I just think desktops are dead. Really I can't recommend them at all.
I know they are cheaper. I don't think that makes up for the downsides.
Actually, I find laptops are often cheaper - but I guess you get what you pay for.
Rather than just desktops, I think PCs in general have a use-by date. Look where Google (and Apple) are heading: tablets and TVs. I foresee TVs and PCs converging, so you'll end up with large but by necessity fixed screens. Tablets on the other hand are more portable than most laptops, and unless you're writing, are going to be the portable device of choice (along with smartphones of course). I don't think many people will be trying to go for the lowest common denominator, which is a laptop.
One of the key drawbacks of 'desktops' is the grossly oversized towers that people find increasingly incompatible with modern living. The depth means they won't even fit under many desks, if they're on top you have to organize your desk around them, and moving them is a PITA. I've found that people considering a laptop can often be persuaded to try a
small desktop PC instead, which is why I obsess about MicroATX cases.
In fact, that's what happened with my neighbour; he had a Toshiba 17" laptop (yes, just like you're considering), but I talked him into a
Silverstone SG04-F, a stylish, elegant case that's just 13.7" deep but uses a standard ATX PSU and has 4 full-height expansion slots. Combined with a 23" IPS monitor, it's a massive usability improvement over the TN-panel laptop, which has a habit of losing keytops.
His kids are 9 and 11.
So ignoring the initial budget estimate I gave, what would be the decent laptop recommendations? Which lenovo models?
Consider HP or Dell?
Dell Latitude and Vostro are off my list; we have one here that has very poor battery life, but more to the point, has been away being repaired several times for weeks at a time. Admittedly, that's included two(!) occasions when my youngest daughter sat on it (with the lid closed, on a bed), as well as the discovery that the keys are easily melted with a hair dryer (spilled some water on the keyboard and panicked).
wneddnce:
HP Pavilion remains off my list because of the Nvidia debacle and HP's concerted attempts to screw people over rather than fix their broken laptops.
Despite the lower specs (eg. no USB 3.0), I still favor Lenovo because of the more robust designs. There's a special on
Thinkpad T520 at the moment if you're interested. After that the
L520 is the closest, with the
Edge E520 a bit further down the pecking order (and I don't much like the 'island' keys myself). IdeaPads are a different proposition altogether, although someone here (was it Mubs or Lunar?) bought one for a niece or someone and we haven't heard any complaints so far.
Time, your concerns regarding the processor are noted.
I happen to think that for ordinary users that is more than adequate and the turbo probably makes a bigger difference than more cores.
They aren't processing photos, they are doing online banking or playing flash games.
I'd rather save money for adding an SSD versus maxing out the processor.
Oh I agree entirely, but that's a reason to get a desktop: you can afford to use an SSD straight up. I recently coupled one with a Pentium G850 (2.9GHz), and I've got one here with a Celeron G530; both systems are beautifully responsive and use hardly any power.
