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PC/Chromebook/Mac purchasing guide and recommendations

Chromebooks:

Pros:

Cons:

Use case: General Computing (eg. word processing, web browsing, media viewing)

14 inch

Lenovo 14e

11 inch
Lenovo 11e mk2

Specs

  Minimum Recommended
RAM 4gb 4gb
Screen Resolution 1366x768 1920x1080
Storage 16gb 32gb
End of autoupdate 2025 H2026+

 

How to check how long a Chromebook will receive updates until.

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6220366?hl=en


 

Windows laptops

Pros: Can do almost any computing task, huge software catalog, large variety of form factors and models to choose from.

Cons: More expensive than Chromebooks, cheapest options can be a poor experience, Windows is less intuitive than ChromeOS.

Use case: General Computing, Engineering, programming, content creation.

Specs

  Minimum Recommended
RAM 8gb 16gb
Storage 256gb SSD 256+ SSD
CPU Intel i3, or AMD Ryzen 3 Intel i5, Intel i7, AMD Ryzen 5, or 7
Graphics  Intel integrated Ryzen Vega, Nvidia GTX/RTX graphics
Operating System Windows 10, or Linux  
     

 

Lenovo Ideapad Series *preferably with Ryzen CPU (low cost for good performance)

Acer Nitro 5 Series (affordable entry level to mid range gaming/CAD/Graphic design capable laptops)

Lenovo Thinkpad L,T,X,P series laptops (available in ranges from thin and light to portable workstations for CAD/Gaming/Video Editing

Dell XPS 13 and 15 series (Focus on portability and battery life over raw performance)

Asus TUF series (mid to high end gaming/CAD/Graphic design laptops)

Razer Blade series (high end gaming/CAD/Graphic design capable)

 

 


Apple computers

 

Pros: Good build quality (dependent on model), High end specs compared to low cost PC/Chromebook options, 

Cons: High price for lower performance than PC alternatives, compatible with less existing software than windows, limited choice of devices.

Use case: Using apple exclusive software (eg. garageband, Finalcut,iMovie), general purpose web browsing, content creation.

 

128gb SSD minimum | 256gb recommended