[Technology] Time to upgrade my home office laptop - What to buy?

Muzzy · Mar 10, 2020

As we approach the end of the financial year, I need to spend a bit of money before the tax man robs me... I think I could justify upgrading my laptop to a nice new shiny model but don't have much of a clue about these things, so I would appreciate any constructive advice from the Albion faithful that might be able to advise?

I currently use a fairly decent Asus laptop that I had refurbished adding an SSD about a year ago. I will still be using this for Powerpoint presentations for days that I work away from my home office. It does everything I need it to do apart from I want a pair of 24" dual monitor displays to work with whilst working from home. As an aside, I want a machine that will allow me to produce music as well, as this is one of my hobbies. I appreciate that the machine is for 'business' use only but I am a bit of a rebel and believe that using the PC for personal use is a perk of the job if you get my drift.

Budget is around 1K

Do I go for Windows or Mac? Currently use Windows but have an Iphone and an Ipad if that makes any difference?
Do I go for another high end laptop?
Do I go for a traditional desktop?
Do I go for an all in one touchscreen?

Whatever you recommend, could you let me any details of the model etc please.

Thanks for any advice in advance.
Muzzy

.

Shropshire Seagull · Mar 10, 2020

I have become a huge fan of the Windows Surface Pro - bit pricy but can do a job - various specs and models to suit needs and wallets.
I currently have the SP6 in black - 256Gb SSD, i5 and 8Gb - battery does about 10 hours between charges.
Easily hooks up to my Lounge TV to watch stuff on the big screen ...

Bold Seagull · Mar 10, 2020

Still using a late 2011 Macbook Pro. Still going strong. Thinking of getting an SSD drive to give it a bit of a boast. Reckon it will continue to serve me well on CAD software and such for a good while yet.

Dick Swiveller · Mar 10, 2020

You will always get more value for your money and expandability from a desktop so unless you need a new laptop, I would get a new desktop to run the dual monitors and keep the old laptop if it still works and will cover your mobile needs. Our top bods here have the Surface but they are far too small for me.

Dick Swiveller · Mar 10, 2020

Bold Seagull said:
Still using a late 2011 Macbook Pro. Still going strong. Thinking of getting an SSD drive to give it a bit of a boast. Reckon it will continue to serve me well on CAD software and such for a good while yet.

We are turning around 8-9 year old PCs by just shoving an SSD in them and they are like a new machine. If you are only waiting for the hard disk to grind away then an SSD is a very cheap fix.

schmunk · Mar 10, 2020

Shropshire Seagull said:
I have become a huge fan of the Windows Surface Pro - bit pricy but can do a job - various specs and models to suit needs and wallets.
I currently have the SP6 in black - 256Gb SSD, i5 and 8Gb - battery does about 10 hours between charges.
Easily hooks up to my Lounge TV to watch stuff on the big screen ...

I have a Surface Laptop, which is (duh!) the laptop version of the tablet-plus-keyboard Surface Pro, and slightly cheaper.

It's very small and light and does everything I need of it. I don't find the battery to be *that* great (it has a lot of Enterprise-level software chugging away in the background) but I do get perhaps 7 hours from a charge, using Outlook, Excel, Word, etc.

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo · Mar 10, 2020

Shropshire Seagull said:
I have become a huge fan of the Windows Surface Pro - bit pricy but can do a job - various specs and models to suit needs and wallets.
I currently have the SP6 in black - 256Gb SSD, i5 and 8Gb - battery does about 10 hours between charges.
Easily hooks up to my Lounge TV to watch stuff on the big screen ...

Microsoft are due to announce an update to the Surface range, so it might be worth holding off if you are interested in one as old stock prices will drop when the new models are released. I do quite like the look of the Surface Book which is due an update this spring.

Bold Seagull said:
Still using a late 2011 Macbook Pro. Still going strong. Thinking of getting an SSD drive to give it a bit of a boast. Reckon it will continue to serve me well on CAD software and such for a good while yet.

I'm posting this from a late 2010 Macbook Pro that I stuck an SSD in a number of years ago. Best move I made, although it's no longer able to run the latest OSX it's more than capable machine, that goes along quite nice for most of my work requirements. As [MENTION=21477]Dick Swiveller[/MENTION] said, you can give an old machine a new lease of life with an SSD.

BNthree · Mar 10, 2020

Shropshire Seagull said:
I have become a huge fan of the Windows Surface Pro - bit pricy but can do a job - various specs and models to suit needs and wallets.
I currently have the SP6 in black - 256Gb SSD, i5 and 8Gb - battery does about 10 hours between charges.
Easily hooks up to my Lounge TV to watch stuff on the big screen ...

What's great about the Surface Pro is it is an actual real computer that can run actual business software, unlike a lot of tablets that can only run apps from app store or online hosted software. Means you can get actual work done on them.

BNthree · Mar 10, 2020

Muzzy said:
As we approach the end of the financial year, I need to spend a bit of money before the tax man robs me... I think I could justify upgrading my laptop to a nice new shiny model but don't have much of a clue about these things, so I would appreciate any constructive advice from the Albion faithful that might be able to advise?

I currently use a fairly decent Asus laptop that I had refurbished adding an SSD about a year ago. I will still be using this for Powerpoint presentations for days that I work away from my home office. It does everything I need it to do apart from I want a pair of 24" dual monitor displays to work with whilst working from home. As an aside, I want a machine that will allow me to produce music as well, as this is one of my hobbies. I appreciate that the machine is for 'business' use only but I am a bit of a rebel and believe that using the PC for personal use is a perk of the job if you get my drift.

