EvilZone
General Tech => Hardware => : lucid March 31, 2014, 01:48:03 AM
-
Which one should I get:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313687
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834257258
The bottom one(HP) has better specs then the top one(Lenovo) to a non-negligible degree, but the only thing is that I hear really good things about Lenovo's hardware, and I'm so fucking sick to death of hardware issues that it would be worth it, even if the HP's CPU is faster and the hard drive is bigger. I don't know about HP really, but at least it's not a Dell right?
I don't know why websites never include the NIC chipset in the specs. I would REALLY like to know that info before buying a laptop. Seems everything in the world runs fucking Broadcom.
EDIT: Just realized every single review on the Lenovo said that the battery that came with it was either wrong, or non-existent. Fuck that noise. I don't know what the fuck they are doing over there at Newegg but they need to get their shit together. Every time I've ever ordered anything from Newegg, the order always get's sent back at least once before I get it. Sometimes twice due to stupid phone number issues. Like that matters so damn much. Plus I've heard lot's of stories pertaining to Newegg's inability to send the correct equipment, or parts of the whole package are missing.
I mean seriously, everyone else can do it just fine Newegg, what the fuck are you doing. Shit, maybe I should scrap both these and go to tigerdirect or something.
-
The second motha fuckin laptop, motha fucka
-
Edited first post, so take a second look if you really enjoy listening to me bitch. Have you had HP's before? I'm strongly concerned with the hardware stability of whatever computer I buy. That, and the what kind of NIC, but apparently that information is just too elusive.
EDIT: Ok, because I can't find what I'm really looking for anywhere, I'm going to post some desired specs, and if someone can find this laptop I'll throw cookies at you.
So:
- Must be win7, doesn't matter which kind
- Hard drive size doesn't matter
- Something WITHOUT BROADCOM
- At least 4gb memory DDR3
- At the very least 2.4ghz Intel CPU, more is preferable
- HDMI is a plus
- No more then $400, so it won't be brand new, which is fine
-
Definitely Lenovo. Just because I've had nothing but bad experience with HP's products so far.
About the hardware, the thinkwiki (http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T410) has some answers.
-
Boom! Ok I realize this laptop doesn't fit a few of the specs I specified myself, but fuck it.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8667869&SRCCODE=WEBGOOKWL&cm_mmc_o=mH4CjC7BBTkwCjCs81CjCE&gclid=CI3-1qHCu70CFQsSMwodcxUA8Q
Something I'm a little confused about. It says that the OS is Win7/8. So um... what the hell does that mean? In other words, will I be able to dual-boot linux, or just install linux on this thing just like I could with any other Win7 laptop? Or is this going to give me all that bullshit that comes with a Win8 box which you can't install shit on?
-
If I'm not mistaken the E545 is the latest of the Edge series with the retarded clickpad and if it comes with Win8 you'll probably have to mess with UEFI. The older T series fit the bill perfectly but they lack an hdmi port.
-
I think it said it came with a Win8 upgrade cd... but I guess it'd still have to be UEFI right? Fuck that shit.
EDIT: Does HP really suck that bad? That's too bad because so many fucking laptops are HP, and they tend to have better specs then Lenovo. Plus that lack of HDMI port really gets me. Maybe I should get over it.
EDIT2: Did some more digging. If the computer comes with Win7 installed on it, then I should be able to install/dual-boot linux on it too, despite the fact that it supports Win8 correct? Because if so, I think I'm going with the lenovo with the 2.9ghz I posted most recently.
Sexy Lenovo link (http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkPad-20B2001CUS-Processor-DVD-Writer/dp/B00I52I4F8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396234413&sr=8-2&keywords=lenovo+e545)
This one ^ doesn't say anything about Win8 at all despite the fact that it's seemingly the same exact laptop. Plus it's cheaper, most likely because it doesn't come with the Win8 upgrade cd. Starting to really look like this is the one, though I can't seem to figure out if the E545 has an HDMI either.
-
1. I always suggest against HP, every computer that's been taken to me with hardware issues is either an HP or Compaq laptop/desktop (same company)
2. UEFI BIOS is going to be on all new laptops, however the last couple of lenovo and toshiba laptops I threw Windows 7 on them once enabling the legacy bios booting options, however not always easy to figure out and takes some tinkering.
