What laptop would you recommend

[Alba]

I have a ACER laptop that has been acting up for several months, it's circa 7 years old and done me well. I ran some Windows updates over the weekend and now it's like treacle, almost straight in the bin last night so sloooooow. Every time you do something now the hard drive is maxed out working, losing faith.

What should I look at? I use it for forums, eBay, banking, etc minimal spreadsheets and document writing, kids watch films, looking for something that can handle photo and video editing (going to use the POV) more this year.

Suppose the big question to get on the table is Apple too expensive for the performance you get?

ACER, DEL LENOVO, ..... ?????

Cheers for you expertise and experience.

 

[Rubberchicken]

To put it bluntly, I consider everything a step up from Acer.

Apple and too expensive, well:
Looking purely at the performance specs, yes, you can get similar performance for half that.
Looking at similar small light portable laptops aka ultrabooks with similar performance specs, starting to look less so.
Taking a somewhat wider look at attention to detail and build quality and all that stuff, I think the Macbook Airs are fair enough. The Pros and retina screens and whatnot are for the Apple nuts.
Having to deal with being branded an Apple fanboy and loads of haranging about them being too expensive for what they are and being thought of as a posh wanker[*], aaaand we're right back to expensive again.

For non-Apple stuff my wife would recommend Toshiba as decent sturdy machines that can stand up to a bit of abuse while having good specs.
I really like Lenovo Thinkpads, but they're even more expensive than Apple usually so that's a nonstarter.

[*] That's now what I wrote you piece of software, I meant w a n k e r.

 

[Lutin]

Stick Linux on it and continue to use it until it dies of old age - and not strangulation by ms bloatware.

You know it makes sense.

On the other hand, give it to me and I'll put linux on it and use it until it dies of old age.......

 

[austin]

I eventually retired my ageing laptops a couple of months for the same reasons as you and just had to scratch that apple itch so got a small MacBook Air that PC world had strangely discounted. Very pleased so far. It's very different to use though although you get used to it v quickly. I suspect it will need upgrading or replacing in 2-3 years though as its the base model. If you go for an apple it's worth having someone on hand who knows the basics to get you off the start line. After that its easy enough.

I am hanging into my laptops and will install Linux on them one day.

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

Basic Q and blatant thread hijack...
If it's all the old stuff that clogs up our ageing computers, why isn't there a BFO button in the top corner of the keypad labelled DOS (Delete Old Stuff) to restore to its former glory?
Or am I being simplistic?

Pigugly, the resident technophobe

 

[Lutin]

Basic Q and blatant thread hijack...
If it's all the old stuff that clogs up our ageing computers, why isn't there a BFO button in the top corner of the keypad labelled DOS (Delete Old Stuff) to restore to its former glory?
Or am I being simplistic?

Pigugly, the resident technophobe

For the simple reason that ms want you to constantly upgrade to the newer, faster version of windows. Which will, in 6 months time, become old, slow and in need of an upgrade. Simples.

 

[Ian Porter]

I'm still doing the same old sh!te on office I was doing 20 years ago

isn't it about time you pulled your finger out and got it finished then

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

Basic Q and blatant thread hijack...
If it's all the old stuff that clogs up our ageing computers, why isn't there a BFO button in the top corner of the keypad labelled DOS (Delete Old Stuff) to restore to its former glory?
Or am I being simplistic?

Pigugly, the resident technophobe

For the simple reason that ms want you to constantly upgrade to the newer, faster version of windows. Which will, in 6 months time, become old, slow and in need of an upgrade. Simples.

Sounds feasible.
So, why doesn't someone come up with a BFO add on button labelled DOS?

 

[Lutin]

For the simple reason that ms want you to constantly upgrade to the newer, faster version of windows. Which will, in 6 months time, become old, slow and in need of an upgrade. Simples.

Sounds feasible.
So, why doesn't someone come up with a BFO add on button labelled DOS?

I suppose that they're terrified of the ms assassination squad.

 

[Ian Porter]

So, why doesn't someone come up with a BFO add on button labelled DOS?

Ah, but which version of DOS would sir like?

 

[Philwhiskeydrinker]

So, why doesn't someone come up with a BFO add on button labelled DOS?

Ah, but which version of DOS would sir like?

Just one button with no 'options' that works first time, does the job it's supposed to, doesn't introduce crashes or glitches & doesn't require constant updates would do

 

[Ian Porter]

Ah, but which version of DOS would sir like?

Just one button with no 'options' that works first time, does the job it's supposed to, doesn't introduce crashes or glitches & doesn't require constant updates would do

that would be version 2.5.0.1 (scheduled for release sometime in the next millennium)

we are currently working on 1.0.1.0 which requires you to submit a written request, signed in triplicate, sent in, sent back, queried, lost, found, subjected to public inquiry, lost again, and finally buried in soft peat for three months and recycled as firelighters

once said request has been approved we will supply written instruction on how to format you drive and install a proper operating system that actually works

I hope this is satisfactory for sir

 

[Lutin]

a written request, signed in triplicate, sent in, sent back, queried, lost, found, subjected to public inquiry, lost again, and finally buried in soft peat for three months and recycled as firelighters

Now, where have I heard that before?

 

[Ian Porter]

Now, where have I heard that before?

 

[Barftone]

Stop p****n about....MAC...Get yer wallet out

 

[Rubberchicken]

So, why doesn't someone come up with a BFO add on button labelled DOS?

Ah, but which version of DOS would sir like?

Speaking of MS... The last time they tried their hand at a "do what I mean" interface they came up with Clippy... Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Rubberchicken]

I think the main question is, do you feel adventurous or does it need to run Windows again? (Though with Win8 quite a bit of adventure can't be avoided anyway.)

Either answer is legitimate, but the latter cuts down quite a few options.

 

[fatowl]

just slap Linux on it !

 

[Alba]

Thanks for the replies I followed some of it I'm for a BFO button great idea.

I know what you are getting at Austin regarding the Apple itch, but over priced for the performance.

Thanks for the spec DC will am for that type of performance. The IT manager in works response was they are all the same get the colour and price you like .....

I have managed to get this thing running at a reasonable speed, thanks to tinternet. One of the updates caused Microsoft Essential file to get up-set with its self resulting in the disk drive access rates.

Now its a hunting game for the performance at the price, I find when I look at Amazon I get sucked into the ratings and if its not got ratings or the 1 & 2 star ratings are at 10% + of review I call the product into question.

Safe riding and happy computing .....

 

[Alba]

I'm a plonker it's official, my lap top has went belly up and I never backed it up. I needed to put it into recovery start up and it ran all day to no effect, ended up just switching it off. Give it another go today. It's the photographs on it more than anything which has p133ed me off[emoji20]