Laptop purchase questions

I hope to buy a laptop soon. HP is having a 25%-off sale this weekend, but I may hold off to see what Lenovo debuts in May.

I want 2nd-generation Intel quad-core, USB 3.0 (Lenovo doesn't seem have that yet, but will soon), and figure from what I've read here that I should get 8GB RAM and a 7200RPM HDD, even though I can get a bigger 5400RPM drive.

I'm not sure what to look for in a graphics card, which is apparently important, and I'm not sure what to look for in terms of GPU memory versus just the simple designation of a 1GB graphics card. And is it worth it to pay more for a faster CPU than the 2.0 MHz (?) i7 Sandy Bridge quad-core?

A big question I have is screen resolution. I will most likely get a 15.6" screen - 17" would be too big for my train commute. The standard screen resolutions are 1366x768. Lenovo offers options for 1600x900 and 1920x1080. Which would be the screen resolution to get for a 15.6" laptop screen so icons aren't too small, yet text in Logos looks really, really good?

Any help with these questions, esp. the screen resolution to go with (which could affect which manufacturer I'm limited to)? Is 1366x768 perfectly wonderful for Logos as well as HD movies (I'll probably get a Blu-Ray drive).

Thanks!

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Allen Browne

Hi Eric

What you propose sounds great: Sandy Bridge quad-core i7, 7200rpm HDD, and 8GB RAM. (Make sure you get the 64-bit Windows so you can use that RAM.)

The faster CPU probably isn't value, e.g. a 2.2 is only about 10% faster than a 2.0 -- barely perceptible.

1366x768 is common for 15.6" screen. Any more dots and everything gets too small IMHO. (Ok, you can change the percentage in Windows, but not all software works well with that. If you are only concerned with Logos, you can change the percentage there also of course.) I'm using a 16" screen at this resolution for Logos, and find it quite readable.

If you do get a BluRay drive, be aware that Windows Media Center can't play BluRay disks! (IMHO, this makes Windows Ultimate the ultimate marketing con.)

I'm not full bottle on the video cards, so will let someone else comment on that. AFAIK, provided you get a 1GB graphics card in the laptop, you're going to do well. If you do get a really fast graphics card, it will probably drain your batteries faster.

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

A big question I have is screen resolution. I will most likely get a 15.6" screen - 17" would be too big for my train commute. The standard screen resolutions are 1366x768. Lenovo offers options for 1600x900 and 1920x1080. Which would be the screen resolution to get for a 15.6" laptop screen so icons aren't too small, yet text in Logos looks really, really good?

Suggest visiting computer store to visually compare laptop screens with different resolutions for comfortable reading. HD 1080p resolution is 1920 x 1080.

Web site has laptop graphics benchmarks => http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html and processor benchmarks => http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html

Keep Smiling [:)]

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/238471#Comment_238471

It's not so much about comfortable reading - I'm sure I could read any of those three resolutions comfortably - but about default resolutions. I have a 24" monitor at home, and the default resolution setting is 1920 x 1200, because that's what the fixed-pixel LCD screen best displays at, but that means other resolution settings can be problematic.

This may not be an issue with Logos - i.e., if I set the laptop to whatever its native resolution is, whether 1366x768 or 1600x900 or 1920x1080, I can enlarge or reduce text in Logos as I please and can still read it well.

It seems to me that a 1600x900 panel would give me a sharper image than a 1366x768 panel, but 1920x1080 on a 15.6" screen might be too small - I don't know, and without being able to load and run Logos on an in-store laptop, I'm not sure I could test what I want to test.

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/238475#Comment_238475

It seems to me that a 1600x900 panel would give me a sharper image than a 1366x768 panel, but 1920x1080 on a 15.6" screen might be too small - I don't know, and without being able to load and run Logos on an in-store laptop, I'm not sure I could test what I want to test

Option: at home, compare some web pages with Logos 4 for readability. In store(s), look at same web pages. Have read about one store chain blocking access to Logos.com web site. One web site for comparison could be http://www.notebookcheck.net (also good for looking at computer hardware benchmarks).

Also suggest comparing LED backlight with CFL along with comparing viewing angles.

