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looked at framework a few months back, but Walmart was selling MacBook air’s for like $600. Not the newest or best (in fact, the oldest and worst…in terms of MacBook Air) but the thing works great and does everything I need it to do.
Was also looking at higher end Chromebooks at the time, and the price of the air was just too low to justify anything else.
I have big Lenovo laptop from 2013 that is used daily still and works perfectly. I have two other Lenovo Yogas from 2016 that also work perfectly. I highly recommend a Lenovo Yoga. You should be able to get a decent used 13″ one for under $200. I LOVE having a back lit keyboard.
Jesus Mercedes. Just get a cheap ultra-book. You’re a journalist now. Duh. 🙂
I don’t know the first thing about laptops, but I do love my Lenovo ThinkPad X1. Light and very sturdy (and quite expensive). If you’re not going to be working on a plane all that much, then you don’t need anything near this. Others who actually know about this stuff may also be able to steer you towards something just as light, sturdy, and capable as this, too. But I’ve been through a number of others and this ThinkPad is by far the best I’ve used. I’ve been traveling a lot lately and have never regretted sinking the money I did into this thing.
Wrong answer – https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Zenith_supersPORT_%281%29.jpg
I have an Alienware I use for gaming, work, etc. Granted it has 20 minutes on battery. Just enough to find another plug.
Real answer – put the hinge down on the table, with the keyboard and screen forming a V open at the top. You’ll have to make like a T-Rex to type, but this is the only way I’ve found to work in an economy seat. I also try to keep the travel laptop small – screen of ~14″. If the laptop has a numeric keypad, you’ve chosen poorly for plane use.
As I know it’s been said many times on this site:
Pete for the win!
If there’s one thing it’s worth spending money on, it’s things that help make you money. Which, for you, includes a laptop.
As someone who is also allergic to Apple, I have a Framework running Ubuntu and has Windows installed on a card for Versatuner. My gaming PC still runs Windows 10 because not everything on it will run in Linux and 11 is missing some QoL things from 10 that never should have been cut.
I totally vote Framework. It’s a great concept and it should be the standard.
I have a $400 Lenovo running Windows. It’s excellent.
It replaced a 10 year old Lenovo that cost about the same. I replaced that one because it had wires everywhere so I could use Zoom and the sound was non-existent, plus the case cracked.
They might be no fun to someone who wants to play with the innards, but I’m not that person. I managed to set a nice graphic for the lock screen and another for the home screen. That’s my extent of modification.
I was all excited that perhaps Mercedes had found a GRiD Compass! It’s on my irrational old computers I want list.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/amp/nasas-original-laptop-the-grid-compass-2650280048
I wonder if my Tadpole sparcstation laptop still works.
You’d have to run Linux, but there’s also the MNT Pocket Reform for that post-apocalyptic vibe
https://shop.mntre.com/products/mnt-pocket-reform
If you want to have a little fun, don’t limit your choices to what’s for sale in the US. About 3 years ago I had a very specific set of components I wanted and nobody combined them the way I wanted as far as the US market, but Lenovo made exactly what I wanted for Germany, Poland, and Romania. Got it from amazon.de in I think only 2 days and cost about $500 less than comparable laptops here.
If you’re not demanding of performance or space, a Samsung 8″ tablet and bluetooth keyboard is a perfectly functional combo for basic use. I used one around Europe for three weeks last winter. Perfectly serviceable for email, web browsing, etc.
Seeing your proclivities for older, cheaper, and durable IT and you need a real laptop I’d strongly suggest you look for a 3-4 year old Thinkpad X1. Thin, light, capable, and with one of the best laptop keyboards ever made. As for durability, mine is 9 years old and still running great. Of course YMMV. When I eventually upgrade it, I plan to do so with another X1. You can pick up very capable machines off ebay for $500 – $1K. Or just hunt around the Galpin offices. I’m sure there’s an unused laptop floating around there somewhere that you could acquire.
I’m not one to recommend modern hardware, most of my PCs are around 10 years old, but also because I absolutely refuse to work on flights. Flying coach already sucks enough as it is, I’m not about to compound that suckage.
I had one of these 10″ Toshiba mini laptops passed down from my father, running windows 7 https://www.ebay.com/itm/326238832327 it was tiny but completely useless in every other way.
At home I have a big-ass gaming laptop I bought in 2015 that is basically just a mobile desktop. It does not move from where it sits on my desk any more. I have upgraded its RAM and hard drives to keep it going.
On the couch on on the go I use the 100-dollarest 11-inch netbook I was able to buy at the store on sale (an HP 11 Stream), which I then wiped and installed Arch onto so I can use it without overstraining its little systems (it doesn’t even have an in-built fan to move air through it). I love my little manlet of a laptop.
I would rather spend my money on motorcycle parts.
Something small but stylish and not an Apple? How about a sweet Dell Inspiron Mini!?
Intel atom processor let’s it run for hours(which it will need a couple of just to boot)
2GB of Ram! That’s literally thousands of rams!
250GB HDD! Why have a solid drive? That sounds heavy, this HDD just spins and spins most of the time. As for more space, most things are the cloud now anyways right? Perfect for airplanes cause they fly through clouds!
Also you can swap the lids to like zebra prints and what not, so stylish!
A tablet with an auxiliary keyboard would be inexpensive, lightweight, and functional.
If you get a tablet case that has a slim carrying strap, you can hook that over the tray-table-latch-hook dealie on the back of the seat in front of you. This will elevate the tablet – basically hanging it like artwork on a wall – and leave the tray space available for the keyboard. This should allow you to see both simultaneously.
Or you can search eBay for a Toshiba Libretto. For under $300 you can have a compact laptop with your choice of Windows 95 or Windows 98, but battery life may be somewhat limited. 🙂
How about a folding keyboard with an integrated mini-pc?
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1482776406/lunar-2-in-1-foldable-keyboard-and-mini-pc-for-all-your-needs%20F6RJJ0
Just need to add a display. VR goggles would be perfect!
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804826645775.html?src=bing&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&aff_platform=true&isdl=y&albch=shopping&acnt=135095331&isdl=y&albcp=555014097&albag=1295225841515632&slnk=&trgt=pla-4584551179348577&plac=&crea=80951670505926&netw=o&device=c&mtctp=e&utm_source=Bing&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=PA_Bing_US_PLA_PC_%E9%AB%98%E5%AE%A2%E5%8D%95_ECPC_20240710_AESupply&utm_content=%E9%AB%98%E5%AE%A2%E5%8D%95&utm_term=monitor%20goggles%20for%20pc&msclkid=8aac557469d11b7e03a83267a6e09519&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa