What should I replace my aging laptop with?

[spikeyhead]

I've got an ancient laptop, about 12 years old that sits by the side of my bed for internet servicing if I'm having a lazy morning, and for taking on holiday. It's slow for web surfing and physically falling apart.

Thoughts on what to replace it with are welcome, not fussed on cost, but don't see the need to spend much so long as it will have a decent lifespan.

[Defcon5]

I replaced my laptop with an iPad, and never looked back.

That was in 2013 and the same ipad is still in daily use by my kids today

[pequod]

Lenovo M10? I bought one for a single use to load a Navigation App and mount it in the cockpit of my boats, but have found it most useful for all the usual stuff (email, web, iplayer/Amzs Prime) and haven't had any issues so far. The battery lasts about 4 hours when in continual Nav mode and charges quickly.

https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/p/tablets/android-tab...

[S6PNJ]

Pretty much any laptop today will blow your old one away - but only get one with an SSD not a HDD. I tend to always suggest the Dell outlet store - the cheapest (non Centrino) Inspiron is an i5 with 256Gb NVME and 8Gb RAM. With their discount code (expiring tonight) it comes to £351 give or take. 4 in stock at time of posting
Link (if it works) - https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInven...

or go to the Dell Outlet and select home laptops, then order by price and ignore the Celeron one - and if you chose to, the Ryzen ones. I've not done a CPU benchmark check to see which of the 4 £408 laptops has the fastest CPU though.
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/dfh/shop/dell-refurbish...

Outlet coupons here: https://www.dell.com/en-uk/dfh/shop/refurbished-co... (you want the DOBF014 code)

[the_stoat]

For that kind of usage a Chromebook, the instant on a ease of use is brilliant.

[Turtle Shed]

Chromebook, all day, every day.

My only reservation about them has been that email apps aren't great, so just use whatever webmail you have available and you're all set.

I have just a cheapo Acer 314 thing, and it is genuinely the best £170.00 I ever spent. Amazingly battery life, perfectly decent keyboard and screen, just works.

With these things you don't even consider storage, just save to Google drive and everything is always there.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9601163 - Just spotted these can be had for £149 now. Just buy one.

[SteveKTMer]

https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/refurbished/ipad/ipa...

Way more powerful than most cheap laptops or chrome/net book. Will last for years, doesn’t slow down over time like windows, loads of apps, portable, even carry easily in a rucksack, genuine all day battery.

[BBYeah]

Refurbished Macbook Air with an M1 or M2 processor. The ones from Apple (linked to above), are essentially new, have had a couple of things from there and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

I have a 10 year old macbook pro that is still going strong, another one that I threw down on a car park floor and it just got a few small dents in the aluminium.

The new M processors are crazy fast, hardly use any power, so the battery lasts ages. Macbooks get updates for ages and one should last you 10 years and still be quick too.

[Steve_H80]

If it's just for web stuff and emails why not just get a tablet? Android (cheaper, more open source) or Apple (expensive, locked into Apple). They are portable and the battery life is plenty.

[spikeyhead]

I'm liking the idea of a cheap Android tablet.

Curry's have this

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9183612?clickPR=pl...

For sale, and it seems a lot cheaper than anything else available. If it lasts for five years then I'll be happy, saves me learning a new OS. Can anyone recommend anything similar that's better value?

[dundarach]

Bed and hols, just use your phone!

I've given up on laptops, nice desktop now and phone for everything else.

[generationx]

Ever since I got a tablet I’ve rarely used my laptop. Only crank up the latter for the rare occasions I want to write a letter (or long email) or, even more rarely, use Excel.

[BBYeah]

Looks like the M10 won't get any security updates now. https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht50109...

This is why I don't get android devices any more. Apple devices seem more expensive but you are paying for quality and longer security updates.

[spikeyhead]

dundarach said:

Bed and hols, just use your phone!

I've given up on laptops, nice desktop now and phone for everything else.

If I had better eyesight I'd agree

[pequod]

spikeyhead said:

I'm liking the idea of a cheap Android tablet.

Curry's have this

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9183612?clickPR=pl...

For sale, and it seems a lot cheaper than anything else available. If it lasts for five years then I'll be happy, saves me learning a new OS. Can anyone recommend anything similar that's better value?

That link is for Argos! It's what I suggested earlier?

Get it, you won't regret at that price....

[Captain_Morgan]

BBYeah said:

Looks like the M10 won't get any security updates now. https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/ht50109...

This is why I don't get android devices any more. Apple devices seem more expensive but you are paying for quality and longer security updates.

Not a bad call, worth looking at the Apple U.K. refurbish store.

[Ambleton]

After years of nagging for a MacBook, I finally caved in and got one for my wife in May2020.

I can count the times she's used it on one hand. Battery doesn't last, always updating, other issues, charger failed, netflix doesn't work on it, can't figure out the UI.

When I bought my Google Pixel they were giving away free Acer Chromebooks. Gave it to my wife on the off chance she may like it. Night and day.

It feels cheap (it is), but it's way faster, battery lasts forever, dead easy UI, starts up instantly. Touch screen. Screen foods right back. Uses it most evenings.

I've just sold the Macbook at a loss of about £500

[Griffith4ever]

spikeyhead said:

I'm liking the idea of a cheap Android tablet.

Curry's have this

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9183612?clickPR=pl...

For sale, and it seems a lot cheaper than anything else available. If it lasts for five years then I'll be happy, saves me learning a new OS. Can anyone recommend anything similar that's better value?

Lenovo tabs are great. I'm on one now.

If you type a lot, get a laptop, otherwise a tab is perfect for what you want.

Even with a travel Bluetooth keyboard it's still not the same as using a proper one, just bear that in mind.

I take just my tab and a slim travel Bluetooth keyboard away with me and run my businesses from it. Laptop is better, but obv much bigger and heavier.

[SteveKTMer]

pequod said:

spikeyhead said:

I'm liking the idea of a cheap Android tablet.

Curry's have this

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9183612?clickPR=pl...

For sale, and it seems a lot cheaper than anything else available. If it lasts for five years then I'll be happy, saves me learning a new OS. Can anyone recommend anything similar that's better value?

That link is for Argos! It's what I suggested earlier?

Get it, you won't regret at that price....

Looks like Argos are selling the previous or even the first version which is quite old.

This is the latest version: https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/p/tablets/android-tab...

I suggest you pop into a shop that has both on demo and feel how fast the iPad feels in comparison.

[Griffith4ever]

SteveKTMer said:

I suggest you pop into a shop that has both on demo and feel how fast the iPad feels in comparison.

Very much the same, except all the apps have to be paid for, and the peripherals are twice the price, but, it's white :-----)