I could use a few recommendations on buying a new laptop

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LadyCalvinist

Puritan Board Junior
Hello

I need to buy a new laptop and would like some suggestions. Someone told me to get SSD and at least 12 GB RAM. All I need is a laptop that has a good keyboard and that I can watch videos on (I don't have a tv). I know I want at least 15" screen. I would like to pay less than $600 if possible.

PS I don't know much about computers.
 
Hello

I need to buy a new laptop and would like some suggestions. Someone told me to get SSD and at least 12 GB RAM. All I need is a laptop that has a good keyboard and that I can watch videos on (I don't have a tv). I know I want at least 15" screen. I would like to pay less than $600 if possible.

PS I don't know much about computers.

Cant beat Google Chrome for a basic laptop and GREAT price.
 
Would you rule out Apple? They’re a bit more expensive, but you’re getting a great computer.
 
Diane,
If you have a respectable LT now, u could just put an ssd in it and bump up the ram to max; that would cost about $200. I did my brother's recently and it essentially makes it a new machine.
 
I had the same question about 10 years ago and bought a Lenovo Thinkpad T420 because of the recommendation of a knowledgeable friend/forum member. He said it was built like a tank, and indeed it is. It is still going strong after all these years but if I had it to do over I would buy what I think they call a 'notebook.'

Much lighter in weight, and more convenient I think. I'm interested to see what feedback you get when people who know there stuff opine.
 
This is just one man's opinion, but: I would not get a Chromebook. It's limitations on installations and requiring an internet connection to do basically anything are problematic. I have one and barely use it for that purpose. I'd get a $250 2018 version iPad instead. I also would not pay for Apple on the budget you are setting. You could get one for $600, but it would be like a 2006 version.

Here are a couple of recent deals:
Dell Inspiron for $500 at Costco
https://www.costco.com/Dell-Inspiro...-Intel-Core-i5---1080p.product.100489776.html

Acer at Newegg for $550 (but it is gold):
https://www.newegg.com/luxury-gold-acer-swift-3-sf315-52-81hd-mainstream/p/1TS-000X-00UY7

Lenovo for $499 at Staples (it appears that the price in store only is $429)
https://www.staples.com/lenovo-idea...=off&cjevent=ba3d03458bb311e9823d000a0a1c0e14
 
I'd steer clear of Apple (equal or less performance for more money).

I'd steer clear of Chromebooks unless you plan to tether to your cell phone for data, or never plan to take it outside of your wifi range.

You can probably get a little more performance for your money with an AMD processor than with a comparable Intel.

Things that you might not need that will run up the cost
dual screen
gaming power
convertable
2 in 1
ultra thin
touch screen

Steer clear of foldable screens (some have been announced, I'm not sure whether or not they are on the market yet).
 
Hello

I need to buy a new laptop and would like some suggestions. Someone told me to get SSD and at least 12 GB RAM. All I need is a laptop that has a good keyboard and that I can watch videos on (I don't have a tv). I know I want at least 15" screen. I would like to pay less than $600 if possible.

PS I don't know much about computers.
Solid State memory a must, largest Ram as possible, and would recommend also a DVD recorder/player if possible.
 
What do you want it for?

iPad is cheaper than a computer. And they are on sale now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
iPad is cheaper than a computer.

How much is an IPad with a 14 inch screen? I see a 14" laptop at Best Buy for $195.99 (I wouldn't recommend it - under powered and insufficient ram for Win10.)

also a DVD recorder/player if possible.

There are still laptops on the market with dvd drives, but it is a rapidly shrinking universe.
 
I need to buy a new laptop and would like some suggestions.

One more thought on the laptop - you probably need a low end Ryzen (AMD) or Core (Intel) processor. There are cheaper laptops with Celeron and Pentium (Intel) or the equivalent AMD, but you probably want at least a Ryzen 3 or a Core i3. Unless you are into serious gaming or VR, you shouldn't need a top end processor. And you might want to look for a slightly older version. If you can, I'd suggest a stop by Best Buy.
 
I still say, if u already have a descent LT, just upgrade the machine's hard drive to an ssd and bump up the ram. It is the cheapest route to go and will give u a like-new, machine.
 
I still say, if u already have a descent LT, just upgrade the machine's hard drive to an ssd and bump up the ram. It is the cheapest route to go and will give u a like-new, machine.
RAM is super easy to replace. A hard drive not so much - not very hard, but you need to get a drive backup program like Macrium Reflect, back up the drive and then restore it onto the new drive. It does take some technical skill.

Slickdeals is a great website to find the latest deals. You should be able to to find an Intel 7th gen processor with an SSD drive (128 or 256GB) and at least 8GB of Ram for under $600. An extra 8GB of RAM can be had for $30-40 and snapped in. The key is that you will probably not get a dedicated graphics card, but it does not sound like you need it. You may be able to find something for $400.

https://slickdeals.net/laptop-deals/?src=SearchBarV2_cat
 
Hey Fred,
I just did my wife, daughter and brother's computer; all were about $250. I didn't need to change the processor or vid card. All are screaming now.
 
I still say, if u already have a descent LT, just upgrade the machine's hard drive to an ssd and bump up the ram. It is the cheapest route to go and will give u a like-new, machine.

I second this, for sure. An SSD made my computer, which was already fairly new, lightning fast. I had my best friend who is an IT professional switch the drives out for me, but I don't think the transition is all that difficult. In fact, I believe Samsung provides free software and simple instructions on how to duplicate the current HDD to the SSD, making the switch seamless. (For SSDs, Samsung is the way to go, by the way.)
 
Hello

I need to buy a new laptop and would like some suggestions. Someone told me to get SSD and at least 12 GB RAM. All I need is a laptop that has a good keyboard and that I can watch videos on (I don't have a tv). I know I want at least 15" screen. I would like to pay less than $600 if possible.

PS I don't know much about computers.

Hi Diane,

First, how do you intend to watch the movies? Physical DVDs in you collection or Redbox? Or streaming like: Amazon app? Do you have Amazon Prime? Apple app? Or Netflix? Or Hulu? If you do streaming, you need an internet connection that is fast. Are you able to look up how fast your internet is? DSL? Cable? Wifi? How good are you with computers? Barely get by? Or quite good? Or super good?

I think we need to know these before recommending a computer.

And the best way to find a computer is keep checking https://slickdeals.net/
 
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I ran across one this morning that should be good for video. It's not a laptop, however.

New Mac Pro. 12 4K video streams at once. Only $5,995 for the base model. Monitor sold separately - another $4,999.
 
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