What would be the best LENOVO laptop for DW. Recommendations based on her requirements would be appreciated.

ShokWaveRider

ShokWaveRider

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We ONLY ever buy Lenovo laptops and have done so for the last 30 years. Yes I know they are more expensive than others but we like them and have had very good luck and service from them. We have never had any fail that required repair or replacement. So we are not interested in any other brands. We have always purchased them direct from Lenovo.

History:
DW has always taken my hand me downs when I upgraded to the latest and greatest. Usually because I needed a good TOL Laptop for when I was w@$king. Currently she is still running my old P50 Thinkpad which is complete overkill for her as she only does email, YouTube, FaceBook, Internet Browsing and other non computer intensive activities.

I currently have the latest Lenovo X1 Carbon 14" that I am happy with and will not upgrade any time soon. Another not so TOL Laptop of similar size and weight would be ideal for her. DW also has a Samsung tablet that she uses most of the time, but goes back to her P50 Laptop for booking travel and email (Outlook) as she prefers those interfaces on the PC. She is running Windows 11 Pro that I set up for her and is familiar with it.

We would like to get her a Lenovo Laptop with a 12" or 14" screen that she can use for everything and done the tablet to charity.

I have only ever purchased a TOL laptop so I am having trouble with choosing a run of the mill Lenovo Laptop that will not break the bank and satisfy all her needs. I do not like Chrome Books and prefer Windows Pro as an operating system so I have full control over it.

Again we are only interested in Lenovo Laptops, I would appreciate any recommendations for her from the group here that is familiar with them. We would like a nice screen that is crisp and clear. LenovoDOTcom has a large selection. I prefer an Intel processor but am open to other suggestions.

All input would as usual be appreciated.
 
Just be careful, some Lenovo's have soldered RAM memory, that may not be a big deal to you but you should know about it.
 
Since your wife doesn't do anything that's graphics or image intensive she only needs an Intel Core i3 processor. I'd get one with a 500GB SSD drive and 8GB of RAM memory. Get the bigger screen in full HD 1920x1080 resolution, size 15.6" unless she's looking for a smaller sized laptop. Windows 11 for the operating system.

I'm not familiar with Lenovo's laptop model lineup, but one with those specs are really all she needs. I'm guessing $400 or thereabouts.
 
I bought a laptop in 2012 that came with 8 GB RAM standard. I can't imagine buying one with such little RAM 14 years later. I think 16 GB should be minimum for any purchase today. I ordered 32 GB for my new desktop build due to running into RAM limitations with 16 GB.
 
GenXguy said:
I bought a laptop in 2012 that came with 8 GB RAM standard. I can't imagine buying one with such little RAM 14 years later. I think 16 GB should be minimum for any purchase today. I ordered 32 GB for my new desktop build due to running into RAM limitations with 16 GB.
Click to expand...

From the OP:

"she only does email, YouTube, FaceBook, Internet Browsing and other non computer intensive activities."

She doesn't need 16GB of memory. These activities are thing that phones do well. How much memory do most phones have?
 
I still have an old Lenovo Thinkpad T420s that I use when traveling. I installed Linux as my OS and mainly use it t connect remotely to my home desktop. Is something I picked from from ebay years ago as a fixer upper.

It is old, but I like the feel of the keyboard and the 1900 x 600 screen is better I think that the common less resolution format.
 
If I wanted a thinkpad I'd check the selection at Costco and wait for a sale which won't be long.
 
X1 carbon feels right. I would choose the lowest tier, latest gen yoga slim for her. it would be cheaper than x1 but much easier to carry than the p50 beast.
 
Following. Similiarly, we are a Lenovo laptop family too and my Lenovo Mixx laptop is long in the tooth and can't be upgraded to Windows 11 (not officially anyway).
 
teetee said:
X1 carbon feels right. I would choose the lowest tier, latest gen yoga slim for her. it would be cheaper than x1 but much easier to carry than the p50 beast.
Click to expand...
Not so easy, or cheap. What will end up happening is that I will upgrade and give her mine. Oh well, just another BTD moment.:)
 
Help me understand why someone who only does email, YouTube, FaceBook, Internet Browsing would want to put up with Windows and PC hardware BS. From a security perspective, from a quality perspective, from a support perspective... Why Lenovo (even though one of the better PC laptop manufacturers) has like 10 different entry models....just WHY?! lol

The answer, thank me later, is MacBook Neo.

