The ipad was a gift
Also, it took a WHILE to get the sum of money needed for my initial loop build. And IPads are even more portable (along with any other tablet).
At the expense of functionality. I'll take an extra 3.3" for a real keyboard and OS anyday. Seriously trade that thing for a laptop or netbook if you can.
Oh gosh... You recommended a netbook....... Well, anyways, I do plan on getting a laptop eventually, especially when I'm out to college. I just don't "need" one desperately right now. Plus, I'm kinda waiting to see how Thunderbolt matures, and seeing if external PCIE enclosures get any cheaper/ more available.
Besides, if I really need to, I just use a Bluetooth keyboard with it, works like a charm when typing.
As a guy who's owned a 13" MacBook Air and a first-gen iPad for quite a while, I can tell you that the MacBook's still my daily driver (despite me stupidly upgrading it to the Mavericks beta without backing up beforehand), but the iPad's been relegated to little more than a bedside pornography device. I really can't find anything it does better than my phone and MacBook, let alone something that makes it worth lugging around all day.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Oh gosh... You recommended a netbook.......
You said you wanted mobility. If you get a good one they're not as crappy as everyone makes them out to be. It's not going to be as fast as a full blown laptop but quite frankly you shouldn't be doing anything other than using the web with it and it's definitely fast enough for that. Especially if you put linux on it. And the battery life on those things is amazing. The screen is of course smaller and lower resolution but it's usually adequate (similar to a tablet). The only other issue I have with them is the touchpad and keyboard tend to be inferior due to size constraints. But there is no getting around that with such a small device and they're still miles better than touch controls with a similar size to a tablet. Plus you have much better I/O options.
Ultrabooks are basically high end netbooks but they're expensive as hell. Netbooks on the other hand are cheap as hell. I would imagine you can get a used one for under $200 fairly easily.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Plus, I'm kinda waiting to see how Thunderbolt matures, and seeing if external PCIE enclosures get any cheaper/ more available.
Why is that so important to you?
There is barely anything we can do with them that can't already be done just as effectively with USB 3.0/3.1.
Plus external pci-e enclosures defeats the point of a laptop. Mobility. If you need to use pci-e devices just get a desktop.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Besides, if I really need to, I just use a Bluetooth keyboard with it, works like a charm when typing.
So let me get this straight. You cite portability as the main advantage over laptops but you have to lug around a bluetooth keyboard and likely a stand to make this thing as functional? Gah. This is why flip up screens rule.
NV, the whole point of having an external GPU is so you can dock it when ever you DONT need portability, and your just at home or you have a back pack and you plan on sitting somewhere else where you can't access your desktop. Lugging around an enclosure all the time would be suicide. Plus, USB 3.0/3.1 isn't dual channel, and the next gen. of thunderbolt will be 20Gb/s per channel. The only problem with
Thunderbolt is the slow adoption rate. Also, external GFX isn't my only priority, sorry I didn't make that clear. I plan on getting a raided external HDD setup if I can afford it after I get my laptop in the future. Loosing schoolwork due to technical difficulties bites, I've been there, and RAID protection, even if its only RAID 0, is an excellent way to keep your data safe. Thunderbolt seems more suitable for that task than USB, after looking at benchmarks.
Also, I have used a few net books, most have sucked quality wise (build strength), and they all sucked speed wise (sometimes struggling web browsing). Although, an Arch Setup for one might make things pretty nice for a net book. The only "netbook" I *might* want would be a MacBook Air. The only problem when I sit down and look at laptops I might want to get is that I want to have decent hardware (but not overkill, you know?) when I go to college. I would like to be able to use Blender for not so crazy projects on it, and possibly compiling applications. I guess we all have our preferences.
Oh, and the the Bluetooth keyboard, even though its not as convenient as a laptop (with the clamshell design), its small and its still great when needed.
Oh, and I'm rendering something today, so the Desktop ain't available currently. I'll probably use replies on my next post.
