What laptop?

[Slow]

Looking to pick up a laptop for traveling while being able to edit pdf/excel/word as HATE doing it on the ipad/iphone.

Otherwise its just watching some netflix etc while in hotel beds so nothing overly fancy as the desktop is at home for the real work.

Assume 1080p, SSD and i5 (or amd equiv) is basically all I want.

Just a quick look on amazon threw this up but not really sure whats good/bad in the laptop world.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-Vivobook-X1504ZA-i5-...

Dont really want to spend much more if I can avoid it

[Deep Thought]

Slow said:

Looking to pick up a laptop for traveling while being able to edit pdf/excel/word as HATE doing it on the ipad/iphone.

Otherwise its just watching some netflix etc while in hotel beds so nothing overly fancy as the desktop is at home for the real work.

Assume 1080p, SSD and i5 (or amd equiv) is basically all I want.

Just a quick look on amazon threw this up but not really sure whats good/bad in the laptop world.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-Vivobook-X1504ZA-i5-...

Dont really want to spend much more if I can avoid it

Do you need something as big as a 15.6 inch screen for travelling? I've found 14 inch a better size.

[colin79666]

MacBook Air M1. You are already in the Apple ecosystem so it will integrate well and assuming you have Office 365 then it will do all your light editing/spreadsheet duties fine. A little more expensive that a Windows device of similar looking specs but it pays for itself in simply being a well built, light machine for travel and far fewer intrusive (and necessary) security updates to happen that seems to be the Windows way.

Seems to be a voucher on Amazon today so not much over £700 new if you have Prime.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-MacBook-Chip-13-inc...

Better still if you are a Costco member (2 year warranty)
https://www.costco.co.uk/Computers/Laptops-MacBook...

Edited by colin79666 on Tuesday 10th October 17:42

[the-photographer]

1. Chromebook
2. Tablet with keyboard
3. Any cheap Dell or Lenovo refurb from ebay, say £200

[Slow]

the-photographer said:

1. Chromebook
2. Tablet with keyboard
3. Any cheap Dell or Lenovo refurb from ebay, say £200

Would prefer something that’s windows honestly and I’m not a fan of used electronics!

[Lotus Notes]

I followed a thread on here and bought a HP Pavilion 14 inch screen, 512 Go SSD, 16 MB, Core i5 <2kg for 600€

It's been great compared to my previous Lenovo.

[Slow]

colin79666 said:

MacBook Air M1. You are already in the Apple ecosystem so it will integrate well and assuming you have Office 365 then it will do all your light editing/spreadsheet duties fine. A little more expensive that a Windows device of similar looking specs but it pays for itself in simply being a well built, light machine for travel and far fewer intrusive (and necessary) security updates to happen that seems to be the Windows way.

Seems to be a voucher on Amazon today so not much over £700 new if you have Prime.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apple-MacBook-Chip-13-inc...

Better still if you are a Costco member (2 year warranty)
https://www.costco.co.uk/Computers/Laptops-MacBook...

Edited by colin79666 on Tuesday 10th October 17:42

As someone who has never used Mac but windows since forever.

Am I going to hate getting used to it or is it fairly simple?

[kestral]

Slow said:

Looking to pick up a laptop for traveling while being able to edit pdf/excel/word as HATE doing it on the ipad/iphone.

Otherwise its just watching some netflix etc while in hotel beds so nothing overly fancy as the desktop is at home for the real work.

Assume 1080p, SSD and i5 (or amd equiv) is basically all I want.

Just a quick look on amazon threw this up but not really sure whats good/bad in the laptop world.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-Vivobook-X1504ZA-i5-...

Dont really want to spend much more if I can avoid it

Just remember that if you want to do work on a laptop you might want to try and get a 3:2 ratio screen or at worst a 16:10. Don'y buy a 16:9 they are awful to do work on.

Don't buy Mac unless you know it.

Really do consider used of fleabay ect, you will save a lot of money. I have had many laptops of fleabay and they all worked as they should.

I have just bought a Huawei Matebook X pro of flebay for £280, it's 3:2 ratio, has USB A for mem sticks and has windows 11.

[snuffy]

Slow said:

Looking to pick up a laptop for traveling while being able to edit pdf/excel/word as HATE doing it on the ipad/iphone.

Otherwise its just watching some netflix etc while in hotel beds so nothing overly fancy as the desktop is at home for the real work.

Assume 1080p, SSD and i5 (or amd equiv) is basically all I want.

Just a quick look on amazon threw this up but not really sure whats good/bad in the laptop world.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-Vivobook-X1504ZA-i5-...

Dont really want to spend much more if I can avoid it

I bought a Vivobook only last month as it happens, one of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BN1P82X3

I'm pleased enough with it for £400.

[the-photographer]

Slow said:

Would prefer something that’s windows honestly and I’m not a fan of used electronics!

Try a cheap Inspiron from the Dell outlet

https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/InventorySearc...

