Outrageous - why no laptops with touch screen and dedicated graphics?

[Flickerdart]

So, I've diligently waited until the new Windows 8 hardware's come out before picking a new laptop to replace my 3-year-old (and no beast even when I got it) Thinkpad x200t. Because I am going to be going off to grad school in under a year, I wanted a computer that could follow me easily without being a slouch in case it came to a bit of gaming. Intel graphics are crap for that - the HD3000 in this machine can barely run Mount & Blade at 20 FPS. The ULV processor never actually delivered long battery life (even with the extended battery I had ~4 hours at best).

Since my laptop spends most of its time docked even now, when I have to go for lectures a few times a week, it will certainly remain so in the future. Thus, battery life doesn't matter whatsoever and neither do the fancy form factors that manufacturers are coming out with for Windows 8. A big fat desktop replacement is really all I need, and if I need to take notes at lectures I can buy a tablet or something for that. But looking at available stuff, nothing has both a dedicated graphics card and a touch screen! HP offers the option of either or, but not together in one box, and the Asus U38DT has not even been properly announced in North America.

Am I just missing something, or is there no laptop that has both dedicated graphics and the kind of touch that Windows 8 needs?

[Brother Oni]

It looks like the Asus Zenbook Touch U500VZ fits all your requirements (dedicated graphics and touchscreen), but I'm having problems finding a vendor in Canada.

I suspect the product isn't available yet, which indicates it'll probably cost somewhere in the region of an arm and a leg or your first born child.

[Castaras]

I'd recommend not to bother looking at a touchscreen - Windows 8 works brilliantly from what I've heard, after you spend a day or so finding everything and changing all the settings. Touchscreen isn't needed, and it'll be difficult to find something with both touchscreen and gaming capabilities for a reasonable price.

[Brother Oni]

Touchscreen isn't needed, and it'll be difficult to find something with both touchscreen and gaming capabilities for a reasonable price.

Not to mention the above features in a laptop form.

[lesser_minion]

I'd recommend not to bother looking at a touchscreen - Windows 8 works brilliantly from what I've heard, after you spend a day or so finding everything and changing all the settings. Touchscreen isn't needed, and it'll be difficult to find something with both touchscreen and gaming capabilities for a reasonable price.

Pretty much this.

Windows 8 hides a few things and does a few things differently, but it isn't even close to being difficult or painful to use with a mouse and keyboard.

As for the hidden things, you reveal the charms bar by moving your mouse to either right-hand corner of the screen. The top left-hand corner is a shortcut for switching between recent apps, and the bottom left-hand corner is a shortcut to the start screen.

You now switch your machine off by going to Settings > Power on the charms bar.

Oh, and you can search by typing directly into the start screen, just like on Windows 7.

[Flickerdart]

While it's true that it's possible to use Windows 8 without a touch screen, I'm pretty sure that over time, more and more programs will require it, or at least be optimized for it. When that happens, I don't want to have to buy a new computer.

[Don Julio Anejo]

While it's true that it's possible to use Windows 8 without a touch screen, I'm pretty sure that over time, more and more programs will require it, or at least be optimized for it. When that happens, I don't want to have to buy a new computer.
Not really. Touch screen on anything bigger than a phone is an annoying pain that's worse than a mouse. It's used on iPad style tablets because there's no other alternatives, and on convertible laptops (i.e. Thinkpad X230t or the like), it's there to make drawing diagrams/taking notes much faster. I doubt programs would require a touch screen as it easily alienates something like 80% of Windows market.

On topic though.. yeah, hard to help you there. Don't even know if they exist. Maybe wait for AMD Trinity platforms to come out and look at some tests, they're supposed to be 2x better than Ivy Bridge (which in itself is about 30-40% better than Sandy).

[The Extinguisher]

Windows 8 came out like 3 months ago, and touch screen laptops are fairly new to the market.

Give it time.
Not to mention that in general, Windows 8 isn't overly popular with people who want high end graphics in a laptop, so that means there's even less incentive to get them out right away.

