Replacement lap top, this any good?

[Skyedriver]

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/acer-travelmate-p2...

Toshiba lap top on it's last legs I fear.
Insides work OK but the hinges have given up, one cracked through, both disconnected internally (screws stripped) keyboard missing the "up" button.
Worried that one day the screen and base unit become totally detached. It's now permanently open as trying to close it is going to do further damage.

What's the community thought on the one above, for the price?
Used mainly for internet surfing, emails, word, music, photography, etc
Looking at spec it has Bluetooth, an SSD, 3xUSB3 conns although my external drives, printers etc are USB2, is that a problem?

Thanks in advance.

ps looking for a replacement for wifes Nexus 9 as well, needs larger screen, 12"?

[nyt]

SSD is quite small if you intend to store much music/photos.

How much space is used on your current laptop?

[vaud]

No issue on usb. USB 2 will work with usb 3.

[snuffy]

If you plug a USB2 device into a USB3 port then the USB3 port just turns its speed down to match the device; ie it works fine.

Now let my gaze into my crystal ball and make a prediction: Someone will suggest "Have you considered a Chromebook?"

[grumbledoak]

It looks fine. You can probably beat that price/performance at the Dell Outlet, e.g.
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInven...
it's a Ryzen, but has bigger faster SSD and is £100 cheaper.

Or this is a similar i5 8th gen at £469
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInven...


Other Outlet stores available, YMMV, etc.

Edited by grumbledoak on Sunday 8th September 07:17

[snuffy]

I'd say the SSD is maybe too small and it has a DVD drive which you will never use.

For about the same money (£20 cheaper), still an Acer Travelmate:

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/-nx.vguek.007/vers...

Same screen size (15,6") but is 1920x1080 compared to your one being only 1366x768,. Still has a 128SSD but no DVD and instead a 1TB HDD. Also the CPU is an 8th gen as opposed to yours which is a 7th gen and it's benchmark figure is about 25% higher (https://www.cpubenchmark.net/laptop.html).

That would be a better machine I would say.

[vaud]

Worth looking on Dell outlet

https://www.dell.com/learn/uk/en/ukdfh1/campaigns/...

Something like the Inspiron 15 - 3583 is only £420 and then a further 10% off via a coupon.

[Skyedriver]

vaud said:

No issue on usb. USB 2 will work with usb 3.

Thanks

[Skyedriver]

nyt said:

SSD is quite small if you intend to store much music/photos.

How much space is used on your current laptop?

Did think that, actually used about half a 1TB HHD on current machine but could (already do) store music etc on an external HD

[Skyedriver]

snuffy said:

I'd say the SSD is maybe too small and it has a DVD drive which you will never use.

For about the same money (£20 cheaper), still an Acer Travelmate:

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/-nx.vguek.007/vers...

Same screen size (15,6") but is 1920x1080 compared to your one being only 1366x768,. Still has a 128SSD but no DVD and instead a 1TB HDD. Also the CPU is an 8th gen as opposed to yours which is a 7th gen and it's benchmark figure is about 25% higher (https://www.cpubenchmark.net/laptop.html).

That would be a better machine I would say.

Thanks, that Acer looks OK, Rizen not so good?
Actually do use a DVD/CD drive for ripping CDs and playing the odd DVD. Do have an external DVD driver somewhere that plugs in to a USB though.
Looked at the Dell outlet the 3585 is only refurb or scratch/dent which is a shame, would prefer "new".

[Mr Pointy]

Be careful of the Dell outlet prices, they are excluding VAT. You need to add on 20%.

[Skyedriver]

Inspiron 3585 at John Lewis (2 year guarantee) for £499
I did find it at Dell for a bit more but with a 10% discount but Dell's website keeps throwing me back to the refurb bit.

[snuffy]

I've had 3 Dell laptop over a number of years and I've found that to be pretty ste in that they have all fallen to bits. It's my own fault as I should have learnt after the first one. The PSU connection broke. Then I read Dell had improved it. So I foolishly bought another one and it too broke. The third one was a refurb (had to be old with a proper serial port for work stuff).