Budget is around 1K

Do I go for Windows or Mac? Currently use Windows but have an Iphone and an Ipad if that makes any difference?
Do I go for another high end laptop?
Do I go for a traditional desktop?
Do I go for an all in one touchscreen?

.

Is size and portability important? Does it have to be slim and lightweight?

Screen size important? You going to be using standalone a lot?

Beanstalk · Mar 10, 2020

Shropshire Seagull said:
I have become a huge fan of the Windows Surface Pro - bit pricy but can do a job - various specs and models to suit needs and wallets.
I currently have the SP6 in black - 256Gb SSD, i5 and 8Gb - battery does about 10 hours between charges.
Easily hooks up to my Lounge TV to watch stuff on the big screen ...

The Surface Laptop is a thing of beauty.

The new model runs at £1,099 with an Alcantara keyboard, i5, 256GB SSD, and 8GB.

Muzzy · Mar 10, 2020

BNthree said:
Is size and portability important? Does it have to be slim and lightweight?

Screen size important? You going to be using standalone a lot?

No portability required as I'll be using my current upgraded to SSD laptop for mobile working..

Slim and lightweight therefore irrelevent for my needs.

Screen size a minimum 24" for both if not 3 monitors.

I work from home a lot of the time but can be out a lot when I'm training people. This is when I will use my current laptop for Powerpoint presentations. I currently have to pack up all my kit to work mobile. I want to have a pc set up permanently in situ and just use my current laptop for mobile use.

Barnet Seagull · Mar 10, 2020

If you want multiple monitors desktop is best. If it must be a laptop, get something Thunderbolt 3 capable and a decent TB3 docking station to give you enough bandwidth to run Video well.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

Icy Gull · Mar 10, 2020

Muzzy said:
As we approach the end of the financial year, I need to spend a bit of money before the tax man robs me... I think I could justify upgrading my laptop to a nice new shiny model but don't have much of a clue about these things, so I would appreciate any constructive advice from the Albion faithful that might be able to advise?

I qqcurrently use a fairly decent Asus laptop that I had refurbished adding an SSD about a year ago. I will still be using this for Powerpoint presentations for days that I work away from my home office. It does everything I need it to do apart from I want a pair of 24" dual monitor displays to work with whilst working from home. As an aside, I want a machine that will allow me to produce music as well, as this is one of my hobbies. I appreciate that the machine is for 'business' use only but I am a bit of a rebel and believe that using the PC for personal use is a perk of the job if you get my drift.

Budget is around 1K

Do I go for Windows or Mac? Currently use Windows but have an Iphone and an Ipad if that makes any difference?
Do I go for another high end laptop?
Do I go for a traditional desktop?
Do I go for an all in one touchscreen?

Whatever you recommend, could you let me any details of the model etc please.

Thanks for any advice in advance.
Muzzy

.

I use a macbook but have within the last two days gone back to a windows laptop. There are a couple of applications I use that only run on windows so I have been using Parallels on the Mac to enable me to use windows.

It works OK but has caused me various really annoying issues recently. So just a heads up if you need to use windows only programmes for anything and decide on a Mac. Like you I had an Iphone and an Ipad so it seemed, at the time, a logical move.

schmunk · Mar 10, 2020

Sorry - clearly didn't read the OP correctly. Agree desktop is best - if it were me I'd buy a mini PC (e.g. Intel NUC) and hang it off the back of one of the monitors to free up desk/floor space.

https://www.scan.co.uk/3xs/custom/home-and-office

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo · Mar 10, 2020

Barnet Seagull said:
If you want multiple monitors desktop is best. If it must be a laptop, get something Thunderbolt 3 capable and a decent TB3 docking station to give you enough bandwidth to run Video well.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

The surface range can run up to 3 monitors (including the built in screen) via the Surface Dock, however I would agree that if portability isn’t a factor a desktop would be the way to go.

Withdean and I · Mar 10, 2020

Went over to MacBook 2013 a few years ago and it’s the best move I ever made tech wise. Just get the best one you can within your budget.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Shropshire Seagull · Mar 11, 2020

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo said:
Microsoft are due to announce an update to the Surface range, so it might be worth holding off if you are interested in one as old stock prices will drop when the new models are released. I do quite like the look of the Surface Book which is due an update this spring.

The Surface Pro has an upgrade release every year around October time.
I bought my SP6 just after the SP7 was released so got it for a decent price on black Friday last Nov

Perkino · Mar 11, 2020

Buy the parts and build a desktop is the cheapest way to get a top end bit of kit

Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo · Mar 11, 2020

Shropshire Seagull said:
The Surface Pro has an upgrade release every year around October time.
I bought my SP6 just after the SP7 was released so got it for a decent price on black Friday last Nov

The Surface Book which is the high end of the Surface line is due an update this spring according to most of the Tech media.

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 11, 2020

Similarly, I start a new job in a few weeks and need a new laptop. As my laptop and tech have been provided to me by my current client for years, and I have only used my iPad at home, I am woefully out of touch. But, I plan to get a MacBook Pro, and a small cordless keyboard and mouse for the desk. One thing I hate is the daily ritual of getting my kit out of my locker and untangling all the wires. Looking forward to the shop.

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