Does Anyone Else Think the Laptop Market is a Bit Stale?

I’ve been watching the laptop market for several months, maybe almost a year, and I can’t shake this feeling. Ever since Apple launched their M series chips, it seems like PC laptops have been slowly trying to catch up. The Snapdragon X Elite and new AMD chips look promising, but I still don’t think they’re anywhere near the new M4 chip in terms of performance. I’m also surprised at how slowly 8K displays are rolling out, especially since that resolution was first introduced 5 years ago.

I know laptops don’t advance quickly these days, but with Apple releasing these new chips, I thought the PC side would at least try to rush to outperform them. The laptops that are supposed to be top-performing seem to have high prices for just okay performance compared to M MacBooks. Does anyone else feel this way about laptops right now?

Laptops have been lacking ever since modular CPUs went away.

Yep. I can’t in good conscience recommend a PC to anyone until Intel and AMD step up and offer something close to the performance and efficiency of M series chips. Unless you need specific software that isn’t available on Mac, PCs are just way too behind, especially in laptops where efficiency matters.

MacBooks have a higher entry cost and are pretty limited in gaming performance.

I see both good and bad in the market… but overall, I feel like “who asked for AI to be crammed into every corner of tech and marketing?”

About Macs: Their prices are outrageous, their support is lacking, their ecosystem feels manipulative, and their privacy claims seem suspicious.

I’m also increasingly dissatisfied with Microsoft and Windows (privacy issues, annoying services, and the decline in OS features), proprietary solutions on laptops (like the surface port), and the lack of access to components (seriously? soldered hard drives?). Plus, the trend towards limited I/O options (I’m literally looking at a laptop with only 3 USB-C ports).

At least I can end on a positive note…

I appreciate the R&D for dual display laptops, UMPCs, modular I/O, and companies that support component access and right to repair. Shout out to Lenovo, Asus, GPD, Tuxedo, and Framework for that.

Right now, my favorites are:

  • Tuxedo Infinitybook 14
  • GPD Pocket 4
  • GPD Duo
  • Lenovo in general, especially what’s available at Best Buy.

8K on a laptop seems like a total waste though…

I don’t know, I paid over 1.8k for a Dell G7 way before COVID, and I feel like now I could get the same specs for under 1k easily.

I think the Snapdragon Elite chips can compete with the M4 chip. Intel and AMD will never catch up to ARM chips if they keep making x64 chips.

If you want a Windows laptop with amazing battery life, there are options out there. I’m not sure what you’re looking for. A lot has changed in the last 5 years.

Also, 8K… on a laptop… that’s just a ridiculous waste of energy.

Why would you want or need an 8K display? I can’t even see a use for it on a TV yet. But on a maximum 16-inch display? Totally useless for 95% of people. What excites me is the new QDEL display tech. Some experts say it’s performing better than OLED without the risk of burn-in.