I need a new laptop.

[sheshe2]

I need a new laptop and would love some recommendations. Mine is literally falling apart, seriously falling apart. One hinge is broken so I can't close it all the way and when I open it I kinda have to push the screen and innards back in place!

Mine is a Samsung, notebook, tablet, whatever. I was on a budget at the time and that is all I could afford.

I want a decent size screen that I can touch to expand a portion of the text etc....as opposed to hitting amplify 100 150 175% that knocks the text off the screen! Price 500 ish?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

TY in advance.

[hlthe2b]

1. If you are on a budget still, can I suggest seeing if the nearest major university has a surplus program

Last edited Fri Jul 4, 2025, 08:00 PM - Edit history (1)

that sells to the public. I just bought a really nice back-up unit that had been fully checked out and still had the embedded Windows license (even though the disk had been wiped) so it was easy to set up. They likewise would add extra memory. Anticipating tariff issues, I found this a great way to get a reliable back-up unit at a very reasonable price from people I felt I could trust.

just a thought...

[sheshe2]

3. Thanks, hlthe2b.

Funds are a bit better as I just got some cash for a house sitting job. Your suggestion is one I will check out, though.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. I don't have a recommendation

But if I were buying one, i'd consider durabilty. I would ask AI for info/problems/complaints about specific models.

Not sure what u have, is it a computer, or a tablet?

Beware the connectivity has changed over the years. We went through USB 2.0 and 3.0, now they can have smaller connectors and newer names. Specific ports may, and I think this relates to cheaper laptops, be unable to charge a smart phone for example. I found that disappointing.

I tend to keep them a long time and am concerned about keyboard durability, I belt it out sometimes. Some brands have more durable keyboards. Cheaper models not so much. YMMV.

[sheshe2]

4. I had to look it up, it's a chrome book.

[highplainsdem]

7. Chromebooks can be nice, and inexpensive. Sales help. I bought two of my last three laptops from

Best Buy when they were Deals of the Day, each a hundred dollars off when I bought them. The first was a Dell Inspiron laptop that lasted 6 years. The one I currently have is this model Acer Chromebook I bought new 2 years ago

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-chromebook-314-laptop-14-full-hd-touch-ips-4gb-lpddr4-64gb-emmc-wi-fi-5-charcoal-black/6529399.p?skuId=6529399

on a day when it was $169 instead of $269. With both Deals of the Day, I did a quick check of reviews on multiple sites (not just the Best Buy reviews) before deciding they were a good deal before the price went up again.

Do not ask AI for advice. LLMs hallucinate.

[SheltieLover]

11. I agree about ai!

[highplainsdem]

6. No. Don't ask AI. Check real reviews, including on YouTube. Unboxing videos are often helpful.

[sheshe2]

8. Yup, I am reading reviews.

[SheltieLover]

12. Unboxing videos are a great idea! And no ai!

[SheilaAnn]

5. I love my new DELL, under $200.00. n/t

[Tarzanrock]

9. Buy a clearance model or a refurbished model from Lenovo.

Lenovo will let you finance it and they offer a warranty. Spend a few more dollars and get one which you will be happy with -- think of all the time you spend on the computer not just for entertainment but also work related endeavors.
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/d/deals/clearance-sale/?IPromoID=LEN788414&sortBy=bestSelling&visibleDatas=727%3A400.0-599.991

[sheshe2]

10. Actually I was looking at Lenovo though I hadn't heard of them.

I was going to check out Best Buy, it's where I have purchased before. They usually offer no interest when paying on time.

[SheltieLover]

13. You could also look at Microcenter website

[sheshe2]

14. I will try that too.

[SheltieLover]

15. Their prices are the best. They don't sell / ship everything

Because their cpu prices are so low.

You might be able to get them to build one to your specs, but that is more likely wih a desktop.

Let us know what you choose!

My 1 suggestion is to avoid a celeron processor at all costs. They're cheap, but absolute junk.

Good luck!

[BootinUp]

16. Link to deals for laptops - Newegg

I have used Newegg for online sales for 15 years, no complaints.

https://www.newegg.com/Newegg-Deals/EventSaleStore/ID-9447?N=100017489&cm_sp=tsk-_-auto-_-keyword&Tpk=laptop+sales&msclkid=ff1248d37f0a18e07a0020bbf8ac3e87

[sheshe2]

17. Thanks!

Will take a look.

[waterwatcher123]

18. It might be worth checking on sales at Costco or Amazon Prime Days

This is a very nice Hp laptop that has a one gigabyte solid state drive (SSD), 17 inch monitor, and 16 gigabytes of memory (RAM). The processor is an AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) Ryzen AMD 5. It is on sale for the next two days at $449.00 (if you are a Costco member or know someone who is a member who might order it for you).
(https://www.costco.com/hp-173-hd-touchscreen-laptop---amd-ryzen-5-7430u---1600-x-900--16gb-memory---1tb-ssd---windows-11-home.product.4000360034.html

[sheshe2]

19. I am going to check in person at Best Buy first.

I want to see it in person and actually would prefer to purchase it in a brick and mortar store and I don't have a Costco membership. Plus Best Buy has a sale for the 4th!

Thank you for your input, it's appreciated.

[waterwatcher123]

20. Sounds like a good plan. The SSD drive is a nice option if you get the chance (well worth it). Good luck.