r/laptops

Hi everyone, maybe a strange request- but I'm looking to buy a laptop that I can use only for writing when I go off the grid out in nature or travel internationally. I want something that can handle dirty environments, bangs and scrapes, and has battery to last me at least 12 hours.
The main things I'm looking for are:

#1. Long battery life
#2. Durable and long-lasting/easily repairable
#3. Cheap. I can easily buy another or if it gets ruined/stolen - no biggie.
#4. Has a excellent outdoor brightness or screen visibility
#5. Has a lot of screen space

Bonus points for:

1. Can handle hot and dry environments very well
2. Has swappable or external battery options for extendable life/charging
3. Lightweight
4. Maybe some tablet/keyboard recs that do all the things?

I'm not brand loyal and don't care about ecosystem or OS. I'm just not as much of a tech-savvy human so nothing custom please. Never used Linux either but open to it. Hit me with whatever you guys think is best.

The Form
-fill in by replacing text in and removing the square brackets to answer-
LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE
Country: USA (Los Angeles)
Budget: $50-$500
Are you open to refurbs/used options?
Yes
Screen size
Any
Weight limit
None
Purpose
Writing
Form factor
Any
Intended usage
Word, scriptwriting software
Desired battery life
As long as possible
Please list, in order of most important to least important, the priority between Size, Weight, Performance, Battery life
battery life
PLEASE REMEMBER LAPTOPS ARE A COMPROMISE AND PERFORMANCE SACRIFICES LIGHT WEIGHT AND LONG BATTERY LIFE ETC]
Info/Requirements
I’m ok with any weight or size.

Been working remotely around Chicago lately, hopping between coffee shops and coworking spaces, and my single laptop screen is starting to feel really limiting. I usually have docs, spreadsheets, and a bunch of browser tabs open at once, so I’m looking into a portable screen extender setup but honestly there are so many options I’m not sure what actually holds up for daily use.

Budget is around $300–$500 and I want something that’s easy to carry and quick to set up without turning my whole desk into a mess. If anyone here actually uses a laptop screen extender regularly, what should I be looking for in terms of screen size, connection type, and reliability? Also wondering if these end up being something people stick with long term or if they get annoying to travel with after a while.

Form

Budget: $300–$500

Location: Chicago, USA

Use case: remote work, multitasking, spreadsheets, browser-heavy workflow

Portability: very important

Setup time: should be quick and simple

Compatibility: Windows laptop

Thanks

I have an Acer Aspire 5 15 laptop, I was going to go into BIOS to check something for the first time on this laptop since I got it over a year ago but was greeted with a BIOS (I assume) security code password (the password you need to change settings in the BIOS).

The laptop boots into the system just fine and I have no clue what the password is. I would preferably want to remove it though.

To be more clear this is exactly how it went and what I tried to get to fix it:

Boot into BIOS

See "Enter Current Password"

Incorrectly type password 3 times

Given a choice between "shut down system" and "enter unlock code"

Choose "enter unlock code"

Warning: "do not shut down or reboot computer before the unlock process completes"

Warning: "Need to insert FAT/FAT32 USB dongle"

Repeat the steps but now with a completely empty formatted USB drive

got a .txt file on the drive called "code" but it's a very long encrypted mess

My fault for not being able to provide images, not exactly sure how I'm supposed to post them on mobile.

Is there anything I can do about this?

Laptop model: Acer Aspire 5 15 A515-58GM-xxxx

I know there are many Mac vs PC arguments, but I was thinking about this from a different angle.

Macs have always been more expensive for the same specs. Now with Apple SOC, the processors are much faster, screen brightness is better than the average PC, and it doesn't seem like you pay much more.

To get a Windows laptop with the speed of an M5 pro processor, it would probably be more than $1500, which is a base Macbook M5 pro.

I am not part of the Apple ecosystem, and I am not sure if I need all of that. I want a good OLED (or bright IPS) screen, at least 32GB ram (PC) or 16gb(Mac), good video processing, (AT least Arc140v or Raedon 780M for PC), and a form factor that is quality and works.

As a teacher, I don't need crazy power or battery life, but I do want to create videos for my students, and I might also want to record music with my son. I think if I went the direction of a Mac, I would probably prefer the pro for the brighter screen and more ports.

Im getting into university in a year, and I decided its time to get a laptop because im gonna study engineering. I have many questions about it, i heard its recomedable an i7,16gb ram and 512gb. aside from specs I dont know what OS should I use (ik not mac). the main question is, do I buy a laptop with windows installed? should I double boot with linux? should I use only linux districts?

💻 Need Recommendations for a Laptop in the $400–$700 Range
My main work:
Programming & Web Development
AI / “Vibe Coding”
Photoshop & Image Editing
I’m looking for:
✅ Good performance for coding and multitasking
✅ Smooth experience with VS Code, Docker, browsers, etc.
✅ Decent battery life
✅ Good display for design/editing
✅ Best value for the budget
Also:
🍎 MacBook or 🪟 Windows laptop — which is better for programming and creative work in 2026?
Would love your recommendations 👇

This might be a "No shit, Sherlock" post for many of you, but people always seem to be asking about it and getting told that they can't do anything about it, so I wanted to share how I have upgraded several laptops for myself as well as friends and family, and when I worked in a computer repair store.

