Lafité III Laptop Review

[Aristotle]

Hey, I found your review interesting. For your speaker issues, I have to suppose that you're running windows. I remember when I first installed W10, I remember being apalled at the crappy sound. Quiet and thin. I'm a bass player. uilt-in So I care very much about fat, full bass in my music. First thing I did was go out and get dfx audio enhancer for windows. It made a big difference to the sound quality. The other thing i did was go into the settings and tweak the sound card. Even still, I always needed headphones or an external speaker to have adequate sound. Laptop speakers all suck in my opinion. Linux has a "go past 100%" feature for sound. Meaning, it goes to 11. That helps for watching videos or football or whatever, but the sound quality still sucks. Again, I need an external speaker with bass, or headphones for "real" sound. So in the end, I guess I agree with you. Though I've never seen (or heard, rather) a laptop with great audio built-in.

I didn't mind the trackpad too much, though, I never use a trackpad unless I have to. I got a cordless mouse and I think its just peachy. So in the end, I use externals for both sound and mouse. As neither the built-in speakers, nor the trackpad are serviceable options imho. Though I would say that with respect to almost any laptop.

 

[Stephen M]

Agreed, I think it is very difficult to find laptops with decent sound, simply because of their compact design. The best I have come across is the Octane but that is a bulky desktop replacement and does have a sub woofer, the sound in that is not too bad although I still use speakers with it at home.

The other advantage of using Linux for sound, if you are recording and using a DAW is the studio distros are low latency,

 

[Master One]

Should I buy it now, knowing that Intel is going to show the coffee lake lineup on 21 August? I found many leaks in regards of ulv cpus running 4cores/8thread... Since I'm a developer / sysadmin, maybe it could be worth waiting that PCS will pick up these new cpus?

Did you come to a conclusion on that matter?

I have just read up on that 21st August reveal, and with Kaby Lake R having 4 cores and 8 threads promising a significant 40 percent performance boost without sacrificing battery life, it should be a no-brainer to wait for the Lafité refresh (Lafité III with the new CPUs or Lafité IV with support of 2400MHz DDR4 as well?), but now it depends on how quickly PCSPECIALIST will react.

The Lafité would overall be the best fit for what we want, and I was so close to already pull the trigger on two Lafité III, but now I'm tempted to wait for the refresh.

 

[Aristotle]

Absolutely Stephen, the linux DAW os' are really intriguing. I love the idea of having a dedicated os for home studio work, especially with the low latency allowing for live recording as you mentioned. Unfortunately I'm far too much of a digital nomad at the moment to even think about a home studio. All my guitars and gear are safely stored away at the wife's parents house as we continue our "travels," which is becoming more of a multi-year lifestyle than a break. Hence the Lafité III, and it's lightweight usefulness.

I think waiting for the quad-core processor is a real good idea, depending on your needs of course. The dual core i7 works fine for me, but I don't do much besides work on the laptop, listen to music, watch video, that kind of thing. Just playing video while working can put a 25-35% load on the current processor. If you want to run some heavyweight apps, i think better processor performance would definitely help.

 

[Rijndaal]

Hi, in regards of the new Intel CPUs, I have found that clevo just made a platform upgrade on the chassis from which the lafité is derived.

http://www.clevo.com.tw/clevo_prodetail.asp?id=1054&lang=en

The "old" N131BU is the chassis of the actual lafité.

Maybe pcspecialist is going to release this new upgraded version?

By the way, I'm 100/100 sure to wait the new lafité.

 

[Master One]

Hi, in regards of the new Intel CPUs, I have found that clevo just made a platform upgrade on the chassis from which the lafité is derived.http://www.clevo.com.tw/clevo_prodetail.asp?id=1054&lang=en The "old" N131BU is the chassis of the actual lafité. Maybe pcspecialist is going to release this new upgraded version? By the way, I'm 100/100 sure to wait the new lafité.

Very well, I'm sure PCSPECIALIST will offer the updated version as soon as possible, and I am definitely going to wait for the new one. It would be great if PCSPECIALIST would go for the optional Thunderbolt 3 combo port and LTE module as well (especially since the chassis has the SIM card reader anyway)!

 

[bonacieux]

Hi @Aristotle and others, got mine now. Fedora 26 installed.

Does your USB C slot work?

Mine does not. Same USB device working fine on my old laptop (lafite ii). Otherwise everything well. Not sure if this is a software or hardware issue. Fedora ought to support it (and does on my other machine) but maybe I need to manually re-set something. Will look elsewhere too.