Keep Smiling [:)]

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/238483#Comment_238483

It seems to me that a 1600x900 panel would give me a sharper image than a 1366x768 panel, but 1920x1080 on a 15.6" screen might be too small - I don't know, and without being able to load and run Logos on an in-store laptop, I'm not sure I could test what I want to test

Option: at home, compare some web pages with Logos 4 for readability. In store(s), look at same web pages. Have read about one store chain blocking access to Logos.com web site. One web site for comparison could be http://www.notebookcheck.net (also good for looking at computer hardware benchmarks).

Also suggest comparing LED backlight with CFL along with comparing viewing angles.

Keep Smiling

That was moi who posted here that Best Buy's internet blocks access to Religion sites.

Thanks for the laptop review site!

Bill Cook

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/238496#Comment_238496

Have a friend with a Sony 16.4" doing 1920x1080. It is very sharp. And Logos looks beautiful. What I think think gives the impression of sharpness is dot pitch - the distance between dots, not necessarily the resolution. A 15.5" screen pushing 1366x768 can look as sharp as a 17" screen pushing 1600x900.

I, too, am toying with purchasing a 1920x1080 15.6", but it seems like it would be a bit tight. The Sony above in a web browser looks small. And these 50 year old eyes could strain at an even small dot pitch...

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/238625#Comment_238625

Have a friend with a Sony 16.4" doing 1920x1080. It is very sharp. And Logos looks beautiful. What I think think gives the impression of sharpness is dot pitch - the distance between dots, not necessarily the resolution. A 15.5" screen pushing 1366x768 can look as sharp as a 17" screen pushing 1600x900.

I, too, am toying with purchasing a 1920x1080 15.6", but it seems like it would be a bit tight. The Sony above in a web browser looks small. And these 50 year old eyes could strain at an even small dot pitch...

I thought "dot pitch" was only a factor in CRT displays, but not fixed-pixel displays like LCDs. Yes? No?

Mark Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/239110#Comment_239110

I thought "dot pitch" was only a factor in CRT displays, but not fixed-pixel displays like LCDs. Yes? No?

Perhaps the term is wrong (I don't know) but the real issue is pixels per square inch/cm. The more you have the better the resolution from normal viewing distance. Of course this figure depends on how many pixels there are and how much physical area they cover. A 1920x1200 pixel panel that measures 17 inches diagonally must have larger pixels than a 1920x1200 panel that measures15 inches diagonally.

As to the problem of eye strain, the more pixels per square inch the better. Just take advantage of text scaling. Scaled up text on a pixel dense screen has greater smoothness of the curves (or more print-like appearance) than unscaled text in a less dense screen. A pixel dense screen is easier on the eyes.

I love my 1920x1200 Dell 17 inch monitor screen as the text is tremendous at all readable sizes. I do work on computers with less pixel density and they are not as easy on my eyes as this one is. My eyes are a bit older than 50 years, too.

Bill Cook

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/239128#Comment_239128

Well, the 50 year old eyes won the argument. I ended up going with 17.3" 1600x900 laptop from HP instead of the 15.6" 1920x1080 from Sony.

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/239131#Comment_239131

I have older eyes than you, but I think I'll hold out for the 1600x900 15.6" display, versus the 1366x768. Which means Lenovo, instead of HP's great 25% off sale that ends today.

I'd love 17+" for working with, but I intend to transport this to church and back and on the train to and from work, and when I compared 17.3" and 15.6" at Best Buy, the larger one seems too large for easy lap holding and using on public transportation.

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/239163#Comment_239163

Sounds like you are describing a MacBook Pro. Load Book Camp and Windows and you have a great Windows 7 machine.

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/239296#Comment_239296

Sounds like you are describing a MacBook Pro. Load Book Camp and Windows and you have a great Windows 7 machine.

Perhaps. But for $1,999* I can get a Lenovo Thinkpad W520 with 500GB 7200RPM HDD, NVIDIA Quadro 2000M Graphics with 2GB DDR3 Memory, USB 3.0 (no Firewire, though), 15.6" screen 1600x900, Intel Core i7-2720QM Processor (2.20GHz, 6MB L3) - won't that run rings around the MacBook Pro, esp. in terms of graphics?

