I need to replace my laptop......What to do?

[EZEtoGRU]

My Dell Inspirion is coming up on three years old. Some of the keyboard keys stick and I just feel that it is time to replace it.....yet I have a dilemma regarding what I should replace it with. The whole tablet phenomena has burst on the scene since I got my current laptop so of course I have the whole laptop vs tablet issue now. If I go with another laptop, I definitely will get a smaller and lighter version. I like the idea of a tablet as they are so compact and light. However, I fear I would miss having a real keyboard when sending e-mails or contributing on forums like this one. I don't read books, magazines, or newspapers on-line as I like the real thing in my hand and I love turning the pages.

 

A few other bits of info: I travel allot so the laptop/tablet would go everywhere with me. I am retired....so there are no work related considerations here. I have an iPhone which also goes everywhere with me. Finally, I am not a tech geek and don't need the latest and greatest of anything as I probably only use about 15% of the features of any electronic device that I have ever owned.

 

What do you all use when you travel? What things are you happy/unhappy with regarding your laptop/tablet? What brands of laptops/tablets would you recommend or not? Finally, where would you buy a new laptop or tablet today? I know in an earlier thread, some folks recommended purchasing electronics at Costco as they were very price competitive. I am a Costco member by the way. I purchased my current dell on-line via Amazon and I found it to be an easy and painless experience.

 

Thanks in advance. I am a tech dummy so I will likely make my decision on what the purchase based on comments from you all and a few friends.

[+ Charlie]

I would like to second your question, since I am in almost the same situation, except that I don't even have a laptop (just my old no-name desktop PC) or a smart phone (just a basic fliptop cellphone). I also would like some guidance on what a contract costs to operate a tablet if one uses it only for leisure travel, to access email and do light web-surfing, since I can't imagine what I would use it for otherwise. (The two items mentioned above are the ONLY electronic devices I own.)

[Phlmuscle]

Apple Mac Book Pro. I switched to Apple this time last year, and I am glad I did. Much more reliable than Microsoft, and need to install antivirus software. It's all built into the apple. Buy the Office Mac, student edition for $79.00 and you"re set to go for Word and Excel.

[Phlmuscle]

Meant to say no need to install anti virus software which slows down your computer.

[playwrestler]

I just bought the 11 inch macbook air... unbelievably light and easy to travel with - so no need for a tablet - and it's a full computer and incredibly easy to use and understand -- as are all apple products. You can't go wrong for a little extra money.

[EZEtoGRU]

I just bought the 11 inch macbook air... unbelievably light and easy to travel with - so no need for a tablet - and it's a full computer and incredibly easy to use and understand -- as are all apple products. You can't go wrong for a little extra money.

 

Does it have a real keyboard as opposed to a touch-screen keyboard? Also, I wonder if I would have trouble adjusting to an apple laptop after being an IBM/Dell Windows system guy for the last 20 years??

[jimboivyo]

go mac. you won't regret it

 

switched from IBM on the advice of a friend, love this macbook pro. just heard they're coming out with a smaller pro retina at 13", so that might be better if you're always on the go

[+ deej]

Meant to say no need to install anti virus software which slows down your computer.

 

This is a myth. MacOS is every bit as vulnerable to virus attacks as Windows. It doesn't see them, SO FAR, because virus authors target the largest possible attack base. As the Mac market share grows, it'll start seeing attacks and the entire user population will be vulnerable precisely because they think they aren't. Security by obscurity can't and won't last forever.

 

I've been saying for years that my next laptop will be a Mac, and then when the time rolls around I realize I can go to Staples or Costco and buy three Windows laptops for the same price as a single Macbook. Macs are lovely machines, but so far I'm sticking with the machine that won't hurt as badly when I drop it, break it, lose it, have it stolen, or otherwise need to replace it. Right now is actually a pretty good time to pick up Windows 7 laptops at Costco since Windows 8 has been released and will be pushing Win7 overstock machines into places that sell them.

 

On the subject of tablets, it's really cook's choice.

 

Charlie, you can get wifi-only tablets. I use a Kindle fire and it's a great value, but it was a replacement for an original Kindle that had gone flaky. In other words, I didn't buy it because I wanted a tablet. I wanted a Kindle replacement and it happened to be a tablet. WiFi is not universally available, but it's getting there. I do enjoy the convenience of being able to check email quickly while out and about, even if I don't reply until I get back to a PC with a keyboard. (Of course for *that* purpose, I'll use my iPhone which I'm more likely to be carrying anyway.)