[snuffy]

Skyedriver said:

Thanks, that Acer looks OK, Rizen not so good?
Actually do use a DVD/CD drive for ripping CDs and playing the odd DVD. Do have an external DVD driver somewhere that plugs in to a USB though.
Looked at the Dell outlet the 3585 is only refurb or scratch/dent which is a shame, would prefer "new".

Well I just picked the one that looked like the one you had picked but with a HDD as opposed to a DVD (at around the same price). Also, I would use Laptopsdirect again as the last 2 I have bought came them them and they were very good.

I bought my last laptop with a DVD and then replaced it with a second SSD because I wanted more space and found I never once used the DVD drive. It depends how much you use it I suppose. My desktop doesn't have a DVD either. I do have a portable DVD which of course I can use in either but that never sees the light of day.

[Skyedriver]

snuffy said:

Skyedriver said:

Thanks, that Acer looks OK, Rizen not so good?
Actually do use a DVD/CD drive for ripping CDs and playing the odd DVD. Do have an external DVD driver somewhere that plugs in to a USB though.
Looked at the Dell outlet the 3585 is only refurb or scratch/dent which is a shame, would prefer "new".

Well I just picked the one that looked like the one you had picked but with a HDD as opposed to a DVD (at around the same price). Also, I would use Laptopsdirect again as the last 2 I have bought came them them and they were very good.

I bought my last laptop with a DVD and then replaced it with a second SSD because I wanted more space and found I never once used the DVD drive. It depends how much you use it I suppose. My desktop doesn't have a DVD either. I do have a portable DVD which of course I can use in either but that never sees the light of day.

Got you.
Decent HHD means I don't need to carry the external HD about, just the DVD when required. Is the 128 SSD enough, someone above suggested 256.
thanks again

[snuffy]

Skyedriver said:

Got you.
Decent HHD means I don't need to carry the external HD about, just the DVD when required. Is the 128 SSD enough, someone above suggested 256.
thanks again

128GB is fine. If you can get one that's bigger for a few extra quid then you might as well, but if not then I'd not worry.

I'm typing this on my laptop and with Windows 10 Pro, Excel, Word, Outlook, Chrome and Edge installed (plus a few other bits and bobs) it only takes 48GB.

[Skyedriver]

snuffy said:

Skyedriver said:

Got you.
Decent HHD means I don't need to carry the external HD about, just the DVD when required. Is the 128 SSD enough, someone above suggested 256.
thanks again

128GB is fine. If you can get one that's bigger for a few extra quid then you might as well, but if not then I'd not worry.

I'm typing this on my laptop and with Windows 10 Pro, Excel, Word, Outlook, Chrome and Edge installed (plus a few other bits and bobs) it only takes 48GB.

thanks again
out of interest, your Office Suite, is that 365 subscription download? I have a 2010 version loaded from disk on the Tosh, not really wanting to be paying a monthly fee. Cheers

[snuffy]

Skyedriver said:

thanks again
out of interest, your Office Suite, is that 365 subscription download? I have a 2010 version loaded from disk on the Tosh, not really wanting to be paying a monthly fee. Cheers

My laptop is Office 2016 Pro which I bought as a one off purchase. But my Desktop is Office 365 Pro which is a yearly subscription which I think came out at around £80 a year. You can get the Personal version for £55 a year from PCWorld, which I think is quite reasonable.

[Initforthemoney]

Sorry for the derail but are Dell laptops much cop these days?

[Skyedriver]

snuffy said:

I'd say the SSD is maybe too small and it has a DVD drive which you will never use.

For about the same money (£20 cheaper), still an Acer Travelmate:

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/-nx.vguek.007/vers...

Back to this one, thought Acer were well priced, just realised there's a £100 trade in inc in the price.
Not sure I want to trade the old one in. May hang onto it as there's a couple of programmes on there I can't transfer (long story).

What's the difference between a lap top and a travel mate? Just the name I assume.

Echoing the post above, is Dell not so good anymore?