Please Help to Select a New Laptop for Running a Business 🙏

Little Miss on 07/03/2018 - 00:39

It’s been a while since I bought a laptop - the 2010 version laptop I’ve been using just turned blue screen, so I’m back on my old 2006 14.1” Compaq Presario - which is well loved! I like buying good quality, and while I don’t want to overspend, there is a good chance I’ll still be using it in 10 years so it’s an investment.

I’ve been developing my shopify website, and will predominantly be using my laptop for editing newsletters, fulfilling orders, editing images for website and Facebook posts, and web browsing.

1) have excellent battery life
2) be lightweight, thin and handbag friendly
3) be quick to start, quick to process - I’m inpatient!
4) prefer backlight keyboard - I’m a night owl
5) able to handle my tendency to have at least 20 pages open and multitask
6) look good
7) prefer touch screen but not essential

I’m getting really confused about the specs, I am considering a MacBook for aesthetics, but ive never used one before so I’m not sure. I do like my iPhone though.

I’m wondering if the surface pro deal https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/364832 is worth grabbing - or is there a better option? I’ve been into plenty of shops and asked I store, but I’m getting confused, and not all stores stock all brands so it’s hard to compare.

Thanks in advance!

Computing Computer Laptop

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 07/03/2018 - 02:01
    -1

    Macbook Air - light, reliable, powerful, all the required ports, cheapest (best value) Apple option. Sure there are more powerful options, cheaper options and smaller options but as an all-rounder it can still be hard to beat!

    A week after switching you'll be comfortable enough with MacOS to not have to worry about it.

    Have been using them in my own business for about 9 years. Will handle all your points bar No. 7. Earlier iterations may have suffered with keeping too much open on the desktop/browser but for current models with 8Gb RAM standard it is no problem.

    I'd warrant retained value and longevity would end up in the Air's favour when compared to the Surface/Surface Pro however the Surface's superior screen would be nice ;)

    • pennypincher98 on 07/03/2018 - 06:15
      +3

      MacBook Air … cheapest (best value)

      I almost choked on my coffee and was about to flip my lid until I read

      Apple option.

      LOL

      Sure there are more cheaper, faster and smaller options.

      You said it. There are better value options out there, so why not go with them?
      Btw Surface is a rip off, although maybe the Surface Book would turn out to be a worthwhile investment (or as the world of technology goes, a depreciating asset)

    • mskeggs on 07/03/2018 - 09:30
      +1

      I have a macbook air and a lenovo Thinkpad laptop.
      They are both good machines, but the macbook wins for quality.
      From your question, it seems you aren't especially technical, so I would suggest the Macbook because the ability to take it into an Apple store and get service is useful, as they can handle both hardware and software.

      My only caution is if you use any software that is not available for Macs. You don't say what your business is, but it is often small business software like Point of sale or accounting software (and support for weird label printers or other niche hardware) that is not available on Mac, and adds a wrinkle of complexity. That said, you can run almost every windows program in emulation nowadays.

      As a final note, if you don't have good backups, the data on your failing computer is probably still recoverable, depending on the reason for the blue screen (and the whole machine is likely easily fixed if it isn't, as if it is a failing disk they can be swapped out for $200).

      • Little Miss on 07/03/2018 - 15:54

        Ha ha, yes not that tech minded when it comes to specs - I can build a website though so I know enough 😉 thanks for your input, will definitely look into this

  • elgrande on 07/03/2018 - 02:56
    +5

    Thinkpad Carbon X1

  • sky blu on 07/03/2018 - 05:06
    +3

    Lenovo Yoga 920

    • singlemalt72 on 07/03/2018 - 10:13
      +2

      I vote this as well - bought one for my high school daughter and will be getting myself one when my old Macbook packs it in.

      • sky blu on 07/03/2018 - 10:44
        +1

        The price is pretty dear though. How much did you pay your daughter's? I'm looking at the latest offering with 8th gen Intel and it starts at $2,000.

        • singlemalt72 on 07/03/2018 - 11:17
          +1

          My daughter's is the i5, I bought it refurbished for about $1000.

          Not much in the way of deals or discounts at the moment - I almost pulled the trigger when Amex was running a discount on the lenovo site a little while back.

        • singlemalt72 on 07/03/2018 - 11:19
          +1

          @singlemalt72: No doubt you can get the same or better performance cheaper - but I just fell in love with the form factor and the quality of the build.

