Replacement Parts or New Laptop?

[Wobblers]

Indeed. The average lifespan of a laptop is probably only three years or so, I'd imagine, given the relentless march of technology. But I've been careful with this one despite the fact that it gets a hell of a lot of use - 6 to 7 hours a day for sure.

I'm typing this on a laptop that's probably older than yours. I've had it years - and I got it second hand off eBay more years ago than I care to remember.

It's a HP nc6320 - a business class machine. My work laptop's (a Dell e7440) three years old now and I expect has many years left in it: business machines are not the cheap plastic-y things you'll see in Currys! They're built to last many years. My advice would be to buy a surplus business class machine of eBay - look at Dell, Lenovo or HP. At the moment, the Dell Latitude e6430 looks particularly good value: you should be able to pick a good one (in terms of condition and spec) for around £150. I've got one, and can recommend it. I'll never buy a new laptop again! Or, going a little upmarket, there are e7440 laptops for a little more - again a sound, robust choice. You could buy two - one spare! - for less than you're thinking of splashing out.

 

[Reynard]

Mmmm, thanks for looking @classic33 .

Alas, 17 inchers are too big - I did look at them but they're an armful to lug around. I do need the portability.

I'm looking for 15 inch, 8GB 1TB, multiple card read slots, DVD drive.

 

[Reynard]

I bought a HP Pavilion (about £500) earlier this year when my last laptop died. It has a similar specification to the one you listed, but it's got a Solid State 256 GB Drive to boot Windows off. It's been a complete revelation.....no more thumb-twiddling while the wretched PC decides what to do. Things happen instantly. If you need masses of storage, get an external 2TB hard drive as well for £60 or so, but you really must get a SSD for the OS. I'm never going back.

I've got several external HDD, but they're just another thing to have to remember to lug around...

P.S. the thumb twiddling is the time to get up and make a

 

[Reynard]

I'm typing this on a laptop that's probably older than yours. I've had it years - and I got it second hand off eBay more years ago than I care to remember.

It's a HP nc6320 - a business class machine. My work laptop's (a Dell e7440) three years old now and I expect has many years left in it: business machines are not the cheap plastic-y things you'll see in Currys! They're built to last many years. My advice would be to buy a surplus business class machine of eBay - look at Dell, Lenovo or HP. At the moment, the Dell Latitude e6430 looks particularly good value: you should be able to pick a good one (in terms of condition and spec) for around £150. I've got one, and can recommend it. I'll never buy a new laptop again! Or, going a little upmarket, there are e7440 laptops for a little more - again a sound, robust choice. You could buy two - one spare! - for less than you're thinking of splashing out.

I can vouch for the business spec machines as I ran one of the Acer ones that I bought used off a mate who no longer needed it for work. It was 6 months old and I ran it for four years.

As I've had used machines in the past, I wouldn't be adverse to another.

 

[slowmotion]

Mmmm, thanks for looking @classic33 .

Alas, 17 inchers are too big - I did look at them but they're an armful to lug around. I do need the portability.

I'm looking for 15 inch, 8GB 1TB, multiple card read slots, DVD drive.

I got this one. It's good!
HP 15-au151sa

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-Pavili...essor-Black-/132121962471?hash=item1ec31527e7

 

[slowmotion]

I've got several external HDD, but they're just another thing to have to remember to lug around...

P.S. the thumb twiddling is the time to get up and make a

 

[classic33]

Mmmm, thanks for looking @classic33 .

Alas, 17 inchers are too big - I did look at them but they're an armful to lug around. I do need the portability.

I'm looking for 15 inch, 8GB 1TB, multiple card read slots, DVD drive.

The link takes you to their page, where you can see all of them.

 

[classic33]

No cuppa, that's a bit steep!

 

[Reynard]

I got this one. It's good!
HP 15-au151sa

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-Pavili...essor-Black-/132121962471?hash=item1ec31527e7

I had the chance to play with one of those earlier in the year. The touchpad drove me nuts...

 

[Reynard]

 

[Reynard]

The link takes you to their page, where you can see all of them.

Ooops... Didn't notice that. Think that's my brain's way of telling me that I ought to head off to the Land of Nod. I'll check it out again in the morning xxx

 

[slowmotion]

No cuppa, that's a bit steep!

I got to the stage where I totted up the minutes staring at a screen that was doing sweet FA, and I thought "enough is enough". A SSD changed my life.


Yes, I know it's sad.....

 

[slowmotion]

I had the chance to play with one of those earlier in the year. The touchpad drove me nuts...

I use a mouse. I detest touch pads.
I may be beyond redemption.

 

[Reynard]

I use a mouse. I detest touch pads.
I may be beyond redemption.

LOL, I'm the other way round. Going from a mouse to a touchpad was a revelation.

Getting the feeling that computer preferences are just about as individual as saddle preferences

Now I *am* going to bed

 

[Yellow Saddle]

When you finally decide to get a new machine, don't go to PCWorld and buy Microsoft Office for eye-watering sums of money. Get on eBay and pick up a bona fide licence key and a link to a download site. It'll cost about a tenner or less.

How does this work?