I've been shopping for a 2-in-1 work laptop for a few weeks now for a replacement for my old ThinkPad X200. The TravelMate Spin P4 14 has been close to top of my list for a while, but the one sticking point I have is the 1920x1600 screen resolution. Even the 2 year old Spin 313 has a 2560x1600 screen, and of course we have 6-inch phone screens with similar resolutions these days. I really think that 1920x1600 will just be too cramped for any kind of multitasking.
Unfortunately I just haven't found anything that comes close. My criteria are:
- 2-in-1
- Windows 11
- 13.3 - 14" max screen size with relatively small bezel
- 16:10 or taller aspect ratio
- Cellular connection
- Upgradeable RAM, SSD
- Thunderbolt 4
- USB-A ports
- Ethernet port
The last one really limits things. The two I have found are the TravelMate Spin P4 and the Fujitsu U5313X, and Fujitsu is almost impossible to get in the USA now. I've tried using a dongle, but one of my main work tasks is plugging into field devices via an Ethernet interface and it really gets in the way, I have also had occasional issues with compatibility.
It just puzzles me that we have ultracompact laptops with super high quality displays, but as soon as we add ports and features, we're forced to take a downgrade on the display. If next year's model had a higher resolution screen, I'd be willing to hold out for a few months. Unfortunately I'm afraid that it's more likely that I'll lose the Ethernet port.