new computer purchase

[larry_montreal]

hey guys...so i'm not very techy and might have to get a new computer (laptop). Trouble is I don't really know the conversation I have to have with the salesperson. I know that I need lots of memory (Ram), but my question is about internet speed. I like to watch videos...youtube, pornhub, etc, so is there a processing speed I should mention to the computer guys? Any info much appreciated. thanks.

[+ oldNbusted]

Have you considered a tablet, like a (non pro) iPad? If you have someone who would act as your ad hoc technical support, you should go with what they can be most helpful with, but since you are asking here, it may be the case you don't know anyone like that.

[+ not2rowdy]

It sounds like you have very basic requirements.

 

“Internet Speed” has little correlation with your computer “Processing Speed” requirements.

 

Although highly simplified a very, very high quality 4K video, at 60 frames per second, runs around 1GB/sec. You are unlikely to find such a high quality video source from any of your listed sources. It is more likely that you will pulling video at rates far under 100MB/sec. A lot of internet connections stream “HD quality” at under 10MB/second. Here’s some math:

 

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?70671-4K-RAW-data-rates

 

Now most computer processors operate well above 1000MB/sec (1GB/s) and also have multiple “cores” (2 or more) doing that processing.

 

Bottom line is that your chosen COMPUTER will have the “Processing Speed”, probably by a factor of 100+, to handle streaming video from your internet sources. Now whether you have the iINTERNET CONNECTION speed to support your needs is a separate matter entirely.

 

Here’s a website that might help with your computer choice:

 

https://www.laptopmag.com/reviews/best-laptops-1

[+ nycman]

I abandoned my laptop in favor of a tablet a few years ago.

 

I never looked back.

 

Unless you need a laptop for work (e.g. lots of typing) I don’t see the point.

Even then, I’d just get a detachable keyboard and mouse for my tablet

and use them as needed.

 

Laptops have essentially become useless in my world.

[KeepItReal]

hey guys...so i'm not very techy and might have to get a new computer (laptop). Trouble is I don't really know the conversation I have to have with the salesperson. I know that I need lots of memory (Ram), but my question is about internet speed. I like to watch videos...youtube, pornhub, etc, so is there a processing speed I should mention to the computer guys? Any info much appreciated. thanks.

There is a decision tree on this website that will help you decide which type of laptop you need/want. https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-laptops/

The article is also very helpful - they make specific recommendations. I would be less worried about the technical specs, but if that matters to you, take a look here:

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/configure-next-laptop

Wirecutter is my go-to review website, everything from condoms to TVs! :-)

[instudiocity]

There is a decision tree on this website that will help you decide which type of laptop you need/want. https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-laptops/

The article is also very helpful - they make specific recommendations. I would be less worried about the technical specs, but if that matters to you, take a look here:

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/configure-next-laptop

Wirecutter is my go-to review website, everything from condoms to TVs!

Good info here, but I would stay the hell away from Google Chromebook and Google's Chrome web browser.

https://www.siliconvalley.com/2019/06/21/google-chrome-has-become-surveillance-software-its-time-to-switch/

Google/Alphabet should change it's name to Monetize/Advertise EVERYONE/EVERYWHERE

[Guest LeonTrotsky]

would you consider buying a mac? i have used one since my last Dell/Windows computer crashed and burned and I have been happy ever since I made that switch.... (well, at least happy about my computer, haha)

[larry_montreal]

Wow!...thanks so much to all of you...time to do a little reading!

[rvwnsd]

would you consider buying a mac? i have used one since my last Dell/Windows computer crashed and burned and I have been happy ever since I made that switch.... (well, at least happy about my computer, haha)

A word of caution about the newer Macbooks - think twice before you buy one. I bought a Macbook Air in 2013. Loved it. In 2018 my desktop broke when it tipped over and I decided to replace it with a Macbook Pro. Terrible mistake. The keys are funky and have a tendency to stick. After a year the battery life deteriorated to about two - three hours max on a charge. It constantly froze when doing simple tasks like saving a picture or reading email. Each time Apple released an upgrade the computer seemed to perform worse. Finally, I bought an HP Spectre 360x and love it.

[+ oldNbusted]

.. a Macbook Pro. Terrible mistake. The keys are funky and have a tendency to stick.

