Help selecting new laptop for girlfriend

[Stoffel]

Looking for some help buying a new laptop for my girlfriend.

 

Right now she is using a Surface 2, but the keyboard is broken and she wants something with better "lapablity"

She uses her tablet at the moment for browsing and some simple games like Candy Crush. But she will in the near future need to start using it for some light office work like excel, word and lots of outlook.

 

The main things i'm looking for are that the computer is light and has good battery life, oh and she wants a touch screen since she is used to that now from her surface.

 

So far what i have come up with are the ASUS Zenbook with the latest Core M3 processor or the ASUS Zenbook flip with the same processor.

For her use i think the M3 will be fine, and it gives better battery life compared to the iCore processors. I would also like to have as much new tech on it as possible, like Windows Hello compatible camera and/or finger print reader, one USB-C port on it,.....

 

In the end i hope not to spend more than about $850 on the device.

 

Does anybody have any experience with either of these devices, or do you have some other laptop i could have a look at. I'm not stuck on the ASUS Zenbook, it just looks like it has most of what i want for her.

 

The other thing i would like some advice on would be on where to buy it. My situation is a bit complicated though. I'm from Belgium, with a Belgium VISA card, live in Honduras, but want to order my laptop in the US. Don't worry about how i get it here, that's all sorted out, I have a shipping address in the US. Amazon works well for me because it will accept foreign cc. So any store that would accept foreign cc or paypal will work for me.

 

Hopefully i get some nice ideas from you guys about a new toy for the house

 

Thanks

[Stoffel]

Come on guys, this should be right up everybody's alley

Arguing about value specs/money

 

I coul really use some advice on this

[tsupersonic]

Why not just buy a new keyboard for the Surface 2? If it's still functional as a device and meets all her needs, that is the cheapest way...

[Pork Chopper]

I think she should give you a 'lap' dance first, :-)

[Stoffel]

1 hour ago, tsupersonic said:

Why not just buy a new keyboard for the Surface 2? If it's still functional as a device and meets all her needs, that is the cheapest way...

She would like something a bit more powerful and in classic laptop form so it is easier to work on in a variety of situations.

That's why i was looking into laptops with a Core M processor. They seem more powerful than the ATOM processors and still have good battery life

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

so what about some of the other specs? RAM? SSD? Minimum CPU? Screen size?

[Stoffel]

9 minutes ago, Jason S. said:

so what about some of the other specs? RAM? SSD? Minimum CPU? Screen size?

I'm looking for something with similar specs as the ASUS Zenbook, or better so

Latest Core M processor, 4/8GB RAM, 128/256GB SSD, screen no bigger than 14 inch, and touch. Doesn't need to have massively high resolution but at least 1080p

 

Most important are weight and battery life. So no more than 3.3lbs and at least 8-10 hours of battery life

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

ASUS ZenBook UX305CA or UX303UA

 

 

[Stoffel]

Just now, Jason S. said:

ASUS ZenBook UX305CA or UX303UA

 

 

I looked at both. other than the CPU there is no real difference between the two it looks like.

 

I was hoping somebody here had some experience with one of these new Core M processors. I think it should be enough for browsing and light office work.

The core M one is also a bit lighter and gets better battery life.

 

I was also looking at the Zenbook flip, just because it comes with newer features like a USB-C port and i believe a Windows Hello compatible camera

[Mockingbird]

Asus Transformer Book T300 Chi

 

It's like a Surface Pro N, but with better lapablity.

 

[Draconian Guppy]

15 hours ago, Stoffel said:

 

 

The other thing i would like some advice on would be on where to buy it. My situation is a bit complicated though. I'm from Belgium, with a Belgium VISA card, live in Honduras, but want to order my laptop in the US. Don't worry about how i get it here, that's all sorted out, I have a shipping address in the US. Amazon works well for me because it will accept foreign cc. So any store that would accept foreign cc or paypal will work for me.

 

Hopefully i get some nice ideas from you guys about a new toy for the house

 

Thanks

How do you you ship it To Jandooraz?

 

 

+1 on asus.

[Stoffel]

1 minute ago, Draconian Guppy said:

How do you you ship it To Jandooraz?

