New Laptop - Any recommendations that meet my priorities?

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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Hi All,

Looking for a new Windows-based laptop. Here are my 6 key priorities:


1. 12"-13" Screen
2. i5 5200/5300
3. 8GB RAM
4. 256GB+ SS Hard Drive
5. Super-long battery life: maybe 8-12 hours
6. Reliable, reliable, reliable...i have owned Acer 2x and had both in for a total of 3 repairs over 5+ years

Use: Intensive MS Word, Email, Excel, with some fairly hi-res style Powerpoint, downloading high-res 100MB+ PDF or image files for work...and surfing WBF! That's it.

My current options: Lenovo Thinkpad X250, Dell XPS13, Microsoft Power 3. Surprisingly, the X250 is the least expensive and is the one i am leaning towards just based on its super-battery life, lower cost. Guess the low cost is because its no longer owned by IBM? Thanks!

Thanks for any recommendations!
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
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For something like this, I look for tech support. Dell has always been my choice for companies to stand behind their products.
 

edorr

WBF Founding Member
May 10, 2010
3,139
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Smyrna, GA
Based on dispassionate evalution of price / performance, professional reviews and user reviews, I always end up buying Lenovo computers. The brand to avoid like the plague is Asus.
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
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Calgary, AB
IMO you can't go wrong with DELL or LENOVO. I bought a DELL 5000 series i7 and couldn't be happier.
 

rblnr

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 3, 2010
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Do these PCs include something like Apple's migration assistant that makes it easy to transfer files/apps from an old computer to the new?
 

Barry2013

VIP/Donor
Oct 12, 2013
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Essex UK
I have had a Dell laptop with their Premium support for the last three years and it has been superb.
The hard drive failed about three months ago towards the end of the three year warranty. I rang Dell about 10am, they did an online diagnosis and at just after 9am the next morning their technician arrived to install the new hard drive.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
Not just brand, go for the business class products that provide you the support you want/need.
Exactly my advice :). Corporate laptops are designed much better, are much easier to upgrade and the thing to buy if you want it be your workhorse. Unfortunately it means buying online as I did with HP. I have dropped this thing from 4-5 foot high at least 5 to 10 times. Full crash on every kind of floor from concrete to tile. Not a thing has broken in it!

It also has a lovely matte screen that doesn't reflect the lights around me, making it wonderful to use. No consumer laptop comes with anything but those ultra shiny displays.

You can pop the bottom off with no tools and see all the components in plain view. Every upgrade is easy and supported longer term.

My laptop costs $2,200 though so quite pricey but it has been worth every dime.
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
14,376
2,497
1,398
Great stuff everyone! Thank you...i am leaning towards lenovo thinkpad which is the least expensive for the specs i need...and then i upgraded the warranty from 3 year to 4 year with next business day onsite repair...they send someone next business day if it cannot be fixed over the phone. And still sub-1000 and that compares with Dell of closer to 1200-1300.
 

Elberoth

Member Sponsor
Dec 15, 2012
2,007
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Poland
I would get an Apple and instal Windows on it. One of the most reliable AND holds the resale value, which cannot be said about any of the PC laptops, which are worth nothing after 3 years.
 

FrantzM

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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I would get an Apple and instal Windows on it. One of the most reliable AND holds the resale value, which cannot be said about any of the PC laptops, which are worth nothing after 3 years.

Being back to Apple after several decades of Windows, I would advise the same however weird this may seem... Budget will be higher though... In term of product quality and feel ... Nothing holds a candle to Apple laptops..
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
14,376
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I would get an Apple and instal Windows on it. One of the most reliable AND holds the resale value, which cannot be said about any of the PC laptops, which are worth nothing after 3 years.

Thanks...did not realize one could do this.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Exactly my advice :). Corporate laptops are designed much better, are much easier to upgrade and the thing to buy if you want it be your workhorse. Unfortunately it means buying online as I did with HP. I have dropped this thing from 4-5 foot high at least 5 to 10 times. Full crash on every kind of floor from concrete to tile. Not a thing has broken in it!

It also has a lovely matte screen that doesn't reflect the lights around me, making it wonderful to use. No consumer laptop comes with anything but those ultra shiny displays.

You can pop the bottom off with no tools and see all the components in plain view. Every upgrade is easy and supported longer term.

My laptop costs $2,200 though so quite pricey but it has been worth every dime.

Amir, when you are ready to upgrade and to sell...call me.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Great stuff everyone! Thank you...i am leaning towards lenovo thinkpad which is the least expensive for the specs i need...and then i upgraded the warranty from 3 year to 4 year with next business day onsite repair...they send someone next business day if it cannot be fixed over the phone. And still sub-1000 and that compares with Dell of closer to 1200-1300.

