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Wanted: decent laptop for very basic things
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Chimel
Posted 11/25/2012 16:59 (#2716380 - in reply to #2716206)
Subject: Re: Wanted: decent laptop for very basic things


If you want something reliable, buy a model that's made for enterprises rather than individuals, brands like Dell serve both markets.
The enterprise models are also more likely to be available with Windows 7, or to have their internal components customizable. Probably better support too.
Check also other manufacturers such as Asus, Acer, Toshiba, that will help you define your budget.
Google the models that interest you to check reviewers and user feedback.

The most important thing is your PC Mars scenario, ask on the PC Mars forum if they have one if it is actually possible to work on a laptop and to integrate back this data to the main desktop computer. Ideally that data should be in the "cloud" so you can synchronize it between computers and the cloud at any time, even if it is entered offline. Otherwise you may be forced to use backups and restores or something like that if PC Mars is not designed for such scenarios.

Don't worry about Windows 7 and 8 compatibility, this should not be an issue. It's just that Windows 8 is more intended for tablets than laptop or desktop PCs, and the constant switching between the Metro environment (Start screen) and the desktop environment (PC Mars and other apps) can get a bit tiring...

As for components, I'd recommend an Intel i3 third generation, they'll provide the best performance for your needs, a great battery life too, and the best resale value. They also provide a much improved integrated video (Intel HD Graphics 4000), meaning you don't need a separate Nvidia or AMD graphic chip. Given your wife's needs, a lower class processor from an older generation would work too, but I prefer even my netbooks to be a bit more versatile and recent.
4 GB of RAM is plentiful for Windows 7/8, but I'd recommend 6 GB if using integrated video, because it runs on standard RAM, not on the dedicated video RAM provided by the separate graphic GPU card.
Hard drive wise, 256 GB is enough for your needs, although I'd recommend a SSD drive: It has no mechanical parts, so less susceptible to failure, and many new models have been released in the recent months. It's also much faster than a hard drive, even more with Windows 8.

I quickly checked the Dell site for small businesses, it seems that there is only the Latitude E5530 that comes with Windows 7 and a SSD, for about $872 with the x64 version of Windows 7. The SSD drive is too small though, Windows and your user profile alone can fill it in time, barely leaving any room for personal data storage. Suprisingly, it doesn't even use the Intel integrated graphics, so it must be some older motherboard design.

If you want to go the SSD way, you might be better off purchasing the SSD separately (newegg.com, for instance), get a laptop with the smallest hard drive, replace the hard drive with the SSD, and then install the operating system of your choice on it. But that's more complex than it seems, as you need the drivers for your laptop components, maybe mirror the hard drive or create the Windows restore DVD, etc. Nothing that can't be fixed eventually, but it's not for the faint of heart, it's like digging under the hood for a car, although it's much less dirty...

I'd just go with a standard hard drive, and keep the SSD upgrade for later when SSDs get even cheaper, it will be the best upgrade you can give your laptop and yourself until the rest of the hardware fails.

Edited by Chimel 11/25/2012 17:03
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