I need a new notebook and want advice

[WoodButcher]

Hi - this is Woodbutcher's wife here, first-time posting. He's told me this is the place to go for advice and/or guidance in choosing a new laptop. I'm looking at new/refurbished notebooks. I currently own a 4-yr. old (outdated) dual-core Sony Vaio which crashes daily.

My main uses are for web browsing/Facebook, storing pics, videos, docs & music, and word processing/printing.

I found this (see link) on Newegg, which looks as though it might meet my needs. Are there any other brands/models out there that are comparable at this price point? This model features a touch-screen, which I don't necessarily need, but I do like the backlit keyboard feature. Any advice or information on possible substitutions would be welcome.

Thanks in advance. - Karen

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834318828

 

[mikeymikec]

Unless you've never been happy with the performance of your current laptop, I would fix its problems rather than replace it (or get someone else to fix its problems). IMO it's pretty unlikely to be anything so costly that a new, reasonably fast laptop would make more sense (unless the cost of servicing compared to the cost of something new is radically different where you live).

If you really want to get something new though, I would personally go for a Core i3 laptop (a U type i3 processor if battery life is far more important to you than processor speed), 4GB RAM or more (which is pretty much standard these days), a solid state drive if possible, and I'd go for Lenovo or Toshiba.

If you need to shave the budget a bit, then go for a Pentium class processor as a minimum IMO.

 

[WoodButcher]

Thanks for your reply. I'm looking for an i5, as I'm more interested in processor speed. Battery life is not a big priority, as it's mainly for home use. The price point is right where I want it, plus or minus $100.

My current machine has been upgraded (WB has done all he can do to it, short of running it over with the truck). This machine is just one step up from Atom netbook. Slow, sluggish and un-upgradable.

Mainly looking for the best value with this kind of processor speed, and as stated in my OP, backlit keyboard is a preferred feature.

My husband tells me that the i3 is beginner, i5 is intermediate and i7 is advanced, with prices to match

 

[mikeymikec]

IMO:

Choosing an i7 would constitute some serious overkill for the needs you specified, to the point that I think that you would have to go far out of your way to ever make real use of it.

An i5 would still be overkill but I think eventually you'll make some real use of it, shortly before needing to upgrade for other reasons.

I assume "one step up from an Atom" is a Celeron.

One thing that make skew my perspective somewhat is that I would strip out a load of software that comes with a typical big-name laptop which may alter the responsiveness somewhat, particularly with a laptop without an SSD. I would also go for anti-virus only rather than the bloated "Internet Security" suites.

 

[Reasonable Doubt]

I bought this laptop on sale at Best Buy about a month ago for $480. It's $580 now but the price will probably drop again. That's if you have the patience.

Also I'd never buy a Lenovo. I read an article about a few months ago that they got caught pre-installing spyware on their computers. Being that it is a Chinese company I don't doubt it.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-pavi...ard-drive-natural-silver-ash-silver/3787022.p

 

[WoodButcher]

Thanks, RD, for the suggestion. I didn't know that about Lenovo. I'm not a fan of 'Made in China' - for anything - but it's virtually impossible to find anything NOT made in China. However, the spyware thing is a deal-breaker, so this is valuable information.

Although the i7 is more than I probably need, it looks to be a viable choice. I am not in a rush, so I don't mind waiting for price reductions. I just wish it had a backlit keyboard. However, the reviews on this are good, and it's one to keep on the list of possibilities.

 

[WoodButcher]

IMO:

One thing that make skew my perspective somewhat is that I would strip out a load of software that comes with a typical big-name laptop which may alter the responsiveness somewhat, particularly with a laptop without an SSD. I would also go for anti-virus only rather than the bloated "Internet Security" suites.

Responsiveness is key here, and I rely on WoodButcher for all software & anti-virus options. I'm not a fan of the bloatware (who is?) either. My main priorities are power & speed. I want whatever I get to last me a few good years.

 

[WoodButcher]

LOL, they let anybody in here!

