Apple makes the best consumer laptops. For me, there's absolutely no denying that this is the case. Apple has had this lead over the competition since the iBook G3 Dual USB 12.1" and 14", and has never lost it. Right now, the rumour mill is abuzz about Apple supposedly prepping to launch a MacBook Pro with a retina display - 2880x1800.
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Member since:2009-01-01
I agree with gsyb. You can't really bring into the conversation models for specialized medical use, ones only available offshore, or noshed together. No, the true apogee was in 08 - 09, with the Dell Precision, the Thinkpad, or my Clevo M860TU. They all had WUXGA displays at a gorgeous 146 DPI, and 16:10 ratio, with matte surface. And, of course, decent video subsystems.
Honourable mention to the Thinkpads with 1600x1200 displays. I thought their 4:3 ratios were the best for productivity, but their video chips were lacking.
The culprit is the stupid 16:9 ratio the screen manufacturing monopoly forces on us. Even the modern 16:9 1920x1080 look lame at 15.6 size. The use of 1366x768 is almost criminal!
I say bring back 4:3 screens! Boost resolutions to 2400x1800 or better, and give me a reason to upgrade. Now, I live in fearcthat if my trusty Clevis were to die tommorow, my only choice is the MacBook Pro, at a paltry wsxga 1680x1050!
Member since:2007-01-09
I guess the problem is there just aren't enough of us to justify the cost to keep the 16:10 with high resolution screens alive.
Sure I settled for 1680x1050 on the MBP, which is less than the 1920x1080 I could have had, but when I customized the Lenovo systems to match what I got on the MBP (remember I bought refurb and saved a LOT over the list price), the MBP proved to be a better value for me.
If the Lenovo had offered 1920x1200 screen (or better) in the 15.4-15.6 form factor, I would have paid the the price and bought the Lenovo in a heartbeat. Especially in the W series with 4 DIMMs for memory expansion and a max capacity of 32 gb.
I almost went for the 17" MBP just to get that same screen resolution, except sanity finally took hold and I realized just how big of a beast that would have been. 
The 15" machine is big enough to make using it on an airplane a challenge at times, the 17" would have been insane in that circumstance.
Now there's an interesting thought. A battery powered, headless Mac Mini server with a MacBook Air as a remote screen. Power and portability, leave the mini in the bag, just pull out the Air. 
Member since:2007-01-09
Member since:2009-02-19
Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2009-02-19
http://bhtooefr.ath.cx/images/IMG_1260.jpg
Here's the zenith of desktop LCDs (3840x2400, 22.2", IPS) *AND* the zenith of laptop LCDs in the same shot, being driven by the same machine: http://bhtooefr.ath.cx/images/IMG_1334.jpg
This isn't mine, but here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CMpzOSSIhs
Member since:
2009-02-19
Your 3 year old ThinkPad wasn't the zenith.
The zenith consisted of 6-10 year old NEC laptops (I forget the models, but most were Japanese market only) and a very rare medical configuration of a 7 year old ThinkPad (based on the R50p).
I've actually got that panel, a 2048x1536 15.0" IPS panel, swapped into a T60p chassis, along with a T61p motherboard (because Lenovo never made a 15.0" 4:3 T61p, but the 14.1" 4:3 T61p motherboard fits in any T60p chassis after filing some metal away, although without the dialup modem card).