Why Buying a Used Laptop Almost Always Makes More Sense: New HP Stream vs Used Thinkpad X1 Carbon

[@FroggyTWrite]

the thermal paste on the x1 is probably quite old and needs to be replaced

[@JuanCA8137]

First thing I did on a 2013 Thinkpad Yoga S1 I was given and now it's much cooler.

[@AAComputersandTechnology]

I think you might be right about that. It would have been a good idea to go ahead and replace that while I had the back panel open.

[@JuanCA8137]

Thankfully being a Thinkpad, I was in and out in less than 10 minutes.

[@AdamGillett]

Came down here for this. Would have been fascinating to see both repasted with the same compound and head to head. Fairly sure the X1 would pull further ahead. Still, I imagine getting to the die in both cases wouldn't be too much fun, although probably easier in the X1.

[@BilisNegra]

@@AdamGillett Both repasted, why? The HP is a new machine.

[@Cereal.Fidgeter]

Even a refurbished t420 would be so amazing

[@noodle621]

I'm using one right now.

[@Weedug]

@@noodle621 I got one a few days ago here in the UK.

[@alcho6005]

Using t420 right now lmao

[@tedarmavan]

what about T400?

[@staterafukumoto]

the t400, while a wonderful machine, is a bit slow for common everyday tasks

[@grimgoreironhide9985]

I used to work for a college. I've seen a few buying the HP Stream because they liked the size and the price was affordable for them. After a few weeks of trying to use storage heavy engineering software, the students became frustrated and wanted to sell their underpowered laptops.

[@JessicaFEREM]

that's why I can get one for $20 plus shipping. ha.

[@Diggy22]

This pretty much mirrors my real-life laptop circumstances this year. For Christmas, my stepmother got me an HP Stream. Only 64 GB of storage, weak speakers, and the only redeeming qualities were the webcam and that it was convenient to carry for typing documents on the fly. A week ago, I bought myself a used ThinkPad x260 off of eBay for $109. 8GB RAM, 500GB HDD, solid speakers, and faster performance. I’m also purchasing another ThinkPad with no HDD to install an SSD with Linux Mint to tinker around with and get back into learning Linux.

[@alexboon1675]

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? WHERE IS THE CAPS LOCK KEY ON THAT X1 GEN2? I MEAN INTERNET WAS ALREADY INVENTED WHEN THE GEN2 CAME OUT. IM SORRY FOR THE CAPS BUT I CANNOT TURN IT OFF BECAUSE I HAVE A LENOVO THINKPAD X1 CARBON X1 GEN2. I WISH I HAD A GEN1 OR A GEN3 OR LITERALLY ANY OTHER LAPTOP EVER MADE.

[@lekonai]

BRUH WHAT THE HELL THIS IS THE BEST COMMENT IVE EVER SEEN

[@eduardoavila646]

Any other laptop ? Nah, an overpriced aging core2duo philco phn14545 with a cursed sis chipset wich wont run anything newer than xp nor linux without issues isnt better than that... Also its chipset overheats and it starts to fail because of the bad bga solder. And it cant even run a 1080p video :/

[@jacobnathanielzpayag3885]

I was also looking for that but it is nowhere to be found

[@taxos]

lol

[@CrusadesOClock]

The default is double tap shift to turn caps on/off (also the switch key has a light to indicate whether caps is on or off), but if you open up the function bar application you can switch caps to be either the home or end key. If you don't have the function bar application you can install Lenovo Vantage from the windows store and it will update all your drivers and install the app for you... maybe even a bios update. I switch caps to the home key and its great. I didn't notice any keyboard flex either like in the video.

[@noodle621]

2:58 not offended at all. Everyone knows the keyboard and trackpad of lenovo machines from that gen were absolutely garbage.

[@Garrettb214]

I agree, I have had several ThinkPads from this gen (X1 Carbon, T440, W540, T431s) and they all feel like the trackpad is mounted improperly and it moves quite a lot when clicked.

[@chezcake8607]

firewire honestly I have a late 2009 MACBOOK and the trackpad is garbage. I just use a mouse because it’s easier than using a thinkpad anyways.

[@Kingdom934]

T440? I have a few of them at work. the trackpad was a slab of plastic that felt like you were trying to write on an really bad uneven table. Hated the integrated trackpad/mouse button combo as well.

