New Laptop Requied.....
Discussion
I know I know this is very general, but the desktop we've had for the last 8(!) or so years is finally about to give up the ghost.
Need to replace with a latop - i'm in two minds - the old Windows vs Apple conundrum.....
All I need to do is photo editing (and storage) maybe the odd non intensive game (think football manager) and surf the net / basic spreadsheets etc.
So I guess nothing too spectacular - however i'd quite like it to last a while. The desktop i'm using at the moment has served us well for these 8 years and I prefer not to update / buy new all the time.
So do I blow the budget and go Apple or stay sensible and stick to windows?
Anything popped up in the sales that is a bargain at the moment?
I'd like SSD, decent amount of ram, large storage - happy to go external if needed for this bit.
But I do like Apple..... would the new macbook do the job or should I be looking at the pro?
PC was bought from Mesh was very happy with the service so happy to use an online builder such as them again, however i'm a bit behind on what spec is decent these days?
Garbled post but I hope you get the drift.....
Need to replace with a latop - i'm in two minds - the old Windows vs Apple conundrum.....
All I need to do is photo editing (and storage) maybe the odd non intensive game (think football manager) and surf the net / basic spreadsheets etc.
So I guess nothing too spectacular - however i'd quite like it to last a while. The desktop i'm using at the moment has served us well for these 8 years and I prefer not to update / buy new all the time.
So do I blow the budget and go Apple or stay sensible and stick to windows?
Anything popped up in the sales that is a bargain at the moment?
I'd like SSD, decent amount of ram, large storage - happy to go external if needed for this bit.
But I do like Apple..... would the new macbook do the job or should I be looking at the pro?
PC was bought from Mesh was very happy with the service so happy to use an online builder such as them again, however i'm a bit behind on what spec is decent these days?
Garbled post but I hope you get the drift.....
Don't go Apple if you want something that will be supported software wise through 8 years. Apple tend to drop support for OS upgrades after 3-4 years and they only release security patches for the current and last one or two releases. For example we have a 2006 iMac still that is stuck at Snow Leopard (could in theory go to Lion but no point). If that had been a Windows machine (core 2 duo and 2 GB RAM) then it could quite happily run Windows 10, all be it not as well as a new machine.
I'd suggest splashing out on a Lenovo ThinkPad as they tend to be well built and spare parts if needed can be obtained easily for years. Apple products are practically impossible to repair/upgrade at home these days and out of warranty service is expensive.
I'd suggest splashing out on a Lenovo ThinkPad as they tend to be well built and spare parts if needed can be obtained easily for years. Apple products are practically impossible to repair/upgrade at home these days and out of warranty service is expensive.
If you want a proper laptop the Apple Macbook Pro is a really, really nice bit of kit. It's expensive, though. I use one at home and when travelling.
Dell do an XPS 15 laptop with an aluminium case and an SSD at around a grand. I have one at work. With Windows 10 on it rocks. And I'm throwing builds (programmer speak for turning source code into machine code) at it all day and I don't have to wait.
In either case get Office 365. All the apps on up to five computers and 1TB of cloud storage at £80 a year on up to five computers, five phones and five tablets. BARGAIN.
Dell do an XPS 15 laptop with an aluminium case and an SSD at around a grand. I have one at work. With Windows 10 on it rocks. And I'm throwing builds (programmer speak for turning source code into machine code) at it all day and I don't have to wait.
In either case get Office 365. All the apps on up to five computers and 1TB of cloud storage at £80 a year on up to five computers, five phones and five tablets. BARGAIN.
Obviously, your budget won't go as far with Apple as it will with a PC. But you're willing to spend 1k for the Apple name and barely half that without? Seems odd.
http://www.ebuyer.com/722487-hp-pavilion-15-gaming...
+ upgrade the RAM to 16gb yourself.
That'd make a tidy workstation. Yes, it's marketed as gaming, but the video/RAM demands aren't hugely dissimilar. Processor is reasonable for a laptop too.
And pay the extra for one with an 'r' key.
http://www.ebuyer.com/722487-hp-pavilion-15-gaming...
+ upgrade the RAM to 16gb yourself.
