Where should I start-looking for new computer

[hhihe730]

I was gifted a Mac laptop probably 20 years ago. Other than that I have never owned a computer other than a first generation iPad, if that counts. I知 trying to decide between a desktop or a laptop. I知 in the middle of a possible career/job change and am really needing something better than my phone to sort out resumes, job applications, trainings, classes, etc. I don稚 keep up with what痴 out there in the computer world so I知 a bit overwhelmed. Will mostly be using this for what I mentioned plus maybe YouTube or internet browsing like this. No gaming, movies, Zoom, or anything like that. But I guess what I use it for could change depending on my job options. Any advice is appreciated.

[daverobev]

Depending on how privacy-sensitive you are, how much you want it to 'just work', if you're familiar with Macs you could just buy a new Mac - cheapest is probably a Mac Mini but you'd need to add a monitor as well.

Or a relatively cheap laptop with Windows 11 on, I'd say get a refurb - Dell have some really good refurbished ones direct from them - much better environmentally than buying new...

[Michael in ABQ]

I've been happy with HP laptops. Plenty available in the $500-700 range - especially if you can wait for a sale around some holiday like Labor Day where they will often drop the price $100-300.

A touch screen is really nice if you're primarily using it as a laptop instead of hooked up to a larger monitor.

Virtually any new laptop these days will have an SSD (solid state drive) and enough RAM to handle normal usage. The higher price point is just a larger hard drive or more RAM or faster CPU (unnecessary in most cases).

[YummyRaisins]

I like to check RTINGS.com when I'm in the market for new tech. They perform a ton of testing and do a good job of highlighting which options are best for different use cases.

The table tool is particularly helpful for sorting based on the parameters that are most important (e.g., price, screen size, multimedia performance, etc.). Here's a link: https://www.rtings.com/tv/tools/table

In your case, where you're mostly only doing document editing, email, web browsing, and streaming, you don't need much horsepower but you might still appreciate a nice screen that is both bright and has faster refresh. Battery life may also be important to consider.

Here's a list based on difference price tiers: https://www.rtings.com/laptop/reviews/best/laptop

[GilesMM]

Pick up whatever strikes your fancy at Costco.

[LD_TAndK]

backmarket.com sells refurbished electronics, I've had good experiences buying cell phones from them. This dell latitude would do everything you need for $190

[Kwill]

I had a good experience buying a refurbished laptop from Walmart.com back in 2015. It was similar to what LD_TAndK posted: a restored off-lease Dell Latitude. Walmart does a lot of that online, but it only carries new computers in the store itself. If you're not in the US, then maybe Google to find similar options near you. That laptop was pretty good for two or three years, and then it started slowing down. It was good for what I needed at the time, which was to spend as little as possible to get a fully functional laptop in order to get through a period of unemployment and find my next job.

If you're looking for a job, you should really be set up for Zoom, at least. A lot of interviews are now on Zoom, so you may need a computer and webcam or laptop with built-in webcam to get a job. Maybe try using it with a friend so as to be comfortable before it matters. I suppose it depends what type of job you're looking for, though.

[hhihe730]

Thanks everyone! I will check into these options and I知 sure I値l find something. Really appreciate the tips.

[LaineyAZ]

Pick up whatever strikes your fancy at Costco.

I second this.  I just got a Lenovo IdeaPad from Costco on sale. And the back-to-school sales are still out there. 

[JupiterGreen]

I've had Macs and PCs, I have yet to experience a PC that last as long as a Mac. I also find PCs to be a lot of a hassle. Your Mac is 20 years old, my (heavily used) Mackbook pro laptop is 11 years old. I find PCs annoying, I hate updating the malware protection and despite hearing Macs can get viruses, it's never happened to me. I don't want to have a Mac vs PC debate, but if you want a machine to last and without a lot of little annoyances and you want to streamline transferring what you have on your current computer (+ cloud) and ipad, I'd go Mac. I prefer laptops so my suggestion is to pick up a Macbook air refurbished. You probably have a USB-A on your current computer, so may need an adapter for that. The only other thing I can think of is if you are still running old programs (originally on dvd) everyone has gone subscription (unless you are running Mojave or older, then you can use those old programs).

[Metalcat]

I bought my last 2 laptops through the computer repair company I've used before. They do really good work refurbishing laptops, I've had them work on several work computers through the years.

That said, I've always bought business laptops.

[curious_george]

I bought my desktop 7 years ago, used. It's a business desktop and was refurbished, about 4 years old when I bought it. So it's about 11 years old now. Still works great. I use it about twice a year.

