# Help With New Laptop.



## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

Fellow forum members, help me decide on what kind of laptop I should get. 

I don't really know anything about RAM, gigabytes, processors, or anything like that. I don't use it to play video games and don't really stream movies or shows on it. I'd really only need it to surf the web, watch youtube videos, do skype calls, watch some online courses I have, and write on it. 

Is it worth the extra money for more RAM or space or whatever? 

What are the good brands? Dell? Chrome? Acer? Lenovo? I don't want something cheap, but I'm not looking to shell out a grand or something on something I probably don't need. 

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.


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## Penny (Mar 24, 2016)

RAM makes your computer faster. I have 4gb RAM and it is enough for me. (I had 2gb, but added 2 more gb because my computer was so slow and the extra 2 gb has made a huge difference) My bf says he would get a Lenovo Thinkpad. (he's really good with computers.)
I used to have a Toshiba laptop and it was great and has lasted longer than the 8 years max you are supposed to get out of laptops, but supposedly the new ones aren't as good. My bf got a new one a few years ago and it only lasted like a year and half before dying.


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## Riven (Jan 17, 2015)

BlueChristmas06 said:


> Fellow forum members, help me decide on what kind of laptop I should get.
> 
> I don't really know anything about RAM, gigabytes, processors, or anything like that. I don't use it to play video games and don't really stream movies or shows on it. I'd really only need it to surf the web, watch youtube videos, do skype calls, watch some online courses I have, and write on it.
> 
> ...


Buy a Chromebook (all around $250), although prepare to buy a flash drive or something since it's got low storage (16 GB at the very least, and Chrome OS will try to delete your stuff if it gets nearly full in order to keep it fast). If all you're gonna do is surf the web and do Skype calls, the former you can do easily, but I think the latter, you might have to figure out if Android apps are available there. If not, there's Hangouts (which barely anyone uses), or get a cheap Windows laptop.

However, I have a complaint with Windows 10 on cheap laptops because of the update system, which unnecessarily eats away at storage (you cannot cancel them), which does make external storage a must (especially if you have a laptop with less than 120 GB storage). If that becomes an issue for you, you could go find a place online or somewhere as to where they sell laptops with Linux installed, or find a way to remove Windows on an existing laptop entirely.

Linux is easy to use (as long as you don't mess around with it too much, but support is great nevertheless). Skype works on it, and there exists adequate alternatives to a few (but not all) Microsoft applications. If you're glued to the Apple ecosystem, however, it'll be difficult to use Linux if you need Apple services like iTunes and iCloud.

As for specific models, many are too similar to each other for me to recommend or have lackluster features elsewhere (e.g. poor battery life). If I had to, though, I'd go with Acer or HP. Dell's been a bit infamous for its poor support and proprietary layouts/components. Lenovo may be another good option, but I consider them to be rather insignificant unless you're into their ThinkPad range (good controls and fast processing for rather cheap).



starrykitty said:


> RAM makes your computer faster. I have 4gb RAM and it is enough for me. (I had 2gb, but added 2 more gb because my computer was so slow and the extra 2 gb has made a huge difference) My bf says he would get a Lenovo Thinkpad. (he's really good with computers.)
> I used to have a Toshiba laptop and it was great and has lasted longer than the 8 years max you are supposed to get out of laptops, but supposedly the new ones aren't as good. My bf got a new one a few years ago and it only lasted like a year and half before dying.


I think the CPU is about speed (look for anything with i3 or i5 for best value). More RAM helps you to browse with more Chrome tabs in the background before you notice signs of slowdown. I recommend:
- 4 GB for a laptop with Intel Atom, Celeron, Pentium (most likely for price, but also because the processors are a bit slow to start up and process tasks even in the foreground)
- 8 GB for a laptop with Intel i3 and i5
- 16 GB for a laptop with Intel i7

Most laptops should have upgradeable RAM, though; keep an eye out for that though


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

starrykitty said:


> RAM makes your computer faster. I have 4gb RAM and it is enough for me. (I had 2gb, but added 2 more gb because my computer was so slow and the extra 2 gb has made a huge difference) My bf says he would get a Lenovo Thinkpad. (he's really good with computers.)
> I used to have a Toshiba laptop and it was great and has lasted longer than the 8 years max you are supposed to get out of laptops, but supposedly the new ones aren't as good. My bf got a new one a few years ago and it only lasted like a year and half before dying.


