Which Windows Laptop should I buy?
June 6, 2018 8:01 AM Subscribe
I am looking to buy a Windows Laptop for running a CCD camera connected to a spectrograph. We've been limping along using a first generation MacBook Air running Windows, but I'd like to use some end-of-fiscal-year money to buy a replacement Windows machine. My requirements are inside.
My requirements are:
*Cheap: $1000 is a hard limit; closer to $500 is preferable
*Portable: A small screen is fine
*At least modestly rugged: this will be carried around (and possibly dropped) by not-entirely-careful users
*Large amount of storage: 500 GB is a minimum; 1 TB would be great. Because of the above rugged requirement, an SSD would be preferable here; I realize that may be pushing it with my budget, but I would be happy to swap out the included HDD for an SSD if that makes it doable (because of budget rules, no single item can be more than $1000, but if I buy the SSD separately, that doesn't count towards the $1000 limit).
*A real keyboard
*A reasonable number of ports: at least a (standard) USB port and power port; more USB ports would be welcome.
Things I don't care about:
*Graphics quality: as long as it can display images, I'm good.
*CPU speed/RAM amount: Again, as long as it can run Windows reasonably, I'm good.
So, have at it. What should I buy?
My requirements are:
*Cheap: $1000 is a hard limit; closer to $500 is preferable
*Portable: A small screen is fine
*At least modestly rugged: this will be carried around (and possibly dropped) by not-entirely-careful users
*Large amount of storage: 500 GB is a minimum; 1 TB would be great. Because of the above rugged requirement, an SSD would be preferable here; I realize that may be pushing it with my budget, but I would be happy to swap out the included HDD for an SSD if that makes it doable (because of budget rules, no single item can be more than $1000, but if I buy the SSD separately, that doesn't count towards the $1000 limit).
*A real keyboard
*A reasonable number of ports: at least a (standard) USB port and power port; more USB ports would be welcome.
Things I don't care about:
*Graphics quality: as long as it can display images, I'm good.
*CPU speed/RAM amount: Again, as long as it can run Windows reasonably, I'm good.
So, have at it. What should I buy?
A refurbished X-series Thinkpad (X201 or newer) and an SSD.
posted by Too-Ticky at 8:45 AM on June 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Too-Ticky at 8:45 AM on June 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Is buying used/refurb an option? I would try to go for an older Thinkpad X series - there are occasionally good deals to be had on the Lenovo outlet (on preview - jinx, Too-Ticky!)
posted by btfreek at 8:47 AM on June 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by btfreek at 8:47 AM on June 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
First, you should look at whether your camera is compatible with newer versions of Windows ...
posted by Dashy at 8:50 AM on June 6, 2018
posted by Dashy at 8:50 AM on June 6, 2018
For under $1,000 your options might be limited, especially with than 512GB-1TB SSD requirement.
This Inspiron 15 5000 looks to fit your bill - it'll be ugly and not very exciting, but looks good value for money.
Otherwise, consider a refurb thinkpad as others have said. And yes, definitely check your CCD will work with it first.
posted by parm at 10:19 AM on June 6, 2018
This Inspiron 15 5000 looks to fit your bill - it'll be ugly and not very exciting, but looks good value for money.
Otherwise, consider a refurb thinkpad as others have said. And yes, definitely check your CCD will work with it first.
posted by parm at 10:19 AM on June 6, 2018
First, you should look at whether your camera is compatible with newer versions of Windows ...
X201s are Windows7 era, which I expect is what runs on that MacBook too. Getting a generic W7 install disk is no big deal, although you could find that the CoA license code on the sticker on the machine (which is usually still in place) won't validate with a generic install. If need be you can probably order a replacement CD from Lenovo (they list the part numbers in the maintenance manuals which are on their site too, and on thinkwiki.org), or install the generic W7 with a matching code and wave away the difference between that and the CoA code.
posted by Stoneshop at 12:20 PM on June 6, 2018
X201s are Windows7 era, which I expect is what runs on that MacBook too. Getting a generic W7 install disk is no big deal, although you could find that the CoA license code on the sticker on the machine (which is usually still in place) won't validate with a generic install. If need be you can probably order a replacement CD from Lenovo (they list the part numbers in the maintenance manuals which are on their site too, and on thinkwiki.org), or install the generic W7 with a matching code and wave away the difference between that and the CoA code.
posted by Stoneshop at 12:20 PM on June 6, 2018
Please, for the love of all things simple and good, choose a Thinkpad. They keep their drivers and BIOS up to date, and it all just works without much fuss. They're pretty sturdy, and you can get replacement parts. Dell computers, no matter how much you spend or how nice it is, are quirky. Dell is not so great about drivers and compatibilities and Windows updates. There are sometimes workarounds, but they're seldom obvious or easy to find unless you enjoy spending a lot of time digging through old forum posts.
The X230 or X240, or even an X220 would be a good choice (my laptop is an X230, I run Windows 7, SSD). They're not as common as the T series, which would also be a good choice though a bit larger (T430 or 440 probably). Refurbs can be found for good prices, and they're very easy to work on.
If you have to install Windows 7 on a new drive on an X series, you'll have to find an ISO and make a bootable USB 2.0 drive (just to be safe about the USB 2, there have been issues with trying to use USB 3 drives in the past for some chipsets). But you can install a generic version of the appropriate level (home, pro, ultimate) of 7, it doesn't have to be a Lenovo disc image. You can then install what of the Lenovo utilities you want, as well as the chipset and other hardware driver things.
posted by monopas at 1:41 PM on June 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
The X230 or X240, or even an X220 would be a good choice (my laptop is an X230, I run Windows 7, SSD). They're not as common as the T series, which would also be a good choice though a bit larger (T430 or 440 probably). Refurbs can be found for good prices, and they're very easy to work on.
If you have to install Windows 7 on a new drive on an X series, you'll have to find an ISO and make a bootable USB 2.0 drive (just to be safe about the USB 2, there have been issues with trying to use USB 3 drives in the past for some chipsets). But you can install a generic version of the appropriate level (home, pro, ultimate) of 7, it doesn't have to be a Lenovo disc image. You can then install what of the Lenovo utilities you want, as well as the chipset and other hardware driver things.
posted by monopas at 1:41 PM on June 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
I came in to recommend a used Thinkpad. They are business class computers, so the specs for parts are a bit better, and they are built well. Thinkpads are reliable and sturdy. It's very easy to add RAM if you find a used one that has less than 8 gb. More is nice.
Companies lease fleets of laptops, and when the lease ends, they get go back to Lenovo and get refurbished and sold. I've been very pleased with the ones I've had or worked on.
posted by theora55 at 7:36 PM on June 6, 2018
Companies lease fleets of laptops, and when the lease ends, they get go back to Lenovo and get refurbished and sold. I've been very pleased with the ones I've had or worked on.
posted by theora55 at 7:36 PM on June 6, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by seasparrow at 8:23 AM on June 6, 2018 [2 favorites]