[CDW]

Yes, but why go to all that trouble when buying a Windows laptop would do the same thing without the hassle. I know about VMware, used it myself. And dual booting is a pain. Been there, Done that.

Likewise, a pain for you perhaps, perhaps not so for others. Your experience doesn't necessarily translate for everyone. In three to five years time a PC laptop, especially a Dell, will be worth almost nothing whereas a Mac will have some significant residual value. I did the PC thing for 15 years so I'm pretty familiar with Lenovo, Asus, Dell and Toshiba. None of them have customer support that matches Apple in quality.

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Last edited by CDW; 08-18-2015 at 05:12 PM.

[sholtzma]

I have been using (at work) a Lenovo T-420. Pretty sure it is this (or very close to it):

http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-Thinkpad-T420-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B00W4AMW...=Thinkpad+T420

Here's what I've found out since I first started the thread. Our college's lease on these computers was only for 3 years, and we've gone well past that, so these are now old and often very "used". We'll be getting new computers next year, though I don't know what yet. Still want a personal laptop that can handle a much heavier workload than what our work computers (I guess) can handle. I don't care about portability or weight or size at all. I'm sure the work computer will be highly portable; that seems a priority for many people.

[Giklab]

I have been using (at work) a Lenovo T-420. Pretty sure it is this (or very close to it):

Amazon.com: Lenovo Thinkpad T420 - Intel Core i5 2520M 8GB 320GB Win 7 Pro (Certified Refurbished): Computers & Accessories

Here's what I've found out since I first started the thread. Our college's lease on these computers was only for 3 years, and we've gone well past that, so these are now old and often very "used". We'll be getting new computers next year, though I don't know what yet. Still want a personal laptop that can handle a much heavier workload than what our work computers (I guess) can handle. I don't care about portability or weight or size at all. I'm sure the work computer will be highly portable; that seems a priority for many people.

Another Lenovo is a good bet, since the IT team won't have to completely adapt over. I suggest going to them while they are still surprised at what you actually do and asking about getting a beefier machine. Barring that, an Asus ROG series is a good bet now that I think about it. Get a machine with the most RAM and the best CPU you can get at the cost of the GPU (which will still be really good, but you don't need that too much).

[sholtzma]

Another Lenovo is a good bet, since the IT team won't have to completely adapt over. I suggest going to them while they are still surprised at what you actually do and asking about getting a beefier machine. Barring that, an Asus ROG series is a good bet now that I think about it. Get a machine with the most RAM and the best CPU you can get at the cost of the GPU (which will still be really good, but you don't need that too much).

Why not take into account a GPU?
-------------

Here's my tentative (and, you'll see, uninformed) list of "need" and "don't need":

Need:
a) high powered processor (but what? dual core? quad core? i5? i7?)
b) high processing speed (but how fast? 2.2GHz, 2.5? 3?)
c) 12-16GB RAM
d) good (but not extraordinary) battery life
e) CD/DVD drive
f) reliable and long-lasting (but how long does a laptop last?)
g) SSD

Prefer:
h) lots of USB ports
i) 500GB storage

Don't need:
small size, low weight, good portability, high quality screen, large screen (15" will do), any software, more than 500GB storage (and maybe only 250GB) since I will use external hardrives

Possible USB devices that might (all or almost all) need to be attached, most of which might be used simultaneously:
2 external harddrives, 2 thumbdrives, 2 scanners, 1 printer, external keyboard, external mouse/Wacom tablet, SD card reader (if the laptop doesn't come with one), maybe a fan if the laptop runs hot

Might I need a USB card slot? Can a high quality, heavy duty, fast USB port handle most of the peripherals, so that the laptop doesn't need to have more than the typical 3 or 4?

Can I end up in the $1000 price range? $1500? Or am I already in the $2000 or higher range?

