streetfighter2012 said:
Looking to get a new laptop for the house and wanted to see if anyone has suggestions on brands or lines to look at. Would like to keep it under $1,000, 15" screen and have the number pad on the keyboard. Just needed for web browsing, Microsoft office, occasional streaming, and not needed for gaming.
I would bar HP laptops out of this discussion. HP laptops have notoriously bad batteries, which hold a 100% charge for their first year and drop to around 60% charge in year 2 and beyond. I used to work as a Dell repair tech and their systems, particularly their business laptops, are not bad from a repairability standpoint. Lenovo laptops tend to be found on the second-hand market and tend to work well, but they are a chore to repair, so I personally stay away from them.
In regards to good deals that you can get from brands that I would purchase, I would probably recommend the following:
https://www.newegg.com/silver-dell-inspiron-5575-creating-designing/p/1TS-000A-04P24If it comes with Windows 10 S rather than Windows 10, then I'd suggest upgrading to Windows 10. I think you can do that for free but it would be worth a Google search before purchase. Otherwise, you would probably have to buy a copy of Windows 10 to get the non-S version. Windows 10 S I think prevents you from installing programs outside of the Windows App Store, which is terrible if you like installing things like Google Chrome or VLC or something.
A lot of the people in this thread seem to sing the praises of getting a Mac because they view it as superior to Windows, but I wouldn't let their justifications sway your view to getting a Mac. You can get most of the benefits you get on a Mac on Linux (no viruses, updates without having to restart your computer frequently, etc), yet nobody has suggested Linux as a viable option. The only problem with Linux would be an inability to get a native install of Office on it, but other than that, it's perfect for most computing tasks. Consider downloading Ubuntu (a flavor of Linux) onto a flash drive and trying it on your laptop if you're a tinkerer, and see if that is something you'd consider using. Chances are you may not be interesting in trying something besides windows, but Linux really does provide users with a lot of benefits if you're willing in investing your efforts in trying something new. And, by the way, Linux has a free alternative to Microsoft Office called LibreOffice that is compatible with files made from Microsoft Office.
But if that's too much of a headache, the machine I referenced should fit your specifications.