 

If I were to invest in a full-blown tablet (an iPad, for example), I would probably pay the premium for the wifi+cellular instead of the wifi only. My understanding is that the cellular contracts are written so that you only pay for the months you choose to use them. I'd keep it turned off except while traveling, I imagine. It's a feature you can turn off and not use (or pay for) but you can't add it if you don't already have it. But here's the rub: I can still buy a full-featured Windows laptop for less than the cost of an iPad.

 

Beyond that, it boils down to figuring out typical usage and finding the right fit.

[Rod Hagen]

MacBook Pro. You'll never look back.

[rguer]

Meant to say no need to install anti virus software which slows down your computer.

 

But it is still a good idea to do so - Mac viruses are starting to show up. You also want to avoid passing along an email virus that doesn't affect the Mac but does affect Windows.

 

Several free anti-virus programs for the Mac are available.

[rguer]

If you already have an iPhone, and you're not a techie, the Macbook Air is perhaps the best choice. It's light, it is easy to use as long as you do only those things that Apple wants to let you do, and it integrates well with the iPhone.

 

The keyboard is about the same as on other small notebook computers, except that it lacks a few keys - keys that I happen to miss, unfortunately, PageUp, PageDown, and Insert among them.

 

Macs are expensive. It is usually less expense to buy them mail order, and not directly from Apple, but you might be eligible for a discount through your former employer or some organization you belong to.

 

The Pro is more powerful than the Air - more memory, more storage, more CPU - but it doesn't sound like you need that. If you want compact and light, the Air is a better choice.

 

There are some small Windows notebooks that are similarly small and light, but anything with the same attributes as the Air is going to be around the same price; that's not yet a competitive market, though I suspect it soon will be.

 

You can, by the way, run Windows programs if you need to, either through Apple's BootCamp or through a third party program like VMWare Fusion or Parallels Desktop. You'd need a Windows license. Some Windows programs can be run on a Mac using a free emulator program.

 

If you have any hardware that plugs into your existing computer, such as a printer or scanner, make sure it's supported on the Mac.

[rvwnsd]

...I wonder if I would have trouble adjusting to an apple laptop after being an IBM/Dell Windows system guy for the last 20 years??

 

I recently bought an iMac to replace my Windows-based desktop. I had virtually no learning curve. I still use a Windows-based computer at work and have no difficulty switching from one operating system to another.

 

...I also would like some guidance on what a contract costs to operate a tablet if one uses it only for leisure travel, to access email and do light web-surfing, since I can't imagine what I would use it for otherwise. (The two items mentioned above are the ONLY electronic devices I own.)

 

You would be surprised how much you can (and will) do with a tablet. Since buying my iPad i've switched all of my magazines to digital subscriptions and have cut the newspaper back to Sundays only. The other six days of the week I read the iPad edition. The notepad app has replaced taking paper-based notes at work (I can email them to my work address or simply store them in on iCloud) and I do a lot of web surfing from the comfort of my sofa on the iPad. My advice to you is upgrade your wireless network at home, use free WiFi when you travel, and buy the cheapest wireless data plan you can find. If you are a Verizon customer, you can get a shared data plan with your phone. The cost structure is as follows:

 

- fixed price for a block of data ranging from 1Gb to 10 Gb

- $10 per tablet

- $40 per smart phone

- $30 per standard phone

 

The plan includes unlimited voice and text. I have my work email on my iPhone and use my iPad regularly and rarely exceed 1Gb in data usage. It tends to ramp up when I am traveling, but I have gotten smarter about using it in coffee shops, hotel lobbies, and in my hotel room when I have free WiFi. as I said earlier, if you use your home-based wireless network to download you will save a considerable amount of data traffic on your tablet.

 

Save yourself the frustration of the Android tablets and buy an iPad. You don't have to buy the top-of-the-line, which is a misnomer, as the only difference between the various iPads is storage space and WiFi only vs Mobile Data capable. Definitely get mobile data. You never know when you need to send an email or find something on the web when you are on the run. I have an iad 2 and it works just fine. A friend has an iPad 1 and is perfectly happy with it. Check Craigslist as well as the Apple store and Amazon for used iPads and Android tablets (if you wish to go Android). There are several Bluetooth wireless keyboards available for all of the tablets, including a very nice Apple keyboard.

[body2body]

I bought an iPad in May just before leaving for Europe for a couple of weeks. I got a WiFi only model (the least expensive one). I was able to put all my reading material on it. So instead of lugging around the laptop, case, charger etc. and a kindle for reading, I had one device that slipped into a shoulder bag. I didn't have to worry about leaving a laptop in the hotel room (most room safes would not accommodate mine). It just made everything easier. If for some reason I don't have access to WiFi I can use my iPhone. I realized the other day that a couple of weeks had passed and I hadn't even fired up the laptop. My iPad is always with me.

