Need a new laptop and I'm not tech savvy. Looking for recommendations

My 10+ year old laptop is showing signs it's going to die soon. I mainly use it for surfn the interwebz, paying bills and the like. Current machine is an HP but I have no brand allegiance when it comes to computers. Although this thing has lasted longer than I expected and was performing fairly well until recently.

My work computer is a Lenovo Thinkpad which seems okay. No major complaints with it.

Any major advantages or disadvantages to switching teams and going with a Mac? My wife uses a Mac but mainly because that's what her employer supplied. She seems to like it better than windows machines she's had though.

I like Mac. I can sync all devices together and I troubleshoot problems easier.

The Mac Shack, in Boulder, sells refurbished laptops.

If all you use is the interwebs, get a Chromebook, you don't need a Windows or Apple machine.

O2

Microcenter should be your go to for budget friendly options...

https://www.microcenter.com/search/s...ortby=pricelow

Don't get a MAC, they are overpriced, and underpowered, and run a limited selection of applications.

Don't get a Chromebook, it is underpowered, and runs a limited selection of applications.

Also make sure you need a laptop. Do you need it to be mobile? A desktop may be better for you, and they offer a lot more performance for the price.

-John

Any Windows based PC you buy will be outdated before you can make the trip home from the store with it. It will also likely last somewhere between four and eight years ish before it starts acting stupid or just implodes.

I say buy whatever is cheap and if it lasts as long as your last one it?s money well spent.

For web browsing, bill paying, etc. I just use my phone.

I am using a Dell Latitude Rugged 7424. I just upgraded to a Dell 5430 Latitude Rugged as a backup. It is smaller, lighter and has twice the RAM and hardrive. I got them at Dell Business Outlet. They are designed for extreme conditions and are built to meet military specifications. I don't worry about them being damaged too much when I travel. They come with a 3 year warranty. Kind of pricey, but you pay for a machine that will work in extreme conditions.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/dfh/lp/ou...B&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnline...=28&l=en&s=dfb


Another option for a heavy duty laptop is Panasonic Toughook Black Cobra. I like my laptops rugged as I use them to work on vehicles.

https://www.techtough.com/

I bought a new ASUS Chromebook with last year's TABOR refund. It does everything I need it to and no regrets at all. When I retired my son (who is a software engineer) told me a Chromebook was the perfect laptop to meet my needs.

I switched to MAC about 16 years ago and haven’t looked back.

with that said, as others pointed out Macs are expensive and limiting. At one point they had only one port for everything. Something I wouldn’t want to do, but that seems to be the wave of the future. I don’t think many new computers have disk drives or HDDs that you can upgrade outside of some bespoke stuff. But I’m not a computer nerd either.

laptops are becoming more obsolescent everyday with many switching to tablets with keyboards.

What would your ballpark budget be?

I've had good luck with Lenovo (they constantly have different models on sale) and laptops through Costco.

The major advantage with a Mac is it works.

I jumped on the Mac wagon years ago after finally having enough of Windows.

My first Mac was a refurb 2009 I bought in 2011. I didn't have any trouble until Apple stopped supporting it. I bought a new 24" M1 in 2021 and am very happy with it.

It is fast, quiet, trouble free (so far) and the Retina screen is amazing.

Ten trouble free years is a pretty good lifespan- try that with a PC.

There are few programs that will not run on a Mac unless you play games or need specialized programs. I can't recall anything web-based being an issue.

They are more expensive than a cheap Windows rig but there are many more expensive units as well. You don't need to buy new either. There are plenty of places to buy refurbished units that have warrantees.

I also have a macbook pro and ipad that I use for my business. They all communicate easily with each other and my iphone.

Try it. If you don't like it, you will likely be able to sell it without losing money.