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General discussion

I need a light and durable laptop for business use

by silviamira Nov 3, 2009 8:43PM PST

Hi!

I need to buy a new laptop because the current one broke down due to excessive overheating, and I need advice on what to get. I use my laptop as a workstation, +8 hours a day. I need a powerful machine, as I use a virtualized Windows (with CPU-consuming CAT tools) on Linux (Ubuntu) for my job. I also need it to be light - I have a rheumatic disease and I cannot carry a lot of weight when travelling. I was thinking of a 13 inch screen, and 4.5 lb. maximum weight (less, if possible).

I've been browsing around but Are the Lenovo ThinkPads a good option? What do you recommend?

Thanks a lot in advance.

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6 Posts
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Have you used a Lenovo?
by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator Nov 3, 2009 9:33PM PST

The reason I asked is I turned one back in to the office for simple reasons. The keyboard with it's re-arranged control key and that I have to press the FNKEY to get a Home, End key. That and the rubber stopper they put in the palm rest area (hint: it should be on the laptop lid out of the way.)

For me, the Lenovo was a fine built machine with flaws I can't stand.

This leaves us to the Toughbook. Its about that only DURABLE laptop made that won't break the bank.
Bob

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no, but...
by silviamira Nov 4, 2009 12:57AM PST

The truth is I have never used a Lenovo before. Coincidentally, my current laptop also had a Function key in place of the Ctrl key. It took a little while, but I got used to it. So if those are the only drawbacks, I guess I can stand them Happy

As for the Panasonic Toughbooks, I think they may be a bit "too much" (and too expensive) for me. When I said durable I didn't mean rugged; I should have said that I basically need a laptop which will not overheat easily (my two previous laptops broke down due to overheating) and will stand being used for many hours a day, every day.

Should I go back to the Lenovos, then?

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Sure.
by r. proffitt Former Forum moderator Nov 4, 2009 2:27AM PST

I still would watch out for that rubber stop in the palm rest area. While I would get used to the control key move the lack of home and end keys was unacceptable. The rubber stop in the palm rest makes that unit a no-sale for me.

-> ABOUT over heating. The most common reason I find is that some owners get 3D video chipsets. For "work" all we need is simple Intel 4500MHD or similar solutions. That one thing could save the heat and need for a laptop cooling pad.
Bob

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They have a toughbook F8
by orlbuckeye Nov 4, 2009 1:00AM PST

which weighs 3.7 pounds which is nice but the price is around 3000.

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Helpful tool for multiple PC "wants"
by RonS [WINDOWS-TEAM] Nov 7, 2009 2:13PM PST

I think you've done a good job already picking out what you want/need in your next PC, so I'm going to go short on the info here. However, you can definitely use this new tool from Microsoft (it's PC maker-agnostic, so you're not pigeon-holed) to find something that might fit your needs. You can actually used the sliders to change your preferences, which is pretty nice

Here's the link: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pc-scout/laptop-set-criteria.aspx?mode=landing

Once you find a couple you think you might want, make sure you actually go and get your hands on them.

Cheers,
Ron

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What about the HP Probook 5310m?
by silviamira Nov 9, 2009 5:27PM PST

Okay, so I'm not so sure about the Thinkpads anymore. I had been looking at the USA website, in which you get several good discounts, you can order quite a few models and you can customize the laptop. However, in the spanish website there are only a few models, you cannot customize them and I think they are extremely expensive (like twice as much as in the USA website!), and the partner locator does not work. What about the customer service? It might be non-existent.

I've been looking at the HP Probook 5310m. I was reluctant to get an HP laptop, because we've had quite a few in my family and they lasted less than 3 years. However, I've read very good reviews about this particular laptop -it is light (less than 2 kg) and powerful. Any experiences with this model?

Thanks a lot for the advice on 3D cards. I never use the laptop for gaming anyway, so I guess I don't need a fancy graphics card.

By the way, this may sound like a stupid question, but what are really the differences between the so-called "business laptops" and laptops which fall under the "Home" category? Business laptops seem to be more expensive (and uglier, hehe), but I haven't been able to find any significant difference regarding hardware (meaning most "business laptops" specifications do not seem much better than those found in "home" laptops)...

Thanks again!

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