        • sky blu on 07/03/2018 - 11:36
          +1

          @singlemalt72: i5 but which generation for $1,000???

        • singlemalt72 on 07/03/2018 - 13:04
          +1

          @sky blu:
          Unsure of generation - top specs was not important to me as was price at the time

        • sky blu on 07/03/2018 - 14:38
          +1

          @singlemalt72: It should be. If you paid $1000 for a refurbished 2nd gen i5 Yoga 920 it would be a rip-off.

        • Little Miss on 07/03/2018 - 15:56

          my mum got a lenovo yoga - she says it’s slow, how did you find it?

        • singlemalt72 on 07/03/2018 - 21:14

          @Little Miss: Yoga is a whole line of laptops with vastly different specs - need a model before you can compare.

    • FlatEarth on 09/03/2018 - 18:11

      I third this. It looks nice, it's pretty light and it's super fast. Got it for $1,680 a while back

      • sky blu on 09/03/2018 - 18:19

        Nice. But "second" would be the correct word :)

        Can you please let me know the specs? I am guessing 6th or 7th gen Intel, but if you got 8th gen for that price, please link me!

        • FlatEarth on 09/03/2018 - 18:35
          +1

          I got the 8th gen i5 model, with 256gb of SSD and 4gb of RAM.
          Bought it off OnLine Center on ebay here:
          https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lenovo-Yoga-920-Platinum-2-in-1-…

          Combined with PICK5 code, you could get it for exactly $1680.55. Unfortunately, I bought this using the 5% off code right before Ebay launched a 10% code, so if you wait you could possible get it for cheaper.

          Only problem with OnLine Center is that they use Fastway Couriers to deliver the parcel. I didn't have a problem with them (it arrived in 6 days), but they seem to have heaps of negative reviews online.

          EDIT: Could have got it for $1592.10 :(((((
          ANOTHER EDIT: It's 8GB of RAM not 4

        • [Deactivated] on 09/03/2018 - 18:36
          +1

          @FlatEarth: What kind of but would pay $1600 on a laptop with only 4gb Ram?

        • FlatEarth on 09/03/2018 - 18:39

          @Burnertoasty: I'm mainly using this for school, which means not very intense tasks. So, I don't really need a lot of Ram at the moment (I think???). I bought this mainly for the features (light-weight and cool looking and good battery life)
          Also, when I've got a dozen applications running at the same time it's still fast and responsive.

        • sky blu on 09/03/2018 - 18:41

          @Burnertoasty: 4GB RAM where? It's "8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 2400MHz"

        • sky blu on 09/03/2018 - 18:41

          @FlatEarth: How long does the battery last on a full charge?

        • FlatEarth on 09/03/2018 - 18:45
          +1

          @sky blu: Around 10-11 hours using Microsoft Word/Adobe Acrobat, checking Facebook, watching Youtube/TV Shows. Usually lasts me from 8am in the morning to around 11-12pm at night without charging.

          Oh, and it charges really fast if you were wondering about that. Takes around 1hr and 20 minutes.

        • sky blu on 09/03/2018 - 18:58

          @FlatEarth: Very well. But the issue I have is that I would really like a numpad, which is usually on 15" laptops.

          My last laptop is the Thinkpad T560.

  • MrHyde on 07/03/2018 - 06:52
    +4

    Think pad - these machine are brilliant for work purposes. Light weight, battery lasts for ever, very Hardy machines.

    • Little Miss on 07/03/2018 - 15:57

      Thankyou, Looks like a few people reccomend this :)

      • sky blu on 07/03/2018 - 16:02

        Get the T-series Thinkpad

  • djsweet on 07/03/2018 - 09:43

    I agree with the Mac option. If you need Windows try something like this Thinkpad

    • Little Miss on 07/03/2018 - 15:58

      Thankyou, I think I might need to go I instore and compare these few

  • Oz8argain on 07/03/2018 - 10:03
    +1

    Macbook pro is reliable but expensive, I had air for 5 years used everyday for uni and no issues while the windows laptops (samsung and dell) lasted 3 years before software and hardware issues occur. You'll need to make sure that the applications you use are compatible with Mac OS.

    otherwise thinkpad carbons are grood, was on discount a few times

    • Little Miss on 07/03/2018 - 15:59

      Great. I like the look of the dell, and how it has an infinity screen - but I know that had a bad reputation for a while

  • dcep on 07/03/2018 - 10:29
    +1

    lg gram

    xiaomi air

    • Little Miss on 07/03/2018 - 15:59

      I’ll check these out, thankyou

  • Seraphin7 on 07/03/2018 - 11:00

    Get yourself one of the business-based Lenovos. Given what you're talking about, be prepared to spend a little extra. I'd be looking at the Thinkpad T series. Go for a high-end processor and graphics card, and as much RAM as you can load up.