[ted]

If you really want to stay in the PC world, and easy to transport is one of the top considerations, I just got an ASUS Zenbook through Amazon and am quite happy with it. Great display and backlit keyboard and less than 3 lbs and its a computer not a tablet. No optical drive, but if you really really need one you can pick one up for less than $40. If you want to actually touch one and type on it before you buy you can do that at a Microsoft store if there is one near you. After I did that and tried to buy it, turns our they were sold out so bought online at Amazon - it was cheaper there anyway.

[shadowcatzxxx]

Mac absolutely, hands down.

 

If you have large/many files you want to be able to have within one device, MacBookPro.

 

If you don't have that many large files, and can work with a smaller storage memory, MacBookAir for sure. If you SOMETIMES have really big or numerous files, you can now get external hard drives that use the new thunderbolt interface on the Air, and do lightning-fast file transfers.

 

It is a real computer, has a real keyboard, and weighs next to nothing.

 

Pricier? Yes. But you get what you pay for in terms of everything from speed to reliability to styling.

 

go for it!

[Lookin]

just heard they're coming out with a smaller pro retina at 13", so that might be better if you're always on the go

 

 

It's out. The snag is they've done away with the built-in CD/DVD drive on the Retina model. Sure, you can buy a plug-in SuperDrive, but who wants to schlep another thingy around? Granted, I haven't used the built-in SuperDrive much when traveling, but there have been a few times when I was very glad to have it.

 

Not sure if Apple will eventually drag me pissing and moaning into a media-free world but, if I had to buy a new laptop today, I'd go with the non-Retina version and keep the built-in SuperDrive.

 

Since I do like the flexibility of a full-featured computer - keyboard, I/O, and the like - a laptop is much better for me than a tablet. I've used Apple laptops for a decade and have never felt the need for a desktop in all that time. And, since getting an iPhone a few weeks ago, I've solved the problem of high-speed internet on-the-go.

 

The Mac versus Windows decision is one I made a quarter-century ago, as I have always put a fairly high value on my free time. Listening to friends gripe about drivers, upgrades, installing and removing software versions, and troubleshooting gremlins has made me a fan of Apple's "it just works" philosophy. There are lots of folks with plenty of what I'll call 'techtosterone' who delight in the hours they spend outwitting the latest Microsoft bug, but I'm not one of them.

 

http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/pestcrop/2006/issue11/images/ChasingBugs.jpg

 

[fedssocr1]

I recently bought an Asus Ultrabook...a Zenbook Prime. Cost me about $900 on the Microsoft Store website. I love it. It is extremely light and thin. Has a 128GB SSD which helps with the weight. It wakes up pretty much instantly when you open it. My first one had some issues with shutting itself down at random. The replacement has done it a couple of times but not as frequently so I am sticking with it because I love everything else about it. It has 2 USB 3.0 ports and an SD card reader built-in. There's a USB to RJ-45 wired network dongle included which is nice. The power "brick" is very small and has the wall plug built into it. So it is great for traveling with. The nice thing about buying it from Microsoft's store is that it is a "Microsoft Signature" version which means they have already removed all of the crapware and tuned it to optimize it. And you get some customer service benefits. They handled my return of the first one I bought extremely well and the account executive followed up for a couple of weeks afterwards to make sure the replacement computer was doing OK.

 

If I were you I would definitely be looking at Ultrabooks for travel friendliness. The Samsung Series 9's are pretty cool too. But they are fairly expensive. The new Acer S7 is incredibly light but I have read some complaints about the touchscreen. Now that Windows 8 is out there will be more touchscreen models coming out.

 

Depending on your budget and needs for sure the Mac's are worth looking at. For me, I had too many pieces of software that I wanted to keep. Mainly photo editing stuff that is Windows only. But the new Macbook Pro 13" model with Retina Display would certainly tempt me if I were shopping at this moment.

[instudiocity]

Does it have a real keyboard as opposed to a touch-screen keyboard? Also, I wonder if I would have trouble adjusting to an apple laptop after being an IBM/Dell Windows system guy for the last 20 years??

All MacBooks have physical keyboards. Also, you can purchase an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard and set it to work with an iPad or iPhone so if you want a physical keyboard with a tablet that's easily accomplished. My entire extended family from a 90 year old down to a 6 year old use Apple MacBooks, iPads and iPhones. There is no need to know the technology, just use it things.

[EZEtoGRU]

Wow. Thanks for all the great comments. All the comments on Apple have convinced me I need to first go to the Apple store and look at their products. I have never previously considered an Apple notebook but it seems I really need to. A genuine thanks to everyone for your helpful suggestions.