3. $400 is a reasonable price for a decent laptop. My bosses got a bundle pack Toshiba laptops, 6gb ram, 750gb hd, core i3, come with either atheros or realtek wifi, hdmi output
http://m.bestbuy.com/m/e/product/detail.jsp?skuId=9999220100050023&pid=pcmprd219000050023&ep=pv-3.5.1,rc-av,av-0,rk-3
Nothing fancy but you can install win7 and dual boot kali ;-)
-
Core 2 duo, that did it for me... and save up for a 1TB HDD (what i would do)
-
Pfft kali? Nah I be running Arch or Slackware on that beezy. Anyway, I'm still looking real hard at this one:
link (http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkPad-20B2001CUS-Processor-DVD-Writer/dp/B00I52I4F8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396234413&sr=8-2&keywords=lenovo+e545)
But I can't figure out if it has an HDMI port, and I also am still leery because it comes with an optional Win8, but like I said, if it has Win7 preinstalled then linux shouldn't be an issue....... right, right, RIGHT?
@Teapot; As petty as it seems, I really don't like that it doesn't have HDMI. I'm still considering just getting over it but this option above is on my mind too still.
-
@Teapot; As petty as it seems, I really don't like that it doesn't have HDMI. I'm still considering just getting over it but this option above is on my mind too still.
I completely forgot to ask lol
Is this for everyday use? or dose it have a specific purpose.
Thats not petty at all!
Whenever my parents leave i always hook my lappy up to the TV and home stereo system 8)
-
Pfft kali? Nah I be running Arch or Slackware on that beezy. Anyway, I'm still looking real hard at this one:
link (http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkPad-20B2001CUS-Processor-DVD-Writer/dp/B00I52I4F8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396234413&sr=8-2&keywords=lenovo+e545)
But I can't figure out if it has an HDMI port, and I also am still leery because it comes with an optional Win8, but like I said, if it has Win7 preinstalled then linux shouldn't be an issue....... right, right, RIGHT?
@Teapot; As petty as it seems, I really don't like that it doesn't have HDMI. I'm still considering just getting over it but this option above is on my mind too still.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CCkQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.partnerinfo.lenovo.com%2Fpartners%2Fus%2Fproducts%2Fdownloads%2Fthinkpad-eseries%2FThinkPad-E545-Datasheet.pdf&ei=Wuk4U_WzFYmayQGjnIDIDQ&usg=AFQjCNHRBvv1SsbPP8NkCNWtV6iTjfoc9g&sig2=ZudgIzdJe_fFPJWCeExfiQ
Has HDMI and can run ubuntu so I think you're good
-
Lol it says (PRC only). People's Republic of China?
Well that's sexy otherwise. I'm still nervous about getting it just because of the optional Windows 8 bullshit even if people in China can run Ubuntu on it :P. Mainly just because I have terrible luck and I would hate to get an expensive(in my eyes) laptop that is a glorified facebook machine because I can't install anything else in it.
I can't believe that even in the Datasheet pdf it still says nothing about the chipset of the NICs, but whatever. I'm sure it's got Broadcom just like everything else or a RTL8188CE(my least favorite chipset ever).
I don't understand why the worst things in the world are the most popular.
Every time. Without fail.
-
Bad Bad boy!
Personally I had terrible experience with HP laptops.
Either dying fan's , screens and more fun.
Apart from the fact that its really difficult to swap hardware and fix things, casings are very annoying to remove etc.
HP is also not known to be very linux friendly in general(or total windows faggots).
I Need to see exact specs/chips to say anything further.
Also I suggest you do some googling about the specific model and any known issues on linux.
-
FUCK! Just did more research and I found a lot of reviews that say that the wifi is sluggish, among other various issues. Too bad too, a laptop with a 2.9GHz processor that is under $500 dollars is pretty amazing. Guess it was too good to be true. It's impossible to find a good laptop...
