My second Thinkpad laptop, the A485
You need a new laptop, and quick! Either your child is starting school or your excessive use of pornography tools has led to a water damage issue – No problem, we’ve all been there. First thing to ask yourself is this simple question: Do I really need a new laptop? Your laptop being “old” is not an excuse. If it is slow /because/ it is old, then that is a reason – but most of the time an old laptop that is well-serviced can still function perfectly fine. Is it damaged? You should repair it or bring it to a repair store or fix it yourself. Hell, even reapply the thermal paste if it gets too hot or too slow and it’ll work like brand new. Okay – Why am I dissuading someone from getting a new laptop? It’s because buying a new laptop is like moving houses. It looks like a good idea, then once you move you miss the things from your old house and begin to second guess yourself. Sometimes you don’t and completely love the change. Most of the time though, you’ll miss a lot of the things from your old house despite living in a better area, paying less rent or mortgage, or just whatever. You get the idea. A laptop is the exact same feeling. Unless your laptop is plagued with issues, don’t go through with the risk.
Okay, the decisions been made. You’re buying a new laptop. What brand, what style, what type? First and foremost: I always compare cars to computers, and so should you!!! When buying a laptop go for reliability over speed, ALWAYS! A faster car won’t have the best mileage or the best reliability, and a laptop is the exact same way. Brand new fast laptops for cheap almost universally suck. They break easily, have thermal issues, pixels on the screen will break, the keycaps won’t last as long and the keyboard will break, the list goes on. You don’t want that. You want reliability, battery life, and good build quality -> That’s what makes a laptop different from a desktop. You want specs, get a desktop. You want a graphics card, get a desktop. Note this doesn’t apply to everyone, but 95% of laptop purchasers will fit this category.
So, without further ranting, let’s get to the meat of the topic. What to buy.
Lenovo Thinkpad
Anyone who knows me also knows about my fanatical love for these laptops. They have never, ever, ever failed me and have always worked amazing. I have never had a single bad issue with these laptops. I once cut a wire right by the pin-out of a fan while replacing the CPU thermal paste. I was already going all doomer and looking on Ebay for a new fan, when BAM! It just turnt on without a fan warning. What?! I’ve had my theories but that’s not the point – The point is that these laptops were made to be indestructible.
Pros: Reliable
Cons: Speed is not the best. Due to the high standards for reliability, Lenovo usually uses outdated CPU’s so they are well-tested.
Types of Thinkpads
There are several types of Thinkpads that will cater to your desires. Not all are made equal.
T-Series
These are the gold standard for Thinkpads. Amazing build quality, repairable, and durable as shit.
L-Series
T-Series but made of cheaper materials, worse displays, and are generally heavier. They’re still a Thinkpad and leagues ahead of other laptops, but just cheaper.
X-Series
Whether it be the carbon or the actual X-series, these laptops are light, portable, and sometimes a 2-in-1. They are basically a lightweight T-series laptop.
E-series
Do not touch these. These are the dalits of Thinkpads. If you touch any of these you will be cursed by the spirit of IBM and sent to eternal laptop purgatory.
Everything Else
Dunno. Figure it out. I don’t really care about the workstation or 14″+ display laptops.
Dell Latitudes
I see these quite often here in Canada. Businesses here apparently love to use the shit out of them. I’ve only ever owned one, and it was my highschool laptop. Worked absolutely amazingly and not a single issue, though the build quality of these laptops obviously is not as good as a Thinkpad they are still better than any other laptop. Most IT specialists say the quality control of Dell is pretty shit compared to Lenovo Thinkpads so do your own research on these. But, I give it my green light.
Other Laptop Brands
May Allah have mercy on me for saying this, but I’ll say it – Reddit is good… Good for finding out what to buy. That’s it, otherwise it’s a disgusting site. So when in doubt, just go on Reddit and do your research there.