What Do I Need ?

Discussion in 'Which Laptop should I buy?' started by ponyakr, Jan 27, 2016.

  1. ponyakr

    ponyakr

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    Howdy ya'll ! I'm a newbie, and still a real computer dummy. So, please don't bombard me with fancy computer language and the latest this and that.

    I have very simple laptop needs. So, I wanna buy a very cheap laptop, that will meet my needs, without paying for a bunch of stuff I will never ever use.

    I'll start by describing what I have:

    Old HP 6735s

    Processor: AMD Turion(tm)X2 Dual Core Mobile RM-70 2.00 GHz

    Memory(RAM) 2.00GB

    System Type: 32-bit Operating System

    Disc Storage: 1.39GB

    Operating System: Windows Home Vista

    I've used this one for over 6 years. It has been adequate for my needs. The problems I've had with this model, which I like to avoid with a new one are: (1) Slow start-up, & (2) frequent freeze-ups, for a minute or more on many sites.

    Here's how I use my laptop:

    (1) Googling/surfing for info and sites.

    (2) Posting texts and pics in car forums.

    (3) Downloading pics from the net, then cropping and re-sizing them for posting on forums.

    (4) 2 Email accounts, very few sent.

    (5) Photo Bucket pics--seldom use.

    (6) Facebook page--seldom post.

    (7) Watch an occasional music video.

    Things I never do:

    (1) Never watch movies.

    (2) Never play any games.

    (3) Never download any apps. Whatever came on my 6735s is plenty for what I do.

    (4) Never do any Photoshop.

    So, from what I have, it seems to me that 2gb of ram is plenty, for what I do. And a 250GB hard drive, looks like it will more than meet my needs. If I'm wrong, please explain why.

    One thing I'm definitely not sure about is the processor. For example: If a Pentium processor will be all I need, then I don't wanna pay for an i3 or i5. If I had a big budget, I'd just buy one with more of everything than I'll ever need. But right now, low price is important. So, basically, I suppose I could put it this way: I want the cheapest 15.6" screen laptop I can buy that will meet my needs, be at least a little quicker than my 6735s, and last at least 3-5 years. Can be new or refurbished. And now, I suppose it would be better to have Windows 10 already installed, since I know nothing about how to update from an old Windows.

    So, how about some ideas--or questions.
     
    ponyakr, Jan 27, 2016
    #1
  2. ponyakr

    shadejb

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    Have you thought about using a Chromebook ? From what you described, it seems that pretty much all you do is on the web. It fits your needs really well: cheap, really quick boot up (due to SSD) and great battery life. The only thing missing is the hard drive, but you can supplement that with cloud storage. I'd recommend the Toshiba or HP Chromebook if big screen size is what you're after.
    If that's not your thing however, then I'd say look for the older model like the Dell Latitude (Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM) for about 150 bucks or less.
     
    shadejb, Jan 28, 2016
    #2
  3. ponyakr

    PingPongCall

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  4. ponyakr

    ponyakr

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    "Have you thought about using a Chromebook ?..."

    Yes, until recently, I had never even heard of a Chromebook. I am still a complete computer dummy, compared to most grammar schoolkids ! :)

    Even after reading about 'em, I was skeptical. That's probably because of reading so many negative reviews. But, what I am discovering is that MOST who write these reviews, do a LOT more with their laptop than I do. For what I do, I don't need all the bells and whistles that most need.

    And, Yesterday, a neighbor came in the library and showed me how his Chromebook worked. It will do everything I need to do, and do it a lot quicker than my old HP 6735s. It comes on instantly, and also pulls up the forums I use, very quickly. I couldn't really ask for anything more.

    The main problem with the particular model he has, is that it only has a 13" screen. I'm use to the 15.6", and like it. His is just a low power model, which costs under $200 new.

    But just to be on the safe side, I have just about decided to go with an Acer 15.6", with a little more power than the base models. From what I've read, I need at least the 3205 processor, and 4gb Ram. The 32gb SSD will probably be better than the 16gb SSD ?