* $1,749 if I opt for the standard NVIDIA Quadro 1000M Graphics with 2GB DDR3 Memory video card - which would still beat the MacBook Pro for graphics, yes?

Bill Cook

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/239305#Comment_239305

I have read many laptop reviews. I don't know of many manufacturers who have yet to conquer the heat generation of the Mobile i7's. So, am a bit wary. Went with an i5...

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/239431#Comment_239431

I hadn't considered that. I know the fan on my wife's low-tech laptop (provided by her employer) is obnoxiously loud.

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/239448#Comment_239448

It looks like HP is coming out with comparable laptops next month, incl 1600x900 15.6" screens, enhanced video cards, etc. So I'll wait till May to choose and buy. Thanks, everyone!

Paul Buckhiester

Eric,

Recommend you look at the new Dell XPS 15. It has the second gen quad core and USB 3.0. Video is blazingly fast and brilliant. Machine is pricy but well worth it so far.

Paul

Rev. Patrick Carty

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/240026#Comment_240026

I have a 6 month old Dell Studio 15. I maxed everything that counts out when I got it, CPU is an i7, 8 RAM, etc. It is awesome, cuts through Logos, which really loaded down my former dell, "like it was butter. I can recommend it, though the XPS is next Gen (I hate being obsolete after 6 months, but that's life, sigh).

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/240035#Comment_240035

For you Dell 15" (15.6" I assume) owners:

How do you like the 1366x768 screen (versus a 1600x900 screen on a 15.6" laptop)?

How hot/noisy is the i7 quad core (versus an i5 quad core)?

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/239431#Comment_239431

I have read many laptop reviews. I don't know of many manufacturers who have yet to conquer the heat generation of the Mobile i7's. So, am a bit wary. Went with an i5...

Funny that this was below the person who said a Lenovo beats the MBPro when the MBPro has an Intel Core i7 and very little heat issues.

My MBPro is easily the best computer I've ever owned or used by a wise margin. In my position at Notebooks.com I've had a chance to play with quite a few of them. It is the best windows machine or mac available.

And if you look around even in these forums you will find that I was an ardent PC guy until 6 months ago and still really like Windows 7 a lot.

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/240170#Comment_240170

I have read many laptop reviews. I don't know of many manufacturers who have yet to conquer the heat generation of the Mobile i7's. So, am a bit wary. Went with an i5...

Funny that this was below the person who said a Lenovo beats the MBPro when the MBPro has an Intel Core i7 and very little heat issues.

My MBPro is easily the best computer I've ever owned or used by a wise margin. In my position at Notebooks.com I've had a chance to play with quite a few of them. It is the best windows machine or mac available.

And if you look around even in these forums you will find that I was an ardent PC guy until 6 months ago and still really like Windows 7 a lot.

So are you running Logos as a Mac or in Windows on your MacBook Pro? And what is your MBP model and configuration and price?

Paul Buckhiester

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/240074#Comment_240074

Eric,

So far (two weeks), heat is not a problem, nor is fan noise. My screen is 1920 by 1080 and it is amazing. Video card is 2GB! Hard drive is 750 1200 rpm. Ram is 8 GB. I got the heavier nine-cell battery which lasts 3-4 hours. Does not have VGA out, but has Display Port with adaptor dongle that works fine.

Paul

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/240435#Comment_240435

Eric,

So far (two weeks), heat is not a problem, nor is fan noise. My screen is 1920 by 1080 and it is amazing. Video card is 2GB! Hard drive is 750 1200 rpm. Ram is 8 GB. I got the heavier nine-cell battery which lasts 3-4 hours. Does not have VGA out, but has Display Port with adaptor dongle that works fine.

Paul

So you have a full HD 1920x1080 display on a Dell 15.6" laptop screen? Wow. I figured 1920x1080 would be too small for that screen size for most programs and the desktop display and icons.

I assume your HDD is 7200 RPM - the choices for large HDDs I've seen seem to be

5400RPM: 500GB & 750GB & 1TB

7200RPM: 500GB & 640GB

From what people say, I'd get the faster 640GB 7200RPM, even though it's not the largest HDD.

