Long time MB Pro user moving back to Windows laptop, HELP! (PC Specialist?)

I've kicked the can as far as I can down the road and it's now about time to replace my Macbook Pro. Looking at the prices of new MB Pros however, for the lowish spec you get, I can't justify the spend. As well as that, their newer machines aren't upgradable and I'm not a fan of the minimal USB ports they now offer. There are some 13.3" refurbs on their store for €1209, but the spec just isn't all that for the money involved.

So, a Windows laptop is what I've decided on after 10+ years on Mac. I've been in awe of what I can get built for around the €1k mark on PCspecialist.co.uk, and I'm wondering if any users in this forum have experience buying from PC Specialist? I've done a forum search but there aren't many recent threads about PC Specialist.

If not, I'd still appreciate any help I can get here and advice on buying the best laptop for my budget and needs. I'm looking for a machine to mostly tend to audio production, with some light photo and video editing. I'm not going to be producing huge sessions for the London Philharmonic, nor am I going to be rendering CGI shots for Marvel. Also, despite the temptation...I'm not going to be gaming on this.

Finally, I type a lot and a comfortable keyboard would be a priority here as well.

Budget: Up to €1k for machine, will spend a little extra for peripherals, anti-virus and warranty.

Primarily for: Audio production, programs like Cubase and Pro Tools. I will be doing some light photo and video editing also.

OS: What's Windows like these days? Any version of 10 that I should avoid?

Processor: I like the old dual core i5s (2.4Ghz) in my Mbook. Hoping to stick with Intel chips, just something much more recent than those i5s. Quad core, Hexa...I'm all ears.

RAM: I had 4GB on the MBook, I'm looking to move up to at least 16GB here.

SSD: Yes please, I have none on the MBook, 220-240GB minimum would be nice.

I should also mention that I have absolutely no experience, and therefore interest or confidence, in buying all the parts and building it myself.

Thanks for any pointers you can give.

mordeith

I bought my current laptop from PC Specialist about 4 years ago and overall was very pleased with the service. I have since had to replace the battery and the screen (I'm not sure of one of the kids broke that or whether it went by itself!).
I use it mainly for FLStudio and some gaming and in general I'm pretty happy with it. It was a Cosmos IV model.

quad-core i5 (has been quad-core since the 8th gen) and 16gb ram will be plenty for your needs. the i7 u chips are less than 10% more performant than the i5's and not worth the extra cost. if you're talking about the h chips which go up to hex-core you're talking about a bigger sized laptop to take care of the thermal requirements effectively.

you haven't said what your preferences on size and weight are?

with off-the shelf laptops can be cheaper to buy the 8gb version and swap in a 16gb stick yourself (after ensuring the ram is upgradable) and sell the old 8gb stick as many laptops now only have 1 ram slot. this is because the 16gb option is usually only on the top-end i7 equipped models. e.g. don't usually get the i5 option with 16gb

ssd's are cheap nowadays and come on most laptops. pci nvme ones are faster than sata ones. but even the sata ones are a quantum leap fwd compared to hdd drives

pc specialist more a better option for desktop pcs imo, or at a stretch gaming laptops.

the thinness, overall dimensions, build and finish on their laptops just aren't near as good as the big manufacturers as they can't invest as much into those aspects.

search for review of whatever model you're looking at. most reviews comment on build and finish not being great. but if you're not overly concerned with that could be a good option.

although if you're coming from a macbook you maybe used to a good finish....

mordeith

mordeith wrote: »

I bought my current laptop from PC Specialist about 4 years ago and overall was very pleased with the service. I have since had to replace the battery and the screen (I'm not sure of one of the kids broke that or whether it went by itself!).
I use it mainly for FLStudio and some gaming and in general I'm pretty happy with it. It was a Cosmos IV model.

Thanks very much for your input. I've actually been configuring a laptop build around the Cosmos VIII chassis to get a rough price. I've read that PC Specialist's customer service is good and that will also factor into my decision.

glasso wrote: »

quad-core i5 (has been quad-core since the 8th gen) and 16gb ram will be plenty for your needs. the i7 u chips are less than 10% more performant than the i5's and not worth the extra cost. if you're talking about the h chips which go up to hex-core you're talking about a bigger sized laptop to take care of the thermal requirements effectively.

you haven't said what your preferences on size and weight are?

Thanks, I've read this elsewhere in the forum and in the PC forum. I just wasn't sure if that was still the case with the 10% difference in performance.

