Ask HN: Windows laptop with Apple-like hardware?
My dad loves the hardware on my Macbook Pro but continues to be a hardcore Windows person. Any suggestion on what new laptop he should get?
If he really likes the Macbook Pro, it is best to get him a Macbook Pro, he might become a hybrid fan. Either way with him having a Mac and running OS X he will be able to increase his knowledge base by adding experience overtime with OS X and maybe adding Linux later down the line.
It is definitely better than my previous Carbon X1. High res is beautiful (though there are many Windows options for that these days).
Does it support precise scrolling (per-pixel instead of per-line?) The trackpads in Windows 8 ultrabooks support this, but I've heard that the Windows drivers for the MBP trackpad don't.
Edit:
There are things you can do to tune scrolling that are quite nice; see http://waded.org/2013/01/15/perfecting-trackpad-scrolling-in...
I've had luck with some Asus models that are clearly aping Apple's design style. They aren't quite up to the level of a MBP in terms of build quality but they can cost half as much for similar specs.
I picked one up this summer with an i7, 16GB RAM, nVidia GTX 760M, and a 1920x1080 display. Strong points are the aluminum frame, Apple-like multitouch trackpad, backlit chiclet keyboard, and fairly high specs for a $1k laptop.
Weaknesses compared to a MBP are that the bottom of the laptop is not aluminum (but does offer easy access to RAM slots and battery), the display is inferior to Apple's in terms of viewing angles, and the aluminum top is fairly thin so you can see it dimple slightly if you push on it with a decent amount of force.
For my uses, I was fine with sacrificing a slight amount of durability and viewing angle to get that level of components for under a grand but your dad may or may not find it worth the sacrifice. They had updated the model last time I was at Microcenter but still keep that $900-1000 price range, just an updated CPU and GPU as far as I can tell.
edit: this is the sort of thing I'm talking about - http://www.microcenter.com/product/438186/N551JK-MH71_156_La...
Also, I forgot to mention, the other "con" is it comes with a HDD instead of a SSD. For the things I do on this laptop, it was a sacrifice I was willing to make and I believe I can add one later if I so choose. Your results may vary and the list of things I considered small "cons" might be things your dad really doesn't want to do without and may be willing to pay another $1500 for in a MBP.
I personally have a UX32VD that came with Windows 8 that I run linux on. The machine is primarily aluminum, and is slightly thicker and heavier than a Macbook air. It has backlit chiclet style keys with an almost identical to Macbook layour, and a single button, multi-touch trackpad. It has a 1080p IPS screen in a 13" form factor, which means pixel density and colors are pretty good. The build quality is not as high as Apple, but its better than most PC manufacturers and I have been happy with the machine. I bought it a couple years ago, and I was able to get an i7 processor, a 256GB SSD, 12GB RAM, and dedicated nVidia graphics for ~$1300. The one con is battery life. I get about 4 hours, but this could probably be improved with a less intensive newer generation processor.
It's basically a macbook but PC/Win + Black
A) third-party clones of same
... assuming that it is, as you say, basically a Macbook.
Having said that, my first choice is the Dell XPS 15 (http://www.dell.com/au/p/xps-15-9530/pd)
Otherwise the Lenovo Carbon or Yoga Pro 2/3 are also great depending on what you're looking for.
In my experience the keyboard is better, the trackpad comparable, and the anti-reflective screen is much better for almost all purposes in almost all circumstances.
Anecdotal experience suggests they're more robust than Apple hardware too. A colleague killed her MacBook Air with a spilled drink; my L520 has a splash-proof keyboard that has resisted a few good spills.
Likewise, I've cracked the glass on a MacBook Pro (runs right to the edge of the screen; easy to close on a plug or cable) but never so much as scratched the screen on any of my ThinkPads (I've owned a few).
Oh, and the ThinkPad is designed to be user-serviceable too; I wore out the space bar on my L520 and replaced it courtesy a site that sells individual keys for that purpose.
In the aftermath, Apple wanted somewhere around $700 to fix it (motherboard, keyboard, trackpad). I ended up giving it to my very-handy-and-can't-see-any-hardware-die uncle, who found a company that specializes in repairing liquid soaked equipment. Only ended up costing him about $200 to fix it, but many hours of research and re-assembly.