Looking for new laptop recommendations

[Pergamum]

Looking for new laptop recommendations. Plenty fast (mine takes a while to start up or un-hibernate). Needs space to store pics and files. Would love it to come already set up with Word, Publisher and an antivirus.

Any suggestions? What are you guys using?

 

[Dying_Daily]

It really depends on your budget. I've found good success getting something used or refurbished on Ebay. The last one I bought was a Dell E6410 for around $250, and it has been a good laptop.

 

[LeeD]

I purchased this laptop for my wife about 9 months ago. It has been a solid laptop and is relatively quick too.

 

[Pergamum]

We have made a budget of 800 USD for this laptop.

 

[Jake]

For that price range, I recommend a Lenovo T-series. These are very solidly built computers. They are made with a business environment in mind, but this means that they tend to have good build quality and last a long time. They also tend to have really good battery life and you can easily get larger batteries. I have a T420 for work, which is discontinued, you can get the equivalent newer model, the T440, for starting at around $800.

Link: ThinkPad T Series: Premium Laptops | Lenovo (US)

Also, I would recommend to not be afraid of Windows 8. I see some people really making a big deal about it and even buying worse laptops just because they come with Windows 7, as there are very few options. Windows 8 has many great improvements on Windows 7 in terms of performance and small features that can be very nice. The only real difference is that the start menu takes up an entire screen and is more customizable if you don't want to take use of new apps.

However, you can get a last generation Thinkpad T420/30 running Windows 7 for a bit cheaper as well, such as thsi T430: NeweggBusiness - ThinkPad T Series T430 (23427YU) Notebook Intel Core i5 3320M (2.60GHz) 4GB Memory 500GB HDD Intel HD Graphics 4000 14.0" Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

One more note: Lenovo's IdeaPad series is not near as durable if that is of concern of you. I got an IdeaPad and the case started coming apart on me (it was held with small clips) despite fairly good care of it. ThinkPads tend to much better machines.

 

[fredtgreco]

If you want it to boot up fast, I suggest you get an SSD drive. Probably cheapest to buy one and install it into a new computer. If you know anyone who is techie, you could get one and transfer the contents to the new drive using macrium reflect. SSD drives are running about $0.50 a GB.

I second the durability of a Thinkpad. They are built like a tank.

 

[ZackF]

With $800 you can certainly get a good one.

 

[Stephen L Smith]

We have made a budget of 800 USD for this laptop.

You could get a cat for USD 10-20. My cat is my lap top

 

[Pergamum]

Ok, I am favoring the Thinkpad and trying to look up what an SSD is.

One concern is that i have fat fingers and need a keyboard that is not cramped. Does this Thinkpad have a spacious or standard keyboard (I've noticed some newer, smaller laptops have tiny keyboards)?

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Definitely get a Lenovo Thinkpad with a solid state drive (SSD) of at least 256Gb and your startups will be in seconds. I have owned them for years. In fact I have a new Lenovo Yoga 2 coming Friday as I my eyes are getting tired of the Thinkpad W520 laptop I now use. After using a Chromebook Pixel for months now I cannot abide by 1900 x 1080 pixel resolution. Looking at text above that resolution is a world of difference for someone who makes a living looking at a computer screen most of the day.

 

[Darryl Le Roux]

SSD will be the greatest upgrade you can make to your machine. Speeds up searching, reading, and writing to disk. Any program you have installed on the SSD will open in 2 seconds. It really is worth the extra cash. Just not entirely sure how much they are state side. In South Africa, they retail for about $150 for a 120Gb (We get ripped off here when it comes to tech. Actually, anything )

Lenovo are great machines, so I will echo what has been said already. I had a Z580 and it did everything wonderfully. Amazing build quality for the price. Anything with a 15" screen will give you a decent amount of keyboard space. Ultrabooks @11"-13" sacrifice keyboard real estate for size factor.

Bottom line...Lenovo+SSD all the way! If you need more storage, you could always just buy a USB 3.0 external HDD. Will back up your stuff quick, fast, and in a hurry.

 

[Jake]

Ok, I am favoring the Thinkpad and trying to look up what an SSD is.

One concern is that i have fat fingers and need a keyboard that is not cramped. Does this Thinkpad have a spacious or standard keyboard (I've noticed some newer, smaller laptops have tiny keyboards)?

Yes, the keyboard on my Thinkpad is very decent for a laptop keyboard. It's about normal size and has all of the buttons (some manufacturers have started to remove Function keys and such).

