Ideal LapTop for Academics/Professors in socio-economic sciences

[Queen6]

Dear friends!
In which device is the most comfortable and best for long typing keyboard?
1) Surface Book
2) Surface Laptop
3) Thinkpad X1
4) MBP 2017

Best keyboards Surface Book & X 1 Carbon. The Lenovo is also the most modular, allowing the user to service and upgrade. Surface Book same as Apple will need to be returned for any repair and or service. I would recommend that you only purchase whats officially supported to ensure you have cover in the event of an issue.

You just need to check to see if it's officially supported, FWIW my own Surface Book I bought in China and comes with a 2 year international warranty from Microsoft directly this it the type of coverage you need. I would also be surprised if Lenovo did not offer the same. Thinkpad X 1 Carbon is listed on Lenovo's Russian site, so it may be beneficial to contact Lenovo directly.

Apple's support shines when you have an Apple store in your vicinity, if not same as others you need to mail and or call, equally Apple's support is generally accepted as the best.

Q-6

 

[viktit88]

And what about Surface Laptop? Does anybody use it? What is the difference between Laptop and Book keyboards?
Saw different reviews. In many of them noted, that Laptop had newer, better screen, than Book.

 

[Queen6]

And what about Surface Laptop? Does anybody use it? What is the difference between Laptop and Book keyboards?
Saw different reviews. In many of them noted, that Laptop had newer, better screen, than Book.

Differences in the display in real life is marginal. Keyboards feel very similar. I own a Surface Book and have recently looked at the Surface Laptop; high quality premium notebook, although I have concerns regarding the fabric keyboard deck. For me the Surface Book is the outright winner for my needs (2 in 1 & dGPU). I would best describe them as; Surface Book is more industrial & feature rich, Surface Laptop more premium & consumer focused.

Just be mindful the Surface Laptop although has full Pen & Touch support, however the display opening angle is limited to the traditional range of a standard clamshell notebook, which may make taking advantage of the Pen feature difficult.

Thread here deals with more of the new Surface Laptop including members who now own one.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/surface-laptop-reviews.2051000/page-4#post-24760563

Q-6

 

[viktit88]

Differences in the display in real life is marginal. Keyboards feel very similar. I own a Surface Book and have recently looked at the Surface Laptop; high quality premium notebook, although I have concerns regarding the fabric keyboard deck. For me the Surface Book is the outright winner for my needs (2 in 1 & dGPU). I would best describe them as; Surface Book is more industrial & feature rich, Surface Laptop more premium & consumer focused.

Just be mindful the Surface Laptop although has full Pen & Touch support, however the display opening angle is limited to the traditional range of a standard clamshell notebook, which may make taking advantage of the Pen feature difficult.

Thread here deals with more of the new Surface Laptop including members who now own one.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/surface-laptop-reviews.2051000/page-4#post-24760563

Q-6

Thank You very much! Have posted in this topic reply to ask people about their experience in using Laptop.

 

[ZapNZs]

How much of your typing do you do when mobile versus when in a fixed place like an office or home?

Have you purchased a mechanical keyboard yet? I use one for extended typing tasks and I swear by the comfort and feedback. For extended typing, I find it many times more comfortable than the keyboard on any of the portables that I own.

Do you plan to use many accessories with this computer, like monitors, wired printers, keyboard, mice, hard drives, etc?

 

[viktit88]

How much of your typing do you do when mobile versus when in a fixed place like an office or home?

Have you purchased a mechanical keyboard yet? I use one for extended typing tasks and I swear by the comfort and feedback. For extended typing, I find it many times more comfortable than the keyboard on any of the portables that I own.

Do you plan to use many accessories with this computer, like monitors, wired printers, keyboard, mice, hard drives, etc?

More mobile.
Weight is very important.
No accessories.

Maybe to buy Thinkpad x270?

 

[SteveJUAE]

And what about Surface Laptop? Does anybody use it? What is the difference between Laptop and Book keyboards?
Saw different reviews. In many of them noted, that Laptop had newer, better screen, than Book.

