Choosing a laptop for DS college

[wilkeliza]

With the S mode, you can only install apps from the Windows store. Defeats the purpose of having a Windows machine and would end up with the same limitations as the Chromebook. At that link there is an AMD machine that would be about what the OP is looking for for $379.99. An i7 is overkill for most machines and adds a lot to the price.

Thanks. I just grabbed it to send it as a starting point. I did forget that safety mode issue. I had bought mine back when S mode could be freely upgraded to regular. Now it seems to be an upcharge.

 

[fla4fun]

Actually, there are some computer knowledgeable people on here. Sales people want to make the sale. They'll stretch the truth (at best) or flat out lie (at worst).

Perhaps instead of, or in addition to, going to a retailer, go to a repair store and ask them which computers come in for repairs most often.

With the S mode, you can only install apps from the Windows store. Defeats the purpose of having a Windows machine and would end up with the same limitations as the Chromebook. At that link there is an AMD machine that would be about what the OP is looking for for $379.99. An i7 is overkill for most machines and adds a lot to the price.

You can inactivate S mode if you want to, but you can’t go back to it once you do. I wouldn’t necessarily avoid a computer with it if the machine was a good value otherwise. You just have to factor in making the change.

OP, I agree with others who have suggested Acer and Asus brands as a place to start. Also, Labor Day sales are starting to appear, so look outside the box for retailers. I bought my iPad Pro through a large camera retailer, and I only found out they carried them by accident when I did a Google search for what I wanted.

Good luck with the search! Shopping for a computer is almost as bad as shopping for a car these days.

 

[cvjw]

We bought our kids MacBooks when they went to college. Both are still using them, years later. No issues, other than when my son’s frenchie chewed the corner while he was in the shower. I would help my kid buy a quality MacBook if at all possible.

 

[sam_gordon]

Good luck with the search! Shopping for a computer is almost as bad as shopping for a car these days.

Thanks! If it was for me or DW, I wouldn't be asking. DS wants to buy it himself, so that's why cost is a priority.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Have you considered a Chromebook? Someone must have suggested that?

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

If you're comfy with Linux, a Ubuntu laptop will be plenty powerful and dead cheap, very capable and handsome too. I prefer it to Windows.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22531994...7779&msclkid=7c13db574f2c1307cb48bfb0870d30b8

SUPER FAST LINUX UBUNTU LAPTOP INTEL CORE I5 16GB RAM 1TB HD SSD WEBCAM WARRANTY

£120

 

[mom2rtk]

If I can't get DS to take his laptop to the help desk to figure out the wifi issue, there's no way he's going to figure out how to print.

My 3 kids all graduated college without owning a printer. None of their friends had printers. They all had great access to easy printing on campus on the rare occasion they needed it.

 

[mom2rtk]

@sam_gordon, if he's considering starting from scratch with a new computer, has he considered saving the important things to an exterior drive then doing a factory reset on the computer? Maybe he's picked up a virus or some unneeded software that are slowing it down and he might get better performance starting over.

 

[EACarlson]

If you're comfy with Linux, a Ubuntu laptop will be plenty powerful and dead cheap, very capable and handsome too. I prefer it to Windows.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22531994...7779&msclkid=7c13db574f2c1307cb48bfb0870d30b8

SUPER FAST LINUX UBUNTU LAPTOP INTEL CORE I5 16GB RAM 1TB HD SSD WEBCAM WARRANTY

£120

View attachment 787762

Refurbished with a guarantee to hold a 30 minute charge. And another 35 pounds to ship to the US. You're coming very close to the price to buy a new Windows machine. Also doesn't list what version of an i5, I'm going to guess this is a very old business machine that someone wiped and put Ubuntu on. Not a horrible idea, and something I've done with old underpowered machines in the past, also not going to be useful for the OP's situation. No shot intended user understands or wants to learn Ubuntu to save 30 bucks.

 

[sam_gordon]

Have you considered a Chromebook? Someone must have suggested that?

I know we're three pages deep, but it does help to read the thread.

 

[sam_gordon]

If you're comfy with Linux, a Ubuntu laptop will be plenty powerful and dead cheap, very capable and handsome too. I prefer it to Windows.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22531994...7779&msclkid=7c13db574f2c1307cb48bfb0870d30b8

SUPER FAST LINUX UBUNTU LAPTOP INTEL CORE I5 16GB RAM 1TB HD SSD WEBCAM WARRANTY

£120

View attachment 787762

You're a computer/tech guy. I would not consider Linux for a user who knows only the basics of how to operate a computer.

 

[sam_gordon]

@sam_gordon, if he's considering starting from scratch with a new computer, has he considered saving the important things to an exterior drive then doing a factory reset on the computer? Maybe he's picked up a virus or some unneeded software that are slowing it down and he might get better performance starting over.

That's a decent idea also.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

You're a computer/tech guy. I would not consider Linux for a user who knows only the basics of how to operate a computer.

Actually, I'd disagree. There is a lot of technical stuff you CAN do in Linux, but in the commercial strains like Zorin and Ubuntu, it's pretty straight forward - more so than Windows. Need an app, something to do x with? Search for what you need done and the system will find the programme for it and will download it. Everything is kept where it's meant to be, everything is laid out. If anything, I'd say Ubuntu Linux is TOO simple for power using.