[Giklab]

Rog stands for "Republic of Gamers", that's why I said you didn't ned to worry about the GPU

Regarding the processor, I'd say a quad-core i7. But, I strongly suggest finding out where your current system kneels first. You might be just fine with a dual core, and the problem actually has to do with the USB and dock bandwidth, in which case a USB hub may be all you need. Fire up Resource Monitor and see if anything is capped.

Could you list what you actually do? (sorry if I missed it).

Pending new info, I'd say i7, 16 GB RAM, 250-500GB EVO 850.
Take into account that most laptops don't have more than 4-5 USBs, but almost all have a SD card reader, so that's something. Most laptops have 1 or more USB3 port(s), which could handle a hub with more actual bandwidth that you have now.

[sholtzma]

IT has my computer, so I can't fire up anything. But why wouldn't they have simply checked the "USB and dock bandwidth", and made any needed changes there? They made it seem as if I was using the computer beyond its expected level of use both with software and with the many peripherals.

Many months ago, I ended up using a small USB hub as well as many of the USB ports, because some simply wouldn't work at all. Even the port in which the hub was plugged in would sometimes fail.

My usage was not all that intense or bizarre. No gaming. Little video. Mostly MS Office products. Plenty of Adobe image editing and some of their word processing. Internet use. Often quite a few programs open at once, including memory-hogging programs. Pretty sure the laptop had 8 GB of RAM, though. My internal HD was maybe 2/3 full or 3/4 full, which they also noted with dismay. Frankly, I never felt I was pushing the computer even close to what I would have thought its limits were....

[Giklab]

Well bandwidth is just that - the most data a port can handle. While the dock has a number of ports the connection between it and your laptop might not be able to carry that much at once. Is it the one that your laptop sits on or the one that connects via a cable?

Your problem is probably a combination of many devices hooked up at once and hard drive read/write speed. A SSD would help in any case, but you already know that. You really need to find out what was causing you issues - when you say "My usage was not all that intense or bizarre" I don't think you realize how unusual having 9 things plugged in at once actually is . Also, I'd be concerned that nobody at IT realized what your job actually involved. If they had they probably wouldn't have given you a T420 - a very nice machine, but not really up to what you are doing.

Sorry if I'm confusing you with anything, just trying to help. I'm not too familiar with US pricing, but I don't think you need to spend even close to 2000$. An example of the most expensive option you'd probably be looking at: Y50 Laptop Good For Gaming & Entertainment

Actually, check this out: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/lenovo/y-series/y50-touch/?sb=:000001C9:00015A0F:
For some reason the much better specced ones are much cheaper... wat lenovo

And if you'd like a more workstationy thing, here: http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/laptops/thinkpad/w-series/w541/?sb=:00000025:00003AF8:

Found these while trolling Lenovo's site, but most manufacturers will have some form of equivalent product (Elitebook 850 for example).

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Last edited by Giklab; 08-20-2015 at 09:56 AM.

[sholtzma]

Well bandwidth is just that - the most data a port can handle. While the dock has a number of ports the connection between it and your laptop might not be able to carry that much at once Is it the one that your laptop sits on or the one that connects via a cable?

Your problem is probably a combination of many devices hooked up at once and hard drive read/write speed. A SSD would help in any case, but you already know that. You really need to find out what was causing you issues - when you say "My usage was not all that intense or bizarre" I don't think you realize how unusual having 9 things plugged in at once actually is . Also, I'd be concerned that nobody at IT realized what your job actually involved. If they had they probably wouldn't have given you a T420 - a very nice machine, but not really up to what you are doing.

Sorry if I'm confusing you with anything, just trying to help. I'm not too familiar with US pricing, but I don't think you need to spend even close to 2000$. An example of the most expensive option you'd probably be looking at: Y50 Laptop Good For Gaming & Entertainment

Actually, check this out: Lenovo Y50 Touch Laptop | 15.6" High-Performance Gaming Notebook PC
For some reason the much better specced ones are much cheaper... wat lenovo

And if you'd like a more workstationy thing, here: ThinkPad W541 | Mobile Workstation |

Found these while trolling Lenovo's site, but most manufacturers will have some form of equivalent product (Elitebook 850 for example).

