Shopping for Ultrabooks for college. Any testimonials or suggestions?

[ajst222]

Hey guys! I've been looking for a new laptop for college, and I'm not sure why I didn't bring this to the forums sooner. For the past month or so I've been doing my research and have myself down to a pretty decent list (at least I believe) and I would just like to hear from anyone who has owned or used one of these. And if there are any other suggestions that you might have, I'm 100% open to hearing them!

Surface 2 Pro: This one was an obvious choice to put in my short list of laptops. I own a Surface RT now (need to sell it) and I love the form factor. The Surface Pen is HUGE for me as I use OneNote and I think it would be great for taking notes and such. Another pro is the form factor...I love it...enough said. But there are only 2 real drawbacks: only 1 USB port and no SD card slot. As a photographer I do take pictures and would be running Photoshop and Lightroom. It would be tough for me to get by with 1 USB port and having to use a USB to SD adapter.

Toshiba KIRAbook (2nd gen): Just felt that I needed to clarify that I'm interested in the second gen because the first gen appeared to be a bust, but the second gen seems to have it right on. Great battery life, great speakers, great screen, plus it comes with Photoshop Elements which is a plus for me. In CNET's tests, it was the only Ultrabook to really keep up with the MacBook Pro. I don't really have any cons for it. Probably my top choice.

Sony Vaio Pro 11 and 13: Both the 11" and 13" Vaio Pro models look nice. The build quality of carbon fiber I've read, while flexible (supposed to be to make it more durable) is very nice. Both are light...like SUPER light. That's definitely a big plus for me since I would be carrying it around with me everywhere. I also kind of like the elevated keyboard when you flip up the screen since it sounds like it would be more ergonomically correct. The screen, while "only" 1080p I've read is very good. The color array is wide and the contrast is excellent. The only real drawbacks would be the battery. I've read mixed reviews from adequate to superb so I really don't know what I would be getting into.

Lenovo Yoga Pro 2: The Yoga is a really cool device. Very thin, but not the lightest. I like the form factor meaning that I know I wouldn't be stuck with just a laptop and that's the only thing that concerns me about the non convertible Ultrabooks I have listed. Lenovo is also known to have very good keyboards. The only things that hold me back: I've read that the Yoga 2 Pro battery isn't the longest. I've also read that the screen, while a super high resolution, doesn't produce very good yellows.

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus: I don't know...I'm kind of indifferent. I know it has excellent battery life, a very thin design and great build quality, and good performance, but for whatever reason this one doesn't really do it for me. I'm just keeping it here because I've heard very good things about it. The only negative is that since it has the same screen as the Yoga 2 Pro, it will have that same problem with the yellows. Definitely not a huge issue (and I've also heard that it has been fixed through an update for both models), but I'm also keeping in mind that the screen all around isn't the best.

If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with me! The models that I haven't seen in person are the Toshiba KIRAbook and the Sony Vaio Pro, so I need to head down the a Microsoft Store soon to check them out. Like I said, anyone who has anything to say I'm eager to hear you input. And if you have any other suggestions I'm happy to hear them.

 

[rockstarzzz]

Vaio is dead - I won't put my money on it. Lenovo Yoga Pro 2 or Surface Pro 2 are REALLY decent choices, next would be ATIV book. What's up with Dell ultrabooks? Not good enough?

 

[ajst222]

Vaio is dead - I won't put my money on it. Lenovo Yoga Pro 2 or Surface Pro 2 are REALLY decent choices, next would be ATIV book. What's up with Dell ultrabooks? Not good enough?

That was definitely one of my concerns with Vaio...if there would still be support. But I don't know. I haven't looked very far into Dell. The XPS 12 is on the heavier/thicker side. Not really a deal breaker but I just haven't looked at it. I read a little on the XPS 13 as well.

EDIT: Ah now I remember why I didn't look too far into the XPS 12 and 13! Neither have an SD card slot. I wouldn't want to go without that unless I get the Surface because I feel that has many other pros

 

[xandros9]

A potential option you might want to look at is the Dell Venue 11 Pro.

