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The New Coffee Room

  1. TNCR
  2. General Discussion
  3. Cheap Laptop

Cheap Laptop

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  • Aqua LetiferA Offline
    Aqua LetiferA Offline
    Aqua Letifer
    wrote on last edited by
    #2

    I'd say stick with Chromebook.

    Please love yourself.

    George KG 1 Reply Last reply
    • Aqua LetiferA Aqua Letifer

      I'd say stick with Chromebook.

      George KG Offline
      George KG Offline
      George K
      wrote on last edited by
      #3

      @Aqua-Letifer said in Cheap Laptop:

      I'd say stick with Chromebook.

      She can't do Outlook, Office, etc, can she?

      "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

      The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

      Aqua LetiferA 1 Reply Last reply
      • George KG George K

        @Aqua-Letifer said in Cheap Laptop:

        I'd say stick with Chromebook.

        She can't do Outlook, Office, etc, can she?

        Aqua LetiferA Offline
        Aqua LetiferA Offline
        Aqua Letifer
        wrote on last edited by Aqua Letifer
        #4

        @George-K said in Cheap Laptop:

        @Aqua-Letifer said in Cheap Laptop:

        I'd say stick with Chromebook.

        She can't do Outlook, Office, etc, can she?

        Online, she could. But she should try it to see if that's too much of a PITA. In my experience, Outlook online is fine. Word online can suck.

        Please love yourself.

        1 Reply Last reply
        • George KG George K

          D3 has a Chromebook (a HP) that she got a couple of years ago. It was, iirc <$200. It's fine for what she's doing now, but there are a couple of issues: 1) She can't do any work on it (Outlook, work spreadsheets, etc) and 2) Her cat peed onto the keyboard. It's functional, but she wants to have something that she can use for work. Though a Mac person, she wants something that would be compatible with the Windows machines that her work uses.

          So, she's wondering what's a reasonable laptop that she can get for a cheapo price. She's not gaming, doing video, etc. All she needs is

          1. Internet access
          2. Windows compatibility
          3. Office compatibility

          Really, REALLY, basic stuff.

          Should she go for Windows 10 compatibility?

          I really don't know enough about all this. She needs cheap and functional at the most basic of levels.

          Thoughts?

          taiwan_girlT Offline
          taiwan_girlT Offline
          taiwan_girl
          wrote on last edited by
          #5

          @George-K said in Cheap Laptop:

          1. Her cat peed onto the keyboard. 😹
          George KG 1 Reply Last reply
          • taiwan_girlT taiwan_girl

            @George-K said in Cheap Laptop:

            1. Her cat peed onto the keyboard. 😹
            George KG Offline
            George KG Offline
            George K
            wrote on last edited by
            #6

            @taiwan_girl said in Cheap Laptop:

            @George-K said in Cheap Laptop:

            1. Her cat peed onto the keyboard. 😹

            We were talking about this this afternoon. Mrs. George asked, "Why don't you just wash it?"

            facepalm

            "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

            The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

            1 Reply Last reply
            • George KG George K

              D3 has a Chromebook (a HP) that she got a couple of years ago. It was, iirc <$200. It's fine for what she's doing now, but there are a couple of issues: 1) She can't do any work on it (Outlook, work spreadsheets, etc) and 2) Her cat peed onto the keyboard. It's functional, but she wants to have something that she can use for work. Though a Mac person, she wants something that would be compatible with the Windows machines that her work uses.

              So, she's wondering what's a reasonable laptop that she can get for a cheapo price. She's not gaming, doing video, etc. All she needs is

              1. Internet access
              2. Windows compatibility
              3. Office compatibility

              Really, REALLY, basic stuff.

              Should she go for Windows 10 compatibility?

              I really don't know enough about all this. She needs cheap and functional at the most basic of levels.

              Thoughts?

              CopperC Offline
              CopperC Offline
              Copper
              wrote on last edited by
              #7

              @George-K said in Cheap Laptop:

              the Windows machines that her work uses

              If work uses Windows, then Windows.

              Probably Windows 10, but check, there are, believe it or not, some Windows 8 holdovers.

              Tell work to buy her one.

              1 Reply Last reply
              • Doctor PhibesD Offline
                Doctor PhibesD Offline
                Doctor Phibes
                wrote on last edited by
                #8

                I bought a cheap laptop a couple of years ago. What a great deal - $400 and I got Windows 10, an SSD, thing worked really well.

                Then, after about 18 months it just stopped working out of the blue. We took it to be looked at and were told the motherboard had failed. It could be fixed for $300.

                Never again.

                My feeling is that you should either get something absolutely dirt cheap (Chromebook), or bite the bullet and get something decent, with good build quality.

                I was only joking

                1 Reply Last reply
                • MikM Offline
                  MikM Offline
                  Mik
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #9

                  We all three have Lenovo Yogas and like them a lot. Plus you can use them as a tablet too. Not exactly cheap, but you can likely pick one up around $700 or so on sale.

