Sorry to raise a somewhat mundane issue when Covid is so important, but my stay at home work strategy has not been healthy for my laptop and it is on life support and not expected to survive. I am looking for advice for a replacement unit (to replace my Toshiba Kira) to satisfy the following needs/wants: 1. Windows based, not Apple. 2. Lightweight (under 3 lbs.). 3. As large a screen and keyboard as possible. 4. Touch screen if possible. 5. Not for gaming, just mainly for typical office work. 6. Good quality that will last and not need a lot of attention. 7. Decent battery life. Thoughts/suggestions? I did some research but it's hard to understand what is really going on. Thanks all.
That really is a difficult question to answer as everyone has different needs and view points. I used to be a big time computer builder when desktop size was perfectly acceptable, and trying to get maximum performance out of everything, but now that laptops are so powerful and so easy to handle, I havent worked on my desktops for a long time These are just my thoughts but I would go for a mid range laptop which has everything you want but is not at the top of the specs range. What you want depends what do you want to use it for, just general surfing the web, emails and normal office and photo stuff, then probably nearly every laptop can do that without issue these days. My recent personal experience is with HP and Lenovo, and these have given plenty of trouble free daily use. SSD drive is essential in my view, 256 / 512GB is fine, they are fast, reliable and don’t fail if your laptop should happen to take a big knock. I don’t see the point of big HDD in a laptop, both my laptops have 256GB SSD drives and are fine for normal use, and I also have a onedrive account with 1TB online storage where I store all my important stuff like photos etc, so the important stuff can be accessed from anywhere and is secure if my laptop should fail, get stolen etc. And external drives are so cheap if you need extra space on hand. A reasonably new generation processor like 8th gen i5 will be fast, not power hungry and not generate too much heat, so battery life should be better. If the laptop gets hot easily and the fan is on a lot, its uncomfortable and I assume uses a significant amount of battery with the fan on. Screen size 14” – light, easy to carry, good battery life. This is my preference but then I use a larger monitor screen at home. Screen size 15” – heavier, often higher specs and bigger battery, longer battery life, less portable but easier screen size to view. 17" screen, I've never liked and are too big and bulky imo Resolution of 1920x1080 seems to be normal and I've not needed anything different from that for office and home use. One of my laptops has touch screen but I hardly ever use that option, maybe I'm just too used to the mouse haha. At home I use a docking station with a monitor, keyboard and mouse, this makes super easy to use when I’m just sitting at my desk and not roaming around the house. I think its good to have USB-C also for speed and versatility Not sure that offers any help
I had the same challenge recently, wanted something robust that would last as my replacement would primarily be a work orientated the machine. Ended up going for a Lenovo P43s. Keyboard is excellent, great chassis and a serious amount of gubbins inside to not have to worry about it for quite a few years.
Working all-day long on a laptop screen is PITA. If you want it to be a laptop, buy a 14" one that will be light and easy to care - a portable device to be able to work from everywhere. But for your home setup strongly believe it makes sense to have a docking station with a proper screen, mouse and keyboard. At home, you use your laptop either docked / closed and work on your proper screen like you would with a workstation or you use your laptop docked / open so you get a second screen which is always comfortable (for example to leave your inbox or whatsapp/slack/skype/teams chat app always open).
I have a Lenovo Ideapad from a couple years ago, Win10 / touchscreen, hasn't broken a sweat with all the videoconferencing etc. I did buy a larger one (17" I think) but I'm issued a work laptop so portability isn't a concern; still I think a 15" version would be pretty good
Agree with the others, 14" is the sweet spot in my opinion as it allows the device to be portable yet large enough for routine work. Look at the HP Spectre brand and see if one of them would work for you. I have the 14" model and have never regretted my decision. I have the ability to connect a larger monitor if needed, but I haven't had the need really. Some specs to consider, some of which has already been discussed above: 1. Get at least a 256GB Solid State Drive. Boot up and operability speed is just silly good. If you can get 512GB SSD drive, go for it, though if you have a lot of data to back up, you can always buy an external HD or go to the cloud. 2. Memory/RAM - even though the current minimum is 8GB for good performance, get 16GB if you can swing it. I know you don't plan to game on the device, but as newer software requirements increase, your device's longevity/usefulness will also increase if you get higher specs. 3. While Intel has been getting much better with their built-in GPUs (graphics processing units), look for a device that has a GPU from Nvidia or AMD. Discreet GPUs cost extra, but again, you are looking to increase the lifespan of your laptop buy spending a little more now. 4. At a minimum an i5 processor. They provide a good balance of performance vs battery life/heat generation. With the GPU doing more and more processing, you can afford to go the i5 route and still have really good performance. Hope these tips work! Good luck!
