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Is there an ***Official*** Laptop Purchase Advice Thread? (1 Viewer)

I'm not sure what the bump purpose is, but upon further research, those 2 I linked are fine for very basic stuff, but are already outdated, so probably not worthwhile.

 
Bumped thinking it could become the Official Laptop thread with Christmas around the corner. Just looking to tap the FBG knowledge base on the subject, as well as any deals folks are finding. One likely silly question: guessing everything is loaded with Windows 8? If so, has it gotten any better?

 
Well in the market.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a new Windows laptop?

How about for the Mac?

How has everyone come down on this debate?

Point is I need a new one, what do I get?

Thanks.

 
saintfool said:
SaintsInDome2006 said:
Well in the market.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a new Windows laptop?

How about for the Mac?

How has everyone come down on this debate?

Point is I need a new one, what do I get?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
what are your needs?
Click to expand...
I'm not SaintsinDome but I'll piggyback. I need to replace my laptop. Only use it for light computing - MS office type stuff, itunes and ummmm, internet. Do I need a SSD? Doesn't need to be bigger than 15". Where is the sweet spot for value these days? I do like to use it for draft dominator, so chromebooks are out.

 
coyote5 said:
saintfool said:
SaintsInDome2006 said:
Well in the market.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a new Windows laptop?

How about for the Mac?

How has everyone come down on this debate?

Point is I need a new one, what do I get?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
what are your needs?
Click to expand...
I'm not SaintsinDome but I'll piggyback. I need to replace my laptop. Only use it for light computing - MS office type stuff, itunes and ummmm, internet. Do I need a SSD? Doesn't need to be bigger than 15". Where is the sweet spot for value these days? I do like to use it for draft dominator, so chromebooks are out.
Click to expand...
What is your ideal budget range?

 
I bought Mrs Eephus a Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 2. It's small and doesn't have a lot of compute power but the Yoga design is extremely convenient for at home use. The screen rotates a full 360 degrees to convert into a tablet. The hinges are well built and the keyboard is very usable in spite of limited key travel.

Windows 8 is much better on a touchscreen device. At the $500 price point, you're going to have to compromise somewhere but after using one for a while, I'd prioritize the touchscreen.

 
I need a new laptop, and really not sure what i want. my laptop is my one and only computer in the house, so i need it to be functional and use Microsoft office. I also have to work with some web-based sites. outside of that i am not a huge PC gamer, but would be up to trying it a little so having an option for it might be good.

So what i would like with it (tried to do in order of importance):

1) I would like to get this laptop/tablet/etc. and have this be a functional computer for next 7-9 years. i hope that tie fram is obtainable, but i would like to get with measures and features that will not mess me up in a year or 2.

a) i am guessing this would include getting a top notch processor like Intel i5 or i7?

b) Fast RPM too?

c) i would like have features that are useful in upcoming years, or at least does not hold me back

2) I bought my current laptop with crap all on it when i got it. i thought i erased it all, but seems still hung-up. Would like a new computer that i don't have to worry so much about this

3) is 2 vs. 1 worth it? seems like fun, not positive how much i would use

What i don't care about:

1) weight of the thing. I don't carry it everywhere. would like it durable, but even heavier one's are fine

2) i think i am most used to Windows, but would be open to another system if it made sense

3) wireless capability pretty much a must, but i would think all have this these days

4) back-lit keyboard. do't even know what it looks like but sounds cool.

I am a real novice when it comes to computers so any thoughts and help would be welcome. i do not need immediately, so can hold out for a sale if one comes soon. i was hoping for after holiday sales, didn't see one yet.

 
I need some help deciding on a laptop. It will be very rarely used and it needs to be cheap. Prefer not to spend more than $300ish and will not go over $350.

I use Chromebooks for everyday stuff, and just need a laptop for printing (or as a print server), and also to view security cameras that I can't view on a Chromebook. I'll use the laptop maybe 10 minutes a week. Any Windows from 7 to 10 is fine. 7 or 8 might even be preferred as my printer is getting older, and while I have gotten it to work with Windows 10, it doesn't appear HP actually makes a W10 driver for it. It's a great laser printer, just getting older. Need Windows, but don't care about Office (won't use it anyway). Small (11.6"?) is fine if it'll somehow save money.

I hate PC's, and I just need one that's not such a huge POS #### that I don't get completely irritated in the short spans I'm forced to deal with it. Already tried a $250 ASUS from Best Buy. I took it back after a few days. I got what I paid for and a PC with 4GB ram falls into the huge POS category. 

