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Question

Are budget laptops durable?

by Jun 19, 2018 8:57AM PDT

I'm looking into buying a new computer and I'd like to spend as little money as possible. I just need one for word processing and Internet browsing, though I'll get one that can stream and play DVDs if it's practical to do so. I'm looking into the extremely cheap laptops - mostly the ones below £250 - but based on the reviews, I get the impression that these laptops break very easily, and don't last very long. Are budget laptops usually this short-lived and unreliable? There would be no point in me buying one if I have to buy another only a couple of years later.

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3 Posts
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Answer
Re: budget laptop
by Forum moderator Jun 19, 2018 9:03AM PDT

- How do you mean "stream DVDs"?
- Not all laptops nowadays have an optical drive. It adds to the price. You might not be happy taking an external drive with you to connect to the laptop if you want to play a DVD.

Did you consider a Chromebook? It's cheap, and excellent for browsing and using Google Docs.

The live of a laptop mainly depends on how you handle it. Keep the vents clean. Use a cooling pad when on a soft surface. Don't drop it.

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Re:Re: budget laptop
by SirArchibald Jun 19, 2018 9:11AM PDT

So would a cheap laptop last me a long time as long as I'm careful with it?

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Answer
They can be.
by Forum moderator Jun 19, 2018 9:07AM PDT

Our oldest laptop was a 2006 Dell Inspiron e1505 with a Centrino, 1GB RAM, Windows 10 on an 120GB SSD used by mom. It was recently stolen so we can't know how much longer it would have lasted. It was used for her banking, a card game and YouTube.

These laptops must be treated with care. You can't drop them or put them in a student backpack for daily transport. They can last many years.

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