It has active stylus support, albeit not as good as the Surface's nor is it Wacom tech, but its something.

But it has a microSD (I could be mistaken, someone check me on,this) and one USB. The keyboard dock adds another one.
Battery life isn't bad at all, especially when coupled with the dock.

But another thing that may appeal to you and is the primary reason for my suggestion is the removable battery. The Surface's are terrible in terms of repairability and having the option of a removable battery is great, especially if you intend to use it throughout your four years in there. (although the battery life may be good enough to begin with.)

Comes in a fanless lower-powered and cost Bay Trail Atom version and a likely better suited for you i5 and i7 versions.

 

[ajst222]

A potential option you might want to look at is the Dell Venue 11 Pro.

It has active stylus support, albeit not as good as the Surface's nor is it Wacom tech, but its something.

But it has a microSD (I could be mistaken, someone check me on,this) and one USB. The keyboard dock adds another one.
Battery life isn't bad at all, especially when coupled with the dock.

But another thing that may appeal to you and is the primary reason for my suggestion is the removable battery. The Surface's are terrible in terms of repairability and having the option of a removable battery is great, especially if you intend to use it throughout your four years in there. (although the battery life may be good enough to begin with.)

Comes in a fanless lower-powered and cost Bay Trail Atom version and a likely better suited for you i5 and i7 versions.

I'll take a look into it. Thanks! Plus with more USB ports it would make me feel a little better using a USB to SD adapter

Posted via the WPC App for Android on my BlackBerry

 

[jojoe42]

I use the SP2 for note-taking at school and editing photos from my 1020 and other camera on-the-fly; definitely a workhorse machine!! The pen makes all the difference for OneNote, once you calibrate it properly it's pretty much as accurate as writing on paper...and regarding the one USB and no SD card slot (my other camera has an SD card) I just purchased one of those multi-adapter thingys from Amazon that includes 2 USB ports, HDMI out and an SD slot. Combine it with the type cover 2 and a Bluetooth mouse and you've got a powerful little productivity machine!!! Speed isn't an issue either - it handles batch editing 10 34MP RAW photos just fine

 

[unstoppablekem]

The Lenovo is really nice. But if you want a smaller device and better supported (it's MADE by Microsoft, hardware and software), I suggest getting the SP2. I have one and love it.

 

[rdubmu]

Honestly the original surface Pro can be bought using your education discount for $499. Such a steal as full price when brand new was $999.

Besides that I would get the Surface Pro2 with a type cover.

Sent from LG G2 on T-Mobile. come on T-Mobile get a flagship Windows Phone!!!!!

 

[unstoppablekem]

Honestly the original surface Pro can be bought using your education discount for $499. Such a steal as full price when brand new was $999.

Besides that I would get the Surface Pro2 with a type cover.

Sent from LG G2 on T-Mobile. come on T-Mobile get a flagship Windows Phone!!!!!

You're right. The original Surface Pro is a great price right now. If the op doesn't care about the poor battery life and having last years specs, then I suggest the original over the new one, as there is a big price difference...


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[ajst222]

Honestly the original surface Pro can be bought using your education discount for $499. Such a steal as full price when brand new was $999.

Besides that I would get the Surface Pro2 with a type cover.

Sent from LG G2 on T-Mobile. come on T-Mobile get a flagship Windows Phone!!!!!

The battery life is what kills that deal for me. If it wasn't for that I would be all over it.

Posted via the WPC App for Android on my BlackBerry

 

[xandros9]

The battery life is what kills that deal for me. If it wasn't for that I would be all over it.

Posted via the WPC App for Android on my BlackBerry

worth noting for $200 (?) you can add on the power cover which increases battery life by a significant chunk. (aaand its replaceable)

 

[rdubmu]

You're right. The original Surface Pro is a great price right now. If the op doesn't care about the poor battery life and having last years specs, then I suggest the original over the new one, as there is a big price difference...