[@chezcake8607]

@@cyberuspunk or that red dot in the middle of the keyboard that everybody loves

[@benjiderrick4590]

The thing is that lenovo in this era put WAY better trackpads in its consumer laptops !! Had a g50-70 ideapad and this trackpad is the best compared to a precision m3800 and thinkpad x1

[@BigjohnZ06]

I didn't know that Lenovo had a touchscreen like a row for the function keys. This was made before Apple started putting in Touchbars in the newer MacBook Pros!

[@ajjaatarskywalker917]

Hp workstation 8730w elitebook had a touch bar like strip above the function key row way back in 2009. also i think if anyone one wants to put a touchbar thats how it should be implemented - dedicated function keys + touch bar for additional functionality. but yea thats just my opinion.

[@benjiderrick4590]

Apple never invented anything Screens on top of the keyboard was already a thing WAY before Apple released the touchbar

[@TopHatProductions115]

@@ajjaatarskywalker917 Please tell me more about the touchbar-like strip on the EliteBook 8730W. Is it user-configurable? Also, did HP put it on any EliteBook models after the 8730W? I was considering grabbing an 8770W and upgrading it at some point in the future.

[@ajjaatarskywalker917]

@@TopHatProductions115 I am not sure if its user configurable and I dont have it with me atm. In fact I never fiddled with it much. I only used it to increase and lower brightness and volume. It really isn't that useful imo. Im more of a fn guy so yea. In my opinion get the 8770w and upgrade its cpu and gpu. But upgrading the gpu can be tricky as the gpu heat sink might vary with the model of mxm card u use. There are plenty of threads online that give thorough information on these upgrades, so read up if u wanna upgrade.

[@ironmantooltime]

Your actually surprised 🤨

[@zzy09azy]

I bought a fully functional and fully loaded T420S Thinkpad on eBay for under $60, including shipping. Hi-res screen and USB 3.

[@chrisreynolds6391]

How much ram did you add? What's the max?

[@LaptopRetrospective]

Some don't like the keyboard on the X1C 2nd Gen but I found it very endearing even if it had a learning curve. I really enjoyed it when I had it in the studio.

[@Heidegaff]

How can you offend anyone saying that the chiclet keyboard of a ThinkPad sucks? It's the reason why people puts the *magnificent* T420 keyboard in the T430. It's a thing that it's universally agreed in the ThinkPad community.

[@maggini21]

I gave it a thumbs up for the very excellent, barn-burnin' Lagavulin single malt at the 13:12 mark.

[@josephwinn01]

As a Thinkpad fan I'd suggest avoiding the x40 era clickpad "experiment" to anyone. Thankfully Lenovo fixed it back in the x50 era.

[@Theironlefty]

as a t440p user i'd say just replace the trackpad with t450's and its the x40 series becomes good, i can replace any part on this unlike the new ones.

[@lasercrafter4408]

@@Theironlefty its kinda a gamble tbh because the trackpad can either be a knockoff synaptics or alps, but if you're going to do that, i would suggest killing two birds with one stone and try and find one with a palmrest assembly, so you can have a backlit keyboard if you desire and the trackpad that is required

[@thenotred]

The L440 is the only x40 within my budget. Anything newer is above my budget

[@illiiilli24601]

@@thenotred is the T430 in your budget? I just looked it up on eBay and it's around the same price as the L440. If it is, that's probably a better buy.

[@PreciousAlpschindler]

The x90 and newer too they aren’t modular as the older one and don’t get me started on a Thinkbook

[@Dojinshiii]

You could get an X220 for cheaper than the X1C and it can support 16GB of RAM.

[@MrWirelesscaller]

The HP stream like all "cloud books" (MS lingo for their laptops with > 64 GB storage, there are windows tablets with similar specs) due to the limited storage space forces the need to purchase of additional storage (memory card, the "hd" is a fixed emmc chip on the mainboard). The only three options I think the HP stream is better on paper is weight, battery life, and built-in bluetooth. It should also have Office 365 for a year, but if you use Open Source like Libre, so unless you're a power user, I won't recommend HP stream.

[@eduardoavila646]

Its a shame that the X lineup is aways overpriced where i live (and actually all thinkpads, but the X lineup about 3x more)... I like thinkpads, just cant pay a price from a 4th, and maybe even 7th gen intel i5's for a first or second gen thinkpad.

