Laptop - used "business" Vs new "consumer grade"
Laptop - used "business" Vs new "consumer grade"
Author
Discussion

Bill

Original Poster:

58,448 posts

283 months

My son needs a laptop for uni. It needs to run some transcription software as he's deaf so needs to be certain specs (can't remember off the top of my head and he's at work but i5+, 16mb+ rings a bell). He also wants to play games (Again off the top of my head Civ6).

My default is to look at Dell outlet where something suitable is £7-800. He's done some research and decided than "consumer grade" is not as good as a business laptop so is looking at used 5-y-o laptops (with a warranty apparently) for £5-600.

So who's right? He thinks business grade are more robust.

butchstewie

67,092 posts

238 months

Bill said:
My son needs a laptop for uni. It needs to run some transcription software as he's deaf so needs to be certain specs (can't remember off the top of my head and he's at work but i5+, 16mb+ rings a bell). He also wants to play games (Again off the top of my head Civ6).

My default is to look at Dell outlet where something suitable is £7-800. He's done some research and decided than "consumer grade" is not as good as a business laptop so is looking at used 5-y-o laptops (with a warranty apparently) for £5-600.

So who's right? He thinks business grade are more robust.
Business grade can be a bit more focused on build quality and being repairable (businesses often have on-site warranty v "sent it off" type warranties) but they also tend to be a lot more conservative as typical business use doesn't need the graphics performance you might want if you're playing games.

I'd lean towards something from Dell outlet v some random refurb or used laptop.

Mazinbrum

1,346 posts

206 months

ThinkPad used to be bomb proof when I was at work. I've gone Mac now as their M processors are great.

v8notbrave

592 posts

41 months

If he's going to uni, surely he can research? Business will have been plugged in 10 hours a day on full charge so battery is high risk esp for a student who must make a cappuccino last hours in a coffee shop

It surely the gaming that's the main focus as laptops graphics are weak in general

Chips etc haven't progressed much recently so it's getting big ram and the SSD storage u need

Agreed consumer devices increasingly flimsy to make a price point, business chassis must generally be better, although at your price point surely they're all fine

carl_w

10,719 posts

286 months

v8notbrave said:
Chips etc haven't progressed much recently so it's getting big ram and the SSD storage u need
Intel chips haven't progressed much recently, but as the poster above said the ARM-based Apple M chips are fantastic.

Bill

Original Poster:

58,448 posts

283 months

Thanks for the input all, loads of good points.

v8notbrave said:
If he's going to uni, surely he can research?
He is, but as I'm paying for it I want to make sure he's not making a mistake.


nvubu

1,188 posts

157 months

My son is doing Computer Science and we've just got an Asus ExpertBook P3 PM3406 - RAM and SSD are both upgradeable, which was the main things we were looking for. Mind you after it arrives he asked me it it was touchscreen - which is isn't.