Laptop, buy quality or repace early?

Empty_pockets

I agree. My desktop has 40GB and it's less than a 1/4 full after 10 years!

movilogo

Even if you buy a more expensive laptop, there is no guarantee that it would outline a cheaper one.

googler

MoneySavingUser wrote: »

I wouldn't pay extra for more hd space as you can get cheap external hd's for £50-100

Doesn't that kinda defeat the object....?

Surely the idea of a laptop is a portable computer, ideally all-in-one, so that you're not carrying extra doodads around?

OP; get one where you're happy with the screen, the keyboard and the touchpad. If it needs more HDD space later, you can replace the HDD. If it needs more RAM later, you can replace that too. The processer speed won't make any difference except to the most power-hungry user, dedicated gamers for instance. For the uses you've outlined, I'd suggest a different processor will make next to no difference at all.

Use the money you save to get a spare battery from the start

MoneySavingUser

googler wrote: »

Doesn't that kinda defeat the object....?

Surely the idea of a laptop is a portable computer, ideally all-in-one, so that you're not carrying extra doodads around?

Not really as in this scenario you could sometimes either get

just a 500GB laptop drive

or

250/320GB laptop drive + 1TB external drive

for a similar price

For day to day usage 250/320GB is likely to be enough for the data you wish to carry around with you

(there are also some quite slim external drives these days so carrying around wouldn't be that much of an issue with them)

adouglasmhor

Hammyman wrote: »

£600 does not buy you a good laptop that will last 6 years. The thick end of £1000 does. Not only that but the battery on the £1000 one is likely to be still working after 4 or 5 years whereas on both the £600 and £300 one, you'll be replacing the battery every 12 to 18 months.

I have two cheap laptops both over 6 years old and both are working fine with the original batteries. Both were given a new life running Ubuntu.

InsideInsurance

googler wrote: »

Doesn't that kinda defeat the object....?

Surely the idea of a laptop is a portable computer, ideally all-in-one, so that you're not carrying extra doodads around?

I did see one statistic recently, though cannot find it right now, that something like 80% of laptops never leave the home and 60% of those are always used in the same place.

You can have different requirements for when you are in different places though.

In my setup I have an ultra portable laptop which has a very small SSD drive in it. I have on it my apps, key documents and generally the current music I am listening to and a film or two that I haven't yet so I can work anywhere with it and have a bit of entertainment on the train/ in the hotel.

At home I have a NAS set up with all the rest of my music, movies and photos on it so I can use the laptop anywhere to watch or look at anything I want. I can therefore have the laptop in the lounge connect to the NAS and update photos whilst the misses is watching something on TV.

At work I have a monitor, keyboard and mouse setup which plug into the laptop so I have a decent screen size etc for when I'm going to have to spend a lot of time concentrating on the screen.

All the kit together is significant but I still have a laptop that fits in a small bag for core duties.

Millionaire

Go for the cheaper option, that way when you get bored of it, get a new shiny one after a few years for similar price and sell the old one.