Do I need a desktop or laptop?
October 6, 2015 1:19 PM Subscribe
Do I need a desktop or laptop, and which model? My desktop died yesterday, and I'm trying to figure out what to replace it with...
My desktop died yesterday, and I'm trying to figure out what to replace it with. I would appreciate your recommendations based on the following criteria:
- I normally use the desktop for light office work, word processing, paying bills, some internet surfing etc. No gaming or heavy photo/video editing. We do most of our internet surfing/Netflix streaming etc. on our iPads.
- I have a good company-issued laptop (Lenovo t440), but a) I find it too heavy to carry around, and b) I can't download any personal software onto it.
- Whatever I get must allow me to remote into my work computer easily if I don't have my company laptop with me and need to work from home.
- I am going back to school in the spring to get my Master's. Before my desktop died I was planning to use my company laptop for school, but if I have to buy a computer anyway, maybe a laptop is the way to go.
- Any laptop I use I would want to have the option to attach a regular keyboard and mouse to for home use, and it would need to be light weight.
- I have 3 kids aged 9, 9 and 7. They're currently not using a computer for homework, but that could change in the next few years. If I get a laptop, a) it will be gone with me at least some of the time, and b) it might not be very functional for the kids? (thinking in terms of robustness and ease of use)
- I would like to pay no more than $1200 all in, and would be very happy to pay drastically less than that.
- Unless there's a really great reason to switch to Mac, I would prefer to stick with PC. We've had no issues syncing our Apple devices w/our iTunes for PC etc.
- I'm clearly not a techie, so was thinking something like 8 GB, SSD, i5 would probably be sufficient?
I'm a bit lost with all the options out there. I'd like to hear your recommendations, particularly for specific models. I'm in the US, if that matters. Thank you!
My desktop died yesterday, and I'm trying to figure out what to replace it with. I would appreciate your recommendations based on the following criteria:
- I normally use the desktop for light office work, word processing, paying bills, some internet surfing etc. No gaming or heavy photo/video editing. We do most of our internet surfing/Netflix streaming etc. on our iPads.
- I have a good company-issued laptop (Lenovo t440), but a) I find it too heavy to carry around, and b) I can't download any personal software onto it.
- Whatever I get must allow me to remote into my work computer easily if I don't have my company laptop with me and need to work from home.
- I am going back to school in the spring to get my Master's. Before my desktop died I was planning to use my company laptop for school, but if I have to buy a computer anyway, maybe a laptop is the way to go.
- Any laptop I use I would want to have the option to attach a regular keyboard and mouse to for home use, and it would need to be light weight.
- I have 3 kids aged 9, 9 and 7. They're currently not using a computer for homework, but that could change in the next few years. If I get a laptop, a) it will be gone with me at least some of the time, and b) it might not be very functional for the kids? (thinking in terms of robustness and ease of use)
- I would like to pay no more than $1200 all in, and would be very happy to pay drastically less than that.
- Unless there's a really great reason to switch to Mac, I would prefer to stick with PC. We've had no issues syncing our Apple devices w/our iTunes for PC etc.
- I'm clearly not a techie, so was thinking something like 8 GB, SSD, i5 would probably be sufficient?
I'm a bit lost with all the options out there. I'd like to hear your recommendations, particularly for specific models. I'm in the US, if that matters. Thank you!
Barring something exotic and super-cheap, any laptop you would buy today would be able to connect to an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc, so that you could easily create a desktop setup with it. All other things being equal, you do pay more for a laptop than a bare desktop, but the flexibility is nice, and laptops are powerful enough these days that few people really need a desktop for the horsepower.
I'm a Mac guy, but if you're comfortable with Windows machines, I'm not going to try to talk you out of that. Lenovo generally has a good rep, and they seem to have products in line with your price range.
posted by adamrice at 1:33 PM on October 6, 2015
I'm a Mac guy, but if you're comfortable with Windows machines, I'm not going to try to talk you out of that. Lenovo generally has a good rep, and they seem to have products in line with your price range.
posted by adamrice at 1:33 PM on October 6, 2015
Best answer: Your requirements are pretty modest. i5 / 8GB / SSD will suit you fine, I bet. If you store media files on your laptop, make sure you get a big enough SSD to accommodate them.
I think the only downside to a laptop is that it'll be less kid-resistant. If your kids spill a soda on a desktop's keyboard or mouse, you can buy a new replacement with minimum stress (aside from the unanticipated expense, of course.) A laptop, the whole thing has to go in for a repair. And note that some desktops have the CPU and monitor in the same housing, which makes repairing them harder.
To attach an external keyboard and mouse, you need USB ports. I'm pretty sure that any Windows laptop will have USB ports for this.
Make sure the Windows on your new computer has the remote access software you need -- I believe that some of the lower-tier versions don't include it because of Microsoft's very specific customer segmentation of Windows across home, personal, enterprise versions.