 

The obsession with thin, a feature no one was asking for on the pro side, has crippled the keyboards since 2016. The guy who was driving this is leaving the company, so hopefully it will get fixed. I am overdue for a refresh, but not happening until they get this sorted.

[+ oldNbusted]

Just saw this:

 

[rvwnsd]

The obsession with thin, a feature no one was asking for on the pro side, has crippled the keyboards since 2016. The guy who was driving this is leaving the company, so hopefully it will get fixed. I am overdue for a refresh, but not happening until they get this sorted.

True that! Then there's the touch bar. Another feature nobody asked for.

 

The root of all this is computers have come a long way and aside from better, more powerful chips (which Apple does not make standard in their computers) there's not a whole lot of innovation to be done. So Apple did dumb things. Like the keyboard nonsense. Oh, and the new touchpads that you have to strike hard to do something. Meanwhile, on my new HP I can touch the touchpad, nit hit it with a mallet. (OK, I am exaggerating - but it's fun!)

 

I've tried using my iPad (which I REALLY like) as a laptop replacement. It was OK for a few days, but it just wasn't the same. Problem is many sites that have a mobile and desktop site recognize it as a mobile device and serve up the mobile version of a website. That might be addressed with the iPad-centric OS.

[Guest europeanman]

The obsession with thin, a feature no one was asking for on the pro side, has crippled the keyboards since 2016. The guy who was driving this is leaving the company, so hopefully it will get fixed. I am overdue for a refresh, but not happening until they get this sorted.

The obsession with thin and the guy who was driving this, transformed macs to works of art, design icons and objects of desire. I understand that these are unknown words for some engineers. I enjoy equally my mac when I use it and when I just watch it sitting on my desk. I would never go back to an ugly thick PC.

[Guest europeanman]

The obsession with thin and the guy who was driving this, transformed macs to works of art, design icons and objects of desire. I understand that these are unknown words for some engineers. I enjoy equally my mac when I use it and when I just watch it sitting on my desk. I would never go back to an ugly thick PC.

@oldNbusted You find this insulting? Gosh you are sensitive.

[rvwnsd]

The obsession with thin and the guy who was driving this, transformed macs to works of art, design icons and objects of desire....

Until the keyboard stops working due to the design flaw that Apple refused to address until after the third class-action lawsuit was filed.

 

They were great computers prior to about 2014/2015. Now, not so much.

[+ Funguy]

Apple now covers the keypad under warranty.

My MacBook Pro is 8 years old and just beginning to act funky so I decided to get a new iMac with 27" monitor - all I can say is wow (esp for porn!). I got it now because BEST BUY had a sale $350 off and it's much cheaper than a new Macbook Pro and no prob with the keyboard. Love the new touchpad instead of the mouse too. Overall, VERY happy with it.

I've kept the Macbook for when I have to take it to work, etc and when it goes - bye. The other thing I've done with my Macbook is to clean it out every few months so there are no unwanted programs running, esp in background.

[Guest europeanman]

@azdr0710 @oldNbusted so you find my comment on macs insulting??? You guys are really special. Do something about it.

 

Personal attacks were removed by an Administrator.

Edited July 1, 2019 by Cooper

[jayjaycali]

Most anything you're getting these days will be fine for video. Have a look over what's available, think about screen size and overall quality of the machine and find one you like. Consider the weight also if you plan to bring it around. If you do plan to use it on battery it could be worth checking reviews about battery life for it.

[rvwnsd]

Apple now covers the keypad under warranty....

 

Class-action lawsuits have a way of prompting change.

 

... iMac with 27" monitor - all I can say is wow (esp for porn!)...

I LOVED my iMac right up to the day when it fell over as I was moving it and the screen shattered. Having purchased it from Apple before the AppleCare warranty covered accidental damage, I was looking at a $1,200 repair bill. That's when I bought the MacBook Pro. Should have repaired the iMac.

 

...I got it now because BEST BUY had a sale... /QUOTE]

Had I bought my iMac at BestBuy and bought THEIR warranty the damage to the iMac would have been covered under the extended warranty. But no - I bought from the Apple store. Live and learn.

 

PS: I watch porn on my 60" TV using Apple TV. OMG!!!

[+ oldNbusted]

Apple now covers the keypad under warranty.

 

Not to be pedantic, but defective keyboards were always covered under warranty. The issue is the standard warranty is only one year, much too short a timeframe for an essential component of a very expensive device. So that made the extended warranty a mandatory purchase, pushing the price premium even higher. It's estimated that some 80% of all Macs sold are laptops.