    Then, for more $$, you can get an i3 or i5 processor. But, from what I've read, either one of these would just be extra power I don't really need, in order to do the things I do, quickly and efficiently. If this is the case, it would just be $$ wasted.

    With all this in mind, I've decided that the model with a 3205 Processor, 4gb Ram, and 32gb SSD, should fulfill my needs, with power to spare. They come in white and black. I must have black. So, I looked up this model. Here are the best new and used prices I found yesterday. I realize that prices and availability of used and refurbs change frequently.

    (1) Model # C910-C37P: 3205 processor, 4gb Ram, 32gb SSD

    Staples $332.69 shipped. If the Vendor doesn't have a store in my state, it will save me between 9% & 10% tax. On this model, that would be around $30.

    Amazon: Refurb--$269 with 90 day warranty----Used--$285-$295----2 of these are Amazon Warehouse deals for $293--no warranty, but can buy 1 from Square Deal. So, anybody know if the Square Deal warranty is any good ???

    (2) Model # C910-C453: 3205 processor, 4gb Ram, 16gb SSD

    MacMall $295 Shipped. Around $300 from several vendors.

    Used: Amazon--$250---Ebay--$170-----These prices look good. But my question is: will I notice any significant speed or other negative differences in a unit with 16gb SSD, as compared to 32gb SSD ???

    To make up for the lack of storage space, my neighbor just had a small info stick(or whatever they are called) plugged into one of his USB ports. I've also read about storing stuff in "the cloud". I assume this is similar to storing your pics on photobucket ?

    Anyhow, as mentioned, these Acer units also come with i3 & i5 processors.

    (3) Model # C910-3916: i3 processor, 4gb Ram, 32gb SSD

    MacMall $448 shipped--about $450 from several vendors.

    Used: Amazon seller--$337

    (4) Model # C910-54M1: i5 processor, 4gb Ram, 32gb SSD

    MacMall $498

    I already use the Chrome browser and have a gmail account. So, I reckin my main question for ya'll, in all this, is: Will a 16gb SSD be all I need, or should I spend a little more and go with 32gb ???
     
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2016
    ponyakr, Jan 30, 2016
    #4
  5. ponyakr

    IBMPC8088

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    The Chromebook looks enticing to people at a glance, but it's not a good option if you want to do anything more in the future than what you're doing today. Most of the specs you have on a Chromebook are equal or less than you had on a netbook 4 to 6 years ago, and unless you want Google to constantly own and watch everything you do, I wouldn't recommend one unless it was given to you for free and you only use it for anything that isn't important.

    You should also know that most Chromebooks cannot be upgraded easily, or at all in most models. You're going to be stuck with what you get most times unless otherwise stated. The batteries are now "built-in" and molded to the board, the ram chips are soldered to the board, and good luck upgrading the hard drive if you decide you want to later. They have done this on purpose to make the unit disposable rather than reliable, upgradeable, or scaleable for future use. Although there is a way to use Linux on them, you have to go to the developer mode each and every time you want to switch to it which can be a nuisance. Because of the scaled down hardware they put on it to make it cheaper and "Google-only" for the most part, even the alternative linux-based OS you might want to run on it with developer mode is going to lag compared to even the most basic of netbooks and ultrabooks.

    The prices are cheap on them, and that's the selling point. There's going to come a time you'll need more than what a Chromebook can ever offer you in the future, and I hope that you'll be able to afford to throw away the Chromebook and buy a real laptop if that is what you decide you need later. Google is so intertwined with it it's practically unusable to me, and even though you can factory reset them if you lose the Google password you need to log in to them for storage, I couldn't recommend or go with one of these and keep a straight face if I did.

    If you're really set on getting a Chromebook, you can (partially) upgrade the Acer C710 and C720 series between 8GB to 16GB of RAM (DDR 1333mhz only), and the HP 14 Chromebook will let you change out the hard drive. But here again, you're limited even on the hard drive size you can upgrade to. A regular netbook, ultrabook, or laptop has no hard restriction on this, whereas a chromebook like the HP 14 is going to limit you to a 32GB SSD drive only. You can supposedly go all the way up to 128GB, but anything beyond a 120GB SSD is going to have errors mapping the SATA device, so you're better off staying with a 64GB SSD or under if you want an error-free experience and don't want to lose data.

