Quote from: ymcst on December 02, 2019, 11:50:23Imagine that you are buying a rainjacket. They tell you "look it is much lighter!" And you look at it, yeah indeed it is lighter because it doesnt have a hoody.

This is exactly what laptop/smartphone producers are doing for last 4-5 years.

Worst part is that majority of the consumers are fine with it, because they DONT use this items for their functionality but to brag with them.

This is the legacy of apple marketing, they turned tech devices from gadgets to bragging toys.

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Great article. Good to know I'm not alone with the struggle.
And the worst thing, when I am searching for a laptop with LAN port, most of the hits does not have RJ45 just the manufacturer gives an adapter for type-C. (same with HDMI)
This situation drives me crazy.

Owner of a ASUS BU201LA
I wish I could buy the same laptop with newer cpu, and with hdmi (it has display port, and of course ASUS stated in the specs it has HDMI)

Probably a decision dictated by Quanta's, Wistron's et al offerings. Not sure it's the evil masterminds in a U.S. office screwing with enthuasiast Jack (average Joe rarely cares).

Imagine that you are buying a rainjacket. They tell you "look it is much lighter!" And you look at it, yeah indeed it is lighter because it doesnt have a hoody.

This is exactly what laptop/smartphone producers are doing for last 4-5 years.

Worst part is that majority of the consumers are fine with it, because they DONT use this items for their functionality but to brag with them.

This is the legacy of apple marketing, they turned tech devices from gadgets to bragging toys.

I noticed this trend a while ago and I do not understand it. Machines like the Thinkpads are not (or were not) designed for the average consumer who might be looking for a computer that is thin as possible. I chose a Thinkpad X230 because of its abilities of expansion and modding. I do not mind the thickness and the weight. The modern Thinkpads, though, seem to go the Apple way: non-removable batteries, soldered memory, removing USB-A and RJ45 ports (I use Ethernet often at work). I'm afraid what the future will bring - soldered SSD? No DRAM slot at all?

It seems like Lenovo started making the usual Thinkpads (X and T series) as a not exactly cheaper Apple alternative, copying all the wrong ideas, and moved the more classic looking models to the P product line, which is way more expensive - they remained quite thick and kept all the needed ports (as far as I recall). Also, it came to this weird situation in which a budget Thinkpad model, like an E490, has more expandability options than the "full" T490, minus Thunderbolt.

It seems like the only thing left that would make me want to upgrade to a new Thinkpad is the trackpoint. I do not, however, imagine using a dongle to connect to my work network (I bring my own device).

Very nice article, totally agree!

The very sad fact is that if I remember my laptop history, in 2012 I had no problems to buy laptop to fit my needs in terms of usability, port selection and upgrade options and all in acceptable price. In 2018 I have to buy Zbook 15 G4  - professional workstation to meet at least some of my requirements. I am happy, but it cost almost 3x more than same laptop in 2012! Even if I set no money limit, no laptop can offer same performance as in those years back... Professional laptops are fading away, and only expensive workstations can party replace them. For huge price tag of course.

What makes me smile is that move from SD card slot to microSD. I really dont understand what are manufacturers think this is for. I used full SD for cards from DSLR, camera and other things. Or they think I would take out card from my phone or action cam? Really? If there is no fullSD slot, I see no use for microSD at all because most users still need external memory card readers (remember laptops around 2007, that often have built in 7in1 memory card readers? Very convenient - I loved that !).

These cutoffs are definetely for lowering manufacturing price and design trends. Same things that ruined smartphones. New smartphones cannot be cool without curved glass with some cool hole for camera and unibody design. Everything only to make it more fragile and disposable because repairs are not economical. Eg. curved screen costs 3x more than same quality flat one. Cost of design "trends" that are starting in laptop industry.

Tip: I you want to make some good joke to Apple "engineer" or other "expert", ask them what is "Pro" on those new Macbooks :) Probably non-replaceable everything including proprietary SSD :D

Quote from: Kalimba on December 01, 2019, 04:43:37
Companies have gradually diverted from increasing quality to reducing expenses. Modern laptops come with soldered parts and plastic anywhere possible. Microsoft with Windows 10 also became an insolent and disrespectful software provider. Gone are the times when companies regarded customers. That's why I made a decision: I will never buy a modern laptop. Recently I became a happy owner of a Lenovo T530 with Windows 7 and I found inside an engineering and design masterpiece.

I think similarly planning to upgrade from 2015 iPP to 2017 iPP, but no further.
But I won't go that far in regards to rejecting "modern"...

Quote from: LHPSU on December 01, 2019, 10:55:06
Maybe NotebookCheck should put less emphasis on the camera and more on connectivity in its ratings? You know, don't be part of the problem?

My Gigabyte Aero 15 has RJ45, HDMI and full-sized SD (though I would actually have preferred a MicroSD one for easy transfer to my Surface Pro, or at least a spring-loaded slot), and most parts are replaceable.

That's Microsoft's issue, MicroSD is easily compatible with SD through an adapter, not the other way around.

Oh yeah, the charging barrel. Dismantling my VAIO Z Canvas, although I found the bloated battery weld to a strange thin circuit board probably impossible to replace with 3rd party solutions, the DC port is of the decoupled, floating design that could wriggle around for ~1mm in each direction, and will last for much much longer than a skinny malnourished fixed C port.

Maybe NotebookCheck should put less emphasis on the camera and more on connectivity in its ratings? You know, don't be part of the problem?

My Gigabyte Aero 15 has RJ45, HDMI and full-sized SD (though I would actually have preferred a MicroSD one for easy transfer to my Surface Pro, or at least a spring-loaded slot), and most parts are replaceable.

They're all going by the way of Apple.
The only reason it wouldn't work for Lenovo and Dell is if their competition had kept these ports, but when both of them do it..
The prosumer laptop range has been dying for a few years now. Soon enough if we want a well-built, well-designed, flexible and repairable laptop we'll have to resort to professional laptops such as the Panasonic Toughbook which are twice as expensive for similar specs as prosumer models (which are already about twice as expensive for same specs as gaming laptops)

I'm afraid the PC industry (in this case laptops) is following the same path as the smartphone industry. Fashionable, not upgradable , breakable by design. In some ways unusable. What is striking now is they even don't care about their business customers.
The USB-C port is very very fragile and is a single point of failure. But it's a feature!

@Kalimba "Recently I became a happy owner of a Lenovo T530"

Great choice! You will enjoy it much more than any modern laptop. And you will discover the joy of customizing and upgrading your laptop in almost any way you like!

So the play here is first they cut all the ports from your laptop, then a couple years later when everyone is pissed off that they only have one USB-c port on their whole computer, they start releasing a high-end "Pro" model that brings back the HDMI, SD-card, and Ethernet ports, with a base price of 1000. Hey everyone's gotta make a living right?

Companies have gradually diverted from increasing quality to reducing expenses. Modern laptops come with soldered parts and plastic anywhere possible. Microsoft with Windows 10 also became an insolent and disrespectful software provider. Gone are the times when companies regarded customers. That's why I made a decision: I will never buy a modern laptop. Recently I became a happy owner of a Lenovo T530 with Windows 7 and I found inside an engineering and design masterpiece.