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The trick for both Lenovo and HP is, don't buy the bargain basement consumer line. Buy the well-supported long lifecycle line, factory refurbed if you're okay with such things.
 
Keep in mind that the OP said: under $1,000, and he also does video editing. For that you really want a discrete video card, and none of the Acer's on Costco's website under $1,000 have a discrete video card - they all use Intel graphics. What's crazy is that the most expensive Acer listed only has 8GB of RAM, and when you subtract out what is used for graphics, it's pretty thin. Same is true with many other under $1,000 laptops - if you don't have a discrete graphics card you lose RAM to the on board chip. I honestly don't think companies should be allowed to offer computers with less than 16GB of RAM these days, it makes such a huge difference to performance, along with an SSD. And same with USB 2.0 ports. You have to make sure you don't accidently plug a hard drive into a USB 2.0 port or your fast SSD external now has both hands tied behind its back.

It really is a giant PITA trying to compare all the features, and making sure you are comparing apples to apples. The number one reason I had so much trouble with Dells is that many features that should have been standard were extra cost, and often on daughterboards that just made reliability a huge issue. Maybe that's not as true these days as in the past, but it used to give me no end of grief.


Tony
 
My wife and I have had 3 HP laptops over the last 8 years and are using two of them currently. The first and last of those three were refurbs, the middle one a new unit. We passed on the first one to a family member, where it is currently still working perfectly.

All three have been 100% bulletproof and reliable for our uses: web surfing, light CAD, light office work, doing model graphics and craft work on our Silhouette IV craft cutter, some video editing and a minor amount of gaming.
 
I've had good luck with a Caldigit TS3+ Thunderbolt 3 dock which sits on my desk at work. Every day I plug a single cable into my laptop and I'm up and running in clamshell mode. It's a nice way to work.

The Dell dock I used previously had a deranged fan controller (yes, these docks have fans) that would drive me crazy. The Caldigit fan runs rarely, and when it does it runs at steady speed for a short while and then shuts off.
 
DRAGON64 said:
10+ year old desktop is slower than dead...

New work rules for my newly furnished laptop: any non-work related computer activity will be recorded and reprimands handed out accordingly... yes that includes this patch of paradice know as The Rocketry Forum

I prefer windohs
would love a 17" for these aging eyes
SSD (no particular size, 512GB up to TB)
Decent Graphics card
i7 or equivient processor

Uses:
Surfing
Shopping
RocSim10
Video editing (nothing to extreme, just trying to get my youtube/rumble channels going again)

Price range: $500 - $1000

Models and limks appreciated!
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My method is not tied to a make or specs per say, I believe in buying the most affordable laptop and a PC and have best of both worlds. PC due to keyboard and easily repairable and laptop for portability (any room in house) and as a second machine for wife and or kids. Best value is Lenovo IdeaPad for laptop and also for PC. If you want durability than go with the professional lines. Lenovo IdeaPad, HP professional and Dell Business but I am not sure they are worth additional $$.
 
I am a fan of HP Elitebooks. I buy them used on Ebay as refurbs. I initially bought an Elitebook 840 G3 on ebay 3 years ago for $299 and it has served me very well through school and personal use. This past semester, I had a C++ class (my first) and I really missed having a numeric keypad for keypunching like I do at work (engineer), as well as an illuminated keyboard when working in lower light conditions.

So I upgraded to an Elitebook 850 G5, again from Ebay, for $450. It has an I7 processor and 32gigs of ram, as well as a numeric keypad and an illuminated keyboard. So, it can do what I need physically, and has enough horsepower to do whatever I might need programmatically. I don't think it will run Solidworks (only due to graphics card requirements), but then again, thats why I have a workstation at work and a Dell Precision laptop as my home machine.

So far, the Elitebooks have been 100% for me. Robust aluminum case, light weight, great battery life, top notch fit an finish, never had a hiccup at all.
 
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Check eBay for a Toughbook C25. The screen may be a bit small (meaning you might want an external display), but you can take it the field with not a worry in the world.
 
H_Rocket said:
Check eBay for a Toughbook C25. The screen may be a bit small (meaning you might want an external display), but you can take it the field with not a worry in the world.
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My company deployed 80 ToughBooks at $3600 each to the field for our technicians and we had a 40% failure rate within 2 years. Mainly on the keyboard ribbon cables and the screens. We switched to ToughBooks from Elitebook 840 G3's (which is why I originally bought one, my company had experience with them), due to the head of IT thinking it was a good idea. We have since switched to Dell's, not sure why really other than Dell is a bit easier to get for the home office in the UK and everything trickles down from them.
 