That's good to know, thanks. I had a Dell and it lasted a little over a year before it started going to shit. 



SJWDefener said:


> Buy a Chromebook (all around $250), although prepare to buy a flash drive or something since it's got low storage (16 GB at the very least, and Chrome OS will try to delete your stuff if it gets nearly full in order to keep it fast). If all you're gonna do is surf the web and do Skype calls, the former you can do easily, but I think the latter, you might have to figure out if Android apps are available there. If not, there's Hangouts (which barely anyone uses), or get a cheap Windows laptop.
> 
> However, I have a complaint with Windows 10 on cheap laptops because of the update system, which unnecessarily eats away at storage (you cannot cancel them), which does make external storage a must (especially if you have a laptop with less than 120 GB storage). If that becomes an issue for you, you could go find a place online or somewhere as to where they sell laptops with Linux installed, or find a way to remove Windows on an existing laptop entirely.
> 
> ...



Thanks, yeah I did some homework and was thinking probably an HP. I'm pretty much done with Dell after their shitty hardware and customer support. Good to know about more RAM for more tabs open. I usually like alot of tabs open. Thanks again.


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## Catwalk (Aug 12, 2015)

8GB // i5 // 500 Hard drive -- with full removal of Micro-fail Winduhs™ and implement sufficient Linux™. Anti-*Dell*™ / *Anti*-HP™. [All are programmed to degrade + malfunction within a (2) years] span.


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

Catwalk said:


> 8GB // i5 // 500 Hard drive -- with full removal of Micro-fail Winduhs™ and implement sufficient Linux™. Anti-*Dell*™ / *Anti*-HP™. [All are programmed to degrade + malfunction within a (2) years] span.


Where would I find something like that?


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## Riven (Jan 17, 2015)

BlueChristmas06 said:


> Where would I find something like that?


You could go find a place that custom-builds laptops for you if you're that concerned about planned obsolecence, as I mentioned before.


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

SJWDefener said:


> You could go find a place that custom-builds laptops for you if you're that concerned about planned obsolecence, as I mentioned before.


Ehhh I can probably get past that. The two I'm looking at are this one: HP 15.6" Touch-Screen Laptop - AMD A10-Series - 6GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive Black 15-BA079DX - Best Buy

and 

HP 15.6" Laptop - Intel Core i5 - 4GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive Black X0S24UA#ABA - Best Buy


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## Riven (Jan 17, 2015)

BlueChristmas06 said:


> Ehhh I can probably get past that. The two I'm looking at are this one: HP 15.6" Touch-Screen Laptop - AMD A10-Series - 6GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive Black 15-BA079DX - Best Buy
> 
> and
> 
> HP 15.6" Laptop - Intel Core i5 - 4GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive Black X0S24UA#ABA - Best Buy


i5 has better performance, but doesn't have a touch screen. You should be able to upgrade RAM on both models though.


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

SJWDefener said:


> i5 has better performance, but doesn't have a touch screen. You should be able to upgrade RAM on both models though.


I'll probably go with the i5 though. I don't care about the touch screen.


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## ATLeow (Jun 2, 2013)

I've been out of the loop a few years, but in terms of a conventional laptop I don't think a whole lot has changed, so here goes. For what you have in mind, you may instead want to consider a large tablet, but you give up a conventional keyboard.
I always recommend a custom build to people, but if you're not gaming or doing a lot of video processing then factory laptops will probably do just fine, and you may be able to get some very good deals by shopping around. Where exactly I don't know, but going to manufacturer websites, picking something and googling the SKU is probably a good start.

