Still shopping for new laptop

[wagonmaster2]

Shopping for new laptop getting more serious since my Vista OS browsers no longer supported, and at least one of my investment sites no longer accepting login from my computer. Had to use wife's Window 7, and even that one doesn't have long to last.
Staples has 2 HP laptops for $400, one has 17" screen, 8GB RAM, and 1TB+128GB SSD storage, and i3 processor.
The other laptop is only 14" screen, 8GB Ram, and 1TB hard drive, but has i5 processor and is Pavilion (whatever that means).



Our current laptops are 15" screens so think would like a 17" screen but would the i5 processor make enough difference to be worth it going with 14"? Both are Windows 10.


Don't use the computer for anything technical, just e-mails, Googling for information, reading the Forums, and watching my retirement investment site rise/drop.


Oh, there is a Lenova 15" i5 processor for $430 and a 17" i5 processor for $500.


Decisions decisions. And for someone who has only ever used the Vista and the Windows 7 just not much experience or knowledge.

[450Donn]

Maybe think about an Ipad or android tablet instead. Have a laptop in home office that gets turned on maybe twice a month. My tablet does everything but photo editing. No more windows junk for me.

[MSHappyCampers]

You might want to check out Dell Refurbishing. I bought a laptop from them three or four years ago and it has been great!

https://www.dell.com/en-us/dfh/shop/...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Arch Hoagland]

Owned a computer store for 10 years. Built, sold and repaired PC's.

You won't be able to tell any difference in the processor speed doing what your are doing.

The biggest speed difference is made by the SSD drive. Extremely fast compared to your old hard drive.

[Bob_C]

Pavilion is a model....that's what I'm using...

[rvneil]

Originally Posted by Arch Hoagland

Owned a computer store for 10 years. Built, sold and repaired PC's.

You won't be able to tell any difference in the processor speed doing what your are doing.

The biggest speed difference is made by the SSD drive. Extremely fast compared to your old hard drive.

I've been a software developer for a scary number of years and I 100% agree. We used to say that computer performance was a three legged stool: CPU, memory, and disk. CPUs have all been fast enough for over a decade. As Arch says, an SSD will give you the most noticable change over your old machine. They rock. 8GB is a good amount of memory. Beyond that, it's nice to go to Best Buy or similar and see how the keyboard and touchpad feel, how heavy the laptop is (if you ever move it), and whether 14 or 17" feels right.

[Solo_RV_Guy]

I buy refurbished Lenovo ThinkPads and refurbished Dell Latitude laptops. Esp with Dell there are coupon codes that can bring the prices down further. Expiring last night was a 45% off coupon for any item over $499.

Lenovo refurbs I usually find on Rakuten.com. The are a storefront for dealers and refurbishers. Site-wide coupons sometimes, but more often sellers have their own discounts.

The reason I buy Dell commercial products is because they don't have all the 'bloat-ware' preinstalled (unlike the consumer machines).

I'm all for solid state drives, too, and think you'll see a difference in boot up times and application launching.

[Ohiomike]

I hate to say it but maybe instal Linux mint onto existing laptop. You’ll probably find that it surpasses the speed and performance your windows operating system. You might find it better than new. It’s free. I installed it on a flash drive and ran a computer that was bogged down and slow and mint ran perfectly and smooth. Try installing to flash drive to try it and if you like it install if not don’t. It’s free and you can run it dual boot.

[Spdracr39]

I would go with a Chromebook, Surface, or Ipad. You aren't doing anything you really need a laptop for.

[tommar]

I bought an HP 17" laptop last year with an SSD drive. SSD is the best thing since canned beer IMHO. Because they have no moving parts, the chances of hard drive problems are mostly solved. I've always used 17" laptops because my old eyes are just that: OLD! My laptop lives on my lap and rests by my recliner when not being used. But it is being used most of the time! The HP I have has a metal keyboard with backlit keys which is so great; always know which key is which. Windows 10 of course.

[777 Driver]

OK, I realize that this is a little off topic, but, it is close enough that I'll offer it.

I live with my laptop in front of me in the evening as I watch TV. iRV2 Supporter DebbieMH recommended this:



and I've found it to be an ideal laptop stand. Vastly superior to balancing a laptop on my lap. Those things get hot and the keyboard is easier for me to use when I can fine-tune it's angle and location.

Regardless of which laptop you choose, consider an AirDesk (https://airdesks.com/products/laptop/laptop-desk/).

Take care,
Stu

[EJW]

Originally Posted by tommar

I bought an HP 17" laptop last year with an SSD drive. SSD is the best thing since canned beer IMHO.

LOL! Haven't heard that one before.

To echo, SSD drives all the way. So much faster than old-school platter-based, moving drives.

Anymore with free cloud storage (Google Drive, etc.), you may not need a large SSD hard drive.

I have had good luck buying refurbished on Amazon.

Bigger screens can mean more weight. Not sure if that's a consideration.

Keyboards, I find, are a personal preference. Some like more bounce and/or bigger keys.

There's also some decent Windows laptops with touchscreens on Amazon that are reasonably priced (~$500)

Hope this helps. Good luck!

[ThomB]

My wife’s laptop was a dog and when searching for a replacement decided to go the tablet route. She’s got an ipad/ keyboard but just can’t get the hang of Apple’s interface so we went with a Surface Pro.

I found a used Surface Pro 5 on Facebook Marketplace for $275 out in Tucson while we were there. It’s surprisingly fast and fit the bill great. We bought an adapter that will accept a HDMI and a couple USB devices so we can use it like a desktop with a monitor if she wants (and does most of the time).

[tommar]

Forgot to mention that my 17" laptop also is touchscreen, which also ranks up there with "canned beer." This feature eliminates many key presses and mouse strokes.