[+ Charlie]

Thanks for all this info, especially to deej and rvwnsd. It will be useful if I do decide that I want another toy.

 

I'm always somewhat taken aback by the enthusiasm for Apple products. I had two of the original Macs and a later Apple computer for 16 years, before I was forced by my employer to switch to a PC in 2000. To my surprise, I discovered that I liked the PC better. My partner has a beautiful iMac, but I find it less intuitive to use than a PC, perhaps because I have grown so accustomed to the latter. He has also had expensive technical problems with it, while my cheap old PC just keeps plugging along.

[+ deej]

I'm always somewhat taken aback by the enthusiasm for Apple products.

 

It's a cult.

 

In all seriousness, Apple makes very fine consumer electronics. The rest of the industry is still making "computers" instead.

 

The earliest Macbooks ran circles around comparable Wintel laptops, and to this day their touchpad implementations are so far superior you wonder why other manufacturers don't catch on. One of the most common tech support questions online is "Why does my cursor jump around the screen when I type?", and the answer is because of a really lame engineering job that made the touchpad on that Wintel laptop way too sensitive. You'll never see that question from a Macbook user.

 

The iPod became a huge success because it's an excellent product and Apple backed it up with a revolutionary ecosystem in iTunes. It certainly wasn't the first digital music player. I had several of those. They were SOLELY the domain of the true geeks just to get them to work at all, and then you had to deal with ripping music off the CDs in your collection. Apple made the iPod a device that even your aunt Shirley could operate right out of the box. It single-handedly killed the Sony Walkman.

 

They did the same thing with the iPad, and along the way proved that a lot of people who used to carry a PC only carried it because there wasn't any other way to get the three things they needed it for. Once those three things were on a simpler to use and easier to carry device, they stopped carrying a PC. (And this is a LARGE segment of the market!)

 

I don't have much bad to say about Apple products, other than the hefty prices and the incredibly "closed box" approach. If your iPod or iPad battery goes bad, you can't replace it yourself. It goes back to the factory for a refurb. Of course, most Mac fanboys just buy a new one instead. In almost any other industry that would be poison, but not in Macworld. It's just the way things work. <shrug>

[Guest boiworship08]

This is a myth. MacOS is every bit as vulnerable to virus attacks as Windows. It doesn't see them, SO FAR, because virus authors target the largest possible attack base. As the Mac market share grows, it'll start seeing attacks and the entire user population will be vulnerable precisely because they think they aren't. Security by obscurity can't and won't last forever.

 

I've been saying for years that my next laptop will be a Mac, and then when the time rolls around I realize I can go to Staples or Costco and buy three Windows laptops for the same price as a single Macbook. Macs are lovely machines, but so far I'm sticking with the machine that won't hurt as badly when I drop it, break it, lose it, have it stolen, or otherwise need to replace it. Right now is actually a pretty good time to pick up Windows 7 laptops at Costco since Windows 8 has been released and will be pushing Win7 overstock machines into places that sell them.

 

On the subject of tablets, it's really cook's choice.

 

Charlie, you can get wifi-only tablets. I use a Kindle fire and it's a great value, but it was a replacement for an original Kindle that had gone flaky. In other words, I didn't buy it because I wanted a tablet. I wanted a Kindle replacement and it happened to be a tablet. WiFi is not universally available, but it's getting there. I do enjoy the convenience of being able to check email quickly while out and about, even if I don't reply until I get back to a PC with a keyboard. (Of course for *that* purpose, I'll use my iPhone which I'm more likely to be carrying anyway.)

 

If I were to invest in a full-blown tablet (an iPad, for example), I would probably pay the premium for the wifi+cellular instead of the wifi only. My understanding is that the cellular contracts are written so that you only pay for the months you choose to use them. I'd keep it turned off except while traveling, I imagine. It's a feature you can turn off and not use (or pay for) but you can't add it if you don't already have it. But here's the rub: I can still buy a full-featured Windows laptop for less than the cost of an iPad.

 

Beyond that, it boils down to figuring out typical usage and finding the right fit.

Plus, if you have a Verizon iPhone, you can use it as a mobile hot spot woth your iPad.

[rvwnsd]

Plus, if you have a Verizon iPhone, you can use it as a mobile hot spot woth your iPad.

 

That feature is not unique to the iPhone. The Android has done that for years. If you want to create a wireless hotspot you might be better served by a MyFi. The MyFi can support several devices at one time, including a tablet, phone, and laptop. AT&T, Sprint, Cricket, and (I think) Metro PCS all offer their own flavor of wireless hotspot.

[Phlmuscle]

Here's a link:

http://www.apple.com/why-mac/compare/

 

You can order on line or go to an Apple or Springboard Store.