The BF and I have been very pleased with the durability and quality of Acer laptops. The Aspire line is pretty easy to upgrade memory and RAM if it doesn't come with the quantity you want. Their refurbished site has lots of good deals.
I can recommend one not to get — the Surface Pro. My wife has one, and has had nothing but problems with it. The charger (!) has stopped working twice. This is the second one in two years and is a known problem. Microsoft will not replace under any warranty and they cost $90 a pop for the official one. We’ve resorted to buying cheaper aftermarket ones that if they fail, at least don’t cost $90 to replace. she also has problems with the Bluetooth going in and out, and the wireless dropping for no apparent reason. We know it’s the Surface Pro because my iPad and MacBook have no problems at all. IMO, Microsoft cut corners with cheap components to keep the price down, and it shows.
I have two laptop computers and a large 48" wide screen on the desk. I originally bought a 17" super powerful laptop, but found it just wasn't reasonable to use it for travel. Too big, too heavy. So I then bought a ultra lite laptop with a 14" screen. It's super easy to travel with, and I bought a second portable 14" screen. This makes it easier to work when traveling. As much as I wanted a one size fits all option, just wasn't realistic.
The best all around laptops in 2020 will run you a little over $1k and include Lenovo Yoga, HP Spectre, and Dell XPS. I think the convertible 2 in 1s are the way to go, you don't really lose anything over a traditional laptop only model and gives a little extra flexibility. Touch screens are still hit or miss or traditional laptops and I wouldn't want a windows machine without a touchscreen. 13.3" screen in these will be a little under 3lbs, 14" will put you slightly over. recommended specs 10th gen core i5, 256gb ssd, 8gb memory is ok but 16gb worth the usually modest upgrade $$$ if its an option discrete graphics not needed unless gaming esp with 10th gen chips. just bought a HP Spectre myself, it's our second in 2 years (last one was for my wife, this is the "family" computer). if you need something cheaper, there are corners that can be cut to save a couple hundred
A lot non-OF compliant advice here ....where are all the photos? So first a pic of my setup HP EliteBook 820 G3 (< 250€) HP 2013 UltraSlim Docking Station (<150€) 27” Monitor (<150€) small and lightweight if I’m traveling (not so much now), and full size desktop experience when at home. works well enough for me. Don’t forget to allow sufficient desk space for Omega-related distractions.
Mine has just arrived, first impressions are exactly as they should with a Thinkpad...it's a Thinkpad. Agree with most suggestions here, min 8gb ram, 256+ HD, 14 inchers are the way to go. I cannot recommend the surfaces Pros either, complete dogs dinner, we had a load at work that were miserable to use, esp with second bigger screens and then some started to give people shocks. Another I'm not too fond of are the current crop of Dells. I used to be a big fan of Dell however recently I've had to be first line support for Mrs Wivs XPS that had a tizzy and pooped itself over nothing, her previous Latitude wasn't much cop either for the price....and don't get me started on their battery issues.
Light weight and large screens are not to be combined. I personally love the Surface line from MIcrosoft.
MacBook Pro(s) are capable to run Windows, and these machines will give you big pluses on all of your criteria (not sure if touch screen works while running Windows). They are not the cheapest of laptops in the market but certainly of high quality...mine remains running like a champ for almost thirteen years...and, personally will never go back to a Windows based computer...