Laptop for tuning needs

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by DJCarbine

No matter what laptop I've used, all the times seemed to be the same

I don't think the bottleneck is the computer as you are flashing relatively small files, but rather how running an emulated windows environment can cause "strange" issues as with any emulated environment

My dell venue 8 pro ($200 tablet with windows 8 pro, netbook power levels) flashes take the same time as when I flash from my ultrabook with an I5

Lots of reports if you search on google, people seem to have issues with horrible performance in usb/serial port emulation specifically when it comes to flashing... like is your serial connection is setup for 115kpbs, it may feel like you are getting more like 9.6kpbs

Anyone else have any input? My rambling is mostly speculation from research

::edit

related note I am actually selling my ultrabook I used to use for flashing since my 8" windows 8 pro tablet can flash as well.
PM me if interested!

I have an 06 windows 7 laptop, but the flash time was around the same time as the Mac. What really has me curious is claims of @nelsmar doing it in about 1 minute, so I am trying to get there but the cheapest way possible.


Bootcamp is not virtualized (I think) so I thought being usb 3.0 and all it would be fast as hell.. but no dice.

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by jamesm

@Ironsquid what's the model of your's... i know it's fast as hell.

I was going to tag you but didn't because you are in my same predicament

[jamesm]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

I was going to tag you but didn't because you are in my same predicament

i'm still holding out. can't bring myself to buy a windows machine. i've been to best buy 3 or 4 times looking at them, and the closer i get the more it makes me feel dirty. i just can't do it lol.

maybe if i dual boot linux on it i'll feel better about it.

[Nerfbacon]

Originally Posted by jamesm

Oh yes, yes it is. It's pretty awful. I guess it's in the eye of the beholder, but it's Microsoft's biggest misstep (among many) in years if you ask me.

The windows 8 user experience:

"Is it a laptop? Is it a tablet? Hold on, I'm supposed to touch the screen it seems. Shit my computer doesn't have a touchscreen. <grabs tablet> Why is everything so small? Htf am I supposed to touch that? Where is all my stuff?!?! Aaaaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhh <throws in trash>".

I'd rather dig out my own eyeballs with a butter knife. Just do one thing and do it well, it's not rocket science lol.

The only real problem with Windows 8/8.1 is that it is different and some functions are in different locations. Once you know where the buttons are the performance is better and the UI is actually faster to navigate. I get disappointed when I sit down at a computer now and its not running 8.

As far as a basic windows laptop HP's Elitebook lineup is amazing and since they are business devices you can normally pick up off lease versions cheaply. Tons of them end up on ebay. As a guide to age the processor is normally the quickest way to tell, if its an i5 numbers will look something like this from oldest to newest 5xx -> 2xxx -> 3xxx -> 4xxx. I would avoid one with a i5-xxx as the 3 digit numbers are the first generation and also the slowest of the lineup. 2xxx generation on are much better performers.

[Ironsquid]

Originally Posted by jamesm

@Ironsquid what's the model of your's... i know it's fast as hell.

Lenovo yoga 2 pro

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by jamesm

i'm still holding out. can't bring myself to buy a windows machine. i've been to best buy 3 or 4 times looking at them, and the closer i get the more it makes me feel dirty. i just can't do it lol.

maybe if i dual boot linux on it i'll feel better about it.

Eh, it's not hard to go to the dark side. I grew up on holy apple computers. I didn't get my first windows computer till I went to college in 2002 (thus I got to know windows starting with XP).

I went back to Apple in 2008, but their trend of litigate > innovate since Steve Jobs stepped down and then died has left a sour taste in my mouth. When Jobs was in charge it was innovation über alles, generally, and they did a good job of that even if they were ruthless. Now it's lawyers instead of engineers and their products suffer just like when Jobs left the first time.

So, back to Windows it is.

It's not a hard transition when the competition is busy sinking its own ship.

[jamesm]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

Eh, it's not hard to go to the dark side. I grew up on holy apple computers. I didn't get my first windows computer till I went to college in 2002 (thus I got to know windows starting with XP).