 

[Rijndaal]

Hi @Aristotle and others, got mine now. Fedora 26 installed.

Does your USB C slot work?

Mine does not. Same USB device working fine on my old laptop (lafite ii). Otherwise everything well. Not sure if this is a software or hardware issue. Fedora ought to support it (and does on my other machine) but maybe I need to manually re-set something. Will look elsewhere too.

Maybe deactivated by BIOS? Check if the command "lsusb" shows your device correctly.

 

[bonacieux]

Maybe deactivated by BIOS? Check if the command "lsusb" shows your device correctly.

Thanks. I get the same thing whether or not the device is connected, so I guess it might be deactivated by BIOS?

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 8087:0a2b Intel Corp.
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 5986:1112 Acer, Inc
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

I'll re-start and see if the bios is self-explanatory...

 

[bonacieux]

I'll re-start and see if the bios is self-explanatory...

It wasn't. I don't suppose you know where I could find help with this? (Also asking on the Fedora forums -- I realise this isn't necessarily the place)

 

[Rijndaal]

It wasn't. I don't suppose you know where I could find help with this? (Also asking on the Fedora forums -- I realise this isn't necessarily the place)

Uhm... What kernel are you running with? I remember that usb-c have support from 4.4. You should see it using "uname -r".

You could try an Ubuntu live cd to know if this issue is bounded to your OS or if it is a hardware thing, I suppose...

From lsusb you can see that the USB hubs are correctly listed. I think that the interface is that Intel one.

You could try googling "myFedoraVersion USB c driver"...?

 

[bonacieux]

Uhm... What kernel are you running with? I remember that usb-c have support from 4.4. You should see it using "uname -r".

4.12.9-300.fc26.x86_64 -- so it's not that.

In any case, I have Fedora 25 (the previous version) on my other laptop, the one that can see the usb c drive.

You could try an Ubuntu live cd to know if this issue is bounded to your OS or if it is a hardware thing, I suppose...

Good idea. Downloading Ubuntu now.

From lsusb you can see that the USB hubs are correctly listed. I think that the interface is that Intel one.

Aha, I see. Right. So probably hardware is ok?

You could try googling "myFedoraVersion USB c driver"...?

Hmm, let's see, this post looks helpful.... [rollinglaugh] that's the one I posted to the fedora forums earlier today.

Looks like this problem doesn't come up much, the kernel is post 4.4 so it ought to Just Work. Will see what the Ubuntu live usb can say.

Thanks very much for your help.

 

[bonacieux]

Update on my usb c port, if anyone cares -- the usb c device doesn't draw power when plugged in usb c when I'm in the BIOS settings. It does draw power in the BIOS when it's plugged in the other usb ports, and it does draw power in the same scenario in the usb c on my lafite ii laptop, which has the same usb driver.

So I am concluding hardware / BIOS error, and I think I'm going to have to send it back.

Potential buyers of lafite iii! This is a very very nice laptop but make sure all the ports are working before you send ages setting it up the way you want it. This advice frankly applies to any new laptop.

 

[Master One]

Update on my usb c port, if anyone cares -- the usb c device doesn't draw power when plugged in usb c when I'm in the BIOS settings. It does draw power in the BIOS when it's plugged in the other usb ports, and it does draw power in the same scenario in the usb c on my lafite ii laptop, which has the same usb driver. So I am concluding hardware / BIOS error, and I think I'm going to have to send it back. Potential buyers of lafite iii! This is a very very nice laptop but make sure all the ports are working before you send ages setting it up the way you want it. This advice frankly applies to any new laptop.

Be aware that the USB 3.1 ports of the Lafité III are not Thunderbolt capable, just in case this has anything to do with it. Hopefully PCSPECIALIST gets the successor with the Thunderbolt 3 option.

 

[kravemir]

... The keyboard, on which I'm currently writing this review, though not premium, is of good quality, and easy enough to use. It has adjustable backlighting (an essential), and does not impede your work flow. Being able to design it to your own specs means that it's simply a fast, lean, and highly portable machine. ...

Could you compare Lafité III keyboard to laptop of some common brand (HP, Lenovo, Dell,... )? Keyboard quality concerns me a lot about Lafité III. I really need a good keyboard, because the purpose of my PC usage includes a lot of typing.

 

[kravemir]

I just purchased a Lafit III two weeks ago, and although reasonably happy with it's size, weight, keyboard, and portability, have been really disappointed with the speakers. ...

Could you compare Lafité III keyboard to laptop of some common brand (HP, Lenovo, Dell,... )? Keyboard quality concerns me a lot about Lafité III. I really need a good keyboard, because the purpose of my PC usage includes a lot of typing.

