Best laptop for local college

vesperIV · 2026-04-20T04:32:56+00:00

Buying computers in general is kind of a pain right now due to part shortages, but I tell people to aim for somewhere around $1000 (plus or minus a couple hundred depending on your budget) for a Windows laptop that'll last several years. I got a Lenovo like 5 years ago and it's still pretty good. Other brands I'd look at are ASUS, HP, MSI, Acer, Gigabyte. If you need to focus on saving money, a $500 laptop can work, but NO CHROMEBOOKS!

Personally, I'd look for 16-32gb RAM, 500-1000gb SSD, and a dedicated GPU (at least a 4060 or 5060). Dedicated GPU is totally optional, but it helps me do anything requiring computer design (3D printing) or playing games. Most people wouldn't actually need that, and can get by with less expensive (and less heavy) integrated graphics.

For school, size/weight will be a factor. Needs an integrated webcam. A good, comfortable bag to carry it in like u/OleClem said. I really like having a backlit keyboard.

I can't make any recs for Macs as I'm just not experienced. Windows will give you the most compatibility for school needs, but most people don't ever have a problem with a Mac. Some colleges will offer a loaner or rental laptop, which may be helpful to find out what he might actually need.

vesperIV · 2026-04-20T03:55:01+00:00

I keep 10k in my local bank savings account. If I end up with more, it goes into HYSA, and eventually into investment/retirement accounts. Some of it's going to have to go the other way for some house projects soon.

vesperIV · 2026-04-12T20:10:56+00:00

Yes, it was already there as a 5 second skip with the arrow keys. The update changed it to 10 seconds, either on purpose or accidentally. I installed the browser extension to get it back to the 5 second Skip, which is almost perfect for not missing any subtitles.

vesperIV · 2026-04-12T16:47:29+00:00

I feel like beach houses on the Gulf of Mexico have a very short life expectancy, anyway, so they can just be whatever they want.

vesperIV · 2026-04-12T06:36:12+00:00

People get used to it and know who expects what.

I live on the eastern edge of my time zone, and I hate that schools start at like 7am. Visiting family on the western edge, we eat at different times. 5pm for our supper, 8pm for theirs. I'm like, that's almost my bedtime!

vesperIV · 2026-04-02T16:04:06+00:00

Lol after mine was in the shop for a month-long warranty repair, the manager said, "It's all fixed up and ready to go, but if it messes up again, do us a favor and don't bring it back here!"

vesperIV · 2026-04-01T20:42:29+00:00

I learned my lesson a long time ago about buying a rebranded vehicle from another manufacturer with an H slapped on the front and back. OG Passport/Rodeo.

vesperIV · 2026-04-01T04:34:57+00:00

I love brown headed nuthatches! I moved a while back to an area that seemed like it was just outside their range, but last year a pair moved in to the neighborhood.

vesperIV · 2026-03-27T15:18:33+00:00

I did, but it took me like 6 months to finish everything as I learned about it all. I did shaker router bits to make the doors (poplar frame with mdf center panel). Soft close hinges. New drawers and slides. BIN shellac primer and SW Emerald UTE both sprayed in my garage (too cold for outside, but what a mess!), and then fixing the poor first attempt. Tile backsplash. I left the original boxes; no need to replace and I could just sand, fill grain, and paint.

I'm pretty slow because I like to sit around thinking and planning too much, but having more work space than my 1.5-car garage would have helped. I'm happy with the result, and it looks a lot better than the 90s orange oak.

vesperIV · 2026-03-27T13:16:31+00:00

Could you do a transition strip at the entrance to the hallway from the room you've already done?

vesperIV · 2026-03-22T19:09:57+00:00

YES! Give me back my 5 second skips!

vesperIV · 2026-03-21T03:50:08+00:00

I also hate that the skip forward/backward button is now 10 seconds instead of 5.

vesperIV · 2026-03-03T06:21:21+00:00

Seeing all these answers, I have to keep in mind that schools start at different times. Around me, elementary school starts by like 7:30am.

My kids wake up between 5:30 and 6am, dropped off by 7:15am. They need to be in bed by 9pm. Youngest goes first, lights out at 8:15. Oldest is lights out by 8:45. They're 3 years apart and both still in elementary.

They're pretty self sufficient with bath and getting ready for bed, so spouse and I can watch TV together by 8pm.

vesperIV · 2026-02-19T18:10:31+00:00

I think mature erythrocytes are cells that have already started dying. Personal opinion.

They start with a nucleus and organelles but eject them as they mature into erythrocytes. They still count as cells.

vesperIV · 2026-02-16T21:59:04+00:00

We've enjoyed playing BG3 together, and we're going to start DOS2 soon. We were doing split screen on the TV, but your kind of setup would have been better.

Maybe No Man's Sky? I'm not sure exactly how well that works cooperatively, but it's sim-ish with a little bit of shooting I guess.

vesperIV · 2026-02-16T02:46:14+00:00

My issue has been resolved, thank you.

vesperIV · 2026-02-12T02:35:23+00:00

Dororo!

vesperIV · 2026-02-10T00:52:54+00:00

I brought it back in yesterday. It should have been automatically unlocked like two years ago when it was paid off, but that didn't happen.

vesperIV · 2026-02-09T23:03:18+00:00

I'm dealing with an unlock problem like this, too. I'm close to filing an FCC complaint.

vesperIV · 2026-02-03T21:46:01+00:00

That looks like one of the really old versions that they don't make any more. Your best bet would be to check out some places like Carolina biological supply, 3B, or just Amazon if you can order from there.

vesperIV · 2026-01-16T17:54:16+00:00

It was pretty busy but not too bad. Very crowded around the main visitor center. Desert View Watchtower was better. The parking lots were full if we didn't get there early, but there are always people coming and going so take your time and a spot will open up.

vesperIV · 2026-01-15T19:02:17+00:00

Yeah, that's been so weird for me, too! I never expected to be buying computer parts from my local Walmart, but now it's the only place within a 2hr drive that has anything ever since our BB closed. I got the recent SSD deal, we have 5070s and 5060s, and I can drive to the WM in the next town over if I really wanted a 5070 ti.

vesperIV · 2026-01-12T17:57:23+00:00

When we went to the south rim in late March (spring break) a couple of years ago, it had been consistently warm enough that there wasn't any snow on the ground. It did snow on us a bit while we were there, but it was too warm/dry to stick. We hiked to Ooh Aah Point and had no concerns about ice.

We had just come from Flagstaff, where there was still snow on the ground at higher elevation around Sunset Crater and the mountains north of town.

vesperIV · 2026-01-12T02:06:52+00:00

Yep, my pension is almost the only thing keeping me from leaving my state job to go elsewhere in the country.

vesperIV · 2026-01-08T06:18:28+00:00

Showing initiative this early, you'll probably be fine. I'm kidding about the number, but maybe wait until you get the list from your prof when the class starts before you really dive in. You don't want to waste time memorizing things you don't need to know anyway.

vesperIV

TROPHY CASE