I paid $100 dollars for it with free shipping.

ETA: eBay.

[jim555]

Single board computer, nice specs, a bit pricey at $579.

https://www.lattepanda.com/lattepanda-sigma

[2sk22]

If your goal is to spend as little as possible, consider getting one of these small PCs. I am mainly a Mac user but I keep one of these around for odd tasks that I don't want to do on my main computer.

[CurledMoss]

Slickdeals.net

[FLBiker]

I used to be a big Lenovo fan (from back in the IBM Thinkpad days) but I feel like the quality isn't as good nowadays.  I also used to use places like NewEgg or TigerDirect to basically get the best laptop I could get for ~$400 US.  All of these options have been fine, but I've increasingly become a Dell person.  I use their laptops for work, and the past 3 have been great.  So, next time I buy a personal laptops, I'll probably get a Dell refurb.

Edited to add -- they're having a summer sale right now, and you can get a laptop for $250: https://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=us&cs=28&l=en&s=dfb&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw%2fPR7UdVpBnA6fyhwIOTYZrUFnYmtdIekxEGcS%2fqmgAsc7hKSnywYYi4i1bny5cqL6BUEueDL%2f%2b93eQaPYwY%2beH5T1434SlxcjUdlKWaQ3%2fdC3rqGQNK78L2vwtK763UJlJF%2bs38WmmmNJV30aEG%2folw%2fCkw9FeGei2qg13UI41lr1qzdJ%2f9hwLZGYKaXniObn8DpEAw%3d%3d

[Kwill]

If your goal is to spend as little as possible, consider getting one of these small PCs. I am mainly a Mac user but I keep one of these around for odd tasks that I don't want to do on my main computer.

I have one of these, and it is constantly crashing. It comes back quickly, but it goes to the blue screen sometimes a few times in a row. Being small is its main positive quality. I got it because it had such good reviews on Amazon. Maybe I just had bad luck.

[2sk22]

If your goal is to spend as little as possible, consider getting one of these small PCs. I am mainly a Mac user but I keep one of these around for odd tasks that I don't want to do on my main computer.

I have one of these, and it is constantly crashing. It comes back quickly, but it goes to the blue screen sometimes a few times in a row. Being small is its main positive quality. I got it because it had such good reviews on Amazon. Maybe I just had bad luck.

I think you may have a dud unfortunately. My mini PC (made by a company called Beelink) has been pretty reliable since I bought it a couple of years ago. It does have a very noisy fan however which can be distracting. Also, these mini PCs don't have a built-in speaker so you will need to use an external speaker or headphones.

[CurledMoss]

If your goal is to spend as little as possible, consider getting one of these small PCs. I am mainly a Mac user but I keep one of these around for odd tasks that I don't want to do on my main computer.

I have one of these, and it is constantly crashing. It comes back quickly, but it goes to the blue screen sometimes a few times in a row. Being small is its main positive quality. I got it because it had such good reviews on Amazon. Maybe I just had bad luck.

I think you may have a dud unfortunately. My mini PC (made by a company called Beelink) has been pretty reliable since I bought it a couple of years ago. It does have a very noisy fan however which can be distracting. Also, these mini PCs don't have a built-in speaker so you will need to use an external speaker or headphones.

Unless an all in one I don't believe any computers have built in speakers.

[Kwill]

If your goal is to spend as little as possible, consider getting one of these small PCs. I am mainly a Mac user but I keep one of these around for odd tasks that I don't want to do on my main computer.

I have one of these, and it is constantly crashing. It comes back quickly, but it goes to the blue screen sometimes a few times in a row. Being small is its main positive quality. I got it because it had such good reviews on Amazon. Maybe I just had bad luck.

I think you may have a dud unfortunately. My mini PC (made by a company called Beelink) has been pretty reliable since I bought it a couple of years ago. It does have a very noisy fan however which can be distracting. Also, these mini PCs don't have a built-in speaker so you will need to use an external speaker or headphones.

Mine is also a Beelink. It's this one. I got shipped Windows 11, which might be part of the problem. Usually when it starts crashing multiple times, it turns out that there's a hidden "optional" Windows update that is something major. I hesitated too long, and I let the return window slip by. I'd just returned a refurbished computer that was a dud, and I couldn't quite believe it was happening twice in a row.