For those of you who forgot I am talking about this one: link (http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkPad-20B2001CUS-Processor-DVD-Writer/dp/B00I52I4F8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396234413&sr=8-2&keywords=lenovo+e545)
I'm actually physically tired from searching for a damn laptop that fits my criteria. Shit. At this point, I think it might be cool to get some recommendations from the linux users here. A laptop with HDMI, at least 2.4ghz cpu and 4gb ram, NO WIN8, and under $500, as well as a decent network chipset that works with linux and preferrably a lenovo is really hard to find.
-
Dunno if its any use but it sounds cool ; http://support.lenovo.com/en_US/detail.page?LegacyDocID=MIGR-48NT8D
There is this ; http://www.linux-laptop.net/
Apart from that most macbooks are kinda linux compat.
Mine is almost entirely nvidia (non hybrid GPU) eventhough the installation with UEFI is a complete soab its working awesome out-of-the-box , only sad thing is the wireless broadcom shit, required some tweaking blacklisting etc but it is working flawlessly atm.
My 3 year old high-end Asus is working brilliantly on linux, only trouble was the hybrid graphics, when I started that shit there was barely any support for the whole optimus nightmare (thanks nvidia, whores) as soon as bumblebee came around and I got the power consumption under control it is great.
It is still working 100% and due to the crazy tweaks I did on the powerconsumtion it still outlasts windows this very day (4,5+ hours , low cpu load) It is a powerbeast though , even for today's standards.
(I am very nice to the battery though , I only push it through (almost) full load cycles)
Basically you wanna go intel , intel and intel and intel.
There is no other way to put it.
-
I'd rather not spend all that money on a Mac, even if I was planning on installing linux on it. I'd also rather not even bother messing with UEFI, even if it is possible to install linux with UEFI.
Thanks a thousand times for that link.
*lucid throws cookies at proxx
EDIT: I do prefer intel to be quite honest. I always thought atheros was real good for linux too though.
-
Don't be scared of UEFI... I speak from experiance
Question: Why GRUB is not installing properly in my machine?
Answer: New machines have UEFI capable bios. This means that by default MS Windows is installed in UEFI mode and this requires a GPT formatted Hard Disk. At the present GRUB cannot install itself in GPT partition table. Some new distros, with kernel 3.0 and above are reported to support UEFI.
Question: How to make GRUB work in my machine?
Answer: You should convert your HDD from GPT partition table to MBR partition table (or MSDOS in Linux) and after that install your Linux OS.
Question: How can I convert my HDD from GPT to MBR partition table?
Answer: You can use Ubunu or another Ubuntu based distro in live mode. In live mode, find the program GPARTED. Wait until it recognizes all your drives and select your HDD. Right click over it, and choose the option to create a new partition table. Choose MSDOS from the list. Hit ok than apply/commit all changes. ATTENTION this will erase all your data and MS Windows (or any other OS) will disappear. Your HDD is now converted in MSDOS or MBR. You can now boot your preferred distro, create your partition scheme and install Linux.
Question: Do I need to make any changes to my bios settings?
Answer: If you have a capable UEFI and LEGACY bios, put the bios in Legacy boot only or Both enabled with Legacy boot first.
http://outlet.lenovo.com/outlet_us/itemdetails/59RF0422/445
-
Ok, I am in between these two now:
link (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313633)
and
link (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8896736&SRCCODE=WEBGOOPA&cm_mmc_o=mH4CjC7BBTkwCjCV1-CjCE&gclid=CPGOtPbyvb0CFbFFMgodACoAcw)
Both Lenovo, they both have Intel chipsets, and they both have pretty similar specs all around. No HDMI on either I don't think, because Lenovo evidentally doesn't approve of or understand HDMI. Still deciding but I'm narrowing it down.
EDIT: Goddamnit, neither of those have any USB3.0 ports either. Lenovo is kind of limited in that aspect. No hdmi, no usb 3... I wouldn't be able to use my external drive with it at all then.
Is Lenovo really the only good laptop out there? No matter what, it seems like every laptop brand in the world is bad when I ask people.
"How are HPs?"
Oh those sucks and their hardware sucks
"How are Dells?
Oh those suck and they will break
"How are anything?"
Oh those suck and they will break and their hardware sucks.
Is lenovo really the only fucking manufacturer in the world that has the capability to produce a halfway decent product that won't crumble to pieces in a year?