The surface laptop has a very nice KB similar to the SB and better than the SP4. The surface laptop (Win10 Pro mode) is a great easy to use cool premium clamshell without the punch of higher end spec laptops, for modest use it's a vey nice tool

All Surface KB's are nicer than the rMB IMO which are not dissimilar to the new MBP. These short throw KB seem fun/responsive at first, once you adapt, but become tiresome in time like an Ipad KB, except it's attached to a $3000 laptop

 

[viktit88]

The surface laptop has a very nice KB similar to the SB and better than the SP4. The surface laptop (Win10 Pro mode) is a great easy to use cool premium clamshell without the punch of higher end spec laptops, for modest use it's a vey nice tool

All Surface KB's are nicer than the rMB IMO which are not dissimilar to the new MBP. These short throw KB seem fun/responsive at first, once you adapt, but become tiresome in time like an Ipad KB, except it's attached to a $3000 laptop

And what about Thinkpad's KB? Nicer or similar to SB, SL?

 

[SteveJUAE]

And what about Thinkpad's KB? Nicer or similar to SB, SL?

Sorry can't comment based on personal experience

 

[Queen6]

More mobile.
Weight is very important.
No accessories.

Maybe to buy Thinkpad x270?

If this is the case and you can live with the smaller display ThinkPad X270 is the one for you. Has a tremendous away of ports for such a small notebook. X270 also has a duel battery setup allowing swapping the battery without shutting down and Lenovo offer large capacity batteries.

X270 is also on my list, being one of the most capable notebooks in it's class I will either replace my 2015 12" Retina MaBook with an X270 or the new Huawei MateBook X, looking to the later as I already own and will retain Surface Book and the Huawei offers the same portability as the Retina MacBook.

Q-6

 

[viktit88]

If this is the case and you can live with the smaller display ThinkPad X270 is the one for you. Has a tremendous away of ports for such a small notebook. X270 also has a duel battery setup allowing swapping the battery without shutting down and Lenovo offer large capacity batteries.

X270 is also on my list, being one of the most capable notebooks in it's class I will either replace my 2015 12" Retina MaBook with an X270 or the new Huawei MateBook X, looking to the later as I already own and will retain Surface Book and the Huawei offers the same portability as the Retina MacBook.

Q-6

X270
It is 1,3 kg - the same as SL, but smaller(
It has matte screen (don't know whether it will be good)
KB is the same, as on any thinkpad)
It has LTE - that's cool

X1 Carbon - lighter and 14.
All the same ports and LTE.

 

[Queen6]

X270 has several display options, so well worth checking, also has ethernet port, believe X1 C requires a dongle.

Q-6

X270
It is 1,3 kg - the same as SL, but smaller(
It has matte screen (don't know whether it will be good)
KB is the same, as on any thinkpad)
It has LTE - that's cool

X1 Carbon - lighter and 14.
All the same ports and LTE.

 

[viktit88]

X270 has several display options, so well worth checking, also has ethernet port, believe X1 C requires a dongle.

Q-6

Dear Q-6!
Well, I think, that I don't need dGPU in my everyday life, because I am working with text 24/7 - mail, docs, data. Sometimes some specific socio-economic research programs (SPSS, Stata, etc.), watch films, when I have free time. I don't know whether it is useful to have touch display for me. Haven't tried pen. Maybe it is efficient tool for notes or smth else.
At work all of my colleagues have Windows 8 machines. We use Blackboard and special Russian program for workflow. So, I think, that to have Windows laptop will be nicer, than Macbook. On some colleague's machines files (MS Office, Adobe Acrobat), that were sent from mac os, were not perceived or were damaged. Maybe it is because special antivirus programs, that has our government organisation.
To buy some tablet with external KB like SurPro or new Samsung Galaxy Book is not outcome for me, bec I need very good KB. All of them are not for people, who work a lot of hours with text.
As I trully understand, HP, Dell, Asus, Fujitsu and others, even Vaio (http://www.mobilegeeks.com/article/vaio-s11-hands-on-skylake-notebook/) or Panasonic (XZ, RZ or SZ - I wonder if somebody tried them https://panasonic.jp/cns/pc/products/rz6a/ (10.1 - 745 gramm - amazing laptop)) haven't got the best comfortable keyboard.
So Thinkpad x270, x1C, t470s, x1Y or Surface Laptop are the best varients for me. Am I right?

