Which Laptop Is Best?

Discussion in Software PC & Mac started by Harmony Lassen • Apr 6, 2015.

  1. Harmony Lassen

    Harmony LassenNew Member

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    I need a new laptop before I start college in the fall. Mine is an old Mac, and frankly, it's outlived it's days. I'm looking for something cheap that I won't have to replace while I'm still in college that runs fast and has large hard drive space. Any suggestions?
     
  2. tipoywizard

    tipoywizardActive Member

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    I am quite contented with my Sony Viao. I have been using it for months already. It is actually my third laptop and am quite satisfied with it. But if given the chance I would like to have a mac.
     
  3. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    Try looking into Chromebooks. They are very cheap and offer a lot of power but the only downside is that it is only useful for when you have an internet connection so it's best suited for you if you can ensure you'd have internet for whenever you need to use it. You wouldn't need a huge hard drive space either because you could just utilize cloud storage instead
     
  4. Theo

    TheoWell-Known Member

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    I was in the same position and I went for an Acer as it was light for college. After a month I still hated it and ended up buying another Mac. I had Windows with a charm bar, but with 10 they don't have it thank goodness as that was my major issue. You will notice the difference, but go for something light and Acer and Toshiba tend to be well priced. You may find a good deal if you go the BestBuy when they sell ex-display items.
     
  5. clairebeautiful

    clairebeautifulActive Member

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    If you are getting rid of a Mac, I can't imagine why you are considering anything besides another Mac. Once I switched, I will never go back to a PC again. And frankly, I think you would be disappointed with ANYTHING other than a Mac. Even an old Mac is going to treat you better than a new PC.

    Things you might be failing to consider include the susceptibility to viruses that come on PC's that Mac's just don't experience. Plus, college is a common server, and college kids do dumb things. You are more likely to open malware on accident which might put you without a computer for several days (and cost more money to fix). These are all factors that (to me) make a higher price justifiable.
     
  6. Obvcynicae

    ObvcynicaeNew Member

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    I'd recommend getting a PC over a Mac. Since you're looking for cheap but highly functional laptops, Macs shouldn't really be considered all too much, because they're rather expensive, and the same hardware can be obtained for less through other companies.
    Going further, though, it depends on what you want to do and how much customizability you're going to need in your specific courses. If you're doing more IT & computer related stuff, well, Macs are fairly 'locked down', and better suited for browsing and such things. Viruses can be avoided, for the most part, by not downloading suspicious files, or doing so within a virtual environment (ex. in Sandboxie).
    If you need a computer that is fairly lightweight, you can find one that's cheaper than a Mac, and some may also have better graphics cards (if that's important to you). For example, a number of the Asus Zenbooks (and other similar laptops) are quite customizable, and are not very expensive, and those are extremely thin.

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    that is pretty decent, especially for size & weight, though not as thin as the Zenbooks I mentioned above. It is also quite a bit cheaper, and can carry a larger HDD. I would recommend simply going to Asus's website and looking at the "multimedia" and "everyday computing" laptops, though, because only you actually know what specs you truly want for your laptop.
     
  7. TommyVercetti

    TommyVercettiActive Member

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    If you're interested in getting the bang for your buck, I posted a recommendation on this forum a while ago.

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  8. xTinx

    xTinxWell-Known Member

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    My laptop is an old ASUS version, which surprisingly still functions well. It's not touch-screen by any measure but I like the feel of its keys and am impressed at how it has survived my relentless Internet usage for five years now. I actually have no idea what the best type of laptop is but I intend to buy a Mac in the near future. Design-wise, it's one of the best.
     
  9. Maciej

    MaciejNew Member

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    It really depends on what additional functions do you want. Do you care about it's weight? Size sceen? Materials used to build? If you just want a SOLID machine I'd look up Thinkpad series or some of Dells laptop - they are really great and reliable.
     
  10. Darakath

    DarakathMember

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    I recommend not using a Mac, but it is up to personal preference.
    An ASUS laptop may serve you well, although it is focused more on gaming.
    For price, a cheap Lenovo machine can also be useful for you, as their quality is amazing, based on personal experience, at least.
    A Chromebook is an excellent choice as well, if you don't play much games and use the laptop just for web and related activities.
     
  11. Chia

    ChiaMember

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    Depending on your budget an asus laptop is usually a good bang for the buck. You can get an i3 for about 300 and an i5 for about 450. And around 500gb of storage. The build isnt amazing like mac but it still should last some time. Aslo the display is quite bad but thats the trade off i guess.
     
  12. troutski

    troutskiWell-Known Member

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    This is far too general of a question. Each manufacturer tends to make at least a handful of quality laptops, and they're all designed to suit different needs across different price ranges. It's impossible to choose a single laptop as the best option available today, no matter how you go about coming to that particular laptop.
     
  13. AngelicDevilTel

    AngelicDevilTelActive Member

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    I would recommend an HP; they are pretty well built and not too expensive
    Of course price fluctuates based on the specifications that you want.
    You might have to compromise on one thing or another to get the price that you want but it will never be to much of a compromise I don't think.
     
  14. Parker

    ParkerWell-Known Member

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    My favorite laptops are Lenovo ThinkPads. I own a couple of ThinkPads. They are durable workhorses. ThinkPads can be pricey though.

    Last year I bought a Chromebook. I absolutely love it. I highly recommend the Lenovo Chromebook. I picked my up on eBay.
     
  15. bonzer

    bonzerActive Member

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    If you want a cheap laptop, then a Chromebook is best. If you also want some gaming power or multimedia, you may go for a slightly expensive model like HP or a Sony Vaio. I use HP. It's robust and gives an impeccable performance.