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Red Liquorice · Apr 24, 2017

firelogic said:
I don't see how a laptop can be so abrasive to the eyes that you wouldn't want to use it. When it's in use, all you see is the screen and a keyboard. Both of which are pretty standard.

Are they? The trackpad buttons have that red line on them and that red button in the middle of the keyboard, these are both eyesores to me. The logo in the right corner, all this together with the thickness of the thing makes it look super old, like 1995 old.

I'm not even that in to aesthetics per se, but I just can't with these. The recommendations about them being robust and long lasting are a definate plus and have made me keep them as a consideration as I look for the right laptop, but the specs and price would have to be amazing for me to settle with -that- look.

Blizzard · Apr 24, 2017

Red Liquorice said:
Are they? The trackpad buttons have that red line on them and that red button in the middle of the keyboard, these are both eyesores to me. The logo in the right corner, all this together with the thickness of the thing makes it look super old, like 1995 old.

I'm not even that in to aesthetics per se, but I just can't with these. The recommendations about them being robust and long lasting are a definate plus and have made me keep them as a consideration as I look for the right laptop, but the specs and price would have to be amazing for me to settle with -that- look.

Grad student life is enough of a challenge that practical needs and reliability may end up trumping "I just can't" about a red line, red button, logo, and laptop thickness.

Hesemonni · Apr 24, 2017

Red Liquorice said:
Are they? The trackpad buttons have that red line on them and that red button in the middle of the keyboard, these are both eyesores to me. The logo in the right corner, all this together with the thickness of the thing makes it look super old, like 1995 old.

You've made up your mind clearly so buy that Macbook you so much want already?.

andythinkpad · Apr 24, 2017

Red Liquorice said:
Are they? The trackpad buttons have that red line on them and that red button in the middle of the keyboard, these are both eyesores to me. The logo in the right corner, all this together with the thickness of the thing makes it look super old, like 1995 old.

I'm not even that in to aesthetics per se, but I just can't with these. The recommendations about them being robust and long lasting are a definate plus and have made me keep them as a consideration as I look for the right laptop, but the specs and price would have to be amazing for me to settle with -that- look.

Have you noticed every piece of professional camera, camcorder and recorder is in black color? Only low end consumer shit are in flashy chrome and golden color.

trixx · Apr 24, 2017

Basic internet use computation, I'd go for a chromebook or macbook air. Reliable, and gets the job done. I'm currently using a chromebook. Much better than my sony vaio.

Also they're virtually silent, which is real useful in silent study spaces

Night.Ninja said:
Xiaomi Mi notebook air, I'm going to order one this week

Holy crap this is the best looking laptop I've ever seen. No logo on the top. Too bad it runs windows

Thinkpad might be the best choice here though.

Red Liquorice · Apr 24, 2017

Blizzard said:
Grad student life is enough of a challenge that practical needs and reliability may end up trumping "I just can't" about a red line, red button, logo, and laptop thickness.

Well I was talking about me personally (as stated on the last page), not the OP.

Hesemonni said:
You've made up your mind clearly so buy that Macbook you so much want already?.

lol, no need to get defensive. It's funny you say that, as anyone who knows me would be laughing their asses off because they think I'm a Mac hater!

Clearly GAF has a boner for ThinkPads, I'm eternally sorry for offending thee.

TheContact · Apr 24, 2017

Either a Lenovo thinkpad or a dell latitude. They're both really good laptops. I can't speak so much for recent thinkpads as my work primarily uses Dell, but the latitudes are also easy to open up to replace ram and hard drive. Also, if you can ever invest in it, get an SSD. I think it's a crime to put a spinning hard drive in a portable laptop.

And FFS do NOT ever ever get a MacBook. You will sincerely regret it

nampad · Apr 24, 2017

firelogic said:
I don't see how a laptop can be so abrasive to the eyes that you wouldn't want to use it. When it's in use, all you see is the screen and a keyboard. Both of which are pretty standard. When it's not in use, it's likely going inside a bag/carrying case of some sort. I mean if you're going to be displaying it, I guess appearance matters but just like all cell phones today, they all look the same. Just a rectangular bar with no face buttons. Put all the latest phones side by side and they're all just black slabs of glass.

Have you seen some gamer laptops?

Well, if it was no laptop or a gamer laptop, ok. But else, some of those look really bad.

linkboy · Apr 25, 2017

Another option is the HP Elitebooks. The Air Force base I'm stationed at has some in use and they're still good laptops.

They're solid, powerful laptops that still hold up and can be picked up pretty cheaply.

Something like this would be great for someone for school.

