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What laptop would you recommend?

B

bsurb

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 1, 2012
90
1
FL
My dell inspiron desktop is taking a crap on me so I am thinking about going with a laptop so I can have it mobile. I do vinyl graphics so I have a machine that needs to work with windows. Unfortunately it is not supported by Mac :/

I was at best buy today looking at laptops but most of them were all touch screens it seemed like. I'm not a big fan of them.

What laptop would you guys recommend for me for internet searching, blogging, photoshop, illustrator, few other designer programs.

I do not game. And I don't really want something big like a 15 inch. So when I carry it around its not all bulky and heavy.

What would you recommend for a price range around $500-$650ish tops. ? Something with a good amount of space and a good processor. With good battery life is a +.

My friend said she has this dell inspiron n5010 that hasn't been used 20 times. She said $300 for it....

http://www.cnet.com/laptops/dell-inspiron-15r/4505-3121_7-34122503.html


Seen this at Walmart for $400 on sale for like $350. But I don't think the battery is good enough.

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-V5-122p-0408-Touchscreen-802-11b/dp/B00DQHZLO4
 
Last edited:
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bsurb said:
My dell inspiron desktop is taking a crap on me so I am thinking about going with a laptop so I can have it mobile. I do vinyl graphics so I have a machine that needs to work with windows. Unfortunately it is not supported by Mac :/

I was at best buy today looking at laptops but most of them were all touch screens it seemed like. I'm not a big fan of them.

What laptop would you guys recommend for me for internet searching, blogging, photoshop, illustrator, few other designer programs.

I do not game. And I don't really want something big like a 15 inch. So when I carry it around its not all bulky and heavy.

What would you recommend for a price range around $500-$650ish tops. ? Something with a good amount of space and a good processor. With good battery life is a +.

My friend said she has this dell inspiron n5010 that hasn't been used 20 times. She said $300 for it....

http://www.cnet.com/laptops/dell-inspiron-15r/4505-3121_7-34122503.html


Seen this at Walmart for $400 on sale for like $350. But I don't think the battery is good enough.

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-V5-122p-0408-Touchscreen-802-11b/dp/B00DQHZLO4
Click to expand...

This is an Apple forum so my first advice to you is to consider a Macbook. Of the two you have listed, I would be inclined to get a new machine over anything used. For Windows laptops, I like Lenovo better than HP, Dell or Acer.

The Acer you are considering has a dual core AMD CPU while the Dell has a dual core Intel CPU but the Dell was released way back in 2010 so it is a pretty old (designed) machine (even if it was purchased somewhat recently).

I saw a very nice Lenovo ultrabook in Office Depot for about $600. I think it was on sale. It was very nice and reminded me of the construction of a Macbook.

Hope this helps...
 
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Actually.... They just released a new program that is supported by mac for my plotter machine!
 
i just bought a 2013 MacBook Air, and it runs parallels like a dream. You could consider that.

It is a 13 inch model with the full 8GB RAM, i7 and 512GB SSD, and still pulls between 13 and 11 hours of battery with regular web browsing.
 
The Clevo Shells are nice, i had one back in 2006. But i would still definitely look into a Lenovo for budget reasons. If you do go the Dell route i would look at Vostro / Lattitude series. Lenovo and Dell (business) both have decent ultrabook laptops and they are actually pretty nice. I think you'll easily find something in the ~$600 range.
 
I would recommend you go get a macbook and install windows.

If you want a soloely windows machine, I like the sony Vaios, cause they have a very beautiful design and Sony has retail stores with easy support.
 
I cant afford a 2013 mac book pro. I am going to try and get one from somebody in a cash/trade. Maybe a 2010 one or 2011 possibly. Dont have the cash for a brand new one.

And I dont feel like financing one at best buy.
 
bsurb said:
I cant afford a 2013 mac book pro. I am going to try and get one from somebody in a cash/trade. Maybe a 2010 one or 2011 possibly. Dont have the cash for a brand new one.

And I dont feel like financing one at best buy.
Click to expand...

For what it's worth I'm still running a 2010 Macbook Pro C2D. I've upgraded the RAM to 8GB and it works very well for my uses. I'm a sports photographer and a student.
 
What is a C2D? Im going to search craiglist tomorrow for at least a 2010 version.
 
I am also going to be using photoshop/illustrator and coding softwares.
 
FYI...New lappies = Windblows 8 = touch screen- by default.....

3 ways to get around that:

A) buy a mac

B) Wipe W8 & install other version (if possible)

C) Buy refurbed/used older model w/ W7....many of which are easily found @online stores for ~$2-300 :)
 
The Lenovo outlet site has great deals. Be prepared to check often and buy fast if you go that route.
 
Both Dell and Lenovo outlet sites have good deals, incl both new and refurb models.

Also look on the deal sites like slickdeals.net, can save a lot of money. I have not been able to afford a Mac as yet, hopefully soon since been saving.

One of the things which is tempting me is the good resale value of Macs, although I don't know if a 3 year old Mac also qualifies for that.
 
bsurb said:
is this worth it? links below.. ALSO..... have a girl who said she has a 2010 macbook pro on mountain lion. 256GB SSD. she said she replaced the original hard drive. and has several cases. for $650

http://gainesville.craigslist.org/ele/4099045566.html

http://gainesville.craigslist.org/sys/4108081495.html
Click to expand...

That is a pretty good deal, and doesnt matter what OS it has if its a 2010 MacBook Pro, The newest (OS X 10.9 Mavericks) is free. A 256GB SSD can run very high in pricing so that sounds like a good deal!
 
On the budget, I suggest you the Lenovo G505s
15.6-Inch
AMD A8-5550M 2.1 GHz
500 GB 5400 RPM
4GB DDR3
Radeon HD 8550G
Windows 8
You can get it under $500 now
 
I would suggest buying a new Windows laptop in your price range over a 2-3 old Macbook. People often recommend AppleCare with Macs, and a new latop will come with a warranty.

Also don't let talk about touchscreen and Windows 8.1 scare you - as with any computer tech, unless you try it yourself you can never be sure.

OSX/Mac will likely be more friendly but you will be taking a chance on used/older parts, its your call.
 
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