Toshiba Satellite P755 Battery |
Posted: December 25, 2014 |
Of all the different devices and computers we have, laptops come in the widest range of use cases, prices, and value propositions. That’s why picking out the right laptop for you or someone else can be so incredibly difficult. That’s also what makes putting together a top ten laptops of the year rather hard as well. The following machines are the very best laptops of the year, but they are also the machines that do best what they set out to do. You’ll find powerhouse ultrabooks, cheap as dirt Chromebooks, and even a hybrid on this list—each attempting to do very different things, but ultimately standing out as the best in each of their particular categories: The HP Stream is far from a perfect laptop, but it gives some promising hints that Microsoft is willing to work with OEMs to give Chromebooks a true run for their money. While the HP Stream can’t always compete with refreshing minimalism of Chrome OS, the $199 HP Stream 13 has a full 1080p HD display, a nice simple design, some decent battery life, and runs full Windows 8.1. There are plenty of reasons to choose this affordable Windows laptop over a Chromebook and it just might be the best budget laptop to ever run Windows.
The Acer C720 Chromebook has been a standby Chromebook since its launch back in 2013. It was one of the first Chromebooks to really prove that a computer this cheap could impress in both performance and battery life. Unfortunately, it was small, had a clunky design, and a rather cheap-looking display. This year’s C720P didn’t solve all of those problems, but it was a nice update nonetheless to an already great Chromebook. The new model got a fresh coat of white paint on it (which does more than you think) and a touchscreen, which will probably come in handy as Android apps begin to have a bigger presence in Chrome OS. There is still a market for rather boring-looking, but still valuable Windows ultrabooks. One of this year’s best is the Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook Touch. They’ve added on a touchscreen display and a new Haswell processor to the already very solid XPS 13 Ultrabook, making it the best 13-inch ultrabook next to the Acer Aspire S7. While the design can’t quite compete with the Aspire S7, the overall performance, touch screen, and impressive battery life make the XPS 13 Ultrabook Touch worthy of a spot on the list. The Surface products have always been an interesting line of experiments for Microsoft. They were a way of not only demonstrating the power and flexibility of Windows 8, but also leading the charge in demonstrating the kinds of hardware that could match it. Now on its third iteration, the Surface Pro 3 has finally come—and it’s big improvement over last year’s model. Not to be confused with the lighter Surface 3, the Surface Pro 3 truly is a replacement for your laptop. It runs everything your Windows netbook or ultrabook laptop could run, with the added benefit of using it as a tablet on the train or flipping through Twitter with a touchscreen. The new Surface Pro 3 is perhaps the first version that could truly replace your laptop by featuring a sturdier kickstand that can stand at nearly any angle.
This year’s Acer Aspire S7 model is still the same beautiful laptop that made the number two spot on our list last year. It’s still got an extremely premium aluminum body, a gorgeous display, and some really impressive performance. The thing that moved the Aspire S7 down on the list this year was an unfortunate drop in battery life down to around six hours. It’s not terrible, but it certainly suffers compared to its competitors. Even still, it’s hard not to want to overlook that when you see how beautiful and premium this laptop is. The perfect, compromise-free Chromebook has still proven to be somewhat illusive. Some have the power and battery life, but lack a good display or sleek design. However, the new entry from Toshiba comes just about as close as we’ve so far. This Chromebook has a nice 1080p display, a decent MacBook-esque design, and some impressive Chrome OS performance. The catch? You’ll have to pay an extra $80 for the full-HD IPS panel, which is unfortunate. Even still, both the $250 and $330 models are two of the best Chromebooks you can buy. When it comes to powerful 15-inch Windows ultrabooks, there are a lot of options out there. However, none impress in terms of performance and design quite like the ATIV Book 9. The 2013 model ranked near the top of our list last year and it makes it in at number four for many of the same reasons. While it still doesn’t look quite as nice as the Acer Aspire S7, it’s got better battery life and a wonderfully thin and light design—and doesn’t need to pretend it’s made by Apple to do it. The MacBook Pro with Retina Display still has one of the most gorgeous displays you can find on a laptop—and the computer attached to it just keeps getting better. While the baseline Pro isn’t a powerhouse like it used to be, there’s plenty of room for customization and upgrades depending on your use case. It’s the MacBook for the professional creative—the one who wants to do a bit more with their computers. The MacBook Air is still where I would direct most people looking for a MacBook, but the Pro is by no means overpriced for the value you are getting. The display alone should convince many to shell out the extra cash.
When it comes to making a sleek, unassuming, yet powerful laptop, Lenovo has always done it best. But this year’s ThinkPad X240 has one unique feature that makes it stand out from the bunch: insane battery life. 2012’s X230 still reigns with its 20 hour lifespan, but Lenovo has managed to get nearly that this year while removing the bulky battery slice. When it comes down to it, if you want a laptop that’ll last, look no further than the ThinkPad X240. It doesn’t have the retina display or raw power of the mid-2014 MacBook Pro, but Apple has turned the MacBook Air line into the most impressively priced and easily recommendable laptop you can buy. With the slimmest and lightest design on the market, incredibly impressive battery life, and a price tag under $1000, there is no ultrabook quite like this year’s MacBook Air. We’d still love to see the Retina Display on next year’s model without a big price jump, but at this point it’s really, really hard to complain. Earlier this year, HP launched the Chromebook 14, which was received with much criticism because of its less-than-perfect screen. Now, the machine is coming out with a revamped version that features a touchscreen display, increased storage, higher RAM, and more expensive price tag. Officially known as the HP Chromebook 14-x050nr Touch, the new version has an FHD WLED-backlit touch screen display, quad-core Nvidia Tegra K1 CPU of 2.3 GHz, RAM of 4GB, and built-in eMMC flash storage of 32GB. Apart from the touchscreen, the display also boasts a 1920 x 1080 resolution.
