I work in a practice and need to buy a new laptop. What is the best laptop for me to buy?
With many thanks
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I always go for the ones that actually work. If you get one that doesn't work, they're more trouble than they're worth.
Bought a Dell laptop for myself and one my staff last year. Works great. I did get a big screen too as it is my main work computer. Very easy to use. Took me a couple of days to get used to windows 10 but that'll be the case with most laptops.
Interested to hear your MacBook endorsement, Glennzy. A few years ago that would have been heresy within the profession. How many other members have gone down the same route?
My wife has a MacBook and I use a Samsung ultrabook PC (with solid state drive). The MacBook was more expensive for what it is, but is beginning to slow down after 7 years' use.
To be perfectly candid, I think my Samsung offers better value and keep this to yourselves, but I think the Windows 7 interface is more logical and user-friendly that the Mac's. For example, I can do a lot of things, including shutting off the computer, from keyboard commands. That control may exist on the Mac, but it doesn't have the same conventions like Alt-F4 that Windows does, and I think the Explorer file hierarchy is easier to grasp. [Don't get me on to Google Apps, I'm someone who still likes a nice file hierarchy].
Colleagues use Sony Vaios and HPs with few complaints, but as in other areas like smartphones and monitors I think Samsung may have refined the performance-to-price ratio into a competitive edge.
If we get enough feedback from other members, it might be a good time to update our "Accountants' guide to laptops" for 2016 models.
I had a Samsung years ago and didn't rate it. It was replaced by a Sony, that was much better.
I then bought a HP, was better than the Samsung but not as good as the Sony.
A couple of years ago I bought a Dell. It's the best laptop I've purchased. It will be getting replaced by a newer Dell around Christmas time - hopefully working with a couple of monitors at home too.
All the laptops I've bought have been in the £600-700 range but looking to spend more this time around.
2-3 year old Toshiba Satellite. Despite a metal cornered lever arch file falling on it and cracking screen it soldiers on fine (though one USB port appears to be developing an issue) It does get used as a desktop in my office at the house a fair bit but also often comes with me to work so has been a lot of plugging/unplugging of leads which, apart from the one USB, it has withstood.
Recently also purchased a:
ASUS Zenbook UX305CA-FB005T 13.3 inch Notebook (Black) (Intel Core M3-6Y30, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB, No ODD, Windows 10)
For Price: £535.53
This was for the other half, the choice was half based on professional input from my son (A graduate software developer) with a brief for a web/e mail machine that could watch movies and would have a reasonable shelf life before technology advances made it slow and creaky like its purchaser.
It is far more lightweight but is more designed for perching on lap whilst watching TV (well that is what it seems to be used to do) No complaints yet re the ASUS but early days.
I have certainly liked the Toshiba which has been a pretty solid machine despite my throwing cigar ash over the keyboard on a regular basis and only remembering to clean it when comments are made. (It is white/cream, or was anyway!!!!)
We always used Sony Vaio's throughout the practice until they stopped making them. Replaced every three years and never had a problem. Replacing them with Dell's was the biggest mistake we ever made and nearly everyone of them broke down or failed at some point.
We decided to bite the bullet and got rid of them after two years, moved over to a hosted desktop and replaced the Dells' with Lenovo's which have been fine.
@ John I have a Samsung which I really liked and had served me well I still have it and have a few windows programs on it I still use.
It was about £600 2 and a bit years ago. It has Windows 10 on it now which I dont like. Also the battery life on it poor now, was 10 hours when I bought it 2 hours now if I am lucky. The Mac has great battery a good 10 hours easy I also use it via a docking station at home as main PC.
I believe Samsung pulled out of Laptop market to focus on tablets which is sad as they were a good alternative to the Dell and HP units.
Does anybody use these Service Pro 3 or 4 they look impressive in the marketing but I don't know anyone who uses them. My IT said if you are spending that sort of money get a Mac.
I dont have much look with Laptops as they rarely seem to last much more than 2 years for me before they pack up or become so slow they are un usable. I am hoping the extra few quid on the Mac will give me a longer use than that. I will be replacing my desktop with a MAC also when that packs in.
Last year, I think, or it might have been the year before, the Australian Air Traffic Command replaced their computers, all iMacs ... they were over 10 years old at the time. So I think that is a pretty good endorsement for the longevity of Macs ... but then I am a big fan of Mac computers, have used them since 1980 odd, and found the desktop versions extremely reliable and long-lived, whereas the laptops, apart from my current one which is a MacBook Pro, generally only lasted about 3 years before something major needed fixing. Yes, they tend to cost a bit more, but generally on a par with the better offerings from other laptop suppliers. The other thing is that I have never managed to get on with Windows, but I think that is probably nothing more than a legacy problem ... the newer versions of Windows get good reviews.
We are Apple to the core.
iWatch, iPhone, iPad, iMac and Macbook Air (and iPods but not a business item). It all works seamlessly together.
To answer the question, the Macbook Air does not have a hard drive, relying on chips for storage, removing one of the key components that can go wrong. It is cool when used on your lap and robust for travel as it is all aluminium.
The HP ProBooks are great - a modular design so if any parts do require changing it is easily done.
You can also get a next day onsite warranty from HP that will cover any issues should they arise.
I'd recommend a SSD instead of an old style hard drive - there's a significant speed improvement when using one.
The ProBooks also have hardware drive encryption and biometric security features.
Editorial update: Thanks all, this is beginning to set out some interesting lines of enquiry both for our questioner and the tech team at Aweb.
As Glennzy pointed out, the reason Samsungs are less evident among my colleagues is that it looks like the supplier has pulled out of that market. The default choice now are Dell X13 laptops.
This is a surprise to me, because like mbee1 we had a rash of failures on Dell machines a few years ago (my memory is that they were models that had been manufactured in China - but I don't have any hard evidence to substantiate that impression).
Interested to see confirmation that there is a growing pool of Mac fans among our members. Typical - I'm always behind the pace on tech fashions. Keep the suggestions/recommendations coming and we'll do a bit of additional legwork to compile a comparison article in the next few weeks.
Most laptops have a gloss screen (because they're supposed to be better for watching movies) but they reflect when used inside or outside. When I bought my last laptop I bought a Samsung because of the matte display. It's great - no reflection when using it inside or outside. I ended up getting a Samsung netbook and laptop for my kids because the matte screens were so much better than gloss. I use matte screen protectors on phones - makes them so much clearer to see. I was really disappointed when Samsung pulled out of the laptop market because I don't know of any other laptop made with a matte screen.
We use Dell in the office - they're pretty cheap but they don't last long. I've got clients that use all sorts of makes. Acers seem pretty robust.
I use an Acer with Windows 10 -great to start with-but now pretty crappy.
I know we get full tax write off-but to buy a laptop for £600 to £300 & then basically have to throw it away after 3 years-has to be madness-but I guess this is the modern world.
I have had a Dell Inspiron 5050 for 5 years (cost then £449) and recently bought a new battery for £23.90. Brilliant never had any problems here or abroad or on planes or trains.
I still run Windows 7 and Office 2003 - if it ain't broke don't fix it! Upgrades always produce problems.
Re battery life: I replaced the HDD on Samsung netbook with SSD - battery life extended massively. I'm going to do it on my laptop too.
I have used Thinkpad/Lenovo laptop and tablet running windows and they keep soldering on the oldest one has had a new battery probably 8 years old.
Thinkpads for me too, very robust and reliable. If you're a bit of a skinflint like me, you might consider recon. My T400s cost £150 with Windows 7. Does everything I want and will last 2-3 years, which at that price is fine.