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Please, when posting a link to a laptop listing, make sure to include the price at time of posting. It helps.
Requesting help with a purchase? Please post here: https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=135662.msg2794782#msg2794782

Dell:
Precision - Very powerful desktop replacements - great warranty, ridiculously expensive - Usually overpriced or overkill

Latitude - Good Laptops - Great warranty! Highly recommended for any Business environment - Sometimes expensive.

Vostro  - Lower end Business Machines - Better Priced - still durable - Usually 1 Year warranty.

XPS - The nicer looking dell machines, Some are better than others...

Inspiron - YMMV Every model is different

(Plain) Insprion Series - Dells lowest end laptop
(R) Insprion Series - Perfect Home use, dependable, decent build quality, recommended
(Z) Insprion Series - A little slimmer than the R series, Some are Ultrabooks (Very often don't include Optical Drives)

HP:

Spectre - Top of the line personal (dragonfly is the top of the line for business) - lightest laptops, and beautiful!

Pavilion - YMMV (Some better than others)

Probook - Stable durable business systems - Usually a little on the heavy side.

Elitebook - Business Higher end systems, usually pretty expensive

ENVY - Used to be the HP sleek and nicer systems, they pretty much replaced most of the standard pavilions now and call them either ENVY or sleekbooks

Sleekbook - like it sounds slimmer line of laptops

Lenovo:

Thinkpad Series - Very Dependable Business Machine, Expensive (Not Pretty but Durable)

IdeaPad Series -

S Series
U Series - Usually the slimmer line Ultrabooks, Doesn't always include DVD Drive
Y Series - Nice machines with good specs and features (Cool Backlit Keyboards)
Z Series - Step up from the G Series, all around decent build, priced nicely, great home use laptop
G Series - Lower end

Samsung:

Series 3
Series 5
Series 7
Series 9 - The nicest, sleekest looking laptops I've seen in a long time - Can pass for a Macbook!!


HT: Dh Data Recovery & Name Changed


A great post by caliheat:
I believe that there are many factors when deciding what laptop to purchase.
1) What is your intended use and necessary features. e.g. light use vs. heavy use & optical drive, computer speed etc.
2) As mentioned several times in this thread, RAM itself is very easy to upgrade after you purchase.
3) Brand - IMHO this is pretty important as well - which do your prefer vs. which brand do people recommend.
4) Price - you should decide a price range that best suits your needs.
5) Operating System - Many people like myself prefer Windows 7 vs. 8.1, so this would be another consideration.
6) Warranty - does it include 1 year or more, cost for extending warranty.
7) Detailed Specs:
  Processor  - model and speed i3, i5, & i7 2.0 Ghz, 3.0 Ghz etc.
  RAM - This IMHO should be minimum 8GB, especially if running 8.1, however can be added easily.
  Hard Drive - SATA vs. SSD, the latter being much faster. SATA itself offers 5400 RPM vs. 7200 RPM again, the latter being faster.
  Screen Size - this is a personal preference as you can always attach a larger screen in an office setting.
  Battery & Weight - overall laptop weight preference & battery life.
  Graphics - Integrated graphics vs. dedicated graphics, e.g. Intel 4400 vs. Nvidia GTX etc.

In summary, you have to decide what are you priorities, what can be upgraded and what you are flexible on.



Excellent article about the differences between the Intel processor suffixes.

Excellent "Laptop Buying Guide" by @dailykasha, written for Black Friday 2021, updated for holidays 2023

Author Topic: Laptop Deals Master Thread  (Read 3152150 times)

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Offline Yo ssi

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13261 on: November 30, 2021, 12:02:03 PM »
Asus is not considered to be one of the best companies.

If you're already at $500 why not pay $30 more and get this one? It's Dell, i7 instead of i5, 512 GB SSD instead of 256:
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/3347180/Dell-Inspiron-3511-Laptop-156-Screen/?cm_mmc=Affiliates-_-CJ-_-598022-_-13474833&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_content=na_prch_na&cjevent=d5a087e851fd11ec81b508e50a1c0e0e&siteid=CJ_13474833_600263_&utm_source=cj&utm_campaign=ODOMX%20Google%20Feed_eDealinfo%20USA%20Inc.
----------

ETA: Sorry, it's out of stock for delivery

Maybe this HP for $559 (with better screen option selected): https://www.hp.com/us-en/shop/pdp/hp-laptop-15t-dy200-2j130av-1?source=aw&subacctid=156714&subacctname=eDealinfo+USA+Inc.&adcampaigngroup=111627&awc=7168_1638291417_e9b1c1cc51b349938742d4d7bdb74058&jumpid=af_gen_nc_ns&utm_medium=af&utm_source=aw&utm_campaign=eDealinfo+USA+Inc.
What do you have against Asus?

