OPINIONS(!): High Quality Long-Term Laptop vs Cheap Replaceable Short-Term Laptop?

[Deleted]

So I'm going to buy a laptop (primary/only computer) and the decision I make will probably affect my purchasing trends for years to come (3-4).
That's why I need some advice from all you Computer-Gurus.

My main question is this:

• Is it better to buy a top of the line expensive quality laptop that will last you for many years to come with the absolute best features currently available?

or

• Is it better to buy a cheap nothing-special laptop that you will replace yearly as new technology comes out but only with another newer cheap laptop?

[Djinni]

A cheap one upgraded every 2 years will do you much better than a very expensive one you replace every 3-4 years. depending on your usage though your milage will vary. Laptops don't really last... I never opt for one with the intention of keeping it more than 2 years, I might keep it for 3 or 4 sometimes but its usage tends to get relegated to mobile word processing/ and guest internet.

But... define your opinion of cheap?

to me a cheap laptop is £300-£400, usually comes with a webcam built in and a full size keyboard.
an expensive laptop tends to be around £1000+ has things like bluetooth, either 2 webcams or a rotating one, blu-ray etc... (recently now you can add SSD to that list, and a portable hdd)


Laptops will "degrade" much more quickly than PC's because its that much more difficult to keep them clean, and perform subsequent cleaning when they need it.
They will also run much hotter than an equivalent desktop so the parts tend to have a shorter lifespan anyway.

[Aminozuur]

Well if your traveling alot almost never at home invest in a good gaming laptop else buy a mid class one.

About the heat that depens on how you use it. I can keep my i5 460m 5850m at 65C if i place it on a table with holes to cool

[BicycleMafioso]

It would've been easier had it not been your only computer.
I'd still say go cheap raplacable.

[Djinni]

Well if your traveling alot almost never at home invest in a good gaming laptop else buy a mid class one.

About the heat that depens on how you use it. I can keep my i5 460m 5850m at 65C if i place it on a table with holes to cool

ummm yeah there are ways to help it not OVERheat... that doesn't stop it running hotter than its desktop counterpart.

[OhpUldum]

Since this is opinion based I will lend ya mine. November 2007 I purchased an Asus laptop for $1000 CDN. Was able to play WoW at ultra in 25's and loved this thing dearly. The WotLK expansion came out and while I saw a slight dip in FPS overall it kept chugging along in 25's. I came into an additional 2GB DDR2 stick of memory and popped that in to bring her up to 4GB total. A month later my boss gave me a free 500GB hard drive so I put that in and installed Windows 7. All the while this thing is being used for photoshop, illustrator, and gaming. Not once skipping a beat. Cataclysm is released and no longer can I play on Ultra! I can still play on high though with shadows turned down. We're nearing four years now which when you break it down this laptop has cost me $250/Yr which is less than some Walmart special.

My opinion is to spend the money on quality because it does last with one big exception. If your needs of the laptop change then don't hate the laptop for not being able to do what you want currently, when it was purchased it was purchased with your current needs in mind.