Should have posted, I'm running an HP Envy 360 and it's been solid. Probably a lot of laptops like that on the market.
Laptop recommendations
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If you don't want a Mac, I'd stick with Dell or HP. If you don't need full fledged Office product and can use 365, take a look at a Chromebook, especially if you use Google. Some Chromebooks are under powered and I went with a Chromebook plus with an Intel processor. Works great although of course battery life takes a hit.
If you only need it for what you posted, there is no reason to spend over $500.
If you only need it for what you posted, there is no reason to spend over $500.
This, went computer shopping with sister as her computer is really old, on Windows 10 and running like crap. It's not upgradable to Windows 11. Did a Costco run (she's a member, I am not) and there were a slew of reasonably priced computer (HP, Dell, Acer etc) with 1tb SSD, 16gb ram and latest processors. Partially came down to her on keyboards. She's used to a number pad and not everyone has that style keyboard now even with the bigger laptops. I hadn't looked at laptops in awhile (since my old Toshiba was dying just before a vacation and I bought an "emergency" fill in Acer 5 that I am still using) and was surprised to the majority seemed to also have touch screen.
If I was shopping today I'd maybe be taken aback a little on what plug in ports each have. That did seem to vary a lot.
A ton of laptops/PCs these days are very, very similar in terms of quality and operation. I usually tell people to just buy the cheapest thing from a reputable company that meets your needs.
Sidenote: Costco/Sam's Club are great places to buy computers. If you have access, check them out. They tend to be prices better and have extended warranties through the stores.
Sidenote: Costco/Sam's Club are great places to buy computers. If you have access, check them out. They tend to be prices better and have extended warranties through the stores.
AGREE...although I prefer Linux Mint (a Ubuntu variant). I have an average laptop that is 10 years old that flies with Linux Mint on it...
I bought an HP about a year ago. Generally pretty pleased with it. I do like and have gotten used to the larger screen (17" I think?) so that was a consideration (old person comment.)
One thing I don't like that I gave absolutely no consideration to because it had never been an issue ever. The keys are kind of a charcoal gray color and the markings/letters on them are white. After only a year much of the lighter colored letters/symbols used the most are completely worn off. I thought it might just be dirt and grime, but no... the letter markings are worn off.
One thing I don't like that I gave absolutely no consideration to because it had never been an issue ever. The keys are kind of a charcoal gray color and the markings/letters on them are white. After only a year much of the lighter colored letters/symbols used the most are completely worn off. I thought it might just be dirt and grime, but no... the letter markings are worn off.
Went with the Lenova Yoga 7.i
Had a couple hundred bucks marked down to $729. Thanks for the help!
Ultra processor, 16 GB, 1 TB storage
Had a couple hundred bucks marked down to $729. Thanks for the help!
Ultra processor, 16 GB, 1 TB storage
I've had good luck with Lenovo's and their build quality to me is pretty high still where I think Dell's has gone downhill.
If anyone else is looking for a good price on a basic laptop this one is pretty good deal I think for a 17" model
HP Laptop 17t-cn200, 17.3"
I'd spend the $50 upgrade on the anti-glare screen too that has a better resolution than the default stock screen. I bought 2 HP laptops within a year a couple years ago - 1 for myself and another almost identical for my dad and he was too cheap to go for the screen and the sharpness of mine compared to his was very noticeable. Has some other upgrades available too but if you are going to do what the OP here intent was which was internet browsing, streaming, and other non-gaming uses it's plenty spec'd out for that and still has some upgradable options if you feel you need more RAM or hard drive. Some other good early black Friday deals on HP right now.
I used to buy nothing but Dell, I still have a 10 year old Dell desktop I upgraded that runs just as good as a new PC does. The i7 processor is too old generation and it doesn't have TPM so fails the Windows 11 check but there are ways around that I might try to upgrade to 11 sometime next year to see if I can put off replacing it since I don't use it as much as I used to but still need that extra hardware resources to run some apps and games I still use it for that I can't run on my laptop.
HP Laptop 17t-cn200, 17.3"
I'd spend the $50 upgrade on the anti-glare screen too that has a better resolution than the default stock screen. I bought 2 HP laptops within a year a couple years ago - 1 for myself and another almost identical for my dad and he was too cheap to go for the screen and the sharpness of mine compared to his was very noticeable. Has some other upgrades available too but if you are going to do what the OP here intent was which was internet browsing, streaming, and other non-gaming uses it's plenty spec'd out for that and still has some upgradable options if you feel you need more RAM or hard drive. Some other good early black Friday deals on HP right now.
I used to buy nothing but Dell, I still have a 10 year old Dell desktop I upgraded that runs just as good as a new PC does. The i7 processor is too old generation and it doesn't have TPM so fails the Windows 11 check but there are ways around that I might try to upgrade to 11 sometime next year to see if I can put off replacing it since I don't use it as much as I used to but still need that extra hardware resources to run some apps and games I still use it for that I can't run on my laptop.
I bought a Lenovo L13 Yoga off the shelf at Best Buy, July 2020 (reopening after a period of Covid "lockdowns"). Pretty cheap. I still use it.
In online reviews, before buying, I saw complaints about pre-installed firmware ("bloat ware"), which I think maybe applied more so to Lenovo models before the one I bought. It was obviously an issue for them. It wasn't an issue on my computer. I also saw comments about possible overheating, on the bottom during heavy use. It does warm up during heavy processing, but not a huge issue.
