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I usually buy mine new from Lenovo and I buy the Thinkpads. Lenovo keeps the systems up to date and then you also run the Windows update occasionally. You keep Norton Antivirus subscription current. You have a very low maintenance laptop. I like the Thinkpads because they are Military Specifications. I occasionally trip on the cord or drop the laptop and I went through a couple of laptops very quickly (that were not Military Specifications).
I go to the Lenovo Outlet and stalk it until I find what I want. I have two working Thinkpads I bought at the Outlet at great prices. I spend more because I need the 4k monitor for my bad eyesight. Especially if they have a few of the model you are looking at then some company bought too many and returned them (versus one owner maybe having unboxed it).
These are pretty indestructible and like I said you run the updates and Lenovo makes it so easy.
I was pretty impressed with my Dell's 13-year-run (in fact, it's STILL working; I bought an even cheaper version and use that to charge the battery, as repairing the first one would've been prohibitive), but I'm not sure they make them like that anymore?
I agree. I've got a laptop that's twenty-three years old that I occasionally use. The battery is mostly shot, so I just keep it plugged in while in use. Older computers were built better despite the disadvantages in hardware compared to what we now have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Peregrine
A lot of people do and I say again...10 years is great for a laptop. If everyone replaced computers only every 10 years we'd be in much better shape.
I meant no disrespect, but most of the people I know, particularly younger people, upgrade for the sake of upgrading. Older people, particularly the less tech-savvy they are, wait till something breaks and choose not to repair it.
My desktop, of which I'm typing this on, is eleven years old. Sometimes, if I leave it sitting for too long, it completely freezes, so I've become accustomed to only keeping it on while in use. I consider that a quirk, not a reason to upgrade. I've already decided that I'm not replacing it and will fix things as needed. So far, it's needed nothing.
It's just that I hate waste, and I don't use the word "hate" often. It takes a lot for me to deem something worthy of the landfill. We all take it for granted that we can buy just about everything we need/want on a shelf or a checkout button on a website. And I feel that if I throw out something that can be fixed, I've taken for granted all the resources that went into making it and the resources that will have to be used to make the new product.
I feel the same about cars, for example. I don't think I could junk a car just because the transmission fails. It would seem like such a waste.
Love my Lenovo G50-70. Had it for ten years, hard drive was replaced three years ago, battery a year ago. Now it won't hold a charge or recharge while plugged in. Tech didn't think it was the cord that was the problem. One USB port doesn't work, others do.
I need a large monitor, something reliable to watch youtube videos, do simple bank transfers, send emails and shopping are pretty much it. If it has a USB port to plug in my DVD player, that would be great.
I heard Windows 11 was a pain to use. I have Windows 10.
I don't know how to transfer all the photos and docs from my current hard drive to a new laptop.
On Amazon I see laptops under $1000 but what is most important to compare -- speed, RAM?
Should I even buy online or go to Best Buy or Staples or Office Depot of ?? They would offer help or tech support for a limited time, right?
I'm a clueless Boomer!
stop.....................10 yr old Lenovo!
Buy a Mac Book Pro and move on, you won't regret it.
I agree. I've got a laptop that's twenty-three years old that I occasionally use. The battery is mostly shot, so I just keep it plugged in while in use. Older computers were built better despite the disadvantages in hardware compared to what we now have.
I meant no disrespect, but most of the people I know, particularly younger people, upgrade for the sake of upgrading. Older people, particularly the less tech-savvy they are, wait till something breaks and choose not to repair it.
My desktop, of which I'm typing this on, is eleven years old. Sometimes, if I leave it sitting for too long, it completely freezes, so I've become accustomed to only keeping it on while in use. I consider that a quirk, not a reason to upgrade. I've already decided that I'm not replacing it and will fix things as needed. So far, it's needed nothing.
