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[2019] : What kind of laptop do you use to write on?

What is your brand of laptop(s)?

  • Lenovo

    Votes: 2 8.3%
  • HP

    Votes: 5 20.8%
  • Macbook (Apple)

    Votes: 8 33.3%
  • ASUS

    Votes: 7 29.2%
  • Acer

    Votes: 2 8.3%

  • Total voters
    24

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
I use a macbook air. My favourite thing about it is that I got a big gelaskin sticker with a pretty motif on it, and it covers the entire front side (back of the screen).
 

Adela

Minstrel
Started another thread about this very thing what feels like a lifetime ago and I'm STILL in the market for a new laptop. Was waffling between Mac and PC for a very long time until I read reviews about how horrible the keyboards are on the latest models of MacBook Pros. One review even stated "if you're a coder or an author do not get this laptop." That basically made up my mind not to get an Apple after all.

The Dell I'm currently typing this on I've had for a little over 3 years. It's had a ton of issues and I've gone through 3 batteries that have all nearly crashed it. I was thinking of getting an HP, but now I don't know what to buy after reading some of your responses. It's plugged into the wall right now and it makes me feel like I'm chained up by my ankle. This has become much harder than I anticipated.

Have never used the cloud (guess that makes me a dinosaur too). I've always backed up my work onto flash drives because the files are so small. Was printing things out a chapter at a time until my Dell was randomly turning itself off whenever it wanted. It's since stopped doing that when I got it off the fabric lap stand I had it on. They're not known for easy venting. I would also turn off the touchpad, but it would turn itself back on and when my thumbs would brush against it while writing, it would highlight and DELETE text. Yeah, that was fun. Thankfully, I would catch it in time to recover what was lost. The on/off switch would disappear and reappear at will. Something about copyright issues. With touchpads? All very weird if you ask me.

All this sucks because I really miss just handwriting everything and typing it up when I'm done. Can't any more due to wrist pain. The flat keyboard on the computer doesn't cause me pain from overuse and that's really, all I need.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
For travel I use a lovely little 11 inch HP 360 that's about 5 years old and has put up with every bit of nonsense I put it through. It wasn't cheap, but it's been so reliable and worth every penny. It fits in my messenger bag and I can just go. It's slowing down a bit, but like I said it's five years old. I'll probably buy another one to replace it. I recommend taking a look at one.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
Adela

The MacBook butterfly keyboards have certainly caused problems for some. They're not bad to type on. I like the feel of them. However, some people have had recurrent problems with dust settling under the keys and making them not work properly. I've only had it happen once, eight or nine months ago, but if it happened often I could see it being a huge pain.

You can get a nice MacBook that is pre-butterfly keyboard. They last a long time, so even a MacBook a couple of years old is a good device (but still not cheap). There are plenty of computers with similar form factor these days, however, so it comes down largely to whether you prefer Windows or MacOS.
 

pmmg

Myth Weaver
Dell is not a choice? I currently write on one of three computers, only one of which is a laptop. If I recall it is a Dell 6410. Its heavy, but it works. I stole it from work. Sue me.

I really don't like Apple, and used to have a thinkpad before they were Lenovo. I've also had an HP but they have too many lights for me. For me, the machine matters less than the space I am writing in. My current writing space is in my car, outside of a library, where I can connect to their wifi. After many years of not having a writing space, turns out this works out okay.

If I was to buy a new PC, I might buy one that was thinner and lighter, and did not require me to go through a routine to set it up and turn it on, but then, every time I have had one of those, they bit me the end. I really need computers that have a full set of ports, and I can open up and work on the insides with. Most of the lightweight things are not really that ;)

What I don't need, is a mac.
 
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CupofJoe

Myth Weaver
My favourite Laptop to write on was a Mac PowerBook 190. It had a great greyscale that was a joy to read and a really satisfying keyboard action to type with.
I'd be using it to this day if the disc drive hadn't failed and the internet became a big "Thing". It wouldn't connect to anything I had access to and getting external and replacement drive was expensive. I kept it going by "borrowing" a Zip drive from work. But eventually that gave up too and Work wasn't about to buy a new one for me. Luckily by then I had access to a desktop PC at home [he only one I've ever owned] and had transferred everything.
Now, I have 5yo Asus that seems to be as tough as nails [I've knocked it off a table twice] and still reasonably fast. It has an HDD rather than an SDD so it takes a while to boot up. but I've had bad experiences with SDDs at work [when they die they are dead - with an HDD, there is a chance you can get something off them] so I am happy to wait the extra minute or two.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
Dell is not a choice? I currently write on one of three computers, only one of which is a laptop. If I recall it is a Dell 6410. Its heavy, but it works. I stole it from work. Sue me.

I really don't like Apple, and used to have a thinkpad before they were Lenovo. I've also had an HP but they have too many lights for me. For me, the machine matters less than the space I am writing in. My current writing space is in my car, outside of a library, where I can connect to their wifi. After many years of not having a writing space, turns out this works out okay.

