Specter vs. CenturyLink | Buy online deals (2023)

FAQs

Which laptop is No 1 in world? ›

1. Apple MacBook Air M2. On our list of the best laptops in the world, the new MacBook Air M2 has risen to the top due to its superior quality.

How Much Does a College Laptop Cost? Laptops can range in price from under $100 for the most basic Chromebook to several thousand for a top-of-the-line Ultrabook or MacBook. But while there are a wide range of prices for laptops, we recommend looking at midrange models, which are likely to run from $500 to $1,000.

The HP Spectre x360 14 is the best 2-in-1 laptop of 2023.

How much RAM do you need? Generally, we recommend 8GB of RAM for casual computer usage and internet browsing, 16GB for spreadsheets and other office programs, and at least 32GB for gamers and multimedia creators.

If you're shopping for a laptop, a $1,000 budget can get you a lot, as many premium laptops start around that price range. You can get an exceptionally well-built laptop with a metal chassis, like an Apple MacBook Air, a 2-in-1 convertible, or even a gaming laptop with a powerful CPU and GPU.

School: For most college students, 8GB of RAM is plenty. However, students who process a lot of data should consider at least 16GB of RAM. Work: 8GB of RAM is fine for daily productivity. If you do a lot of processing, consider upgrading to 16GB or more.

Apple. Apple is one of the most, if not the most, reliable tech brands. It manufactures well-built laptops that last for years. Although Apple MacBooks are at the higher end of the price spectrum, they last for years without a significant performance drop.

Most experts estimate a laptop's lifespan to be three to five years. It may survive longer than that, but its utility will be limited as the components become less capable of running advanced applications.

As we mentioned earlier, the most reliable laptop brands include Apple, Asus, Acer, and Lenovo. These brands all have strong reputations for producing high-quality laptops that are built to last. Additionally, they offer good customer support in case of problems, and most offer generous warranties.

Is HP Spectre good for programming? ›

The HP Spectre x360 is a great laptop for developers, especially for those who are always on the move. It comes with Intel's 10th generation processors with options of 8GB or 16GB for RAM. It also packs a fast SSD, making it an overall speedy package.

A laptop with 4GB of RAM should suffice. However, application or software developers who need to run virtual machines, emulators and IDEs to compile massive projects will need more RAM. A laptop with at least 8GB of RAM is ideal. The requirement goes even higher for game developers.

Want to play the latest games and have the most powerful system possible? A custom desktop is your best bet. However, if you're looking to have the most streamlined, no-frills, plug-and-play desktop workspace, an all-in-one PC may be just what you're looking for.

Which lasts longer, a laptop or desktop computer? Desktop computers generally last longer than laptops. A laptop's lifespan is generally reckoned to be around three to five years, compared to a desktop computer's lifespan of around five to eight years.

Choose the right size

13 to 14 inches: Provides the best balance of portability and usability, particularly if you get a laptop that weighs under 3.5 pounds. 15 to 16 inches: The most popular size, 15-inch laptops usually weigh 3.5 to 5.5 pounds.

RAM, the computer's memory, and the processor both affect how fast your laptop runs. The higher the number for each, the faster the speed. For instance, 4GB of RAM run faster than 2GB. The processor speed is measured in gigahertz, and a 2 GHz machine runs faster than a 1 GHz.

With 8GB, you'll have enough RAM for your hobby, but you'll need at least 16GB for professional use. That way, you can open programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, InDesign, and Photoshop alongside each other without your computer slowing down. If you're working with large data spread sheets, we would also recommend 16GB.

The speed and capacity of your PC's system memory or RAM can significantly affect your computer's startup speed. Nevertheless, adding more RAM will only be helpful up to a certain point. Adding too much RAM will eventually jeopardize the computer's performance, even when you have enough of it.

With 8GB of ram, users can generally have four or five programs open simultaneously. With 16GB of ram, users can generally have six to eight programs open. Additionally, with 16GB of ram, a user can store more data in memory, resulting in faster loading times for websites and applications.

Do you really need an expensive laptop? ›

An expensive laptop offers you the best in terms of software and hardware, translating into overall excellent performance. It is also a good investment considering you spend less on repairs and upgrades. Repairing a cheap laptop can sometimes cost as much as the original purchase price.

The more expensive the laptop is, the longer it lasts. If the laptop is less than $600 or 700, it can be used for 2-4 years. If you pay $700 to $1000, the average lifespan is 3-5 years. Laptops that cost more than $1000 can last 4-7 years.

Here's how much you should spend on a gaming PC: $300-400 is plenty for basic games in 720p. If you want to game in 1080p, $500-$1,000 is a good range. Gaming in 1440p or higher is going to call for a budget of $1,000-$1,200 for the PC itself and another $400-$600 on peripherals.

500GB is the minimum, but we recommend 1TB.

If you mainly store text files and photos, 512GB of storage space is enough. Do you want to save movies, games, and other large files on your PC? Choose at least 1TB of storage space. That way, you can last some time without the risk of your laptop filling up.

You should get a laptop with either 8 or 16GB of RAM. 8GB is fine for multitasking, e.g. having 10 tabs open, playing multiple 1080p videos, or video/image editing. 16Gb is even better, enabling you to edit 4K videos at 60FPS, and it will be considerably faster.

Even if your laptop makes it past those issues, keep in mind that by the time a laptop is 10 to 12 years old, the hardware will no longer be supported by modern operating systems, so you'll need to replace the system to keep current with security updates and to be compatible with modern software.