Lloyd, the Lenovo Thinkpad X250 is less than $1,000 (USD) and how long the battery is good for...ten or twelve hours?
Screen size...12" or 13"? ...i5 or i7?
Link from the best deal in town?
 

zztop7

Member Sponsor
Dec 12, 2012
750
3
0
Edmonds, WA
Hi All,

Looking for a new Windows-based laptop. Here are my 6 key priorities:

LL21, you did not put a price priority.

First I want to make very clear that I do use Windows, but I am NOT a fanboy of Microsoft.

That said, when my wife needs a new laptop [soon], I might buy her a Microsoft Surface Book. Expensive [cheap compared to Audio] compared to others mentioned here, but Microsoft seems to have produced an excellent product.

zz.
 

Keith_W

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2012
1,024
95
970
Melbourne, Australia
www.whatsbestforum.com
I have previously owned: Toshiba, Sony, Panasonic, Dell, and Gateway laptops. But - for the past 6 years, it has only been Lenovo. I am currently using a maxed out X1 Carbon, which I am mostly happy with. The reason I say "mostly happy" is because Lenovo has been moving away from the ThinkPad ideal, and more towards a certain fruit company that makes fashion laptops. A real ThinkPad is austere, functional, has an excellent keyboard (this means, 7 rows), has a trackpoint, has a replaceable battery, built like a tank, but still user serviceable. A ThinkPad eschews fashion in favour of function. A ThinkPad should NEVER do silly things like give you only one USB port, or force you to buy overpriced accessories, or solder RAM or SSD to the motherboard, like a certain fruit company does.

Regrettably, my X1 Carbon is nowhere near the laptop that my X301 was. It has taken on some Apple-like features that I definitely do not welcome, and I actively hate. For example, batteries are not replaceable. Upgrading the RAM or SSD involves opening up the entire PC, and not just removing a service hatch. The keyboard has a weird and stupid layout. And they have tried to implement an Apple-like trackpad - again, something I hate. At least, the build quality is still battleship-like even if it lacks the clamshell solidity of the X301. And, it has 3 USB ports (anyone who buys a laptop with only one USB port needs to have their head examined).

So why buy a Lenovo? Because, even for all its faults, it is still the best laptop maker out there. And there are signs they are starting to listen to their vocal fans, who have been slamming their design decisions of the past few years. We want a ThinkPad, not a fashion laptop. Nobody else makes a ThinkPad, and once you own a ThinkPad, you will understand.
 

zztop7

Member Sponsor
Dec 12, 2012
750
3
0
Edmonds, WA
I have previously owned: Toshiba, Sony, Panasonic, Dell, and Gateway laptops. But - for the past 6 years, it has only been Lenovo. I am currently using a maxed out X1 Carbon, which I am mostly happy with. The reason I say "mostly happy" is because Lenovo has been moving away from the ThinkPad ideal, and more towards a certain fruit company that makes fashion laptops. A real ThinkPad is austere, functional, has an excellent keyboard (this means, 7 rows), has a trackpoint, has a replaceable battery, built like a tank, but still user serviceable. A ThinkPad eschews fashion in favour of function. A ThinkPad should NEVER do silly things like give you only one USB port, or force you to buy overpriced accessories, or solder RAM or SSD to the motherboard, like a certain fruit company does.

Regrettably, my X1 Carbon is nowhere near the laptop that my X301 was. It has taken on some Apple-like features that I definitely do not welcome, and I actively hate. For example, batteries are not replaceable. Upgrading the RAM or SSD involves opening up the entire PC, and not just removing a service hatch. The keyboard has a weird and stupid layout. And they have tried to implement an Apple-like trackpad - again, something I hate. At least, the build quality is still battleship-like even if it lacks the clamshell solidity of the X301. And, it has 3 USB ports (anyone who buys a laptop with only one USB port needs to have their head examined).

So why buy a Lenovo? Because, even for all its faults, it is still the best laptop maker out there. And there are signs they are starting to listen to their vocal fans, who have been slamming their design decisions of the past few years. We want a ThinkPad, not a fashion laptop. Nobody else makes a ThinkPad, and once you own a ThinkPad, you will understand.

Excellent Post
zz
 

Bruce B

WBF Founding Member, Pro Audio Production Member
Apr 25, 2010
7,002
508
1,740
Snohomish, WA
www.pugetsoundstudios.com
My other laptop is a Toshiba business model with an actual numeric keypad to the right, like a full featured keyboard. Has HDMI, 4 USB, disc spinner and you can access everything on the bottom using a screwdriver. Running Win 10-64 now and it's been flawless. I take it to shows and it's had some abuse but keeps on ticking.



IMG_1351.JPG
 

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