-
Ok, I am in between these two now:
link (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313633)
and
link (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8896736&SRCCODE=WEBGOOPA&cm_mmc_o=mH4CjC7BBTkwCjCV1-CjCE&gclid=CPGOtPbyvb0CFbFFMgodACoAcw)
Both Lenovo, they both have Intel chipsets, and they both have pretty similar specs all around. No HDMI on either I don't think, because Lenovo evidentally doesn't approve of or understand HDMI. Still deciding but I'm narrowing it down.
EDIT: Goddamnit, neither of those have any USB3.0 ports either. Lenovo is kind of limited in that aspect. No hdmi, no usb 3... I wouldn't be able to use my external drive with it at all then.
Is Lenovo really the only good laptop out there? No matter what, it seems like every laptop brand in the world is bad when I ask people.
"How are HPs?"
Oh those sucks and their hardware sucks
"How are Dells?
Oh those suck and they will break
"How are anything?"
Oh those suck and they will break and their hardware sucks.
Is lenovo really the only fucking manufacturer in the world that has the capability to produce a halfway decent product that won't crumble to pieces in a year?
Lenovo = IBM
So yeah they boss
HP & Compaq - money better spent on porn when its freely available to download
Toshiba - Decent
ASUS - Good (high end)
Dell - only good as alienware or xps varients
Gateway - wut?!?! They're still allowed to make computers
Acer - Decent for the money, but Lenovo kind of made Acer be blah
Everyone has had their opinions and personal favorites. From my experiance when I buy a laptop its either a Lenovo, ASUS, Acer, or Toshiba. People have problems with these but all laptops will have problems. I've done laptop repair professionally and 80% of laptops with "sorry you need to shell out $$$$" is HP and Compaq. Dells HDs usually crash after a year or 2 unless alienware or xps (out of your price range) Gateway has been shit as far back as I can remember. At one time or another I have recently worked with all of these brands.
ASUS - Work netbook
Lenovo - Personal
Dell - 2 friends both sitting in my garage with dead hard drives different models
Acer - had one screen broke, inexperienced tried to replace screen fucked up and ripped ribbons, gave up; also had a netbook good bang for buck
HP/Compaq - several friends and family buy these against my advice and come to me a few months later wishing they listened
Toshiba - Just set up 2 that had UEFI BIOS (usb 3 + hdmi) threw windows 7 and I tested with kali, worked just fine; have owned several one screen broke other is still working but old
Gateway - my late grandma owned one and was a POS then as it is now
Don't worry about UEFI, all new models have it, legacy is still on them and you just need to format the HD away from GPT.
As far as WiFi, $20 gets you a TPLink adapter with an ath9k chipset
Hope that helps
-
Indeed it does. So, for me it would be between Lenovo and Asus. My girlfriend had an Acer netbook, and it's dead now. Granted, she took shit care of it. For some reason though, everytime I ever think about getting an Acer laptop I find myself feeling all bad inside. I'd rather just stay away from them. Too much Windows support, and seemingly no linux. Her computer never ran linux well.
As for Asus, well, I'm so pissed about the shit quality of the screens that I don't think I want to give them anymore money. Plus, most people say they are only good high-end. So fuck that noise.
Lenovo it is. Too bad they don't have newer laptops with good specs that aren't $1000.
EDIT: I actually just discovered that my external 3.0 works on this Asus' 2.0 ports. It takes like a fill minute for the device to detect it but whatever. So now the only thing that's a bummer about the T420 is that it has no HDMI, and I guess I can get over that.
-
USB 3 devices should work on powered USB ports, you just won't get that great speed you do with USB 3. This model from tigerdirect looks like it may have an HDMI port:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8896736&CatId=17
-
That's funny. That's actually the one I'm pretty sure I've finally decided on only minutes before reading your post. I don't believe it has HDMI, but it does have one powered USB port, and it has a display port. I am pretty sure there is displayport > hdmi converters.
So that's it then. I think it's going to be the Lenovo T420. It's got everything else I want. The RAM and CPU are up to snuff, it's got an acceptable hard drive, Win7, and the best part is that it's all Intel. So it should most likely have good compatability with linux, and injections etc. Hope I made the right choice.