Sent from my Xbox One using WPCentral Forums

The battery life is what kills that deal for me. If it wasn't for that I would be all over it.

Posted via the WPC App for Android on my BlackBerry

It still gets 4 hours of battery life and adds up to 7.5 with the power cover. Not bad at all.

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[rdubmu]

You're right. The original Surface Pro is a great price right now. If the op doesn't care about the poor battery life and having last years specs, then I suggest the original over the new one, as there is a big price difference...


Sent from my Xbox One using WPCentral Forums

Last year's specs are not much a difference for this year. The biggest differences thou is battery life and and the kickstand.

The Surface Pro 2 looks like the correct device for you to be able to take notes in school or work

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[StevoPhilo]

As a computer salesperson I would advise either the

Surface Pro 2
OR
Lenovo Yoga Pro 2

THe SP2 is going to give you stylus support for PS. While it isn't the best thing on Earth, it can eliminate the option of ever needing to use a Wacom Intuous or Cintiq device since it's built into the screen.
THe downside to the SP2 is the screen size itself. Working within photoshop or light room is kind of frustrating unless you don't mind being a little slower within it. It's going to be kind of difficult to navigate due to the size of buttons within PS itself. If you know key shortcuts or only plan on doing light things within either program than you should be OKAY.

The Lenovo Yoga will have a pretty nice screen with that kind of resolution in it. The flexibility it has is also a very nice thing and it is one of the thinner/lighter devices that I've felt. With the 13.3" screen it will make a bigger difference when working within PS or LR. HOWEVER, since there is no digitizer support on the Yoga it will be more of a laptop than a tablet feel compared to the SP2. If you plan on using PS or LR in tablet mode it probably won't work as well as you like since neither of those programs are optimized for touch. I think the biggest con about the Yoga is all the bloatware that is loaded onto the unit compared to the SP2. The Lenovo transition software also seems to be a resource drainer on the computer. I'm not sure how much trouble it is on the Yoga Pro 2, but on the regular i5 11.6" version it seemed to slow my program lauching by a few seconds.

The Toshiba I've had no experience with. So I can't say
The Sony Vaio line is attractive, but I've seen way too many issues software and hardware wise. As much as I want to love those machines, it is very hard for me to recommend.
The Samsung Ativ looks pretty attractive, but I haven't use one too much. I don't see Samsung as a computing unit, but more of a TV/Smartphone market.

 

[ajst222]

As a computer salesperson I would advise either the

Surface Pro 2
OR
Lenovo Yoga Pro 2

THe SP2 is going to give you stylus support for PS. While it isn't the best thing on Earth, it can eliminate the option of ever needing to use a Wacom Intuous or Cintiq device since it's built into the screen.
THe downside to the SP2 is the screen size itself. Working within photoshop or light room is kind of frustrating unless you don't mind being a little slower within it. It's going to be kind of difficult to navigate due to the size of buttons within PS itself. If you know key shortcuts or only plan on doing light things within either program than you should be OKAY.

The Lenovo Yoga will have a pretty nice screen with that kind of resolution in it. The flexibility it has is also a very nice thing and it is one of the thinner/lighter devices that I've felt. With the 13.3" screen it will make a bigger difference when working within PS or LR. HOWEVER, since there is no digitizer support on the Yoga it will be more of a laptop than a tablet feel compared to the SP2. If you plan on using PS or LR in tablet mode it probably won't work as well as you like since neither of those programs are optimized for touch. I think the biggest con about the Yoga is all the bloatware that is loaded onto the unit compared to the SP2. The Lenovo transition software also seems to be a resource drainer on the computer. I'm not sure how much trouble it is on the Yoga Pro 2, but on the regular i5 11.6" version it seemed to slow my program lauching by a few seconds.

The Toshiba I've had no experience with. So I can't say
The Sony Vaio line is attractive, but I've seen way too many issues software and hardware wise. As much as I want to love those machines, it is very hard for me to recommend.
The Samsung Ativ looks pretty attractive, but I haven't use one too much. I don't see Samsung as a computing unit, but more of a TV/Smartphone market.