 

 

+1 on asus.

3 different options.

 

* If you are lucky somebody brings it over that is coming this way

* Freight boat, takes 5 weeks but not to expensive, I use Fernandez Express

* Flight, more expensive but quicker 4/5 days. About $3/lb. For that i use servilogistics.

[Draconian Guppy]

21 minutes ago, Stoffel said:

3 different options.

 

* If you are lucky somebody brings it over that is coming this way

* Freight boat, takes 5 weeks but not to expensive, I use Fernandez Express

* Flight, more expensive but quicker 4/5 days. About $3/lb. For that i use servilogistics.

Have links?

I used to use https://www.rapidocargo.hn/  but they just decided now to comply with regulation (or charge more just because) it used to be, I could order to their us address, then they would charge me around $5 per pound 3-4 days.  Just yesterday they decided it is now, applicable tax + freight charge + insurance, so a $100 package, could potentially turn into $150, which defeats the purpose of couriers... 

 

 

Sorry for threadhacking.

 

I've used asus products before, have sent products under warranty from Honduras and they've honored. Not to mention, some products have included drop protection for one year.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

58 minutes ago, Draconian Guppy said:

How do you you ship it To Jandooraz?

what does that mean?

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

1 hour ago, Stoffel said:

I looked at both. other than the CPU there is no real difference between the two it looks like.

 

I was hoping somebody here had some experience with one of these new Core M processors. I think it should be enough for browsing and light office work.

The core M one is also a bit lighter and gets better battery life.

i dont think you'll have any performance issues w/ a Core M for browsing and office work.

[greenwizard88]

Personally, I'm a fan of the Dell XPS 13 lineup. She'll pay more for the touchscreen version, but it's a superb computer by any measure.

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

if i were using my harsh american accent, i'd pronounce it "hon-derr-is". however, im Gringo Exhibit A b/c my wife is Colombian, so i really try to emphasize a semi-colombian accent when i speak spanish.

[Stoffel]

 

4 minutes ago, greenwizard88 said:

Personally, I'm a fan of the Dell XPS 13 lineup. She'll pay more for the touchscreen version, but it's a superb computer by any measure.

I looked into that one, and yes it looks really nice but with a touch screen it's a bit out of our price range at the moment

 

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

5 minutes ago, greenwizard88 said:

Personally, I'm a fan of the Dell XPS 13 lineup. She'll pay more for the touchscreen version, but it's a superb computer by any measure.

in order to get the touch version, though, that'd double what the OP wants to spend. OP is looking for ~$850, and that Dell w/ the touch is $1500+. that said, i love Dell laptops. ive used quite a few over the years.

[Draconian Guppy]

3 minutes ago, Jason S. said:

if i were using my harsh american accent, i'd pronounce it "hon-derr-is". however, im Gringo Exhibit A b/c my wife is Colombian, so i really try to emphasize a semi-colombian accent when i speak spanish.

  I just love people mixing up languages.

Like when you hear an italian speak english, they have that funny  (in a fun way) accent.  (not that weird newyorker way)..

 

oooh and russian women  speaking english

 

kkk /threadhacking.

[T3X4S]

mac

There I said it

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

2 minutes ago, T3X4S said:

mac

There I said it

for $850?

 

what, did it fall off a truck?

[Cnónna]

buy 5 of your preferred top picks, and throw them up in the air.

 

which ever ones land face down you discard,repeat till you have only one left

[T3X4S]

13 minutes ago, Jason S. said:

for $850?

 

what, did it fall off a truck?

Oh, didnt see that part... well - maybe its just 4 years old

 

[TAZMINATOR]

4 minutes ago, Jason S. said:

for $850?

 

what, did it fall off a truck?

Used Mac can be sold for about that much or less if you looked at the right places. I am sure new ones are somewhere for less than that if you looked harder.

 

If it was me, i'd get a Mac and rip the RAM sticks out and put new ones in... and put a new SSD in..

 

Otherwise, I get a new Mac for thousands dollars.

 

FYI, New MacBook Air is being sold for $900 with default options. If options changed, the price will be increased based on the options chosen.