Of course I forgot to mention the size and weight - My Mbook is 15inch and I'd like to keep to that size, or something between 14" and 15.6" if not exactly 15". Not sure of the weight of the MBook, but it has heft, and weight doesn't bother me if it means I can have an optimal machine. I won't be using this on the bus/train, I'll be at a workstation wherever I'm using the laptop. I need it to be mobile in terms of being able to bring it from A to B easily, but don't mind if it isn't exactly a Macbook Air.

with off-the shelf laptops can be cheaper to buy the 8gb version and swap in a 16gb stick yourself (after ensuring the ram is upgradable) and sell the old 8gb stick as many laptops now only have 1 ram slot. this is because the 16gb option is usually only on the top-end i7 equipped models. e.g. don't usually get the i5 option with 16gb

Ok, so maybe getting a custom laptop assembled isn't the best way to go? I would certainly look at buying 'off the shelf', and obviously make sure the ram is upgradable. Buying all the parts and assembling it myself is not something I'd be confident with, but swapping out the RAM is something I could do.

ssd's are cheap nowadays and come on most laptops. pci nvme ones are faster than sata ones. but even the sata ones are a quantum leap fwd compared to hdd drives

With the advances in the tech since my 2010 MBook was produced, I'll be spoiled with any upgrade from HDD. I see that 500GB SSDs are cheap enough now and I'll aim for something like that.

pc specialist more a better option for desktop pcs imo, or at a stretch gaming laptops.

the thinness, overall dimensions, build and finish on their laptops just aren't near as good as the big manufacturers as they can't invest as much into those aspects.

search for review of whatever model you're looking at. most reviews comment on build and finish not being great. but if you're not overly concerned with that could be a good option.

although if you're coming from a macbook you maybe used to a good finish....

Thanks, I'll shop around before I pull the trigger with something on PCspecialist. Of course I would love a good finish and build on the laptop, but I'm resigned to the fact that Apple will be hard to beat on that front.

Is there any bricks and mortar stores I should avoid? I'm thinking of going and having a look in PC World, Currys, Harvey Norman etc.

Thanks very much for the replies folks.

here is a very good 14 inch option on sale for £600 sterling (normally about 700 / 750 sterling)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ASUS-VivoBook-NanoEdge-i5-8265-Processor/dp/B07MWDDMJM/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=asus+14&qid=1567359260&s=gateway&sr=8-4

Asus are a quality manufacturer

ram is 8gb but upgradable to 16gb (1 slot).

easy diy job to do that if needed - just a screwdriver and click the ram in and out

4-core i5
500gb ssd
thin-bezel (less ugly space around the side of the screen) full hd IPS - 14 inch. plenty big enough imo
1.4kg - fairly llight
very good build quality
good speakers
6hrs real-world battery life (decent)

example review
https://beebom.com/asus-vivobook-s14-review/
https://www.gearstoday.com/news/asus-vivobook-s14-s430-review/

Thanks Glasso, that is quite a good laptop for the price. I'm down a rabbithole at this stage with my search, but that Vivobook is my default for a non-customised laptop if that's what I choose to go for. They were two very promising reviews.

The thing is though, as I'm finding in this rabbithole, I'm pretty sure that I need to go for a H series CPU. Just reading reviews from other users who undertake similar music production duties, the H series leaves plenty of room for plug-ins and virtual instruments without choking the system.

My outgoing 2.4Ghz i5 MBook (2010) with 4GB RAM starts 'choking out' at around 35-40 plugins in a Pro Tools session. Maybe you are not familiar with audio production, but if it helps you understand, I'd ideally like to have the capacity to run up to twice that amount of plug-ins on my new laptop. CPU and RAM seem to be key to that.

So if I am looking at H-Series chips, then the non-customised, out-of-the-box laptops still leave a bit for me to desire despite spending near €1k. Be it i5 or i7 H chips, maybe the SSD/HDD configuration isn't correct, maybe I still need to swap out the RAM, maybe the warranty or returns policy isn't good enough etc.

These few weeks are sort of my narrow window (financially speaking) to get the best laptop possible which will hopefully cover me for the next 3-4 years. Although that Vivobook would get me out of a hole for the next year or so, I can't help but come back to a custom build on PC Specialist and spending the extra money.

