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Bearygoodfries1

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 5, 2020
201
197
Hey everyone!

I'm looking to purchase a Windows laptop that includes USB-C.

I'm planning on using it for financial work (for the small office I work at - mostly Excel stuff and quickbooks).

I would like something that's inexpensive (ideally under $750, but open to save a bit more if you think I should), but will last me a few years and won't have issues with the programs I mentioned.

Screen size isn't a big issue (ideally 13in, but since I plan on using an external monitor at least half the time, it's not a b

Can anyone recommend a laptop?

Please and thank you!
 
If I were you I'd probably go for an HP Probook, I think they're reliable and reasonably priced while still business-grade with a three year warranty. The 430 G7 is the current 13 inch model. You'll want it with the full HD display and that's extra, so it will be a bit above your budget though. There may be better options from other manufacturers but I don't have a lot of experience with them.
 
Hey everyone!

I'm looking to purchase a Windows laptop that includes USB-C.

I'm planning on using it for financial work (for the small office I work at - mostly Excel stuff and quickbooks).

I would like something that's inexpensive (ideally under $750, but open to save a bit more if you think I should), but will last me a few years and won't have issues with the programs I mentioned.

Screen size isn't a big issue (ideally 13in, but since I plan on using an external monitor at least half the time, it's not a b

Can anyone recommend a laptop?

Please and thank you!
Most current laptops will have at least 1 USB-C port.
As for spec, most important is getting at least a laptop with 8GB of RAM and an SSD. I would recommend stretching your budget to get 16GB of RAM if you can. The rest is just a mater of brand preference.

If you're located in the US, try going to a local Microsoft store. Laptops sold by Microsoft store won't have the bloatware typically installed in them. However, they might not have as many selections or items on sale. You may also look into Microsoft Surface lineup.

If you want great support, try looking into the business lineup from HP or Dell (go to their websites and pick business instead of consumer). They might not look as sleek, and might be more expensive, but they tend to be more reliable and the support seems to be better based on anecdotal info.
 
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Lenovo Thinkpads and HP Elitebooks are nice reliable business laptops. The X1 series in particular (Carbon and Extreme) is excellent. The T series is also good.
 
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Same vote, I'd go for any of:
- HP Spectre/Elitebook series
- Lenovo Thinkpad series
- Surface Laptops

I think all three series are great value, quite reliable and enjoyable to use, and have good business looks for the office
 
Financial use I'd put into "general computing", i.e., doesn't need any specialized hardware (ex: high end GPU), and you're probably not dealing with a high level of concurrence (i.e., running a bunch of high resource apps at the same time), it's a pretty easy purchase.

Not to bandwagon, but Lenovo is a solid choice (at from my direct experience with my daughter's machine), pretty easy, hit up Lenovo.com, notebooks, filter by $500-799, 13-14" display, assuming you don't want a touchscreen (but obv, adjust this as necessary), so Touch / No checked, and there you go. You can specify other things as well, 8GB and an SSD I'd consider a minimum, some kind of 10th Gen CPU (most new machines will be this anyway), extra bells and whistles vary over models (ex: fingerprint reader). You'll also notice that Lenovo specifies soldered RAM (or not), meaning you can't/can upgrade it after purchase.
 
As its for business I would opt for those that offer onsite support etc ie Dell/HP/Lenovo else MS surface

Remember excel is one of the few apps most people use on W10 that will actually use all your cores available. If your doing a lot of pivot tables and macros 16GB Ram is preferable
 
If turning coin, you want reliability and stability with a good service plan first and foremost. Once you start to make decent money, then you can opt for more interesting/powerful hardware. Personally I re-role gaming notebooks as Workstations, way cheaper and so far more performant. Clean install W10 and shut off the disco lights 😆

Any of the big brands will suffice as stated; Dell, Lenovo, Surface, even HP. If financially reliant ideally you want a backup system or at very least onsite coverage as downtime costs...

Q-6
 
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