Ancient laptop

[FIYes]

My laptop computer is 14 or 15 years old. It started as a windows 7 computer, but I upgraded to windows 10 a few years ago. It is very slow and time to replace it.

I currently have an Android phone and an iPad. My question is do I want a new Windows laptop, chrome book, or MAC? I originally thought a new windows laptop would be the way to go, but that was without giving it much thought.

Any thoughts on this? I really like my android phone and won’t be leaving the android system. I also like my iPad. I’m not heavy pc user. TurboTax, address labels, and the occasional presentation are my main activities on the laptop. Phone and iPad take care of everything else.

 

[bloom2708]

Based on familiarity, get a reasonable Windows laptop. Whatever reasonable is to you.

A Chromebook is fine for browsing, but you won't be able to do everything you are used to on your Windows laptop.

A Macbook will be another step up in price and will bring on a new learning curve.

If you had both an iPhone and an iPad, I'd probably say Macbook Air, but the Android phone means that you are already dual ecosystem and things like iCloud backup won't be covering all devices.

In the end, it probably doesn't matter. If you kept a laptop for 14/15 years, you probably don't need a $1k+ machine.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I fully agree with the above response given what you say about yourself.

 

[Winemaker]

I still use a 1999 Dell Inspirion Desktop to do my Quicken accounting. I don't have the rentals anymore so it just tracks my investments and isn't attached to internet.

 

[CardsFan]

I had the same issue about 5 years ago. I stayed with Windows, mostly out of familiarity.

I went to the HP website and customized what I wanted. Still well under $1k.

A few ideas:
- get SSD (this may be standard now, but it was not then)
- don't scrimp on memory
- we use the laptop as a desktop, so I got a 17" screen
- I got a CD drive, but don't use it often. Next time I will not, and just get an external drive if I need one.
- you can't have too many USB ports

This is coming from a non-techie, just based on my usage and needs.

JMHO

 

[jollystomper]

TurboTax, address labels, and the occasional presentation are my main activities on the laptop.

What presentation software do you use?

 

[bobandsherry]

My laptop computer is 14 or 15 years old. It started as a windows 7 computer, but I upgraded to windows 10 a few years ago. It is very slow and time to replace it.

I currently have an Android phone and an iPad. My question is do I want a new Windows laptop, chrome book, or MAC? I originally thought a new windows laptop would be the way to go, but that was without giving it much thought.

Any thoughts on this? I really like my android phone and won’t be leaving the android system. I also like my iPad. I’m not heavy pc user. TurboTax, address labels, and the occasional presentation are my main activities on the laptop. Phone and iPad take care of everything else.

If you want to run TurboTax you'll either have to get a Windows or Apple PC, or run a web based version of TurboTax (which I find harder to use).

As for address labels and occasional programs, you can use Google Docs applications - web based but work well and FREE. Or get Microsoft 365 which gives you the familiar Excel, Word and PowerPoint for FREE, but again on the web.

For me, I found a deal on a refurbished laptop direct from Dell. From the device ID it was 3 years old. But had a processor with decent specs, 16GB of memory, 500GB SSD and a touch screen. The condition looked like new, no scratches and keyboard looked unused. It has a new battery in it as well and the SSD tested out at 95% life. It is also a slightly smaller 14", which I prefer as 15.6" is too big and 11" is just way to small. Boots up quickly and programs load quickly (SSD for the win). It set me back $265. A new laptop with similar specs would have been well over $750. So there are options to find a decent upgrade from what you have without breaking the bank.

BTW, I went down the Chromebook route, was fine for 95% of what I wanted, fast too. But it wouldn't run Quicken and as I now travel much more I wanted something so I could pack with me on my travels so I can keep up my financial and investment records. If you didn't want to run TurboTax I'd recommend that as an option, but if you have a need for any stand alone programs (Windows/MAC) then a Windows/MAC PC is really the only option.

 

[statsman]

If you want to run TurboTax you'll either have to get a Windows or Apple PC, or run a web based version of TurboTax (which I find harder to use).

One of a few reasons why I don't make the complete switch to Linux (with a Windows 10 PC offline after EOL 10/25). I'm told I can run versions of Windows under Linux, but at some point Intuit is not going to allow TT to be installed under Windows 10 (they did this to Windows 7 shortly after it was EOL). I have little interest in going to Windows 11, and I really don't want to use the web based version of TT.

 

[Jimmie]

Since you have an iphone and ipad, consider buying a 3yo macbook pro to avoid the sticker shock of buying one new. MBP is an incredible piece of HW. I'm still using my 10yo MBP with no issues at all. I installed LibreOffice to supplement the Apple office apps that come with MacOS. To avoid having to buy TT, I use online tax SW company (FreeTaxUSA).

