HP Foliio13, x220, R835 or maybe the 13" Samsung S9?

[Partagas]

My wife is starting her own nurse practioner business and needs a portable laptop for online records submission, various office tasks etc. Nothing real taxing. I narrowed down the search to the Folio 13, Portege R835-something, the samsung series 9 Samsung NP900X3A-B01UB that is at Tiger Direct for $900 making it comparable cost wise, or the lenovo x220?

I had looked at the X1 or even the TP 420s but they are signifigantly more and most reviews seemed to think the x1 didn't get you much compared to the x220 for the cost increase.

[niffcreature]

The r835 is definitely the best way to go price wise, you can get a refurb unit with full 1 year warranty for 600$.

That said the build quality can't compare to a thinkpad. Namely the screen is not very well protected, say a dog stepped on it (yes, this is how I measure these things) the screen would probably crack.
Not like a big dog either, like a 50lb dog with one foot on the lid would probably do it.

Of course you can get her a hard case for it or something.

Also the cooling system is a bit noisy.

[vn061160]

I found a pretty good deal for the X220; it costs only $700 for the base configuration. I think that it might be helpful for you so here is the link:

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/c...11&action=init

I hope you will be able to find a good laptop. Good luck

[sungman]

If you're getting the x220, make sure you get the ips screen option

[niffcreature]

His wife does NOT need an IPS screen. Shes a nurse practitioner not a pro photographer.


I think the Samsung gets you the least for your money, they seem to be a little too focused on 'style' and I'm betting they put some of their budget into that.

[Partagas]

I found a pretty good deal for the X220; it costs only $700 for the base configuration. I think that it might be helpful for you so here is the link:

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/c...11&action=init

I hope you will be able to find a good laptop. Good luck

I tried your link but all I got was lenovo's main page and when I navigated to the x220 page it was the standard price. Do you have a direct link or did I miss it?

Also does anyone know why this site is so slow for me? Both at work and home. I can't run a search. All I get is a blank page when it is done. Everything seems sluggish.

[niffcreature]

The search function doesn't work, but I'm not sure why the entire site would be running slow for you. Maybe it was doing that earlier today.

[vn061160]

I tried your link but all I got was lenovo's main page and when I navigated to the x220 page it was the standard price. Do you have a direct link or did I miss it?

Also does anyone know why this site is so slow for me? Both at work and home. I can't run a search. All I get is a blank page when it is done. Everything seems sluggish.

That is the Lenovo Barnes & Noble Gold site.
Barnes and Noble Gold

Create an account. It only takes a minute to do that.

Login with that account and you will see the discounted coupon, which is USXT520T420SX2200517, right in the first page.

Configure the base model of X220 with that coupon, it will bring the price down to ~$700

I hope it will help you out. Good luck

[Partagas]

Thanks for the tip. I will check it out. Now just to make up my mind which one to get.

[lovelaptops]

For a well rounded, versatile, strong performing, stronger structural integrity, excellent screen the X220 is in a different league than the others you are considering (IMO, it's not even a decision regarding the screen; spend the $50 and get the IPS screen, you don't have to be an "artist" to benefit from it's great viewing angles and sharp contrast which is easier on the eyes, plus you'll get $150 less and take a long time to sell it without the IPS)

If you can get the Barnes & Noble "club" deal to work (I did last year; saved $250 vs. just the Lenovo site price) and you can get this for around $850 all inclusive* you get a compact, comparatively light weight, very powerful machine which you can upgrade to 8GB RAM, SSD if needs dictate. Not a "looker," Thinkpads are all about the work. . (*You have to order things like a webcam, bluetooth and several other items you would expect to come standard, so look carefully as you spec out your order. You want to get those mentioned above and most of the "extras" because they don't add much to cost but they do make the computer far more versatile in ways your wife may not know how to use now, but will be glad later that she has it. Get the better wifi card (Intel 6200 series, not 1000 series) if offered and consider a 9 cell vs. 6 cell battery. Both are very long lasting, and the 9 cell does stick out the back, (though people use this to carry it, quite safely I am told) but if she will be on the road all day, the 6 cell may not hold out the whole day, more like 6-8 hrs, while the 9 cell will meet or exceed 10 hrs - though it will also add about 0.5 lbs to the weight, still comparatively light at 3.6 lbs but not as light as the Samsung, which is under 3 lbs, or the other two, which are right around 3.

Each of the machines you're considering are good products, each for fairly different targeted users. The Samsung is really not a business machine though it will get the job done and it's very durable; it's more about styling, one of the first "Ultrabooks" before the term was coined (and Trademarked!) by Intel. The Folio is the most "sensible" of the Ultrabooks; has more ports and expandability than the Samsung and you can find them as low as $749 when HP or a retailer is having a sale. The Toshiba is a great machine and the only one of these with a DVD drive. People on NBR pan the use of DVDs but I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't some programs and utilities made for the vertical market your wife's business is in that will come as shrink wrapped software installed via DVD and easily repaired or re-installed by having the disks. Of course, for $30 you can buy an external USB DVD drive, so it's not essential to have it built in. The Toshiba is, as commented earlier, not as structurally tough as the other three, so if it is to "house" her business, you might want to invest a little more and get a solid piece of gear.

Final point: the Thinkpad X220 is the only computer in this group that is considered "business class," which refers to a variety of features, durability being the most important of them, security being the next. Though keyboards are a matter of taste, the 220 is among the last of the breed of Thinkpads with the "legendary" TP keyboard, considered by a vast majority of laptop users as the best keyboard ever made.

No bias here: I own or have owned all of the brands represented above and generally don't prefer Thinkpads because I care a bit too much about styling. If your wife does too, then I would strongly recommend the HP Folio 13 over the others because it has more ports and potential expandability which most Ultrabooks do not.

Sorry for writing a "book" as a post! I realized there's a lot to know about these and you seemed perplexed by the choices. Hope this helps rather than confusing things more for you! Good luck. No bad choices here, so rest easy.