    • Little Miss on 07/03/2018 - 16:00

      What are the specs I’d be looking for for ram these days? Is that the SSD?

      • Seraphin7 on 07/03/2018 - 16:38
        +1

        No. RAM is the memory used by the computer while in operation. Without getting into all the specifics of it, this and the core processor (along with the graphics processor) predominantly determine how fast you computer is while its actually doing something. This will be important for what you're getting at. If you don't mind the cost, I'd be looking to go to 32GB RAM, but not absolutely less than 16GB.

  • Broke-Ken on 07/03/2018 - 11:11
    +1

    I would say the Razer Blade Stealth ticks all the boxes for your needs. have a look at that.

    But what you didn't mention but I think is important for business use is the support. you will need to look at bigger brands like Dell or HP who offer support and in some case, can send a tech around to fix your laptop. If it's for business you want to minimise your down time if you have any issues with your laptop.

    Dell, look at xps 13
    HP, look at the spectre

    I'm not sure about your budget, but if you're willing to look at apple, then the above options should be within your budget

    • Little Miss on 07/03/2018 - 16:02

      Ok great. I think the dell xps had a few issues, I’ll google and see if they were resolved in recent models.

  • dcep on 07/03/2018 - 11:59
    +2

    reinstall windows to fix the blue screen

    • Little Miss on 07/03/2018 - 16:05

      I just get a blue page saying please wait and nothing happens. I’ve shut off the power, removed the battery and put it back in, but nothing much more I can do. It’s old now, at least 8 years and it needs to be plugged in at all times now, so no longer fits the bill. It’s the push I needed to buy I think!

  • Toons on 07/03/2018 - 16:11
    +1

    We had surface pro's but due to unreliability we are in the process of moving to the new HP Elitebooks after some fairly heavy testing this time rather than just buy the coolest toy available, We also use a Dyna dock so you plug the USB c into it laptop and you have effectively a desktop running 3 monitors 2 @4k and one native to the machine it's all a lot cleaner

    • Little Miss on 07/03/2018 - 16:15

      Ok wow that sounds cool. Did you look into Mac as well?

      • Toons on 07/03/2018 - 19:07
        +1

        It all depends on business needs but don't dual boot a mac if you need windows software as the staple.

  • Toons on 07/03/2018 - 19:06
    +1

    I have Macpro's s at home and a surface and i actually prefer the surface for the best part for my work the PC windows based rules for personal i'm open to either now i have specific reasons why i bought the macs software is only available on it

    but other than that i'm perfectly happy with the surface

    The Elite books were getting are good too

    I use 3 screens 2 main monitors which are being swapped for a large single screen thats about the same size just no gap or line between for the work i do and i keep the Surface soon to be replaced as the third just off to the side and use it as a note pad when i'm docked.

  • Little Miss on 16/03/2018 - 01:21

    Thanks everyone for your help! I investigated all the options listed above - came to a decision between a yoga 920, the HP Spectre,a thinkpad, a MacBook, surface book and a dell Xps.

    Based on already learning so much with building my website, I ruled out Mac for now as I don’t want to overload in learning too many things at once. The surface book was too expensive for the specs. The Spectre was larger in size slightly and I didn’t like the look inside the laptop as much as the others.

    I narrowed it down to either the 13” dell xps 2 in 1 or the dell xps. I fell in love with the rose gold and white regular 13” laptop (16gb/526ssd/8th gen i7) - but not so much with the $2899 price tag. I saw the 13” 2 in 1 on sale at dell for around $2200 (16gb/526ssd/7th gen i7) and asked if jb would match that instead, as I couldn’t justify a price difference of $700 for the 7-8gen processor. They came back with an offer of $2398 for the rose gold http://www.dell.com/au/p/xps-13-9370-laptop/pd?oc=b510115au&…

    I am collecting it on the weekend, I hope this was a good buy and I wasn’t just swayed by that beautiful design.

    Thanks everyone, I felt armed with some good info for my bargain hunting when I did go into a few stores thanks to good advice in advance 😊

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