As far as SSD, it stands for Solid State Drive. Essentially, it's a hard drive that doesn't have a spinning disc. It works more like an SD or other memory card, but they tend to be very fast. My computer has an SSD and it boots up in just a few seconds, compared to over a minute for a comparable computer without it. Programs all tend to start instantly too. You click Word, and there is Word. No waiting.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Glad so many recommended Lenovo T Series. They have exceptional build quality. A Lenovo T440 is a really nice computer:

Lenovo ThinkPad T440: 14" IPS Laptops & Ultrabooks | Lenovo (US)

SSD will make it more rugged but it looks like it breaks your budget. For what it's worth, my Lenovo T400 has lasted me for 6 years. I've replaced the keyboard after spilling beer on it (it actually has drain holes) whereas a friend of mind fried his Macbook doing the same thing.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

See also:

The 10 Best Business Laptops | PCMag.com

 

[Pergamum]

How do you think a ThinkPad would compare with a Dell Latitude, voted best by PCMag's review: Dell Latitude 6430u Review & Rating | PCMag.com

Also, some reviews listed the Thinkpad's touchpad as "weird" - can anyone speak to that?

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

This is a non-starter for me: "The Latitude 6430u's 14-inch display has a maximum resolution of 1,366 by 768" Even the newer 1600 resolution model is way behind what is now available.

The ratings are the same for the two Thinkpad's in the link provided. I do not think there is any laptop that can compare to the keyboard of a Thinkpad. My new Yoga 2 Pro's keyboard is backlit and has an outstanding feel.

See also:
Review Update Dell Latitude 6430u HD+ Ultrabook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

I usually check these guys' reviews first when shopping for a new laptop.

 

[Pergamum]

Thanks

 

[KMK]

I love my 17" MacBook Pro. I have had it for years and the only issue I have had is one battery replacement. Unfortunately, they do not (or will soon not) make the 17" any longer. My wife has a new 15" that she loves as well.

My son has a Dell with the new Office and hates it.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

Is there a trend to downsize screen size options? I have a 4 year old Dell Studio XPS 1640 but that is not offered any more. I really need a laptop that can perform to desktop standards given the 'heft' of my book projects and occasional graphical work. What would be a good option if anyone has a suggestion?

I love my 17" MacBook Pro. I have had it for years and the only issue I have had is one battery replacement. Unfortunately, they do not (or will soon not) make the 17" any longer. My wife has a new 15" that she loves as well.

 

[Edward]

What would be a good option if anyone has a suggestion?

I don't know your particular needs, but having spent several years hefting around a large, heavy lap top, I'd consider a smaller, lighter laptop and a separate, large monitor to work on in the office.

 

[KMK]

What would be a good option if anyone has a suggestion?

I don't know your particular needs, but having spent several years hefting around a large, heavy lap top, I'd consider a smaller, lighter laptop and a separate, large monitor to work on in the office.

I agree. If I had an office, I would get a desktop monitor that can have at least two windows open side by side. Especially since my eyesight seems to continually get worse.

In fact, I hope they some day come out with an e-ink monitor like the Kindle.

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Is there a trend to downsize screen size options? I have a 4 year old Dell Studio XPS 1640 but that is not offered any more. I really need a laptop that can perform to desktop standards given the 'heft' of my book projects and occasional graphical work. What would be a good option if anyone has a suggestion?

I love my 17" MacBook Pro. I have had it for years and the only issue I have had is one battery replacement. Unfortunately, they do not (or will soon not) make the 17" any longer. My wife has a new 15" that she loves as well.

You will want a desktop replacement version. For example, hefty workstation replacement models:

ThinkPad W540 | Mobile Workstation | | Lenovo (US)

I have a W520 version of this machine, with separate graphics card, large SSD, etc. Their 5lb+ heft and 1lb power supplies for 170 watts make them not very "portable". I carried mine around the house with a cooler literally velcro'd to the laptop. But they will handle just about anything you can throw at them, short of professional video editing requiring hundreds of gigabytes of RAM. I used it with a large Dell monitor when I did not want to be parked on my couch.

 

[gkterry]

Love my MacBook Air 11". Highly portable yet extremely powerful and it's 2.5 years old. Can be plugged in to a big monitor. I use it every week in Sunday School class for videos, Powerpoint, etc. Right now Best Buy has the base model for $899 and if you have an .edu email address they will give you another $150 off that.

Check out this link:

Best Buy slashes $100 off new MacBook Air, deals as low as $650 with .EDU email | 9to5Toys