In its defense, though, it was really useful to have such a tiny PC when I moved back to the States a couple months ago. I put it back in its box and brought it in my carry-on. Then I got a new keyboard and mouse at Walmart and ordered an HDMI adapter for my mother's old monitor that was just sitting in my parents' basement unused. It was nice to be able to bring a desktop PC in my carry-on without losing much space for clothes, etc.

[2sk22]

In its defense, though, it was really useful to have such a tiny PC when I moved back to the States a couple months ago. I put it back in its box and brought it in my carry-on. Then I got a new keyboard and mouse at Walmart and ordered an HDMI adapter for my mother's old monitor that was just sitting in my parents' basement unused. It was nice to be able to bring a desktop PC in my carry-on without losing much space for clothes, etc.

I bought one of these Beelinks for my mom a few years ago and it is still working well. Same for a friend who needed a cheap PC for his hobby. He got a Beelink on my recommendation and it's been working fine for him too. Thats why I recommended these. 🤷🏻‍♂️ As you say, its pretty compact and can even be mounted directly on the back of a monitor using the VESA sockets.

[neo von retorch]

My mini PC is a MinisForum UM350 I got for $280 at Amazon. I run Windows Server 2022 on it, and it runs 24/7 rock solid. It hosts Microsoft SQL Server, IIS web server, and depending on my gaming group's mood, game servers for ARK, Valheim, etc. Sounds like that one Beelink was a dud - most likely, it got an unlucky RAM stick. Bad memory will often manifest in instability / blue screens without an easy to diagnose cause.

[JLee]

If you have Microcenter stores in your area, they have M1 MacBook Airs for $750.

[Just Joe]

I used to be a big Lenovo fan (from back in the IBM Thinkpad days) but I feel like the quality isn't as good nowadays.  I also used to use places like NewEgg or TigerDirect to basically get the best laptop I could get for ~$400 US.  All of these options have been fine, but I've increasingly become a Dell person.  I use their laptops for work, and the past 3 have been great.  So, next time I buy a personal laptops, I'll probably get a Dell refurb.

Edited to add -- they're having a summer sale right now, and you can get a laptop for $250: https://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=us&cs=28&l=en&s=dfb&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw%2fPR7UdVpBnA6fyhwIOTYZrUFnYmtdIekxEGcS%2fqmgAsc7hKSnywYYi4i1bny5cqL6BUEueDL%2f%2b93eQaPYwY%2beH5T1434SlxcjUdlKWaQ3%2fdC3rqGQNK78L2vwtK763UJlJF%2bs38WmmmNJV30aEG%2folw%2fCkw9FeGei2qg13UI41lr1qzdJ%2f9hwLZGYKaXniObn8DpEAw%3d%3d

I'll second the Dell support. I've used and bought alot of Dells (at work) over the years. My desktop at home is a six year old 8900 XPS (I think the age is right). My work desktop is a Dell Precision T1600 (11? years old). I've had several Dell Latitudes.

One thing that has been important to me is free Linux. I've run mostly Mint Linux KDE until recently when Mint quit KDE and I picked up Kubuntu (KDE Ubuntu). Free software, one virus in ~25 years, you are in control of your computer. Better privacy. There is AV software if you want it (you should consider it).

I can offer more details if you want them. Don't want to bore you.

[Just Joe]

Mine is also a Beelink. It's this one. I got shipped Windows 11, which might be part of the problem. Usually when it starts crashing multiple times, it turns out that there's a hidden "optional" Windows update that is something major. I hesitated too long, and I let the return window slip by. I'd just returned a refurbished computer that was a dud, and I couldn't quite believe it was happening twice in a row.

In its defense, though, it was really useful to have such a tiny PC when I moved back to the States a couple months ago. I put it back in its box and brought it in my carry-on. Then I got a new keyboard and mouse at Walmart and ordered an HDMI adapter for my mother's old monitor that was just sitting in my parents' basement unused. It was nice to be able to bring a desktop PC in my carry-on without losing much space for clothes, etc.

Your problems are probably just Win11. Win11 is only about half baked right now. In a few years they might have it all polished up and reliable like Win10 is now. Win10 was a turkey when they first introduced it too. You could probably throw Kubuntu on it and see if it behaves better. Keep Win11 and choose which OS when you switch it on.

[Kwill]

Maybe it's Windows 11. It's hard to know. I just went in and installed the optional updates today. Hopefully that will keep it happy for a while. The "optional updates" that the system hides until you look for them include things with names like "cumulative update for Windows." There aren't any notifications for the optional updates, and you have to go into the "advanced options" to find out what is available.

[SpinWave0704]

Here are the Wirecutter recommendations: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-laptops/