What do You think are the pros and cons for Thinkpad and SL?

Many thanks!

 

[Queen6]

You approaching the matter correctly, as your looking at the hardware versus you needs, not your heart If you have no requirement of a notebook with 2 in 1 (tablet/notebook) & dGPU features then I certainly don't recommend the Surface Book, as good a system it is, fundamentally your paying a "lot" more for aspects you may never benefit from.

Personally in your position I would opt for a ThinkPad, you also need to consider the display; size and resolution, especially if not using an external monitor, in which case X1 C having a 14" display panel, yet retains high portability, as does the T470S at a lower price point. ThinkPad's are also very robust and well proven, in worse case scenario relatively easy to effect repair. I really like the X270, equally bear in mind I also travel with the Surface Book with it's larger display.

Surface Laptop is very new, it's very much a prestige notebook similar to the MacBook Pro. Repairability is basically zero, I too struggled with this when purchasing my Surface Book, however it's uniqueness and feature set eventually won me over. Surface Laptop I would not recommend for your use case, as to me is doesn't really offer anything advantageous other than being beautifully designed & executed.

Pen & Touch - There's a distinct learning curve, good for easy intuitive manipulation, notes, Microsoft Office 2016 is now very Pen & Touch friendly. Diagramming is another aspect, as is the capability to store digitally. Likely you would benefit from the likes of OneNote 2016 etc. Yes there are ThinkPad 2 in 1 notebooks. Personally I saw Pen & Touch input as a benefit to my workflow, not significant, equally an edge in the right circumstance. Surface Book works for me as it's not designed to be a tablet with a keyboard, more a notebook with a detachable display, used for limited periods.

Still owning a ThinkPad T430U which I am gifting to a friend, as it's been sat in a box for several years. Forgot about it, good to see it going back into service with someone who has a greater need.

Q-6

Dear Q-6!
Well, I think, that I don't need dGPU in my everyday life, because I am working with text 24/7 - mail, docs, data. Sometimes some specific socio-economic research programs (SPSS, Stata, etc.), watch films, when I have free time. I don't know whether it is useful to have touch display for me. Haven't tried pen. Maybe it is efficient tool for notes or smth else.
At work all of my colleagues have Windows 8 machines. We use Blackboard and special Russian program for workflow. So, I think, that to have Windows laptop will be nicer, than Macbook. On some colleague's machines files (MS Office, Adobe Acrobat), that were sent from mac os, were not perceived or were damaged. Maybe it is because special antivirus programs, that has our government organisation.
To buy some tablet with external KB like SurPro or new Samsung Galaxy Book is not outcome for me, bec I need very good KB. All of them are not for people, who work a lot of hours with text.
As I trully understand, HP, Dell, Asus, Fujitsu and others, even Vaio (http://www.mobilegeeks.com/article/vaio-s11-hands-on-skylake-notebook/) or Panasonic (XZ, RZ or SZ - I wonder if somebody tried them https://panasonic.jp/cns/pc/products/rz6a/ (10.1 - 745 gramm - amazing laptop)) haven't got the best comfortable keyboard.
So Thinkpad x270, x1C, t470s, x1Y or Surface Laptop are the best varients for me. Am I right?

What do You think are the pros and cons for Thinkpad and SL?

Many thanks!

 

[viktit88]

Dear friends!
Still hasn't bought laptop. I have purchased SL, but it is prohibited to use it on the RF territory. No notification of the FSS.
So I can only go for ThankPad in my country or Apple (from really good premium business devices).
I was thinking a lot and decided to buy Apple product, which can be ideal companion to my iP7P and WHermes2.
I am always on the go. And need to carry device.
What can You suggest?:
1) MB12 2017 (lightweight, slim)
2) MBP13 2017 (has better display, than MB12, but 0,5 kilo heavier)
3) MBP15 2017 (perfect size, but much heavier, than MB12)
4) iPP12.9 2017 no Mac OS, no such App like SPSS, MatLab, etc. But has touch screen, pencil, which can be perfectly used, when writing papers. And the iOS market becomes more and more richer with Apps.
Which one would You get?