Alas I have no recommendation for brands. I have a 2013 Thinkpad and I love it, but if I bought today I'd stay away from Lenovo. They've been busted for installing all kinds of nasty tracking stuff on their laptops.
posted by Sauce Trough at 1:36 PM on October 6, 2015
I think the only downside to a laptop is that it'll be less kid-resistant. If your kids spill a soda on a desktop's keyboard or mouse, you can buy a new replacement with minimum stress (aside from the unanticipated expense, of course.) A laptop, the whole thing has to go in for a repair. And note that some desktops have the CPU and monitor in the same housing, which makes repairing them harder.
To attach an external keyboard and mouse, you need USB ports. I'm pretty sure that any Windows laptop will have USB ports for this.
Make sure the Windows on your new computer has the remote access software you need -- I believe that some of the lower-tier versions don't include it because of Microsoft's very specific customer segmentation of Windows across home, personal, enterprise versions.
Alas I have no recommendation for brands. I have a 2013 Thinkpad and I love it, but if I bought today I'd stay away from Lenovo. They've been busted for installing all kinds of nasty tracking stuff on their laptops.
posted by Sauce Trough at 1:36 PM on October 6, 2015
I'm a Mac guy, but if I were in your shoes, I'd at least check out a Microsoft Surface. My physician runs her office on one.
posted by 4ster at 1:47 PM on October 6, 2015
posted by 4ster at 1:47 PM on October 6, 2015
Desktop machines are dying out. I love my MacBook Pro.
posted by w0mbat at 1:47 PM on October 6, 2015
posted by w0mbat at 1:47 PM on October 6, 2015
Lenovo has a Surface replicant available soon and the Surface Pro 4 will be available in a couple of weeks. There are a ton of ultrabooks available as well.
I have Windows 10 on all my desktops (2) and my laptop and you should confirm what is used to remote work into your workplace network and confirm which version of Windows is good for that. Personally I can't stand laptops as a primary machine because of their keyboards and displays, and setting them up to use proper keyboards, mice, and a display is something I'd rather not do (not to mention the cost of getting a laptop to display properly on a 4K 40" display is a little large) so I go for the mega desktop at home, inexpensive laptop outside of home model with cloud storage and local network sharing to manage files.
posted by juiceCake at 2:01 PM on October 6, 2015
I have Windows 10 on all my desktops (2) and my laptop and you should confirm what is used to remote work into your workplace network and confirm which version of Windows is good for that. Personally I can't stand laptops as a primary machine because of their keyboards and displays, and setting them up to use proper keyboards, mice, and a display is something I'd rather not do (not to mention the cost of getting a laptop to display properly on a 4K 40" display is a little large) so I go for the mega desktop at home, inexpensive laptop outside of home model with cloud storage and local network sharing to manage files.
posted by juiceCake at 2:01 PM on October 6, 2015
Best answer: I would get a laptop for school - about half of my master's program classmates take notes by laptop. It's just more convenient. I would get your kids a budget computer, (even a Chromebook) so they can work if you're using the laptop for school.
posted by Aranquis at 2:03 PM on October 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Aranquis at 2:03 PM on October 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I just recently put Windows 10 on a laptop for the first time in Forever. Windows 7 was, "eh." Windows 8 was, ugly and confusing.
Microsoft did a very good job with Windows 10. It's faster, and more straightforward, than anything I've come to expect from Microsoft. If you get a laptop, put Windows 10 on it first thing (it's a free download) and save yourself time and aggravation.
posted by blob at 2:33 PM on October 6, 2015
Microsoft did a very good job with Windows 10. It's faster, and more straightforward, than anything I've come to expect from Microsoft. If you get a laptop, put Windows 10 on it first thing (it's a free download) and save yourself time and aggravation.
posted by blob at 2:33 PM on October 6, 2015
Lenovo generally has a good rep
They had a good reputation until this year, when they pissed it all away. I'd personally advise avoiding them like the plague.
posted by neckro23 at 2:42 PM on October 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
They had a good reputation until this year, when they pissed it all away. I'd personally advise avoiding them like the plague.
posted by neckro23 at 2:42 PM on October 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
You need both. Get a light laptop that you will love for school and personal use. And then, right before Christmas, check Office Depot for an hp all in one pc for the kids. You should be able to get a decent one for around $400.00, on sale. Become an Office Depot member for added benefits. If you purchase your laptop there, you will accumulate points to use on the desktop for the kids. Oh, and, tell the kids that it is a shared Christmas present for the whole family.
