What computer?

[Aldebaran]

Bit of advice from those into IT if possible. At the moment I use a PC at home, but I'm thinking of ditching the desk and computer for something more portable and convenient.
So, which would you recommend, a standard laptop running windows, a tablet running Android, or a Chromebook?

[King Nuts]

As someone who was a PC user for years, and who used to have to buy a new PC laptop every two to three years, I switched over to an Apple MacBook Air about two years ago. Haven't looked back since.

It costs about twice or maybe three times what I'd typically have spent on a PC laptop, but it's so much better. Better built, better tech, better design, and after two years of solid use, it still switches on and becomes usable within about two or three seconds of opening up. The battery will still go for hours too.

And if you have an iPhone, it links seamlessly with that, making phone calls and texting easy via the computer.

[Tun210]

As someone who was a PC user for years, and who used to have to buy a new PC laptop every two to three years, I switched over to an Apple MacBook Air about two years ago. Haven't looked back since.

It costs about twice or maybe three times what I'd typically have spent on a PC laptop, but it's so much better. Better built, better tech, better design, and after two years of solid use, it still switches on and becomes usable within about two or three seconds of opening up. The battery will still go for hours too.

And if you have an iPhone, it links seamlessly with that, making phone calls and texting easy via the computer.

I second that
Since going to apple never looked back.
Had windows laptops pre 2012 and always there was this problem with malware/virus had to buy extra softwares but since I had Mac nothing and the experience is nothing but good.

[lamboman]

As someone that ran several PCs and laptops simultaneously there's really no choice but to use a Wnidows laptop.
More compatability,better for gaming if you do any and way cheaper than an Apple product which are not great quality.
Chromebooks are not compatable with some programs so I'd discount those although they are good machines.

[einzwei23]

Hmm..depends on your budget and your use case.
I'm a Windows user mainly because I play games but a Macbook is definitely a very good choice.
Absolute minimum, Chromebook is perfectly fine if you're always connected, and just use your device to browse the internet and watch netflix and Google's productivity apps are more than enough.
£600-800 get like an Asus or Dell Inspiron. they're more than capable.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Had a number of HP machines over time running all from MSDOS to LINUX!...

[LLPunting]

What's your budget?
What are your task needs of the new device (how long doing each activity)? 
Are you intending on doing anything processor heavy or graphics heavy?
Intend heavy keyboard use and appreciate a good keyboard?
Do you want to pose and make statements with it (and perhaps be a target for mugging or theft)?
Unlikely perhaps because of your question but veteran Windows Power user used to using a fair number of it's keyboard shortcuts between apps and tweaking Windows?

Spending the same amount on a Mac or a Windows laptop should get you similar functionality, build quality and enduring performance out of the components involved.  Macs may give you better battery life but at the top end you should be able to get a full day of light/med usage away from the wall socket with any respectable brand.  Whether you're getting 8,9,10,11 hrs between 0-100% charge are you really going to be on the device that long without charging access?  Perhaps if you're going to be on regular longhaul flights in Economy.

If eco-credentials matter, repairability and upgradability you could look into Framework laptops. 

[Gordon Bennett]

It doesn't have to be one or t'other. My desktop PC is literally just a screen, keyboard and mouse - all the gubbins are built into the screen. It's Windows using Chrome browser. I have a cheap Nokia Android tablet and of course my Smartphone.
Everything in our house is Google/Android ecosystem so I tend to stick with it as OS on devices so everything is seamless.

[timsussex]

Macs cost more but last longer

probably true

because
1) the more open systems PC world allows other people to develop the hardware
It has 50x the people developing hardware so tends to evolve a lot faster so the latest hardware will be out of date in 6 months because new better hardware has been developed
2) no real competition in the Mac world so no real pressure to reduce the price - which of course can lead to sub standard kit and Apple are very protective of their reputation whereas any Tom Dick and Harry can develop for the PC

Invariably when I find people complaining their PC is too slow the are trying to run brand new software on a 2 year old mid range  PC or else they've loaded it up with tons of free crap

for example if you want the latest games to run at the fastest speed you need a high end PC and it will struggle to run next years top end games - that's just evolution 

for  example the Geekbench test score for a top of the range Mac is 23367 whereas the latest PC hits 25341 and by the time you add a top of the range graphic card it costs a lot more than the Mac

But in the real world  if you dont want to run the latest software (esp games) does it matter ?

[Aldebaran]

Thanks for all that info.
I guess I should have been more informative in my original post. I'm a pensioner, so my budget is limited, maybe £400 tops and less if I can get away with it. I'm not a gamer, unless you count Miniclip 8 ball Pool and online Sudoku. I mostly use the computer for keeping in touch on Facebook, ordering from Amazon, emails and a pen friend or two in foreign climes, and storing and editing masses of holiday and family snaps, and of course UJKP and AW.
I bought my daughter a refurbished laptop a couple of years ago for not much more than £200, it was SSD and excellent value so I might chase something like that, but probably for a bit more by now. I certainly can't excuse the price of a Mac. I'll avoid chromebooks after reading the comments. The only thing I have against refurbished laptops is they seem to have small memory space, but I have a plug in external memory that I can compensate for that with.
Again, thanks to all who replied.