That'd make a tidy workstation. Yes, it's marketed as gaming, but the video/RAM demands aren't hugely dissimilar. Processor is reasonable for a laptop too.
And pay the extra for one with an 'r' key.
Dan_1981 said:
So do I blow the budget and go Apple or stay sensible and stick to windows?
Don't forget that you may need to budget for replacing software with the OS X equivalent.I tend to think there are three schools of thought on this:
- Spend £1000 on a Macbook Pro
- Spend £1000 on a top spec Windows laptop
- Spend £400-600 on a mid-range Windows laptop and replace it after a couple of years
I'm responsible for hundreds of computers and the associated servers where I work and when I come home I want to switch off a little in spite of using a computer, and for me OS X is a way of doing that.
So on the one hand I'd be lying suggesting a £400 laptop wouldn't do everything I need, on the other hand it's 50p/day or something stupid so do I really give that much of a s
t?The best thing you can do is pop down an Apple Store and take a look.
I dread how this thread may turn. the last one that involved Apple Windows turned rather ugly IMHO.
I sit on the fence, the fence is comfortable.
I use a lot of windows stuff I use it at work and home. I also like to use a MacBook pro. The MacBook doesn't creek or flex. Its not the latest model but its i5 and its fast even with a mechanical drive. I would replace the drive but its not my MacBook. Its the other halfs she loves it
I do suspect that this form of MacBook is approaching its end. I don't like the new macs they strike me as looking a little "cheap" ? in comparison. maybe that's misplaced affection. I used to like Vaios they used to feel solid the last ones I used fely flimsy even a bit crappy.
My main desktop at home is a dell all in one I had a "proper" desktop it was getting a bit old this all in one works fine for me. its i5 8gb ram and as fast as I need. It was also around £275 sh from cash converters and was/ os mint.
I have an Dell Latitude E7240 laptop its i5 its fast it works well for me I also like the fact its a replaceable battery. Twas also a second hand bargain
Both are Dell I didn't plan it, its just how it worked out. Best bit of advice to anyone getting a laptop is to try the bloody thing out. If you cant type on the keyboard well (they are not all the same) then your use of it will be curtailed.
The guy above who suggests the Office 365 is bob on. I cheated slightly by downloading and using it for free for 28 days in the meantime I bought a sealed box of it from e bay at £55. I went into the account and activated the boxed one at day 20. Come day 30 or 29 the subscription switched from being free to chargeable with the 12 months paid upfront I will get another one next year and do similar hopefully. 8effectively I have got 13 months use for £55.
Office 365 works just fine its a really great piece of software well recommended. I recentlt deactivated it off one machine nd placed it on an other family members its quite flexible in its use
I sit on the fence, the fence is comfortable.
I use a lot of windows stuff I use it at work and home. I also like to use a MacBook pro. The MacBook doesn't creek or flex. Its not the latest model but its i5 and its fast even with a mechanical drive. I would replace the drive but its not my MacBook. Its the other halfs she loves it
I do suspect that this form of MacBook is approaching its end. I don't like the new macs they strike me as looking a little "cheap" ? in comparison. maybe that's misplaced affection. I used to like Vaios they used to feel solid the last ones I used fely flimsy even a bit crappy.
My main desktop at home is a dell all in one I had a "proper" desktop it was getting a bit old this all in one works fine for me. its i5 8gb ram and as fast as I need. It was also around £275 sh from cash converters and was/ os mint.
I have an Dell Latitude E7240 laptop its i5 its fast it works well for me I also like the fact its a replaceable battery. Twas also a second hand bargain
Both are Dell I didn't plan it, its just how it worked out. Best bit of advice to anyone getting a laptop is to try the bloody thing out. If you cant type on the keyboard well (they are not all the same) then your use of it will be curtailed.
The guy above who suggests the Office 365 is bob on. I cheated slightly by downloading and using it for free for 28 days in the meantime I bought a sealed box of it from e bay at £55. I went into the account and activated the boxed one at day 20. Come day 30 or 29 the subscription switched from being free to chargeable with the 12 months paid upfront I will get another one next year and do similar hopefully. 8effectively I have got 13 months use for £55.
