Laptop: Touch, Convertible, 4G, Quick - advice please :)

fd9 on 28/08/2020 - 10:06
Last edited 28/08/2020 - 10:07

Hello.

I am after a laptop that does the following for uni:

Quick processor and wifi-card :
This might sound unusual - but I use this software called Anki - and on a macbook pro/air, surface GO and Xps13 7390 it 1) syncs and 2) loads really quickly, but on a lenovo carbon x1 gen 6 and surface pro 6 it syncs super slowly (e.g. 5 mins vs 30 seconds). I've tried every single security setting I could find and internet setting but to no available so given up a bit and just going to aim for the best cpu and wifi card I can find and hope for the best….

4G connection: as I use the laptop on the train a lot - 1 hour trip 1 one way to uni

Convertible 2 in 1 : again for the train as there is often times I'm waiting at the station with no seat for 30 mins.

Touch: just prefer using touch on certain programs

Good battery: hard to find charging slots at uni

Decent keyboard - had an xps 7390 and sold it as I couldn't maintain any typing accuracy or speed with butterfly like maglev keys

Price is not really an issue for the right laptop. I wouldn't spend above $3k but as in I don't mind if its a $1000 or $3000 laptop if it does what I want.
I know you are probably thinking quite a lot for a uni student but this is a post-graduate course and I've worked for years previously.

13 inch preferred unless 15 inch available in 14 inch form.

Considering atm:

Hp Spectre X360: ($2300)
i7-1065G7 processor + 16 GB LPDDR4 + 512 GB SSD + 4G
* 14 days returns policy with no restocking fee - just pay shipping

X1 Yoga Gen 4 (but worried will have same syncing issues as the X1 Carbon Gen 6 I mentioned) ($2500)
i5-8265U + 512GB + 16GB + 4G-LTE
* Hesitant to buy as this price is via shopping express/futu - Lenovo store carries at a inflated price + has 20% restocking fee

Dell Inspiron ($1500)+ Surface Go 2 LTE ($1000)
https://www.dell.com/en-au/shop/dell-laptops/new-inspiron-14…
Ryzen™ 7 4700U + 16 GB Ram + 512 GB + NO 4G LTE so buy an additional Surface GO 2 LTE (~1000$)
* Hesitant to buy as they have a 15% restocking fee

Surface Laptop ($1500-2200) + Surface Go LTE ($1000)
- Tried it and the screen was amazing both in size, aspect ratio and quality.
- No 4G so would supplement with a surface go LTE.
- 60 day returns - no restocking fee

Restocking fee is important - as as soon as i open the laptop and run the software i will know if it has the syncing loading issues mentioned above

Not an option:
XPS 7390 2019 - MAGLEV keys
Apple - MacOS and the placement of ctrl and fn and command are making my head hurt between switching this and my desktop

Find Me A Bargain Computer Laptop

Comments

  • zigzagoonmemes on 28/08/2020 - 10:28

    I have a 2017 x360 spectre and I love it - battery is still amazing, build quality is great.

    Can't comment on the 4g because mine doesn't have it.

    • fd9 on 28/08/2020 - 10:30

      Thanks for the reply :) Thats awesome! Any annoyances that would only become apparent after using it for some time?

      • zigzagoonmemes on 28/08/2020 - 10:35

        None really - mine was low spec (i have big desktops for work and home) but decent.

        I re-install windows every year which keeps it running fast - not a "Reset" but a full reinstall (HP has some included stuff to do this but I don't use it), windows gets noticeably laggy when running on laptop chips.

        I used to use a bluetooth mouse + bluetooth mechanical keyboard and fold the x360 back - made for an awesome portable workstation, now my laptop just does chore usage when I'm in meetings/with clients.

        EDIT:
        Check out the HP laptops with AMD chips, Linus Tech Tips reviewed them recently on youtube. If i was buying a new one I would strongly consider an x360 with AMD over intel.

        • fd9 on 28/08/2020 - 10:36

          Interesting - ive been told the same about windows getting buggy after a while. Good to know theres a fix.

          I assume you had yours for a while now and it heald up well - the laptop that is. Thats fantastic. Thanks for the info :)

          • zigzagoonmemes on 28/08/2020 - 10:38

            @fd9: I bought in late 2017, for all of 2018 it was my only computer (international exchange), still going strong.

  • theHMASfriendship on 28/08/2020 - 11:56
    +1

    Use your phone as a wireless hotspot

    • fd9 on 28/08/2020 - 13:09

      Yea could do that – more of a first world issue lol – just easier and more convenient to whenever i want and wherever i am to study for 10 mins here and there when I have LTE.

  • bdl on 28/08/2020 - 12:30

    Have you looked at playing with the hardware acceleration drivers and removing Anki from Windows Defender/antiviruses?

    https://www.reddit.com/r/Anki/comments/dz6t8b/anki_21_seems_…
    and
    https://changes.ankiweb.net/#/known-issues
    and
    https://anki.tenderapp.com/discussions/ankidesktop/37500-slo…

    • fd9 on 28/08/2020 - 13:02

      Thanks so much. I just tried it. No avail but I thought we could have been on to something.
      Many thanks for digging up those links for me I do appreciate it :)

      • bdl on 28/08/2020 - 13:15

        No problem, it would awful if you bought a new machine then found out you had the exact same problems. Looks like a rendering engine change between different version of Anki has been causing issues…

        I would go as far to wipe the machine that you were having issues with (or even just boot with a rescue live cd) and see if Anki still runs slow.. if anki runs OK without drivers, add graphics drivers and programs one by one to see which one is slowing Anki down. An Lenovo x1 should be able to handle it no problem, it's not exactly bottom of the range hardware.

        A VM running on the X1 would also work.

        Also, looks like 2.0 may not have the issues: https://www.reddit.com/r/Anki/comments/b8vsen/really_slow_an…

        • fd9 on 28/08/2020 - 15:34

          Thanks so much for the information.

          Yes that's my main worried - so its making me exclude any places that don't have a free returns policy and im missing out on some good deals.

          The strange issue is:
          For the Surface Pro 6: When closing anki it spent like 3-5 mins on "Checking Media"
          Fur the Surface Go 1 it worked FINE without any issue…
          For the Lenovo X1 Carbon 6: When closing a profile it would straight away go to syncing 0.4kb download 0.2kb uploaded and just sit at that for 3-5 minutes.

          Doesn't sound like a big deal but when class finishes I close anki and then open it up on my phone to walk to the bus stop etc - and if its not finished then Ill get all those sync conflicts.

          That's a great idea with the VM. I didn't think of that. Ill try that out now.

          • fd9 on 28/08/2020 - 16:54
            +1

            @fd9: I've just installed VMware, Will let it sync all the media overnight and test tomorrow :)

  • BargainShopaholic on 29/08/2020 - 00:27
    +1

    I use an Acer Spin 7 for work, love it. Thin, convertible, touch screen, responsive, fast!

    I hardly touch my MacBook now since I started using the Acer.

    • fd9 on 31/08/2020 - 21:40

      Nice ill check it out :)

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