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Looking for a laptop that suits my needs as i start it for college

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Leslieann:
Not sure I agree on CPU power mods but I think we're splitting hairs at this point.
Suffice to say we both think these are all great bang for the buck laptops where you to get one (except the T440 and I3 models).

Oh, another benefit, they run Linux really well if you want that.

tp4tissue:
Same caution with expensive selfones.   if you've got a $1500 fone,  it's like a prison ball and chain in your pocket.

if you've got a $100 fone,  it's freedom, because you don't really care, run, jump, kick flip, no problem.

Powerful laptops unplugged usually get relegated to something like 30 watts, so they won't run faster than say ultraportables at 30 watts, because it can not escape physics.

fohat.digs:

--- Quote from: Leslieann on Fri, 26 August 2022, 00:50:46 ---
great bang for the buck laptops where you to get one (except the T440 and I3 models).


--- End quote ---

I got my T440p a few years ago in superb condition for well under $200 shipped minus its hard drive. It is the modest I5/4300/8GB model which is fine for me. Even with a new 500GB SSD and RAM (8 up from the original 4) I doubt that I have much, if any, over $300 in it.

But it does weigh 4.6 lb / 2 kg if that is too much for you.

Leslieann:

--- Quote from: fohat.digs on Fri, 26 August 2022, 08:33:26 ---I got my T440p a few years ago in superb condition for well under $200 shipped minus its hard drive. It is the modest I5/4300/8GB model which is fine for me. Even with a new 500GB SSD and RAM (8 up from the original 4) I doubt that I have much, if any, over $300 in it.

But it does weigh 4.6 lb / 2 kg if that is too much for you.

--- End quote ---
The P model is the heaviest of the bunch (std, S and P).

One neat thing though is you could find a newer version of these with a broken screen and stripped of parts for around $50, swap your parts over and get a nice upgrade and maybe drop some weight. Just be sure to check interchangeability, which isn't that complex. That's how I got my T450, I started with a free T440 (with I3) and bought a stripped and broken T450 (with core I5) and swapped over my parts.

user 18:
I just went through a similar thought process and similar budget with a friend of mine. She did end up going for the Mac, but she didn't have the same needs for Windows-specific tools, and was already heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem.

I agree with you that Apple probably isn't the way to go for your needs. If you take care of your machine, it should last you until you want/need more power anyway, and if you don't take care of it, well, Apple screens break too! The Macbook Air (really the only option in your budget) does have pretty nice battery life, if that's a concern for you. If you do decide you want to go Apple, consider their refurbished options to save a bit of money. Refurbished is much closer to new than to used, and a lot of refurbished products have the same full warranty coverage these days that brand new machines do.

You've already received a lot of good recommendations near the cheaper end, so I don't have a ton to add there. There is merit to buying new and getting a machine with a warranty and known (lack of) history, to allow you to focus on your studies, rather than on maintaining your computer. If you're looking at new machines, you may be able to take advantage of education pricing offered by the manufacturer. Sometimes specific manufacturers offer larger discounts through agreements with specific schools, that students may or may not be included in, so if you already have your school's login details, it may be worth poking around.

If you're looking for a higher-end machine that will do everything you list, this is the Windows machine I recommended to my friend (now sold out at this link, but similar models are available): https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/asus-rog-zephyrus-g15-15-6-gaming-laptop-white-amd-ryzen-9-5900hs-1tb-ssd-16gb-ram-rtx-3050-ti/15799664. Lots of CPU/RAM to suit your needs, and enough GPU to play moderately-demanding games (when plugged in, and you probably won't be maxing things out). There is also a 14" model that is a bit lighter, at the expense of some performance.

If you want something even lighter weight, you could look at something like this: https://www.dell.com/en-ca/shop/laptops-ultrabooks/xps-13-laptop/spd/xps-13-9310-laptop/nxps139310_h61pe. Weaker CPU, but that hopefully won't affect much in your day-to-day work (e.g. note-taking, simple programming/SQL). You may notice the difference with more complex tasks, but hopefully you will have access to a computer lab at your school for more demanding work -- a lot of schools even have remote access for student use now. I used an older model XPS 13 for school and work from 2016-2019, and it handled my programming and (admittedly very basic) SQL needs well enough. I did spin up occasional VMs, but didn't do enough serious work in them to judge longer-term performance. I still have that machine, and it still runs well, I just haven't had need for a laptop in the same way from 2020 onward.

As has been said above, regardless of what you pick, make sure you have a robust backup scheme -- or at the very least, make use of your school's cloud offering, if they have one. You don't want to lose a term paper/project the night before it's due!

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