A Macbookpro alternative with similar build quality

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3587239

by aitoehigie • 14 years ago

10 28 14 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Hi, I need to get a new laptop and I wont like to get a new laptop with a build quality thats very similar to a macbookpro. Any suggestions?

blktiger• 14 years ago

Get a macbook pro! (sorry, couldn't resist)

aitoehigie3• 14 years ago

dude, I am considering cost and also the fact that I am more of a Ubuntu user.

aeontech• 14 years ago

Similar build quality is going to demand a similar price. Apple memory upgrades are about the only thing remaining that really is overpriced, but their base hardware is pretty reasonable. And you can definitely dual boot it or just wipe the OS and reinstall :)

Also, if you're not dead-set on having a brand new machine, you could get a used one on craigslist and save a couple of hundred.

Other than that, the only laptops that I've seen come close have been Sony's, and they tend to be even more expensive.

ISeemToBeAVerb• 14 years ago

If cost is a restricting factor you should check out the refurbished section on the Apple store. I never buy new Apple products, the refurbs are just as good and the savings can be considerable. I've purchased 2 refurb Macbook Pros and 3 iMacs. Never once had a problem.

MarlonPro• 14 years ago

Take a look at Dell XPS 15Z

khyryk2• 14 years ago

Perhaps I can narrow down exactly what you're looking for. What are you looking for in terms of:

-screen size (any preference toward matte or glossy?)

-weight

-CPU and video card

-battery life

-cost

aitoehigie3• 14 years ago

I am looking at 1. overall build quality i.e. something macbookish 2. battery like 6+ hours would be sweet 3. cost under $1000 4. screen size - 15" matte (I hate glossy, print magnets) Thanks

khyryk2• 14 years ago

Given another reply that you posted, I'm not sure 6+ hours would be reasonable using Ubuntu without a massive battery slab. Even with a bunch of tweaking, battery life tends to be lower than what one would get with Windows.

I would suggest you look at HP EliteBooks and Lenovo ThinkPads. For instance, a ThinkPad W510 or EliteBook 8540w.

I personally own an HP EliteBook 8540p.

-2.53 gHz i5 CPU

-NVIDIA NVS 5100m (equivalent to the GeForce 330m)

-15" matte 1600x900 resolution (quality comparable MacBook: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5881&p=...)

-4-5 hour battery life, although I'm still using the original battery

-built like an absolute tank

I got it off of eBay for $600 last summer. The models I mentioned above can have 1080p configurations, and I know for a fact that the 8540w has the DreamColor configuration, which is about the best display you can have in a laptop; they're quite rare, however.

You'd probably have trouble picking up brand-new, refreshed models for under $1000, but that would be the same case for a MacBook.

dutchrapley• 14 years ago

The price on Apple hardware isn't a premium. It's that price b/c it's top shelf quality. Even the displays on the Dell Precision laptops don't capare to those any anything Apple makes.

+1 for the user who suggested a used Mac. I've recommended them that option to a few friends, no one has ever regretted it.

As far as quality goes, I'm still using a 4 year old Macbook (not even a pro) on a daily basis. Still very relevant with a 2.4 GHz Core 2 Duo and 4 GB ram.

smackfu2• 14 years ago

Quality isn't just a single thing. If Thunderbolt for instance adds $50 to the price, and I don't plan to use Thunderbolt, that $50 is a fair premium but not something I wish to pay for.

smackfu2• 14 years ago

Thinkpads have good quality, and may come in cheaper than a Macbook.

whichdan3• 14 years ago

They're definitely 30-50% cheaper, but it shows. The ThinkLight instead of backlit keyboard, smaller single-touch trackpad, heavy 9-cell battery that quickly loses its capacity, mediocre screen, heavier weight.. but it still holds its own compared to other laptops in the same price range.

martey• 14 years ago

This is a difficult comment to respond to, because it is not clear whether you are trying to describe a specific ThinkPad model, or trying to justify the fact that some Apple laptops cost more.

For example, I am writing this on a T500, which does have a single-touch trackpad, but it is also 4 years old. Its successor (the T510), as well as the present model (the T520) both have multi-touch touchpads. If you have experience with an older model of ThinkPad and are trying to compare it to the current generation of Apple laptops, I would argue that you do not have enough data to make a comparison.

polyfractal• 14 years ago

I'm fairly certain any Thinkpad made in the last two or three years has a multi-touch trackpad AND a trackpoint.

runjake• 14 years ago

Thinkpad.

Don't bother listening to some other people recommending a MacBook of some variety if you really want to run Linux on it. As someone else mentioned, I've never gotten Linux working on it and not have it heat up to crazy levels with the fans running constantly. The multitouch features of the trackpad don't work and so on.

Your best nearest bet is a Thinkpad. Be sure to DDG (DuckDuckGo) the particular model you're looking at to get a jist of other people's experiences running Linux on it.

An old X200 here and Ubuntu runs great.

dromey• 14 years ago

Agreed that the model as well as features present are the important issue. Most thinkpads have either perfect or near perfect linux support, so the main question is which feature set and known design defects the OP will want to live with. For example, some keyboards or screens are better than others, some batteries last longer than others (x220!), and so forth.

Riesling• 14 years ago

Thinkpads. They might not look as nice, but they are very robust.

I have already dropped mine from the table and flooded the keyboard with an entire glass of diet soda.

If I am out working with other people I always smile when people start putting their macbooks into special protective sleeves and what not. I just take mine and throw it into my bag.

kentpalmer• 14 years ago

The HP Envy has similar design to the Mac Books

uvTwitch• 14 years ago

You're probably looking for this: http://www.razerzone.com/blade

A Macbookpro alternative with similar build quality

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