Also comments about it being bad right out of the box, enough that I considered not buying it at all. But I bought it, figuring the price was was worth the risk.
It was subtle, trying to diagnose what was going on, and only occurred over a period of time, but mine was bad out of the box. It is impossible to get into here, the issue and the sequence of events over time.
I am writing because of how good Lenovo (IBM) customer service was (then at least).
Maybe it has changed, but their U.S. customer service then was handled by IBM in Atlanta. Lenovo purchased the laptop division of IBM many years prior. I didn't know this about their customer service when I bought it, and figured Lenovo customer service would be like every other big company today. I try to solve things myself, and turn to outside help after exhausting that. Often what I find when calling a help number (or going online), are things I've already tried. I actually need to talk to someone. I tried all of that.
With Lenovo, from November 2020 to April 2021, I called and was able to talk with someone at IBM. They weren't pressured to take another call. They listened. There were multiple calls. At one point, I sent it in. They paid for shipping etc., but IIRC, all they did was wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows (which I had done once or twice before). I think it was to just to rule out something else.
There was a even point where I just set it aside for a month or two, after receiving it back from them. I had to get things done and used an older laptop. Aware I would be approaching the end of the warranty (1 year), I starting using it again and calling in. It went up the chain and a manager called me back for me to do a diagnostic test with me on the phone. They had offered to send me a refurbished model, but I said no, I paid for a new computer. But for this issue (major only over time), I liked it.
After the diagnostic test with the IBM manager, he said to send it in, and they would replace the hard drive and send it back.
If that didn't work, I would send it in again, and they would replace the motherboard.
But after they replaced the hard drive, it has worked perfectly since. I later installed Windows 11 (as soon as it became available), check for updates daily, and have had no issues since.
You might ask about current Lenovo customer service, should you have a problem.
In online reviews, before buying, I saw complaints about pre-installed firmware ("bloat ware"), which I think maybe applied more so to Lenovo models before the one I bought. It was obviously an issue for them. It wasn't an issue on my computer. I also saw comments about possible overheating, on the bottom during heavy use. It does warm up during heavy processing, but not a huge issue.
Also comments about it being bad right out of the box, enough that I considered not buying it at all. But I bought it, figuring the price was was worth the risk.
It was subtle, trying to diagnose what was going on, and only occurred over a period of time, but mine was bad out of the box. It is impossible to get into here, the issue and the sequence of events over time.
I am writing because of how good Lenovo (IBM) customer service was (then at least).
Maybe it has changed, but their U.S. customer service then was handled by IBM in Atlanta. Lenovo purchased the laptop division of IBM many years prior. I didn't know this about their customer service when I bought it, and figured Lenovo customer service would be like every other big company today. I try to solve things myself, and turn to outside help after exhausting that. Often what I find when calling a help number (or going online), are things I've already tried. I actually need to talk to someone. I tried all of that.
With Lenovo, from November 2020 to April 2021, I called and was able to talk with someone at IBM. They weren't pressured to take another call. They listened. There were multiple calls. At one point, I sent it in. They paid for shipping etc., but IIRC, all they did was wipe the hard drive and reinstall Windows (which I had done once or twice before). I think it was to just to rule out something else.
There was a even point where I just set it aside for a month or two, after receiving it back from them. I had to get things done and used an older laptop. Aware I would be approaching the end of the warranty (1 year), I starting using it again and calling in. It went up the chain and a manager called me back for me to do a diagnostic test with me on the phone. They had offered to send me a refurbished model, but I said no, I paid for a new computer. But for this issue (major only over time), I liked it.
After the diagnostic test with the IBM manager, he said to send it in, and they would replace the hard drive and send it back.
If that didn't work, I would send it in again, and they would replace the motherboard.
But after they replaced the hard drive, it has worked perfectly since. I later installed Windows 11 (as soon as it became available), check for updates daily, and have had no issues since.
You might ask about current Lenovo customer service, should you have a problem.
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Wish I knew more about this technology. Do u just download it or do you have to replace your operating system...do u lose everything on your computer... are there safety features?
It is safe...I am not an expert at all and I have been using Linux Mint for almost 10 years. You have to install it along side your OS or completely wipe your drive and install it...in a way, that I can install it and use it easily means it isn't complex. But I don't have the knowledge to instruct someone on the more complex uses of it...
Yeah, I enjoy the constant updates.
Download Ubuntu Desktop | Ubuntu
Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
ubuntu.com
It comes with pretty much all the software you need, freeware office product, firefox, thunderbird, etc etc. YOu can install chrome if you want as well.
You don't need to wipe your hard drive. essentially you install a boot loader which will give the option to boot to windows or ubuntu. your windows info stays intact.
I'm finding that a lot of newer laptops and micro form factor PCs we have been getting at work lately run a lot hotter than previous models in past years. I think its a combo of 2 things, one is they are cramming more hardware into a tighter space so less air movement to cool the CPU. If you research a specific model running hot you'll usually find some solution involving adding some more thermal paste to the heat sink. Makes me wonder if its just an industry trend that when they assemble the laptop they are not putting enough thermal paste between the cpu and heat sink and combined with the newer processors maybe just run hotter and have less airflow to cool them down as efficiently as the older models did.
