Suggestions for Portable Laptop/2 in 1 ~ 2k

Chuckles79 on 23/05/2021 - 13:36

By way of intro (and I know this isn't a common experience) but I am about to return my second XPS13 9310 2 in 1 due to display issues. I am very disappointed as when I have been able to use it, has been awesome as a daily unit. Dell have been great and I assume I have just been unlucky, but can risk a third unit having problems.

I am looking for suggestions on something similar as a personal unit with around 2k to spend. 2 in 1 is not necessary, but I will be traveling alot in the near future so thought that would be good for planes, to carry around etc.

Needs

  • i7
  • good hdd size for storage
  • reliable
  • 13 to 15 inch is fine
  • lightweight and durable for travel
  • good battery
  • some light gaming but nothing high end
  • Windows
  • good for movies and music via Netflix, Music apps

I have never before considered a Mac, but perhaps I should? Is it easy to run Windows over the top, can you then access the same apps? I can't grasp the iOS layout…

Appreciate any advice or tips where to buy outside the usual retail stores.

Computing Computer Laptop

Comments

  • dshamim on 23/05/2021 - 16:21
    +1

    try lennovo flex, good ratings and frequently go on sale
    older surface machines is also a very good option

  • wei13 on 23/05/2021 - 17:56
    +3

    Lenovo Thinkpad X13

    Beats Intel i7 in my opinion.

  • dracothraxus on 23/05/2021 - 18:31
    +1

    Just going through this although this general search but 2 in 1 focused: options are:

    Latitude 7420 2 in 1
    Lenovo Yoga 9i 2 in 1
    HP Spectre x360 Convertible
    And the cheaper HP Envy gets good ratings

    Some good overviews: https://www.laptopmag.com/au/articles/best-2-in-1-laptops

    • Chuckles79 on 23/05/2021 - 18:59

      Yeh thanks, have been looking at the yoga also.

      • dracothraxus on 23/05/2021 - 19:02

        What were the display issues? The new XPS13 2 in 1 looks so good on paper, but based on my current XPS13 (2 battery issues so far) and others the Dell reliability looks somewhat shaky…

        • Chuckles79 on 23/05/2021 - 19:08
          +1

          Pff…has been so frustrating. I absolutely love the device but:

          • first unit had those multi colour lines randomly appearing across the screen, constantly. I spent ages trouble shooting with Dell before being offered a refund or replacement

          I chose the replacement…

          • second unit I have had for 4 weeks and suddenly the screen went black (not even using it) and you could make out the desktop very faintly but couldn't see much or the cursor. After about an hour and a number of hard resets the screen flickered back to life.

          But that was that and I asked for a refund.

    • Chuckles79 on 26/05/2021 - 09:56

      How you going with this - I still can't make a decision…keep going round in circles on it.

      • dracothraxus on 26/05/2021 - 19:03

        The Latitude 7420 2 in 1 I was going for has a 90 day wait time…

        • Chuckles79 on 26/05/2021 - 19:23

          Yeh right. Surface laptop via Microsoft is only a couple days for delivery. But yeh I tried to limit my spending in the end.

  • roonie on 25/05/2021 - 11:47

    I had an Asus 2in1 some years ago which I hated. Top heavy (as all the kit was screen section rather than under the KB). Great idea that didnt work in practice (for me anyhoo)

    Macs are lovely (we have two - after I swapped the Asus) but the new M1s wont run Windows

    • Chuckles79 on 25/05/2021 - 13:26

      Oh M1 wont run Windows?? After a bit of research was closing in on a Macbook Pro…

      Add: looks like there is a patch/update out to allow it now?

      • deliriouss on 25/05/2021 - 14:12
        +1

        You can't dual boot into Windows on M1 Mac, but you can use Windows and Windows application via visualisation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6N8n99htvw). There are some limitations such as OpenGL support and x64 emulation, so it really depends on your line of work and what you use your laptop primarily for. Another thing you won't get on a Mac is touchscreen, so if touch is important to you then forget about Mac.
        MacBook Pro will likely be updated soon, if you do decide that it is the right machine for you, it is worth waiting for a few more weeks but a mid-spec MBP will no doubt be over your $2k budget. I would recommend that you check out the M1 MacBook Air as well, as the performance difference between this generation MBA vs MBP is minimal.
        If you want to stick to windows, the Thinkpad X13 wei13 recommended is a good option, the T14 and X1 Carbon are worth considering too. If you want to give Dell another chance then check out their Latitude series. I find Dell business laptops to be of better build quality than their consumer line.

        • Chuckles79 on 25/05/2021 - 15:59

          What about using Parallels, is that a good option for dual use?

          • deliriouss on 25/05/2021 - 16:53
            +1

            @Chuckles79: Parallels is arguably the easiest visualisation software for non-tech savvy users to use. For anything that has a Mac version available though, it would be advisable to just get the Mac version for optimised performance. Do bear in mind, even with visualisation tools and x86x64 emulation, there is still a chance you won't be able to get a certain piece of Windows app to run properly as the M1 architecture is still relatively new, so if you use any industry-specific software for work, then it is best to check with the IT guy in your company first. Another thing to bear in mind is gaming options are limited on Mac, if gaming is important to you then stick to Windows laptop, but for all the other use case you mentioned I don't think you would have problem adjusting to MacOS and the MacBook certainly fit your requirement of being lightweight, durable and has good battery life.

            • roonie on 25/05/2021 - 17:30

              @deliriouss: I use Oracle Virtualbox (free) on a 2014 mac mini to run some Windows software a few times a year. Its a little sluggish but OK for what I want. Wife got an MBA some 10 years ago, now a MBP. Agonised about crossing the floor having been a Windows guy since Windows 2.0. What really won me over was after talking to the propeller heads at work, was finding that they all ran Macs at home but more importantly, the comment "they run just as fast after 5 years as day1" - a claim no Windows user can make! (oh, and I find Windows 8/10 really cluttered)

  • Chuckles79 on 26/05/2021 - 13:18
    +1

    For anyone interested, I made some compromises and landed on a new Surface Laptop 4 via Microsoft, 16GB i5 512 (over the AMD). Was offered a discount online (no idea why) which brought it to $2069 in total delivered.

    I would have gone the Macbook Pro M1 but the inability to run Windows on it well was a deal breaker. Otherwise at this price happy to accept the compromise based on a number of articles/videos.

    Hopefully works out 😅

    • deliriouss on 26/05/2021 - 14:52

      Glad you found something that suits you. If you are still interested in Mac, what you can do is to order both the surface laptop and the MacBook Air (I recommend air over this generation of pro). Apple has a 14-day hassle-free return policy and Microsoft allows a generous 60 days evaluation period.

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