13-05-2023, 01:50 PM
Hello Damien,
now here are some questions, why a laptop?
if a laptop is a must, then you will have to content with power management settings that put USB ports to sleep, while not a new problem it is one that keeps cropping up in forums with people having problems with programs going to sleep.
On the laptop front, find a keyboard / trackpad layout that you love to use and is comfortable, remember the keyboard / trackpad and display are the things you have to deal with all the time, the stuff under the hood is usually set and forget.
If compatibility with win 11 is a concern, then you can run a copy of Windows 10 in a Virtual machine inside he laptop for the ones that do not like Win11 but in my case I am yet to find a ham app that is unhappy on win 11
Will you use a desktop monitor, if not then spend a lot of time scrutinising the display as to view angles and the reflectiveness of the display, nothing worse that glare from a random light source when hunting a new one on FT8. There are some great USB-C connected docking stations that can make the all come together easily, monitor, keyboard and a nice mouse. We use both the HP and Lenovo docks at work and they can turn a laptop into a viable desktop alternative all via a single USB-C cable.. Using a Dock also helps with supplementing the PORT count on the laptop.
I for one hate track pads and avoid most laptops where possible. I work in I.T at a very large school and am constantly amazed that how often folders on the shared drives are 'getting lost' when people drag them around by mistake on a laptop with a track pad. This might be a skewed view but hay that is my life
Generally disk speed is not a problem any more as most have SSD's or better still M.2 slot drives. Please remember Bigger is not always better when it comes to drives.
What is better with size is the system RAM... cram in what you can afford.
Cooling, there is nothing worse than a laptop with a cooling fan that screams at you with the smallest of provocation, there are some good stress test tools you can find for free that will make the video and processor ramp up. From there you will know if its going to be a problem. Unless you really need a super flash video card then do not go that way, they only only chew battery power and cause un wanted heat, which then kicks on the cooling fan(s).
sorry if this sounds like a sermon, cannot give you any direct recommendations as my exposure is to only enterprise devices that range well over $2K but the higher end Lenovo and HP seem to stand up to the beatings from teachers.
now here are some questions, why a laptop?
if a laptop is a must, then you will have to content with power management settings that put USB ports to sleep, while not a new problem it is one that keeps cropping up in forums with people having problems with programs going to sleep.
On the laptop front, find a keyboard / trackpad layout that you love to use and is comfortable, remember the keyboard / trackpad and display are the things you have to deal with all the time, the stuff under the hood is usually set and forget.
If compatibility with win 11 is a concern, then you can run a copy of Windows 10 in a Virtual machine inside he laptop for the ones that do not like Win11 but in my case I am yet to find a ham app that is unhappy on win 11
Will you use a desktop monitor, if not then spend a lot of time scrutinising the display as to view angles and the reflectiveness of the display, nothing worse that glare from a random light source when hunting a new one on FT8. There are some great USB-C connected docking stations that can make the all come together easily, monitor, keyboard and a nice mouse. We use both the HP and Lenovo docks at work and they can turn a laptop into a viable desktop alternative all via a single USB-C cable.. Using a Dock also helps with supplementing the PORT count on the laptop.
I for one hate track pads and avoid most laptops where possible. I work in I.T at a very large school and am constantly amazed that how often folders on the shared drives are 'getting lost' when people drag them around by mistake on a laptop with a track pad. This might be a skewed view but hay that is my life
Generally disk speed is not a problem any more as most have SSD's or better still M.2 slot drives. Please remember Bigger is not always better when it comes to drives.
What is better with size is the system RAM... cram in what you can afford.
Cooling, there is nothing worse than a laptop with a cooling fan that screams at you with the smallest of provocation, there are some good stress test tools you can find for free that will make the video and processor ramp up. From there you will know if its going to be a problem. Unless you really need a super flash video card then do not go that way, they only only chew battery power and cause un wanted heat, which then kicks on the cooling fan(s).
sorry if this sounds like a sermon, cannot give you any direct recommendations as my exposure is to only enterprise devices that range well over $2K but the higher end Lenovo and HP seem to stand up to the beatings from teachers.
Peter Sumner, vk5pj
You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.
- Winston Churchill
You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.
- Winston Churchill