Is a refurb with 8GB and an i3/i5 what I need to be looking at? Any rec's on brands or other things to look for to find to help find a cheap PC that won't make me want to smash it with a sledge hammer doing really lightweight tasks?

 
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Bumping this thread as I need some basic advice on a cheap laptop.  I have very minimal requirements for a laptop.  I will use it for email (gmail primarily), and I use TurbaTax for our taxes every year.  Our ~8 year old desk top doesn't work very well anymore, so I need to get something cheap to get the taxes done this year.  Other than that, maybe some occasional Netflix watching, or spreadsheet work.  Nothing hard core.  Any reason not to get one of those cheapo <$300 laptops?  Anything to avoid (certain hard drives or brands for example)?  I'm not expecting top notch performance, but I would like something that I could expect to last a couple years without issue given the light amount of use.

 
I ended up going with a refurbished Thinkpad (T420) for $240 (though I later saw I could've gotten one for under $200). I like the ugly, old-school look and it seems like they are built to hold up as much as any cheap refurbished PC would be.  Plus it was about the cheapest thing I could find with an i5, and the Thinkpads look pretty simple to upgrade the RAM if need be (it's only got 4GB). 

 
pollardsvision said:
I ended up going with a refurbished Thinkpad (T420) for $240 (though I later saw I could've gotten one for under $200). I like the ugly, old-school look and it seems like they are built to hold up as much as any cheap refurbished PC would be.  Plus it was about the cheapest thing I could find with an i5, and the Thinkpads look pretty simple to upgrade the RAM if need be (it's only got 4GB). 
Click to expand...
Not a huge fan of the refurb Lenovos compared to the refurb Dells or HPs (I buy them all the time), but they are certainly solid.  Upgrade the RAM to 8 and as long as you have a SSD, those things will do just about anything you need.  And if you get enterprise refurbs, they're built like a brick house.

 
Bull Dozier said:
Bumping this thread as I need some basic advice on a cheap laptop.  I have very minimal requirements for a laptop.  I will use it for email (gmail primarily), and I use TurbaTax for our taxes every year.  Our ~8 year old desk top doesn't work very well anymore, so I need to get something cheap to get the taxes done this year.  Other than that, maybe some occasional Netflix watching, or spreadsheet work.  Nothing hard core.  Any reason not to get one of those cheapo <$300 laptops?  Anything to avoid (certain hard drives or brands for example)?  I'm not expecting top notch performance, but I would like something that I could expect to last a couple years without issue given the light amount of use.
Click to expand...
Have no experience with Chromebooks, but hear they're great for the basics.  Doing what pollard did and getting a refurb (get an enterprise-level laptop refurb) and just ensure it comes with an SSD and 8g of RAM and you'll be pretty set for several years.  If you wanna spend a little more get something with AC wifi or just purchase one and install/have it installed later on so you can enjoy the newer class of wifi.  Newegg.com is a solid place to shop.  I use it personally and for business and can vouch for getting the best bang for your buck.

 
Keep an eye on slickdeals and other deal aggregator sites and you can find some killer pricing on basic systems. 

 
captain_amazing said:
Not a huge fan of the refurb Lenovos compared to the refurb Dells or HPs (I buy them all the time), but they are certainly solid.  Upgrade the RAM to 8 and as long as you have a SSD, those things will do just about anything you need.  And if you get enterprise refurbs, they're built like a brick house.
Click to expand...
What does enterprise mean?

I got this one. from Amazon (looks like Newegg would've been a better deal). 4 more GB of RAM seems simple and cheap enough. I thought about trying to put an SSD in it. Any rec's on a good SSD? It wouldn't need to be very big.

 
pollardsvision said:
What does enterprise mean?

I got this one. from Amazon (looks like Newegg would've been a better deal). 4 more GB of RAM seems simple and cheap enough. I thought about trying to put an SSD in it. Any rec's on a good SSD? It wouldn't need to be very big.
Click to expand...
Business vs consumer made.  You can find laptops that are enterprise/business grade and built like brick houses, but usually much heavier and pricier (when bought new) than consumer-level laptops.  The T420 is a business-grade laptop.

For an SSD, you'll likely want something at least 120g with separate external storage (like a NAS) or 240/500g.  Adata, Muschkin, Samsung, and Kingston all make good SSDs (along with others) - I'd get  Samsung for the better quality, but the others are fine too.

 
captain_amazing said:
Business vs consumer made.  You can find laptops that are enterprise/business grade and built like brick houses, but usually much heavier and pricier (when bought new) than consumer-level laptops.  The T420 is a business-grade laptop.

