve heard good things about the HP Spectre 360, too.
Other options?
I probably care more about being able to buy a 1 terabyte SSD and having good ports to plug in existing peripherals than about having the very fastest processor, even though my issue with the current one is mostly speed. I also want a comfy keyboard and a responsive track pad. I also care that it can play sound nicely to external speakers/headphones, although I don’t care much about the quality of the built in speakers. I obviously don’t want to waste money, but I’m not super price-sensitive.
I was in a similar place a while ago (Mac user, not super happy with the Apple laptop lineup options) and tried a Dell XPS 13, which was basically described as the closest thing to a Macbook Air on the Windows side.
I thought it was shit. I don’t know if I got a particularly bad one, but the wifi was flaky, the audio didn’t work properly (it clipped, both on headphones and the built-in speakers), and the trackpad seemed pretty bad too. I sent it back.
One of my work colleagues really likes the HP Spectre he has. I’ve also heard good things about the Microsoft built ones with detachable tablet screens.
Not a specific recommendation but a tool I like to use for tech is NewEgg’s site. They let you pick from a host of features to narrow down selections from a pretty comprehensive list of what’s on the market. I typically use them to figure out options to consider. From there I start checking reviews and eventually shopping for a possibly better price from other vendors.
Spychip scandal last fall, a long history of machines pre-installed with bloatware and malware shipping data back to Lenovo servers to target your buying habits. They just have a way above average number of security concerns.
First thing I always do with a new laptop or tablet research any program or service I’m not familiar with and remove it if it’s not absolutely required. If you’re not familiar or comfortable with services.msc, use something like PC Decrapifier as a start of your cleanup. Also, if I get a new printer or All-In-One device, I never use the included CD to install the drivers. Not only are there likely updated drivers available, but you can usually find smaller and more efficient individual drivers (print, scan, fax) on the manufacturer’s website without all the possible spyware extras.