Computers & Electronics

Best Laptop for Mother for ~$500 ???

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  • Mar 31st, 2017 1:16 pm
Deal Addict
May 13, 2015
1426 posts
1989 upvotes
Dartmouth, NS

Best Laptop for Mother for ~$500 ???

My mother wants to buy a new laptop. She just uses it mainly for e-mailing and using the internet. She might watch Netflix on it, but that's about it.

She wants one with Windows 10. She is fine with a 15.6" monitor, but bigger would be better. She is looking to spend around $500.

Currently considering these two:

https://www.amazon.ca/Asus-F556UA-AB32- ... b_title_ce

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/hp- ... ageIndex=1

I'm leaning towards telling her to go with BestBuy just because she can return it in 14 days without any hassles if she doesn't like it and I think she can just take it back into the store within a year if there's a problem. Whereas if she has problems with something she ordered from amazon, you've got to mail things off and whatnot. The laptop from BestBuy seems better in almost every respect except for the lack of 1080p.

We're in Mississauga if that makes any difference. Open to other suggestions around the $500 price point. Thanks!
23 replies
Deal Addict
Dec 22, 2008
2162 posts
965 upvotes
Victoria
Microsoft Store usually has good deals on a dell unit for about that price.
Deal Expert
Mar 23, 2004
35606 posts
18999 upvotes
will888 wrote: Go for this deal. It's a bit above the price target, but not that much. Microsoft offers a much more pleasant shopping experience than Bestbuy. You won't get talked into buying $500 worth of software that you can get online for free.

microsoft-store-dell-inspiron-15-2-1-i7 ... 0-2087941/
-i7? Check. (It's still a DC CPU, like most laptops though.)
-Touchscreen? Check.
-2-in-1/tablet functionality? Check.
-SSD? No? WTF are these companies still thinking in this day and age?!?

Seriously the 6500U itself, due to the silly i7 branding, is like $500 MSRP by itself. They go and they put that nonsense in there where a significantly cheaper 6200U would probably do just fine, and not bother with an SSD :rolleyes: Would honestly take a 5200U + SSD over the 6500U and no SSD, any day. It's incredible these OEM systems (and basically all laptops fall in that category) are still doing this crap in 2017. Ignore one of the most significant real-world performance-increasing items of the past decade, but make sure it says "i7" on it 'cause ppl will buy it up, no doubt :facepalm:
Deal Addict
May 13, 2015
1426 posts
1989 upvotes
Dartmouth, NS
will888 wrote: Go for this deal. It's a bit above the price target, but not that much. Microsoft offers a much more pleasant shopping experience than Bestbuy. You won't get talked into buying $500 worth of software that you can get online for free.

microsoft-store-dell-inspiron-15-2-1-i7 ... 0-2087941/
thanks. that looks like a good deal. though maybe a little too good of a deal... seems to be all sold out!
Deal Expert
User avatar
Dec 12, 2009
29538 posts
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ES_Revenge wrote: -i7? Check. (It's still a DC CPU, like most laptops though.)
-Touchscreen? Check.
-2-in-1/tablet functionality? Check.
-SSD? No? WTF are these companies still thinking in this day and age?!?

Seriously the 6500U itself, due to the silly i7 branding, is like $500 MSRP by itself. They go and they put that nonsense in there where a significantly cheaper 6200U would probably do just fine, and not bother with an SSD :rolleyes: Would honestly take a 5200U + SSD over the 6500U and no SSD, any day. It's incredible these OEM systems (and basically all laptops fall in that category) are still doing this crap in 2017. Ignore one of the most significant real-world performance-increasing items of the past decade, but make sure it says "i7" on it 'cause ppl will buy it up, no doubt :facepalm:
It's a race to the bottom with pc makers. It's sound so impressive to put a 2 tb HDD into a laptop. I would settle for 120 gig SSD instead.
Jr. Member
Oct 28, 2016
117 posts
20 upvotes
Why do you need bigger screen? I think 15.6' is perfect size. If you go for larger screen with this budget, you will not get better screen resolution. I am HP user and have been using for more than six years. So, I suggest you to go for HP.
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Jun 27, 2004
15215 posts
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Vancouver.bc.ca
will888 wrote: It's a race to the bottom with pc makers. It's sound so impressive to put a 2 tb HDD into a laptop. I would settle for 120 gig SSD instead.
I would prefer a 2TB 2.5" drive (which would cost more than a 120GB SDD), then throw in an M.2 myself.
Deal Expert
Mar 23, 2004
35606 posts
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rabbit wrote: I would prefer a 2TB 2.5" drive (which would cost more than a 120GB SDD), then throw in an M.2 myself.
Which is all fine and dandy, but you're forgetting that most people that walk into a store and buy a laptop, don't do this. They just buy what they're sold and use it. And what they're being sold comes with a significant performance hit by using only a mechanical drive. Someone thinks they're getting something awesome with a "6th gen i7" and ends up with something that might end up looking/feeling slow against a years-old Sandy Bridge laptop with an SSD :rolleyes: It's utterly stupid IMO.