For an SSD, you'll likely want something at least 120g with separate external storage (like a NAS) or 240/500g.  Adata, Muschkin, Samsung, and Kingston all make good SSDs (along with others) - I'd get  Samsung for the better quality, but the others are fine too.
Click to expand...
Love this thing so far. It's not as fast as the Chromebook, of course, but it's much faster than that POS ASUS PC I bought and returned. I've never had a laptop or chromebook with no flex in the body or screen. A business grade refurb seems like a much better deal than a cheap new laptop so far.

The extra RAM is on the way. Probably going to get the SSD. 

Couple of questions:

It appears I need a 2.5" 9.5mm SATA drive. Dumb question, but I suppose a SATA III won't work?

Instead of separate external storage, can I just put the current HDD that I'm going to remove into the optical drive with a caddy and use that for extra storage?

A really dumb question, I'm sure, but what's the simplest ways to transfer Windows from the current HDD to the SDD? All I've got is a Win7 refurb product key.

 
captain_amazing said:
Have no experience with Chromebooks, but hear they're great for the basics.  Doing what pollard did and getting a refurb (get an enterprise-level laptop refurb) and just ensure it comes with an SSD and 8g of RAM and you'll be pretty set for several years.  If you wanna spend a little more get something with AC wifi or just purchase one and install/have it installed later on so you can enjoy the newer class of wifi.  Newegg.com is a solid place to shop.  I use it personally and for business and can vouch for getting the best bang for your buck.
Click to expand...
OK, apparently I need a different thread. Instead of the ***Official**** laptop thread, I need the ****Official treat me like Shuke needing a laptop**** thread. I just went and did a search on Newegg for laptops, just narrowing it down to SSD, and I'm overloaded with options.  I stopped keeping up with computers, and what the best specs were over a decade ago.

 
Bull Dozier said:
OK, apparently I need a different thread. Instead of the ***Official**** laptop thread, I need the ****Official treat me like Shuke needing a laptop**** thread. I just went and did a search on Newegg for laptops, just narrowing it down to SSD, and I'm overloaded with options.  I stopped keeping up with computers, and what the best specs were over a decade ago.
Click to expand...
http://slickdeals.net/f/8538171-dell-inspiron-13-laptop-tablet-i7-6500u-13-3-256gb-ssd-win-10-699-free-s-h

 
Buddy Ball 2K3 said:
http://slickdeals.net/f/8538171-dell-inspiron-13-laptop-tablet-i7-6500u-13-3-256gb-ssd-win-10-699-free-s-h
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link.  I truly do appreciate a specific link to a specifically suggested laptop.  However, this is a little more than I had hoped for.  My main use for this is going to be browsing, gmail, netflix and the like.  The only reason I want a laptop is that I use it for turbo tax every year, and my desktop just died.  I have no reason to get another desktop (other than the huge roll top computer desk taking up an entire room of my house).  Maybe I can get by with a cheap Chromebook for this....

I'd walk in to Best Buy and just get something bottom of the line, but the last time I did that, they had so much bloatware on their systems it was inoperable.

 
Bull Dozier said:
Thanks for the link.  I truly do appreciate a specific link to a specifically suggested laptop.  However, this is a little more than I had hoped for.  My main use for this is going to be browsing, gmail, netflix and the like.  The only reason I want a laptop is that I use it for turbo tax every year, and my desktop just died.  I have no reason to get another desktop (other than the huge roll top computer desk taking up an entire room of my house).  Maybe I can get by with a cheap Chromebook for this....

I'd walk in to Best Buy and just get something bottom of the line, but the last time I did that, they had so much bloatware on their systems it was inoperable.
Click to expand...


Then I suggest getting a Chromebook. I have a Toshiba CB 2 and I am very happy with it. You can run the online version of Turbo Tax on it just fine. 

 
Long Ball Larry said:
The first one is better, no? Are these good purchases?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/toshiba-satellite-15-6-laptop-6gb-memory-500gb-hard-drive-satin-black/1689182.p?id=1219060352357&skuId=1689182#tab=specifications

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/15-6-laptop-4gb-memory-500gb-hard-drive/2672515.p?id=1219075596459&skuId=2672515&st=2672524,%202672515,%202672542&cp=1&lp=3#tab=specifications
Click to expand...
I bought a Toshiba about a year ago and it has worked very well. I didn't pay more than about $400-$500. I had a Macbook for 4 years prior, just didn't want to shell out big bucks at the time. I bought it with a 18-24 month mindset, so far it's been really good. I might even be able to use it longer, has Win 8 on it but not touch screen. Still a big fan of Apple and use the iPad a lot. 

