New Laptop

[storrsroars]

I'm not a tech guy, but the idea that anyone not involved in the arts needs a $1,500 iMac to browse the internet blows my mind.

Just buy a chromebook for $200 and call it a day.

Chromebooks used to be $200. I've had a couple of flipbooks I bought for around $200, now they're $500.
I've killed two with spills. Unlike Apples and PCs, you can't really take 'em apart and dry 'em out. But, I'll be buying another shortly. I do just about everything in the cloud so I don't need much. Plus they're so damned light.

I loved my MacBooks too, but Apple's planned obsolence is a progressively shorter window before you can no longer get authorized repairs. Beautiful machines and very intuitive though. For working with editing video, it's the only way to go, IMHO.

I've been working on an old Lenovo from my wife's company. Worst keyboard ever. Total POS. I've had HPs and Dells as well and you can keep 'em. I despise Windows.

 

[Vancat]

Just got back a repaired MacBook Pro from Apple. It had a swollen battery. It was over 5 years old. They replaced the battery, plus the whole front section (keyboard trackpad etc) or FREE. Like new. Good for another 5 years.

 

[LurkSoHard]

I almost just replied to the OP thinking this was a new thread but realized it was over 2 years old last second lol.

I'll drop a response anyways in case someone is looking and reading this to help make a purchase themselves. I got an Alienware M14X late in 2011. I still use it, despite it being dropped multiple times (something is rattling inside it, lol) and while it is really slow when antivirus software is running (usually when first being booted) it still has plenty of speed for browsing the web, and I can even get it to run games like Fallout 4 that came out years after the laptop was built. That may not seem like a huge deal but there was a shift in console generations in the middle of that 4 year period, so games from 2015 require significantly better graphics cards than games made in 2011. I've been pretty impressed with it's durability and reliability, so I would recommend an Alienware to anyone.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This may help: The Best Laptops 2020

@Kolumbo just a suggestion, but the top one on that list is an excellent machine. But wait a little bit. Black Friday deals are coming, and probably coming quite early this year.

If portability is less important to you then there are cheaper options with more features. If you will leave it at home, consider a 15 inch.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

In my experience a mid-range HP is like the Honda Civic of laptops. Got one to start my college career and used it until I was like 25 with no problems and the battery started not lasting unless plugged in and I was ready for a change.

 

[jleves]

Performance is most important. No matter what laptop I get, I always use a full size keyboard and mouse and I use an extra screen. That Dell XPS does look slick. The only thing I did with my old Dell was bought a replacement battery for about $25.

The XPS laptops really are the best if you can afford them. It would be nice to see more high end laptops with the new mobile AMD processors in them.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Performance is most important. No matter what laptop I get, I always use a full size keyboard and mouse and I use an extra screen. That Dell XPS does look slick. The only thing I did with my old Dell was bought a replacement battery for about $25.

If you are going to dock it in that way, don't bother with an XPS. Just get a Latitude or a gaming Latitude. The G5 will be a bit more robust, with a better graphics card.

 

[Kolumbo]

Performance is most important. No matter what laptop I get, I always use a full size keyboard and mouse and I use an extra screen. That Dell XPS does look slick. The only thing I did with my old Dell was bought a replacement battery for about $25.

 

[Kolumbo]

Sorry guys, I reposted my last post because I tried to edit it and deleted it. I also use a second screen and a third would be very nice. That last article mentioned the Thinkpad:

Business-Focused Alternatives
ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8
Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon is regularly one of the top business-focused laptops every year. The base model of the new ThinkPad X1 ups the CPU to a 10th-gen Core i5-10210U starting at $1,300. That amount gets you a fingerprint reader, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB PCIe SSD, Wi-Fi 6, two Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 3, two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, and HDMI 4.1. A somewhat similar system from the previous generation (Gen 7) is still readily available and lowers the price to just $999, which may be worth considering.

 

[husky8273]

Just got back a repaired MacBook Pro from Apple. It had a swollen battery. It was over 5 years old. They replaced the battery, plus the whole front section (keyboard trackpad etc) or FREE. Like new. Good for another 5 years.

How long were you without the laptop? My MacBook Pro needs a new battery. Why was it replaced for free?

 

[fatlucy]

I have a MS Surface for work and I don’t like it. It’s not good for real work unless you dock it with a mouse and true keyboard. Never tried gaming. I would go for a real laptop.

 

[Vancat]

How long were you without the laptop? My MacBook Pro needs a new battery. Why was it replaced for free?

There is a known problem with batteries swelling (google it if you think that's your problem). They do the replacement for free if that's the issue. It took about a week. That was not a problem because it's a work laptop and they bought me a new one anyway.