That Dell one is a great deal if you can snatch one. The HP is a piece of junk, I would assume the Asus to be a better build.
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Offline YitzyS

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13262 on: November 30, 2021, 12:04:00 PM »
I've heard really conflicting opinions about HP laptops. Some swear by HP, and some think HP is a swear.

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13263 on: November 30, 2021, 12:04:22 PM »
What do you have against Asus?

That Dell one is a great deal if you can snatch one. The HP is a piece of junk, I would assume the Asus to be a better build.
I've used some basic Asus laptops, and they were cheaply built, but it's true that I didn't try the VivoBook product line.

Offline Yo ssi

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13264 on: November 30, 2021, 12:08:58 PM »
I've used some basic Asus laptops, and they were cheaply built, but it's true that I didn't try the VivoBook product line.
I'm not familiar with the line either, but I do have a similar HP and it's definitely cheaply built.
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Offline Chuchum Ainer

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13265 on: November 30, 2021, 12:11:25 PM »
I'm with Yo ssi, Asus vivobook is no worse than HP no name.

https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/5052629/Lenovo-IdeaPad-nbsp5-Laptop-156-Screen/#priceSection
Anither option, I've posted before. $500, metal build and stuff.

Offline Chuchum Ainer

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13266 on: November 30, 2021, 12:13:08 PM »
If you're already at $500 why not pay $30 more and get this one? It's Dell, i7 instead of i5, 512 GB SSD instead of 256:
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/3347180/Dell-Inspiron-3511-Laptop-156-Screen/

Incidentally, how does this compare to the DDMS hp black Friday deal?

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13267 on: November 30, 2021, 12:18:51 PM »
Incidentally, how does this compare to the DDMS hp black Friday deal?
This one? https://www.dansdeals.com/shopping-deals/electronics/hp/hp-15-6-core-i7-laptop-16gb-ram-256gb-ssd-backlit-keyboard-just-524-99-plus-get-free-3-year-accidental-damage-theft-warranty-free-rebate/

Price is about the same for the same specs, and this one is Dell Inspiron rather than a no-product-line HP. But the HP has touchscreen and you could get the accident protection.

Offline Cat18

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13268 on: November 30, 2021, 12:54:49 PM »
Asus is not considered to be one of the best companies.

If you're already at $500 why not pay $30 more and get this one? It's Dell, i7 instead of i5, 512 GB SSD instead of 256:
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/3347180/Dell-Inspiron-3511-Laptop-156-Screen/?cm_mmc=Affiliates-_-CJ-_-598022-_-13474833&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_content=na_prch_na&cjevent=d5a087e851fd11ec81b508e50a1c0e0e&siteid=CJ_13474833_600263_&utm_source=cj&utm_campaign=ODOMX%20Google%20Feed_eDealinfo%20USA%20Inc.

ETA: Sorry, it's out of stock for delivery

that particular model seems to be getting negative reviews mainly due to slow browser load/use.

Offline eli1571

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13269 on: November 30, 2021, 05:33:58 PM »
thoughts on this one ? https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebooks/vostro-3400-laptop/spd/vostro-14-3400-laptop/cav143w11p2c4001


11th Generation Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4 Processor
Windows 10 Pro (Includes Windows 11 Pro License) English
4GB, 4Gx1, DDR4, 2666MHz
1TB 5400 rpm 2.5" SATA Hard Drive
14.0-in. display

Offline Yo ssi

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13270 on: November 30, 2021, 05:37:57 PM »
thoughts on this one ? https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebooks/vostro-3400-laptop/spd/vostro-14-3400-laptop/cav143w11p2c4001


11th Generation Intel® Core™ i3-1115G4 Processor
Windows 10 Pro (Includes Windows 11 Pro License) English
4GB, 4Gx1, DDR4, 2666MHz
1TB 5400 rpm 2.5" SATA Hard Drive
14.0-in. display
Can't imagine why anyone would spend so much, or need windows pro with an i3.
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Offline eli1571