I've been familiar with them for years, but more specifically I have read countless reviews about their laptops over the last 48 hours and it's very positive. Even people who had problems, PCS seem to have excellent customer service. Their online, moderated forum is a good resource too.

ALL that said, if you are still with me here Glasso, do you think this spec is good for the price of €1069 delivered? The parts in red are the bits I upgraded and which pushed the price up from its default configuration. This chassis/configuration gave me no option for cheaper integrated graphics though, but I don't mind.

Chassis & Display
Cosmos Series: 15.6" Matte Full HD IPS 60Hz 45% NTSC LED Widescreen (1920x1080)

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™ i5 Quad Core Processor 9300H (2.4GHz, 4.1GHz Turbo)

(I could upgrade this to an i7 Hexa Core 9750H, but the extra €100 pushes the price a bit too high)

Memory (RAM)
16GB Corsair 2400MHz SODIMM DDR4 (1 x 16GB) - There are 2 slots available for 32GB max, but 16GB should be perfect for my needs.
Graphics Card
NVIDIA® GeForce® MX250 - 2.0GB DDR5 Video RAM - DirectX® 12
1st Storage Drive
1TB SEAGATE 7mm SERIAL ATA III 2.5" HARD DRIVE WITH 128MB CACHE (7,200rpm)
1st M.2 SSD Drive
250GB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 2300MB/W)

Memory Card Reader
Integrated 6 in 1 Card Reader (SD /Mini SD/ SDHC / SDXC / MMC / RSMMC)
AC Adaptor
1 x 90W AC Adaptor
Battery
Cosmos VIII Series 4 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Power Cable
2 x 1 Metre Cloverleaf UK Power Cable
Thermal Paste
COOLER MASTER MASTERGEL MAKER THERMAL COMPOUND
Sound Card
2 Channel High Def. Audio + SoundBlaster™ Cinema
Bluetooth & Wireless
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS INTEL® Wi-Fi 6 AX200 (2.4 Gbps) + BT 5.0
USB/Thunderbolt Options
1 x USB 3.1 PORT (Type C) + 2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT
Keyboard Language
MULTI COLOUR BACKLIT UK KEYBOARD
Operating System
Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc. Single Licence [KK3-00002]
Operating System Language
United Kingdom - English Language
Windows Recovery Media
Windows 10 Multi-Language Recovery Image - Unlimited Downloads from Online Account
Office Software
FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365 (Operating System Required)
Anti-Virus
BullGuard™ Internet Security - Free 90 Day License inc. Gamer Mode
Browser
Microsoft® Edge (Windows 10 Only)
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1MP HD WEBCAM
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Dead Pixel Guarantee
1 Year Dead Pixel Guarantee Inc. Labour & Carriage Costs
Chassis
Clevo NH55RGQ (2GB MX-250, i5-9300H, 60Hz FHD IPS N4)
Delivery
2 - 3 DAY DELIVERY TO REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Price: €1,069.00 including VAT and Delivery


Thanks for any further input you can offer Glasso.

probably worth spending the extra 100 on the 6-core h chip if you're thinking of going that way. if you can get the 8750h chip cheaper than the 9750h could be an option to save a few euro.

Geekbench is recognised as the best CPU benchmark - you can see that there is a big jump up over the 8265u with the 8750h compared to the 9300h. assuming the thermals are good enough on the 6-core. you could always undervolt it a bit using intel xtu to help with thermals.

https://browser.geekbench.com/processors/2572

https://browser.geekbench.com/processors/2609

https://browser.geekbench.com/processors/2583

could be useful to get a thunderbolt 3 port if it doesn't cost too much

glasso

glasso wrote: »

probably worth spending the extra 100 on the 6-core h chip if you're thinking of going that way. if you can get the 8750h chip cheaper than the 9750h could be an option to save a few euro.

Geekbench is recognised as the best CPU benchmark - you can see that there is a big jump up over the 8265u with the 8750h compared to the 9300h. assuming the thermals are good enough on the 6-core. you could always undervolt it a bit using intel xtu to help with thermals.

https://browser.geekbench.com/processors/2572

https://browser.geekbench.com/processors/2609

https://browser.geekbench.com/processors/2583

could be useful to get a thunderbolt 3 port if it doesn't cost too much

Lol, that i7 9750H is a beast, definitely worth spending the extra €100 on it and I'm going to strive to do that. In the chasis I'm looking at, there are only 2 options to choose from - The i7 9750H or the i5 9300H.