Most of the time you are locked in to whatever you have because it is soldered to the board. Chips are soldered in place. I used to encounter interchangeable CPUs, but it has been a while since I've seen one. Here's the thing that I think the average person doesn't consider when they're thinking of how to upgrade: You can possibly replace the entire motherboard with a different model.

Most laptops are not a one-off model. They share a chassis with several different models. If you happened to get one of the lower models, you can probably swap to a better model, and at relatively respectable price.

Times are tough. Not a lot of people can afford new laptops. I have people that are running laptops from a decade ago or more. One of mine is from 2018, and it still serves me just as well for what I need it for. Actually better than when it was new. It started as a Windows 10 laptop with 8GB of RAM, Intel integrated graphics, and an i5, and now it is a Linux (not a necessity, but if you are just using it for web and clerical, I highly recommend) laptop with 20GB of RAM, Nvidia graphics with 2GB VRAM, and an i7. The cost for this upgrade was about $50. If you aren't averse to doing the work to do this, it can be done.

Look at your model number. Search that on ebay and look for the motherboard. Search your model year and name. You should see several variations either way. Start typing your model into Google. Google will auto complete multiple numbers usually (Like an IdeaPad 330 15ARX might have a dozen or more variations). Start searching for the unchanged part of the model number (in this case, "IdeaPad 330", or "IdeaPad 330 15") as well as individual numbers. When you find models that share the same board pattern, you should easily be able to recognize that they will fit your device. You can also cross reference the case bottom/top where the boards mount, and find that they are actually the same part across the models. Make sure it will work with you existing hardware as well (touch vs non-touch screens, drives, RAM, same I/O as your case, heatsinks/fans). You can also search Alibaba/Express.

You have to do some research, but if you find a board that can give you a significant upgrade, you might be able to do it at a low overall cost. I have even done this at no cost or made money doing it. You were just going to watch AI-generated 10-second videos all day anyway. May as well use that time for something productive.

Now you will need some money upfront, and you will need to do the required legwork, but what you do is find a good option for the motherboard, and compare the cost of that to the cost of an exact replacement motherboard. Don't limit yourself to just motherboards. You may be able to find broken laptops with working boards as well (which could net you more parts). In my case the difference was about $30, and the motherboard I bought was from a 17" laptop while mine was only a 15" (same size boards). Buy the motherboard. Swap them.

Just a little side note that you may not be able to just plug your drive back in and start it up. You may need to do a fresh install of your OS (I always do this). Prepare by saving your data/cloning your drive, etc. before you do any of this stuff. Also, during the swap is a good time to make sure you have new thermal paste and cooling pads in place, clean fans, etc.

Take pictures of your old motherboard and put it in the same box your new one came in. Put up for sale on eBay (just copy a good existing listing), undercutting everyone, and recoup your money when it sells. There is obviously a waiting period that is not very definable here, but you can look at ebay sold items and get an idea on how long, and at what price to sell your motherboard. No worries on how to pack it as you already had everything you needed to ship it. Also, remember that ebay takes their big cut when you sell, and you have to pay to ship. Be prepared.

I have done this so many times over the past several years, and it has been a great way to extend the life and definitely the power of devices. I have even done it to make money buying and selling laptops as a side hustle. It will obviously be more beneficial to some than others, as newer (or ancient) laptops might not have as many options or might be cost-prohibitive. If you have a gaming laptop, you will need a lot more money upfront. Also, if you got exhausted reading this, just buy a new laptop. Some of us like to tinker. Some of us like to be frugal. Some of us don't have a choice.

Hello there, i'm working on a project for a laptop stand while it's charging, i need some info.

Since the structure is horizontal like in a laptop bag, i'd like to know how the majority of people positions theirs in one of those to make the project more functional.

Thanks for the help.

View Poll

When I started school I opted for a chromebook (HP chromebook x360 model 14a) because i’m not tech savvy, and i prefer a super simple interface and operating system. However i’ve now learned this was not a good choice as chromebook operates on a mobile operating system and cannot support many of the accessibility features/apps I need and is also very slow and laggy when doing research.

They have no come out with the macbook neo which to my understanding is similar to a chromebook but actually operates on macOS not a mobile OS. Will I run into the same problems I’m having now? I need to be able to download online programs, run up to 10ish tabs at a time (on the chromebook anytime I have tabs with ads so like a news website my whole computer stalls or crashes). I do a lot of research so I want to be able to toggle between tabs without lag.
I also need to be able to use all google apps smoothly (drive, docs etc) as all of my school stuff is now in google and i’m not switching it over to icloud.

My last 2 laptops have a damaged screen(nothing major, but spots and a dead pixel line that appeared over time.)

I think it is because i have the bad habbit of overloading my bag and putting pressure on it that way. Apart from avoiding overfilling my bag, is there something i could buy to prevent this. Maybe like a hard case?