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13271 on: November 30, 2021, 05:40:05 PM »
Can't imagine why anyone would spend so much, or need windows pro with an i3.
im looking for a basic dell, i have a i3 now and it does the job for me.
main thing i need is more memory space then the ones they have for this range whhich only come with 128 gb

Online lcm

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13272 on: November 30, 2021, 06:27:02 PM »
im looking for a basic dell, i have a i3 now and it does the job for me.
main thing i need is more memory space then the ones they have for this range whhich only come with 128 gb
You can up the processor and screen quality, and bring down the hard drive size, and you've got a solid deal:
https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebooks/vostro-3400-laptop/spd/vostro-14-3400-laptop/smv143w11p2c4011

Offline ExGingi

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13273 on: November 30, 2021, 06:55:19 PM »
You can up the processor and screen quality, and bring down the hard drive size, and you've got a solid deal:
https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-laptops-and-notebooks/vostro-3400-laptop/spd/vostro-14-3400-laptop/smv143w11p2c4011

I still can't figure out the various Dell lines (other than Precision) Vostro/Latitude/XPS. What's right for what?
I've been waiting over 5 years with bated breath for someone to say that!
-- Dan

Online lcm

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13274 on: November 30, 2021, 07:09:04 PM »
I still can't figure out the various Dell lines (other than Precision) Vostro/Latitude/XPS. What's right for what?
Vostro is officially targeted at small businesses.
From my research, under the hood, they might not be so much different.
Notwithstanding that, I once heard from an experienced IT guy that it's better to buy a refurbished business laptop than to buy a new personal laptop. He was saying in context of build quality-ease of fixing and length of product life.

Offline Yisroel Tech

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13275 on: November 30, 2021, 09:47:50 PM »
If you're already at $500 why not pay $30 more and get this one? It's Dell, i7 instead of i5, 512 GB SSD instead of 256:
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/3347180/Dell-Inspiron-3511-Laptop-156-Screen/?cm_mmc=Affiliates-_-CJ-_-598022-_-13474833&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_content=na_prch_na&cjevent=d5a087e851fd11ec81b508e50a1c0e0e&siteid=CJ_13474833_600263_&utm_source=cj&utm_campaign=ODOMX%20Google%20Feed_eDealinfo%20USA%20Inc.
----------

ETA: Sorry, it's out of stock for delivery
That Dell one is a great deal if you can snatch one.
Available now again for delivery:
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/3347180/Dell-Inspiron-3511-Laptop-156-Screen/

Dell Inspiron I3511-7118BLK-PUS
  • 15.6” FHD screen (1920 x 1080)
  • Intel i7-1165G7 Processor
  • 16GB RAM
  • 512 GB SSD
$529.99

Offline Chuchum Ainer

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13276 on: December 01, 2021, 01:05:31 AM »
im looking for a basic dell, i have a i3 now and it does the job for me.
main thing i need is more memory space then the ones they have for this range whhich only come with 128 gb
You are kind of asking the same thing over and over again.
A bunch of basic dells have been posted at a bunch of price points.

Maybe write exactly what your budget is, and exactly what you need vs what you don't care about (physical size, storage space, power, battery life etc.)

IMO you should have ordered one of these two

For a bit more money I would say this is a better bet.
I think 8gb is mandatory with windows.. mentioned upthread.

This has better processor and more ram..

https://deals.dell.com/en-us/productdetail/bij3

But if price is main point and it's very light usage, perhaps u can make those work

Specs are not important since you said you want a decent...

While those laptops are cheap, they will most likely be nerve wrecking to use, even for Word.

This for $400 is pretty good https://deals.dell.com/en-us/productdetail/bf1x

Offline Cat18

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13277 on: December 01, 2021, 11:02:45 AM »

Offline Yo ssi

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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13278 on: December 01, 2021, 11:48:58 AM »
The low 3.6 review score is scaring me off.
All the low reviews mention a slow browsing issue, buy it (seems too late) and see if it's true. Office Depot is great with returns IME.
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Re: Laptop Deals Master Thread
« Reply #13279 on: December 01, 2021, 11:56:46 AM »
All the low reviews mention a slow browsing issue, buy it (seems too late) and see if it's true. Office Depot is great with returns IME.
And people suggest uninstalling mcafee solves the issue