Brands I tend to think are of limited relevance with middle-of-the-range, general-purpose laptops. Everyone has something in that range; unlike say, shopping for cars where brands have identities, most things are OEM and the product line is geared towards that, many big PC companies don't even build their own computer chassis; they assemble parts from the same few big manufacturers, and then slap on a warranty sticker. Given that you're probably looking to just buy a stock, off-the-shelf laptop, customer support I'd think is the only huge brand-specific consideration. Personally, I'd recommend HP, way back when, their laptop business was in very high regard and it probably still is (the Pavilion series is good mid-range platform). Look up how the customer support of any brand is generally rated. HP is what I've recommended to friends before.

Exceptions is Apple. I personally have a bone to pick with Apple, I think you pay a shit-ton for the brand name - as a general rule I'd think an extra $2-500 for the same level of functionality as a Windows machine - but if you like the Mac OS, Apple is the only game in town for the casual user. Apple machines do tend to be very slim and light and support may be superior given that it's all proprietary, perfect for the commuting hipster.

Size: Laptop size is governed by two main factors, screen size and thickness of the chassis, which tends to correlate with weight. Most non-gaming machines are likely thin and light enough so this is not an issue, go above a 15.4/15.6" screen (think of this as the "average" size) and you run into problems fitting them into many backpacks, common laptop bags and the like. Unless portability is of the highest concern, I see no reason to give up screen space and native resolution by going below 15.4" either. There is a niche market for very small laptops, partly driven by the Apple hipster crowd and fulfilled by said market, but in my opinion, a 14" laptop is as portable as a laptop will ever really be while still making ergonomic sense.

Processors: Intel has a near-monopoly. AMD is a wildcard, I don't see AMD processors offered generally. For your purposes, if it's in the same price range, it will make minimal difference. The Intel i5 and i7 line cover all but their most budget-oriented processors. I personally still don't see a reason to go above dual-core given that many applications still aren't configured to run efficiently on more than one or two processor cores, but quad core has become standard at the upper mid range. It's more future proof, but I think unnecessary if you're looking to spend as little as possible. Clock speed makes a bigger difference, but basically, for off-the-shelf computers, what you get will most likely be fine - this is only something I think worth worrying about when you have a dedicated graphics card, are juggling SSD and RAM, and you need to match the performance of them all.

Graphics: Gaming machines have dedicated graphics cards. Most other laptops have onboard graphics (integrated with the processor), which handle films and some less demanding games just fine. If it says it has Intel HD or Iris graphics, they're onboard graphics. Again, unless it's a gaming rig, this will do fine. 

Operating system: Entirely depends on how keen you are on the latest features. If you don't care about touchscreen compatibility or any of the features added by Windows 8 or 10, you could potentially save some money by getting a deal on a laptop shipped with Windows 7, but it's an older OS by now and the clock is ticking on how long Microsoft will continue to support it. Windows 7 right now is what XP was a decade ago; relative to newer operating systems, it does nothing fancy, does what it needs to do well, is similar in terms of GUI to all older OSs, and is less taxing on the components than newer OSs. That said, Windows 10 is probably entirely functional if you don't mind spending time getting used to it, if you aren't already.

HDD: The Solid State Disc is the latest thing in Hard Drives. It boasts a notable performance increase particularly when running games, but capacity is greatly reduced and price is increased, especially if you try to make up for its reduced capacity. The conventional mechanical HDD will be just fine for your purposes; if you don't intend to download a lot of video and store it, most midrange laptops will come with more capacity than you need, and besides, if you need more capacity, external drives exist. This is an area where money can be effectively saved for most people; a conventional 7200rpm 500GB drive is plenty for casual use. It's possible to split the difference between an SSD and conventional HDD by opting for a hybrid drive, which have no real downsides and cost very little more than regular HDDs, but I don't see them offered much outside of custom builders; again, probably unnecessary.