WB speaking here, Her laptop is the AMD equivalent or response you to the atom. I bought it for her 4-5 years ago and have done every upgrade possible. Maxed the ram, SSD, naked win7 install but the fact is today it is way past it's prime.
Time for new.
I set her up on newegg with a basic list of search criteria, Intel I5 or better, 6+ gig ram, 500+ HD, DVDR, and the link was her pick. The budget is flexible, around $500 I figured would cover her needs more than adequately with bunches extra. Refurb is not preferred but I went to with that only because I expected to find more power for less money, I would really like to get her a screamer but $500 only buys so much.
She likes my desktop but that is showing it's age too, a Q8600, I don't remember when I built it, 6-7 years?
Anyway, I'm not up on the tech these days so I pointed her here.
Keep up the replies guys and thanks for the help,
I now return you to the regular scheduled programming!

Bruce :thumbsup:

 

[mikeymikec]

Responsiveness is key here, and I rely on WoodButcher for all software & anti-virus options. I'm not a fan of the bloatware (who is?) either. My main priorities are power & speed. I want whatever I get to last me a few good years.

Then get a laptop with an SSD (or put it in yourself if you're up for that). Seriously. My Vista-era laptop with a Core 2 Duo processor in absolutely flies because of the SSD I put in it.

 

[CA19100]

One thing that make skew my perspective somewhat is that I would strip out a load of software that comes with a typical big-name laptop which may alter the responsiveness somewhat, particularly with a laptop without an SSD. I would also go for anti-virus only rather than the bloated "Internet Security" suites.

Yup. http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ is always a first stop!

 

[VirtualLarry]

WB speaking here, Her laptop is the AMD equivalent or response you to the atom. I bought it for her 4-5 years ago and have done every upgrade possible. Maxed the ram, SSD, naked win7 install but the fact is today it is way past it's prime.
Time for new.

Sounds like my Acer Aspire One 722 netbook / laptop. It had an AMD C-60 in it. Which, at the time, was slow, but not too bad, but over time, it just wasn't fast enough.

I would look at some of the other threads in this forum, for people shopping for laptops. There was a post by Rossman about a Hot Deal for a Broadwell, I think i5, for $500-600.

 

[Reasonable Doubt]

Also Best Buy currently has a sale for this laptop for $429. I believe today is the last day of the sale. It lacks a backlit keyboard though. But it's still a pretty good deal.

HP - Pavilion 17.3" Laptop - Intel Core i5 - 6GB Memory - 750GB Hard Drive - Natural Silver/Ash Silver


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-pavi...ard-drive-natural-silver-ash-silver/4888026.p

 

[WoodButcher]

RD, regarding the link to the HP you posted... it just so happens that I bought that very same one last night on Best Buy. We went down my checklist, read the reviews and found the price to be very reasonable. Great minds think alike...

Looking forward to putting this new machine into WoodButcher's very capable hands to tweak and streamline as he is known to do.

Thanks to all who weighed in on this.

- Karen

 

[sm625]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-as...=8575135&loc=0&id=1219321335266&skuId=8274088

$375 on clearance.

I would buy that and replace the HDD with an SSD. Disclaimer, I havent researched how difficult it would be to get at the HDD.

 

[r0n]

Display
13.3 in Full HD IPS LED touchscreen (1920 x 1080), 10-finger multi-touch support

Processor

Intel Core i5-5200U 2.20 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.70 GHz

Memory

8GB DDR3L 1600 MHz

Hard drive size

500GB 5400 RPM SSHD

Operating system

Windows 8.1, 64-bit

PC type

2 in 1

Optical drive

None

Media drive

2-in-1 card reader (SD/MMC)

Audio

Waves MaxxAudio Pro

Video

Intel HD Graphics 5500 with shared graphics memory

Ports

2 USB 3.0 (1 powered) • 1 USB 2.0 • HDMI • Headphone output/Microphone input combo

Battery

3-cell 43WHr (up to 8 hours)*

Camera

720p HD webcam

Wireless

802.11ac (Miracast enabled)

Bluetooth

Yes

Dimensions

12.99 x 8.74 x 0.75 in (329.94 x 221.99 x 19.05 mm)

Weight

3.58 lbs (1.61 kg)

Color

Silver

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Dell-In...t%3D711-53200-19255-0%26rvr_id%3D849800143688

 

[r0n]

Sold Microsoft on eBay Store. Since it is a signature device it will have no bloatware. Please don't buy anything less than 1080p resolution.

 

[r0n]

Sold Microsoft on eBay Store. Since it is a signature device it will have no bloatware. Please don't buy anything less than 1080p resolution.

Another device from online Microsoft store. http://www.microsoftstore.com/store...-Signature-Edition-Laptop/productID.313302800