Ours finally bit the Big One. It was an Asus - I will never get that brand again. Hated it.
Don't need anything ultra fancy. We basically surf the web, look at pics, download photos, that sort of thing. We're not gamers, we don't watch movies on it (well, maybe once very coupla years). Needs 15" screen, good battery life, coupla USB ports, camera chip slot (camera chip??), etc.
Leslie Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain -------------
Trail Runner Nation
Sally McCrae-Choose Strong
Bare Performance
See what Costco has. I got my Dell desktop there, and it's fine. I buy according to specs and hardware, not by brand name, though.
60-64 age group - University of Oregon alumni - Irreverent and Annoying
Marathon Maniac #957
newegg.com often has good deals. That's where I got my 12" Samsung tablet, which I love.
Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."
I'll be following this also. We'll need to buy David a laptop to take to college. He's not a gamer so won't be using it for that - but need something good for him. and I've never had a laptop so am clueless.
Tammy
Our IT folks and my husband seem to think Dell is making good machines right now. Yes, you have to look at the specs for what you want. Get plenty of memory.
Out there running since dinosaurs roamed the earth
I am a personal fan of Lenovo but I wouldn't recommend above other machines if the cost is better on them. I've been a programmer for 37 years and using laptops for I don't remember how long. I have had Toshibas and Dells which were also good but Lenovo has been great for me (except that I can't make a degree symbol in Chrome with the keypad.)
I would recommend a minimum of 4GB ram, but 8GB (or more) would be better.
I would look for a solid state drive (SSD) rather than the hard disk drive (HDD). They don't have any moving parts so they are harder to break and usually they are much faster. But they cost more so if you need a huge amount of storage the HDD is much cheaper.
Other than that, I can't think of anything that matters.
There are odds and ends to think about so it is nice to try different ones in a store. For example, my wife insists on one with a numeric keypad, so that weeds out some choices off the top. (She is picky about the feel of the keyboard too.)
Thanks, everyone. And thanks, Dave, for the specific info.
I've had Dell in the past and at work we have Lenovo. I've a $100 gift card through Staples, so I'll probably see what they have and compare with Coscto prices. The SSD vs HDD is very good info. We don't need a lot of storage since I have an external hard drive for pictures. We basically use it for 'net surfing and to take on trips with us.
an amazing likeness
I'll add that you shouldn't overlook the Chromebook option for a simple, focused web surfing device. Rugged, fast & (can be) relatively inexpensive. You'll see why these are the high school device of choice.
Microsoft Surface is getting very solid reviews and looks to be a good selection.
In terms of a general-purpose laptop, Dell Inspiron laptop is probably the best sweet spot. Also keep in mind Dell has a "factory outlet" where they sell (under full factory warranty) returns, devices used in trade shows, internal testing, etc. Just did a quick searchee over there and it looks like #350-450 gets you a well-equipped Inspiron 15.
[disclaimer -- as someone who oversees a midsize IT operation, we use Dell, so I have a bias. Also personally, I use Dell and Microsoft Surface. And I buy my personal stuff from the Dell Outlet. All of the above is heavily biased towards '..do what I do, 'cause I think it's smart..']
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
MM#209 / JapanJoyful#803
me too.
I took back a new Asus in disgust a couple of years ago and got a Lenovo replacement that was just as bad in jumping around all over the place from program to program whenever I accidentally touched a wrong key or breathed on the screen too hard when all I wanted to do was internet research, type a word processing letter, e-mail, or RA post. They want me to buy a Boeing 737 or Mars-mission transporter showing how smart they are when all I need is a bicycle. As a result, I am happily back to using the IBM ThinkPad purchased in 2006 (and that Lenovo completely screwed up when the purchased it from IBM). Unfortunately, beloved Mr. ThinkPad keeps coming up with warnings about limited capacity, etc. so I'm waiting until disaster strikes and will be interested in what Leslie and Tammy do. Dell sounds good, though, .. . as long as they don't sell out too.
Thanks..
"Enjoy yourself. Your younger days never come again." 100yo T. Igarashi to me in geta at top of Mt. Fuji (8/2/87)
All of the above is heavily biased towards '..do what I do, 'cause I think it's smart..']
So this is for sale at Staples. What do you computer dudes thing? At $419.99, then take of $100 with my gift card . . . .
Two specs lead me to 'thumbs down' in my advice/review: (1) it has a standard hard disk drive (aka "HDD") rather than the desired solid-state disk (aka "SSD"), and (2) the I3 processor is really too weak.
I can see why you want Staples -- that $100 card. So just make slight upgrades to get to "I5" or "I7", and "SSD" over "HDD" and you'll be good to go.
(Dell Outlet samples to give you price reference points)
Thanks, Milktruck ~~
I could live with the HDD, but the processor is on the low end.
Buying a PC is such a pain. Too many combinations of options. It's easier to pick out a house than a PC.
I truly prefer desktops, to be honest....