RAM: 8GB is plenty for Windows 7 for your purposes, higher-end processors will only reach their full potential with 16GB. For Windows 8 or 10, I'd opt for 16GB given the nature of system as a whole, but if on a budget and you can rule out intensive multitasking or whatever, 8GB will do. For multitasking while on Firefox (which has become quite a bulky browser) for hours, I occasionally experience memory drain issues, but I do fine on Windows 7 with a good processor (i5-4210M @ 2.6GHz, 2014 tech) with 8GB RAM; I notice slowdown at 5.3GB and standard load is between 2.3 and 4.3GB.

CD/DVD Drive: Becoming rarer and rarer. If you want it, don't assume it's included; you'll need to look for this feature. Chassis built to accommodate a CD/DVD drive are often a little bulkier.

Sound and everything else: Unless editing music and/or listening with very good headphones, the onboard sound will probably be fine. Everything else is probably also fine.

All of what I've said potentially goes out the window if your budget is less than $3-400 or so because you may end up with much older processor architecture and need to match the rest of the components to it.


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## NotAlone (Oct 28, 2014)

I would recommend getting a Mac. They are pretty simple and very user friendly. New ones are pretty expensive but refurb from Apple is really good and they are less expensive than getting a new one.


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## Tsu (May 19, 2016)

IMO, I would purchase laptops from the MSi or Asus brand. They have a slightly better rep than HP or Dell.

The specs that were suggested by people are on point, and 15 inches on the screen is perfect on a laptop. Not too large or too small, I find.


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## owlet (May 7, 2010)

If you don't want it to play video games, I've been using a refurbished Lenovo for almost 5 years now, with no real trouble (the fan once got blocked by fur, but that's one of the perils of having a cat). It's 4GB RAM and runs fast.
I do run a couple of older video games on it too and it's fine.


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## Biba the Traitor (Jun 12, 2016)

starrykitty said:


> I used to have a Toshiba laptop and it was great and has lasted longer than the 8 years max you are supposed to get out of laptops, but supposedly the new ones aren't as good.


WOW, you are literly the only person besides myself that i know who has had there laptop for over 7 years !
i thought i was special xD thanks for popping that bubble xD lool


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## nO_d3N1AL (Apr 25, 2014)

In my view, I just don't see the point of a laptop anymore. If you want something portable to do basic stuff (web browsing, documents, even some light coding) then a Windows tablet is perfectly adequate. If you want gaming, just build a desktop PC. What matters really is that you get something which is good value and with an SSD instead of a hard drive.


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

I ended up getting an Acer E 15. Intel core i5. 4GB DDR4 memory. 1,000 GB HDD. Seems to be working alright. Also, kind of unrelated but what is the best browser? Firefox keeps crashing on me. I'm on Microsoft Edge right now. Is that the same thing as explorer?


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## VinnieBob (Mar 24, 2014)

BlueChristmas06 said:


> Fellow forum members, help me decide on what kind of laptop I should get.
> 
> I don't really know anything about RAM, gigabytes, processors, or anything like that. I don't use it to play video games and don't really stream movies or shows on it. I'd really only need it to surf the web, watch youtube videos, do skype calls, watch some online courses I have, and write on it.
> 
> ...


MAC
fuck windows
once you go mac you'll never go back


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## The red spirit (Sep 29, 2015)

Go to the shop and pick laptop that has good screen (angles, colors, gamma, contrast, brightness) and good CPU or just upgradable socket and if can with any dedicated GPU (later you could put better one) and don't look for SSD in it or more ram, you can upgrade it yourself for much less money (if they aren't soldered).


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## The red spirit (Sep 29, 2015)

BlueChristmas06 said:


> I ended up getting an Acer E 15. Intel core i5. 4GB DDR4 memory. 1,000 GB HDD. Seems to be working alright. Also, kind of unrelated but what is the best browser? Firefox keeps crashing on me. I'm on Microsoft Edge right now. Is that the same thing as explorer?


Internet explorer isn't bad now, it will work, but it won't be updated, so better use chrome.


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