 

[Aristotle]

Hey Bonacieux .. sorry to hear that. I don't know, i have nothing that needs or uses the usb c slot, so I can't even test it out for you to do a comparison. I know that everything depends on your needs, and while everything may be just awesome for one, everything may not be acceptable for another. Just a thought: did you try a different distro and see if everything worked out of the box? I would do that at least before i considered sending it back. Bacause it is a fantastic laptop if your needs align with what it is offering.

As for the keyboard, i'd have to say, that it's not quite up to the Apple gear, but better than my old HP, though i found Dell xps 13 (the old one to be better.. i like their rubbery bouncy kb. this one is solid though. esp if you're not planning to write a master's thesis on it. lol..

 

[kravemir]

As for the keyboard, i'd have to say, that it's not quite up to the Apple gear, but better than my old HP, though i found Dell xps 13 (the old one to be better.. i like their rubbery bouncy kb. this one is solid though. esp if you're not planning to write a master's thesis on it. lol..

What model of HP laptop it was exactly? I had owned ProBook 4530s and it has got decent keyboard. But, cheap HP laptops have got worse keyboards. Does Lafité III keyboard at least match HP ProBook laptop class?

Well, master thesis would be one of the tasks. Also, a laptop would be primarily used for programming, scripting, and Linux terminal/console usage.

The example of horrible keyboard, worse than keyboards of cheapest laptops, is Rapoo 9100. It is an elegant keyboard, but it wasn't possible to type one full sentence correctly. Sometimes it didn't register keypress, sometimes it registered single keypress twice. It worked fine, when keys were pressed directly in the middle, straight down (not from angle), and with slower speed.

So, probably I got to description of keyboard requirement. Can it handle fast writing without missed or double key presses? And, does it have decent feedback (key travel, with some bouncing), where I can mechanically sense that a desired key was pressed? Ie. can it handle 72 wpm on http://play.typeracer.com/ ?

 

[Aristotle]

What model of HP laptop it was exactly? I had owned ProBook 4530s and it has got decent keyboard. But, cheap HP laptops have got worse keyboards. Does Lafité III keyboard at least match HP ProBook laptop class?

Well, master thesis would be one of the tasks. Also, a laptop would be primarily used for programming, scripting, and Linux terminal/console usage.

The example of horrible keyboard, worse than keyboards of cheapest laptops, is Rapoo 9100. It is an elegant keyboard, but it wasn't possible to type one full sentence correctly. Sometimes it didn't register keypress, sometimes it registered single keypress twice. It worked fine, when keys were pressed directly in the middle, straight down (not from angle), and with slower speed.

So, probably I got to description of keytotalboard requirement. Can it handle fast writing without missed or double key presses? And, does it have decent feedback (key travel, with some bouncing), where I can mechanically sense that a desired key was pressed? Ie. can it handle 72 wpm on http://play.typeracer.com/ ?

I finished typeracer at 28 wpm.. lol.. And I typed my Master's thesis on an HP Pavilion G4. It sucked. I hate that laptop. This one is much better. The kb is good on the Lafité III but you need to be careful not to clip the touchpad when you type. I use it daily to work in marketing, and also do day trading. So I'm on it for 4-6 hrs a day. No problems, and so far, I'll gladly buy another one when it conks out eventually. The only complaint I have is that my battery life is steadily getting shorter and shorter. But... that's Linux. So, I live with it and plug it in often. Other than that, I would totally recommend it because for the money, what you get is a class above.

 

[kravemir]

I finished typeracer at 28 wpm.. lol.. And I typed my Master's thesis on an HP Pavilion G4. It sucked. I hate that laptop. This one is much better. The kb is good on the Lafité III but you need to be careful not to clip the touchpad when you type. I use it daily to work in marketing, and also do day trading. So I'm on it for 4-6 hrs a day. No problems, and so far, I'll gladly buy another one when it conks out eventually. The only complaint I have is that my battery life is steadily getting shorter and shorter. But... that's Linux. So, I live with it and plug it in often. Other than that, I would totally recommend it because for the money, what you get is a class above.

Well, it looks, that Lafité III might be a good laptop. I'm used to business class of laptops ProBook/Thinkpad, because it's my primary tool for work+study, therefore a laptop needs to be good.

Touchpad can be turned off (if you use mouse), there's also a toggle script: see this

I managed to get better battery life on HP ProBook 4530s with Linux than with Windows. But, it requires some manual configuration: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Power_management