Laptop

[muskrat]

My laptop of 6 years died last month and I need to replace it.  I'm getting overwhelmed by all the "deals" online.  If have always gotten Dell computers in the past but open to any brand (not a Mac guy and scared of chrome.). I will only be using it for light Python coding, word processing, spreadsheets, web surfing, and kid games (6 and 4.). Budget is up to $300.  Was thinking about a 14.9in and don't need a big hard drive, but am unsure of the RAM needs.  I have a USB-C doc at home for my work computer so it would be nice to be able to use that but that isn't a big deal.  Thanks for any help.  My question is how much should I spend and what is a good desk for a computer that fits my needs.

[neo von retorch]

Just about any modern computer will fulfill your modest needs.

https://www.dellrefurbished.com/item/dell-latitude-5300-2-in-1-touch-620bea0e/dell-latitude-5300-2-in-1-touch/1.html?child=dell-latitude-5300-2-in-1-touch-000005&p=1
35% off coupon code - 35DELL5300

Gets you down to ~$320.

I'd say spend enough to get 16GB but otherwise no more as it doesn't sound like anything else is worth paying more for.

[RWD]

Consider also looking at Lenovo. I've found them easier to work on than the Dell equivalents.

[Sandi_k]

At my university, we have standard specs for students and departmental purchases. Currently recommended specs for a PC are:

- Running MS Windows 10 or higher;
- An Intel i7 processor; i5 is OK, but will be slower launching programs and doing calcs;
- At least 16G RAM; 8G is considered substandard if you're loading lots of programs;
- A SSD hard drive; 500G minimum, 1T preferred;
- Integrated network card, 802.11 standard

[Fire enthusiast]

I bought my MacBook pro five years ago, and it's still working great. I'm confident that I can use it for at least three more years. That's less than $200 a year. And MacBook allows me to work more efficiently (my cell phone is also an iPhone, so I can transfer files really quick). But it's important to note that I don't play games, and I don't often watch videos on my MacBook. I spend most of my time writing and visiting websites.

[ChpBstrd]

I picked up a 2018 Dell off of ebay 2-3 years ago for $325. It came with 16GB RAM, a 1TB NVME SSD, an 8th gen I5, and 95% battery health. Today it looks like the same specs machine can be had for $210:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/145144744309?hash=item21cb4d0975:g:z~UAAOSwHwRjna50&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4BhcZcLXJOF6wXihOPmeS88NFFUD4hooWOBw2eAUyBgPp5Nh9PnBJJbSjL9OYmQQ0vAMXPlvtQfEwdhSb9esVJ%2BATNF3hy%2FBigmRaJW%2BDT9iBHpc%2B9dKz3qAOPzDixO4PFbuTSNE%2FrgLegO9yn9R8z1z7OWIS7grEt7EIjB%2FJ3BFgRe3DOxDZKWlzMRsHdRraL48KyYrdcHU%2Fj7uCI%2F%2FggO%2BC6ciVb%2BRER0lxxxgFRDZLZ2fkLq3qSOu4faFBMbrvxMfb5tX25Wjw1rF6YulLJGhiujjT3RCHOwhttMumFrb%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-yYhtO8Yg

This is a machine about 3x more powerful than what you need, and it's a couple hundred bucks. This particular model has the legacy round power connector so you don't have to wear out your USB-C port, but it can also charge through USB-C. The downside is Windows 11, but with a terabyte of space you can set it up to dual boot Linux and have plenty of space to work in either environment.

[SpaceCow]

I've never bought a laptop. I take hand-me-downs from family members. The one I use now came from my brother. Nowadays, a midrange laptop bought 10 years ago can still get you by. I guess it pays having geeky family members.

[Just Joe]

I can get even mor eyears out of some hardware by switching it to a lightweight Linux. Here at my desk I'm using a 12 year old Dell workstation running free Kubuntu.

[GilesMM]

Slim picking in the sub $300 range excluding Chromebooks.

[Just Joe]

I've done this before - shop for an off-lease laptop. Something that is 2-3 years old. Buy a business class computer. Better chassis components. More durable overall.

Don't buy the bottom range anything though. Mid-range or up. That will give you a few more years use before it is obsolete aka too slow to use. Of course then you could switch it over to Linux and use it for years longer.

https://www.dellrefurbished.com/laptops

https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?d=dell+off+lease+laptop