quote:

Originally posted by hudr:
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.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:

quote:

Originally posted by hudr:
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.

The Latitude series have been all plastic for years. Those old metal framed Latitudes were tanks, durable but heavy and bulky.
The 3520 had a bad batch, and we got multiple, hinge separation from the joint being too tight & the metal hinges attached to thin plastic. We had some covered under warranty, but quite a few we had to scrap.
The Pro 16, which replaced the Latitude, has been great so far.

quote:

Originally posted by hudr:

Oh wow. That's disappointing. I'd rather have a little weight than reduced durability.

quote:

Originally posted by mdblanton:

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):

[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QEwycgYyfZo?si=cbwp103G4jpz-A7p" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

quote:

Originally posted by fwbulldog:
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.

quote:

Originally posted by sig2392:
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.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

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.

quote:

Originally posted by calugo:

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

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.

Id like to try this, how do you go about doing a reset?

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

quote:

Originally posted by calugo:

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

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.

Id like to try this, how do you go about doing a reset?

I use method 1. Make a note of what software programs you use or have to reinstall after the reset. Have your program keys for the programs you need to reinstall. What you end up with is a clean install of Windows. Using the Windows reset, there’s a step that asks you if you want to keep your data files in your document folder or delete them. Choosing to keep the files does work. I’ve done to my laptop and somebody else’s.

Resetting a Dell laptop typically means performing a factory reset, which restores the system to its original state. This will erase all personal files, apps, and settings unless you choose an option to keep files. Always back up important data first using external storage, OneDrive, or another method, as the process can lead to data loss.
There are two primary methods: one from within Windows (if your laptop boots normally) and another using Dell’s SupportAssist OS Recovery (useful if Windows won’t start or for a full factory image restore). I’ll outline both step by step. These apply to most modern Dell laptops running Windows 11 (or Windows 10, with minor menu differences).
Method 1: Reset from Within Windows (Using “Reset this PC”)
This is the simplest if you can log into Windows. It reinstalls Windows while giving options to keep or remove files. Note: This may not include all Dell preinstalled software; for that, use Method 2.
1 Click the Start button (Windows logo) in the taskbar, then type “Reset” in the search bar.
2 Select “Reset this PC” (it may appear under System Settings or Recovery).
3 Under “Reset this PC,” click “Get started.”
4 Choose one of the main options:
◦ Keep my files: Retains your personal files but removes apps, drivers, and settings changes.
▪ You’ll see a sub-option to “Change settings.” Here, you can toggle “Preinstalled apps” On (to reinstall Dell’s factory apps) or Off.
◦ Remove everything: Deletes all files, apps, and settings for a clean slate.
▪ If removing everything, select “Just remove my files” (faster, for keeping the laptop) or “Fully clean the drive” (more secure, for selling/recycling the laptop).
5 Review the summary of what will be removed (e.g., list of apps to reinstall later).
6 Click “Reset” or “Next” to confirm. The process may take 30 minutes to a few hours; your laptop will restart multiple times.
7 After completion, follow the on-screen setup to configure Windows like new. 22
If the reset fails or you encounter errors, proceed to Method 2.
Method 2: Reset Using Dell SupportAssist OS Recovery (From Boot Menu)
This method uses Dell’s built-in recovery tool for a true factory reset, including original software. It’s ideal if Windows won’t boot or for deeper issues. Your laptop must be plugged into power.
1 Turn on (or restart) your laptop and repeatedly tap the F12 key as soon as the Dell logo appears to enter the One-Time Boot Menu.
2 Use the arrow keys to select “SupportAssist OS Recovery” and press Enter. (If it doesn’t appear, ensure it’s enabled in BIOS—restart and tap F2 for BIOS setup, then check recovery options.)
3 On the SupportAssist OS Recovery home page, click “Start Reset” under the Reset tile.
4 Select “Reset to factory settings” and click “Next.”
5 Choose whether to back up files:
◦ If yes, select “Yes, back up my files,” click “Next,” and follow prompts to save files to an external drive or cloud (if available).
◦ If no, select “No, do not back up my files” and click “Next.”
6 Read the warning (it will delete all data and files), then click “Yes, Continue.”
7 On the confirmation page:
◦ Optionally, select a reason for the reset from the dropdown.
◦ Check the box: “I understand that the reset will delete all of my system data and personal files.”
◦ Click “Next.”
8 The reset process starts and may take several minutes to hours. Do not interrupt it.
9 Once complete, click “Restart” to boot into the freshly reset system.
10 After restarting, reinstall any third-party apps and restore backed-up files if needed. 11
Additional Notes
• Prerequisites: Ensure the laptop is connected to power. Have your Windows product key handy if prompted (though usually not needed on Dell laptops).
• Options: In both methods, “Cloud download” vs. “Local reinstall” may appear—choose Cloud if your local files are corrupted, but it requires internet.
• Warnings: This process is irreversible and deletes data. If your laptop is under warranty, contact Dell support first for guidance. If the reset fails repeatedly, it could indicate hardware issues—run diagnostics via F12 boot menu > Diagnostics.
• If neither method works, you can create a Dell OS Recovery USB from another computer using Dell’s recovery tool (search Dell support for “OS Recovery Image”).

quote:

Originally posted by calugo:

If I bought a MacBook how would I access all the PowerPoint and Word documents I have on my current computer.