I bought a new laptop about 2 years ago, before covid really kicked into gear and there were shortages of everything. I got an HP mod. 15-eg0027od - a 15" Pavillion model. It has fairly good specs. Outputs include HDMI, USB3, USB C, microSD, and headphones. It's got a solid state drive. It's nice and thin and light. BUT! To get thin and light, they left out: optical drive (no DVD or CD), no ethernet jack - wireless only, and no removable battery. *In theory* I can connect an external monitor via USB C, but have yet to try it out (need adapter, and I don't have an HDMI monitor, I've got some great VGA/DVI types). Next year, or whenever prices drop and there's more availability, I need to replace my office computer. I'm seriously considering parking this laptop there and buying a slightly less-capable (less expensive) laptop to replace it. I have really bad eyes. I mostly use the computer propped up in bed with the laptop sitting on my chest. Like this, the 15" size works fine.

If you're wanting to save money, and don't mind buying a refurb, Microcenter has some good deals: https://www.microcenter.com/category/4294967291,519/refurbished-laptops
 
Guys, thanks for all of the recommendations. I have been vacant for a day or two, as my work computer was swapped out, and I had limited access to get on the net. I was able to search from my new work computer that my company gets a bit of a DELL discount, however options available to me ended up breaking my bank.

Ultimately I am typing this on a new HP Pavilion. Not my first choice but it seemed to tick off enough of the options I thought I would need+ It is a 15.6", but the screen seems to layout larger. It works. i7; 512GB SSD; 16GB memory; $779 price tag before tax and 3-year warranty.; Winduhs 11... Brushed Aluminum Blue...

Should serve me well for a while. I am needing to transfer some files from the old desk top before it croaks, and I need to re-download RocEim 10 and get it purr'n again... I have work to do.
 
StreuB1 said:
My company deployed 80 ToughBooks at $3600 each to the field for our technicians and we had a 40% failure rate within 2 years. Mainly on the keyboard ribbon cables and the screens. We switched to ToughBooks from Elitebook 840 G3's (which is why I originally bought one, my company had experience with them), due to the head of IT thinking it was a good idea. We have since switched to Dell's, not sure why really other than Dell is a bit easier to get for the home office in the UK and everything trickles down from them.
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I've not had any problem with the one I have, but that's me. I'm an HP junkie by professional choice. I deployed hundreds of the Elitebook 820, 840, and 850. My personal poison is a ZBook.
 
To any of the ToughBooks still have the transflexive screen? (Uses ambient light so readable in full sunlight.) You used to be able to move the back light out of the way and use ambient light off a mirror. All other laptops and tablets I've seen only use a back light screen (except my original Gateway Handbook 286 [DOS 2.0] and Handbook 486 [Win 3.1] with monochrome screens).
 
I love the toshiba hate here. I also work IT and when someone comes to me with a computer with a dying harddrive it's almost always a toshiba drive. Even in other makes.

So I found this thread because my current laptop is in the middle of dying. Rattle-y fan and breaking plastic case. Does anyone have a good recommendation on a smaller netbook style computer? I'm kind of picky when it comes to certain specs but I really don't care about how old it is, within reason.
Does anyone have fist hand experience with how openrocket behaves or looks on a much smaller screen? Thinking even as low as the 8-9 inch range. I really want a laptop that is good for field work, durable case small and has an ethernet port. as far as hardware 8gb of ram or even 4 would be acceptable, 64 bit is a must.

So far I was leaning towards a smaller thinkpad x series. GPD pocket looks super cool but a 6 inch screen definitely seems like it pushes the limit of eye strain.
 
I’m an ASUS convert, especially with their gaming laptops. Of course, for serious gamers, desktops are the only way to go. When I used to play Battlefield 2, my desktop with 2 ssd drives in RAID configuration, I was always first to spawn and I would go to where the jet was and jump in and hold the jet until one of my clan mates that was a much better pilot came along and then I’d let him take it. Then I’d go off with my sniper rifle and claymores and defend a flag.
 
hball55 said:
I’m an ASUS convert, especially with their gaming laptops. Of course, for serious gamers, desktops are the only way to go. When I used to play Battlefield 2, my desktop with 2 ssd drives in RAID configuration, I was always first to spawn and I would go to where the jet was and jump in and hold the jet until one of my clan mates that was a much better pilot came along and then I’d let him take it. Then I’d go off with my sniper rifle and claymores and defend a flag.
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I used to have an ASUS like that. It was awesome but still had a plastic case and the hinge mount broke 😢. This micro laptop would be entirely supplementary, I use a proper gaming PC for everything else not strictly shop/field based.
 

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