PC/Chromebook/Mac purchasing guide and recommendations

Pros:

Cons:

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

Recommended Models

14 inch

Specs

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

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

Recommended Models: sorted from lowest to highest starting price

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)

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.

Recommended Models:

Minimum recommended Specs:

8GB RAM recommended

128gb SSD minimum | 256gb recommended