POJ Panasonic CF-51 is dead. Only lasted 17 years....RIP Laptop suggestions?

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
So, it finally died. Keyboard is gone, hard drive, though replaceable, is clicking, and starts sometimes.

GPU is too slow to play Xfinity streaming service, etc.

Not worth fixing, or trying to upgrade.

So:
Been looking at Panasonics, but, they are again almost all 1000 dollars for what I'm after.

Been looking at used Thinkpads, Carbon X1, 420, 520, etc. Price seems around right, 300-400.

Anyone have a link or idea about what laptops were produced when, and the quality?


Currently typing this at Starbucks, on a Acer 1080 15.6"Chromebook, that for 300, isn't bad.
Will play streaming video, most of the time.

Any idea minimum speed mbps to play streaming video?

Ideal would be SSD, Nvidia 1050 or better, big screen Toughbook, or Thinkpad.

How long is Windows 7 going to be supported?
Tried a Asus with 10, and it drove me nuts.

Happy Holidays

gs
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
Why are you looking at used anythings? Dell XPS 13 with Coffee Lake is what I'd be looking at. That, or the current model of the HP Elitebook 840 G1 that I have, which is the G4.
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
The Lenovo T470s isn't bad either. I have one for my work machine.

FWIW, Windows 10 is fine after you install Classic Shell and Spybot Anti-Beacon.

BTW, there isn't a big performance difference between the last 5 years or so of mobile processors, but battery life has made noticeable strides. If you really are targeting a used or several generation old system I'd at least get Haswell hardware.
 

DrunkenBastard

Storage is cool
Joined
Jan 21, 2002
Messages
775
Location
on the floor
Our desktop support has started seeing some 460s with battery issues, given they have two built in non removables I wouldnt recommend if you plan on using one for a lot of battery cycles. I still love my 460s tho for the lightness/form factor, but its usually plugged into AC.

Santilli, I can stream Amazon/Netflix on 3G wireless so 600 kilobit per sec.
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
Thanks

Our desktop support has started seeing some 460s with battery issues, given they have two built in non removables I wouldnt recommend if you plan on using one for a lot of battery cycles. I still love my 460s tho for the lightness/form factor, but its usually plugged into AC.

Santilli, I can stream Amazon/Netflix on 3G wireless so 600 kilobit per sec.
B thanks the XPS screen at 13in is too small for these old eyes.Lenovo looks good features except for no optical drive and pricing to be right about right.
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
Which current laptops offer the new NVME SSD interface?
Lenovo Y 920 for one...
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
Several of the models suggested already in the thread do, but if you can't be bothered to do any research why should we spoon feed you?
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
Has anyone run speed test on the SSD pcie nvme hard drives on any of the laptops?
 

Chewy509

Wotty wot wot.
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
3,327
Location
Gold Coast Hinterland, Australia
Has anyone run speed test on the SSD pcie nvme hard drives on any of the laptops?

Yes, but since there is no guarantee what you actually get (exact model/firmware) in each laptop (they only provide based on size/capacity), IMHO it's fairly meaningless giving out scores... Most range from 3.5GB/s down to 1GB/s depending on the device, chipset, CPU and OS combination. (Not to forget, things like bitlocker/filevault/truecrypt will affect the performance as well).

At work we have a few Samsung 960 Pros, and will get 3.5GB/s (reading zeroed/trimmed sectors), and about 2.5GB/s-3.0GB/s on actual data filled sectors.

One of our Dell XPS 13's regularly gives ~2-2.5GB/s on read tests, can't tell you the device though (have to wait 2 weeks until I'm back in the office).
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
That much data moving does the GPU become the bottleneck?
There doesn't seem to be a standard way of stating what the interface is. there's a bunch of them that have pcie listed as the interface and others are pcie nvme.
Others just listed as SSD with no interface listed.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,624
Location
USA
I found virtually no difference between the regular M.2 PCIe vs. the NVMe versions in desktops. They both had about the same speeds and the differences are not even that great over SATA SSDs in most applications.
I know that Greg is a placebo effect type of guy, so it may offer more benefits to him than most. Anything will be light years ahead of the ancient machine used previously.
I'd opt for a true quad core CPU and a real video card first.
 

Handruin

Administrator
Joined
Jan 13, 2002
Messages
13,737
Location
USA
That much data moving does the GPU become the bottleneck?
There doesn't seem to be a standard way of stating what the interface is. there's a bunch of them that have pcie listed as the interface and others are pcie nvme.
Others just listed as SSD with no interface listed.

No, that has little to do with the GPU.
Stating pcie would be short-hand for pcie nvme.
 

sechs

Storage? I am Storage!
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
4,709
Location
Left Coast
NVMe is a host controller interface specification, like AHCI. It can be used on PCIe, SATA Express, U.2, and M.2 devices.
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
Currently using this:
Acer - 15.6" Touch-Screen Chromebook - Intel Pentium - 4GB Memory - 32GB EMMC Flash Memory - Pure Silver

I like the price, 299. the screen, it's fast, and I'm slowly but surely turning control of my life, and my typing over to Google.
Plays Xfinity video, pretty much does everything I want it to do, at this limited point.

Learning how to use google drive, google.docs, etc.

Trackpad is a pain. Touch it wrong, deletes typed text, and no recovery.


