Time to Buy a Second Laptop!

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When I bought my current laptop I looked for one of the low-end options because I didn't anticipate I'll overuse it.

And it has done its job. And will continue to do it, even if it's 6 years old and an older generation.

As the amount of activity I do daily and its diversity increased, the highest constraint became its 4 GB of RAM, which aren't really 4 because it has an integrated video card that draws from RAM too when used.

That made disk operations very frequent to use virtual RAM. Plus, there are updates and antivirus or other system processes that lead to intense disk usage. And when that starts, it is very frustrating because it comes with a degraded experience when I practically can't do much on the laptop but wait it out. To make things worse, the hard disk is HDD, not SSD.

I had in my mind to buy a second (to become primary) laptop for a long time. I wanted to buy it with crypto but I'm tired of waiting for the bull market. I'll use fiat to buy it, and withdraw some crypto in the bull market to cover this expense. This way, I can say I bought it with crypto. :)

This time I am not looking for a low-end option, but not for an expensive one either. Something in the middle. Probably something in the range of 500-900 USD.

Today I haven't done much else but look at the offers, but I couldn't make up my mind yet.

My set-in-stone conditions for the configuration:

  • 16 GB DDR4
  • 512 GB SSD
  • silent, if not pushed hard (I don't know which ones fit in this category)
  • decent display (any recommendations?), FHD, supporting a 1920x1080 resolution, anti-glare
  • a keyboard that doesn't have pitfalls*
  • price at most 900 USD (but preferably lower)

(*) What do I mean by a keyboard with pitfalls? Here's an example:

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Who puts a Power button above Backspace and "="/"+" and next to Delete? Obviously, someone who doesn't use that keyboard.

Something else about keyboards. I noticed the so-called TrackPoints on some Lenovo configurations, like this:

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I didn't have a Lenovo before, let alone one with a TrackPoint (which can be used instead of a mouse or trackpad). My question to you if you have used such a keyboard:

What happens if you press this TrackPoint by mistake while you type? Is it possible to move the cursor to a different location or potentially delete something you have written as you continue to type if a paragraph is selected when you touch the TrackPoint?

If this little red dot can be in the way (and cannot be disabled), that's a good reason to avoid the model(s) that have it, in my opinion.

I don't have brand loyalty, there are better and worse series for every brand. I just don't know which they are, lol.

The same for CPU, Intel or AMD is fine with me. Probably starting for i5 for Intel, and from Ryzen 5 for AMD. If it's i7 or Ryzen 7, I don't mind. :)

If it's Intel, I want their Intel Iris Xe graphics card, not the UHD one, if it's integrated (most likely).

AMD has a price advantage compared to Intel, so I might take that into consideration.

Connectivity is important too, so I do take a look at those too.

I don't put a lot of emphasis on the weight of the laptop or how much the battery lasts since I use it mostly statically (much like a desktop, but using less space and being less noisy).

It looks like the hunt for the laptop to buy continues tomorrow.

If you have any tips or recommendations, please share.

I intend to install Ubuntu on the new machine, even if I don't have much experience with it. And will split the workload between the two laptops, with the more resource-intensive tasks on the new one. Games may be involved, especially browser games, but I won't necessarily look for the perfect gaming experience.

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Ha! I am in the same boat. My laptop harddrive went out a few months back (after about a year 🙄). I was so fed up that I decided to get the cheapest laptop I could find. So I did.

Paid $140 including tax :-) Afterall, I was just going to be using it for email/browsing.

Celeron 1.1 GHz
4 GB RAM
60 GB ... That's right 60 GB hard drive.

Was so proud of myself. That was a few months ago.

Already regretting that decision! Hahaha. Just get a decent one so you don't have regrets :-)

Oh yeah. Had Ubuntu on the old one. Windows on this one.

I will be going back to linux on the next one :-)

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(Edited)

I have an i3 on this one, but too bad about the minimum RAM and HDD instead of SSD. I don't remember the parity between our national currency and USD at the time, to compare to how much you paid on yours, or what would I buy for the same money today.