I went back to Apple in 2008, but their trend of litigate > innovate since Steve Jobs stepped down and then died has left a sour taste in my mouth. When Jobs was in charge it was innovation über alles, generally, and they did a good job of that even if they were ruthless. Now it's lawyers instead of engineers and their products suffer just like when Jobs left the first time.

So, back to Windows it is.

It's not a hard transition when the competition is busy sinking its own ship.

oh no. it's not that. it's that using one makes me want to poke my eyeballs out, and with windows 8, i'd want to do it with a hot knife. it's not politics or personal disagreement, it's the user experience. it's maddening for someone who works in a posix-y environment all day every day. i mean seriously, '\'s. who the hell uses '\'s?

it's almost like bill gates said 'you know all that stuff everyone else is doing, like standards and stuff? yeah.. let's do the opposite'.

[SirBrass]

8 isn't all that bad. Now, it makes NO sense to use 8 on a desktop or pure laptop. But on something small and tablet-like, it makes ALOT of sense. The Metro UI definitely needs some user interface refinement and stability improvement, but it's not at all like Vista (*shudder*), and much more like 7.

It works. It's functional.

It's windows. Everyone who works in a technical environment has to use Windows extensively enough to be able to get it to do what they want more or less, so it's familiar.

I see no issues.

[jamesm]

Originally Posted by SirBrass

8 isn't all that bad. Now, it makes NO sense to use 8 on a desktop or pure laptop. But on something small and tablet-like, it makes ALOT of sense. The Metro UI definitely needs some user interface refinement and stability improvement, but it's not at all like Vista (*shudder*), and much more like 7.

It works. It's functional.

It's windows. Everyone who works in a technical environment has to use Windows extensively enough to be able to get it to do what they want more or less, so it's familiar.

I see no issues.

My issue comes entirely from my perspective. I'm a Ruby/C/anything else developer... and we just don't use it at all in my field. If I was a server administrator at some company or something running a big Windows domain I'd probably get used to it. It just can't really be used for what I do.

And it sucks .

[SirBrass]

For what you do, sure it sucks. 8 sucks for what I do, and we use 7 and XP extensively (though the flight control simulator computer itself is pure Unix with a GUI).

But for in-car tuning and logging on a 2-in-1 tablet/laptop? It fits the bill quite well.

[Sportsguy83]

So it seems the lenovo miix 2 it is.....

Whitefrs hates my phone signature

[mswhong]

Originally Posted by mrk1

is 7 better then 8? 8 looks like a cartoon to me, in commercials at least

Originally Posted by Andrew025

From a performance stand point, yes.
It's really not as bad as everyone says it is. Just use desktop mode and it's almost identical to 7.

BUT THERE'S NO GOD DAMN START MENU!!!!!!

[Andrew025]

Originally Posted by mswhong

BUT THERE'S NO GOD DAMN START MENU!!!!!!

Yes there is.
You can accept the fact that the "metro UI" is the new start menu and functions almost the same as the start menu of old or use one of the many options to bring the "traditional" start menu back and quit your bitching.

Originally Posted by jamesm

My issue comes entirely from my perspective. I'm a Ruby/C/anything else developer... and we just don't use it at all in my field. If I was a server administrator at some company or something running a big Windows domain I'd probably get used to it. It just can't really be used for what I do.

And it sucks .

Is it really that big of a deal if you're just using it for your car though?
Hell, put whatever flavor of Linux on it as well so you can use it without complaining.
I only use Windows when I have to... And this is one of those times.

[AdrianG]

Originally Posted by Andrew025

... and quit your bitching.

This is what I'm so sick of hearing about Microsoft products. Whenever there's a major change almost everyone hates it and are just told to suck it up and learn to use it. You shouldn't have to re-learn an operating system!

When vista came out, everyone clung to XP. When. 8 came out everyone clung to 7. Meanwhile Apple is breaking records for user adoption rates.

- AdrianG