Thanks for the geekbench links. I have seen those scores all over the place while window-shopping, but had no idea what they meant or what they were marked out of. Those links explained it well.

Thunderbolt - Up until now I wrongly presumed that was essentially Apple's way of getting more money out of consumers for adapters and other peripherals. Having looked into it now though, it is a nifty port to have. Only thing is, I can't see it offered on the few chassis I'm looking at on PCS. USB 3.1 is the best on offer. So I've looked at the comparisons...

- 10gb/s data transfer for USB 3.1 v 40gb/s for Thunderbolt 3. After transferring 400 pics from an old phone to an old MBook last night via Bluetooth at a rate of about 150kb/s...I'm patient and USB 3.1's 10gb/s transfer rate is okay with me :pac:

- USB 3.1 has the same 100W charging capabilities as Thunderbolt, nice.

- Thunderbolt can output to 2 x 4K monitors at 60Hz. The necessity for that is not remotely high with me though.

Basically I need as many USB 2.0 and above ports as possible for the likes of hooking up external sound cards and MIDI controllers. Thunderbolt might be a luxury too far for this laptop.

As for "you could always undervolt it a bit using intel xtu to help with thermals"...I currently don't know what this means but I will do some more googling later tonight.

Thanks Glasso, from my experience here and reading elsewhere in the computing forum, you're a great poster to have around these parts.

sorry, intel xtu is extreme tuning utility.

a free program that allows you to change some advanced cpu management settings.

under-volting by the amount of micro-volts - a setting found by googling can mean that you get more perf from your cpu as it will not throttle as much by not reaching a high temp where the performance is cut off effectively to let the cpu cool down

also pay for the higher quality thermal paste option here in your build is probably worth it.

I still haven't pulled the trigger on the new laptop yet, glasso. I'm giving it until the first week in October for a few reasons, one of which is to see if the Sterling drops a bit. The other is I'm going to be on holidays and not home to take delivery until then.

Unless something special comes onto my radar in the meantime, I'm going to go with that PC Specialist build I posted above. However, I'm gonna get the i7 9750H chip in it like you recommended, but only 8GB of RAM to save on cost for the moment. From what I've read...it will be very easy for me to upgrade the RAM when the time is right, but the CPU is a different story.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

I still haven't pulled the trigger on the new laptop yet, glasso. I'm giving it until the first week in October for a few reasons, one of which is to see if the Sterling drops a bit. The other is I'm going to be on holidays and not home to take delivery until then.

Unless something special comes onto my radar in the meantime, I'm going to go with that PC Specialist build I posted above. However, I'm gonna get the i7 9750H chip in it like you recommended, but only 8GB of RAM to save on cost for the moment. From what I've read...it will be very easy for me to upgrade the RAM when the time is right, but the CPU is a different story.

yes you can't upgrade the cpu on laptops in 99.5% percent of cases as they are soldered in.

ram is a simple 10 minute job. screwdriver and click in it.

get your ram in your initial order in a 1 stick option then as if you get it in 2 you'll have to get rid of a stick when upgrading (2 slots)

surm00

You can max out a Lenovo T440p with a quad-core i7, as the cpu is not soldered, 16gb of ram, and FHD ips, install a as close to mac quality as you'll get trackpad from the t450 model, and you can either dual boot, or exclusively run OSX on it easily enough.

As it's said below: 'the T440p will easily match the performance of a 2018 MacBook Pro 13 inches which costs 1800+€ with a quad core Intel 8th generation 8259u. All of that for about 500€, which is about 4x cheaper than the macbook.'

https://octoperf.com/blog/2018/11/07/thinkpad-t440p-buyers-guide/

People also configure these sorts of machines custom made to order, and it'll probably still work out a better performer than a mid-price. For example. compare a t440p with a Core i7 4712MQ installed with the i5 speced above, and you'll see just how massively ahead in performance it is in every way, besides price. But it's obviously not that price anymore:

http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i7-4712MQ-vs-Intel-Core-i5-4210U


If you want something newer and sleeker looking the 14 inch T460 plays well with OSX, and can be found on the same blog above, and will cost less, and if you want that but in an even more portable package I'd opt for the Thinkpad x260 or x270, though the cpu options and ease of configurablility of the t440p isn't the same.

Thanks surm00 for the above information and suggestions. I have considered them and will do some more.