[Handel2020]

The MacBook minis might be an option if you were looking for something used, but I think they can be expensive if you buy them refurbished That would be my choice. As for desktops running Windows I have found Acer to be very reliable. I previously bought a number of laptops from Dell outlet and sent them back as I just didn't like the ergonomics of laptops.

[binbag]

Windows 10 laptop is by far the best choice. An apple MacBook is a great computer but , as has been said, very expensive. If you spent the same money on a PC you'd have an even better computer but the great thing about a PC is you don't have to spend that amount of money. I would avoid a detachable keyboard. It seems a good idea as it doubles as a tablet but I found it irritating. You might consider a refurbished computer to save some money (my friend who works in IT says they are very good value and isn't a bit put off that they are second hand) or maybe a computer that was top of the line a year or two ago but is now slightly out of date. And how portable do you need it to be? You pay more for the ultra lightweight. I had a yoga 700 that I thought was really good value. Good luck.   

[Watts.E.Dunn]

We've bought quite a bit of S/H stuff from this lot and it's been fine! Have a look and give them a bell  and see how you get on!..

External Link/Members Only

No one in IT that i know would have a Macbook, their for Media Luvvies;!¬...

[timsussex]

We've bought quite a bit of S/H stuff from this lot and it's been fine! Have a look and give them a bell  and see how you get on!..

External Link/Members Only

No one in IT that i know would have a Macbook, their for Media Luvvies;!¬...

another vote for Morgan computers - refurbished to almost like new standards or new end of line machines at very good prices

[WDFORTE]

I've a Macbook Air, brilliant machine.  2011 model on High Sierra, still feels fast as fuck by todays standards.  I'll upgrade sooner rather than later as security is limited on the device now as it's unsupported as too old.
What I would say about Apple is their tech support is amazing.  I had an issue earlier in the year, Apple were happy to give me tech support for an 11 year old product.  Outstanding to stay the least.
If I would have anything other than a Mac, it'd be a Chromebook.  Can't go wrong really.  Just buy an external SSD hard drive to back up things and save files to as Chrome books tend to be cloud orientated.

[spiralnotebook]

I don’t know if this is still relevant but one of the plus points for the PC was the upgradability. With Apple stuff there was limited scope whereas PC you could change everything to keep up to date as required as memory graphics processor sound etc etc . The last aluminium server case I had went through almost 3 complete rebuilds over 10 years.

[Ghost89]

You can’t go wrong with a zx spectrum 128k.

[chrishornx]

Apple MacBook for me

[Nickp]

Apple MacBook for me

Commodore 64 with the extension pack to make a 128. Daley Thomson’s decathlon, the only issue I find I where to buy cassettes from.

[Ghost89]

Ahhh happy days of the speccy and c64 rivalry. 

[Pillowtalk]

Apple MacBook for me

agreed.

[fisherofsouls]

I have an Acer Chromebook and I really like it.

Although it's a year or so old now, and used every day, it stills whizzes into life in a couple of seconds and the battery lasts a full working day.

When combined with the hotspot on my Android phone, I have used it all over Europe (and being with O2 the data came off my normal allowance).

It has a couple of USB-C ports and a standard USB which is plenty for a mouse and external DVD drive.

The only thing I will say is that the OS and apps constantly need updates, so you'll often find me sat in Spoons having a coffee or three while it all downloads...

Oh, and bizarrely enough, getting it to work with my Chromecast was a titanic struggle (but got there in the end) !

[Bummer]

ASUS is brilliant and the new Microsoft operating system rivals 🍏 but if you have a iPad or I phone go Apple as it synchs so well

[Watts.E.Dunn]

FWIW if you do have an older laptop its a very worthwhile upgrade fitting a Solid state hard drive, can result in a faster perfomance espically during booting up!..

[jaydefo24]

To me you sound like an ideal candidate for a Chomebook because you like the Android ecosystem and don’t want fuss. I bought my elderly Mother a chronebook ( she was on Windows before ) and she loves it. She said “it just works , I don’t know how but all my photos from my phone were on the computer automatically “.

The final worry was a printer. But we were able to get it working with a standar new Hp printer… slightly odd that we had to do so via a mobile App from HP but nevertheless it worked.

It’s fast to load and doesn’t bother her with all those Windows questions “someBS.exe” is trying to break your door down , would you like to abort ?”

I personally am a Mac user but this would be total overkill for someone who just uses email, Facebook and document writing.

[Blackviper_85]

The factors that helps you to decide what laptop you want to go for is what operating system you are comfortable to use. If you are an experienced Microsoft Windows user stick to Windows laptop or if you’re an experienced MacOS user then go for the MacBook.

