In case you didn't know, buying a laptop these days is volunteering to be robbed in a daylight.

This year is the worst time to be buying electronics as prices skyrocketed due to AI but hey, when your laptop is your lifeline, it's not like you have an option.

After my recent work field trip to Tasikmalaya, I found my beloved old laptop hindering my current job. Though I can fix it, due to the demand of my current job, I need a better replacement. So, rather than actually fixing it, I ended up trading my soul for a laptop.

When we went to the store, I noticed I can get several options but still, I am sticking with MSI especially that I know it can lasts for more than 4 years and actually still usable. The thing is, the budget given was only $566 but I went over the limit just a bit as the MSI in that place starts from $657. I wanted to get the gaming machine though which was over $800.

Unfortunately, the MSI Modern 15 that I get was released 2 years ago. Typically, it's best if you can get the latest line so that it can stay longer (at least this was how it used to be). Since I am not buying a laptop gaming, this device was meant to be my professional device which hopefully survives some rough terrain. I should've bought more rugged ones, considering the places I am frequenting these days but for now, this is enough.

This laptop in Indonesian price costs about Rp11,700,000. In today's Indonesian economy, it's not cheap enough to be an impulse buy but not extremely expensive that it becomes rather unrealistic for young professional like myself. If you need some investment, this is the sweetest spot.

Clean, Light and Minimalistic

This laptop doesn't have the vibe that screams, " look at my laptop!" rather it is very clean and a bit dated too which can be a good thing to be mistaken as a cheaper laptop. Honestly, most expensive laptop I know has this weird look/cheap vibe to it. Maybe it's a good thing?

MSI Modern 15 doesn't really have the industrial look that is common among engineering field but it's clean enough for the purposes that I need. One of the thing that I appreciate is that the 15-inch screen which makes my current job a lot easier. My clients tend to squint their eyes whenever I show them a map but with this huge screen, it helps.

16 GB RAM.... that I finally have hahahaha

I never had the ability to purchase a 16GB RAM laptop but I decided to choose this because of it. It can handle most multitasking and many administrative work without it being extremely overwhelming. As someone working across consulting, permit and licensing, ESG documentation, teaching materials, research, and daily communication, this configuration is great enough.

Is it a rip-off?

Possibly hahaha but given pricing these days, I would say it's very sensible. If I could add a bit more I can have M4 however, in the industry I am in right now, everyone uses microsoft environments. While it won't match the apple's performance and look, this is good enough for now.