LadyOfMystery

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I'm in search of a new laptop. I haven't bought one in a few years and I'm just kind of at a loss for what to get.

I don't use mine for anything except for web browsing, occasionally working on GIMP, and somewhere to put my photos. I don't use even the amount of space that comes on this laptop I'm using.

Currently I'm using an HP 2000 Notebook which has done me well for years now. It has come to life over and over again, and now one of the hinges where the screen and keyboard part meet up is broken so it's lopsided and pitiful looking. I think it might be finally time to retire the poor thing.


Does anyone have any suggestions?
 

paul1149

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There were two HP 2000 lines. The latter one looks nice and isn't as heavy; the earlier one doesn't and is quite heavy. If your hard drive is large you probably have the newer model.

What you get should depend on your needs and your pocketbook. None of what you mentioned requires a lot of processing power; any decent modern cpu should do. But photos can take drive space, and a good amount of RAM will be helpful. In general, get the best you can comfortably afford.

Or maybe you are interested in repairing what you have. Do you have a pic of the broken hinge? Currently I've been installing Linux on older laptops whenever I can. It's beautiful and runs great - better than Windows because most user don't need an antivirus, which acts as a large tax on system resources, and because it's inherently better.

Here's a shot of my current setup. It runs on an old, Vista-era desktop (~2007), converted to an SSD and added RAM. And it runs great.

kde, ps 91 text conky — Postimage.org
 
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LadyOfMystery

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So this is pictures of the hinge, it's what I'm calling the hinge at least, I'm not very savvy with any of this stuff. lol Does this look repairable? I wouldn't be able to do it, I'd have to get someone else to do it.

DSC_0233.JPG

DSC_0235.JPG
DSC_0236.JPG
 
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paul1149

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So this is pictures of the hinge, it's what I'm calling the hinge at least, I'm not very savvy with any of this stuff. lol Does this look repairable? I wouldn't be able to do it, I'd have to get someone else to do it.

You see that brass stud attached to the bottom of the hinge leaf? That supposed to be embedded in the laptop base. Sometimes a bad hinge is just a matter of the screws working loose, but in this case it would need an epoxy repair.

I think that model is the earlier 2000 line (cousin to the CQ-57), which are often powered by a Celeron which is pretty dated at this point. But there's nothing inherently bad about them.

So to bring this up to speed, you would need the hinge repair and an internal cleaning / thermal paste renewal. Then the RAM should be increased to the max, and ideally an SSD put in in place of the Hard Drive. Maybe a new keyboard.

Then you need an OS, whether windows again or linux, and data transfer.

I don't know what you price point is, but that is what you're up against.
 
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Richard T

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I bought a cheap Lenovo from Best Buy about a year ago. I have been happy with that. I notice they have Lenovo, Asus and HP for under 300. Sure you could pay more, and get better graphics, larger hard drive etc. These cheaper ones usually do not have a DVD so that might be deal breaker for you. Also, my previous laptop was an HP and those hinges gave out too.
 
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Radagast

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I bought a cheap Lenovo from Best Buy about a year ago. I have been happy with that. I notice they have Lenovo, Asus and HP for under 300.

I've been happy with HPs and Dells over the years. I've had multiple bad experiences with ASUSs.
 
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Radagast

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occasionally working on GIMP

GIMP is great! :oldthumbsup:

GIMP can use up a fair bit of RAM, depending on the size of the images. Most modern computers that aren't ultra-budget should be OK, though.
 
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elytron

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I also broke an HP hinge once, was my old laptop. Just cosmetic damage though.

What size screen do you want? Need a CD/DVD drive? Could get an external USB one. Most new laptops don't include a DVD drive.

Used laptops will often include wear and tear, so I would avoid those. Pretty sure GIMP can't be installed on a ChromeBook.
 
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sportsman

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I recommend to buy a refurbished notebook for both price and quality. For web browsing, basic tasks and works it is excellent. On the other hand, when you want to use it for more difficult applications, there is high probability that it will not be usable. But it depends on offered sortiment :)
 
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Go for Thinkpad, grab it on ebay
Thinkpad is what I use and I love it. A 30's edition is what I have. I recommend the business models for their durability and putting a solid sate in it just for extra measure.
 
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bèlla

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What's your budget? That's the starting point. Once you narrow down the options you'll focus on the features you value most. Leaving two or three possibilities.

Stay-at-home orders have led to significant sales in the under $400 category. But deals crop up every week. Affinity Photo is a feature rich GIMP alternative. They extended their Covid-19 special (one-time payment of $25).

~Bella
 
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