13"-14" laptop ~$900, light gaming, mobility... and an iPad?

S

sleepkyng

Weaksauce
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Messages
119
Hey there,
I'll admit I'm a netbook buying / regretting soul who can't stand the sheisty 10.1" screen and pew pew power of my 1000HE.
I travel a lot for business
There are two types of travel I do:
  • a few days on-site with a client
  • a few weeks on-site with a client
For the few days on-site, the netbook is almost too much. It's bulky, difficult to bring out for meetings etc. So my thinking is to get an iPad to replace it. My workflow basically consists of light web browsing, email and word processing, nothing the iPad can't do.
Any thoughts about this would be welcome.
But this brings me to the second type of travel, when I can be away for a while:
I am in need of a real laptop.

The netbook just doesn't cut it when I'm away. I like to play Steam games and other mildly demanding games after work. I also like doing the odd Photoshop / video editing (nothing fancy) - so the netbook is basically useless.

the laptops I'm looking at:
13.3' Acer Timeline X 3820TG (i5 version - but apparently not available in the USA?)
14' Acer Timeline X 4820TG (i5 version) - bigger, heavier, but same thing.
HP Envy 14'
 - i know it's a little more expensive, but maybe worth it?


So there you have it - total budget is around $1500 for an iPad & Laptop. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm headed back to the USA in late August and could pick up my good then!
 
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on the iPad, typing is not enjoyable for me, so I couldnt do word processing, everything else you listed for me is not bad(from testing at stores and such)....just not a fan of virtual keyboards.

as for the laptop suggestion.....the Envy is "worth its weight in gold".......not sure of the other two, but the Envy is a great machine, and will do all you listed, if your willing to spend the money
 
maybe too pricey but have you checked the sony Z?

envy's are very nice though. I personally have a M11x R2 and it's done what i like
 
danyune said:
maybe too pricey but have you checked the sony Z?

envy's are very nice though. I personally have a M11x R2 and it's done what i like
Click to expand...

Everyone raves about the Sony Z but isn't the base config $2000?
 
W.Feather said:
on the iPad, typing is not enjoyable for me, so I couldnt do word processing, everything else you listed for me is not bad(from testing at stores and such)....just not a fan of virtual keyboards.

as for the laptop suggestion.....the Envy is "worth its weight in gold".......not sure of the other two, but the Envy is a great machine, and will do all you listed, if your willing to spend the money
Click to expand...

I've got a bluetooth travel keyboard (from my old N800) so hopefully that will hep with the iPad.

Envy looks great, it is pricier and I'm a little tepid on HPs...
 
in a bit over a week I can let ya know how mine turns out :p.....been on backorder and set to be delivered in 9 days. hope it doesnt get delayed.....but its an HP Elitebook 2740p(spec in sig)..from what ive seen on these forums here, the Envy 14 is a solid machine all around.
 
screw the ipad, TM2 by HP, gaming laptop meets ipad. Do it, I'm trying to sell my laptop and ipad to justify the merge now lol

nice join date btw
 
I recommend an Alienware m11x as well. I have a R1, but an R2 with i5 or i7 would be perfect for what you're looking for imo. I can play steam games on it just fine.
 
Patman said:
screw the ipad, TM2 by HP, gaming laptop meets ipad. Do it, I'm trying to sell my laptop and ipad to justify the merge now lol

nice join date btw
Click to expand...

I actually wouldn't recommend this. Sure the TM2 can be a jack of all trades and meet the minimum of what the OP is looking for. But in the end, there will be sacrifices. If he's willing to have two distinct devices, I feel like his over all experience will be better when each specific function is needed (i.e. the ease of the ipad and the robustness of a small laptop).

Now the TM2 would be worth considering for the smaller laptop portion of the OP's question. Though it wouldn't beat an Envy 14 or m11x in gaming, it's still a pretty powerful and small computer.

But I'd have to recommend the OP get either the m11x or the HP Envy 14, depending purely on the OP's preference of companies, since in my eyes the computers are pretty much equal.
 
I find a used M11X R1. I a have seen them selling for under 800$ loaded. I have an R2 and its a good little machine with decent amount of muscle.
 
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I'm acually typing this on my M11xR2. Just got it earlier in the week.

I was using an Asus G71V-Q1. Big brut of a laptop. I am currently required to carry 3 laptops when I travel, so needed something much much smaller. With the i7 & 335mGT, I'm covered on the gaming side. It has handled anything I can throw at it.

The other two laptops (13" Dell & 14" Lenovo) are both client related. Working two projects at the same time and both have their security requirements solved by their laptops and not a personal one. Hopefully I can ditch the 14" Lenovo soon, but looks like my next client also requires their own laptop :(
 
I would definitely consider the Envy 14, since much of the earlier Envy jankiness has been removed. Depending on price, though, you may want to consider the Alienware M11x mentioned earlier. If you can get a Core i5 or i7 version, you'll get a lot of performance in a small space.

And the iPad is pretty good for the lightweight duties mentioned earlier -- I'm writing this post with one, so you can definitely do some sustained typing with the touchscreen keyboard. At last check, you can get an iPad-optimized version of Documents To Go that will do Office document editing in a more straightforward way than Pages. Definitely like how light and thin the iPad is compared to a netbook.
 
I whole heartedly recommend the m11x, as well.

The keyboard is good, the lights can be turned off and it has sufficient processing power to make you forget you're using a laptop instead of a desktop. With the GPU turned off, the battery life is very good, too.
 
I'd get the envy 14. Its a solid laptop build quality wise (minus the 'flaws' in the build some people have). I'd trust HP over dell/alienware/asus any day in quality. Envy 14s really feel solid. Even their dm4t laptops feel very solid.

13.3" is really a nice size for a laptop. 11.6 is too small. 14.5" is a little too big. I hope the envy 13 gets an update or mac books 13.3 update to i5.
 
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I'm just trying to warn against the PITA of having two devices, you have to swap them in and out of your bag, carry extra chargers, and for what? The TM2 won't run max settings on everything, sooo what. A little crisper lines and models shouldn't be worth the convenience of one sole device.

Again this is just me complaining after toting a laptop and iPad in the same carry-on bag. Too much hassle. I'm working towards a smartphone and a tablet-thats it. I can dream right?
 
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