If I was to buy a new PC, I might buy one that was thinner and lighter, and did not require me to go through a routine to set it up and turn it on, but then, every time I have had one of those, they bit me the end. I really need computers that have a full set of ports, and I can open up and work on the insides with. Most of the lightweight things are not really that ;)

What I don't need, is a mac.

I have a Macbook, a Windows 10 PC, and a Linux laptop. They're all good. I like the Mac best for writing, but all three tools will do the job. I don't have any animosity toward any of them.
 

Adela

Minstrel
Adela

The MacBook butterfly keyboards have certainly caused problems for some. They're not bad to type on. I like the feel of them. However, some people have had recurrent problems with dust settling under the keys and making them not work properly. I've only had it happen once, eight or nine months ago, but if it happened often I could see it being a huge pain.

You can get a nice MacBook that is pre-butterfly keyboard. They last a long time, so even a MacBook a couple of years old is a good device (but still not cheap). There are plenty of computers with similar form factor these days, however, so it comes down largely to whether you prefer Windows or MacOS.

Not sure what a butterfly keyboard is. I've found that Macbooks from around 2010/2011 are good and durable but most of the ones after that have problems and a lot of complaints. I've had PC after PC since my iMac from 2002 crashed in 2009 and I decided to make the switch to a PC only so I could download Microsoft Word since it was then considered the industry "standard." My how times have changed.

Wish I'd known that my 2016 Dell had a 2012 battery in it that was not long for this world when I originally ordered it off Amazon. I won't do that again. But I don't want the sales pitch or a bunch of useless software from a salesman if I go to a store because commission, either. After all these years using a PC, it would be like learning a new language switching back to a Mac. :unsure:
 

Demesnedenoir

Myth Weaver
I use a Das Keyboard 4 with Blue switches. Pretty sure it will outlive me. The letters are laser-etched and color-filled so they can't wear off (though I wish I was enough of a badass to buy the nifty blank one). I went through two non-mechanical keyboards and a laptop keyboard in 4 years, but this sucker hasn't even shown a dent over nearly two years of hard use. I've probably put half a million words through it, so it's at roughly 1/20 of its advertised working life of 50M keystrokes. Pricey, though; it was around $170. I compared that to buying a new ergonomic every six months and it was a no-brainer.
Hell, I’ve used the same blue tooth keyboard for ummm... 7-8 years for my desktop, God only knows how many words for work and writing. Damned thing still holds a charge without showing signs of weakness despite the many chips and chunks from concrete landings marring its armor. Heck, it even fell and the blade of one of my axes one day and lived to tell the tale, heh heh. But, I am more brutal when I’m not typing, apparently.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
Not sure what a butterfly keyboard is. I've found that Macbooks from around 2010/2011 are good and durable but most of the ones after that have problems and a lot of complaints. I've had PC after PC since my iMac from 2002 crashed in 2009 and I decided to make the switch to a PC only so I could download Microsoft Word since it was then considered the industry "standard." My how times have changed.

Wish I'd known that my 2016 Dell had a 2012 battery in it that was not long for this world when I originally ordered it off Amazon. I won't do that again. But I don't want the sales pitch or a bunch of useless software from a salesman if I go to a store because commission, either. After all these years using a PC, it would be like learning a new language switching back to a Mac. :unsure:

I have a 2017 Macbook. No complaints thus far. I'll probably upgrade in the next six months or so. I haven't had too many bad experiences with computers. The only terrible computer I had was an HP laptop, and I haven't bought another one since.

Honestly, if you get a machine with decent specs, they all seem to be serviceable, irrespective of manufacturer or OS. My Windows desktop is a Lenovo, and it has been solid. I like MacOS and the integration with my other devices better than Windows, but I don't have any real problem with Windows (or with Linux, as I noted above).
 

Adela

Minstrel
From what I've seen in my research, the new Macbooks have removed all the F keys and replaced them with something called a Touchbar. I've yet to see this in person. Looks unhelpful unless you're running graphics software or using it for some kind of video editing. It's said to adapt for whatever you're primary uses are.

I just want a touchscreen laptop, that runs decent software, Word, and has a long lasting battery. I tend to move a lot while thinking between typing sessions, so I pace around the room, I don't like to sit for long periods. And ports for USB's. I don't want to have to use adapters. *sigh* Maybe I should just go find a junk shop and buy a old typewriter.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
Adela

The Touchbar isn't bad. You can set it up to simply provide the function keys if you want, or let programs that you're running provide custom functions in that space. I run Word on my Macbook. You won't find a touchscreen Macbook, though.

I've heard the Dell XPS 13 and some of the Lenovo Yoga models are nice. My brother has a SurfaceBook, and that is also very nice but I think you would need adapters for it.
 

Demesnedenoir

Myth Weaver
i use a fake “laptop” and just use an iPad pro with Scrivener for writing. This happened when I gave my Macbook a drink of water and it drowned on me.
 
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