I bought a Dell laptop about 3.5 years ago and up to now have been pretty content with it but recently Ive started having a intermittent problem with the controls freezing and the screen going blank. If I force a reboot using the off/on button it usually clears but not always. Since its intermittent the guy I take it to can't diagnose the problem because it works perfectly for him and the problem only occurs once/twice in a 10 - 14 day window. Getting fed up with it so thinking of buying something else since I use my laptop everyday to prepare Word and PowerPoint documents as well as access the internet. I don't game on my laptop, I don't run any sophisticated software I mainly use it for internet access and preparing Word and PowerPoint so I don't need the most expensive powerful laptop on the planet nor do I want the cheapest. So what brands should I consider?

Lenovo ThinkPad...

Maybe try a BackUp and ReInstall the OS ?

MacBookAir?

If you insist on Microshit Windblows, I hear more good things about Dell's (the business line, not so much the consumer grade) than all other manufacturers combined. Second place is HP, again their business line. These do tend to be a little more pricey, but the difference in build quality is clear.

I would also try booting an OS other than MS Windows on your current machine to see if you experience the same problems. This might narrow it down to hardware vs. OS-caused hiccups.

You can do this without uninstalling your current OS by using a BSD or Linux distribution that runs entirely from a USB stick. After booting the USB, you can choose to access your existing drive and files if you wish. For this purpose I like Nomad BSD, but there are at least a half dozen distributions available with this intent, some of them trying to mimic the Windows GUI. There are also distributions available that are intended to stress test your hardware with more advanced diagnostics and better error reporting.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
Lenovo ThinkPad...

^^^^^^^^

I’m on my (probably 4th or 5th) Thinkpad for as long as I’ve been buying laptops. My current T470s is just over 7 years old. It’s still running pretty well but time for a new one. I’m waiting until March when the recently announced Thinkpad Carbon X1 Gen 14 will be released. I’ll spend a bit extra on the front end in RAM and graphics but will upgrade the stock 512GB SSD to a 2TB SSD myself. (Pretty easy with the new design):

My last 3 laptops were (are) HP Pavilions. No complaints. Usually get about 10 years out of them and the sound quality is outstanding which is the original reason I bought the first.

Dell Pro 16 is all we order at work.
This replaced the Latitude series machines.

MacBook Pro

You'll get around 10 solid years out of it with no drama.

MacBook Pro

I would go to costco online. I got a hell of a deal on a feature rich HP.

If you want stability, battery life, and good performance, go MacBook Air. I’ve been in this business 25 years. The new macs are incredible machines. They’ll be solid for 5-10 years.

I won’t tell you who I work for, wink wink. I buy MacBooks for my self and my family because I don’t want to support them or work on them.

It’s a no-brainer if you already have an iPhone. The integration with iOS is impressive.

I get asked this all the time.

HP business line.

Dell Business line.

Apple macbook or macbook air.

Which one depends on your budget and size preference.

Any MacBook depending on your processing power and storage needs.

My MacBook 12 from 2016 still runs fine, just not supported anymore and can't take latest system.

My MacBook Air 13" M3 is fantastic. Light, long battery life, no glitches.

Classifieds are shut down, but I have a high-spec 14” MacBook Pro that needs a new home.

Email in profile if interested.

quote:

Originally posted by calugo:
I bought a Dell laptop about 3.5 years ago and up to now have been pretty content with it but recently Ive started having a intermittent problem with the controls freezing and the screen going blank.

Before you buy another laptop, I would suggest you do a complete reset. I was having problems with my Dell Laptop. I bought a new one. I figure a kid could still use it. After I did the reset, all the problems went away.

Step 1: back that data up! Whether hardware or software, my fear would be that the reboot keeps working, lulling you into a false sense of security, until the system suddenly goes belly-up completely.

I've been very happy with Lenovo, both for laptops and desktops, but I'd echo whoever it was that said to buy a *business* model.

I recently got a new DELL. Works great but it is too new to setup and work with my workhorse 20 year old HP 1020 printer. Printer works with a Win 10 now Win 11 laptop. But the new Win 11 only will not.

Any help will be appreciated.
New printer equal to the 1020?

13" Macbook Air M4 is what I use now, but have had MAcbook Airs exclusively for about 20 (?) years.

Lenovo, I have one that just will not die.

another vote for the Dell business line.
in another lifetime, I was a Dell reseller. I carried a Latitude D620 for over a decade and a half. And I mean carried....banged around during onsite calls, hot and cold sitting in the vehicle... and it never let me down.
But their consumer line was pretty cheap. Back then, 20 years ago, their business line was Latitude and had a metal frame/chassis and the consumer line, Inspiron, had a plastic chassis. The Inspiron laptops would flex a lot. You would find every cold solder joint in one of those pretty quick.

Flip side of that: I have worked on LOTS of HP laptops. Their consumer line is absolute shit, IMO. They had lots of features for the $$$, but also lots of heat problems. Most of these were bought by parents for their college student kids. They got used a lot sitting on a bed (no airflow).
I don't know much about their business line because I rarely worked on them (that might tell you something).

I know this is old information. But I'm typing this on a refurb Dell Precision laptop from Discount Electionics. I'm still a Dell fan.


I also have a high opinion of the Lenovo laptops. I've seen some of them really take a beating and I used to be certified for warranty work on them when they still carried the IBM brand. They were pretty well put together.

One final thought: I've never liked getting computers of any type from big box stores. They are usually loaded with all kinds of trial software, bloatware and other crap.
Ordering them online lets you get them pretty well stripped down.
The ones I get from Discount Electronics have an OS and hardware drivers on them and nothing else. Plus they all have a one year warranty.