It's just that I hate waste, and I don't use the word "hate" often. It takes a lot for me to deem something worthy of the landfill. We all take it for granted that we can buy just about everything we need/want on a shelf or a checkout button on a website. And I feel that if I throw out something that can be fixed, I've taken for granted all the resources that went into making it and the resources that will have to be used to make the new product.
I feel the same about cars, for example. I don't think I could junk a car just because the transmission fails. It would seem like such a waste.
Old computers weren't built better, that's nonsense. That's like arguing your dial phone is built better than a new Iphone. For its time it was great but its time has passed.
I agree about the waste aspect but the technology LEAPS forward very quickly.
The trouble with laptops is that they're easy to carry around, and then you do carry them around, and they fall victim to some kind of hazard. It's rare that my wife and I have to replace one because of any sort of electronic failure (or just becoming obsolete, what a joke) but we've killed them in various ways:
- Simply dropped it, cracked the screen, tech said "Three years old? Get a new one."
- Tripped on the power cord, pulled it off the table, another cracked screen.
- Broke the hinge where the screen pivots, kept using it but then spilled coffee on it, dead.
- Carrying computer around the table to show sister-in-law something while simultaneously carrying a glass of wine, someone pushed a chair back, wine over keyboard, dead.
- Careless operation of electric recliner chair(!!) cracked screen (That time I bought an identical model and switched the hard drive, much easier than starting from scratch).
And who knows what's coming to kill our computers next, but it's sure to be something. We buy cheap ones to minimize the financial pain.
The trouble with laptops is that they're easy to carry around, and then you do carry them around, and they fall victim to some kind of hazard. It's rare that my wife and I have to replace one because of any sort of electronic failure (or just becoming obsolete, what a joke) but we've killed them in various ways:
- Simply dropped it, cracked the screen, tech said "Three years old? Get a new one."
- Tripped on the power cord, pulled it off the table, another cracked screen.
- Broke the hinge where the screen pivots, kept using it but then spilled coffee on it, dead.
- Carrying computer around the table to show sister-in-law something while simultaneously carrying a glass of wine, someone pushed a chair back, wine over keyboard, dead.
- Careless operation of electric recliner chair(!!) cracked screen (That time I bought an identical model and switched the hard drive, much easier than starting from scratch).
And who knows what's coming to kill our computers next, but it's sure to be something. We buy cheap ones to minimize the financial pain.
That's why I buy the Mil Spec Thinkpads. You can get a really decent one for under $1,000 on their Outlet if you are patient.
That's why I buy the Mil Spec Thinkpads. You can get a really decent one for under $1,000 on their Outlet if you are patient.
My T440 is gonna be 13 yo soon. I didn't use it daily but have used it moderately.
Thinkpads are originally IBM's workhorse laptops and known for their reliability. Back in the day a lot of corporations were using them. I am not sure how they became after Lenovo took over but I suspect they continued on a similar quality.
How long a laptop is likely to last will depend on its build quality and how it was used/handled by its owner.
Overall, 5-6 years is typically considered to be the average lifespan of a laptop.
I don't favor any brands and don't try to recommend anything to my clients. I simply find out what they will need based on their use and make specs based recommendations.
I let them shop around for what laptop and brand appeals to them with my recommended specs.
My T440 is gonna be 13 yo soon. I didn't use it daily but have used it moderately.
Thinkpads are originally IBM's workhorse laptops and known for their reliability. Back in the day a lot of corporations were using them. I am not sure how they became after Lenovo took over but I suspect they continued on a similar quality.
How long a laptop is likely to last will depend on its build quality and how it was used/handled by its owner.
Overall, 5-6 years is typically considered to be the average lifespan of a laptop.
I don't favor any brands and don't try to recommend anything to my clients. I simply find out what they will need based on their use and make specs based recommendations.
I let them shop around for what laptop and brand appeals to them with my recommended specs.
They don't all have the Military Specifications. Someone was talking about broken screens and accidentally dropping them. That is exactly the reason that Thinkpads save me money.
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