777

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/240437#Comment_240437

Hi,

I just bought a new Lenovo W520 to use for my Bible studies. I purchased it with one 4GB stick of ram and then ordered 16GB of matched faster ram that my processor will support. The new ram is in transit to me now. I also purchased and already installed an 80GB Intel mSATA card that I'm going to use as the boot disk for Windows 7 Professional and I'm removing the 500GB 7200 RPM Hitachi drive that came with the machine and am installing a 750GB WD Scorpio Black 7200 RPM spinning disk for data. The new drive should be here today.

The machine arrived in flawless condition and removing the keyboard to install the mSATA card was simple. For the ram, I'm going to be using 16 GB of Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800), with 2 sticks under the keyboard and 2 sticks in the bottom of the laptop. The screen is FHD 1920 x 1080, which is actually smaller in resolution than my Thinkpad T61p with 1920 x 1200 that I have been using for 3 years.

I got it with the i7-2820QM processor and the Nvidia Quadro 2000M discrete graphics. You can use the onboard Intel Sandy Bridge graphics alone, the NVIDIA alone, or you can have the computer switch between the 2 with a simple BIOS setting. I leave mine on discrete all of the time.

The Lenovo W520 is very quiet and it's built like a tank. It feels very solid and comfortable. The keyboard is wonderful. It has USB 3.0, a DisplayPort port, an eSATA port, Firewire, a fingerprint scanner, HD camera, and a screen color calibrator too. It has a lot of other features that I did not mention in this post, but if you are looking for THE laptop, the W520 pretty much blows everything else away, including the MBP.

It's an AWESOME computer.

I'm 55 years old and it's not hard to read the screen. And the screen has a nice MATTE finish, not that thick shiny type of monitor that you spend 75% of your time looking at yourself in.

Steve Clevenger

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/240170#Comment_240170

Kevin A.
Purcell wrote:

>>My MBPro is easily the best computer I've ever owned or
used by a wise margin. In my position at Notebooks.com >>I've had a
chance to play with quite a few of them. It is the best windows machine or mac
available.

>>And if you look around even in these forums you will
find that I was an ardent PC guy until 6 months ago and still >>really
like Windows 7 a lot.

Kevin,

MBPro are beautiful machines, but how do you justify the MORE
than twice the price of a comparable PC? Furthermore, it appears that Logos4 is
not running quite as smooth on Mac as on PC. I keep looking at MCPro but cannot
rationally overcome these hurdles. I
would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks,

Steve

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/241452#Comment_241452

Hi,

I just bought a new Lenovo W520 to use for my Bible studies. I purchased it with one 4GB stick of ram and then ordered 16GB of matched faster ram that my processor will support. The new ram is in transit to me now. I also purchased and already installed an 80GB Intel mSATA card that I'm going to use as the boot disk for Windows 7 Professional and I'm removing the 500GB 7200 RPM Hitachi drive that came with the machine and am installing a 750GB WD Scorpio Black 7200 RPM spinning disk for data. The new drive should be here today.

The machine arrived in flawless condition and removing the keyboard to install the mSATA card was simple. For the ram, I'm going to be using 16 GB of Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800), with 2 sticks under the keyboard and 2 sticks in the bottom of the laptop. The screen is FHD 1920 x 1080, which is actually smaller in resolution than my Thinkpad T61p with 1920 x 1200 that I have been using for 3 years.

I got it with the i7-2820QM processor and the Nvidia Quadro 2000M discrete graphics. You can use the onboard Intel Sandy Bridge graphics alone, the NVIDIA alone, or you can have the computer switch between the 2 with a simple BIOS setting. I leave mine on discrete all of the time.

The Lenovo W520 is very quiet and it's built like a tank. It feels very solid and comfortable. The keyboard is wonderful. It has USB 3.0, a DisplayPort port, an eSATA port, Firewire, a fingerprint scanner, HD camera, and a screen color calibrator too. It has a lot of other features that I did not mention in this post, but if you are looking for THE laptop, the W520 pretty much blows everything else away, including the MBP.