Yep, you can't expect wonders from very cheap technology. At some point, limits will become obvious.

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I didn't think I was such a computer snob until I got this little cheapo. Guess I am truly accustomed to the finer things :-)

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When I was younger I used to buy (mostly build) some of the most powerful configurations. But that desire is not the same anymore. Now I just want things to work and work well when I need them. And this one simply can't handle it anymore. Not by itself anyway.

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I had an old IBM Lenovo once. Indestructible, you could literally pour water on it. What models are on your mind right now? I will be looking for a backup soon.

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I need to have a fresh look tomorrow. I added some configurations to my favorites (including a few Lenovos), and I get back to restrict the list tomorrow. I'll write about it again.

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I have tried many. Outside of custom built PC, I always go back to either a Mac Mini or MacBook Air.

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Macs are not very popular around here. The biggest retailer we have in the country doesn't sell them, for example. And to buy from another country and have it shipped, it's too much hassle.

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I see. We even get same day delivery here if ordered online. Apple store is within walking distance too 😎

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Apple store is within walking distance too

That's nice!

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Oh, hardware talk... I like it... :)

I have changed many, many different brands and I definitely do not suffer from "loyalty blindness"... 😂 In the past, I had Dell, MSI, IBM, ASUS, and probably some that I skipped listing... My "pre-last" laptop was in the lowest price range, it was an ASUS and it lasted for 10 years... And it still works... But...

Before that ASUS, I was using the old IBM which I bought as a used laptop and was using for 5-6 (or more years)... After a very positive experience, the current laptop that I use is Lenovo (former IBM) ThinkPad E595 and I'm satisfied with its performance... It came with Windows pre-installed, which I have deleted and it runs on Linux Mint at this moment... The price was in your price range... There are newer models with better CPUs and more RAM...

What happens if you press this TrackPoint by mistake while you type?

You don't have to worry about that red button... It is hard to touch, and I have never pushed it accidentally... I know that many old IBM users are using it, but new users aren't used to it (neither do I) and I don't even see the button anymore 😃

As someone else said in the comments you can FEEL the difference when you take Lenovo (Thinkpad series) and compare it with some other brand (ASUS, ACER, etc)... My experience is that they are more robust, have more quality materials, and are quieter than others...

PS. I did buy ASUS for my wife, but I will not buy it for myself... 😂🤣

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Thanks for your help, Zoltan! I also have a few Lenovos on my favorites, and I'll narrow down the list tomorrow. I'll make sure to add yours.

I've seen some reviews on some Lenovos that their display is usually lacking (inferior to other brands). Is this true from your experience?

I mean, I am not a perfectionist when it comes to the quality of the display, image clarity, etc. but I wouldn't like to see annoying spots or shades on it either. Maybe some people who comment there are expecting perfection.

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I've seen some reviews on some Lenovos that their display is usually lacking (inferior to other brands). Is this true from your experience?

I have an external monitor that I use as the primary display and use Lenovo's as the second... It could be true that it's not "top-notch" with numbers of refreshing and similar, but for my use it's perfect... I don't play games, but I do watch videos on Lenovo while I work on the primary display... I didn't notice anything bad... Maybe it's because I wear glasses... hahaha... 😂

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That's a good idea with the external monitor. I have the monitor from my old PC I can use too.

And I wear glasses too, lol.

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(Edited)

Who puts a Power button above Backspace and "="/"+" and next to Delete? Obviously, someone who doesn't use that keyboard.

😅 100%!

What happens if you press this TrackPoint by mistake while you type? Is it possible to move the cursor to a different location or potentially delete something you have written as you continue to type if a paragraph is selected when you touch the TrackPoint?

I thought newer laptops didn't have this button anymore...

I think almost all laptops fit your needs now (well, most of them). The rest is a matter of taste. The keyboard will have to touch and feel. There is no other way.

Good luck in your future purchase!

!ALIVE
!invest_vote

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The keyboard will have to touch and feel.

I was thinking about that too. Maybe I should go to a nearby physical retailer to check them out.