The Toshiba I bought has a really nice screen, 1080 I believe and movies/music/social media...all that stuff does well on it. It's not a machine like a Thinkpad but I feel i got a deal on the computer and it has served me pretty well. 

 
pollardsvision said:
Love this thing so far. It's not as fast as the Chromebook, of course, but it's much faster than that POS ASUS PC I bought and returned. I've never had a laptop or chromebook with no flex in the body or screen. A business grade refurb seems like a much better deal than a cheap new laptop so far.

The extra RAM is on the way. Probably going to get the SSD. 

Couple of questions:

It appears I need a 2.5" 9.5mm SATA drive. Dumb question, but I suppose a SATA III won't work?

Instead of separate external storage, can I just put the current HDD that I'm going to remove into the optical drive with a caddy and use that for extra storage?

A really dumb question, I'm sure, but what's the simplest ways to transfer Windows from the current HDD to the SDD? All I've got is a Win7 refurb product key.
Click to expand...
Your laptop supports Sata-300 (aka sata 2/3gbps) but virtually all sata-600 drives are backwards compatible, so no need to worry there.

Not sure about your second question - If the optical drive is using an interface compatible with sata (and I assume it would), and you have a source of power available, I don't see why not.  I'd have to see what it looks like pulled out in order to determine that... Perhaps someone else knows.

Best way to transfer is use a disk clone software like asus partition easy (the free one), then connect both drives, do a disk copy (quick option is sufficient) and ensure to check off the SSD optimatization option.  It'll reboot, make the copy, then reboot again.  As it goes into the second reboot, just force it to power off, take out the old drive and put the new drive in the old ones sata slot, then boot.  Afterwards, you can boot with both drives in and just format the other one.  Works best if you can do this in a tower.

 
captain_amazing said:
Your laptop supports Sata-300 (aka sata 2/3gbps) but virtually all sata-600 drives are backwards compatible, so no need to worry there.

Not sure about your second question - If the optical drive is using an interface compatible with sata (and I assume it would), and you have a source of power available, I don't see why not.  I'd have to see what it looks like pulled out in order to determine that... Perhaps someone else knows.

Best way to transfer is use a disk clone software like asus partition easy (the free one), then connect both drives, do a disk copy (quick option is sufficient) and ensure to check off the SSD optimatization option.  It'll reboot, make the copy, then reboot again.  As it goes into the second reboot, just force it to power off, take out the old drive and put the new drive in the old ones sata slot, then boot.  Afterwards, you can boot with both drives in and just format the other one.  Works best if you can do this in a tower.
Click to expand...


Okay, I suspect I'm doing something really stupid here, but I can't get the computer or Macrium Reflect to recognize the SSD (via external USB). It took me about 10 minutes to figure out the hard drive adapter dongle. It's very possible I screwed it up somehow, but there don't seem to be any other ways to configure this thing for a SATA SSD. All lights were on as it were operating properly. Connected to the USB's (tried both to no avail). It's a 2.0 USB device, and I'm pretty sure the laptop doesn't have USB 3.0. I did hear the USB "ding" intermittently while fiddling around. 

Is there some very basic step I might've missed that I'd need to do prior to the computer recognizing the external SSD on the disk management page or in Macrium?

If something's defective (besides me), I guess I'd have to actually install the SSD into HDD bay to see if it's SSD itself or the dongle. I really don't feel like doing that prior to cloning and I'd be shocked if this were malfunctioning equipment and not user error somehow. 

 
Not sure what the deal was with that other adapter, but I tried a simpler one for half the price. It worked. I'm an idiot, and I got the HDD swapped out for a 240GB SSD (ADATA SP550) in no time with the right adapter. Got the drive cloned and switched out fairly easily (though the refurb guys cammed out the screw a little). It boots up really quickly now and is about as fast as my Chromebooks. 

So, for about $320, I ended up with a business grade Thinkpad with 8GB RAM and a 240GB SSD. I still like the Chromebooks, but if you need Windows, a business refurb seems like the way to go.

 
Anyone know the best spot to look for top current deals for laptops under $500?   Is there a site i should be checking regularly?