[captain_cynic]

snuffy said:

Slow said:

Looking to pick up a laptop for traveling while being able to edit pdf/excel/word as HATE doing it on the ipad/iphone.

Otherwise its just watching some netflix etc while in hotel beds so nothing overly fancy as the desktop is at home for the real work.

Assume 1080p, SSD and i5 (or amd equiv) is basically all I want.

Just a quick look on amazon threw this up but not really sure whats good/bad in the laptop world.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-Vivobook-X1504ZA-i5-...

Dont really want to spend much more if I can avoid it

I bought a Vivobook only last month as it happens, one of these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BN1P82X3

I'm pleased enough with it for £400.

Full disclosure: long time Asus fanboy.

But they're good laptops. The vivobooks are light and compact as well. Usually fairly good hardware although they sometimes skimp on things like the camera.

The one the OP linked to is a decent spec.

In 12 years and 4 laptops I've not had a problem bar one being stolen out of my car. If I weren't a gamer I'd probably still be using the one I bought in 2017.

[the-norseman]

Slow said:

As someone who has never used Mac but windows since forever.

Am I going to hate getting used to it or is it fairly simple?

Go to somewhere that sells Mac such as John Lewis and have a play, I'm a long time Linux user and very occasional Windows user (win 10 and 11 now) and I find using MacOS quite easy when I have used them.

[the-photographer]

Something cheap and new

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/geo-infinity-geob...

[Jonny_]

captain_cynic said:

Full disclosure: long time Asus fanboy.

But they're good laptops. The vivobooks are light and compact as well. Usually fairly good hardware although they sometimes skimp on things like the camera.

The one the OP linked to is a decent spec.

In 12 years and 4 laptops I've not had a problem bar one being stolen out of my car. If I weren't a gamer I'd probably still be using the one I bought in 2017.

The only laptop I've ever had that lasted as well as a ThinkPad was a little Vivobook, new in 2014. It's too slow to be practicable these days (it was great on Windows 7, struggles with 10) but it is still fully functional. Remarkably well built for what was a very cheap laptop.

[MBVitoria]

Hijacking this thread as I couldn't see a general "what laptop" one.

Need a new laptop, just for general internet browsing, email etc.

Will just be used at home so weight not important and I'd like a decent screen. I'd also rather something slightly robust and ideally with a decent level of tech support.

Budget is around £400-500.

Would be grateful for any suggestions. Thanks.

[Mr Pointy]

MBVitoria said:

Hijacking this thread as I couldn't see a general "what laptop" one.

Need a new laptop, just for general internet browsing, email etc.

Will just be used at home so weight not important and I'd like a decent screen. I'd also rather something slightly robust and ideally with a decent level of tech support.

Budget is around £400-500.

Would be grateful for any suggestions. Thanks.

You can always start your own thread & there a several recent ones along the same lines.

Does your comment about "decent level of tech support" mean you are looking for a new laptop rather than a refurbished one as to get much more than standard online support could will cost a large part of your budget.

You'll get a lot more for your money if you buy refurbished & if you are really only doing browsing & email you can do that with devices like Chromebooks.

[MustangGT]

MBVitoria said:

Hijacking this thread as I couldn't see a general "what laptop" one.

Need a new laptop, just for general internet browsing, email etc.

Will just be used at home so weight not important and I'd like a decent screen. I'd also rather something slightly robust and ideally with a decent level of tech support.

Budget is around £400-500.

Would be grateful for any suggestions. Thanks.

If it is only going to be used at home, why a laptop and not a PC?

[MBVitoria]

Mr Pointy said:

MBVitoria said:

Hijacking this thread as I couldn't see a general "what laptop" one.

Need a new laptop, just for general internet browsing, email etc.

Will just be used at home so weight not important and I'd like a decent screen. I'd also rather something slightly robust and ideally with a decent level of tech support.

Budget is around £400-500.

Would be grateful for any suggestions. Thanks.

You can always start your own thread & there a several recent ones along the same lines.

Does your comment about "decent level of tech support" mean you are looking for a new laptop rather than a refurbished one as to get much more than standard online support could will cost a large part of your budget.

You'll get a lot more for your money if you buy refurbished & if you are really only doing browsing & email you can do that with devices like Chromebooks.

Cheers, I think I just want a reasonable warranty rather than like software support. I got a chromebook for my daughter and that had a 3 year warranty, starting acting up after 2.5 years so I sent it back and got a new one. Having looked at some options today I think I might just do that again.

[Basil Brush]

You could get a refurbished Surface Pro 9 for about 600 quid from Microsoft.

[richhead]

It writing this on a Lenovo ideapad.
For my use its ideal, email/surfing/netflix etc.
Its light, battery lasts almost all day cost about £150 new from amazon.
Only downside is not much storage, but a usb stick fixes that.
I travel alot with it.
And at that price its disposable. so not worried about breaking it.