By the way, I hate Lenova and Toshiba with a passion. An ugly, dark, passion.
posted by myselfasme at 3:49 PM on October 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
By the way, I hate Lenova and Toshiba with a passion. An ugly, dark, passion.
posted by myselfasme at 3:49 PM on October 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
Windows Central just did an article on this. If the keyboard/trackpad are important to you, get an Ultrabook. If portability is most important, consider a Surface Pro3 or Surface Pro 4. If cost is most important, there may be some tradeoffs, but consider a refurbished Ultrabook or business laptop and buy a third-party SSD. Also take a look at The Wirecutter article on budget laptops.
posted by cnc at 4:55 PM on October 6, 2015
posted by cnc at 4:55 PM on October 6, 2015
Best answer: I'm with myselfasme actually. A REALLY REALLY cheap desktop like this, which will run minecraft and surf the internet with aplomb and then a refurbished laptop will suit your needs.
You don't need to spend $1200. You need to spend like, $500 total.
This would have been a perfect deal for a decent, and nicely portable laptop with good specs. Buy a business grade machine or a decent ultrabook on sale or refurbished. Dell latitude, lenovo thinkpad, maybe an HP elitebook. This would also be fine, for example, especially since it has a MUCH nicer display. Or even something a bit older but still current and refurbed like this.
Leverage the fact that you already have the desktop-stuff sitting and get a cheap desktop. A REALLY cheap desktop. Then buy a decent, but on sale/refurbished midrange laptop.
If you spend more than maybe $600 on this you're spending money you don't need to. Personally, i would wait for a decent laptop to hit the ~$300-400 range, and it will happen. Even super nice stuff like the dell XPS13 has gone under $500 a couple times recently. I'd buy that desktop now while it's available, though.
If you're willing to go to craigslist, you can find something even cheaper. I recently helped a friend get a i5/6gb of ram metal asus ultrabook for... $280 on craigslist. It still had the peel off plastic on it and came from someone who just hadn't had a purpose for it or used it more than a couple times. But even if you don't want to deal with the craigslist hassle, the $300-400 range is prime deal city online. Stuff sells out fast though, so it has to become a mild hobby for a bit.
posted by emptythought at 7:09 PM on October 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
You don't need to spend $1200. You need to spend like, $500 total.
This would have been a perfect deal for a decent, and nicely portable laptop with good specs. Buy a business grade machine or a decent ultrabook on sale or refurbished. Dell latitude, lenovo thinkpad, maybe an HP elitebook. This would also be fine, for example, especially since it has a MUCH nicer display. Or even something a bit older but still current and refurbed like this.
Leverage the fact that you already have the desktop-stuff sitting and get a cheap desktop. A REALLY cheap desktop. Then buy a decent, but on sale/refurbished midrange laptop.
If you spend more than maybe $600 on this you're spending money you don't need to. Personally, i would wait for a decent laptop to hit the ~$300-400 range, and it will happen. Even super nice stuff like the dell XPS13 has gone under $500 a couple times recently. I'd buy that desktop now while it's available, though.
If you're willing to go to craigslist, you can find something even cheaper. I recently helped a friend get a i5/6gb of ram metal asus ultrabook for... $280 on craigslist. It still had the peel off plastic on it and came from someone who just hadn't had a purpose for it or used it more than a couple times. But even if you don't want to deal with the craigslist hassle, the $300-400 range is prime deal city online. Stuff sells out fast though, so it has to become a mild hobby for a bit.
posted by emptythought at 7:09 PM on October 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
I currently have three Lenovos, two T550s, which cost me $1200 each, and a T540, which I got for around $800, I think, a couple years ago. They all have all the capabilities that my HP Z400 desktop has, with the exception of 3 USB ports instead of 8. I use both a wireless keyboard and mouse, which take up one USB port between them. The most important thing about them is that they run Windows 7, which is why I bought them. If you have no problems with Windows 8 or 10, I've no advice. But if you need Windows 7, you can still get it from Lenovo, and the machines themselves seem just fine.
posted by carping demon at 8:51 PM on October 6, 2015
posted by carping demon at 8:51 PM on October 6, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you everyone for your answers - really helpful. I marked as best the answers that most helped guide my thinking. I'm going to get a lightweight laptop for myself, hold on to the keyboard etc. from the desktop and then get a cheap desktop for the kids when they need it. Thank you!
posted by widdershins at 6:52 AM on October 7, 2015
posted by widdershins at 6:52 AM on October 7, 2015
Best answer: Quick note - if you can find a cheap docking station for your laptop model, they can really make a difference in ease of use. Plugging in three cords +power, managing those cords, etc. can get really, really annoying and I find I always just say screw it and use the laptop as a laptop.
With a docking station you just drop the laptop on it, and you're good to go. Even functions as a charging station.
posted by mayonnaises at 9:07 AM on October 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
With a docking station you just drop the laptop on it, and you're good to go. Even functions as a charging station.
posted by mayonnaises at 9:07 AM on October 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
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