Glasso, are you out there? I'm at my wits end now with this f**kin laptop purchase. In case you didn't see it, I made this post about PC Specialist on another thread in this forum tonight...

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=111911616&postcount=9

I'm really not feeling great about going the PC Specialist route now, and that leaves me back in the wilderness of wondering what to buy.

Since I made the OP in this thread, my requirement for a machine which can handle moderate video editing has grown. I will be looking to run Adobe Premiere Pro CC and After Effects, which I picked up for a nice price on Black Friday. Trouble is, I don't have a machine to run them just yet :pac:

I would love to just go and buy a Dell XPS 15 with an i7 H chip and 16GB RAM, but my budget won't stretch that far unfortunately. With that said, what do you think of the Inspiron 7000 series? Namely this 7590...

https://www.dell.com/en-ie/shop/laptops/inspiron-15-7000/spd/inspiron-15-7590-laptop/cn75903?view=configurations

Otherwise, do you recommend anything around the €1000 mark with an i5/i7 9th gen chip, decent graphics card and upgradable RAM and drive space? A nice screen would be a requirement too I guess.

Thanks.

Just to close out this thread, I finally got around to ordering a laptop which is due to be delivered this week. It was none of the above, I went with a Dell G5 5590 in the end...



Dell are running a 10% discount on all laptop ranges over the weekend until midnight tonight, so the final price was €899 with free delivery from Dell. Assuming the laptop conforms to its description, I'll be quite happy with that price. I have also ordered a 16GB RAM kit for €70, and can upgrade to 32GB in future if/when needed.

It's been an ordeal, I've looked at 100 laptops and countless reviews over the past few months. I waited for 'January sales', I lived on komplett.ie but then gasped as I watched some nicely priced HP Pavilion 15 laptops jump €200 in price over this past weekend.

The Dell G5 seems to offer the best balance between my needs and budget. Thanks to those who chimed in here with advice, I might be back with a review in a few weeks.

Skerries

you will be able to play modern games at lower settings with that setup

should do the job.

only downside would be the colour accuracy of the screen but if you're only doing hobby photo and video editing then won't matter too much I suppose.

Skerries

Skerries wrote: »

you will be able to play modern games at lower settings with that setup

That wasn't the main objective, but I'll probably take advantage of it and finally see what PC gaming can be like.

glasso wrote: »

should do the job.

only downside would be the colour accuracy of the screen but if you're only doing hobby photo and video editing then won't matter too much I suppose.

That was a downside on most of the laptops around my €1000 budget, definitely something I had to compromise on. However, 91% sRGB and 59% AdobeRGB on the G5 is marginally better than a few comparable laptops in its class.

I've seen some nice colour accurate monitors going for decent money on Adverts. If the video editing gets serious, I'll pick up one of those. Although at point, I'd probably buy a more powerful desktop machine too.

[Deleted User]

[Deleted User] wrote: »

That wasn't the main objective, but I'll probably take advantage of it and finally see what PC gaming can be like.



That was a downside on most of the laptops around my €1000 budget, definitely something I had to compromise on. However, 91% sRGB and 59% AdobeRGB on the G5 is marginally better than a few comparable laptops in its class.

I've seen some nice colour accurate monitors going for decent money on Adverts. If the video editing gets serious, I'll pick up one of those. Although at point, I'd probably buy a more powerful desktop machine too.

If those colour space figures are correct then it's pretty decent.

glasso

glasso wrote: »

If those colour space figures are correct then it's pretty decent.

Hmm, after a bit more research it seems like I've bought the model with the lesser screen

A few more hundred would have gotten me the better screen...

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-G5-15-5590-Laptop-Review-15-inch-gaming-notebook-with-a-Max-Q-GPU.440535.0.html

Turns out I've bought this one with pretty shít colour accuracy...

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-G5-15-5590-Laptop-Review-Price-Performance-King-and-Problem-Child.440241.0.html


Do you know much about Dell Ultrasharp monitors glasso? I know they can get pricey, but there's the likes of this on adverts for €100: https://www.adverts.ie/monitors/dell-ultrasharp-led-24-full-hd-monitor-u2413f-display-port-hdmi-usb3-0/18998440

CalamariFritti

Couldn’t even go back to windows. A world of pain. Have a look at Linux. Transition will be easy from macosx and none of the rubbish.