Office 365 works just fine its a really great piece of software well recommended. I recentlt deactivated it off one machine nd placed it on an other family members its quite flexible in its use
Dan_1981 said:
I know I know this is very general, but the desktop we've had for the last 8(!) or so years is finally about to give up the ghost.
Need to replace with a latop - i'm in two minds - the old Windows vs Apple conundrum.....
All I need to do is photo editing (and storage) maybe the odd non intensive game (think football manager) and surf the net / basic spreadsheets etc.
I moved to Apple a couple of years ago - and my usage is pretty much the same as yours. Unlike PC's I've owned, the Mac has been 100% reliable... it just works. In my office, PC's are always having problems, the Apples never. Sounds a cliche, but it's true.Need to replace with a latop - i'm in two minds - the old Windows vs Apple conundrum.....
All I need to do is photo editing (and storage) maybe the odd non intensive game (think football manager) and surf the net / basic spreadsheets etc.
The only point I would add is that it's worth going for external storage right from the start - I use a JetDrive card that stores all documents, photos etc. I don't use the Apple iPhoto product - every photo is stored remotely and easily backed up and accessed.
You just need to get what you're happy with. An Windows laptop from say Dell or HP are pretty easy to upgrade hardware of software in future if needs be, but how easy would an Apple one be? Also, if you've always used Windows then would you want to learn a new OS to do what you used to easily?
For me, I'd just get something like this, and upgrade the RAM if you wanted for about £20.
http://www.ebuyer.com/722489-hp-envy-13-d001na-lap...
For me, I'd just get something like this, and upgrade the RAM if you wanted for about £20.
http://www.ebuyer.com/722489-hp-envy-13-d001na-lap...
Went through a similar process, Windows Laptop or MacBook Pro around twelve months ago. I was getting frustrated at the length of time start up was taking along with continual software updates. Poor battery life also meant most of the time I was on the mains lead. A colleague suggested the MacBook was good, just different to a windows PC. Having never used a Mac I gritted my teeth, spent five times what I had previously had on a laptop and went for MacBook Pro Retina with 500 Gig solid state memory.
Observations, I agree a Mac is very different, things I could do without thinking on windows took me hours to work out. I persevered with Numbers (Spreadsheet) and after six months threw the towel in brought Office 365, (same observation as someone above). I had big problems loading Office 365 and cursing Microsoft, but now have it installed.
The free photo and video editing software seem OK and it copes well with latest Go Pro video. Battery life is very good, although power consumption does increase considerably when editing video.
I’ve hear it said Macs just work, which is my observation, open the screen and in less than three seconds everything’s up and running ready to go. Always.
The MacBook Pro seems infinitely more portable due to size, battery life and Aluminium construction. As result I’ve taken it on trips I would not have taken previous laptops.
I’m not regretting going the MacBook Pro route, in fact I’m glad I made the jump. I’ve had some low points working out how to do things and spent more money to have Office 365. The kit seems well built and I believe will good for more than a few years, however there are significant costs. It does make me think that if I’d spent the same on a windows laptop then I may well have been happy with the performance. Time will tell, the jury is out.
Observations, I agree a Mac is very different, things I could do without thinking on windows took me hours to work out. I persevered with Numbers (Spreadsheet) and after six months threw the towel in brought Office 365, (same observation as someone above). I had big problems loading Office 365 and cursing Microsoft, but now have it installed.
The free photo and video editing software seem OK and it copes well with latest Go Pro video. Battery life is very good, although power consumption does increase considerably when editing video.
I’ve hear it said Macs just work, which is my observation, open the screen and in less than three seconds everything’s up and running ready to go. Always.
The MacBook Pro seems infinitely more portable due to size, battery life and Aluminium construction. As result I’ve taken it on trips I would not have taken previous laptops.
I’m not regretting going the MacBook Pro route, in fact I’m glad I made the jump. I’ve had some low points working out how to do things and spent more money to have Office 365. The kit seems well built and I believe will good for more than a few years, however there are significant costs. It does make me think that if I’d spent the same on a windows laptop then I may well have been happy with the performance. Time will tell, the jury is out.
spud989 said:
Obviously, your budget won't go as far with Apple as it will with a PC. But you're willing to spend 1k for the Apple name and barely half that without? Seems odd.
http://www.ebuyer.com/722487-hp-pavilion-15-gaming...
