Spec me: Ex-Business Machine Laptop for Mum?

[Deleted User 298457]

Hi guys,

My Mum has been using a Packard Bell laptop I bought from my work ex-display about 12 years ago as a daily. It is on its last legs, and has a weird issue where it only boots 1 in like 100 times without hanging.

I am keen to get an ex-business machine as I believe them to be much better built, inexpensive, and mostly unused (I work in the industry where a lot of folk get assigned laptops then use their client machine 24x7 so we literally recycle brand new machines).

Is there any go-to ex-business machine?

E.g. Dell 5580?

 

[KompuKare]

Think it's always a matter of how much you want to spend and what's out there to buy.

Given the choice between between the 5580, a ThinkPad T570, or the EliteBook 850 G4, I d probably get the latter because I think it has space for 2.5" and an M.2 drive. Still, if that matters to you, then you'll have to look for old reviews.

One thing I would make sure of, is to only consider 1080P IPS screens as a lot of corporate buyers tend to cheapen out and buy the horrible 720P TN panels. (Saving maybe £20 on a £1000++ laptop!)

 

[andy_mk3]

I picked up a Dell Latitude 7310 2-in-1 a few months ago, 10th gen i5, 8GB ram, 256GB Nvme. Really nice machine and barely a mark on it either, clearly not had a lot of use. Paid around £400 for it. Has a nice 1080p IPS display, and is virtually the same form factor as my XPS13 which is perfect for me. Decently sized trackpad and nice backlit keyboard, fingerprint sensor too. Bargain for such decent hardware really.

 

[WJA96]

Anything Dell Latitude. I can still source spares for D6x0s from the noughties. They’re built really well and they last.

 

[jrwagh333]

Second hand ThinkPad?

 

[Deleted User 298457]

Second hand ThinkPad?

Laugh but I just remembered I already went through this exercise and dropped her off a ThinkPad. I'll see if that actually was a thing.

 

[jrwagh333]

What? Lol

 

[Dr David Reed]

Got a ThinkPad X220 for pretty cheap off eBay a couple of years ago, updated the ram to 8GB and installed an 500gb SSD and it's been perfect, tough, running the latest version of Ubuntu and dockable for when you need multiple monitors.

 

[Deleted User 298457]

What? Lol

TBC but I am 90% certain I actually already "did this thread" a while back and gave her a ThinkPad. I think she put it away as the Packard Bell wasn't boot looping at that moment and we have both just had a brain fart and forgot.