Laptops... Again! Hp Envy/Spectre v Macbook Air or something else entirely....

Firesoph

Requirements - Fast processer, decent screen, lightweight, 13/14inch screen, lots of storage and must look pretty. Id like a touch screen too if possible. Budget around 1k but happy to spend less! I dont game, but do work from home with lots of multitasking. Im going round in circles looking at them all and hoped some of the laptop gurus might point me in the right direction. 
Thanks in advance..

[Deleted User]

Firesoph said:

Requirements - Fast processer, decent screen, lightweight, 13/14inch screen, lots of storage and must look pretty. Id like a touch screen too if possible. Budget around 1k but happy to spend less! I dont game, but do work from home with lots of multitasking. Im going round in circles looking at them all and hoped some of the laptop gurus might point me in the right direction. 
Thanks in advance..

Have you considered that a laptop is not the most productive choice for working from home and lots of multi-tasking?

Especially 13/14 screen? 

Have you got a desk for working from home? If so seriously consider a desktop PC - how often do you really need to use the laptop away from the desk?

If it is still a laptop that is needed, then consider a monitor or two in that budget for multi tasking - dual screens at 24 inch will fit on a compact desk and really make a big difference to multitasking. Maybe a docking station.

I'm just looking at what getting the most out of a quite big £1k budget, spending more on technical specification and processing power are diminishing returns for the types of usage you require, I imagine you would be just as productive on a £500 laptop but spending some of that budget on dual monitors, docking station, wireless keyboard and mouse, proper webcam etc will get you a much better home working and multi tasking environment.

jamesd

By lots of storage how much do you mean, roughly? Connected to my tablet I have a 14TB hard drive and not currently connected three more 8TB. Is say 38TB off one USB port enough in external drives or does it need to be all internal and if so how much roughly of each?

Internal storage can be an SSD and should normally be for the boot and OS but many computers come with a micro-SD socket and I have another 400GB always in one of those on the same tablet. It's actually faster most of the time than the non-SSD solid state storage built in.

I worked from home for many years and if at all possible you should plan for mouse,keyboard and bigger monitor to be plugged into the computer while it's at home because it'll greatly improve your working conditions.

Is your multitasking conventional one copy of Windows or whatever operating system or do you make substantial use of virtual machines (the answer is no if you don't know what the question means)? Any high end CAD, heavy video or picture editing work that consumes a substantial amount of your work time? This paragraph is to help establish sensible memory requirements.

Firesoph

[Deleted User] said:

Firesoph said:

Requirements - Fast processer, decent screen, lightweight, 13/14inch screen, lots of storage and must look pretty. Id like a touch screen too if possible. Budget around 1k but happy to spend less! I dont game, but do work from home with lots of multitasking. Im going round in circles looking at them all and hoped some of the laptop gurus might point me in the right direction. 
Thanks in advance..

Have you considered that a laptop is not the most productive choice for working from home and lots of multi-tasking?

Especially 13/14 screen? 

Have you got a desk for working from home? If so seriously consider a desktop PC - how often do you really need to use the laptop away from the desk?

If it is still a laptop that is needed, then consider a monitor or two in that budget for multi tasking - dual screens at 24 inch will fit on a compact desk and really make a big difference to multitasking. Maybe a docking station.

I'm just looking at what getting the most out of a quite big £1k budget, spending more on technical specification and processing power are diminishing returns for the types of usage you require, I imagine you would be just as productive on a £500 laptop but spending some of that budget on dual monitors, docking station, wireless keyboard and mouse, proper webcam etc will get you a much better home working and multi tasking environment.

Thank you for your reply, I only have a tiny desk in my living room hence the size, and i do have to take it to clients houses / meetings occasionally so desk top probably out. Definately need a decent webcam, storage wise probably 2-5 tb should be enough?

Firesoph

jamesd said:

By lots of storage how much do you mean, roughly? Connected to my tablet I have a 14TB hard drive and not currently connected three more 8TB. Is say 38TB off one USB port enough in external drives or does it need to be all internal and if so how much roughly of each?

Internal storage can be an SSD and should normally be for the boot and OS but many computers come with a micro-SD socket and I have another 400GB always in one of those on the same tablet. It's actually faster most of the time than the non-SSD solid state storage built in.

I worked from home for many years and if at all possible you should plan for mouse,keyboard and bigger monitor to be plugged into the computer while it's at home because it'll greatly improve your working conditions.

Is your multitasking conventional one copy of Windows or whatever operating system or do you make substantial use of virtual machines (the answer is no if you don't know what the question means)? Any high end CAD, heavy video or picture editing work that consumes a substantial amount of your work time? This paragraph is to help establish sensible memory requirements.

Hi James , thank you for replying. by storage id say about 2-5 tb,so maybe its not that much after all! Id prefer internal but not strictly essential. Could plug into an external at home i guess? Just using windows, and some picture/movie editing. Not every day, but at least every week. Its such a minefield trying to choose something that will last, performance wise!

grumpycrab

Firesoph said:

Requirements - Fast processer, decent screen, lightweight, 13/14inch screen, lots of storage and must look pretty. Id like a touch screen too if possible. Budget around 1k 

... I only have a tiny desk in my living room hence the size, and i do have to take it to clients houses / meetings occasionally so desk top probably out. Definately need a decent webcam, storage wise probably 2-5 tb should be enough?

Finding a laptop with 5TB storage for around 1k will be a bit of a challenge :-)  Just go for Dell. I'll have a quick look.
EDIT  after a quick look 
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/inspiron-14-7000/spd/inspiron-14-7400-laptop/cn74005
big disk but not touch screen but 1k !

debitcardmayhem

Firesoph said:

Hi James , thank you for replying. by storage id say about 2-5 tb,so maybe its not that much after all! Id prefer internal but not strictly essential. Could plug into an external at home i guess? Just using windows, and some picture/movie editing. Not every day, but at least every week. Its such a minefield trying to choose something that will last, performance wise!

Picture/Video editing on 14 inch screen good look, why touch screen ? it won't look pretty with fingerprints on it. Just saying really.

I have a 1 TB external SSD USB 3.2 which is only approx 3x2 inches it will fit in my man bag, weighs next to nothing and it is fast.

A 17inch screen is only 2 1/2 inches wider than 14" and about 1 1/2" deeper .

[Deleted User]

Firesoph said:

by storage id say about 2-5 tb,so maybe its not that much after all! 

Don't forget to factor in a backup for your 2-5TB in your budget, that could potentially be another £50 to £100

Firesoph

Thanks all

Maybe ill settle for external 2-5tb and go for 1 or under internally?