Buying new laptop PC - need help
Need new laptop PC, preferably one that has Thunderbolt speed, SSD, and lightweight aluminum body...at the best possible price. Comments to this end will be appreciated.
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I would look for one that has Thunderbolt speed, SSD, and lightweight aluminum body...at the best possible price. Don 3 -
First, you have to ask yourself what you are going to do with it. Gaming? Business? Video/photo editing? Or just surfing the 'net?
Second, are you limited in the software you HAVE TO run? Not just what you're running now, but what an employer requires, or is so proprietary that there are no open source alternatives. Limited to Apple or Windows for some iron-bound reason?
Can't begin to reply without that info.
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I ain't no puter geek but I bought this ACER Aspire E15 laptop about a year ago and I like it. I don't have any games just use it for Gunbroker and email. Oh and porno of course but it is fast and does everything I need. I tried to read all the crap on the net and research but in the end I just picked this one and like I said I like it after running it for a year. 0 -
Rocky: I want the SSD, thunderbolt speed, and aluminum body. I want Windows, because I certainly don't want another learning curve either. I don't play games, and I don't have a business nor am I associated with one. This said, I'll probably have to spend more money tha I'd like...but these are the parameters I have set. Thanks for your response, and if you can provide some beneficial comments as to a make and model, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Ricci: Does your Acer have the SSD and Thunderbolt speed, and does it have the aluminum body? Thank for your comments.
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SSD yes. Thunderbolt I don't know but it has Turbo Boost. I think the case is some kind of composite. 0 -
I find a bunch of factory reconditioned models on WOOT.com that meet your specs, but they don't list case material. There's an HP Pavilion 14M that looks to be aluminum, but I can't be sure. It's $520 versus new at $720.0
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Review of metal-cased laptops in 20203
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Rocky & Ricci: Thank you for the comments and links. I will check them out. My last laptop...a Dell had the plastic body and crashed after a couple of years. Worst one I've ever had where life span is concerned.
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Most welcome. I understand your reluctance to leave Windows - I was the same way until three months ago. Then I loaded Linux Mint. Frankly, there's little difference in look, feel, and daily use and I had almost no transition issues but Linux isn't for everybody.
I also didn't link to any metal-cased Chromebooks, but that's also a non-MS alternative. I bought one for travel because at $179 it's a lose and forget laptop with the advantage that NONE of my data is stored on the machine, so even if it's stolen, I'm safe.
If your Dell will boot at all, may I suggest that you try Linux Mint on it? Can't hurt and you may be quite surprised.
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I aim to have the Dell up and running again, even if I need a new hard drive, and I'll try the Linux Mint!Rocky Raab said:Most welcome. I understand your reluctance to leave Windows - I was the same way until three months ago. Then I loaded Linux Mint. Frankly, there's little difference in look, feel, and daily use and I had almost no transition issues but Linux isn't for everybody.
I also didn't link to any metal-cased Chromebooks, but that's also a non-MS alternative. I bought one for travel because at $179 it's a lose and forget laptop with the advantage that NONE of my data is stored on the machine, so even if it's stolen, I'm safe.
If your Dell will boot at all, may I suggest that you try Linux Mint on it? Can't hurt and you may be quite surprised.
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If you or anyone else has a 'pooter in the closet and want to see for yourself, do this (using Windows)Download a small program called Rufus (this will be used to make a bootable USB thumb drive)Download Linux Mint 19.3 w/Cinnamon desktopInsert a clean USB thumb drive (16 GB is plenty)
Run Rufus. Rufus will find the Mint *.iso file in your Downloads, locate your USB, then format the USB and load Mint (NOTE: this will erase everything on that thumb drive, so save anything you need first!)Boot the computer you want to try Mint on, pressing the F8 key so you can check or adjust the boot order so that the BIOS looks for the USB stick first. (On some computers, it's the F12 key)
Reboot with the USB stick inserted. VOILA! You can now run Mint straight from the stick to try it, for as long as you like. If you don't like it, just pull the USB stick out, and you're back to Windows.If you do, just follow the steps in the Installation screen and you'll have Linux Mint on your hard drive. (SAME NOTE! This will wipe EVERYTHING, so make copies of your documents, photos, music, etc BEFORE you install Linux Mint. Don't use Windows backup, but rather copy it all to some external drive where you can access it again later.
