New laptop advice

[JBen]

These days there are way too many options.

Screen size:
As mosquito pointed out you can run an HDMI to near all. Fiancé recently bought a large monitor ( dirt cheap these days). That sits in her office. So depending on what she’s working on, and where she will sometimes hardwire her lap top to that.

Tablets
You can add a cover from logic tech that has a Bluetooth key board.

Netflix etc.
You can cast from your tablet to your TV.

Way too many options.
Me, if all I wanted was something for surfing, reading news, stream the odd thing. I’d likely go tablet.

[greatwhite]

To surf the internet and watch shows etc it doesn't take much. I am using a 10 year old Desktop and I work as a computer programmer, I can play movies and surf no problem.

An inexpensive laptop with 8 gigs of ram from Best Buy will cost approx 400.00 - 500 dollars.

[impact]

If you value your data and privacy go for a $500 laptop with a hard drive. Do frequent backups of your documents and pictures on an external jump drive. Do not rely on big tech (Google) to store and archive. No one but yourself should be a custodian of your precious memories.

[greatwhite]

If you want to care for your data I would use a network back up drive maybe several. I have 1 network drive and save everything there then at night it replicates itself to each PC on my network so that there is always a copy someplace should one fail.

I agree do not store your data in the cloud like Google drive.

If you value your data and privacy go for a $500 laptop with a hard drive. Do frequent backups of your documents and pictures on an external jump drive. Do not rely on big tech (Google) to store and archive. No one but yourself should be a custodian of your precious memories.

[410001661]

For work I have an IMB Think Pad and this thing bullet proof. For home use we have an iMAC (desktop) and my daughters both have MacBook Pro's. Not a fan of the Mackbook Pro's as they are quite expensive $2,200 each and both have had some issues that required warranty work on them - extended warranty is always a must on Apple products.

[mosquito]

It is easy to connect a drive to your router for all the computers to use and a portable drive to back up weekly the important files. I created a batch file with commands that copy files newer than the date specified, any folders and run that batch atleast a couple times a week and I have similar commands to take it from the network drive to the portable drive to make sure there are two copies. I put everything in a folder that starts with a_ ex. a_work, a_personal, a_tax .... I use a_ so it is at the top and I know where the data is. The commands below are what I put in the batch file.
to the network, anything newer than Dec.1 2020
xcopy C:\a_work N:\ACERN2\Daily\a_work /c /d:12-01-2020 /e /h /i /k /r /s /v

and this line is from my weekly when I attach the portable drive to back up all a 2nd time
xcopy N:\ACERN2\Daily\a_work D:\ACERN2\a_work/c /d:12-01-2020 /e /h /i /k /r /s /v

[fratri]

Thanks everyone for all your input but this just leaves me more questions then answers. There are so many options out there and even here in this thread many different responses....
I guess what I am looking for is specific advice on what I should be looking for (Gigabytes/memory etc...) in a laptop that will allow me the capability to meet my basic needs (email, youtube and netflix)

[MikePal]

I guess what I am looking for is specific advice on what I should be looking for (Gigabytes/memory etc...) in a laptop that will allow me the capability to meet my basic needs (email, youtube and netflix)

Anything you buy 'new' will have far more than you will ever need....I think 1T (terabit) is pretty much standard now.

They used to have 'Internet' computer selections at Staples....basic machines with more than enough specs at great prices (under $500).

Stay away from the whole gaming isle...way to much for what you say you need.

[impact]

Thanks everyone for all your input but this just leaves me more questions then answers. There are so many options out there and even here in this thread many different responses....
I guess what I am looking for is specific advice on what I should be looking for (Gigabytes/memory etc...) in a laptop that will allow me the capability to meet my basic needs (email, youtube and netflix)

8GB ram plus 500gb hard drive should be plenty

Here is a link to best buy and Acer laptops

https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/categor...indows_laptops

[greatwhite]

At minimum 8 Gigs memory and 1 terabyte drive space. Try for 10 or 12 gigs memorey

Thanks everyone for all your input but this just leaves me more questions then answers. There are so many options out there and even here in this thread many different responses....
I guess what I am looking for is specific advice on what I should be looking for (Gigabytes/memory etc...) in a laptop that will allow me the capability to meet my basic needs (email, youtube and netflix)