Recently, I’ve been thinking about buying a computer, as it’s a reliable way to kill time most of the time.
My requirements are actually quite simple: the appearance should be decent, and it should be able to run several resource-intensive browsers simultaneously without issues. Sounds simple, but meeting these requirements is quite challenging.
The appearance of the laptop is one aspect I care about. Firstly, I personally dislike brushed and glossy finishes, which are standard on most computers today. Secondly, if the colors of the A, B, and C surfaces of the laptop don’t match, it bothers me, and many laptops are like this. Historically, I am most satisfied with the design of Thinkpad and Fujitsu laptops.
From a brand perspective, Dell and HP are out of the question—mediocre quality, poor service, just professional computer sellers, not my cup of tea. Asus is out for no particular reason. Toshiba, Samsung, and Sony are generally ignored. Acer and Shenzhou play similar roles (one is a low-cost product globally, the other domestically), and I wouldn’t consider them unless absolutely necessary. Thinkpad and Fujitsu are my top choices. Apple is out for no particular reason. Lenovo and BenQ are secondary considerations (due to historical factors). Other brands are ignored.
Functionally, both AMD and Intel processors are acceptable. Although AMD’s performance isn’t great, I’ve been a loyal fan for over a decade. It doesn’t have to be an i7 or i5; practicality is key. I’ve used a 4200+ for years without feeling any pressure. As for the graphics card, it’s fine if it has one, and fine if it doesn’t. I don’t expect to play games; as long as it can play movies without lag, the integrated GMA is usually sufficient. Memory and hard drives are trivial; I can add more when needed. The only special requirement is a preference for 15-inch models. I haven’t considered portability much; I don’t want to hunch over a small screen. I usually sit more than a meter away with a wireless keyboard and mouse. After long-term use, 14-inch screens are inadequate. Additionally, I have a special need for high resolution.
After a thorough search on Taobao for laptops under 5000 (with a budget of around 4000, as my salary isn’t high), only the Thinkpad SL510R9C made it to my pre-purchase list, priced just over 4000 on Taobao. So, I went to the computer mall, but couldn’t find it. Only the A66 model of the SL510 was available, priced at 3800, which is clearly overpriced. To my dismay, I found out that its resolution is only 1366x768, which was a major letdown. Fortunately, I didn’t make an impulsive purchase.
Later, I considered buying a Playbook, iPad 2, or an Android tablet, but these gadgets often can’t meet my current needs for PC applications, and I’m not into touchscreen games.
I also thought about netbooks. After extensive searching, apart from the Thinkpad x100, few met my aesthetic expectations. Plus, the processors in most netbooks struggle with the resource-heavy demands of modern browsers and flash plugins, so I gave up on that idea.
Painful!