The Bottom Line

Certain stores and manufacturers may have sales on laptops throughout the year. But experts argue that the spring, late summer and the holiday season are generally the best times to buy a laptop (if you want a discount). Of course, it all depends on what you want.

“Laptops will most likely not survive the next 30 years as they are nowadays,” adds Cédric Honnet, MIT research associate.

Above $1,000 is where you'll find premium laptops and two-in-ones. If you're looking for the fastest performance, the best battery life, the slimmest, lightest designs and top-notch display quality with an adequate screen size, expect to spend at least $1,000.

How often should you replace your computer? ›

Various technology experts weigh in with different advice regarding the life span of computers. Computer Hope says consumers should expect to replace a computer once every four years. Home Computer Help advises five years for desktops and three to four for laptops is a good time frame.

Upgrading your computer can bring you more speed and storage space at a fraction of the cost of a new computer, but you don't want to put new components in an old system if it's not going to deliver the speed increase you want.

Working at a computer can cause back, neck and shoulder pains, headache, eyestrain and overuse injuries of the arms and hands. You can help avoid computer-related injuries with proper furniture, better posture and good working habits.

Every computer generates lots of heat, but laptops are especially susceptible to overheating due to their small size and lack of ventilation. Excessive dust can clog air vents and deprive your system of cold air to cool off the CPU.

Motherboard Failure

If it is not the video card, power supply, memory modules, hard drive, etc, then the hardware failure is presumed to be in the motherboard. For laptops, a failure of the motherboard often spells the death of the computer. This is due to the high cost of replacement.

But pound-for-pound, the HP Spectre x360 13.5 is among the best ultrabooks we've tested of late. If you want to balance performance, battery life and ports with a sharp webcam and a gorgeous display, the Spectre has it all unequivocally.

HP Spectre x360 14: Battery Life

HP promises up to 17 hours of battery life with the HD display and 11.5 hours with the OLED display. However, reviewers saw 12 to 14 hours with the HD display and less than eight hours using the OLED display. This is about average among small laptops.

HP Spectre x360 16 (2022)

The HP Spectre x360 comes with a large 16:10 display, 12th-generation Intel processors, and other powerful specs. That includes an 83Whr battery that promises up to 19 hours of battery life.

Programmers should consider a 256GB SSD, which is fairly standard for most coding computers. This drive is much faster than other options, and it allows you to load files faster and more effectively.

For many developers, 8GB of RAM is plenty for coding. However, for those frequently using multiple programming languages and software development tools simultaneously, 16GB of RAM may be more than they need.

Is 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD enough for programming? ›

256gb is probably enough for most programming, though I'd buy 512 if I could get it. If you do photos or video or lots of music, 512 is barely enough. If this is your “work” machine, don't skimp. If you MUST choose, get the memory, and an external hard drive.

A whopping 69 percent of the developers reported that they were totally or partially self-taught, with 13 percent saying they were completely self-taught.

How many hours do computer programmers work per week? Typically, computer programmers work an average of 40 hours per week, which comes to eight hours per day, Monday through Friday. They usually work between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m or comparable work schedules that are typical to office culture.

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 is one of the most powerful gaming laptops right now, showing off the latest flagship CPU from Intel (13th Gen Core i9) and GPU from Nvidia (GeForce RTX 4090). It's big and expensive, but the body feels reasonable for everything it's packing.

Dell laptops have the upper hand when it comes to components like the CPU and memory capacity. If we compare HP's computers with similar features, Dell's CPUs are quicker and of higher quality. However, HP continues to produce durable devices, which indicates that they will have even better batteries.

Generally, the faster the RAM, the faster the processing speed. With faster RAM, you increase the speed at which memory transfers information to other components. Meaning, your fast processor now has an equally fast way of talking to the other components, making your computer much more efficient.

Intel's Core i7, Core i9, and Xeon lines and AMD's Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 chips have the highest, while Intel's Celeron and Pentium and AMD's Athlon have the lowest.

Benchmarking site PassMark has listed the Core i9-13980HX and the Core i9-13900HX as the two fastest laptop CPUs. The former scored 52,606 points in CPU Mark to take the top spot on the list, while the latter notched up a score of 48,340 to come in second place.

How long should a laptop last? ›

There are plenty of variables, but you can expect a well-maintained laptop to last for three to five years. The laptop lifespan is shorter than a desktop PC due to its compact stature.

How much RAM do you need? Generally, we recommend 8GB of RAM for casual computer usage and internet browsing, 16GB for spreadsheets and other office programs, and at least 32GB for gamers and multimedia creators. How you use your computer influences how much RAM you need, so use this as a guideline.

The Guinness Book of World Records says the C64 is the best selling single computer model of all time with sales of about 30 million units between 1982 and 1993. Commodore blew it, though, and bigger companies like IBM got into the act. Dell, Apple and other PC manufacturers have since dominated the market.

15 to 16 inches: The most popular size, 15-inch laptops usually weigh 3.5 to 5.5 pounds. Consider this size if you want a larger screen and you're not planning to carry your notebook around often.

Work: 8GB of RAM is fine for daily productivity. If you do a lot of processing, consider upgrading to 16GB or more. Gaming: With games demanding more on computer systems, 16GB to 32GB of RAM is ideal.

Experts generally recommend Dell over HP due to its superior build quality, longer battery life, and better customer support; ultimately, it comes down to personal preferences and needs when choosing between these two companies.

Lenovo is generally better for durability, as their laptops are built with strong materials and are designed to withstand wear and tear. Dell laptops, on the other hand, may have more attractive designs but may not be as durable.