Hi guys, i'm pretty sure many uni students right now are on the hunt for a decent
ultrabook under $1000 (For those who don't prefer macs). So i hope this helps the many
students out there as well.
What are some ultrabooks that you guys could recommend?
Based on cpu, battery and most importantly, build.
Hi there OP,
I don't really have an answer for you as I'm sort of in the same boat as you.
Though I'm tossing between an ultrabook and a tablet, don't know which would be best for uni. Any ideas?
I'm currently eyeing the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 for uni.
Haswell-based Pentium, 4GB RAM, 500GB drive, 11 inches and 8 hours of juice, plus a touchscreen, for a relatively lowish prices of $550.
Hey there. Yeah i think it's best to go ultrabook, tablet is functional but won't really duplicate the experience of an actual notebook.
I did have one model in mind though, the Asus S300CA 13.3" (i5 3rd Gen, 4GB Ram, 500GB HDD)
It seemed alright for $800 but no stock in australia anywhere :(
I'd get a refurbished Dell from their DFO http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/product…
There's a Latitude 7240 going for $799 right now.
it's pretty disappointing that there isn't much around of this sorts, particularly the Haswell variety which has been around for about a year now.
I'm still hoping these guys release something soon enough:
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/126817
Get a Mac, no regret.
Surface pro anyone?
i5 3rd gen, hd4000 igpu, fantastic 1080p screen, good enough battery (can squeeze 5-6 hrs at least), proper pen input. Super compact. I got mine for $625 128gb with type cover 2 (backlight keyboard).
Cons:
-> battery life doesn't compare to other ultrabook.
-> 1 usb 3.0 slot + other required accessories for desktop use (e.g. mini displayport adapter - got mine for $18 legit version).
-> need to get a tether for pen or you are going to forget it somewhere.
honestly at uni battery life is probably the most important - most annoying thing when your on the hunt for a powerpoint (there are tons… just not necessarily in the most convenient places). also the freedom to live without a plug is… indescribable.
that being said it is a slightly cheaper and if you need the pen input (which may not be that many people, typing or writing on a book is usually fine tbh). also the screen might to be too small for some people's liking
Battery life is your biggest issue here. Wouldn't recommend it.
Surface Pro? Or Surface Pro 2?
depends on price
SP1 with typecover 2 - $625
vs
SP2 with typecover 2 - $1250
Are you opened to second hand items? If you are I highly recommend going on ebay and getting yourself a second hand 13" macbook air - it is the only device in the Mac lineup I would recommend. It is obvious that the ultrabooks are trying to compete with that and I haven't used or even seen reviews of any other laptop that comes close - on the MBA you get ridiculously good batter life - that alone sold me on it. I have owned several windows ultrabooks and laptops and I wasn't as satisfied with them as the MBA - I have even owned the 15" Mabook Pro with Retina and I preferred the Air over it. If you are not against getting a Mac, I really recommend picking up a second hand 13" Air.
btw I am not trying to be an apple-whore, I am actually a PC guy, but for work or uni, if you aren't required to do hardcore rendering - or something that requires a lot of processor work, I would really recommend this.
I'm interested in this too but not for work purposes.