Definitely no offense to everyone else who has responded as they all have been very helpful, your's has been the most helpful thus far. Screen size with the Surface is definitely something on my mind. Not sure if I will really want a true laptop or not. If I wasn't into photography it would probably be an easy choice.

With regards to the Vaio Pro series, what are you referring to exactly? I've read issues of network connectivity problems when it was first released but those were fixed with an update Sony pushed out a while ago.

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[thatotherdude24]

Hey guys! I've been looking for a new laptop for college, and I'm not sure why I didn't bring this to the forums sooner. For the past month or so I've been doing my research and have myself down to a pretty decent list (at least I believe) and I would just like to hear from anyone who has owned or used one of these. And if there are any other suggestions that you might have, I'm 100% open to hearing them!

Surface 2 Pro: This one was an obvious choice to put in my short list of laptops. I own a Surface RT now (need to sell it) and I love the form factor. The Surface Pen is HUGE for me as I use OneNote and I think it would be great for taking notes and such. Another pro is the form factor...I love it...enough said. But there are only 2 real drawbacks: only 1 USB port and no SD card slot. As a photographer I do take pictures and would be running Photoshop and Lightroom. It would be tough for me to get by with 1 USB port and having to use a USB to SD adapter.

Toshiba KIRAbook (2nd gen): Just felt that I needed to clarify that I'm interested in the second gen because the first gen appeared to be a bust, but the second gen seems to have it right on. Great battery life, great speakers, great screen, plus it comes with Photoshop Elements which is a plus for me. In CNET's tests, it was the only Ultrabook to really keep up with the MacBook Pro. I don't really have any cons for it. Probably my top choice.

Sony Vaio Pro 11 and 13: Both the 11" and 13" Vaio Pro models look nice. The build quality of carbon fiber I've read, while flexible (supposed to be to make it more durable) is very nice. Both are light...like SUPER light. That's definitely a big plus for me since I would be carrying it around with me everywhere. I also kind of like the elevated keyboard when you flip up the screen since it sounds like it would be more ergonomically correct. The screen, while "only" 1080p I've read is very good. The color array is wide and the contrast is excellent. The only real drawbacks would be the battery. I've read mixed reviews from adequate to superb so I really don't know what I would be getting into.

Lenovo Yoga Pro 2: The Yoga is a really cool device. Very thin, but not the lightest. I like the form factor meaning that I know I wouldn't be stuck with just a laptop and that's the only thing that concerns me about the non convertible Ultrabooks I have listed. Lenovo is also known to have very good keyboards. The only things that hold me back: I've read that the Yoga 2 Pro battery isn't the longest. I've also read that the screen, while a super high resolution, doesn't produce very good yellows.

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus: I don't know...I'm kind of indifferent. I know it has excellent battery life, a very thin design and great build quality, and good performance, but for whatever reason this one doesn't really do it for me. I'm just keeping it here because I've heard very good things about it. The only negative is that since it has the same screen as the Yoga 2 Pro, it will have that same problem with the yellows. Definitely not a huge issue (and I've also heard that it has been fixed through an update for both models), but I'm also keeping in mind that the screen all around isn't the best.

If you're still reading, thanks for sticking with me! The models that I haven't seen in person are the Toshiba KIRAbook and the Sony Vaio Pro, so I need to head down the a Microsoft Store soon to check them out. Like I said, anyone who has anything to say I'm eager to hear you input. And if you have any other suggestions I'm happy to hear them.

Have you looked at the Lenovo U430 touch? It is 14 inches and comes in a couple different versions. I have the i5/8/500. It's all metal casing and the quality is fantastic.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1

 

[StevoPhilo]

Glad I could help out. I work at Best Buy so I know the ins and outs. It probably helps that I do Graphic Design and Photography and understand a lot of the things you're looking for.