It's an AWESOME computer.

I'm 55 years old and it's not hard to read the screen. And the screen has a nice MATTE finish, not that thick shiny type of monitor that you spend 75% of your time looking at yourself in.

I was considering the Lenovo over the HP because of the 1600x900 resolution screen, but then HP announced this EliteBook 8560w coming in May 2011:

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF06a/321957-321957-64295-3740645-4307559-5071171.html

It looks like I could outfit it the same as the Lenovo, and it, too, is supposed to be built like a tank.

So whichever I choose, it now comes down to whether 1920x1080 is too small on a 15.6" display, and what I gain or lose by going with a 1600x900 display (other than saving some $$ - which is not the criterion for me; I'll pay for the higher resolution if I determine that's the screen I want). It will allow me to open more windows at once in Logos than 1600x900 -> 44% greater # of pixels! That's a HUGE difference, IMO (and I'd get a 17.3" if it weren't too big for commuting and taking to church).

You apparently have no problem with 1920x1080. I have 59-year-old eyes, but am quite nearsighted. [8-|] Maybe I'll go to an Apple store and see their 1680x1050 display. I don't know anywhere I can go to see a 1920x1080 15.6" display - all the stores carry is the 1366x768, though I might be able to find 1600x900 if I look around enough.

Paul Buckhiester

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/241494#Comment_241494

One thing I forgot to metntion about the Dell XPS 15 is the fantastic sound. For small groups one can show videos on the laptop without added speakers.

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/241474#Comment_241474

MBPro are beautiful machines, but how do you justify the MORE
than twice the price of a comparable PC?

Show me a "comparable" PC that is half the price. It's more than just specs. Sure their may be a PC that has a quad core i7 sandy bridge and a great video card and a fast hard drive and 4 GB of memory. But will the display and keyboard be as good? Doubt it. Haven't seen very many at 700 bucks with as high a res screen with a great backlit keyboard. And there is not a pc laptop around with as good a touch pad as the MacBook touch pad. The case has to be a solid aluminum case to be as good. And Thunderbold ports are not important now, but in a year they will be. I have one. NO PCs do. Finally, find me one without all the garbage preloaded like four different security programs and games that I will never play and links to NY Times and eBay.

The out of the box experience of an Apple computer is excellent. I didn't get it until I tried it. Too many people look at the spec list and say comparable. But it is not accurate. The only problem with Mac right now is I have to get Windows on it to run Logos well.

Kevin A. Purcell

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/240351#Comment_240351

So are you running Logos as a Mac or in Windows on your MacBook Pro? And what is your MBP model and configuration and price?

I run the Mac version most of the time. But I'm in the process of turning my MacBook Air into a Windows machine with boot camp and will run it with Windows mostly.

Paul Buckhiester

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/240437#Comment_240437

HD is 7200. Text size is fine and adjustable.

Mike W

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/241452#Comment_241452

You can use the onboard Intel Sandy Bridge graphics alone, the NVIDIA alone, or you can have the computer switch between the 2 with a simple BIOS setting. I leave mine on discrete all of the time.

Have you compared Logos running on the discrete graphics compared to the Nvidia Graphics? I use a four year old Thinkpad T60P(you can't beat the keyboard on these and the trackpoint is great for touch typists). Logos works great on this laptop except when I use a large set of linked resources (I really wish Logos had asynchronous linking). Reviews benchmarks show the HD 3000 graphics as substantially faster than the FireGl card in my current laptop and I am interested in how well this works with Logos. Logos and light video work are what I use a laptop for (At 54 I really have no interest in current computer games) and I'm thinking about sticking with integrated graphics for my next Thinkpad.

Thanks

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/241494#Comment_241494

You apparently have no problem with 1920x1080. I have 59-year-old eyes, but am quite nearsighted. Maybe I'll go to an Apple store and see their 1680x1050 display. I don't know anywhere I can go to see a 1920x1080 15.6" display - all the stores carry is the 1366x768, though I might be able to find 1600x900 if I look around enough.

Nearsighted option: prescription single vision eyeglasses for computer use (not good for driving since distance objects blurry).

