Computer purchasing suggestions from computer people
3Hello Mehtizens,
Within the next 2-3 months I want to buy another laptop. As the only online community that I'm tuned into that has much computer knowledge, I come to you for suggestions. Capability needs: basic office stuff, statistical programs (Stata, Matlab), good for reading academic articles (I like the idea of one of these 13" 2in1 things, but have no idea if they are pieces of shit or not, much less how to tell the difference between them), and general multitasking. Notably not needed: gaming.
So, any suggestions on processors? (I don't have any conception or ability to retain information on any sort of measurement of these. it's like a mental block). Memory? 4gb min, but expandable? What's all this Windows 10 garbage and is it worth paying attention to? (oh yeah, looking at PC only). SSD harddrive sounds awesome, any input there? As a student, I'm heavy on the deal finding, so any suggestions on timing of the purchase, best website to find the lowest price on etc, is welcomed as well.
Thanks in advance!
- 14 comments, 34 replies
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Is the convertible a desire or a necessity? How about a touchscreen? And most importantly, what's your budget?
Processing power is abundant these days. The Atom processor in my tablet is on par with a Core 2 Duo from when Windows 7 came out ... and Windows 8 is lighter on resources.
Thanks for the info.
Convertible isn't necessary, but is desirable, if a reasonably priced one is out there. It just seems like that would be a good way to read journal articles when there isn't space for a laptop (cars, planes, etc.). But I could definitely see poor construction of these things as a norm.
I want to spend as little as possible. I'm seeing sales for things in the $250-400 range that seem feasible, but just don't know if I should jump on one or wait for a while to get an a slightly older generation of a certain processor or something like that.
For instance, found this this morning: http://www.ebay.com/itm/261711224361?rmvSB=true
@Mehntok this is a good deal. My issues however would be a difficulty finding reviews and a limited 90 day warranty. Also no drive is an issue for some. I personally would not buy it.
lolwhoops you said laptop, sry
your requirements should be more than easy to hit in that range. MATLAB apparently only needs 2GB of RAM and doesn't have any real processor requirements, and Stata requires less than that (unless you're working with huge datasets, which is a different story). given that, I would just go for usability and online reviews are good for that.
I just purchased a Chromebook for my daughter. We did a pretty in-depth look at her needs prior to committing. For $269 we got the Toshiba Chrombook 2 with 4GB of RAM and 16GB SSD, and a great IPS HD screen. Also, NINE hours of usage, and less than 3 lbs.
She is perfectly content (prefers, actually) to use the Google Office suite. Email, web, video consumption, video chat are all covered. Mostly everything else can be acquired through a Chrome plugin which is really much easier to self-manage than a windows OS.
We get it tomorrow, so time will tell if this was the right decision, but wanted to throw that option out there as well, particularly if you're budget conscious.
@ACraigL You missed the "statistical programs (Stata, Matlab)" part of the requirements. A Chromebook would be a poor choice for that.
@narfcake Oops! Pre-coffee response. Please move along.
@ACraigL thanks anyway. I was looking at Chromebooks but stopped for the same reason. Maybe the next generation will have some more non-Google play functionality
@The_Baron "Anything under that is junk." BULLSHIT. Everyone's needs are different, and such statements are akin to all those who would pan a new car as slow because it takes 9 seconds to hit 60mph versus a more expensive car taking 8. Reality - folks aren't racing off at every green light to make this that strong of a reason.
@narfcake I'm not so sure. I agree i5 is a little bit of a high bar (i3 i would have set it at) but unlike cars there is a minimum necessary to live comfortably with a new computer. And 4gb and an i3 might be that minimum with todays software.
@march5th00 great inputs, thanks guys
@march5th00 For some perspectives, the HP tablet at work - 2gb ram and a quad-core Atom -- is fine rendering/displaying 3D drawings (AutoCAD generated) for the purposes of pricing out projects. Sure, it takes a few seconds longer than the 3-year old i5 desktops the engineering department uses, but we're talking about a sub-2 lb., $200 device with a purported 11+ hour battery life here.
@narfcake I only set it high because people often neglet to think about the future. Also, taking a few seconds longs adds up. Work time and productivity is also considered in cost. If someone is on a budget, the lower end processors work but you can still get a decent system for under $500. Also, you can't upgrade tablets. Some people don't care about portability and battery life, I really just depends on how you use your computer. If this person needs that flexability, then I will adjust the reccomendation. But generally, I stick to my suggestion if you want a well rounded laptop that will last you 4 years.
@mehntok Monitor slickdeals and you'll find a great laptop. This one for 399 is a damn good deal. Extra 5% off if you sign up for text alerts. http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Lenovo-G50-80-Signature-Edition-Laptop/productID.315132400?sdtid=7775465&ClickID=azrlo00vvalozoywrr0plyravkkzlkwstllr
@march5th00 Buying 'Signature Edition' from MS Store is always a good idea (especially if there's a nice deal to be found, like this one). The Signature Edition PCs come without any of the annoying bloatware crap that causes a brand new computer to run like an old dog. Good find - this looks very solid, @mehntok.
@brhfl good to know about signature editions. I currently have a 16" and it's larger than I'd like for my next one, so I'm gonna pass here. I have a monitor to plug into when I need more screen space.
@Mehntok The kicker is that often times, there are better deals on laptops with a 15"-16" screen than on smaller ones.
One of the new surface 3's may be a little on the high end of the price range your aiming for but might be a good fit. The atom in it might not be a screamer but shouldn't flinch at anything non gaming. I have an original surface pro which other than the screen being a bit small for everyday use rocks for portability.
@Nikodemus Little bit? $1000 is quite a bit more than the $250-400 that @mehntok was aiming to spend. No doubt the the Surface Pros are nice and its touch sensitive stylus offers one of the best bang-for-the-buck for artists, but it's probably overkill for the intended use in context here.