You're not being confusing. I'm the one confused. You're being very helpful, and I'm grateful.

The laptop sat on the dock, a physical connection. If there is a bottleneck, why would the manufacturer offer that many USB ports, if a user cannot employ them all? That's what I find frustrating. If the computer system cannot handle it, don't put that many USB ports on the system.

I'm tied up now with projects but will look at the links you included later tonight. Many thanks; you are going way beyond the call of duty. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to this thread. And more input is welcome from others....

[Giklab]

You're not being confusing. I'm the one confused. You're being very helpful, and I'm grateful.

The laptop sat on the dock, a physical connection. If there is a bottleneck, why would the manufacturer offer that many USB ports, if a user cannot employ them all? That's what I find frustrating. If the computer system cannot handle it, don't put that many USB ports on the system.

I'm tied up now with projects but will look at the links you included later tonight. Many thanks; you are going way beyond the call of duty. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to this thread. And more input is welcome from others....

Thanks, and you're very welcome. That's why we're on this forum after all .

I guess the ports may just be there to have things sitting around, not being used all at the same time. Maybe the dock itself is not even the limiting factor, but just the disk. Sadly, I've yet to see any manufacturer publishing specs that go beyond listing the ports the thing has, so we can only assume, cynicism hats optional.

Whichever brand you go for, look for their gaming series, since those will be built better than the consumer stuff as well as being more powerful. 1000-1500$ will get you an excellent laptop either way.

[Giklab]

https://youtu.be/AEZ4IqmhQNY?t=1m41s

The product reminded me of this thread. How are things going, sholtzma?

[sholtzma]

https://youtu.be/AEZ4IqmhQNY?t=1m41s

The product reminded me of this thread. How are things going, sholtzma?

Good on two fronts. First, IT worked a bit on my work computer, found nothing wrong, but one of the IT personnel (who never used her dock) gave me her dock and took mine. Hers is essentially unused. Not surprisingly, the IT-provided work computer (Lenovo T-420) is now doing perfectly well. I always suspected the dock.... All this computer needs to do is last about another year, by which time our College will have replaced our old computers with new ones.

Second, I bought a Lenovo Y-40 with high specs and have been slowly setting it up: eliminating bloatware, adding anti-virus and anti-malware, adding software, slowly adding peripherals, and most recently setting up a KVM switch to use both computers with my same monitor/keyboard/mouse (or Wacom tablet). I still have to clear up a couple software problems as well as one hardware problem. But mostly the installation has been smooth. After all problems have been solved, and I am sure that software and all peripherals are working on this computer, I'll uninstall a chunk of software from the T-420 and move more peripherals from its USB ports to the Y-40's.

Many thanks to all who offered advice and help.

[Giklab]

Good on two fronts. First, IT worked a bit on my work computer, found nothing wrong, but one of the IT personnel (who never used her dock) gave me her dock and took mine. Hers is essentially unused. Not surprisingly, the IT-provided work computer (Lenovo T-420) is now doing perfectly well. I always suspected the dock.... All this computer needs to do is last about another year, by which time our College will have replaced our old computers with new ones.

Second, I bought a Lenovo Y-40 with high specs and have been slowly setting it up: eliminating bloatware, adding anti-virus and anti-malware, adding software, slowly adding peripherals, and most recently setting up a KVM switch to use both computers with my same monitor/keyboard/mouse (or Wacom tablet). I still have to clear up a couple software problems as well as one hardware problem. But mostly the installation has been smooth. After all problems have been solved, and I am sure that software and all peripherals are working on this computer, I'll uninstall a chunk of software from the T-420 and move more peripherals from its USB ports to the Y-40's.

Many thanks to all who offered advice and help.

So, you're practically all set. You just need to not run the dock into the ground for a year
What do you think about the Y40? I'll be needing a new computer myself in the near future.