• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Advice to replace current work laptop?

B

bull2118

Member
Basically I am in insurance sales and I picked up a refurb Ideapad Sattelite that has a touch screen a couple years ago that I really like. The software I run mainly has to produce 40 and 50 page pdf to show clients on the sopt, and it is obnoxiously slow. Also the battery will drain with 2 hours of presentations or less. Has an i3, is just getting long in the tooth.

Suggestions and thoughts appreciated based on the following
-14in screen. Almost non-negotiable. 15.6 is just clunky and 13 is like showing clients a Tyco My First Laptop
-Faster production of pdf, fast web browsing, fast software. Dont know if an i5 with SSD, an i7 with a HDD is superior? I'm behind the times, I used to keep up on tech, but life you know...is SSD the bees knees now?
-Long battery life a plus, but slim, good looking and light are priority over that. Cant imagine battery life gets worse.
-Touch screen. Guess I could do without, but I find myself using it more than I thought I would.
-Pretty sure I won't own an HP, Dells seem overpriced for what they offer. Like the Lenovo X1, but the thinkness and stupid red thumb ball thing are negatives. Boss has an Asus I love, but they dont seem to like 14in.
- Keeping the budget below $1000 shouldnt be hard with cyber holidays an all no?

Have a great holiday all and thanks for the help!
 
SSD is almost required. I wouldn't buy a laptop without one. An i5 will be fine with what you're using it for. RAM is important for big pdf's. I'd say 8GB minimum, 16GB preferred.

Get a business laptop, since that is what you're using it for. You want uptime and reliability.

I'd say the Latitude 5000 series. HP Probook. Thinkpad T series. Find the one with a keyboard you like. The business class computers may cost a couple hundred dollars more than the consumer ones, but they'll last a lot longer and will be fixable/upgradeable. In the long run, the cost of ownership will probably be much less.
 
bull2118 said:
the thinkness and stupid red thumb ball thing are negatives.
Click to expand...
Thinkness? Did you mean thickness? If so, what? The Thinkpad X1 is very slim. Or did you just coin your own phrase for the classic Thinkpad design? If so, don't worry - it looks slick and modern, even if it keeps to its roots.

If I were you, I'd look at the Thinkpad T460 series. 14", relatively light, ssds, good battery life, and durable as all hell. Also very upgradeable and serviceable, unlike the vast majority of laptops, so it can last you for quite a while. And while you might think the trackpoint is silly, I'd recommend trying it out. For quick, precise pointing, it's far superior to a touchpad once you spend a day or two getting used to it.

Any other decent business line of laptops should do just fine too. Just stay away from consumer laptops, as they usually are far worse quality.

An i5 and an SSD should be perfect for your needs. As giantpandaman2 said, SSDs are required today. I'd never even consider a PC without one. For loading your PDFs, that would be the biggest possible speed boost. 8GB of ram should be sufficient, but 16 might be good to have down the line.
 
What would the drawbacks of this be?

I specd out a T460 and with an I5 vs this I7 it was $250 more

I'm guessing this "home" laptop will have a shorter battery and be less rugged than the T class business model... am I missing anything else?
 
Longevity. Consumer laptops tend to break just a few months past warranty. I don't expect a consumer laptop to last more than 2 years before having problems. Given the way computer technology has slowed down, laptops can (and should) last for 4-5+ years without feeling slow as long as the hardware doesn't break. Also, don't discount the ruggedness aspect. Though current Thinkpads aren't nearly as tough as they used to be, they're still much better at resisting spills, falls, and tumbles than an Ideapad.

Also, being a business laptop, it can be repaired. If you get a warranty, it's usually pretty quick. Even without a warranty, there are places that could service it for a fee. Consumer class...you just have to buy a new one.
 
bull2118 said:
What would the drawbacks of this be?

I specd out a T460 and with an I5 vs this I7 it was $250 more

I'm guessing this "home" laptop will have a shorter battery and be less rugged than the T class business model... am I missing anything else?
Click to expand...
Consumer laptops are made for a life span of 1-3 years (as that's how frequently the average consumer replaces them). Business laptops are built for business use, where hardware upgrade budgets rarely come along more often than every 5 years. Consumer laptops aren't made for active use, for being transported around, used for hours on end each day in varying conditions, and so on. Build quality is usually a night and day difference, even on the "fancy" aluminium bodied consumer models. I just picked apart an old HP Envy 14" laptop - a really nice consumer laptop in its time, with a full aluminium body, and most of its internal construction was plastic (which was why it was falling apart).

My ThinkPad X201 from 2010 essentially looks new. The keyboard is still amazing, the hinge shows zero wear, and outside of some scuffing of the rubberized finish, the laptop looks brand new. It's travelled around the world with me, and I wrote a significant part of my masters thesis on it. The battery is quite worn, but that matters little to me right now. At least it's easily replaceable.

Not to mention that Lenovo posts hardware maintenance manuals online for all their Thinkpad laptops, so that you can keep it alive way past warranty (and go about replacing anything internally in the right way).
 
Some thinkpads pass MIL spec testing. That means they can be used in war zones and in extreme environments with no issue. Their keyboards are best in class. You can pop them open and replace/upgrade parts no problem. They're premium professional tools. The only drawback is the screens typically are not the best and not ideal for people who do photo editing. Aside from that, no other laptop can be compared to a ThinkPad. Their cultish following is for a reason.

Written on my x260.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top