I'm currently in the market for a new laptop/tablet. Unfortunately though, I have no idea what to get. My sights were set on the Lenovo IdeaPAd U1 Hybrid, but unfortunately news got out last month that it was already discontinued.
It would have been perfect. It was supposed to be a tablet-detachable. In contrast to the tablet-convertible I use now, you can remove the screen off the laptop completely. It was supposed to be 2 gadgets in one.
My current laptop is an HP TX2000. I got it 2 years ago cause I was dead set on getting a tablet-convertible. I knew tablets were the future. I mean hey, they use it on Start Trek all the time! Along with HP's persistent marketing (which completely had me in its sights), my biggest consideration of a tablet-convertible, the relatively few tablet-convertibles available at that time, and good reviews, it was a no-brainer to me.
When I was making up my mind, a few months before I ordered my unit, a friend who loved his tablet-convertible (it was a Toshiba) told me that he really never uses the tablet. I didn't believe him. True enough, for the first 6 months, I used the tablet a lot. But eventually, the weight of the whole unit and the awkwardness of the input apparatus (WACOM pen) had me typing and using the touchpad instead.
In the first year, I actually still used the pen to manage the screen while in full laptop mode. I enjoyed fiddling around using keystrokes (keystrokes with a stylus is totally a foreign idea now post iphone) but what really kept me using the pen was the very accurate handwriting recognition. I mean come on, I used to sit on the john chatting with friends in full tablet mode. Needless to say, it was one of the best features.
Interestingly, handwriting recognition is something I don't think you can do with just your fingers. I also don't think Apple has any plans of developing anything related to handwriting recognition. They've been pro-touch since the ipod and its click-wheel.
Anyway, the biggest consideration, non-negotiable (the tablet-detachable) is now gone. Well, the criteria exists, but the gadget doesn't. But my laptop is still getting old, and I feel like it's time to upgrade.
So what should I get?
As in every gadget hunt, we start with the wants and must-haves.
Musts:
- Wifi-N & Bluetooth
- Touchscreen / Multi-touch
- >15" display
- Windows 7 (will eventually dual-boot with Chrome OS)
- Has technology/design that will be "new" for the next 2 years
Wants:
- DVD player
- Will bend to my needs when I all of a sudden want to edit video
And well, that's basically it. Strap on a decent processor, ample memory, and the standard HDD size (it's about 300GB now I think), and that's it.
The problem, given those specs (excluding the tablet-detachable one) is that there are actually A LOT of options. Too many options, no freedom, no choice.
I was telling a friend a few weeks back that perhaps that's another area where Apple succeeds with its products. You have limited choices, which are clearly delineated. You are either comparing screen size or capacity (and of course price). That's it. Easy choice to make.
Compare that to say, HP. I have so many choices I don't even know where to start. I mean, I love that we have more choices in the PC world, but this is just ridiculous.
Although, clearly, more choices also mean cheaper units, better parts, and more servicing options. Okay, that's good. But the typical Mac user doesn't care about those things. And honestly, right now, I'm tempted to not think about it anymore. I just want to pick one. Give me 5 choices and I'll pick one. Give me a hundred, and I'll pass it off for next week.
Any ideas? Input? Will gladly appreciate it.
Let's see what develops in the next few months. I wonder what'll come up, when it'll come up, and when I'm going to pull the trigger.
*update 7/2/10* Reports suggest that the U1 is set to be released by the end of the year following changes in OS and hardware.
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