 

What Apply announced was a repair extension program where they will repair a specific component of the units covered in the program, regardless of the warranty status of the device.

 

https://support.apple.com/keyboard-service-program-for-mac-notebooks

 

They even had to add the current generation of MacBook Pro laptops, that contain the 3rd revision of the failed keyboard design (which is estimated to still fail at a rate more than double the previous scissor keyboard design), likely because the amount of justified negative coverage was beginning to depress sales. This is a staggering admission, effectively "We know the current model is defective, just buy it and we will take care of you." Keep in mind, Apple has almost 100% visibility into the repairs needed by all their equipment, regardless of age.

 

Based on the rest of your post, it appears you never bought a computer with the defective butterfly keyboard design (they are listed in the Apple article I linked), so avoided the issue, which I'm glad, no one should have to live with a failed design. A coworker has one and said it induced rage every time he had to use the builtin keyboard, until Apple repaired it. The amazing part is this has been going on for 4 years, when the MacBook was refreshed in 2015.

 

 

Until the keyboard stops working due to the design flaw that Apple refused to address until after the third class-action lawsuit was filed.

 

They were great computers prior to about 2014/2015. Now, not so much.

 

Good news is in the last day, a reliable source is reporting that Apple is giving up on the new butterfly keyboard design and will be reverting to a more traditional scissor design as they refresh each model, starting with the MacBook Air refresh coming this Fall.

 

Just before this news came down the wire, I was seriously considering buying a MacBook Pro from mid-2015, the last generation before the butterfly keyboard debacle, and hoping it would get me through until Apple got this sorted out. Obviously Apple gets almost no money from these sales of old used units, so it makes sense if they really move forward with this.

[rvwnsd]

Not to be pedantic, but defective keyboards were always covered under warranty...

The problem was Apple refused to admit the keyboards were defective.

 

Good news that they are going back to the old-style keyboards.

[+ tassojunior]

I have 2 of everything but it's surprising what my go-to is. I connected a cheap computer to my 65" tv/monitor, sit on my sofa with the wireless keyboard and mouse and do little else all day. I had just bought a new all-in-one which sits on the desk never used. Once you get used to 65" from the sofa it's really, really hard to go back (I'm only about 7 feet from the monitor.) . And it's cheap since you already have the tv.

[+ oldNbusted]

The problem was Apple refused to admit the keyboards were defective.

 

Would you clarify what you mean? Because it sounds like you are saying Apple refused to repair malfunctioning keyboards that were under warranty, which I am not aware of as an issue.

[instudiocity]

https://support.apple.com/keyboard-service-program-for-mac-notebooks

 

Additional lnformation

This worldwide Apple program does not extend the standard warranty coverage of your Mac notebook.

If you believe your Mac notebook was affected by this issue, and you paid to have your keyboard repaired, you can contact Apple about a refund.

The program covers eligible MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models for 4 years after the first retail sale of the unit.

[rvwnsd]

Would you clarify what you mean? Because it sounds like you are saying Apple refused to repair malfunctioning keyboards that were under warranty, which I am not aware of as an issue.

Apple refused to acknowledge that the keyboard design or a design defect caused the keyboards to stick and would charge the customer hundreds of dollars to replace the keyboard. Here's an excerpt from an article that appeared on SlashGear:

 

"...Different strokes for different folks

Were it just a matter of personal taste, the butterfly keyboard probably wouldn’t have so many detractors. Unfortunately, along with that frustration came some reliability concerns. Reports of sticky keys, keys that wouldn’t respond to presses, or keys that produced multiple letters even though only tapped once began to circulate.

 

The nature of the new mechanism, though, meant that fixing those issues was tougher than with most notebook keyboards. Unlike the old scissor keys, the butterfly mechanism couldn’t be easily pried up so that dust, trumps, and other detritus could be cleaned out. Trying to do so, indeed, could leave you with a completely broken key.

 

Apple’s advice was the judicious application of some compressed air, but even that wasn’t enough in many cases. Worse still, the company refused to acknowledge any part its design might have played in its temperamental ‘boards. Repairs could escalate to the hundreds of dollars, because the whole keyboard assembly needed to be replaced..."

 

I call that "where bad design meets hubris."