    What I would recommend is any of the budget series Acer Aspire releases, smaller model Asus laptops, or even the Asus EEE series netbooks if you want something that has about the same amount of RAM, but the full range of flexibility on the ram and hard drive that are easy to replace, easy to upgrade, and easy to get to without any limits on the OS or anything else. You can even get an older Lenovo Thinkpad that has a max of 4GB of RAM for cheap (double what most chromebooks have) and put anything you want on it. If it were me, I would go that route since the freedom and ease of upgrade is better with those than any Chromebook you would find being marketed now. You can usually get them for the same price range or less than some Chromebooks in new or used condition through Amazon, Ebay, and elsewhere online.

    The ASUS EEE PC Seashell 1201N-PU17-BK 12 inch netbook has 2GB of ram and can be upgraded to 4GB if you want. It comes with a 250GB SATA drive that you can swap out for a 128GB or 240GB SSD (without any issues). 1.6GHZ Intel CPU, and runs everything from Windows XP to Windows 10 for $199 or less on Amazon with free shipping. I've been using my Asus EEE 900HA-BLK for about 8 years now, stuck a 128GB SSD drive in it and upgraded it to 2GB of ram without a hitch and typing on it to you today. :) I also have a Lenovo Thinkpad that has 4GB of ram max in it (not soldered either) and a 512GB SSD drive in it that works perfectly. So the Asus EEE series and the Lenovo Thinkpad netbook T series netbooks I can vouch for.

    So either of those two will do anything that you want to do that you do today with your existing system, but will leave the ability and flexibility to upgrade and do a little bit more later for about the same price without any of the restrictions that are imposed on current models today. If there are other models you like, or for some reason you feel you need the quad core models, then those are out there for slightly more but...please do yourself the favor of making sure you can upgrade it cheaply, and that you can access the hardware to do it.

    I hope you find what you need. :) Best of luck in the hunt!
     
    IBMPC8088, Feb 1, 2016
    #5
  6. ponyakr

    djtech

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    A lot has already been said about all the great options that you have. However, if you are used to larger screens, you can always go for Toshiba 13.3 inch Chromebook. Its big enough and with chrome OS it looks even bigger.

    If you do decide to watch movies in the future or even play games, you can always install chrome extensions or android apps on the Chromebook, something that you can't do on other laptops.
     
    djtech, Feb 5, 2016
    #6
  7. ponyakr

    ponyakr

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    Thanks for the replies ya'll ! I've been using this HP 6735s for about 6 years now. It still works OK for what I do. And I have no desire to do anything else with a laptop, except exactly what I've been doing. Not gonna watch any movies or play any games or use a word program or photoshop.

    I've done my research, and I've decided to go with an Acer C910-C37P. 15.6" screen--3205 processor--4gb Ram--32gb SSD.

    I think I'll try an Acer refurb, off Ebay, unless more funds become available by the middle of March.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Acer-Chrome...289510?hash=item3d11105aa6:g:WhsAAOSw5dNWqV~s

    I'll be sure and report back here with the results, to let ya'll know how it does for me. :)
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2016
    ponyakr, Feb 7, 2016
    #7
  8. ponyakr

    ponyakr

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    OK, I have my Acer CB. I like it, so far. But there are a LOT of things I haven't learned how to do yet. Most of the things I can do on my old HP laptop, are obviously done very differently on the CB. I went to the help sties listed on the CB. But they want you to go down a LONG list of Q & A's, to one that answers my question. That was a complete waste of time.

    I need to be able to ask VERY BASIC questions, on an ongoing basis, and have someone who knows the Acer CB answer all my questions, in a very simple way, which I can understand. So, is this a good site to receive this kind of help ? If not, please post links to sites with the type of help I need. Thanks !

    If there is someone on this site who knows the Acer CB AND has the patience to help an old computer dummy learn how to use my Acer CB ???
     
    ponyakr, Mar 6, 2016
    #8
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