@Nikodemus The surface PRO 3 is a good computer (and it can handle some gaming at lower settings too!).. the regular surface 3 (not Pro) runs a mobile OS, and probably can't run that statistics software that @mehntok requested. Also worth noting, the keyboard/cover for a surface pro 3 is $130 extra.
@narfcake They just announced the new Surface 3 (not pro) that will now run normal windows like the Pro. It will use an Atom processor unlike the i5 or i7 in the Pro. They start I think at 499 excluding any discounts.
@Nikodemus Ah, okay. I wasn't aware of the non-pro 3, and the regular Surface or Surface 2 runs RT, which is a dead-end OS.
@Nikodemus @Mehntok If the slightly smaller screen is acceptable, this may be a great choice. With the Surface 4 due out this year, the $499 price of the Surface 3 should become more negotiable very soon. And it's eligible for the free upgrade to Win 10 later this year if you want it.
I just got a new laptop 2 months ago that has almost everything I could want on it. It was a special I saw on Dealnews.com--here is the expired link: http://dealnews.com/Used-Dell-Intel-Quad-Core-12-Touch-Laptop-for-249-free-shipping/1283554.html
It is currently available for @$400 but maybe it will go on sale again, or something similiar?? Or maybe its not what you want/need. For the $250 I paid, I think it's good.
*I am not a "computer person", but just sharing what I found to work for my needs at a cheap price point.
if you dont mind used
http://www.cowboom.com/product/1354753/
surface pro one For $251
add a power cable and a keyboard and you got a full convertible computing device
Specifications:
Display Type: ClearType HD (1920 x 1080)
Screen Size (Measured Diagonally): 10.6"
System Memory (RAM): 4GB
Storage Capacity: 64GB
i5 processor
@communist I have one and I have to say it's a solid piece of equipment. It has done really well over the two years I've owned it. It may cry when you throw some more advanced Matlab programs at it, but it should do quite nicely.
@NigelF hows the battery life? did you get one of the Microsoft touch or type cover?
@communist Battery life seems reasonable, a few hours of solid work at least. I got the touch cover and it was ok, but started to fall apart after a year.
@communist I have the type cover for mine and its still going strong other than the fabric back having collected some grime over the 2 odd years.
@communist I'm about as sceptical of microsoft brand products as I am of apple products. always seem overpriced compared to the more off-brand types that seem just as functional. But maybe I just don't understand the advantages.
What about an bang for the buck chromebook? I'm using a asus eeepc x101ch and the screen is turrible and it's slow even on linux. Hath anyone a suggestion. thanks in advance.
@miko1 honestly if you really want to spend $250 on a laptop, this might be your best option if you cant stand used laptops http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Dell-Inspiron-14-i3451-1001BLK-Signature-Edition-Laptop/productID.313302200
I guess you are a graduate student in some kind of social science. It all depends on how big your data sets are. If you are or will be using BIG data sets, go with ones at least 8gb ram and SSD. It is money saving in the end.
@paulmuzic yep, economics.... I guess this depends your definition of "big." Some of the health data I've been looking at is in the 100,000+ range.
@Mehntok I am in management and I also deal with health data which are probably bigger than what you've been looking at. One year data is bigger than 10gb. Because of its BIG size, I had to go with SAS and I am grateful for 16gb ram and SSD more than ever. Hope my experience help for your decision making.
@paulmuzic damn, never heard of resorting to SAS over Stata because of data size. I'm sold on a SSD, but wasn't sure on RAM. Maybe it makes sense to make a bigger investment and get a better rig... Thanks!
If you don't want Windows 8.1 or touchscreens, there's some nice off-lease/refurb Windows 7 Pro machines available.
All but 1 has an SSD, you get 4 or 8 GB of RAM, an older generation Intel Core i5 processor, and a decent selection of ports.
Here's 4 models to give you an idea of what you can get for $400 or less:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9562616
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8986448
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834300981
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834299488
@dashcloud Thanks for pulling those together. I'm not attached to 8.1, but I suspect windows 7 will be a liability whenever the next windows comes out. What do you think?
@Mehntok Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 can be updated to windows 10 within the first year of windows 10 coming out. Microsoft announcement that I'm not going to look up right now but google can :)
@sohmageek I remember seeing or hearing somewhere that updating the whole windows operating system from whatever the machine came with often fucks up a computer, but maybe not?
@Mehntok You're good until 2020 I believe for security updates, but if you can in fact do the free upgrade to Win 10, I would say do that, and then not need to worry for many years.
@Mehntok going from 8 to 7 can cause driver issues. But upgrading should be fine :) link to article about free upgrade. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/about
@sohmageek also. I really love my MacBook air. I'd prefer the MacBook pro retina but it doesn't last as long unplugged.
I wouldn't get anything without a ssd. And I wouldn't go any lower than 256gb. I love my wife's Lenovo yoga 2 I think they are up to 3 maybe 4 now though. :)
@mehntok I though of you when I saw this. No drive but you probably don't need that.
http://slickdeals.net/f/7801377-lenovo-flex-3-touch-screen-laptop-i5-5200u-8gb-ddr3-500gb-hdd-8gb-sshd-14-1920x1080-led-touch-549-with-free-shipping
@march5th00 Thanks for the link. Looks pretty compelling, but I'm not time strapped so I might monitor for a couple months and see if something with similar specs drops into the $400 range
@mehntok Do you have any better idea of what you'd like in a laptop now? (or, just as important, what you don't want)?
@dashcloud yep, thanks to everybody! : i5+ or equivalent, 8GB ram, 128 SD+, something that can lay flat like a tablet. So now I'm just holding out for a deal...