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Laptop buying help [NOT so urgent]

Good deal, ordered 3 for office.

D'oh I thought laptops.
loop spinning GIF
 
Personal experience - I can recommend two brands in India over a decade of usage. Apple and Asus.

Asus is in your budget. Some notes other than what has been pointed out -
  1. Go for OLED. Difference in screen is miles apart from an LCD/IPS panel. I bought an OLED Asus, and then when I bought Apple I had to go for Pro - because I had grown used to the OLED screen. Do read about OLED screen lifetimes though. I hear they aren't as durable as LCDs.
  2. Do check out a bit about repairs and charges. Calling your nearest authorised centre helps, most of the times they are honest about service charges and what is covered in warranty.
  3. Asus, luckily, has a good hardware for cheap prices in India at the moment. Flipkart is safe, but make a video when opening box. Even with their new open box policy. Choose only Flipkart fulfilled/verified and a highly rated seller.
  4. Asus listings on Flipkart are not organised well, unfortunately. What that means is that you might miss a good laptop deal unless you track each Asus laptop you are interested in. It is worth the effort though, BBD deals are really good.
  5. You can't escape paid windows now. I tried, and wish you the best to try.
  6. You can also try Samsung laptops - via their corporate store. I haven't used Samsung laptops for long, but I can vouch for Samsung build quality and service support. Mind you, processor names and generations (Intel sux) are a slight gimmick right now. So, don't pay more for a flagship processor. Chances are your laptop isn't optimised well, and you paid high for nothing.
 
Personal experience - I can recommend two brands in India over a decade of usage. Apple and Asus.

Asus is in your budget. Some notes other than what has been pointed out -
  1. Go for OLED. Difference in screen is miles apart from an LCD/IPS panel. I bought an OLED Asus, and then when I bought Apple I had to go for Pro - because I had grown used to the OLED screen. Do read about OLED screen lifetimes though. I hear they aren't as durable as LCDs.
  2. Do check out a bit about repairs and charges. Calling your nearest authorised centre helps, most of the times they are honest about service charges and what is covered in warranty.
  3. Asus, luckily, has a good hardware for cheap prices in India at the moment. Flipkart is safe, but make a video when opening box. Even with their new open box policy. Choose only Flipkart fulfilled/verified and a highly rated seller.
  4. Asus listings on Flipkart are not organised well, unfortunately. What that means is that you might miss a good laptop deal unless you track each Asus laptop you are interested in. It is worth the effort though, BBD deals are really good.
  5. You can't escape paid windows now. I tried, and wish you the best to try.
  6. You can also try Samsung laptops - via their corporate store. I haven't used Samsung laptops for long, but I can vouch for Samsung build quality and service support. Mind you, processor names and generations (Intel sux) are a slight gimmick right now. So, don't pay more for a flagship processor. Chances are your laptop isn't optimised well, and you paid high for nothing.
best is go to reliance store..check some laptops..then buy from online sale..lol
 
Go for OLED. Difference in screen is miles apart from an LCD/IPS panel. I bought an OLED Asus, and then when I bought Apple I had to go for Pro - because I had grown used to the OLED screen. Do read about OLED screen lifetimes though. I hear they aren't as durable as LCDs.
@HumorSimpson - I don't recommend laptops with an OLED display if you prefer durability. A laptop's display is more fragile than that of a phone. And hence they are supposed to be taken care of like a baby, which could be a major challenge while travelling.

Also, as I told you before, the OLED displays are susceptible to burn-ins (Screen retention issue). And it is a major problem with the OLED displays.

Get a laptop with an IPS display with at least 72% colour gamut if you need an awesome experience with guaranteed durability. There's a reason why premium monitors—even today—come with IPS displays.

For more details, remind you to read my post again 🙂: https://www.technofino.in/community/threads/laptop-buying-help-not-so-urgent.30161/post-750255
 
@HumorSimpson - I don't recommend laptops with an OLED display if you prefer durability. A laptop's display is more fragile than that of a phone. And hence they are supposed to be taken care of like a baby, which could be a major challenge while travelling.

Also, as I told you before, the OLED displays are susceptible to burn-ins (Screen retention issue). And it is a major problem with the OLED displays.