Izuna · Apr 25, 2017

I got an HP Elitebook thinking it was fine

Don't get lower than 900p.

Seriously, 1366x768 makes school work flipping impossible

dofry · May 4, 2017

Which Dell Latitude model is good? There are a ton.

NoblesseOblige · May 4, 2017

dofry said:
Which Dell Latitude model is good? There are a ton.

If you're looking for maximum cheapage you can use coupon code E6330$125DEAL on any of the following to get $125 off:
https://www.dellrefurbished.com/laptops?filter_model=396
I would however recommend upgrading the memory to 8+GB and pickup an SSD to throw in for $100-200. Latitude are super easy to upgrade even for somebody super clueless.

Otherwise any of these should be more than okay for most schoolwork:
https://www.dellrefurbished.com/laptops?filter_memory=81,79&filter_processor_brand=190,360,370,371
However they're lacking coupon codes this month.

If you want to spend more on a more powerful device then they also have coupon code M4800$250DEAL going on for $250 a Precision M4800:
https://www.dellrefurbished.com/computer-workstation?filter_category=313&filter_model=427

linkboy · May 4, 2017

Izuna said:
I got an HP Elitebook thinking it was fine

Don't get lower than 900p.

Seriously, 1366x768 makes school work flipping impossible

I opted for a 8770w and the only complaint I've got is the resolution, which is 1600x900. Other then that, I love it.

Here's my specs, only paid $380 for it.

I'm not planning to game on it much (newest game I have is Oblivion).

sca2511 · May 4, 2017

Thinkpad T4x0 series. Craigslist or eBay are your best bets

dofry · May 4, 2017

NoblesseOblige said:
If you're looking for maximum cheapage you can use coupon code E6330$125DEAL on any of the following to get $125 off:
https://www.dellrefurbished.com/laptops?filter_model=396
I would however recommend upgrading the memory to 8+GB and pickup an SSD to throw in for $100-200. Latitude are super easy to upgrade even for somebody super clueless.

Otherwise any of these should be more than okay for most schoolwork:
https://www.dellrefurbished.com/laptops?filter_memory=81,79&filter_processor_brand=190,360,370,371
However they're lacking coupon codes this month.

If you want to spend more on a more powerful device then they also have coupon code M4800$250DEAL going on for $250 a Precision M4800:
https://www.dellrefurbished.com/computer-workstation?filter_category=313&filter_model=427

Thank you for the links.

Condom · May 4, 2017

Acer V3 i3 version is a good budget buy

TI82 · May 4, 2017

You won't find a better deal than the Lenovo X220 thinkpad. Something like $80 on ebay right now and you can upgrade the ram to whatever, put whatever SSD you want in there. Run linux or windows, so easy and reliable and fast.

Menaged · May 11, 2017

Bumping this thread since I'm in a similar need.

I mainly use my computer for Word, Powerpoint and web-browsing, but I also use it to watch TV shows.

Due to the latter, I'm wondering if a Thinkpad is right for me. If so, can anyone point me to which one? There are so many!

My budget is a tad lower, around $500.

Thanks so much!

Sir Abacus · May 11, 2017

Acer Laptop Aspire E E5-575-53EJ

Menaged · May 11, 2017

Sir Abacus said:
Acer Laptop Aspire E E5-575-53EJ

Hmmm looks interesting.
Only downsides is that it's a tad heavy, and I didn't manage to find it in Amazon UK (I might try and import).

Kumquat · May 11, 2017

Might want to add some pads to it to buffer the shock of someone jostling your desk.

Timeless · May 11, 2017

Don't be fooled on Thinkpads. The business line is well regarded but the consumer line has fewer people who appreciate them.

I'm a fan of business laptops. (4chan warning) https://boards.4chan.org/g/thread/60305948

It's a tradeoff, but great value.

-heavy
-ugly
-thick
-shorter battery life
-low resolution
+cheap
+high processing power
+easily serviceable
+durable

The logic goes, businesses upgrade their fleets of laptops every few years. They sell the old ones, which were top-line machines in their era. The market is flooded with the old models and you can have them for much cheaper than a comparable consumer-grade device.

And since they're business devices, they're usually in much better condition than a used consumer laptop would be.

I think desktop + multiple monitors, along with a cheap laptop for in-class stuff, is the way to go.

I wouldn't follow this advice if you plan on being on-the-go a lot. If you're going to spend a lot of time doing research in libraries, then portability, weight, and resolution are more important.

My college laptop usage is mostly just a stopgap until I get to a computer lab or back to my desktop. So a cheap business laptop suited my needs well.

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