Initially, HP announced that the laptop would have a 16GB storage and will carry the price tag of $429.99. However, the company decided to increase the storage to 32GB, which added $10 more to the original price. With storage that's twice as big and RAM that's also double the original version's 2GB, the slightly added price increase shouldn't really be that bad. Other interesting specs include a single USB 3.0, a duo of USB 2.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and front-facing HD Webcam that is coupled with a digital microphone. The laptop's battery has been designed to last up to eight hours and 15 minutes. Moreover, the new Chromebook 14 is touted as eco-efficient, having achieved the EPEAT Silver and Energy Star rating. With the launch of the touchscreen version of Chromebook 14, it doesn't mean that HP is discontinuing the early non-touchscreen model. At a price of $299.99, the early Chromebook 14 version has 2GB of RAM and 16GB storage. It also runs on the same processor as its younger sibling. For those who are not that keen on a laptop's screen display and feel like the older Chromebook 14's lower-resolution non-touch screen is more than enough, then it is of course a better and cheaper option. The Chromebook 14 is certainly not for the light traveler as the laptop is one of the heavier models of Chromebook ever made. Perhaps the laptop's available ports may have added a few more pounds to its overall weight. The latest touchscreen version, which has the retail price of $439, comes in a silver or black option, compared with the earlier model's variety of shades, such as neon green, ocean turquoise, sorbet orange and smoke silver.
The new Chromebook 14 is now available in the U.S. Many devices will suggest a fully-charged battery before use, but for gadget lovers who just can't wait, Consumer Reports says you're probably OK. Before hopping on the Internet with a new smartphone, tablet or laptop, go to the "settings" tab to adjust privacy settings. These should get particular attention when giving devices to kids. "You might want to look through the parental controls that's in the settings, and you can enable any restrictions that will make you feel comfortable giving that to your son or daughter," said Derene. It's also smart to check for the latest software update and anti-virus protection. And if that gift isn't a perfect fit: Sean Silva and Andrew Wall broke a window air conditioning unit into its basic components on the floor of a warehouse on South Salem Street one recent Thursday. Next, the two men helped organize the components according to material—aluminum, brass, memory, processors, end tips, and different grades of circuit boards. Meanwhile, Philippe Rochelare, immersed on a solo deconstruction mission, worked in silence.
“They all work at their own pace," said Tim Butler of Chester Township, founder and owner of GreenVision, a nonprofit e-cycling organization in Randolph located next to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. The “guys,” as Butler affectionately calls them, are his employees—a work force of developmentally disabled adults. "They're not just recycling,” he said, “but working on their fine motor skills, social skills, and sensory experiences." Behind the deconstructed air conditioner sat piles of electronics awaiting a similar fate—monitors, air conditioners, even retro-electronics such as Atari and Nintendo gaming systems, first-generation Apple computers, and old CRT televisions. Sitting in his office, which offers a full view of the workshop, Butler picked up a dated but functional calculator from his desk and pointed to the tiny screws holding it together. "Nobody sees value in this,” he said, “but it actually teaches fine motor skills." Its own niche Since January 2011, it has been illegal for businesses and households to discard computers, monitors, laptops, and televisions with other trash. In accordance with the New Jersey Electronics Waste Management Act, manufacturers of such electronics are responsible for creating a collection, transportation, and recycling system, for them, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
"We're not a competitor with the big companies," Butler said. Instead, GreenVision has forged working relationships with electronics manufacturers such as Dover-based Casio and Sharp, to name two. In also accepting home appliances, however, GreenVision takes e-cycling one step further. "If it has a battery or a plug, we'll take it," Butler said. "People don't realize all that can be recycled—refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, hair dryers.” What also distinguishes GreenVision from municipal or manufacturer-provided collection sites is its dual mission. In addition to recycling e-waste, it employs and trains developmentally disabled adults who hone and develop fine motor skills. The brainchild of Butler, formerly a teacher of severely autistic students at a private school, GreenVision developed in a shop class. "I was teaching woodworking when someone came in with a hard drive to take apart," he said. “The students loved it." Among Butler’s credentials are his Responsible Recycling Practices Standard (R2:2013) certification, recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Poised to grow GreenVision opened its doors in Morris Plains in 2011 and moved to its current facility in 2013. According to Butler, there are now 27 employees and 38 on the waiting list. In 18 months, he aspires to open two more employment facilities, one in Central Jersey and another in South Jersey. His five-year plan includes a total of seven employment sites throughout the tri-state area. Currently, the nonprofit boasts seven additional training locations in private schools. The first organization in the nation to educate and employ developmentally challenged adults in the art and science of e-cycling, Green Vision has made a national and international splash, drawing inquiries from 15 other states, Peru, and England. "I didn't want to have my hands in everything," Butler said. "I want to be focused in New Jersey and maybe the tri-state area." He also remains focused on his primary vision—training. The program also adheres to a curriculum that incorporates math, social studies, history, science, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Math, for instance, is accomplished by counting and weighing inventory, and history by introducing workers to the evolution of technology, such as that of the cell phone and gaming systems.
750,000 pounds a year Since January 2014, GreenVision has recycled 609,796 pounds of material, according to its website. "Sale of scrap material is a big source of our income, and currently we have minimal funds coming from grants and donations," Butler said. "This is an area we will be looking to ramp up in 2015." The organization receives state funding for each employee, he added, and the program is licensed to the private schools serving the developmentally disabled population.
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