Get a laptop with an IPS display with at least 72% colour gamut if you need an awesome experience with guaranteed durability. There's a reason why premium monitors—even today—come with IPS displays.

For more details, remind you to read my post again 🙂: https://www.technofino.in/community/threads/laptop-buying-help-not-so-urgent.30161/post-750255
Aware of that. Thank you.
 
@HumorSimpson - I don't recommend laptops with an OLED display if you prefer durability. A laptop's display is more fragile than that of a phone. And hence they are supposed to be taken care of like a baby, which could be a major challenge while travelling.

Also, as I told you before, the OLED displays are susceptible to burn-ins (Screen retention issue). And it is a major problem with the OLED displays.

Get a laptop with an IPS display with at least 72% colour gamut if you need an awesome experience with guaranteed durability. There's a reason why premium monitors—even today—come with IPS displays.

For more details, remind you to read my post again 🙂: https://www.technofino.in/community/threads/laptop-buying-help-not-so-urgent.30161/post-750255
fact.. ips better for large screens
 
@HumorSimpson - I don't recommend laptops with an OLED display if you prefer durability. A laptop's display is more fragile than that of a phone. And hence they are supposed to be taken care of like a baby, which could be a major challenge while travelling.

Also, as I told you before, the OLED displays are susceptible to burn-ins (Screen retention issue). And it is a major problem with the OLED displays.

Get a laptop with an IPS display with at least 72% colour gamut if you need an awesome experience with guaranteed durability. There's a reason why premium monitors—even today—come with IPS displays.

For more details, remind you to read my post again 🙂: https://www.technofino.in/community/threads/laptop-buying-help-not-so-urgent.30161/post-750255
Every modern oled has pixel shifting or similar feature enabled by default so burn in is a non issue in 2024. Display care is similar to any other screen.. what are you doing with your laptop?? The reason i reccomend OLED for content consumption is HDR is beautiful to look at...
 
Every modern oled has pixel shifting or similar feature enabled by default so burn in is a non issue in 2024. Display care is similar to any other screen.. what are you doing with your laptop?? The reason i reccomend OLED for content consumption is HDR is beautiful to look at...
May be we will come to know if these are actually avoiding the issues in an year or so?
 
I agree with a few comments here, let me clarify my opinion just so that @HumorSimpson and other readers can make an informed decision.

1. OLED screens are more fragile than LCDs/IPS panels. I have dropped LCD MacBook Airs a few times, the screen had no issue. I have never dropped my OLED Asus or the mini-LED MacBook Pro, but it is a fair assumption that it'd be more fragile.

That being said, I would still go with OLED and be more careful with handling. Just like I'd never buy an LCD phone again, now that I've experienced OLED phones (this may be true for many of us). Just try not to drop your laptop, ever :)

Disclaimer - I am okay with spending money on repairs. Your mileage may vary. Just last week I had to pay 6k to replace the display of Pixel 6. I had dropped it on the road.
@HumorSimpson - I don't recommend laptops with an OLED display if you prefer durability. A laptop's display is more fragile than that of a phone. And hence they are supposed to be taken care of like a baby, which could be a major challenge while travelling.

2. OLEDs can get a burn-in. This is true even for your phone screen. Thankfully though, ASUS has a dedicated burn-in protection software that works fairly well in my opinion. In some ways, it is really cool.

But, I've only used my OLED Asus for a little over a year. So, I don't know the long-term durability. Apple mini-LED laptops have worked great for 3+ years now.
Also, as I told you before, the OLED displays are susceptible to burn-ins (Screen retention issue). And it is a major problem with the OLED displays.

3. The most premium monitors, those costing 1L+, are almost exclusively OLED now. I saw a few freaky cool ones with ultra-ultra-wide 32:9 ratio and 48" wide screen. Absolutely stunning display for gaming/multitasking.

