Work Laptop Recommendations?

[wescobrk]

I'm going to need to buy a new laptop in the coming weeks.

I would appreciate anyone that wants to share their favorite laptops.

Thanks.

[LC]

lenovo thinkpad. everything else sucks unless you can use apple products.

[winjitsu]

Price range / budget?

What type of applications will you be using (large excel workbooks? Photoshop or video editing?)

How large of screen? Do you need it to be portable / light weight?

 

If you have a Costco membership and credit card, I highly recommend you purchase from them. The price is fair, and you get a free 4 year warranty.

 

I previously bought a Dell laptop from their website directly and it died after 1.5 years, and the original warranty was only 1 year. The cost to fix it alone was ~1/3 of the laptop value. Learned my lesson.

[petec]

It does rather depend what you want it for but my Surface Pro has been going for 4 years and I love it.

[rkbabang]

My company gives us Dell Precision 5520 laptops with a 15" 4K display and an i7 processor.  I like it and I've been working from home with it every day for the last few weeks.  I have a 27" monitor hooked up to it, plus a wireless mouse and keyboard. I put my remote linux workstation on the big monitor and I use the laptop itself as a second monitor for web/email/skype/etc.

 

[scorpioncapital]

If you want lightweight Asus Zenbook s or Acer swift 5

 

[Castanza]

lenovo thinkpad. everything else sucks unless you can use apple products.

 

+1 If you need laptop only functionality and ergonomics etc.

 

But...

 

A dock and a pair of screens also makes a huge difference working from home. I'd rather have some $300 Walmart laptop with a dock and 2-3 screens than only a 15in + Macbook Pro to work from. I guess it depends what you'll be running but even for tedious document filling two screens is better.

 

edit: I will add, there is no way I would buy a $2300 laptop for a temporary work from home situation. But that's just me.

[alwaysdrawing]

I use a Microsoft Surface 3 Laptop, and it's the nicest laptop I've used in a long time. 

[Liberty]

Macbook Pro 16"

[rogermunibond]

Might need to check what's available first.  A lot of laptop inventory got bought out.  But maybe it's mostly Chromebooks for online school.

[compoundvalue]

lenovo thinkpad. everything else sucks unless you can use apple products.

 

+1

[Spekulatius]

lenovo thinkpad. everything else sucks unless you can use apple products.

 

+1

 

For those who like Thinkpads, this is a pretty good deal:

https://slickdeals.net/f/14460524-lenovo-thinkpad-x13-gen-1-laptop-ryzen-7-pro-13-3-1080p-16gb-ddr4-128gb-ssd-833-50?page=7#comments

 

You can go through Rakuten and get another 10% cash back off. I ordered one today to replace my 2012 Dell XPS13 which is running on Windows 7 and while going strong, some software (TurboTax)  is just not going to work any more.

[boilermaker75]

Macbook Pro 16"

 

+1

[Gregmal]

Razer Blade is the best computer Ive ever used. Unfortunately any service issues require you to mail it in which takes 3-4 weeks. My backup is a MacBook. I travel locally a reasonable amount so both are tiny and lightweight and no problem to run off a hotspot from a car or at a restaurant/random meeting spot.

[tede02]

I've had a Surface Pro 4 for several years. There are two things I don't like about. First is the "kick stand" support. I like sitting in a recliner and it just doesn't rest well on my legs like a regular laptop. Second, the touch screen has alway been problematic. Tends to freeze up the device somewhat regularly.

[Spekulatius]

lenovo thinkpad. everything else sucks unless you can use apple products.

 

+1

 

For those who like Thinkpads, this is a pretty good deal:

https://slickdeals.net/f/14460524-lenovo-thinkpad-x13-gen-1-laptop-ryzen-7-pro-13-3-1080p-16gb-ddr4-128gb-ssd-833-50?page=7#comments

 

You can go through Rakuten and get another 10% cash back off. I ordered one today to replace my 2012 Dell XPS13 which is running on Windows 7 and while going strong, some software (TurboTax)  is just not going to work any more.

 

Cancelled my order for thr Thinkpad. I figured out how to update my 2012 XPS13 from the obsolete Windows 7 to Windows 10, so it should be good for another 1-2 years. Once a value guy always a value guy. My wife is rolling her eyes.

[Jurgis]

I figured out how to update my 2012 XPS13 from the obsolete Windows 7 to Windows 10

 

Bah, I did that on two of my Win7 computers last year. Coulda told you about it.  ::)

[Voodooking]

Apple MacBook Pro (probably 16")

 

I bought mine in 2012-ish (it's the first of the retina display ones) and it still works just as quickly as the day I bought it 8 years ago. NO Windows machine would do that.

 

They are expensive, but when I had to use Windows laptops for work they would be quick at first, then bog down and be almost un-usable after 2 or 3 years. Not so with a Mac.

 

I use it plugged into a Dell 34" widescreen monitor and DasKeyboard at home, and use it as a laptop when travelling. I love it.

 

All the office software works on Mac now too, so no issues there.

 

You might be able to save a decent amount by looking for a sealed, boxed one still in the cellophane on eBay. I do that with my iPhones too (value never dies!)

 

Good luck

[DooDiligence]

Same on mid-2013 13" MacBook Air.

Recently upgraded to 1TB SSD & still going strong with Catalina.

Battery just went over 1000 cycles but still holding up well.

I got an OEM battery with less than 200 cycles on eBay.

[Cevian]

Without a doubt, unless it an apple product, then I would go for ThinkPad for business. We have a number of staff members and just stick to the classic Thinkpad T490, a workhorse, which comes pre-installed with Windows Pro.