Acer - 15.6" Touch-Screen Chromebook - Intel Pentium - 4GB Memory - 32GB EMMC Flash Memory - Pure Silver
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
Learning a Chromebook. Good stuff.
Learned to disable the pad while typing with keystrokes. Learning more and more as I go....

Pretty amazing how fast this the Chromebook is with a SSD and an anemic processor.
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
Yes. Says SSD, not very well described in any documentation I've found...
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,624
Location
USA
It's like those old Netbooks, but designed for the Google to control everything. :(
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
Apparently uses a small form factor M2,with no active cooling.
Tried to find an upgrade, but for the model I have, no joy.
Resigned to staying with 32 gig, with the OS and stuff taking about half.
Additional storage is on a 64 gig card, that I don't ever use, so I'm putting that back in my phone, so I can put flac stuff on it, and play through the my Moto X4.

So far, hassles as trying to read, or work on PDF files.
On Windows 7 stuff, I have Acrobat Pro, but no equal on chrome I've found yet, nor have I put much effort into it.

After a lot of complaining, Xfinity's app now plays on Chrome books.

The more expensive Chromebooks run higher power cpus to run more extensive windows then I use.
It works fine for playing video, something the CF-51did not do.
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
Thanks for the heads up.Looking for a larger screen, 17.3" , 1080p.
Mainly used to stream video from Xfinity X1 DVR.
Oddly, the laptop works, but the desktop doesn't on the wifi hotspot near this house.

Might be the wifi capability on the desktop, or Xfinity might have blocked the desktop.
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
Have a lengthy typing project coming up.

What Windows laptops have the best keyboards for typing right now?
Anything backlit, with Cherry or click type keyboard?
Haven't found anything like that...
 

Chewy509

Wotty wot wot.
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
3,327
Location
Gold Coast Hinterland, Australia
Unfortunately, I don't think you will (easily), especially with the heavy push for thinner/lighter laptops.

If you want something with mechanical keys, then an external keyboard is your best bet. (There are quite a few 68key keyboards out there and even a few 49key ones).

Actually, just found the MSI GT80 Titan and the Lenovo Y900 (unfortunately just discontinued) come with low-profile mechanical keys. (Both are gaming orientated laptops, so forget thin/light). Cherry last year did announce low-profile MX switches, but have yet to see them in anything.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,624
Location
USA
Have a lengthy typing project coming up.

What Windows laptops have the best keyboards for typing right now?
Anything backlit, with Cherry or click type keyboard?
Haven't found anything like that...

Is there some reason you must type in the field, e.g., foreign country, instead of using a more efficient and ergonomic workstation at home or office? I would bring along a quality, full-sized keyboard if I had to do a lot of typing in the field.
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
Is there some reason you must type in the field, e.g., foreign country, instead of using a more efficient and ergonomic workstation at home or office? I would bring along a quality, full-sized keyboard if I had to do a lot of typing in the field.
He's after the unobtainable. Haven't you figured that out yet?
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,624
Location
USA
My laptop requirements are for minimal weight due to the international airline and charter prop plane air limits and also high storage capacity is needed for RAW files. That should not be baffling.
 

Stereodude

Not really a
Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
10,865
Location
Michigan
My laptop requirements are for minimal weight due to the international airline and charter prop plane air limits and also high storage capacity is needed for RAW files. That should not be baffling.
I didn't necessarily mean for a laptop. I recall you having some odd requirements for camera gear.
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
Yes, it's s 3 day exam, where the exam company takes control of the devices, for three days, 24/7, hundreds of miles from home and work.

Don't know the exact specs right now for what they allow, what software they run, etc.

My criteria is pretty much a workstation that I can take home afterwards, that is bulletproof, and I suspect the best solution is an attached keyboard, but now sure if they allow it, yet.
Had a few other more pressing issues right now.

I'm not sure how data is transfered for scoring. Suspect it might require wifi.
 

LunarMist

I can't believe I'm a Fixture
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
16,624
Location
USA
Yes, it's s 3 day exam, where the exam company takes control of the devices, for three days, 24/7, hundreds of miles from home and work.

Don't know the exact specs right now for what they allow, what software they run, etc.

My criteria is pretty much a workstation that I can take home afterwards, that is bulletproof, and I suspect the best solution is an attached keyboard, but now sure if they allow it, yet.
Had a few other more pressing issues right now.

I'm not sure how data is transfered for scoring. Suspect it might require wifi.

I've taken some weird field tests (e.g., black room/blue room) years ago, but never had to bring my own equipment. :(
 

Santilli

Hairy Aussie
Joined
Jan 27, 2002
Messages
5,078
Dell upgrade went better then expected.
Inspirion 1500 5000. 5400 drive, 90mb/s. Put in a Samsung EVO 960. 550mb/sec, Crystal Disk Mark. 57.00
Made the Dell current, despite Dell telling us not to upgrade it on the phone.

For once, they did not use a substandard chip on the bus, so we are getting the benefits of the drive.
Thought that was why they told us not to upgrade...

What really got me going was a new keyboard was 20.00. This one is backlit. The one on the computer is way cheaper, and,
it's on a 1000 dollar computer.

The cheap keyboards on these expensive Dells are really offensive...

GF loves it. Feels like a new computer. Hardwire 100mb/sec internet doesn't hurt, either.
 
Top