Laptop advice

[Smokeyyank]

In the market for a new laptop and wondering if anyone has any suggestions? This is for my business and I'm going to be moving to AWS cloud and am heavily considering a thin client laptop but still undecided on that versus a traditional one. I don't do a lot of craziness and most of these setups are overkill for my needs. All I need is something for basic office functions (Microsoft suite, excel, web browsing) all my programs are web based so I don't need anything downloaded to the actual machine. I don't do anything offline so part of the reasoning for looking at a thin client along with security. 

 

Here are my picks from what I've researched 

 

https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/hp-elite-mt645-g8-mobile-thin-client-p-b5yw9ut-aba-1

 

https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpadl/thinkpad-l14-gen-5-14-inch-intel/len101t0096

 

 

[Comanche SS]

For that price, the new macbook airs blow those out of the water. And are just about as premium and thin as it gets. If you are willing to adapt to the apple ecosystem, the hardware apple provides for the price is a no-brainer.

https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/

[Smokeyyank]

3 minutes ago, Comanche SS said:

For that price, the new macbook airs blow those out of the water. And are just about as premium and thin as it gets. If you are willing to adapt to the apple ecosystem, the hardware apple provides for the price is a no-brainer.

https://www.apple.com/macbook-air/

 

Can't do a mac, it doesn't work with several of my applications. Has to be windows.  

[derf]

HP quality isn't fantastic.  Don't know about Lenovo.

[Comanche SS]

27 minutes ago, Smokeyyank said:

 

Can't do a mac, it doesn't work with several of my applications. Has to be windows.  

Ah, might help us help you if you post what apps you tend to use?

I gathered from the quote "I need is something for basic office functions (Microsoft suite, excel, web browsing) all my programs are web based so I don't need anything downloaded to the actual machine."

That any machine running a web surf would do the job.

[89 MJ]

I’ve had an HP Spectre for school for a few years now. It’s been fine, other than randomly shutting itself down in sleep mode and the fingerprint scanner rarely working. 
I know a few people with Dell laptops and one broke and the other seemed flimsy, but the warranty fixed it. 

[Smokeyyank]

My current computer is a HP laptop and it's been fine for 5 years, keyboard crapped out hence looking for a replacement. Most days it just get's plugged into the docking station but occasionally need something for field work. As for applications I use, the main one is a medical software that is webased, along with ring central, all Microsoft products (word, excel, teams, etc), accounting/payroll. Most are all webased and through AWS it bypasses most MAC things and be windows but with the VDI setup I run just easiest to keep Microsoft rather hackjob of different OS. I also don't have a mac phone and want to be able to RDP into my laptop which I can do with a android, I know I can do it with a mac, but more switching and work I'm willing to consider.  

[Salvagedcircuit]

You are in littleton, CO

I would Highly recommend you just visit your Denver, CO Microcenter.

Microcenter prices are often the same as amazon or less, and are local and accessible. The staff are usually knowledgeable.

It is an incredibly useful store. Need to pickup 3d printer filament? No problem! Need a soldering iron, solder wick, solder, crimps, connectors, fuses etc... They have it.

 

It is nice to be able to feel and use the laptop you are interested in before purchase. A lot of the cheap plastic laptops have very mushy and short travel keyboards. Microcenter has a larger selection of laptops than bestbuy and you can actually try them out. There's no multi-week wait time that HP and dell love to pull at online checkout when you order something other than the most mass produced pre-selected machine.

Go for it!

[Smokeyyank]

Appreciate that info. Forgot about Microcenter and just drove buy them the other day! Ended up doing a complete pivot and got another HP elite book 860. It's the same as what I use just newer bits. Got it for under $300 as refurb with windows 11 pro, keeps me from having to get a new docking station and some other things. Figure this has done everything I've needed and more and cheap enough. 

[pizzaman09]

I see you already chose a machine. 

I am very pro Thinkpad as I grew up with them since my dad spent his career with IBM.  Of the various laptops I have used recently, the Thinkpad are the best quality, particularly when it comes to firmware.  I have no experience with HP, but the Dell machines I have used all absolutely suck when it comes to firmware. 

 

I hope your new machine works out for you! 

[Smokeyyank]

3 hours ago, pizzaman09 said:

I see you already chose a machine. 

I am very pro Thinkpad as I grew up with them since my dad spent his career with IBM.  Of the various laptops I have used recently, the Thinkpad are the best quality, particularly when it comes to firmware.  I have no experience with HP, but the Dell machines I have used all absolutely suck when it comes to firmware. 

 

I hope your new machine works out for you! 

 

Thanks! The lenevo was very high on my list but for the price of this can't really complain. 

[Smokeyyank]

Entirely side bar but on the same wave length. Went to micro center to poke around and also picked up a raspberry pi 500. Got admit thing is super cool, but also I have no idea what I'm doing. Figured for the 120 not a bad thing to scoop up. Worst case one of the kids uses it as a computer and learns a few things. 

 

 

https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/500-desktop-kit/?variant=500-kit-us

[Salvagedcircuit]

Very cool! It's great that microcenter has such an awesome selection of single board computers and gadgets.