+ upgrade the RAM to 16gb yourself.
That'd make a tidy workstation. Yes, it's marketed as gaming, but the video/RAM demands aren't hugely dissimilar. Processor is reasonable for a laptop too.
And pay the extra for one with an 'r' key.
Newer version of this available with full HD screen. Nice laptop though.http://www.ebuyer.com/722487-hp-pavilion-15-gaming...
+ upgrade the RAM to 16gb yourself.
That'd make a tidy workstation. Yes, it's marketed as gaming, but the video/RAM demands aren't hugely dissimilar. Processor is reasonable for a laptop too.
And pay the extra for one with an 'r' key.
This is one of the best value laptops about, i7-6700HQ, gtx 960m, full HD IPS screen. M.2 slot to add a ssd.easy access to no need to rip the laptop apart to upgrade.
http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/7559-8045-Dell-Insp...
4k version on eBay for a little more.
bazza white said:
Newer version of this available with full HD screen. Nice laptop though.
This is one of the best value laptops about, i7-6700HQ, gtx 960m, full HD IPS screen. M.2 slot to add a ssd.easy access to no need to rip the laptop apart to upgrade.
http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/7559-8045-Dell-Insp...
4k version on eBay for a little more.
I like the look of that Dell. Is the keyboard any good?This is one of the best value laptops about, i7-6700HQ, gtx 960m, full HD IPS screen. M.2 slot to add a ssd.easy access to no need to rip the laptop apart to upgrade.
http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/7559-8045-Dell-Insp...
4k version on eBay for a little more.
I'll go against the grain here and say that for a laptop the single most important feature is the keyboard. Along with the display, it is the main interaction point but also the one that annoys the most if it isn't up to par.
I cannot stand a cheap laptop keyboard where the keys are squishy, the case flexes or some keys are only available via a second function on another key.
As a long time fan of old fashioned IBM keyboards it's hard to look past ThinkPad laptops. You have to ignore the cheaper Lenovo laptops and go for the ones that still carry the ThinkPad name.
Apple keyboards are probably their equal these days for build quality, but their lack of dedicated keys is a deal breaker for me.
I cannot stand a cheap laptop keyboard where the keys are squishy, the case flexes or some keys are only available via a second function on another key.
As a long time fan of old fashioned IBM keyboards it's hard to look past ThinkPad laptops. You have to ignore the cheaper Lenovo laptops and go for the ones that still carry the ThinkPad name.
Apple keyboards are probably their equal these days for build quality, but their lack of dedicated keys is a deal breaker for me.
alock said:
I'll go against the grain here and say that for a laptop the single most important feature is the keyboard. Along with the display, it is the main interaction point but also the one that annoys the most if it isn't up to par.
I cannot stand a cheap laptop keyboard where the keys are squishy, the case flexes or some keys are only available via a second function on another key.
Agreed. That's why it was my first question! I keep laptops longer than I would because I'm apprehensive about changing and not getting used to the new keyboard quickly and easily.I cannot stand a cheap laptop keyboard where the keys are squishy, the case flexes or some keys are only available via a second function on another key.
Had a wonder around a few stores today.
I know it's a bit of a folly to compare £1000 Apple products with £600 quid other brand stuff.
I did find a HP that seemed pretty well built, felt nice etc.
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/la...
Also visited the Apple store.
Don't think I can stretch the budget to 15" Pro and unsure if 13" is enough - although I guess I can team with an external screen (further cost) if I really need too. The retina display is lovely too.
Currys have got £110 quid of the entry level 13" - powerful enough? need to go another step up? outdated?
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/la...
Would need external storage adding too.
I know it's a bit of a folly to compare £1000 Apple products with £600 quid other brand stuff.
I did find a HP that seemed pretty well built, felt nice etc.
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/la...
Also visited the Apple store.
Don't think I can stretch the budget to 15" Pro and unsure if 13" is enough - although I guess I can team with an external screen (further cost) if I really need too. The retina display is lovely too.
Currys have got £110 quid of the entry level 13" - powerful enough? need to go another step up? outdated?
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/la...
Would need external storage adding too.
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