The Laptop to Last for Generations

Hi. So I need an advice for which laptop to buy to last for generations because I'm not going to buy one for a long time after that. It should probably be 2016 or 2017 year model. And price does not matter. Thanks.

 

My experience has been that most decent computers will last for as long as you want to use them, these days. I have never really seen a PC "wear out" after less than a decade. At the moment, I have 2 HP notebooks and a Dell. One of the HP's is a business PC, bought in 2007. The other is a netbook, bought just under 3 years ago. (I bought it the second or third day of November 2011.) My folks have a homebuilt PC they bought in 2003; it's also still going strong in daily use. Both see daily use, and both machines are going strong.

Likewise, my Dell is still working great, although it's just under 2 years old. (I bought it in August of 2012.)

You can do a lot with $1500: if you're looking to future-proof, look for something that can handle 16GB of memory, and focus on useful upgrades, not flashy stuff. (16GB RAM, 500-1000MB SSD, i7 processor.) Also, get a 1080 screen if you're going for more than 15 inches; do NOT settle for a 1360x768 display in any event: If you're going to use this machine for a while, a decent display is a must.

Personally, I'd go with a Dell or an HP. Both can be custom-built to your specs, and there's a LOT to choose from: each line has a special focus (size, business performance, gaming and media performance, screen size, touch screens, portability), and so you can fine-tune the machines based on your uses and needs.

This brings me to the next point: since you can't customize computers purchased at retail, you may be losing money if you buy a retail PC and then upgrade it with purchased parts. Don't take my word for it, though: do some comparison shopping before making a decision. While I've bought machines at retail and custom-built, I generally have better luck and am happier in the long run doing the custom-order thing, even if it means waiting a week or two to get my machine.

However, I have to wonder if you'll be happy moving away from Mac, if you use MacOS on a daily basis. I'm not one to endorse changing my OS without good reason, and if you use any of the Mac-specific software, you may have to re-purchase some stuff, so figure that cost in to your decision.

So to summarize: I'd first look at Dell and HP systems, possibly even business-class machines, ordered from the manufacturer's website.