Help me with my laptop conundrum

[Klutch9]

We currently have an old HP low/mid-low range laptop from 2016. During Covid I replaced the HDD with an SSD, which helped a lot. But the machine is generally slow and buggy. It can’t keep time properly, as the clock always drifts slow over a month or so. I tried replacing the 2032 battery on the mobo, which didn’t help. The battery also dies quickly.

Our use case is light. The occasional Zoom meeting, browsing, etc. We all have iPads, but when we use the laptop, we need a bigger screen the whole family can see, and it still needs to be portable. I’ve thought about ditching Windows 11 and going Linux, but the laptop also has bad speakers and a 1366x768 screen, so it looks and sounds bad too. I could get another cheap Windows laptop, but I’ve grown to dislike Windows.

Our family is otherwise in the Apple ecosystem, and I’ve always wanted a MacBook. I have an older iMac I use for other stuff, like writing and research, and I love it. MacBook Air is on sale right now on Amazon, but even at a discount, it seems like overkill for our use case. But if it lasts another 10 years, it’s not a bad investment I suppose. The new MacBooks are also decent for gaming, which we may use it for. What do you think?

 

[97prizm]

Puppy Linux or another low resource derivative. Let me know. I can help

 

[martinq]

Sounds like you know your answer. I'd love to help but never use Apple products and most of my PCs are Windows 7. Windows 10 is not enough of an improvement and 11 is a lost cause.

So yes, go treat yourself and get a Mac!

 

[JeffKeryk]

MacBook Neo is $599. $10 cheaper at Costco and about $100 cheaper if you have someone in school.

 

[Klutch9]

MacBook Neo is $599. $10 cheaper at Costco and about $100 cheaper if you have someone in school.

I like the Neo but it’s too small. Need a 15”.

 

[Pew]

I'd pony up and get the Mac. You guys are already pretty deep in their ecosystem and seen happy with their products.

 

[Klutch9]

Ended up getting the 15” MacBook Air. The huge sale on Amazon made it an easy decision, in the end. The hardest part was picking a color Hoping to get another 10+ years out of this one!