Unrelated topic, Laptop question

[paulsharvey]

Wife and I are gonna need to get son a laptop for use in college, and I'll admit I'm very far separated from the computer scene. No CAD, graphics design, or complex processing stuff; but something that works well, and can handle getting thrown (hopefully not literally) in a truck. He's going to be commuting for atleast the first couple semester, and he has a 'gaming pc' desk top at our house; but needs something to take to school/use at school between/before/after classes. Probably touch screen, as I had one at work, until they "upgraded" me to a non-touch screen. I dont think a tablet or chrome book type thing is going to be the right choice; just a functional, cheap, durable laptop. Any recommendations? Any to avoid? For not CAD/graphic design/gaming; is there anything that you would specifically look for, or runaway from?

 

[Tpondel]

I've bought quite a few over the decades from Dell. Good laptops. Very good service.

 

[drssg]

The biggest difference I've seen in recent years is the solid state drive (SSD). That makes a world of difference in the performance, and they aren't that expensive anymore.

 

[Yander]

I'm a big fan of HP. I buy them for home and we also use them where I work and have for years. Stay away from Lenovo.

Here are the specs on the one I just bought for home use. Get 32GB of physical memory. You'll notice below that my computer only has 18.2GB of remaining physical memory and all I have running when I took this snapshot of my system is the Chrome and IE browsers. Windows 11 is a memory hog and if your son has any applications for school that take up memory it will be dog slow with too little physical memory.

You definitely want a Solid State Hard Drive (SSD)

Memory is actually more important than processor speed in many cases.

You should be able to get a good computer for around the $500 mark.

 

[deserteagle71]

Willing to bet that most colleges/universities use primarily Apple's MacBooks, not a Windows laptop. Compatibility with what others are using can be important.

 

[Yander]

Here is one that would check all of my boxes for a college student. I think the main thing is find out if he would want a 15" or 17" monitor. I'm guessing smaller for carrying it around campus.

Amazon.com

 

[paulsharvey]

Yes, the SSD is going to be a must; that's what we use for work; and they are in vehicles all the time; and they slide off the seats, get stuff put on top of them, ect

 

[paulsharvey]

Willing to bet that most colleges/universities use primarily Apple's MacBooks, not a Windows laptop. Compatibility with what others are using can be important.

Good point, never thought about that. Only worked 1 place ever that used any apple stuff, and that was Ipads. Never been with a company that used apple computers; and that might be worth asking about. Hopefully not, really never liked apple stuff.

 

[ericm979]

I'm a big fan of HP. I buy them for home and we also use them where I work and have for years. Stay away from Lenovo.

I've hated every HP laptop I've been given for work even when I worked for them. The keyboards don't agree with me and the rest is just a laptop. I've used Lenovos for personal stuff for 15 years and my latest work machine is a Lenovo. They have been reliable for me. I like the keyboards, they have good feel.

You definitely want a Solid State Hard Drive (SSD)

Memory is actually more important than processor speed in many cases.

I agree with both of those statements.

 

[deserteagle71]

Good point, never thought about that. Only worked 1 place ever that used any apple stuff, and that was Ipads. Never been with a company that used apple computers; and that might be worth asking about. Hopefully not, really never liked apple stuff.

Most businesses use Windows computers. Most graphic artists and most educational institutions seem to use Macs.

I like Macs...very stable, dependable. Still have an Apple MacIntosh IIsi connected to an Apple Imagewriter impact printer down in my basement that I bought in 1990 - it still works fine! But the software programs I have to use don't work on Apple architecture; I'd have to use Windows emulators for them to work on a Mac and that's just too slow. So both my desktop and laptop are Windows (both Dell).

As others have said - don't skimp on the RAM or the hard drive...and yes, the solid state hard drives are wonderful.

 

[jyoutz]

The biggest difference I've seen in recent years is the solid state drive (SSD). That makes a world of difference in the performance, and they aren't that expensive anymore.

Whatever brand you buy, by all means get the solid state drive.

 

[2manyrocks]

These Acers are on sale for $230 in the Nashville, TN area. https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-v...als_LLC&acampID=0&mpid=10451&affgroup="Deals"

 

[paulsharvey]

I just double checked, and my current work computer is an HP Elitebook, and although only a few months old, the keys have cracked from sliding off the seat, the screen isnt touch screen. It does USB-C charge (which is nice), and it has a large touch pad (which I don't like to use, I'm stuck on having a mouse, but a bigger touch pad is better than a small one).

 

[gstrom99]

You might want to ask the school. I'm sure they can advise what would work best for the type of classes he's gonna take.

 

[JasperFrank]

What is your spending limit?
I tend to like the mid level Dells, and Lenovos. If you are going with Sold State Storage, make sure it is removable. Dell has a whole series of what they call " Rugged." These are not Panasonic Tough Books, but survive pretty well. The Apples have fantastic battery life, and are works of art, with the M2 and M3 series of power books, but you can't really ever fix these, or DIY upgrade them. Plus, they have less Freeware options than Linux or MS OS based systems. When you do settle on a particular Lap, look up the repair guides, before buying. And after buying it, cover the back with stickers, so no one is going to steal it.

 

[ericm979]

Many of my laptops have been refurbished models. They're usually returned from some corporate IT dept and in good shape. Saves a bit on the cost.

Whatever laptop you get, it needs a padded case of some sort. I've used ones that are briefcase shaped and ones built into messenger bags.

 

[newbury]

IF he can use a PC architecture and you want to try and save $$ look at a refurbed Dell (or two).
For instance right now Dell has their 5420 Refurbs's on 50% 0ff, and there's a coupon/code for an additional 45% off.
and 1yr warranty for $50.
linky

 

[paulsharvey]

I'll ask about recommendations from the school here Wednes or Thurs, he has an orientation there.

As far as budget; that's part of the question. I see many new lap tops, typically 15" screens anywhere from $350-800 online from many retailers. I'd be fine anywhere in that range, but prefer to stay out of the upper range, unless there is a specific feature needed, that pushes that higher.

Anyone in IT know what they really do when they Refurb a computer? Does that mean they factor reset/wipe, and clean and resell? Or so they replace aging batteries,

 

[MossRoad]

You might want to ask the school. I'm sure they can advise what would work best for the type of classes he's gonna take.

That right there is what I would have asked first.

See what the school recommends.

One of our kids starts Vet school in the fall. They are very specific as to what laptop to get for the work they will be doing.

 

[dmccarty]

Anyone in IT know what they really do when they Refurb a computer? Does that mean they factor reset/wipe, and clean and resell? Or so they replace aging batteries,

The refurbs we have bought for the kids over the years were brand new and never issued from a large company that bought them. That was surely luck that is for sure. I would be shocked that refurbs were not formatted and new image installed. I would not expect new batteries.

As others have said, the school might have a requirement for the laptop. A 250-500GB SSD is likely all that is needed for most people unless one is doing video worked. Macs need less RAM than a Windows system. I think my work Mac has 16GB of RAM vs 32GB on my Windows system. I had to replace my personal Windows laptop and got 32GB. Having a bit more would have been "better" due to my workloads but 32GB has been adequate.

We have both Lenovo and Macs at home and work. The keyboard on the Mac simply sucks. Apple in their quest for a small form factor and light weight has lost sight of the requirement to have a good keyboard and have regressed back to the 1980's. My typing mistakes on my Mac is much higher than on Lenovo and I see people at work having the same issues. But if the school specifies Macs, you just got to live with it.