 

[FIYes]

Thanks for the information. Since TurboTax is the most needed of the things I use the laptop for…..I’m ruling out Chromebook. I think an inexpensive pc will meet my limited needs. Right…I don’t need a top of the line machine.

 

[GenXguy]

but at some point Intuit is not going to allow TT to be installed under Windows 10 (they did this to Windows 7 shortly after it was EOL). I have little interest in going to Windows 11, and I really don't want to use the web based version of TT.

Well, that's not something you're going to need to do anytime soon. Windows 10 will be supported until October of next year! And then, you can switch to Windows 11 for support and security updates.

 

[GenXguy]

For me, I found a deal on a refurbished laptop direct from Dell. From the device ID it was 3 years old. But had a processor with decent specs, 16GB of memory, 500GB SSD and a touch screen. The condition looked like new, no scratches and keyboard looked unused. It has a new battery in it as well and the SSD tested out at 95% life. It is also a slightly smaller 14", which I prefer as 15.6" is too big and 11" is just way to small. Boots up quickly and programs load quickly (SSD for the win). It set me back $265. A new laptop with similar specs would have been well over $750. So there are options to find a decent upgrade from what you have without breaking the bank.

I've seen some pretty good deals at times for new laptops. SSD is the standard now, nothing special there. I have laptops with 11", 14", and 15.6" displays. The 15.6" is a heavier laptop, but I do prefer its larger display. Boot time from power on to login is 11 seconds, and it's over 11 years old. Of course I upgraded from the original 8 GB to 16 GB RAM and to an SSD drive since I've bought it.

 

[bobandsherry]

One of a few reasons why I don't make the complete switch to Linux (with a Windows 10 PC offline after EOL 10/25). I'm told I can run versions of Windows under Linux, but at some point Intuit is not going to allow TT to be installed under Windows 10 (they did this to Windows 7 shortly after it was EOL). I have little interest in going to Windows 11, and I really don't want to use the web based version of TT.

FWIW I really don't see a major difference of W11 vs W10, or I've long forgot about the differences. But I can appreciation your perspective and decision.

 

[bobandsherry]

I've seen some pretty good deals at times for new laptops. SSD is the standard now, nothing special there. I have laptops with 11", 14", and 15.6" displays. The 15.6" is a heavier laptop, but I do prefer its larger display. Boot time from power on to login is 11 seconds, and it's over 11 years old. Of course I upgraded from the original 8 GB to 16 GB RAM and to an SSD drive since I've bought it.

I prefer the larger display as well, but lugging the unit around I can deal with changing the font size to get a better view on the smaller display. But SSD is definitely the game changer and, if your laptop can support it, the extra RAM helps too.

 

[FindingForward]

Can anyone advise on level of difficulty for a non-techie to install more memory into an old (2014) lenovo laptop? (I confirmed it's expandable: avail slots/space for more memory.)

I'd like to keep it chugging another year, as I don't need a new machine. But if I have to pay BestBuy/elsewhere to do it, probably not worth it, as this unit doesn't have SSD and isn't eligible to upgrade to 11 once 10 is EOL.

 

[GenXguy]

Can anyone advise on level of difficulty for a non-techie to install more memory into an old (2014) lenovo laptop? (I confirmed it's expandable: avail slots/space for more memory.)

I'd like to keep it chugging another year, as I don't need a new machine. But if I have to pay BestBuy/elsewhere to do it, probably not worth it, as this unit doesn't have SSD and isn't eligible to upgrade to 11 once 10 is EOL.

Pretty easy generally. You can probably find an video on youtube for your model.

 

[statsman]

FWIW I really don't see a major difference of W11 vs W10, or I've long forgot about the differences. But I can appreciation your perspective and decision.

At the risk of getting lectured here, it's personal privacy issues. Windows 11 is far more invasive into personal matters than Windows 10 (when modified). Windows 10 Pro took a lot of work to disable and block intrusion into my PC. Windows 11 Pro pretty much disables that ability.

 

[athena53]

Can anyone advise on level of difficulty for a non-techie to install more memory into an old (2014) lenovo laptop? (I confirmed it's expandable: avail slots/space for more memory.)

Just make sure you keep backing it up. I had a 2014 Asus and stuck it in a drawer years ago when I bought something bigger with more memory. Just before I took the older one with me on a 3-week trip to South America since it was a lot more portable, I made sure it had access to all the apps I wanted and copies of mission-critical files.

I stayed in a hotel the night before since I had a crazy-early AM flight. The laptop display started flashing on and off and I got no response if I clicked on anything. I used my phone and looked up the issue; I needed to download an updated display driver, except that it wasn't available for my ancient version of Windows and the latest version couldn't be installed on my laptop. I managed with my tablet and my phone but it was a harsh lesson.