                  “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~Winston S. Churchill

                  Doctor PhibesD 1 Reply Last reply
                  • MikM Mik

                    We all three have Lenovo Yogas and like them a lot. Plus you can use them as a tablet too. Not exactly cheap, but you can likely pick one up around $700 or so on sale.

                    Doctor PhibesD Offline
                    Doctor PhibesD Offline
                    Doctor Phibes
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #10

                    @Mik said in Cheap Laptop:

                    We all three have Lenovo Yogas and like them a lot. Plus you can use them as a tablet too. Not exactly cheap, but you can likely pick one up around $700 or so on sale.

                    I've got an HP Spectre, which does much the same thing. I love it, but it wasn't cheap.

                    I was only joking

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    • AxtremusA Offline
                      AxtremusA Offline
                      Axtremus
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #11

                      Last Windows 10 machine I acquired is a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and so far it’s been good.
                      It’s Microsoft hardware running Microsoft software. You cannot get any more compatible than that.
                      So I recommend taking a look at the Microsoft Surface line of computers to see if you can find one that hits your desired price/performance sweet spot.
                      Good luck.

                      George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                      • AxtremusA Axtremus

                        Last Windows 10 machine I acquired is a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and so far it’s been good.
                        It’s Microsoft hardware running Microsoft software. You cannot get any more compatible than that.
                        So I recommend taking a look at the Microsoft Surface line of computers to see if you can find one that hits your desired price/performance sweet spot.
                        Good luck.

                        George KG Offline
                        George KG Offline
                        George K
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #12

                        @Axtremus I know nothing about the Surface line of Microsoft machines. Based on what I posted above, which model of Surface would you recommend?

                        I imagine an attached keyboard is a must.

                        No need for gaming, video editing, etc. Just a basic notebook that'll do Office, web, etc.

                        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                        AxtremusA 1 Reply Last reply
                        • KlausK Offline
                          KlausK Offline
                          Klaus
                          wrote on last edited by Klaus
                          #13

                          For a cheapo price I’d buy a refurbished Thinkpad.

                          What are the priorities in the battery life vs performance vs size triangle?

                          If small form factor and long battery life are important: I've always been a fan of the X series laptops. Very reliable. Lots of compatible accessories (such as docking stations). Easy to maintain (e.g. extend memory) - the opposite of Apple's "let's glue it all together" philosophy. Good availability of spare parts.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          • George KG George K

                            @Axtremus I know nothing about the Surface line of Microsoft machines. Based on what I posted above, which model of Surface would you recommend?

                            I imagine an attached keyboard is a must.

                            No need for gaming, video editing, etc. Just a basic notebook that'll do Office, web, etc.

                            AxtremusA Offline
                            AxtremusA Offline
                            Axtremus
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #14

                            @George-K said in Cheap Laptop:

                            @Axtremus I know nothing about the Surface line of Microsoft machines. Based on what I posted above, which model of Surface would you recommend?

                            I imagine an attached keyboard is a must.

                            No need for gaming, video editing, etc. Just a basic notebook that'll do Office, web, etc.

                            See https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/devices/compare-devices ... I'd say look at the Pro X, Pro 7, or the Laptop 3. The Pro X and Pro 7 need separate keyboard/cover. The Laptop 3 comes with an attached keyboard, this is most like your traditional laptop.

                            There is a cheaper option called the "Go 2" at half the cost of the other options, but that comes with a weaker/slower Intel m-series processor. Performance wise, you can probably compare that to the entry level MacBook.

                            George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                            • markM Offline
                              markM Offline
                              mark
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #15

                              I have zero experience in the Non-Apple laptop market. I am probably going to start looking at Win laptops, soon. Of course, mine will be a business purchase and will be on the "high end" of the equation. "Cheap" and me, do not get along well.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              • Aqua LetiferA Offline
                                Aqua LetiferA Offline
                                Aqua Letifer
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #16

                                I have a Surface. A rather cheap one. No problems.

                                Please love yourself.

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                • AxtremusA Axtremus

                                  @George-K said in Cheap Laptop:

                                  @Axtremus I know nothing about the Surface line of Microsoft machines. Based on what I posted above, which model of Surface would you recommend?

                                  I imagine an attached keyboard is a must.

                                  No need for gaming, video editing, etc. Just a basic notebook that'll do Office, web, etc.

                                  See https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/devices/compare-devices ... I'd say look at the Pro X, Pro 7, or the Laptop 3. The Pro X and Pro 7 need separate keyboard/cover. The Laptop 3 comes with an attached keyboard, this is most like your traditional laptop.

                                  There is a cheaper option called the "Go 2" at half the cost of the other options, but that comes with a weaker/slower Intel m-series processor. Performance wise, you can probably compare that to the entry level MacBook.

                                  George KG Offline
                                  George KG Offline
                                  George K
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #17

                                  @Axtremus said in Cheap Laptop:

                                  Performance wise, you can probably compare that to the entry level MacBook.

                                  That's probably good enough for her needs.

                                  "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                  The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

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