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That's what I did, by the way! 😜
!LOLZ
!invest_vote

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ASUS got some nice laptops.

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Yes, I have a few ASUS on my list too. Hard to make up my mind, lol.

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Hi @gadrian. Good luck on your new computer purchase.
Do you buy a Mac or PC?
Barb 😊
!BBH
!CTP
!ALIVE

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Do you buy a Mac or PC?

A laptop, but not a Mac.

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For some reason, I think your going to end up with a gaming laptop but I don't really have a recommendation. I don't think the price will be too much higher if you get an i7 or a newer gen processor. Then there is also the question of whether or not you want a AMD processor or not because they have been making some headway. I went for intel for safety.

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For some reason, I think your going to end up with a gaming laptop

We'll see... I'm not much of gamer outside blockchain games these days. But they evolve too...

Then there is also the question of whether or not you want a AMD processor or not because they have been making some headway. I went for intel for safety.

Over time, I had both Intel and AMD processors. Never had one to fail on me, and I guess I was lucky. On laptops I only had Intel processors as far as I remember though.

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Look at the HUAWEI they have a good value for money with a good finish (metal shell, not plastic).
!CTP
!ALIVE

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Yes, I know. The problem with such a choice is I might get on the wrong side of an economic war, if that were to happen.

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bradley approve 3.gif

!BBH

!ALIVE

!CTP

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I went for a Lenovo in the end. It is great to get something that is running much faster. The first thing I did was upgrade the RAM though. Now it has 36GB. I recommend you max out the RAM as much as possible, you won't regret it.

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The first thing I did was upgrade the RAM though. Now it has 36GB. I recommend you max out the RAM as much as possible, you won't regret it.

That's why I only look for 16GB options, and not 8GB. There are a few configurations that have two slots of memory, to upgrade it further if I need it.

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If you have many tabs open, I recommend getting 32gb+.

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(Edited)

I very often do. And several instances of Brave opened to split tabs opened into categories (sort of). But if I use two laptops, maybe I won't as much.

I'll have a look, but that may be outside my budget. Thanks!

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Good thoughts that you included , we always think about the pros and cos with different configurations
!1UP

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Thanks! It's always important to see the pros and cons of things. Too much bias doesn't help.

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I had few lenovo, and once you get used with, the trackpoint is very handy. From what I remember, you can not press it, but only to move the mouse (move, without thr click). And is pressure sensitive. If ypu just touch it, nothing happens. You need to press it to one direction, and is pressure sensitive (mouse movement is accelerate dat higher pressure).

Now I'm using HP Elitebook. With touch screen, usb-c charging, and 180° screen movement, making it a tablet. And I'm happy with it...

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Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, I read about that TrackPoint some more. In the end, I bought a Lenovo, but one without a TrackPoint (and that wasn't the reason why I didn't buy that model).

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You mostly get what you pay for. The hardest part of shopping for a laptop was reading the reviews. Sometimes it was hard to tell if they truly got a bad laptop or if they were just spamming and didn't even own one. It is a really good idea that you are prioritizing which features are most important for how you will use the laptop. I am not brand loyal either for the most part.
!ALIVE
!CTP
!BBH

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You mostly get what you pay for.

That's often very true.

The hardest part of shopping for a laptop was reading the reviews.

I often have an issue with reviews, as we might look for different things in a product and the review doesn't usually say what that person was expecting or what are their points of reference and how they compare to yours.

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One of the things my husband does when he shops on Amazon, for example, is to see how many ratings there are that are one star. Then he goes to read those reviews to see what they had issues with and sometimes we get lucky and it is the same features we are looking at. He won't buy anything that has more than 5% one-star ratings. He also looks at how recently the comments were made.

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I look more at 2 and 3 stars. 1-stars can be very emotional reviews that aren't entirely accurate. While with 2 or 3 stars, they were calculated and fair enough not to go all the way down with their rating if that's not deserved, but may still reveal important issues.

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That makes sense. A bit more middle-of-the-road and objective.
Have a great Monday, @gadrian😀
!ALIVE
!CTP

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