For example I seriously doubt OP's mom is going to "throw in an m.2 herself" or even notice a damn of difference between the few hundred Mhz the 6500U gives over a 6200U. However I'm pretty sure they'd definitely notice the difference between a crappy laptop HDD and even a low end SSD.
Banned
May 17, 2005
4845 posts
661 upvotes
i3 and 4GB ram should be OK for your mom (Netflix, email etc.) so I would not spend more $ on those (spend more $ on quality screen) ... also about SSD they are great but w10 is much faster then w7 and regular HDD is not going to be a deal breaker for her IMHO (I have personal experience with w7 & w10 on laptops with HHD & SSD) ... she may prefer 1TB HDD over 120GB SSD ...
Deal Addict
May 13, 2015
1426 posts
1989 upvotes
Dartmouth, NS
thanks for the help everyone. still on the lookout for a good deal.

she was going to get that Dell from the Microsoft Store but it's sold out.

So at this point, ideally she wants a 1080p display, 15.6" display size... 4 gigs of ram is probably fine... the i3 is probably fine. SSD would be preferable, but not a deal breaker. She doesn't need a lot of hard drive space. The convertible 2-in-1 where the laptop folds into a tent/tablet with touchscreen would be a nice bonus, but also not a deal breaker.
Banned
May 17, 2005
4845 posts
661 upvotes
BillyBill wrote: thanks for the help everyone. still on the lookout for a good deal.

she was going to get that Dell from the Microsoft Store but it's sold out.

So at this point, ideally she wants a 1080p display, 15.6" display size... 4 gigs of ram is probably fine... the i3 is probably fine. SSD would be preferable, but not a deal breaker. She doesn't need a lot of hard drive space. The convertible 2-in-1 where the laptop folds into a tent/tablet with touchscreen would be a nice bonus, but also not a deal breaker.
that "tent" could be useful for Netflix, also screen/picture quality, brightness etc. (as it looks she is going to mostly stare it - Netflix)
Deal Expert
Dec 26, 2010
25986 posts
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Dieagosilva wrote: Why do you need bigger screen? I think 15.6' is perfect size. If you go for larger screen with this budget, you will not get better screen resolution. I am HP user and have been using for more than six years. So, I suggest you to go for HP.
I bought a 15" Asus 5 years ago but the screen size for some of us older folks is just too tiny. I managed to snag a 23" monitor from a Target clearance sale and that's what I use as my viewing screen. Even with my glasses on 15" is way too small...
Deal Addict
May 13, 2015
1426 posts
1989 upvotes
Dartmouth, NS
lubmar wrote: that "tent" could be useful for Netflix, also screen/picture quality, brightness etc. (as it looks she is going to mostly stare it - Netflix)
Ya. I don't think she wanted that feature initially, but now that she saw the pictures of the different configurations and how it can basically double as a tablet... it's probably worth an extra $200 for that feature.

screen/picture quality, brightness would also be important.
Banned
May 17, 2005
4845 posts
661 upvotes
take her to Microsoft store and let her "play" ... or maybe not ... she may like a big $ lapy ...
Deal Expert
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Jun 27, 2004
15215 posts
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Vancouver.bc.ca
ES_Revenge wrote: Which is all fine and dandy, but you're forgetting that most people that walk into a store and buy a laptop, don't do this.
True, but most people prefer storage capacity and waiting a few seconds. In any case, people looking for performance can find notebooks with SSD options. (This isn't Apple we're talking about here, where it's their way or the highway. You want a notebook with SSD, then go buy one with an SSD.) Mainstreamer models, such as what you find in Best Buy, are better off with HDD, in my opinion. I'm sure parents with multiple kids don't want to buy notebooks with SSD, and then having to buy external HDDs when the kids run out of space, which you know is going to happen.

Anyways, debating is pointless, since I would assume that companies know what sells better than we do (and also that you can buy notebooks with SSDs ;-) ). It's like back when AMD CPUs were competitive, and people here were wondering why Dell didn't offer them. Talking to a friend who did corporate sales for Dell, he stated simply that people didn't want them.
Sr. Member
Sep 4, 2016
680 posts
338 upvotes
How about this older 17.3" Lenovo from Best Buy for $549?
Deal Fanatic
Dec 29, 2005
5738 posts
1457 upvotes
ES_Revenge wrote: -i7? Check. (It's still a DC CPU, like most laptops though.)
-Touchscreen? Check.
-2-in-1/tablet functionality? Check.
-SSD? No? WTF are these companies still thinking in this day and age?!?

Seriously the 6500U itself, due to the silly i7 branding, is like $500 MSRP by itself. They go and they put that nonsense in there where a significantly cheaper 6200U would probably do just fine, and not bother with an SSD :rolleyes: Would honestly take a 5200U + SSD over the 6500U and no SSD, any day. It's incredible these OEM systems (and basically all laptops fall in that category) are still doing this crap in 2017. Ignore one of the most significant real-world performance-increasing items of the past decade, but make sure it says "i7" on it 'cause ppl will buy it up, no doubt :facepalm:
I know what you're saying, but it is easier to upgrade a hard drive to SSD, than upgrade the CPU (which in 99% of the cases is impossble as most are soldered to the motherboard these days).
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Sr. Member
Jan 16, 2005
797 posts
303 upvotes
Because her needs are basic, don't rule out a Chromebook.
Newbie
Mar 29, 2017
0 posts
Asus VivoBook E403SA will be the winning choice with 14inch display and 4GB DDR3 RAM. Definitely mom is not going to play "Far Cry" or "No Man Sky" Smiling Face With Open Mouth . That's why I think this one is best.

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