New general laptop

Hi,

My partner is looking for a laptop after her MacBook finally bit the dust. Any recommendations you can give would be great. She did a bit of research and was looking at Lenovo T480 as she liked her work ThinkPad.

She can be quite clumsy so delicate things might not be best.

Let me know if you need any more details.

Cheers,
Sam

General Questions

1) What is your budget? Approx 1200 AUD (850 USD0

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
c. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen

3) Which country will you buying this notebook? Australia

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: Lenovo (She liked her work Thinkpad)
b. Dislike: Not really
5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed? Probably not.

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook? Browsing, office, watching/streaming

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both? Both

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? (If so, please state which games or types of games?) Nope

9) How many hours of battery life do you need? Not sure, a standard amount

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK? Buying online is fine

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Chrome OS, etc. Windows

Screen Specifics

12) What screen resolution(s) would you prefer? High resolution

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen? (See further below for explanations.) I don't think this matters to her. It wouldn't sway her between two different laptops.

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you? Nope

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you need? 256gb at least

Timing, Warranty and Longevity

16) When are you buying this laptop? As soon as possible

17) How long do you expect to use this laptop? As long as possible. 3 years at least!

18) How long could you afford to do without your laptop if it were to fail? A short time,

19) Would you be willing to pay significantly extra for on-site warranty, or would it be acceptable to you to have to ship the laptop to the vendor for repair with perhaps a week or more outage? Not sure.

 

I am encouraging you to get the Lenovo Thinkpad T series. It's one of the best laptops out there. However, I don't think your budget will accommodate said laptop. Maybe if you search for it refurbished or second hand.
Alternatively, there is the Thinkpad E series, which is more budget oriented, but it's not the same thing. You get the same keyboard though.

 

wow blacky I was thinking the same thing also.

check newegg.com... and look for a refurbished t440s with 256gb ssd


also too add.....a refurbished t440s is better than a brand new anything in your case

 

Thanks guys, that's really helpful to hear.

So refurbed ones tend to be OK? They won't just die a little bit early?

 

Generally no, if they are refurbished by a reputable company and come with their own limited warranty.

 

I'd only buy directly from the manufacturer, but I don't how that works in Australia. The E480 is a nice notebook, but offers no backlit keyboard if that's a deal breaker.

 

It other countries, you can buy laptops refurbished by Dell but not directly from Dell. They are sold by other retailers, who got them from Dell. It's usually where Dell doesn't have its outlet or a well established on-line site. It's a similar thing for Lenovo.

 

There's a whole bunch of caveats there, like if you buy a notebook on eBay that's refurbished by Dell in the US, then take it to Australia, does it have warranty there? I don't know Dells polices well with regard to refurbed purchases. I once bought a Dell desktop on eBay that was listed as manufacturer refurbished, but Dell had stripped the warranty before selling it to a third party. I never needed the warranty, but if you did, a notebook is more difficult to fix. Lenovo used top drop all warranties for machines sold in the outlet to a one year depot warranty, nor did they include IWS or allow for upgrades to the warranties. I know they have recently allowed buyers to upgrade their warranties, but I don't know if it includes IWS. Anyone taking this route should do their homework and know that they're getting.

 

Hey guys, thanks for all your help.I think you are right that it is a bit outside of her budget and I do not seem to be able to find any reputable refurbed ones. Do you have any recommendations for ones that might be a good alternative.

She is probably only realistically browsing and using office so doesn't need to be that high spec.

Cheers.
Sam

 

I think the E480 that @ZaZ mentioned is a good option. Some models have the option for the backlit keyboard too.

If a backlit keyboard is not needed than the E485 is a great option as the ryzen 2500/2700u are great CPUs for the money.