New Laptop Required

[Alan]

Yes unfortunately.

Like the look of huawei, thanks @WolfMan

Will just say that I used a Surface Laptop for a bit and it was a wonderful little device. You definitely pay a tax for the fit and finish, though (not unlike the Apple tax, really).

 

[Alan]

I don't like Microsoft but anyone pretending any other OS is better is just lying to themselves.

Pop over to my office and shout this out loud. You'll be dead inside 30 seconds, guaranteed.

Linux bros are the worst.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Mate, I've seen off people who reckon Nenad Milijas was better than David Jones. I'd be fine.

 

[Tredman]

I was a little similar but my main pc is a cheap Mac mini M1 and it doesn’t miss a beat. I use it for 10+ hours everyday - loads of multitasking, Teams call all day long and it never ever fails.

 

[WolfMan]

I was a little similar but my main pc is a cheap Mac mini M1 and it doesn’t miss a beat. I use it for 10+ hours everyday - loads of multitasking, Teams call all day long and it never ever fails.

Those new M1 series in house processors Apple are using now are ridiculously good.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Having owned two iPhones I am never buying anything from Apple ever again. Dreadful.

 

[Alan]

Yep, if you didn't need to stay on Windows an M1 Mac would be the easy choice.

 

[Boozad]

I’d take Windows over iOS or whatever it is any day. I only own an iPhone as my one experience with Android left my phone literally a phone and nothing else when it just wouldn’t let me log into my Google account. And I’d have had a Windows phone if they supported my banking app, which they don’t.

 

[Boozad]

This requires dealing with someone who spends weekends in Games Workshop and smells of glue invariably, so be aware.

Only online, it’s actually not that bad.

 

[Alan]

I’d take Windows over iOS or whatever it is any day. I only own an iPhone as my one experience with Android left my phone literally a phone and nothing else when it just wouldn’t let me log into my Google account. And I’d have had a Windows phone if they supported my banking app, which they don’t.

iOS for mobile Apple devices (and it's not really just one OS anymore, it's been forked specifically for almost every Apple device), MacOS for laptops/desktops.

 

[BillyDee]

This requires dealing with someone who spends weekends in Games Workshop and smells of glue invariably, so be aware.

If the predominant smell is only glue, you're doing well...

 

[Tredman]

Done some googling - think either surface pro 8 or xps13..

 

[Alan]

Done some googling - think either surface pro 8 or xps13..

Careful with the XPS line. This year's model has removed a ton of the input ports.

May or may not be an issue depending on your use case.

 

[leedswolf]

I’d take Windows over iOS or whatever it is any day. I only own an iPhone as my one experience with Android left my phone literally a phone and nothing else when it just wouldn’t let me log into my Google account. And I’d have had a Windows phone if they supported my banking app, which they don’t.

After a couple of Blackberries, I've been using android. No problems.

 

[WolfMan]

Done some googling - think either surface pro 8 or xps13..

I used to use a surface pro 4 for work, used to do my head in, the weight distribution was all wrong as the computer was all behind the screen rather than under the keyboard like a traditional laptop. It was pretty much impossible to rest it on my lap or anything other than a flat surface due to the kickstand and the easily detachable keyboard. The fan used to blow like a hairdryer as well. Not sure if they will have solved these problems on the newer version.

 

[Alan]

I used to use a surface pro 4 for work, used to do my head in, the weight distribution was all wrong as the computer was all behind the screen rather than under the keyboard like a traditional laptop. It was pretty much impossible to rest it on my lap or anything other than a flat surface due to the kickstand and the easily detachable keyboard. The fan used to blow like a hairdryer as well. Not sure if they will have solved these problems on the newer version.

The Pro as it used to exist is basically dead. They've changed the form factor entirely this year precisely because of the problems you describe (putting those kinds of components behind the screen is an engineering nightmare, anyway).

 

[Tredman]

I’m leaning towards the surface pro 8, hopefully the balance issues have been solved - I had a 3 with the same problems..

 

[Johnny75]

Done some googling - think either surface pro 8 or xps13..

I wouldn't be buying the surface pro, the Mrs has one from work and it's shite, overheats and crashes continuously.

Her work have binned the MS contract, which is a fair chunk of change as it's a University.

The XPS is good but as @Boozad said, getting somebody to build one would be better. Have you tried Overclockers?

I have both a desktop Mac and Acer laptop (MS) and the Mac OS far more stable.

With integration the way it is now and if you don't need any 3D CAD processing I'd get a MacBook Pro and spec the shit out of it.

Edit: If it has to be MS OS then anything but MSI 7th gen will work for you.

 

[Tredman]

Mac is pretty ruled as I will need to run our windows based optimiser at times

Still very tempted by the surface, might go and see if I can look at one in Curry’s.

 

[Alan]

I’m leaning towards the surface pro 8, hopefully the balance issues have been solved - I had a 3 with the same problems..

Oh, oops. I was thinking of the Studio. EDIT: The Laptop Studio is replacing the old Surface Book line. My bad.

I would actually be a little wary of the Pro 8. I'm not totally up to speed on Intel's Evo platform but their mobile chips have been bad for a few years now. Hence the overheating issues mentioned above. Intel mobile CPUs run hot and draw too much power, IMO.

Were I you, I'd be looking at a Surface Laptop 4 with a Ryzen 7 processor. But you do lose the tablet functionality there (although it retains the touchscreen and support for MS Ink).