Edit: Lol, got my RAID number screwed up: I meant RAID 1
>RAID protection, even if it's only RAID 0
I assume you mean RAID 1, where the disks are mirrored? RAID 0 alone doesn't offer you any protection – in fact, it's actually more dangerous than a single disk, since if any disk in a RAID 0 array fails, all your data's gone. Its sole purpose is to increase I/O performance.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_RAID_levels
And, yeah, the Air's pretty damn good for what it is, but don't expect it to run Dolphin that well, and don't expect 15" MacBook Pro-level performance. If it's only in for light-to-medium rendering and compiling, I think you'll be fine.
Also, who cares about forum replies? I don't.
...Then again, I do have pretty above-average reading comprehension skills. v_v
Thanks Paulda, got my raids screwed up lol
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:NV, the whole point of having an external GPU is so you can dock it when ever you DONT need portability, and your just at home or you have a back pack and you plan on sitting somewhere else where you can't access your desktop. Lugging around an enclosure all the time would be suicide.
It seems like having a desktop would be a much better idea. Cheaper, better performance, no compatibility issues to worry about, and better cooling.
Or just get a laptop with a decent GPU.....
And according to your profile you already have a desktop.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Plus, USB 3.0/3.1 isn't dual channel, and the next gen. of thunderbolt will be 20Gb/s per channel. The only problem with
Thunderbolt is the slow adoption rate.
The slow adoption rate is mainly due to the fact that nothing really needs it yet.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Also, external GFX isn't my only priority, sorry I didn't make that clear. I plan on getting a raided external HDD setup if I can afford it after I get my laptop in the future. Loosing schoolwork due to technical difficulties bites, I've been there, and RAID protection, even if its only RAID 0, is an excellent way to keep your data safe. Thunderbolt seems more suitable for that task than USB, after looking at benchmarks.
What benchmarks are you looking at? External HDDs have nowhere near the throughput to max out USB 3.0 except with caching. You would need many of them in raid 0 to make thunderbolt worth it. 7,200 rpm drives can go up to 135 MB/s each but realistically getting more than 50 MB/s out of them with file transfers is extremely uncommon. USB 3.0 can easily feed 4 7,200 rpm in raid 0 and 8 in raid 0 + 1 without bandwidth issues. And USB 3.1 is right around the corner and twice as fast.
Thunderbolt is only useful to enterprise level storage devices and SSDs at this point.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Also, I have used a few net books, most have sucked quality wise (build strength),
Cheap ones sure.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:and they all sucked speed wise (sometimes struggling web browsing).
It's nothing compared to an Ipad. Which you're apparently already used to.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Although, an Arch Setup for one might make things pretty nice for a net book. The only "netbook" I *might* want would be a MacBook Air. The only problem when I sit down and look at laptops I might want to get is that I want to have decent hardware (but not overkill, you know?) when I go to college. I would like to be able to use Blender for not so crazy projects on it, and possibly compiling applications. I guess we all have our preferences.
For 3D rendering yeah, netbooks are out of the question.
I don't know why on earth you would want a macbook air when for that kind of cash you could get an ultrabook.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Oh, and I'm rendering something today, so the Desktop ain't available currently. I'll probably use replies on my next post.
Why on earth would that stop you from browsing the web on it?
Ultimately what I'm trying to get at is waiting for thunderbolt and external graphics to take off to buy a laptop is silly.
(08-09-2013, 10:25 AM)NaturalViolence Wrote: [ -> ]ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:NV, the whole point of having an external GPU is so you can dock it when ever you DONT need portability, and your just at home or you have a back pack and you plan on sitting somewhere else where you can't access your desktop. Lugging around an enclosure all the time would be suicide.
It seems like having a desktop would be a much better idea. Cheaper, better performance, no compatibility issues to worry about, and better cooling.
Or just get a laptop with a decent GPU.....
And according to your profile you already have a desktop.
Yes, I have a desktop, but its likely it wont be coming with me out of state. I agree I would love to bring it, and not have to worry about any docking situation. I would also love to have enough money to buy a ultrabook and/or a laptop with a worthwhile GPU, but they aren't exactly cheap either, not really anything I could simply trade in my ipad for.