For myself I’d stick to Windows because I use Microsoft Windows at work and I sometimes do courses to improve on my Microsoft skills and on MacBook you can’t improve on your Microsoft skills. You can use Microsoft Office packages on MacOS but if you want to learn how to map drives and how to learn how to use the command prompt functions then you definitely need to go for a Windows laptop for that.

The only thing I hate about Windows laptop is the amount of malware on Windows OS. The other thing I hate about Windows is that you can’t find any Windows laptops with a 1080p webcams like you do on MacBooks and most of the Windows laptops come with 720p webcams. Also in regards to performance M1 and M2 chips can beat any Intel and AMD chips that come on Window laptops and on Chromebooks. 

The only things that Windows beat MacBooks on that most high end Windows laptops that are worth over a £1000 have Oled screens that are good for binge streaming such as Netflix and Amazon prime, content creating and pc gaming. Also most high end Windows laptops like the Dell XPS have a 16:11 ratio screens which MacBooks don’t have.

[shadow2000x]

Bit of advice from those into IT if possible. At the moment I use a PC at home, but I'm thinking of ditching the desk and computer for something more portable and convenient.
So, which would you recommend, a standard laptop running windows, a tablet running Android, or a Chromebook?

I’d definitely go for a windows laptop with a decent bit of ram. I’ve only heard bad things about chromebooks. MacBooks are good but only if you’ve got the extra change to spare for a decent one otherwise a windows one will be more than suffice and for a lot cheaper.

[Crunchie]

Thanks for all that info.
I guess I should have been more informative in my original post. I'm a pensioner, so my budget is limited, maybe £400 tops and less if I can get away with it. I'm not a gamer, unless you count Miniclip 8 ball Pool and online Sudoku. I mostly use the computer for keeping in touch on Facebook, ordering from Amazon, emails and a pen friend or two in foreign climes, and storing and editing masses of holiday and family snaps, and of course UJKP and AW.
I bought my daughter a refurbished laptop a couple of years ago for not much more than £200, it was SSD and excellent value so I might chase something like that, but probably for a bit more by now. I certainly can't excuse the price of a Mac. I'll avoid chromebooks after reading the comments. The only thing I have against refurbished laptops is they seem to have small memory space, but I have a plug in external memory that I can compensate for that with.
Again, thanks to all who replied.

I'm also old and about 5 years ago I got a MAC. It was an absolute dream, just bloody worked wherever I opened it up, armpit countries, airports, planes, boats. Just plain and simple did stuff that I'd have to wait normally with a Windoze laptop.  I've just checked ebay and you can get a 2014 model with 8Gb RAM and a 512Gb SSD for £250!!

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Funny but the Two windows laptops i've go do just that .. work!.

One running around 50 odd programs, some of them very speclist.

The one that runs LINUX does the same too!..

[shadow2000x]

Yeah definitely a lot better. My friend also managed to damage his MacBook and if you didn’t pay for ‘Apple care’ the repair bill will be costly

[Marmalade]

It’s a big upheaval — I went through it many years — to switch between windows & Mac o/s or the other way round. Especially if you have multiple devices.

These are some rough thoughts, not technical guidance.

Things I liked about windows:
#It’s compatible with almost anything.
#You can dig inside if you are inclined alter the structure far more easily than anything Apple.
#The filing system, especially for music, is very open. You can drag stuff between folders and play songs and albums on any third party device.
#It’s cheaper for the same technology.
With a bit of tech knowledge, you can modify windows.
The leading word processor, Microsoft Word, works best on Windows.

The things I don’t like about windows are mostly the things I like about Apple and vice versa.

#Apple is a more protected setup. In spite of what a few techies try to say, you don’t really have to worry about malware, viruses and all that crap.
#Although it’s becoming less so, Apple, and Apple with Apple (eg MacBooks, iPhones, iMacs, iPads, iAnythingelse is a standard-bearer for plug-and-play. It was designed for people who haven’t got a clue and really don’t want to know. You just click stuff and it’s self-explanatory.
#You have international support. Everything is automatically protected against data theft in iCloud. Get stuck, or get your laptop nicked, and just walk into an Apple Store and remotely wipe or even lock and locate then restore your data on another machine.
#It has a luxury feel. You pay for it of course, but styling is in everything, right down to the strange packaging. It might have built-in obsolescence but the build quality is swish.
#file transfer between Apple devices is automatic and stress-free (except for iTunes, which is very marmite).

But if you go with Apple you are basically locked in. Not only technically, but the thought of going back to windows fills with dread. You can kick and bitch, but there’s no easy switch. No going back.

And for those that see Windows to Apple as easy with the fancy programs offering perfect transfer, it’s not, and they don’t.

[Marmalade]

To answer the OP, not any MacBook, get a MacBook Air. Incredibly fast, no noisy fan, light and completely instant. Unless you want a touchscreen, in which case you want something other than Apple. (A large iPad has touchscreen and swipe type and is more portable, but doesn’t have the same facilities as a fully blown MacBook or iMac.)