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I've said before that Linux isn't for everybody, and one of the reasons is if you have some software that won't run on anything but Windows (or MAC) and it doesn't have an alternative. Like your Revit, apparently (whatever that is.) No Operating System works for everybody, be it Windows, MAC, Android, Chrome - or Linux.
Sounds like an awesome machine, FCD. Thanks for the recommendation.
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Ah HA! Did a search. "Autodesk Revit is building information modelling software for architects, landscape architects, structural engineers, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers, designers and contractors."
Yup, that's exactly the kind of software that I meant. It runs only on Windows and probably has no open source equivalent. So if you absolutely positively have to use that program, you are not a Linux (or any other OS) candidate.0 -
FCD: My son bought himself an HP Spectre x360...a six core job, and the boot-up appears to be instantaneous. Talk about fast!!! 0 -
I find that consistently Dell.com has the best prices for features of anywhere to look, including buyers clubs like Costco. 0 -
My son was a guinea pig so to speak on his HP Spectre X360 15T 2-1, and he wanted me to pass this info on: He said that "...he configured it online to be built as soon as a couple of components became available to sell as hardware inside of the Spectre X360. The intel processor was fairly new on the market, and the NVIDIA discreet GPU. The specs are: CPU Intel Core i7-8750H Coffee Lake, 6 cores or Hexa-core 12 threads @2.21-4.1 GHz (4 GHz with 4 cores, 3.9 GHz with 6 cores) that support Hyper Threading 9MB cache - GPU GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design - RAM 16 GB DDR4 2666MHz - 2 TB SSD - 2 TB3 x4 lanes - 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 - Wi-Fi 5.0 - Bluetooth 5.0. I understand that this laptop is a great balance of getting a bigger bang on the dollar against the competitors having similar specs and HP beat the others to the market with listed hardware." And that "...he will build an eGPU with an RTX 2080 or similar card if he wants to push the limits of this machine for VR and other extreme limits. That way his laptop with be portable and also be a desktop monster if needed. The laptop is currently in a upright vertical laptop holder connected to a CalDigit TS3 Plus Dock via TB3 with a 65" monitor using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Boot up is fast using a number of ways such as windows hello, fingerprint reader, pin, or password."
Plus:
"Fastest Intel chips on the market:
10th Generation Intel chip came out in the winter 2019.
The new Intel Core i9 chip can be ran on the Coffee Lake."0 -
What ever you get make sure it has the SSD because it's so much faster.
I have a...Dell - 2-in-1, 13.3" Touch-Screen Laptop - AMD Ryzen 7 - 12GB Memory - AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 - 256GB Solid State Drive. The lid opens up 360 degrees so you can use it as a laptop or tablet.
I've had good luck with my Dell that I've been using for the past year. When you turn it on It takes about 15 to 18 seconds to be up and running. I store most everything that I download onto a 64GB 1000X memory card. I like the memory card better than a thumb drive because it doesn't stick out past the edge of the laptop. That way I can just leave it in and not worry about hitting it on something such as my knee when I'm sitting in my recliner using my laptop as I have done with a thumb drive. It's amazing how much info and pictures you can put on these cards. I've got everything that I had on my last laptop that I used for 4 years plus everything that's been on this computer for the past year and that's a ton of high quality pictures and it still has more room. I back up my memory card about once a month or sooner if I have something important to save on another 64GB 1000X memory card and just incase I also download everything on a thumb drive so I have a back up for my back up. If my computer ever crashes I won't lose anything and the computer will never get bogged down.
The last company laptop I had before I retired was a Dell and I used it from 2007 until 2014. It was slow compared to new ones but it was still working when I turned it in at the office the day I left.