(08-09-2013, 10:25 AM)NaturalViolence Wrote: [ -> ]ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Plus, USB 3.0/3.1 isn't dual channel, and the next gen. of thunderbolt will be 20Gb/s per channel. The only problem with
Thunderbolt is the slow adoption rate.
The slow adoption rate is mainly due to the fact that nothing really needs it yet.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Also, external GFX isn't my only priority, sorry I didn't make that clear. I plan on getting a raided external HDD setup if I can afford it after I get my laptop in the future. Loosing schoolwork due to technical difficulties bites, I've been there, and RAID protection, even if its only RAID 0, is an excellent way to keep your data safe. Thunderbolt seems more suitable for that task than USB, after looking at benchmarks.
What benchmarks are you looking at? External HDDs have nowhere near the throughput to max out USB 3.0 except with caching. You would need many of them in raid 0 to make thunderbolt worth it. 7,200 rpm drives can go up to 135 MB/s each but realistically getting more than 50 MB/s out of them with file transfers is extremely uncommon. USB 3.0 can easily feed 4 7,200 rpm in raid 0 and 8 in raid 0 + 1 without bandwidth issues. And USB 3.1 is right around the corner and twice as fast.
Thunderbolt is only useful to enterprise level storage devices and SSDs at this point.
Yep, and even though I will be using HDD's, I want to be able to use SSD's when they get cheaper (heck, by the time I need this setup, that might be a viable option). Also, USB 3.0 whether through bad controllers on the external device or bad drivers on flash memory don't usually even go beyond the 100Mb/s to 150Mb/s "barrier". 100Mb/s is around 12.5 MB/s. Ill have to look into which external HDD's have good controllers that will utilize most of the bandwidth that USB 3.0 offers.
(08-09-2013, 10:25 AM)NaturalViolence Wrote: [ -> ]ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Also, I have used a few net books, most have sucked quality wise (build strength),
Cheap ones sure.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:and they all sucked speed wise (sometimes struggling web browsing).
It's nothing compared to an Ipad. Which you're apparently already used to.
ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Although, an Arch Setup for one might make things pretty nice for a net book. The only "netbook" I *might* want would be a MacBook Air. The only problem when I sit down and look at laptops I might want to get is that I want to have decent hardware (but not overkill, you know?) when I go to college. I would like to be able to use Blender for not so crazy projects on it, and possibly compiling applications. I guess we all have our preferences.
For 3D rendering yeah, netbooks are out of the question.
I don't know why on earth you would want a macbook air when for that kind of cash you could get an ultrabook.
Hence "**" emphasis. Also, I was just refering to Netbooks in general. I won't be getting a MBA, but they beat the crap out of any Netbook ive encountered. We are using text to communicate, and sometimes im not great with it lol, so sorry for misunderstandings XD
(08-09-2013, 10:25 AM)NaturalViolence Wrote: [ -> ]ThorhiantheUltimate Wrote:Oh, and I'm rendering something today, so the Desktop ain't available currently. I'll probably use replies on my next post.
Why on earth would that stop you from browsing the web on it?
Ultimately what I'm trying to get at is waiting for thunderbolt and external graphics to take off to buy a laptop is silly.
When your using your GPU literally 100% in Blender Cycles, even your desktop/ browsers lag PRETTY bad. Same can happen occasionally when rendering with the CPU. Oh, BTW, my Ipad runs very well for browsing, and it handles pretty much all of the other forums I hang around except here, it doesn't like this forum's full post editor. My Ipad runs just fine for normal web browsing without flash (which unless you play games with it, is becoming less and less relevant on webpages, even with some ads). No lag at all, and pages load almost instantly when my connection has enough bandwidth to handle it (hate being stuck with a 6Mb/s connection, and 1 Mb/s for upload).
Also, I will be waiting for quite a while before I need a laptop for college for personal reasons, and the fact that im only a senior in highschool.