Most Sony Vaios came with Windows 8. You would have to update the Vaio drivers then install 8.1 or they would practically become bricked machines. I've seen a lot of returns with the Touchscreens not working or the screen itself just goes out. Unit not powering on, etc. I've seen more Vaio returns than any other brand that I sell. If you really like the Vaio series I would recommend some kind of protection plan or extended warranty on it.

I like the design and look of the newer Vaios and I appreciate the slide/lock mechanism on it. The other cool thing about the Vaio series is that you can use their N-Trig digitizer stylus ( Like the Tap 11) on their laptops . It is pen pressure sensitive. but to my understanding does NOT work within PS if you're using it for sketching. There may be an update out already so I could be wrong. Pricepoint wise Vaio laptops are kind of expensive to other brands though.

I have the Surface Pro ( original ) and I have the Lenovo Yoga 11s (The Yoga pro does offer way more) . Both similar to what you're looking at. I'm almost done with my Graphic Design program and of the 2 units I use the Surface Pro more than I use the Yoga. My reason is the stylus offers WAY too many benefits for me when I want to do any kind of sketching/photoshop/ or just plain taking notes in class. Onenote works wonders for that reason. I can take the Pro unit as just a tablet and leave my keyboard at home or use it more as a desktop/workstation. For small editing I take it as a tablet. For bigger things I'll bring the keyboard and sit down. It's still not going to give me the same experience as my desktop computer, but it will be the closest thing to it. The stylus for me just sells the entire unit. If I need to run it as a cintiq 11' screen I can cause I can plug it to a monitor and duplicate(mirror) it if need be.

I always find it funny cause The Yoga and the Pro always seem to get compared to each other and when people ask me which I would pick. I always go back to the pro even though I want a bigger screen.

It really boils down to whether you want A tablet that is a PC ( The Pro ) or you want a Laptop that can turn into a tablet ( The Yoga )

If you're not gonna carry it as a tablet and do Lightroom / PS on the go I think the Yoga will give a better experience just cause it has the i7 / 8gb ram / 256 SSD and will give you better color/ resolution.
If you want that portable tablet with Wacom stylus support and Pen Pressure I'd say the Pro is the better option

Keep in mind that these units would be more of an extension of your desktop rather than a replacement. PS or LR is always going to be done more on a workstation.

 

[StevoPhilo]

Have you looked at the Lenovo U430 touch? It is 14 inches and comes in a couple different versions. I have the i5/8/500. It's all metal casing and the quality is fantastic.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1

I'm glad you mentioned this as this is another option, but I would recommend the u530 touch which would give him the bigger screen AND the dedicated graphics to help with PS and LR

Lenovo IdeaPad U530 Touch Ultrabook 15.6" TouchScreen Laptop 8GB Memory 1TB Hard Drive IDEAPAD U530 TOUCH - 59406478 - Best Buy

If you don't care about that tablet part this machine is going to be the best bang for your buck. 1920x1080, but still a good alternative if you're going to be sitting down.

The dedicated graphics will help with certain functions within PS like blur/liquify things that would usually take a few minutes or 15 seconds will get slightly reduced with the help of a dedicated graphics.

 

[thatotherdude24]

I'm glad you mentioned this as this is another option, but I would recommend the u530 touch which would give him the bigger screen AND the dedicated graphics to help with PS and LR

Lenovo IdeaPad U530 Touch Ultrabook 15.6" TouchScreen Laptop 8GB Memory 1TB Hard Drive IDEAPAD U530 TOUCH - 59406478 - Best Buy

If you don't care about that tablet part this machine is going to be the best bang for your buck. 1920x1080, but still a good alternative if you're going to be sitting down.

The dedicated graphics will help with certain functions within PS like blur/liquify things that would usually take a few minutes or 15 seconds will get slightly reduced with the help of a dedicated graphics.

Your link doesn't work. Is it just me?


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[StevoPhilo]

Your link doesn't work. Is it just me?


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Just you =P