Also, note that monitor display tech varies based on the usage. Gaming monitors are VA panels instead of IPS. So, while IPS is good for general content watching, it is not the default solution to everything.
Quick examples - Dell gaming monitor @42k with a VA Panel, Dell Gaming monitor @1L with an OLED panel.
Get a laptop with an IPS display with at least 72% colour gamut if you need an awesome experience with guaranteed durability. There's a reason why premium monitors—even today—come with IPS displays.
---

I guess I am being a romantic with OLED screens. I have loved OLED ever since I found out about them a decade ago (Samsung S6 Edge, S8 infinity screen phones), and so far I see no reason to hate on them. Please take my advice with the consideration that I want you to watch any content in the best way possible. OLEDs is the best tech we have right now. It is worth the price. I love both Asus and Apple screens that I have.

I don't have a TV at home right now. I am waiting for OLED 55"-65" TVs to drop below 1L. It may take a few months or a year. I can wait. Like I wrote above, I love OLEDs.
 
Every modern oled has pixel shifting or similar feature enabled by default so burn in is a non issue in 2024.
Pixel-shifting isn't a hardware feature; It's rather a software feature done especially to prevent burn-ins.


Display care is similar to any other screen.. what are you doing with your laptop??
Haha, it's interesting how, when I mentioned that OLED displays are fragile, many people thought I was referring to dropping the laptop. What I actually meant is that the lids of laptops, where the brand logo is usually located, in most cases, are flimsy. When you place a laptop in a bag and travel with it, pressure applied to the lid can be transferred to the display, potentially causing damage.

While this can happen with any type of display, OLED screens are particularly sensitive due to their organic compounds, which are prone to degradation under pressure and stress. Unlike traditional LCDs, which use a backlight, OLED displays emit light through organic layers. This makes them thinner and more flexible but also more susceptible to damage from bending, pressure, or impact.

So while all displays can be affected by pressure, the chances of an OLED screen experiencing significant issues under these conditions are indeed higher.


That being said, I would still go with OLED and be more careful with handling. Just like I'd never buy an LCD phone again, now that I've experienced OLED phones (this may be true for many of us). Just try not to drop your laptop, ever
I do agree OLEDs look amazing with "inky" blacks and infinite contrast. The thing is.. you get a lot of drawbacks for the benefit. It just isn't worth it for me personally especially for a laptop (I'm okay with OLED on a phone, and in fact have one). I want to be able to do my work without leaving a static image or having to worry about taking care of it all the time like a baby. I care more about enjoying a worry-free experience than worry about how to protect my display in return for slightly better image quality.

Burn-in is an inherent limitation of the technology. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't consider buying an OLED; it just means you need to be aware that you're taking on some risk. There's a possibility that your screen will last 5 years without significant problems, but there's also a chance you could experience burn-in or another major problem within a year.

Another factor to consider is that OLED screens degrade over time. This means they gradually become dimmer, a process that is unavoidable and affects every OLED screen. After a few years of use, the display may appear more washed out. The change happens so gradually that you might not notice it during regular use, but if you compare the screen after 5 years to how it looked on day one, the difference can be quite noticeable.

There are ways to prevent or mitigate burn-in, but they often come with their own drawbacks. For example, hiding static elements like the taskbar, overlays, or browser tabs can help, but it might also be inconvenient. Many OLEDs use pixel refresh cycles to reduce burn-in, but this process accelerates pixel degradation and shortens the panel's lifespan. Essentially, you're trading one issue for another. I'm not sure what technology ASUS uses though.


3. The most premium monitors, those costing 1L+, are almost exclusively OLED now. I saw a few freaky cool ones with ultra-ultra-wide 32:9 ratio and 48" wide screen. Absolutely stunning display for gaming/multitasking.
Good point. But that's because the OLED panels themselves are very expensive. :p


Gaming monitors are VA panels instead of IPS.
You're right. But it's majorly because IPS displays suffer a common problem — called "IPS Glow" (Kinda like backlight bleeding) — which is a major problem for a majority of gamers who usually play games in a dark environment. VA themselves aren't bad and majority of TVs come with VA panels, too. But their colour accuracy is not as good as IPS ones. Also, by "expensive monitors," I was referring to the monitors used in studios (For movie production and editing) for being the most colour accurate. Also, a nice IPS display can provide you a decent "deep black" effect, too.


Since @HumorSimpson is considering a laptop primarily for media consumption, he could consider one with OLED, but be cautious about the points I highlighted. Just don't be paranoid. Haha.
 
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