[Flickerdart]

Give it time.
But I want my new toy noooooow! :smallfrown:

[Flickerdart]

Eh, I've used a tablet PC for five years now and while the mouse is still king when it comes to pixel-perfect positioning, it's quite lousy compared to just about anything when general gestures are the order of the day. A laptop's input device (whether a touch pad or a tracking nub thingy) is no substitute for a mouse, though, so I'd really appreciate being able to swipe around on my screen directly.

Since the smartphone revolution, software makers are finally realizing that cascading menus with tiny words on them are actually a really lousy way of doing things, even if it's one that we're all used to, and have started to spread their wings a bit. I had similar reservations when transferring from older, stylus-based touchscreens to newer, finger-based ones (but you can fit so much more stuff on the screen if it can be small!) but being forced to pay homage to negative space really makes things a lot easier to use, and also less butt-ugly.

No replacement for keyboards, though - physical responsiveness of hardware keys is so much better than anything software can put up on a screen, no matter how fancy it tries to get with its Swypes and suchlike. One of the amazing things that Windows 8 leverages is being able to type just about anywhere and search your computer for that query, which is pretty much how I launch programs and look for files these days anyway.

[Raimun]

Can't you just get a wireless mouse for your laptop?

[Flickerdart]

Yes, but then you need to carry it around and find a surface for it and charge its batteries and it's such a hassle that it's almost not worth it.

[Brother Oni]

Yes, but then you need to carry it around and find a surface for it and charge its batteries and it's such a hassle that it's almost not worth it.

Get a darkfield or a bluelight mouse and use yourself as the surface. :smalltongue:

[Flickerdart]

I already have a blue light mouse, but my body is not shaped like a mouse pad anywhere...

[Mauve Shirt]

Then the clear solution is to gain more weight in your legs. :smallbiggrin:

[Rawhide]

There is only one touchpad I have ever used that I actually enjoy using. I even purchased a mouse for that laptop, but have never used it.

[Eloel]

Then the clear solution is to gain more weight in your legs. :smallbiggrin:

Or use a friend's back.
Friends have friends' backs, right?

[Flickerdart]

Dangit! The U38DT has been specced up and it's exactly as I feared - it's a clone of the U38N but without the 1080p touch screen. Instead, it has a dedicated graphics card and the standard 1366x768 screen. Why can they not make a machine that has both?

Apparently, AMD's integrated graphics are actually pretty decent though...but then Intel is releasing a new line of "Haswell" processors that are supposed to be better. Ugh...

[Blue1005]

not sure about the computer itself, but when i went to grad school i thought i needed new toys too.

you would be better off to keep what you have and save the money for the long hard road after school. The job market isnt looking any easier regardless of the country in which you reside.

[Brother Oni]

I already have a blue light mouse, but my body is not shaped like a mouse pad anywhere...

All the more reason to get yourself down the gym to get washboard abs or to increase your pectoral girth. :smalltongue:

[The Succubus]

All the more reason to get yourself down the gym to get washboard abs or to increase your pectoral girth. :smalltongue:

Yes but if you do that and suddenly find yourself irresistably attractive, when are you going to find time to use your new laptop in between cuddle-times?

[Castaras]

Yes but if you do that and suddenly find yourself irresistably attractive, when are you going to find time to use your new laptop in between cuddle-times?

My cuddle times with my +1 are happening currently. Curled up in bed with him on his laptop playing Simcity 4, me about to play games and currently interneting. :smallbiggrin: :smalltongue:

[Archonic Energy]

My cuddle times with my +1 are happening currently. Curled up in bed with him on his laptop playing Simcity 4, me about to play games and currently interneting. :smallbiggrin: :smalltongue:

but... it's 5pm.

[The Succubus]

but... it's 5pm.

Kids these days. Utterly depraved, I tells ya. :smallannoyed:

[Castaras]

Bed is warmest part of the un-heated student house. :smalltongue:

[Jib]

I use a Kyros pad to take notes at work and school, I think the Touch Screen is really nice if you find a practical application for it. Being able to search all your notes is really nice, especially since I don't have to type them in on my time now. Also, if you can find good recognition software you can pick up your lectures and literally have everything said during your class. I was never really good with school so I needed to be able to read everything several times.