Need a fast recommendation for a Windows laptop for friend (1 Viewer)

[DaveF]

A friend called asking for computer recommendation. Basically, he needs a MacBook Air bought at an Apple store, but online services he uses aren't always Apple compatible. So what laptop would be good, and where to buy it?

He wants to buy from a store with (inter)national presence. He's buying in San Diego; moving to Chicago; and will travel regularly to Moscow. He wants setup service to get the computer configured, with software installed and all the junkware removed.

He needs long battery life (international travel), fast, quick sleep/wake, and MS Office.

I told him to try Best Buy or a Microsoft Store, and get something with an SSD.


He also wants a tablet, for super long battery life, reading, videos. It would be optimal if it could read and edit PowerPoint files. It will be used for tabletop presentations to prospective investors. I told him the 10" iPad was the best choice, but I didn't know if it could do PowerPoints. (And I told him I couldn't recommend the current Android tablets based on battery life. But if he's not in a hurry, check in this Fall on tablet options.)

 

[Sam Posten]

...

 

[Stan]

...

Really Sam? That was so helpful.

Members of this forum are here to help each other and provide "useful" information.

... is meaningless.

 

[Sam Posten]

Dave knows what it means. He has described the exact customer who wants a Macbook air and an iPad made by anyone but Apple but which is just as good. Good luck with that.

So, why not recommend his friend just buy the damn Macbook Air and iPad? His friend isn't going to be happy with any other solution and any shortfalls if he DID buy those products would be Apple's fault for failing to do exactly what he wants.

 

[schan1269]

I use powerpoint on an IPad. I was wondering what the post even meant.

 

[Citizen87645]

I'm curious what online services are incompatible with Apple.

 

[Sam Posten]

Now you see why I put ...

It's a carnival of wtf...

 

[DaveF]

Dave knows what it means. He has described the exact customer who wants a Macbook air and an iPad made by anyone but Apple but which is just as good. Good luck with that. So, why not recommend his friend just buy the damn Macbook Air and iPad? His friend isn't going to be happy with any other solution and any shortfalls if he DID buy those products would be Apple's fault for failing to do exactly what he wants.

i immediately recommended a Mac; it fit his criteria perfectly (and his grown, techno-nerd kids also recommended a Mac)But he said some of his colleagues have Macs and a handful of professional websites don't work on them. And I believe it. My experience is that large companies hire incompetent web programmers that create websites that break if not loaded on the right specific version of IE. (I wasted an hour last month trying to get a corporate telecom site to show me slides. I finally found help docs saying Macs aren't supported. I had to load it on my wife's computer in Parallels. )So, he can't trust that he can get his business done online with a Mac. That's a killer. It's got to be a windows machine.So what to buy?The tablet, I think he'll get an iPad. What apps can display and edit PowerPoint? I told him that might be possible, but I don't know about MS Office on mobile.

 

[DaveF]

And no, I don't think recommending he buy a Mac, and run Windows in Parallels will fly.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Why not... if that's the only reason for him to consider Windoze?

_Man_

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I guess I'd most likely just go w/ a Dell XPS something Ultrabook, if I was in the market for something like that... Or maybe whatever IBM or Lenovo offers in that category now...
_Man_

 

[Sam Posten]

Macbook Air. Chrome and Firefox if Safari is not sufficient. And done.

 

[Sam Posten]

I guess I'd most likely just go w/ a Dell XPS something Ultrabook, if I was in the market for something like that... Or maybe whatever IBM or Lenovo offers in that category now...
_Man_

Sure if you don't mind the chinese spyware....

^^^ Implied smilie above.

 

[Citizen87645]

But he said some of his colleagues have Macs and a handful of professional websites don't work on them. And I believe it. My experience is that large companies hire incompetent web programmers that create websites that break if not loaded on the right specific version of IE. (I wasted an hour last month trying to get a corporate telecom site to show me slides. I finally found help docs saying Macs aren't supported. I had to load it on my wife's computer in Parallels. )

I know of what you speak as my wife's (global) company intranet is only fully functional with IE9. Her laptop was set to auto install updates and IE10 was one of them.

At work I also run into companies requiring IE, if not some older version of it.

 

[Sam Posten]

If all you need is IE then yeah, Parallels.

But I recommend you quit any company or service that only supports IE in 2013. Seriously, if they don't give a shit about their product why should you?

 

[Citizen87645]

Unfortunately, the ones who have to actually use the product from said companies aren't the ones making the purchasing decisions.

 

[Sam Posten]

Sounds like excuses to me, Cameron. =) Vote with your wallet, feet, paycheck.

I don't use services I don't trust. I don't accept that "we can't do that" is an acceptable excuse from my employer, my bank, my stores, my anything.

If they can't be bothered to keep up how can you even be sure they take your security, your private information seriously?

THAT is the problem with "write it for the web and forget it" mentality. Services are living breathing things. If you don't maintain them they WILL fail, in spectacular ways. Expecting your users to stay static because you are lazy is the first sign you should not be in business any more.

 

[Sam Posten]

Also "professional web sites don't work on a mac" is pure bs.

If you require a specific browser you are anything but professional.

If you think you need to stay on a PC to keep using the web you have been fooled by FUD.

 

[Sam Posten]

Also, to Cameron: If your company requires you to use a specific browser for THEIR FLIPPING INTRANET they should be providing you with a locked down laptop to access it.

Your company wants to dictate what browser you use but are too cheap to give you a $400 laptop? RUN. RUN FAR AND FAST.

 

[Citizen87645]

Also, to Cameron: If your company requires you to use a specific browser for THEIR FLIPPING INTRANET they should be providing you with a locked down laptop to access it.

Your company wants to dictate what browser you use but are too cheap to give you a $400 laptop? RUN. RUN FAR AND FAST.

Oh yes, I agree. She shouldn't be using her own machine to do company work.

I don't use services I don't trust. I don't accept that "we can't do that" is an acceptable excuse from my employer, my bank, my stores, my anything.

Practically speaking though, most people aren't going to leave their job because they are required to use IE.

I don't disagree with anything you've said, but I also recognize these are ideals of a maximizer (to draw in a topic from another thread) and at some point there needs to be compromise. Everyone is different on what and what level of compromise that should be.