Please Offer Some Advice on What Sort of Specs I Require in a Laptop

chewbot on 03/12/2016 - 05:02

Hi Peoples,

Basically I'm looking for a new laptop and not really sure what to look for.

I will use it mostly for web browsing (I leave a rediculous number of tabs open), managing and editing photos, a little ms office. I also occasionally would like to make dvds of the kids for grandparents.

I am not a gamer but I recently bought Lego Star Wars to play with the kids some time.

I am thinking that perhaps given how occasionally i would need an optical drive I might just get an external drive rather have the extra bulk. Any reason why this would not work well?

I currently use an Acer Aspire V5-573 it's specs are:
Intel Core i5-4200U 1.6GHz with turbo boost upt to 2.6GHz.
Intel HD Grahpics 4400
15.6' HD display
4GB DDR3
500 GB HDD

So, whatever I get I will want it to be significantly faster than this and have a better display.

I am thinking I would like to go with an SSD.
I am happy to add more RAM myself but that's probably the limit of tinkering I should do.

Should I be looking for something with a Graphics card or is that overkill for me?

I have read really polar opinions on the pros and cons of a touch screen and still not sure where i fall on that.

I find the versatility of the Yoga series kind of appealling. Primarily because I would imagine that on the occassions that i am doing a lot of typing or even video editting I would use a nice full size keyboard and mouse and flip the yoga so it was in tablet style and pop it on a few books so it was at a nice height and position.

So really I am after a few minimum (or better than minimum) specs I should be looking for as well as any recommendations.

Of course I would love it if someone suggested the perfect computer at the perfect bargain price.

I also really want it in the next week so ideally would pick it up from a bricks and mortar store or somewhere that will ship really soon. I probably can't wait for any of the 3-4 week wait situations.

Price: I would love to pull it in under $1000 but can stretch it to about $1200 if it's really worthwile.

Thanks in advance for any pointers

Computing

Comments

  • stonkered on 03/12/2016 - 07:39
    +1

    I don't have a bargain sorry but general advice; SSD is a no brainer, don't get a mechanical drive unless you plan to swap it out. Get as much RAM as possible. Optical is entirely up to you but for occasional use I would just go external. Just go the onboard graphics.

  • Grande Kintama on 03/12/2016 - 07:47
    +1

    This meets your requirements but could do with more ram http://www.umart.com.au/newsite/goods.php?id=33933

  • SharedSugar on 03/12/2016 - 08:11

    If the kids are going to use it might be worth getting a reliable brand and a durable model. You mention the Lenovos which are well regarded. I wouldn't stick with Acer and I agree with everyone above. DIY at least 8gb of ram, ssds are nice, an i5 may help, optical drives probably won't get a lot of use.

  • Diji1 on 03/12/2016 - 11:40

    I'd look for 8GB RAM minimum to take care of your browsing habits. SSD is mandatory in my books so good idea and this is what makes your current computer feel sluggish.

    The Flip and others like it are referred to as convertibles rather than laptops. Laptops are what you currently have, convertibles can change from tablet to "laptop" configuration. Typically convertibles sacrifice some performance when using the same CPU but can be more convenient to use in places where laptops are not.

  • chewbot on 03/12/2016 - 20:11

    Thanks heaps to everyone for their input.

    Some where along the lines I started getting interested in the convertible types.

    I am currently considering the Lenovo Yoga 710 i5 14".

    It's $1199 at JB HIFI but after $100 efptos card cashback and if i use gift cards I buy at Coles it would effectively be about $980.

    I realise I could get a non-convertibe with similar specs for less but the ergonomics and versatility of it are really starting to appeal to me. Having said that I am still primarily after a laptop not a tablet so I just want to make sure that it's still going to do the job adequately as a laptop.

    Even given some performance and battery sacrifice I am thinking it's still going to be enough for my requirements right?

    And it's still going to be significantly faster than what I'm using right?

    It has more graphics power than I need so I am kind of paying for something unnecessary there.

    My biggest qualm at the moment is the the lack of number pad on the keyboard but other than that I think the size is probably about right for me.

    It's specs are as follows:

    Computer Type - 2 in 1

Display Size (Inches) - 14.0

Resolution (Pixels) - 1920 x 1080

Screen Resolution - Full HD

Touchscreen - True

Processor Type - Intel Core i5

Processor Model Number - 7200U

Processor Cores - Dual Core

Processor Memory Cache - 3

Processor Clock Speed (GHz) - 2.5

Processor Max. Clock Speed (GHz) - 3.1

RAM (GB) - 8.0

SSD Storage - 128GB

Total Storage - 128GB

Micro HDMI Ports - 1

USB 3.0 Ports - 2

Card Reader - 4in 1

Webcam - True

Bluetooth - v4.1

Wi-Fi - 802.11 ac

Operating System - Windows 10

    Keen for anyone's thoughts.

    Thanks.

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