Family member has some health issues and wants a laptop that is lightweight, but sturdy, which will allow her to browse/email/streaming video, but also do some photo/website editing.  Because she's confined (for now) to recliner, she's planning on setting on lap/legs while using.  I'm trying to find her one that best works with all of the above, with a focus on price.

Is smaller laptop better option than a 2-in-1?  Are there certain features I absolutely need/would want?

Any advice would be appreciated, as I know very little about this type thing.

Thanks.

 
I need one. I'm not a gamer. Just need it for surfing the web (read: porn) and editing MS word docs. So I need to factor in the $$ for the MS office package (I guess?). Looking to spend no more than $500. Help me out.

TIA!

 
To those buying cheap laptops.. I just don't get it. I guess if it's limited use for an hour or two of web browsing a night and not really getting moved around much... but if you're buying a laptop that will be seeing any real use, shoot the lock off the wallet and buy something of quality.

I've got an estimated  6500 hours of use on my 7yr old Macbook Pro and the thing is still cranking along great. I NEVER saw that kind of life out of my old $500 Dells. I'd get a year maybe two max and the build quality was ####. This is my first "REAL" Laptop and I've got to say, I'll never go back to the disposable clunkers. I flat out LOVE this machine. 

I dunno... I guess different folks have different needs.  

 
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My son got a Toshiba laptop for Christmas from my mother in law.  He hardly used it but apparently spilled water on it last week and now it doesn't work.  Does the warranty cover this or am I shuked?

 
Swing 51 said:
Those run like 2k right?
Click to expand...
$850-1500ish if you know where to look. 
 

Mine was about $1200 with military discount stacked on tax free weekend. It was my Birthday & Christmas present from the GF back in 2009. I still use it every day. Aluminum case is dinged. Screw or two are missing from changing out batteries and upgrading storage.... but it still runs like a top. Use it daily for high-end graphics work and light video editing. 

Not to mention they're beautiful machines from an industrial design standpoint. There is a reason most laptops on TV, in movies, etc tend to be Macbooks. 

 
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[icon] said:
To those buying cheap laptops.. I just don't get it. I guess if it's limited use for an hour or two of web browsing a night and not really getting moved around much... but if you're buying a laptop that will be seeing any real use, shoot the lock off the wallet and buy something of quality.

I've got an estimated  6500 hours of use on my 7yr old Macbook Pro and the thing is still cranking along great. I NEVER saw that kind of life out of my old $500 Dells. I'd get a year maybe two max and the build quality was ####. This is my first "REAL" Laptop and I've got to say, I'll never go back to the disposable clunkers. I flat out LOVE this machine. 

I dunno... I guess different folks have different needs.  
Click to expand...
I use a brand new macbook pro for work, for $2500 you can get 2 equally good windows laptops.  If I didn't spend so much time with node.js and java I'd gladly switch to the HP laptop option we have.  Macbook is good, but for the price, stick with windows.

 
[icon] said:
To those buying cheap laptops.. I just don't get it. I guess if it's limited use for an hour or two of web browsing a night and not really getting moved around much... but if you're buying a laptop that will be seeing any real use, shoot the lock off the wallet and buy something of quality.

I've got an estimated  6500 hours of use on my 7yr old Macbook Pro and the thing is still cranking along great. I NEVER saw that kind of life out of my old $500 Dells. I'd get a year maybe two max and the build quality was ####. This is my first "REAL" Laptop and I've got to say, I'll never go back to the disposable clunkers. I flat out LOVE this machine. 

I dunno... I guess different folks have different needs.  
Click to expand...
Spent $475 on this AMD HP 4 years ago.

Works great.. use it for hours on end daily.  Gaming still fine on low/medium settings.  Different definitions of quality I guess.

Having said that - I intend to buy something with the new graphic cards this summer.

 
meh, i am stilling using the same windows laptop that I bought 3 years ago. maybe $450 spent on it. it's for home use only really with very minor gaming needs. i just picked up a cheap refurb chromebook recently and love it. it's perfect for someone that is surfing, videos and the like. i like that i am not dealing with updates and reboots every time i log on. it's a pretty straightforward rig.

 
If you're looking for laptop deals, bookmark the SlickDeals Computers page and check it often.  If you're not familiar with Slickdeals, the higher the +, the more upvotes it has, similar to Reddit.  You can click the individual links for more info on each specific deal plus everyone's comments.

I'm partial to Dell Outlet personally.  You can find some very good deals there if you are a little patient.

 
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