Looking to Buy a Laptop

[Sirius]

Does anyone have suggestions for a decent laptop?

MacBook Pro M5

 

[RedFox]

If you want reliability with laptops, the general option for non technical users is business laptops. They are designed to last longer than general consumer laptops.
Dell precision for example. Certain older Lenovos.

I follow people who make a living repairing and refurbishing different tech on YouTube.

MacBooks can be good - but you will need to research them. Also don’t expect the newer models to be repairable. Apple deliberately designed the newer versions to not be cheaply/easily repaired. Data recovery for certain models is impossible too - so always backup everything.
Also don’t spill anything on the keyboard - they still have a design flaw that means you’ll fry the whole system if you do.
Versions with a Touch Bar above the keyboard will also have this fail eventually, rendering the entire system unusable.

 

[Magnolia]

I've used a MacBook Air M2

Go with the base 256 model

Both of these sound really good. BestBuy (not my favorite place, but it has everything electronic) has a MacBook Air 13 inch, M2 chip built for apple intelligence, 16GB mem, 256 SSD on sale for $650. I really like the idea of an "older" model. Anything "new" today often means higher speed but lower quality and a more invasive presence, regardless how packed and fancy the underlying technology is. Plus it's a good price.

The Amazon 15" with 256 instead of 512 SSD ($950) and saving a few hundred $$ also seems like the right thing, and that provides the bigger (15") screen.

I looked briefly into the Mac chips. I see where each new one offers enhancements. From my perspective though, the only advantage I can see to the M4 chip over the M2 is it supports 2 displays. I didn't even think about that till KJS mentioned it. I recently got my amateur radio license, and many of operators use multiple screens because radio is all linked with computers now. So that could be a handy feature.

The M5 chip "Built for AI. From the silicon up." worries me.

 

[Sirius]

Both of these sound really good. BestBuy (not my favorite place, but it has everything electronic) has a MacBook Air 13 inch, M2 chip built for apple intelligence, 16GB mem, 256 SSD on sale for $650. I really like the idea of an "older" model. Anything "new" today often means higher speed but lower quality and a more invasive presence, regardless how packed and fancy the underlying technology is. Plus it's a good price.

I would stay away from the Airs and go with the base-model MacBook Pro with an M4 or M5 chip. They are technically far superior and offer better value. The 256 GB SSD is much slower than the larger capacities; you only get full performance with the 512 GB version and above.

The build quality with the current unibody design is fine. Also note that these machines almost never use their fans (the Air doesn’t even have one), which keeps the interior cleaner because less dust gets pulled in.

I looked briefly into the Mac chips. I see where each new one offers enhancements. From my perspective though, the only advantage I can see to the M4 chip over the M2 is it supports 2 displays. I didn't even think about that till KJS mentioned it. I recently got my amateur radio license, and many of operators use multiple screens because radio is all linked with computers now. So that could be a handy feature.

The M5 chip "Built for AI. From the silicon up." worries me.

Personally, I have older M1 Pro and M2 Pro machines here. I wouldn’t buy those today. Go with an M4 or M5 (Pro or non-Pro). The “AI enhancements” mainly refer to hardware-accelerated neural engines (ASICs) used for running local LLMs. It’s just extra compute hardware.

One more thing to keep in mind: Apple typically provides macOS updates for about six years after a machine is released. That means an M2 MacBook Air is already partway through its supported lifespan, while an M4 or M5 machine will receive security and feature updates for much longer. If you want the device to stay current for several years, that support window is worth factoring into the decision.

The only downside: the current macOS release is a catastrophe in terms of UI design. Apple keeps adding visual clutter and inconsistent interaction patterns, so depending on your taste, the software experience may feel like a step backward even if the hardware is excellent.

 

[Magnolia]

business laptops. They are designed to last longer than general consumer laptops. Dell precision for example. Certain older Lenovos.

OK. Thinkpad is still available at Amazon and BestBuy. I've used an older one and it was terrific. I'll check them out.
I know nothing about Dell Precision. Looks like they can get pricey, depending on the chip. I am guessing they are workhorses. When Dell is good, it seems to be very very good (and when it is bad it is awful). Thank you.

 

[Magnolia]

If you want the device to stay current for several years, that support window is worth factoring into the decision.

Good point.
A lot good points to consider.

 

[Sirius]

OK. Thinkpad is still available at Amazon and BestBuy. I've used an older one and it was terrific. I'll check them out.
I know nothing about Dell Precision. Looks like they can get pricey, depending on the chip. I am guessing they are workhorses. When Dell is good, it seems to be very very good (and when it is bad it is awful). Thank you.

I think these things fall under the category of “most useless items to buy.” Who actually needs a portable or mobile Windows machine as a private consumer? They’re poor in every respect: underpowered, limited, and overpriced for what they offer. They don’t excel at anything.

If you truly need additional computing capacity (or other operating systems), it’s far better to build or buy a small node you can SSH or RDP into. You get more performance, more flexibility, far better value, and none of the compromises that come with those gimmicky portable Windows devices. That's what I do.

 

[Magnolia]

Who actually needs a portable or mobile Windows machine as a private consumer?

It's a good point, and makes me laugh. Thank you.
I can't disagree. I figure you aren't seeking an explanation, just stating a fact.

 

[Sirius]

It's a good point, and makes me laugh. Thank you.
I can't disagree. I figure you aren't seeking an explanation, just stating a fact.

There are only a few real use cases for these devices. Things like running specific car-diagnostic software, connecting to a CAN bus, or carrying a small machine for field-work hacking make some sense. In those niche scenarios, having Linux on it or running VMware Workstation with proper USB passthrough can be practical.