Laptop recommendation

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mjk

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Looking to get into a new laptop, in the next month. I currently have a 5 year old Toshiba Satellite. It is a basic set up, with Win 7 and a AMD Vision chip (3g ram).

I use it as a surfing tool primarily. I'll maintain a few Word and basic Excel docs, but I have no real 'work' to do on it.

I was set on staying with Toshiba, as I've had excellent luck with this computer, but would like to hear of alternate brand recommendations.

Probably looking at spending $450.00 or less.

Thanks.
 
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It doesn't sound like you need a new computer. I use my 2009 Compaq CQ-62 207WM (WM for Walmart) for everything including business. I've worn out a keyboard and just replaced the screen and it's still going strong.

Windows 10 is being released on July 29th and it will be a free upgrade for everybody running Windows 7, 8 and 8.1. If you buy a new computer now, It will come with Windows 8.1.

According to everything I've seen and read, Windows 10 will work on my old Compaq as it should on your Toshiba. I'm keeping my Compaq for a while and will update to Windows 10 later, after the initial bugs are worked out. I expect to change over to Win 10 close to the end of the free one year upgrade period (July 29, 2016). After Win 10 settles down, I'll buy a new laptop which will be more powerful to exploit the new features of the operating system.

All that being said, If you want a new laptop, they're all pretty much the same in your price range and they're all built with mostly interchangable parts. I'd just pick the one that's on sale.
 
My Toshibas's have been the most trouble-free. One is seven years old and was given to a nephew to do basic stuff on. They continue to march on without repair.

Wife's Dells (Inspirons) and one HP she has owned all went to the shop for warranty work. The most recent Dell wouldn't hold up to actually being taken places in a brief case without the case cracking and we are jerry-rigging its power port for battery charging.

At work, the Dell Latitudes all worked out well. Our office travels quite a bit and they held up.
 
Actually, I do. My power port pin is shot, and I am having issues with the power cord keeping it charged. I know an IT guy who will fix it, but it isn't worth putting close to 100.00 into it, to repair it. It works, but is slowing down. Also, the mouse pad is worn out (common on these Satellites).

I am wondering, though, if I shouldn't wait for the first batches of Win 10 computers to hit the market....rather than patching in Win 10 over Win 8. Thoughts?



Originally Posted By: SonicMustang
It doesn't sound like you need a new computer. I use my 2009 Compaq CQ-62 207WM (WM for Walmart) for everything including business. I've worn out a keyboard and just replaced the screen and it's still going strong.

Windows 10 is being released on July 29th and it will be a free upgrade for everybody running Windows 7, 8 and 8.1. If you buy a new computer now, It will come with Windows 8.1.

According to everything I've seen and read, Windows 10 will work on my old Compaq as it should on your Toshiba. I'm keeping my Compaq for a while and will update to Windows 10 later, after the initial bugs are worked out. I expect to change over to Win 10 close to the end of the free one year upgrade period (July 29, 2016). After Win 10 settles down, I'll buy a new laptop which will be more powerful to exploit the new features of the operating system.

All that being said, If you want a new laptop, they're all pretty much the same in your price range and they're all built with mostly interchangable parts. I'd just pick the one that's on sale.
 
Originally Posted By: mjk
Looking to get into a new laptop, in the next month. I currently have a 5 year old Toshiba Satellite. It is a basic set up, with Win 7 and a AMD Vision chip (3g ram).

I use it as a surfing tool primarily. I'll maintain a few Word and basic Excel docs, but I have no real 'work' to do on it.

I was set on staying with Toshiba, as I've had excellent luck with this computer, but would like to hear of alternate brand recommendations.

Probably looking at spending $450.00 or less.

Thanks.


Keep the current laptop and put Peppermint OS on it. This is a lightweight, web centric derivative of the well regarded Linux Mint. It is fast and easy to use (my 9 year old figured out how to use it without any instruction from me in very short order).

It will fly on your current hardware.

http://peppermintos.com/
 
Refurbished Dell Latitude with windows 8.

Should be around 500 bucks.

That line of PC's is very good, the Inspiron is hit and miss depending on model.
 
MJK you could upgrade to a larger SSD to replace your HD. There are youtube videos of the dramatic change in boot up times, opening applications, etc. I'm still using an 09 MBP and I just upgraded it to its max ram and installed an SSD for around 300$. If you did buy an SSD to replace your HD you can get an external enclosure for the old HD to keep as an external for more space with your new SSD in your laptop. You can download free cloning software out there to clone the data from your old HD to your new one.
 
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msus...2ebb74a404a756f

Found this while looking around ($450 for PC only). Not bad for a new Broadwell i5

Anyway, no real problems with Toshibas. PITA to work on sometimes, but seem to be at the upper end of the spectrum as far as reliability.

I have a hand full of clients with 4-5 year old lappys that are just sluggish even when just on the web. They were cheap loss leader laptops to begin with, usually AMD dual and single core. Nothing I can do to speed them up really as the CPU is just slugged from the get go, and those old hard drives don't help either.

You can either throw money at a new SSD and more RAM for your current configuration or get a new laptop. Your money, your time, your decision.

Oh, alternate brands. No huge problems stick out among brands. It is just the more of a brand that is in the wild, the more likely I am to see it----simple numbers. I do seem to see a few more AMD units in for hardware problems, but I don't really think it is due to AMD. Many low end/inexpensive laptops/notebooks are AMD powered, and corners are cut.
 
Originally Posted By: punisher


I have a hand full of clients with 4-5 year old lappys that are just sluggish even when just on the web. They were cheap loss leader laptops to begin with, usually AMD dual and single core. Nothing I can do to speed them up really as the CPU is just slugged from the get go, and those old hard drives don't help either.

You can either throw money at a new SSD and more RAM for your current configuration or get a new laptop. Your money, your time, your decision.

Sounds like my laptop. The thing is dreadfully slow. Even tried Mint 16. Replaced hard drive with SSD. Still slow. Guess the AMD E-450 1.65 GHz just doesn't cut it these days.
 
Originally Posted By: hatt
Even tried Mint 16.


Cinnamon or MATE? MATE will be much, much easier on resources. Mint also has a version that uses XFCE for its user interface, which is lighter yet and may stretch the performance of your old machine a little farther yet.
 
Cinnamon. It's not that old, just low quality. It was a black Friday doorbuster the inlaws got us a few years ago. I actually though someone was wrong hardware wise but I can't find anything wrong. Doubt I'll do anything else with it besides pull the SSD to put in the desktop out when/if I get a new laptop.
 
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I believe AMD Vision Chip was a high end processor but could be wrong.

Personally I'd get a SSD
Chromebook I think though has SSD and would cover your needs too if you have persistent internet.

I spent $60 for 120GB SSD on a 7 year old work laptop Lenovo Thinkpad T500 and it is incredibly fast and my kids are elated with the machine. I think the processor is a CoreDuo 2.5ish Ghz with 8GB RAM and windows 7.
 
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