Microcenter => http://www.microcenter.com/at_the_stores/index.html and Fry's Electonics => http://www.frys.com/ac/storelocator/index.jsp may have notebook computers on display with higher resolution. Another store possibility is Tiger Direct's CompUSA => http://www.compusa.com/retailstores/compusaStores/index.asp

http://www.notebookcheck.net/ has many news articles plus benchmark comparisons.

Keep Smiling [:)]

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/241574#Comment_241574

You apparently have no problem with 1920x1080. I have 59-year-old eyes, but am quite nearsighted. Maybe I'll go to an Apple store and see their 1680x1050 display. I don't know anywhere I can go to see a 1920x1080 15.6" display - all the stores carry is the 1366x768, though I might be able to find 1600x900 if I look around enough.

Nearsighted option: prescription single vision eyeglasses for computer use (not good for driving since distance objects blurry).

Microcenter => http://www.microcenter.com/at_the_stores/index.html and Fry's Electonics => http://www.frys.com/ac/storelocator/index.jsp may have notebook computers on display with higher resolution. Another store possibility is Tiger Direct's CompUSA => http://www.compusa.com/retailstores/compusaStores/index.asp

http://www.notebookcheck.net/ has many news articles plus benchmark comparisons.

Keep Smiling

Thanks! Everyone is being so helpful. I have no-line bifocals and it hasn't been too much of a problem working with either my 24" 16:10 monitor at home or my 17" 4:3 monitor at work.

I'll definitely visit Microcenter and Frys and TigerDirect some weekend since we have all three around here.

Steve Clevenger

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/241547#Comment_241547

>>The
only problem with Mac right now is I have to get Windows on it to run Logos
well.

Besides
the price this alone is a big problem for me. My primary use of a computer is sermon work and using Logos4. I plan on purchasing a new laptop this year.

777

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/241494#Comment_241494

I was considering the Lenovo over the HP because of the 1600x900 resolution screen, but then HP announced this EliteBook 8560w coming in May 2011:

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF06a/321957-321957-64295-3740645-4307559-5071171.html

It looks like I could outfit it the same as the Lenovo, and it, too, is supposed to be built like a tank.

So whichever I choose, it now comes down to whether 1920x1080 is too small on a 15.6" display, and what I gain or lose by going with a 1600x900 display (other than saving some $ - which is not the criterion for me; I'll pay for the higher resolution if I determine that's the screen I want). It will allow me to open more windows at once in Logos than 1600x900 -> 44% greater # of pixels! That's a HUGE difference, IMO (and I'd get a 17.3" if it weren't too big for commuting and taking to church).

You apparently have no problem with 1920x1080. I have 59-year-old eyes, but am quite nearsighted. Maybe I'll go to an Apple store and see their 1680x1050 display. I don't know anywhere I can go to see a 1920x1080 15.6" display - all the stores carry is the 1366x768, though I might be able to find 1600x900 if I look around enough.

When I bought the Lenovo, I purchased a 3 year full coverage warranty. With my Lenovo T61p, I had to use that same warranty a couple of times and the warranty service with Lenovo is a very great experience. You call them or report your problem online and the very next day a very well built shipping package with prepaid shipping info arrives at your door. You fill out a page of paperwork (very simple), you can pull your HDD to keep the data in your hands, and you drop the laptop off at UPS or at a UPS station like Office Depot. 2 or 3 days later the laptop arrives back at your place all fixed up. The BIOS is always reflashed to the latest if you had not already done that and it's all nice and clean. Lenovo warranty service is absolutely amazing and a good experience.

HP, on the other hand, is a brand that I refuse to purchase after I owned one of their laptop models and they refused to replace the hard drive that had failed. They kept insisting that the hard drive did not come with the unit even though I took a photo of the label on the HDD that clearly stated that it was an HP part. I bought the machine new and sealed at Office Depot and the HDD had never been swapped out. They went so far as to accuse me of trying to perpetuate fraud against them. This raised my righteous indignation to a new level and since then HP is a non-entity in my home. Your mileage may vary, but they will never get another dime from me.