😎
 
G-Money said:
Help me understand why someone who only does email, YouTube, FaceBook, Internet Browsing would want to put up with Windows and PC hardware BS. From a security perspective, from a quality perspective, from a support perspective... Why Lenovo (even though one of the better PC laptop manufacturers) has like 10 different entry models....just WHY?!
Click to expand...
Because we are anti apple jail in every shape or form.
 
G-Money said:
The answer, thank me later, is MacBook Neo.

😎
Click to expand...

From the OP:
We ONLY ever buy Lenovo laptops and have done so for the last 30 years. Yes I know they are more expensive than others but we like them and have had very good luck and service from them. We have never had any fail that required repair or replacement. So we are not interested in any other brands.
Click to expand...

Why does this always happen?

Is Apple a cult?
 
Qs Laptop said:
From the OP:

"she only does email, YouTube, FaceBook, Internet Browsing and other non computer intensive activities."

She doesn't need 16GB of memory. These activities are thing that phones do well. How much memory do most phones have?
Click to expand...
LOL. Phones are not relevant at all. I did email on a computer with 32 MB back in the day. Does that mean anything? No. Do NOT buy a new Windows 11 computer with 8 GB RAM in 2026, that I got on a new laptop standard 14 years ago. I assume you're going to want to keep it for years as well.
 
I agree 16gb for Win 11 is minimum. Since Win 11 bloats more every year you will need 24gb for a nice experience in a few years.
 
With Microsoft sticking CoPilot into all of it’s programs including Outlook, you might want 24GB.
 
ShokWaveRider said:
... Currently she is still running my old P50 Thinkpad which is complete overkill for her as she only does email, YouTube, FaceBook, Internet Browsing and other non computer intensive activities.

We would like to get her a Lenovo Laptop with a 12" or 14" screen that she can use for everything and done the tablet to charity.
...
Click to expand...
I am not sure what their current equivalent is, but I have been using a Lenovo 500W Gen 3 2-in-1 laptop as my travel, "breakfast and Panera" and "waiting for car service" device for the last 2 years and it has worked very well. I use it for the items you mention, and in addition run a Python IDE for coding, and the performance is fine. It has 8GB of RAM with an Intel N6000 4 core processor. It *might* be on the small size (11.6" diagonal screen), but that has worked fine for my needs.
 
Qs Laptop said:
From the OP:


Why does this always happen?

Is Apple a cult?
Click to expand...

Yes. A cult of better hardware and a more natively secure OS particularly for people who "don't do computers".

But here's my honest answer. It doesn't matter what Lenovo at this price point, Lenovo and all the other makers use ODM's (basically a single company) to design and manufacture all the entry laptops. IMO it's all lowest bidder stuff built to a price point or slightly tweaked for individual retailers (Best Buy, Costco, etc) and that's how we end up with 60 different model numbers of the same brand laptop with the exact same spec priced below $500.

It's the memory that matters. 99% of those things have soldered memory that can't be upgraded. At least go with 32gb to make all the bloat, bad AI, and other loathsome Microsoft features somewhat tolerable. Memory is the #1 way to future-proof one of those entry-bombs, if the battery or another piece of hardware doesn't fail first.
 
jim584672 said:
I agree 16gb for Win 11 is minimum. Since Win 11 bloats more every year you will need 24gb for a nice experience in a few years.
Click to expand...

Why would you need more RAM for future iterations of Windows? Windows resides in the primary storage drive, not in RAM.
 
Last edited:
I am the last one to give advice on computers as my luck with them has been horrendous. I currently have my first Lenovo, Ideapad 3 (15 in). Bought new and not too long after the crappy plastic around the screen was breaking away. Apparently no warranty on crappy plastic. I had to go to a computer guy who ordered replacement part and installed it costing me additional $200. Generally my computers have worked OK but the crappy plastic around the screen or the hinges that open and close the laptop are a disgrace. I am not buying another computer unless a manufacturer can give me or sell me a warranty on the crappy plastic they choose to use.
 
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