Computer Recommendations?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

My Dell laptop of 2.5 years is garbage. Need help. I have an influx of capital coming soon. My only ambitions for a computer would be the usual--word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet applications; storage; internet use; and maybe some GIS software if lucky. I'm not a gamer and I am unlikely to be writing code (though I may one day audit a CS class or two). The people I know who know computers seem generally to use Mac, but that may be pricy.

[Virginiá]

Are you trying to go back through Dell again, or is this something you may just want to pick up at Best Buy (or maybe even online at a place like newegg or tigerdirect)? Admittedly I am a bit biased against Apple here, but if that is all you want, I wouldn't waste the money on them. They tend to be overly expensive for no good reason.

[Santander]

I have only bought 14" s models of T-series laptops for nearly 10 years. (T400s, T420s, T440s, T460s, etc.) I always buy the 2-year Thinkpad warranty and buy a new one when it expires. They'll (usually) fix your computer on the same day, anywhere in the world - even if you don't speak the local language. I find the T-series more practical than the X1 Carbon, which is more of an executive toy. If it's good enough for a big evil soulless corporation, it's good enough for personal use. Once you go Thinkpad, you never, ever go back.

Get one with an i7, 9-cell battery, SSD, and put in a M.2 2242 SSD for secondary storage or as a boot drive, depending on how bad the standard Lenovo SSDs are these days. The only downside is that the s models were designed as Goldilocks business laptops and don't have discrete graphics like the p models. Thinkpad screens have always been terrible since the IBM days anyway, so it's just a minor hit on performance on some tasks.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Are you trying to go back through Dell again, or is this something you may just want to pick up at Best Buy (or maybe even online at a place like newegg or tigerdirect)? Admittedly I am a bit biased against Apple here, but if that is all you want, I wouldn't waste the money on them. They tend to be overly expensive for no good reason.

Best Buy is likely to be my purchasing facilitator. I would like to break from Dell. And I would simply like a computer with more longevity.

[dead0man]

Laptops are like cars, you have to look pretty hard to find a bad one these days.  Especially if that's all you want to do with it.

[DavidB.]

Beep boop

On a more serious note, I have an HP (lol) and customer service has been really terrible to me (f**k you Carly) so wouldn't recommend.

[IceAgeComing]

I've been using MacBooks since I went to uni and I would recommend them - they are expensive but I've had my current one for the best part of five years now and it still works very well and hasn't seemed to slow down at all; plus the support you get from Apple is very good in my experience (although I live a 20 minute train trip away from an Apple store; if you don't then that might change things).

[Ban my account ffs!]

Apple will offer the best customer service and the smoothest experience use wise...but $1299 for their cheapest model is pushing it.

Lenovo would be a better bet.  It's the former PC division of IBM.

[Xing]

I've had pretty good experiences with Toshibas.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I think the best option is to buy online and to go for a model that is sturdily built vs going for the highest performance specs. 

Look for an intel core i3 or i5 rather than a core 'm', Pentium, or Celeron.  Get at least 8GB of RAM and Id recommend a 256GB solid state drive.  You can get that for about $900-1000 from Lenovo.

The basic Macbook Pro has very similar specs but has a better camera and display and keyboard and trackpad.  That's $1299 with the Core i5, 8GB RAM, only 128GB storage though if you dont game and you stream or just get an external drive for media...you're fine.  The MBP cones with 2 thunderbolt 3 ports which give you expandability because the connection is so fast.

The only way you're gonna get under $900 is through cheaper build materials and reduced performance. 

[RINO Tom]

89

[Santander]

89

That model don't work too good.

[NOVA Green]

This gentleman should be able to assist with the Computer problem in question....

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?action=profile;u=12566

(Grabs coat and hats and runs towards the door)

[SATW]

i also endorse beep boop. hes the best