I had an ACER Aspire laptop before I purchased my new Dell. It did not have the SSD and was pretty slow booting up. It lasted about 5 years before it quite working.0 -
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kimi said:My son was a guinea pig so to speak on his HP Spectre X360 15T 2-1, and he wanted me to pass this info on: He said that "...he configured it online to be built as soon as a couple of components became available to sell as hardware inside of the Spectre X360. The intel processor was fairly new on the market, and the NVIDIA discreet GPU. The specs are: CPU Intel Core i7-8750H Coffee Lake, 6 cores or Hexa-core 12 threads @2.21-4.1 GHz (4 GHz with 4 cores, 3.9 GHz with 6 cores) that support Hyper Threading 9MB cache - GPU GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with Max-Q Design - RAM 16 GB DDR4 2666MHz - 2 TB SSD - 2 TB3 x4 lanes - 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 - Wi-Fi 5.0 - Bluetooth 5.0. I understand that this laptop is a great balance of getting a bigger bang on the dollar against the competitors having similar specs and HP beat the others to the market with listed hardware." And that "...he will build an eGPU with an RTX 2080 or similar card if he wants to push the limits of this machine for VR and other extreme limits. That way his laptop with be portable and also be a desktop monster if needed. The laptop is currently in a upright vertical laptop holder connected to a CalDigit TS3 Plus Dock via TB3 with a 65" monitor using a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Boot up is fast using a number of ways such as windows hello, fingerprint reader, pin, or password."
Plus:
"Fastest Intel chips on the market:
10th Generation Intel chip came out in the winter 2019.
The new Intel Core i9 chip can be ran on the Coffee Lake."
Well, all I can say is, if you knew all that stuff...then why were you asking what to buy here????My laptop is just a box of antiquated wheels and gears compared to what you just listed.
Notice in my original post that I included a comment about "the best price possible." Also notice that the comments in my last post were quoting what he said, not what I know. Now that we understand each other better, I made the original post to ask members here about their comments, because my son's computer taste is too expensive for me!
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Buy what you like, it will be outdated in 6 months. 0 -
It still comes down to use rather than hardware. If you use your box for heavy gaming, VR, 3D modelling, video production and things like that, you need a pretty powerful, state-of-art machine. If like me all you do is surf the web, do your home accounting, write a little, and play mahjong or solitaire, then your needs - and your operating system - can be a lot simpler and cheaper. But you have to settle on those needs before you shop for the box.
I am fine with an obsolete Dell desktop running Linux and a very cheap Chromebook for travel.
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Buy name brand and not off brand types of computer builds. Office business types are mostly bullet proof, but they are not gaming computers with fancy video cards or extra big mother board slots and high wattage transformers however.
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No problem, FCD. I don't have the slightest idea what GEFORCE GTX GPU is! I just want another laptop, but I do plan to get the Dell fixed and check out the Linux Mint Rocky mentioned. What did your machine run you, if you don't mind me asking.Flying Clay Disk said:kimi said:Notice in my original post that I included a comment about "the best price possible." Also notice that the comments in my last post were quoting what he said, not what I know. Now that we understand each other better, I made the original post to ask members here about their comments, because my son's computer taste is too expensive for me!
Okay, sorry. Quite honestly, I didn't think a GEFORCE GTX GPU card would even fit in a laptop, but what do I know.Well, take a look at a Lenovo would be my suggestion.
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Thanks to the additional comments, folks. 0 -
Thank you for the clarification!Flying Clay Disk said:kimi said:
No problem, FCD. I don't have the slightest idea what GEFORCE GTX GPU is! I just want another laptop, but I do plan to get the Dell fixed and check out the Linux Mint Rocky mentioned. What did your machine run you, if you don't mind me asking.Flying Clay Disk said:kimi said:Notice in my original post that I included a comment about "the best price possible." Also notice that the comments in my last post were quoting what he said, not what I know. Now that we understand each other better, I made the original post to ask members here about their comments, because my son's computer taste is too expensive for me!
Okay, sorry. Quite honestly, I didn't think a GEFORCE GTX GPU card would even fit in a laptop, but what do I know.Well, take a look at a Lenovo would be my suggestion.
I think I paid about $1,400 for it. Might be less now.
BTW, a GEFORCE GTX is a graphics card with on-board processing, often called a "GPU" or Graphics Processing Unit. It's a pretty sizable card (or at leas was), the card is as big as many of the smaller laptops themselves. Has a processor chip and memory on the card itself.
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