The Lenovo W520 looks great with the fonts unscaled, but you can scale them to a higher size if you care to and it still looks great.

Jeffrey S Gordon

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/241494#Comment_241494

Personally, I love resolution no matter what, especially for Logos. I mostly now use a Sony Vaio-Z with a 13" (!) 1920x1080 screen. (Those Sony's are pretty good with their typical 1600x900 as well, after all it's only 13", but are also expensive). On the other hand, I also have Logos running on an iMac 27" within Parallels/Windows7 and that runs awesome. I still have an old Lenovo T61p that I used when Logos4 first came out, and I got it out a couple of days ago (to get some old tax documents off it), but it really crawls compared to the newer machines. Nevertheless, the Lenovo screen is completely amazing to read, and the keyboard is great. It was the last of a long line of IBM notebooks I had that were all great. The HP machine will probably be pretty good too. I had a top-of-the-line "Envy" in late 2009 -- 15", full HD screen, Quad Core-I7 -- and that version of it was just too heavy, so I returned it went to the Sony (which really is easy to carry around).

I also have a 17" MBP that I use for Music stuff (also with non-glare screen), and they are amazing machines. But for now I'd still run Windows even on the Mac to use the Windows version of Logos.

I definitely like resolution. I also have a good optometrist...

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/241585#Comment_241585

>>The
only problem with Mac right now is I have to get Windows on it to run Logos
well.

Besides
the price this alone is a big problem for me. My primary use of a computer is sermon work and using Logos4. I plan on purchasing a new laptop this year.

Sometimes Dell Outlet has good hardware deals (refurbished are "used" for less than 2 weeks).

For example, 20 % off coupon (on twitter) reduces price for 2nd Generation Quad Core i7 laptop to $ 767.20 (plus tax), looks promising for Logos 4 use:

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-XPS-15-Notebook-i5-2410M-GT-540M.51186.0.html has a review that includes screen shot of "extra" software.

Keep Smiling [:)]

777

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/243686#Comment_243686

I should probably point out that I returned the Lenovo W520 machine that I had just purchased and am now getting a 17" MacBook Pro. The W520 was nice, supported more drives and twice as much ram, and could boot from a miniature mSATA card, but I decided to go MacBook Pro instead.

It's a long story...[:O]

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/243693#Comment_243693

I should probably point out that I returned the Lenovo W520 machine that I had just purchased and am now getting a 17" MacBook Pro. The W520 was nice, supported more drives and twice as much ram, and could boot from a miniature mSATA card, but I decided to go MacBook Pro instead.

It's a long story...

I like long stories. Since a 15" MacBook Pro is still a possibility for me (though an unlikely one), versus the Lenovo or the upcoming HP 8560w, I'd like to hear your reasons, if you would share them. Also, what does booting from a miniature mSATA card accomplish and how does one do this? (My technology skills have been pretty much dormant for 10 years, so I'm woefully uninformed on configurations, setups, etc.).

layla mccool

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/240170#Comment_240170

All the configurations that you want is really good but ya laptop gonna little bit expensive cause of that. i will try to find best available brands on good rates.

good luck

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/243703#Comment_243703

All the configurations that you want is really good but ya laptop gonna little bit expensive cause of that. i will try to find best available brands on good rates.

good luck

Welcome [:D]

For hardware, prefer best bang for the buck. Often RAM and hard disk can be upgraded in laptop computers after purchase.

Apple offers refurbished Mac Book Pro's on their web site => http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_pro (noted previous 2 generations are available at a discounted price, current models not yet available). Apple refurbished units are packed like new; only outside of box is marked refurbished (also ships with same one year warranty as new).

Earlier posted Dell Outlet possibility. Also Dell has support web site with manuals and drivers.

But for $1,999* I can get a Lenovo Thinkpad W520 with 500GB 7200RPM HDD, NVIDIA Quadro 2000M Graphics with 2GB DDR3 Memory, USB 3.0 (no Firewire, though), 15.6" screen 1600x900, Intel Core i7-2720QM Processor (2.20GHz, 6MB L3) - won't that run rings around the MacBook Pro, esp. in terms of graphics?