 

[bobandsherry]

Can anyone advise on level of difficulty for a non-techie to install more memory into an old (2014) lenovo laptop? (I confirmed it's expandable: avail slots/space for more memory.)

I'd like to keep it chugging another year, as I don't need a new machine. But if I have to pay BestBuy/elsewhere to do it, probably not worth it, as this unit doesn't have SSD and isn't eligible to upgrade to 11 once 10 is EOL.

For those that I've upgraded, it's been easy. First confirm exactly what memory sticks you need. If you have one stick already in and adding another, just match with the existing memory stick. It's generally then just remove the back cover and slide in the memory stick into the available slot.

Now that said, you'd probably get more bang for the buck on swapping out your hard drive with a SSD drive. Plus a 10 year old drive may be ready for the bit bucket at some point in the future. However, you'd need to clone your existing drive. Most SSD manufacturers provide the software to easily do this, but you need to figure out how to connect the SSD drive to clone before installing. USB port is usually an easy option, but need to first find a way to connect the SSD to USB for cloning before installing. They can be found on Amazon. Here's a vid that shows the process so you can gauge your tech know how to do this.

 

[GenXguy]

Just make sure you keep backing it up. I had a 2014 Asus and stuck it in a drawer years ago when I bought something bigger with more memory. Just before I took the older one with me on a 3-week trip to South America since it was a lot more portable, I made sure it had access to all the apps I wanted and copies of mission-critical files.

I stayed in a hotel the night before since I had a crazy-early AM flight. The laptop display started flashing on and off and I got no response if I clicked on anything. I used my phone and looked up the issue; I needed to download an updated display driver, except that it wasn't available for my ancient version of Windows and the latest version couldn't be installed on my laptop. I managed with my tablet and my phone but it was a harsh lesson.

I'm not sure what you meant was the lesson there. Was it that you didn't back up your important files or that you relied on an old piece of equipment for your trip?

Also, if it had been working fine with the same video driver installed for years and suddenly started flashing on and off during a trip, that sounds most likely to be a hardware problem.

 

[ejman]

One of a few reasons why I don't make the complete switch to Linux (with a Windows 10 PC offline after EOL 10/25). I'm told I can run versions of Windows under Linux, but at some point Intuit is not going to allow TT to be installed under Windows 10 (they did this to Windows 7 shortly after it was EOL). I have little interest in going to Windows 11, and I really don't want to use the web based version of TT.

Same here, I would happily ditch windows completely for Linux but I have to keep a windows machine just to do taxes once a year - and I don't really want to do my taxes with the web versions so I'm stuck - I use Linux machines for everything else.

 

[athena53]

I'm not sure what you meant was the lesson there. Was it that you didn't back up your important files or that you relied on an old piece of equipment for your trip?

Also, if it had been working fine with the same video driver installed for years and suddenly started flashing on and off during a trip, that sounds most likely to be a hardware problem.

The lesson was not to keep mission-critical files on an ancient computer unless they're backed up (and mine were on my newer laptop at home so no major crisis). I know that any computer can fail at any time but it's more likely with one that's almost 10 years old. It also reinforced my practice of taking more than one device (phone, tablet, laptop) on a trip. My next trip, last October, was the one where my tablet was fried because it was in my backpack on the floor during a demo of an AC generator at the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade.

It was not a good year for electronic devices.

 

[Jerry1]

At the risk of getting lectured here, it's personal privacy issues. Windows 11 is far more invasive into personal matters than Windows 10 (when modified). Windows 10 Pro took a lot of work to disable and block intrusion into my PC. Windows 11 Pro pretty much disables that ability.

I guess I just feel like that ship has sailed, between whatever information they can glean from my phone and their intrusion into my emails (gmail), I’m not sure there’s enough left on the computer that they don’t already know. Unfortunately, the technical knowledge and effort to essentially go off grid for information security purposes is beyond me at this point.

 

[GenXguy]

The lesson was not to keep mission-critical files on an ancient computer unless they're backed up (and mine were on my newer laptop at home so no major crisis).

Ok, I had noticed you used the word "copies" in the first post, so I assumed that you hadn't lost the files.

I actually have a script on my main desktop computer that backs up new or changed data files to my home theater PC a couple times per day, or I can launch it manually at any time. I need to do a cloud backup.

 

[BigNick]

Also, if it had been working fine with the same video driver installed for years and suddenly started flashing on and off during a trip, that sounds most likely to be a hardware problem.

There are a lot of websites out there that will tell you that you need to download a new driver, probably from them or one of their buddies. It is quite often not a driver that you end up downloading.