Looking for new Laptop

AKBill

AKBill

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AKBill
Looking for new Laptop. What do I need to search for? Memory, processor, ??? I'm good with wrenches not so good in the computer world.

Thanks
Bill B
 
What software do you want/need to use?
 
I’ve been using a MacBook and a Windows laptop side by side and interchangeably for a few weeks now. If your primary application is 365, then go with Windows. Core I7, 16GB, however much SSD you think you need.

I like the MacBook (it’s an Intel processor), but some things in the 365 apps are just not up to snuff. Outlook is one of them.

After several months of primarily using the Mac, I’m going back to Windows. I will miss the command shell that actually works as it should instead of the POS Windows thing, but using Putty is a small price to pay. I won’t miss some other Mac ‘features’.
 
The newest one. I don’t keep track. My dell is the newest cool processor, too. With my business software (a Microsoft sponsored program) my wife’s Mac works faster with fewer glitches. Not that the Dell is a problem, because it’s exponentially better than the 4-tear Dell it replaced.

Wife in not running Outlook on her Mac. I’d like to try it. My old Macbook ran Microsoft’s Mac versions just fine. With parallels I ran windows and iOS simultaneously. I’m no computer nerd so I’d be happy with either platform.
 
Stewartb said:
The newest one. I don’t keep track. My dell is the newest cool processor, too. With my business software (a Microsoft sponsored program) my wife’s Mac works faster with fewer glitches. Not that the Dell is a problem, because it’s exponentially better than the 4-tear Dell it replaced.

Wife in not running Outlook on her Mac. I’d like to try it. My old Macbook ran Microsoft’s Mac versions just fine. With parallels I ran windows and iOS simultaneously. I’m no computer nerd so I’d be happy with either platform.
Click to expand...
Is that like “the silver one”?
 
Mac all the way. Simpler to run, stuff just works, no getting lost trying to find shtuff- I’m still using my 2013 and I use it for work- in 8 years not one glitch and I use excel regularly.
 
Windows 10 has been such a **** show, I've found myself more and more daily-driving my little M1 Mac Mini ($599 at Costco) -- I'm watching the October 18 announcements with some relish, as I may grab a M1X MBP, despite what will likely be a 3 grand price tag.

It's been really enjoyable NOT waking up to a PC that rebooted itself for an update and flushed all of my context, work, and left me with naught but a blank desktop and a middle finger. And this is despite my using O&O "Shut up Ten!" software to prevent these shenanigans.

I'll be recommending Macbook Airs to people for awhile. With a few tweaks, MacOS can mimic 95% of the windows experience. At the moment, Apple just "sucks less than Windows"
 
I switched from PC to mac many years ago...ran all Mac for a few years. Back then at least they did hardware really good and generally the stuff just worked. But, just like with any other PC the updates come eventually making the hardware glitchy and obsolete. happens too soon.
Then for Christmas 2014 I bought myself a Chromebook as a "Christmas present". We still have that original Chromebook and it works like the day it was new....although it's no longer supported with updates. I replaced it with another chromebook as my daily driver just a few months ago but only because of the updates...and it's nice to have a newer back-lit keyboard. I have only very rarely found something that I wanted to do that a chromebook doesn't handle just fine.
My work computer provided by the company is a PC, and that's needed only because I use some pdf and cad software. I've gone through at least 2 or 3 machines at work since I've had that chromebook. And they're typically cheaper too!
 
Since most people dont really need a "computer" anymore i'll also suggest a Chromebook. ~$500 will get about the best available. I dont know how well it interfaces with MS365 though I suspect it would be fine, IDK. 95% of the time I use a 3 year old Acer that was only $200, it lags at some intense, multi-app times, but those of us that can remember dial up modem tones...NBD.
 
90% of the time I use an Asus Chromebook for work. That's webex meetings, o365 web based - teams, email, calendar, and web browsing. I actually bought it as a cheap notebook to take with me flying, to get weather forecasts and such. But covid hit, I'm 100% telecommute for a year, and I like the little Chromebook better than either my work laptop or my personal one. Longer battery life, tiny size, portable. Never crashes. I just suspend it when I'm done, and open it up next day. Runs 7+ hours on the battery. Amazing.

When I need local storage and apps, I use my personal laptop, an HP with a touchscreen, setup for dual boot Linux or Windows 10. Have an external trackball for it, kensington. I use CAD with that, software for circuit board design, things like that. The hardware is nice, but Windows is windows - slow, unreliable, pita. Linux is better, but fewer apps for it. The HP has a solid state boot drive I put in, that makes it start up quite a bit faster.

My work laptop is a Dell. It's fine, a little slow, nothing fancy. Work uses them because they're fairly rugged, pretty reliable.

So depends on what you need. I'd recommend a name brand, and something with solid state drives. (Not even sure if they sell laptops without them now, last computer I bought was about a year ago). I bought the least expensive HP that had a name brand video card built in (nvidia), and touch screen, because I wanted something that would work with any cad program, flight simulator, photo editor. But I didn't get a "gaming" laptop, because to me price/performance ratio just doesn't make sense for those. 16 GB memory, 1.3 GHz i7 processor, a 500 GB solid state drive and a 700 conventional. It was pretty quick a year ago, and it's still fine now.
 
You may have to wait awhile. Between the chip shortages and shipping delays, desktops snd laptops are in short supply. I’m tasked with opening a couple of new laboratories at work and Lenovo is now quoting us 4-6 months lead time for some very plain vanilla hardware. Even when I attempt to violate a bunch of corporate procurement policies and buy through retail channels, I can’t find the hardware.

Our CEO is coming to the grand opening of one of the labs in two weeks. He is going to find it completely non-functional. Lots of cutting-edge instrumentation connected to…nothing.
 
DaleB said:
After several months of primarily using the Mac, I’m going back to Windows. I will miss the command shell that actually works as it should instead of the POS Windows thing, but using Putty is a small price to pay. I won’t miss some other Mac ‘features’.
Click to expand...
Windows Subsystem for Linux(WSL2) basically a transparent Linux VM that lets you run a proper shell and still access all your Windows files. Newest version in Win 11 also allows GUI Linux apps seamlessly on your desktop if you feel the need. WSL1 skipped the VM part but for whatever reason they decided to make a VM back the experience. Only downside to WSL2 is if you need to run a VM for other reasons you have to use Hyper-V or your VM tool(VMWare/VirtualBox) needs to integrate with the Windows Hyper-V layer.
 
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