Hiya peeps,
I'm not super knowledgeable when it comes to tech but I do know that my 6 year old Toshiba laptop needs an upgrade.
I'm super impatient and run many website tabs simultaneously, as well as do general word processing and study online.
I came across this deal at jb hi fi… Any views or alternative ideas?
Would like to keep the spend around 1k.
Thanks!
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/hp/hp-15…
I wouldn't recommend that model.
Look for something in your price range with:
1920x1080 screen
SSD
integrated graphics
This model has 768 screen (it looks crap), no SSD (slow boot times) and MX130 discrete graphics (ok for basic gaming but will reduce battery life and increase heat, fan noise)
I would argue you wouldn't need a 1080p screen. If the screen is small enough anyway. I found 15.6 was a bit too big for my uni days. Especially when in a lecture theater.
I agree with the rest though.
My checklist would be:
As AdamFury posted above, keep an eye out for Laptop deals. this one in the list is quite good for the price. Only downside is older CPU and it's an i3.
What's wrong with your current laptop? Just upgrading it to an SSD might give you a couple of more years.
I wouldn't say so.
I would want 16gb of Ram nowadays and at least 1080p screen.
Nope that is a terrible deal.
That laptop has a good CPU, and nothing else - especially with the ancient HDD and the low res screen - I'd pay no more than $600
If you carry it around, get a lower powered machine =easier and better battery life.
(by low power, I mean modern i5-8250u, will run rings around any 6 yo laptop).
If you aren't going to be moving it (home study only), you can get a bigger one (15.6 or 17").
Dell outlet or lenovo EOFY sales are always good, I bought a dell inspiron 13 5000 2 in 1 i7-6500 for $719 3 years ago for uni and swapped out an ssd. battery life isn't great now but could replace that, and it works for what you've described, and light minecrafting.
B&M retailers will NEVER have good deals on decent hardware. DON'T get a separate graphics card unless you will be doing video/photo/gaming, it'l chew through the battery relative to an integrated (still sufficient for your described use) scenario.
TL:DR
for $1000, get:
13.3" screen if portability important, or 15.6/17" screen if simply a 'desktop' replacement.
1080p resolution. I got a touchscreen as I like the convenience of a giant tablet, but it's not important.
8gb ram, or 4gb single channel and buy a $40 stick.
buy after market SSD, much cheaper than buying one with the laptop, and when you do sell, swap the original back = NONE of your sensitive data ever leaves your possession, and laptop is ready to sell on.
i5-8250u seems to be more than powerful enough to do day to day computing, and edit photos/videos, as long as you're not wanting to play the latest games and also have 200+ tabs open!
No, it's not a good deal, not sure if it is still on but computer alliance store on eBay has 20% off deal with a coupon at the moment. You might want to check there if it is still on.
Wow, you guys are awesome! Thank you so much for all your advice, I'm perusing all the options. Much appreciated!
Most important thing here is how do you expect to use it. On your lap, are you lugging it from place to place? Or will it just sit on a desk at all times and be used like a desktop.
If you're looking at a hybrid of the above you probably won't want a 15" or larger, they'll tend to be quite weighty which makes it annoying to carry.
You can pick up a 1st gen Surface Laptop for under $1000 which has plenty of power for browser and word processing. And it's extremely lightweight and handy to carry around.
Recommendations all depend on how you're going to use it.
No way. For $1000 that's not a great deal of value IMO. Little bit more but if you keep an eye on the laptop deals this would be much better value.