But I share your sentiment about apples strategy and value for money wrt hardware. Greed is why we can’t have nice things.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Hmm, after a bit more research it seems like I've bought the model with the lesser screen

A few more hundred would have gotten me the better screen...

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-G5-15-5590-Laptop-Review-15-inch-gaming-notebook-with-a-Max-Q-GPU.440535.0.html

Turns out I've bought this one with pretty shít colour accuracy...

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-G5-15-5590-Laptop-Review-Price-Performance-King-and-Problem-Child.440241.0.html


Do you know much about Dell Ultrasharp monitors glasso? I know they can get pricey, but there's the likes of this on adverts for €100: https://www.adverts.ie/monitors/dell-ultrasharp-led-24-full-hd-monitor-u2413f-display-port-hdmi-usb3-0/18998440

not really a monitor expert tbh

but that monitor seems ok in terms of colour space coverage

https://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u2413.htm

this one new tho has 129% sRGB coverage for just over 100 sterling

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-246E9QSB-00-Monitor-Colour/dp/B07CRS1MBG/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1OMMUBS4N5OIP&keywords=philips+24+inch+monitor&qid=1579025174&sprefix=philips+24+i%2Caps%2C366&sr=8-6

recommended here (same model but slightly diff code as in US)

https://techgearoid.com/monitors/best-monitors-for-color-accuracy/#1

As always, thanks glasso. That Philips seems like just what I need and the review is very encouraging.

F**k it anyway, even after all my research I still went and bought a laptop with a shít screen

I've been reading Dell's returns and cancellations policy for Ireland - It seems that I have a 14 calendar day period from the delivery date to cancel my order, because I made the purchase 'at a distance'. I will go ahead and take delivery of the laptop and check it out, and if the screen is really bad I might just return/cancel the order.

I have to remind myself though - This is going to be hobby-level photo and video editing that I'll be doing for the near future. I could be getting too caught up here on the screen quality of an otherwise decent laptop.

CalamariFritti

CalamariFritti wrote: »

Couldn’t even go back to windows. A world of pain. Have a look at Linux. Transition will be easy from macosx and none of the rubbish.

But I share your sentiment about apples strategy and value for money wrt hardware. Greed is why we can’t have nice things.

I will certainly take a look at Linux, but historically the word has just scared me! Seems like you need a better computer brain than my own to go into the world of Linux. I will definitely read into it though and see if it's an option for myself.

Since I made the OP in this thread about Apple laptops, my cousin bought a new one for his own business. a maxed-out MB Pro - €3900 incl. VAT :eek: It's a beast of a machine, but very expensive.

CalamariFritti

Linux has long gone past the scary, IT people only, thingy. If you can drive MacOS you can drive linux. For most people its the exact same thing. Office, chrome, mail program. As far as I know you can actually get MS office for linux these days.

windows 10 is pretty decent at this stage.

Linux is fine but does not get releases for a lot of software that windows does.

cherryghost

I like Linux, but only from perspective of coding, devops-type stuff (basic hardware needs). There's a lot faffing about getting certain hardware and palatable software running the way I like it, so I primarily use Windows for that.

Update...

- I ordered a Dell G5 on January 13th, "to be shipped within 3-4 business days". Very soon after that I copped that I ordered the G5 model with a sub-par screen, and I started to consider cancelling my order with Dell.

- Dell mail me within 3-4 days to say that my order is expected for delivery between January 21st and 31st. It still hasn't shipped yet though, and this is playing further into my thoughts of cancellation.

- On January 18th, I get an email from Dell informing me that delivery has been delayed until Feb 6th. That's it, I'm cancelling the order. The HP Pavilion Gaming 15 I was previously looking at is back down to €799 on Komplett, that will do just fine.

- I fill out the cancellation/returns form on the Dell site, respectfully informing them that I needed a new laptop by the end of the month, and their delay into February means that I have to unfortunately look elsewhere.

- A nice Dell rep emailed me back promptly. He apologised for the delay and said that I could cancel my order no problem, but if I didn't cancel, Dell would refund me £80 GBP as goodwill. He also attached a tracking link to show that the laptop is expected to arrive with me on January 31st.

- The regular price of the machine was €998. I bought it in a Dell flash sale with 10% off for €899. Now Dell are going to refund me a further €95 (ish) and that will bring the overall cost close to €800.

- That's more than fine with me. The money I have saved with Dell will fund an external monitor.

- My now 10 year old MB Pro is still holding out, what a fúcking Trojan