If benchmark scores scale in linear fashion, can compare numbers for relative performance estimate. For example, NVIDIA Quadro 2000M is # 51 on http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html with 3DMark06 score of 11616. AMD Radeon HD 6750M is # 55 with 3DMark06 score of 9406. Hence estimate NVIDIA Quadro 2000M being 23.5 % faster than AMD Radeon HD 6750M ( 11616 / 9406 = 1.235 ), which shows in one game at ultra resolution: NVIDIA Quadro 2000M's 41.7 frames per second (fps) is 26.4 % faster than 33 fps for AMD Radeon HD 6750M. For some intense games, graphics speed difference affects playability. Both graphics cards have the same Windows 7 experience index of 6.9 for graphics.

MacBook Pro 15" with 2.2 GHz Quad Core i7, 750 GB 5400 RPM Drive, and AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB GDDR5 retails for $ 2,199; suspect Logos 4 would feel faster on Lenovo primarily due to faster hard drive (up to 33 % faster for disk reading and writing).

Upgrading MacBook Pro 15" hard drive would be a good idea; Other World Computer sells Do It Yourself (DIY) laptop upgrade kits, including 750 GB 7200 RPM for $ 122.99 (speed up Mac Book Pro and use external hard drive for Time Machine backup). Also have option for hybrid disk or Solid State Disk (SSD) upgrade (cost bit more, but faster, especially SSD). Web site http://www.ifixit.com/Browse/MacBook_Pro has disassembled many Mac models; appears upgrading disk in new MacBook Pro is fairly easy (looks like 4 screws to remove back cover, then can access hard drive).

Keep Smiling [:)]

777

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/243700#Comment_243700

Before I bought the W520 my better half was dead set against me buying a Mac. That was my first choice. I had a thinkpad T61p so I looked at the T520 and W520 and bought the W520. Then I found out that the W520 reports a southbridge chipset stepping of B2 that would indicate that it has the Sandy Bridge SATA fault on the mainboard. Since I was booting from an 80GB mSATA card that was one of the affected SATA ports that would deteriorate after time and the external eSATA port was the other questionable port, this would not do. Add to that the fact that I planned to go RAID, but I came to find that the RAID option is only available if you configure it that way when you purchase it and you can't just slap another drive into the ultrabay and set up RAID. The I came to find that the modem is not included, but is listed in the tabook as being there. You get a knockout for it on the back panel of the machine, but no modem. Then there is the ultra big power supply. When I called Lenovo about the board/chipset stepping I was treated like they did not care and did not want to hear it. THAT is what clinched me returning it and ordering the MBP.

Besides, now I can run Accordance as well as Logos 4 Mac - as well as Logos 4 PC and BibleWorks. Gotta love that. [;)]

That's the distilled version of the story. The detail laden version is much more angst evoking and time consuming.

That being said, I love ThinkPads. I visited the Apple Store today and I think I love MacBooks Pros a lot more.

777

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/244004#Comment_244004

I also forgot - the MacBook Pro has a 16:10 aspect ratio while the W520 is a 16:19 aspect ratio. I'm used to 16:10 and 16:10 is getting hard to find. That 1920 x 1200 is a bit more than the 1920 x 1080 that the W520 sports. The MBP also has audio out AND audio in ports. Not so on the Lenovo.

777

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/244005#Comment_244005

I ended up ordering the MBP 3 times until I got what I wanted. I kept cancelling the order after I went and did even more homework. I ended up buying the loaded creampuff version of the 17" with everything but the 512GB SSD. I got the 256GB SSD instead. The MBP has the anti-glare screen too. I ordered a boatload of Accordance today as well.

Eric Weiss

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/244006#Comment_244006

Thanks, 777!

I think your needs and capabilities are beyond mine, so a MacBook Pro is probably not justifiable or warranted in my case.

layla mccool

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/243703#Comment_243703

All the configurations that you want is really good but ya laptop gonna little bit expensive cause of that. i will try to find best available brands on good rates.

good luck

___________________

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Steve Clevenger

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/243703#Comment_243703

A light weight laptop that runs Logos4 very smooth and fast?

Thanks