Cheap ass laptop - will it run?

[Buehler445]

I throw a laptop in my tractors for field records (and sometimes CP browsing). The ones I have are tired and frankly about done.

I found these refurbished Surface Gos that are pretty cost efficient.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...WY9YG17N0&th=1

I think it will work, but I haven't paid any attention to any hardware specs at all in a long time. Years ago when Chromebooks came out, they wouldn't run Office.

I'm not needing anything crazy, just some excel sheets and dropbox. I am using Office 360 so it should be pretty low impact.

What do you guys think?

[lawrenceRaider]

It'll run Office 360 just fine.

Though you could probably get a newer laptop that would perform much better for about the same price. Are you stuck on the 12.5" screen?

[Fish]

Ehhh. It'll run, but not great. Only has a 1Ghz i5-1035G1 CPU. That's just not much to work with. 8GB of RAM is about borderline for daily use these days. Weak CPU and not much RAM. This will likely do everything you need it to, but it's not going to be all that fast about it.

And I would highly recommend staying away from Windows 10 S version. The S version is pretty frustrating, as it will only allow you to install apps via the Windows store. You can't install anything from anywhere else. Might not be an issue for you, but that's a non starter for most folks. You can convert it from S mode to normal Windows 10, and I would definitely recommend that if you go with this model.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

It'll run Office 360 just fine.

Though you could probably get a newer laptop that would perform much better for about the same price. Are you stuck on the 12.5" screen?

For $360?

I looked around and didn't see much.

Not necessarily stuck on 12.5, but I need to be in the 13" range. I had a 14" one and it didn't fit inside the seat (the instructor seat folds down and I can keep from breaking the **** out of it) and promptly broke (not sure if related).

What are you thinking?

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Fish

Ehhh. It'll run, but not great. Only has a 1Ghz i5-1035G1 CPU. That's just not much to work with. 8GB of RAM is about borderline for daily use these days. Weak CPU and not much RAM. This will likely do everything you need it to, but it's not going to be all that fast about it.

And I would highly recommend staying away from Windows 10 S version. The S version is pretty frustrating, as it will only allow you to install apps via the Windows store. You can't install anything from anywhere else. Might not be an issue for you, but that's a non starter for most folks. You can convert it from S mode to normal Windows 10, and I would definitely recommend that if you go with this model.

Great insight. I really appreciate it.

I'm open to recommendations if you like something better.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

For $360?

I looked around and didn't see much.

Not necessarily stuck on 12.5, but I need to be in the 13" range. I had a 14" one and it didn't fit inside the seat (the instructor seat folds down and I can keep from breaking the **** out of it) and promptly broke (not sure if related).

What are you thinking?

Hit Ebay and look for Thinkpad X13 laptops with 12th gen Intel CPUs. It'll be right around that number, maybe a bit more, but certainly worth it.

Something like the below.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/30570210466...mis&media=COPY

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

Hit Ebay and look for Thinkpad X13 laptops with 12th gen Intel CPUs. It'll be right around that number, maybe a bit more, but certainly worth it.

Something like the below.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/30570210466...mis&media=COPY

Thanks. The 14" one that ate shit was a Thinkpad, but it was certainly a different model. That might be just what I need.