I need a new laptop. Help?

[merithyn]

I haven't kept up with laptop technology, so I feel completely out of my depth as I shop for a new machine. I know you all have an opinion on these kinds of things, so I came to you for help.

How it will be used: Regular internet surfacing, photo editing and storage, and writing.

Requirements: 15"-16" screen, Windows 10, Windows Office, extended keyboard

Do I go to Amazon? Dell? Best Buy? Somewhere else entirely? What are the specs that I will need for a machine that will last at least four years?

[jimmy olsen]

Should be able to get something in the 400 to 600 dollar range

https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2371334,00.asp

[dps]

I don't know about the photo editing, but for the other uses you mention, you should be able to go to a big-box retailer and get something acceptable for less than you'd likely pay otherwise.

I wouldn't have recommended that just 4 or 5 years ago, but things change and you don't need a state of the art model for what you want to do with it.

[Monoriu]

Samsung is my favourite laptop brand.  Aside from speed and storage, one of the most important aspects I look for is weight.  I take my laptop when I travel, and I want it to be as light as possible.  My 13-inch laptop weighs less than 1kg. 

About the harddrive.  I will insist on an SSD, because it is much faster.  My last laptop had a 128GB SSD, which wasn't enough for me.  My current one has a 256GB SSD, and I will insist that my next laptop has a 512GB SSD.

I once made a mistake on buying a really small, light, and slow laptop that was pocket sized.  Took forever to do anything. 

Another thing I look for is connection slots.  I will not accept any machine without at least two USB 3.0 slots.  Of course it depends on what your habits and needs are, but I am very wary of salespeople telling me I don't need them because everything is done on the cloud these days. 

[Eddie Teach]

Wary or weary?

[Monoriu]

Wary or weary?

Weary, of course.  I suck 

[Richard Hakluyt]

RAM is also an issue. A number of cheap laptops run very poorly due to insufficient RAM. I would go for 8gb.

[Tamas]

A few months ago I've helped my parents choose this (or something very close to this, can't remember):
https://www.amazon.com/Acer-A517-51G-54GK-i5-7200U-802-11ac-Bluetooth/dp/B079T6NWZN/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_3?keywords=Acer+Aspire+5+-+A517&qid=1550046124&s=gateway&sr=8-3-fkmrnull

I was quite impressed by it when I tried it out during Christmas. Should be fine for your purposes, I think, assuming that photo-editing ain't that intensive.

[dps]

I will not accept any machine without at least two USB 3.0 slots. 

Yeah, I'll agree with Mono on this.  But as he says, it does depend somewhat on your particular needs.  In my case, I detest trying to use the touchpad to control the courser, so I have one of the ports dedicated to a mouse.

[garbon]

I will not accept any machine without at least two USB 3.0 slots. 

Yeah, I'll agree with Mono on this.  But as he says, it does depend somewhat on your particular needs.  In my case, I detest trying to use the touchpad to control the courser, so I have one of the ports dedicated to a mouse.

Bluetooth wireless mouse.

[mongers]

Samsung is my favourite laptop brand. Aside from speed and storage, one of the most important aspects I look for is weight.  I take my laptop when I travel, and I want it to be as light as possible.  My 13-inch laptop weighs less than 1kg. 
.... snip

I have a samsung laptop that has never once left the office desk,  during that time the hardly used DVD drive just failed for no reason.

Also the screen part failed, recovered, sometimes has a small bottom band of corrupted colours, it always has a one pixel wide green line all the way across the screen at the level of the toolbar. 

I wouldn't trust samsung at all.

[garbon]

I only trust Samsung for phones.

[dps]

I will not accept any machine without at least two USB 3.0 slots. 

Yeah, I'll agree with Mono on this.  But as he says, it does depend somewhat on your particular needs.  In my case, I detest trying to use the touchpad to control the courser, so I have one of the ports dedicated to a mouse.

Bluetooth wireless mouse.

I've had bad luck with those in the past, though I'm told that they are much improved from when I last used one.

[Tamas]

I only trust Samsung for phones.

imho they are best for TVs as well.

[garbon]

I only trust Samsung for phones.

imho they are best for TVs as well.

I almost said that but then realized it has been sometime since I've had a Samsung TV.