What hapenned to those hybrid-business/gaming notebooks?

Well first I'm not sure I'm in the good section but it seemed to most appropriate since I didn't find a "general notebook discussion" one.

I remember when I bought my laptop 2 years ago there were lots more choices in mid-range laptops.Everyone, lenovo, HP, Dell, Asus etc... all had business-class laptops with mid-range graphics card and competitive prices.

Now they all moved to low-end graphics card to keep only their gaming series, which most of them come with gamer designs that are big turn off for many people. MSI, Sager and Asus are now like the only ones offering mid/high end laptops at competitive price. Dell is OK in the US for price but in Canada a nicely-build XPS 16 runs for $1850+ and only the most high end Alienware is available here. (A US $1500 XPS16 is $2000 in Canada, should be $1700 with exchange rate).

I also don't see why they keep marketing only gamer-designed chassis for notebooks. The MSI GT-series, the barebone is white and really nice, professional looking but if you go outside of the barebone, only available in red. Why? Why not offer the 2 colors? I think notebooks like the white MSI 1651 and the M860TU are REALLY nice looking. Similar pattern to my current C90S and I can tell you that when people see my notebook for the first time, I see a "wow" in their eyes. I'm sure coming in class with a M860TU would bring attention (in a good way)

Your thoughts?

 

I'll agree 100% with the styling issues. Its one of the main reason I'm not considering the popular bestbuy ASUS models at all and seriously saving for the new MSI 1651 ID2 (the new model with the silver trim). I think gaming designs are tacky and hurt the utility of the laptop. I'd be apprehensive to take one to university (especially upper division courses, law and business classes) and would not be caught dead using it at work.

 

Check out the m860tu. I own it, and I think it looks very proffesional. No bling bling and lots of gaming power!

 

My thinking is that they saw that they could get customers to buy more expensive stuff, therefore those models were dumbed down. For example, when I bought the Vostro 1500 option, it was basically the same as the regular counterpart (sorry, I forgot the name) just that this was a business model and available in a 'non-exciting' black color, but cheaper.

 

I am reasonably happy with my Thinkpad T500 w the Mobility Radeon HD 3650 gpu. Just below a 4000 score on 3dmark06.

 

My thoughts exactly. I think once the 'gaming notebook' market began to get vastly more affordable (brought on by Gateway's FX series.....now carried by Asus, MSI et al), the hybrids you speak of went 'back to basics' and got cheaper

 

Take a look to the new ASUS lambo... The bad point is that its VERY expensive .

 

I want a W3J Resurrection!!

 

Also take a look to my laptop its like a hybrid. Its not a "high end" gaming laptop but it can handle every game including crysis at med-high. Maybe like those "stylish" laptops for business.
http://www.gateway.com/programs/mcseries/index.php?cmpid=topnav_computers

As you can see here it performs quite well:

 

I think the ThinkPad T500, as someone said earlier, is an example of what you are looking for. The video card isn't top of the line, and is probably headed more to the back end of the midrange cards, but I can play Fallout 3 on High no problem. I know that the T510 that will come out the beginning of next year will have another midrange card that will be better than the current one, probably the 4650.

 

I think I'm also against Canadian models...

Thinkpad looks good I agree, but overpriced in Canada. Now it's ok because of the crazy sales they have in both US and Canada but still. $1100 US model is $1500 in Canada. If you remove the sale, $1300 model in US is almost $2000 here. 2 years ago I could have had a full equipped T61p for $1700 here. Same with Dell, a full equipped XPS 1530 from 2 years ago cost less than a full equipped XPS 16 now.

MexicanSnake, your gateway looks very good, but not available in Canada. I just checked the websites, all the Canadian models seem to come with intel 4500 =/

I'm also sad that while WSXGA+ was standard 2 years ago, it's now replaced by WXGA and 16:9

/Ranting done

 

I think I got lucky with my ASUS, I bought it about a year ago, and haven't seen anything as understatedly stylish (IMO) from them since. Everything is either over-shiny, or looks like a budget HP. Mind you, I haven't been looking for ages.

Side-note: Whoever decided to do away with discrete touchpads and instead just have a "painted" box designating a patch of wrist-rest as touch-sensitive needs a good slap - it looks tacky.

 

I think a laptop's design and look is just for bragging rights. Nice looking laptops are great and all, but some go overboard.
I saw the Asus laptops from Bestbuy, and they were just unbelievably flashy. It's not a bad thing imo, but something about the design screams "HEY, IF YOU'RE GONNA STEAL A LAPTOP STEAL THIS ONE."
I'm going to college in a month, and laptops tend to go missing. Kinda the reason why I'm getting a non-flashy MSI, although it's still got a nice sleek design.

 

I love sleek design. Someone seeing a M860TU without knowing it will think it looks good, but I doubt he/she will know it's actually the most powerful 15.4'' on the market =D

 

Mmm... That looks tasty (tasteful also).

 

Dell Vostro notebooks used to be pretty good. My Vostro 1500 with 8600m GT is pretty decent even still. It looks like the sacrificed video card performance now though, only offering a 9300m GS at best.

But the 17" (1720) offers 9600m GS, not too shabby.