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mattl

I like my System76 desktop but I've had plenty of issues with their laptops, and I really dislike a numpad on a laptop.

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> I really dislike a numpad on a laptop.

Was going to say the same.

Also, I will not buy a 1080p laptop. We're in 2021, give me 4K or at least 1440p or I'm not interested.

I also personally prefer 13" laptops for travel convenience. (Not that its a concern right now, but I assume one day it will be again!)

I question whether 4K on the average laptop screen size is worth the added load on the GPU (and so, lowered everyday performance and battery longevity). On big screens, sure, but at 13 inches? At that point you're stretching the limits of perceptibility, and given the other compromises you're already making to have a laptop instead of a desktop, it seems like a doubly silly one to add.

Well, my current laptop, a Dell XPS 13 has a resolution of 3840x2400 and its great! Yes, my normal use, I have things scaled/zoomed but for watching videos, its fantastic.

For normal use, 1440p is fine, but 1080p is too low for me. 4K is probably not necessary if its only used to watch videos. I probably should have flipped it and said: "give me 1440p, or even 4K"

Although one area where I find higher resolution is beneficial code editors, if I have enough pixels that I can have 3 vertical splits and have the text still look crisp, that really helps my development workflow.

On a 15" and above though, I wouldn't go lower than 4K personally.

Seconding the numpad thing. I wish laptops would come with something like a 50% ortholinear mechanical keyboard in them.

Yes! If someone from system76 is listening to this thread, please, make a version without the numpad! That would be the case for me to buy one of these, but with a numpad it is a no.

I love my numpad.

Try putting it under the home row with a modifier key. I won’t go back.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NBBq9vHufU9a6d59irhR...

given the size of the unit it makes sense to have a numpad, no? What would you put instead?

i'd prefer wider more forgiving typing targets of the keys i use

Most offices don't allow people to put pictures or personal effects on their hotel desks anymore so perhaps one could have a little LCD panel there displaying pictures of one's loved ones, or the cat not eating salad.

I don't like having my hands off-center. I assume I'm not alone there. Among other things, it causes amplified wrist pain.

You're not alone. Why anyone would prefer an off center keyboard only to gain a numpad I'll never know.

Being left handed makes the numpad even dumber. It's placed on the wrong side of the keyboard.

I'm left-handed and I'll take a built-in numpad any day. I punch in enough long numbers day-to-day to really enjoy having it, even if it's on the "wrong" side of the keyboard (and so it is with virtually every other keyboard out there with a built-in numpad).

I also already normally type with my keyboard slightly off-center on my desktop, so an asymmetrical laptop keyboard ain't really all that big of a deal. Even if I didn't, and insisted on a perfectly-centered typing experience, having an off-center screen is something that I've yet to actually really notice.

Just put the keyboard in the centre, there's no rule that you need to make use of the whole surface.

You put nothing, why do you assume if there is space it needs to be more keys in there? I bet they can even improve the structural rigidity by not having the numpad.

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