[@kitecattestecke2303]

HP elitebooks? They are fine as hell too :-p

[@eduardoavila646]

@@kitecattestecke2303 Yeah, latitudes, elitebooks, all these cool corporate laptops are really expensive. A core2duo elitebook 6930p costs about the price of a 7th gen i3 lenovo ideapad. I got a deffective one for "cheap", about 150 usd, but it doesnt work at all, probably dead chipset, but it came with a damaged case, no hdd, no ram, and no processor, the screen has some burn-in too. So yeah...not a good deal. I tested it with other working parts to no avail. I will try to get a hot air soldering station and see if its judt the chipset with either bad bga or internal bga.

[@samjackson7701]

@@eduardoavila646 Damn man that sucks. I wish I could send you something. ThinkPad T530 is available here 16GB RAM, i7, and 120GB SSD for $150.

[@eduardoavila646]

@@samjackson7701 Wow! Its a great price for it! I wish the customs wouldnt block it.

[@Micromation]

To be honest, you're not missing out much - X lineup lacks dual (or even exchangeable) battery... T blows it out of the water IMHO.

[@doogledoesstuff207]

Also, great place to buy laptops if you live in Australia, is Gumtree. Got an Acer Aspire with 8GB DDR4 RAM, Dual Core AMD A9, with dedicated Radeon graphics, for about $150. Runs CS:GO at 60fps at Med/Low 1080p, runs Minecraft flawlessly, and you can get some good 1080p video editing done with Hitfilm. Great daily driver, and you can get similar deals like that if you've got a good week to watch and wait for a good ad.

[@virtualtools_3021]

dude i had an a9-9430 it was so bad it doesn't run CS:GO at med low 1080p 60 at all

[@MnemonicCarrier]

Thanks for this video - very interesting. Personally, I love secondhand ThinkPads. At the moment I have an X250, X260, T450, T460s, T470, and a T470p. I'm also a huge Linux fan, so they're all running Linux :) I picked up every single one for next to nothing - real bargains. It's like a have a laptop for every occasion!

[@Alex-yj9xl]

Oh cool. It's sad how much more Thinkpads are to comparable spec'ed options from places like HP.

[@mesterak]

I bought a used T430 and love it. I upgraded the memory and threw in a large SSD, and it’s a beast as a daily driver and is good enough for light gaming.

[@pointedspider]

I bought a used HP Elitebook 8440w back in 2015 for $125 on Ebay. I've only upgraded the ram to 8gb but I can put a quad core i7 and 16gb ram in it. Brushed aluminum finish... just a great machine

[@robinrai4973]

Got a Thinkpad Yoga 12 for 150 quid! Pen, 1080p IPS touchscreen 2 in 1, 5th gen i5, 8gigs of ram and an SSD!

[@DelphinusVyse]

Wow, that's a deal. I just got a T450 with 16gigs of ram and a 500GB SSD for $175. Felt like a pretty great price. Really happy with it though I'm probably going to replace the internal battery and get a high capacity main battery soon because in particular, the internal one gets maybe 56% of its original capacity.

[@clayc9221]

Normies buy the hp stream because “It looks pretty so it must run better” 🤣

[@tobytoyota6936]

The problem being that normies dont know computers are different and scared to take out a single screw

[@mythicyt9428]

My sis bought a hp stream like 3 yrs ago now i use it for online school but its trash it cant even load my assignments so i use my phone for doong my assignments

[@davidkruse4030]

@@tobytoyota6936 ok. Every time I try to fix my computers I fuck then up. I am glad you nerds are so smart but I cannot fix this stuff. Also I can put bench you nerd

[@XanarchistBlogspot]

@@mythicyt9428 Don’t use your dong on your assignments. 😅

[@alexskvortsov4188]

i have the x1 carbon 2nd gen and tested the keyboard flex on my unit and it was not NEARLY as bad as the video showed, i guess you just have to get lucky.

[@redmed10]

Wish used thinkpads were as competitively priced in UK as they are in USA.

[@Murraymints94]

I have been trying to convince anyone with a small budget just to go down this route. Some listen and get Lenovo laptops others buy heaps of crap that are not worth it :)

[@busyrand]

I just recently purchased a similar Thinkpad setup with an amazing docking station for around $200 on Ebay. It's the best computer I've ever owned, and a premium experience in every way.

[@gavinvales8928]

You might have gotten the worst carbon generation, I got one and the screen would go weird after a few minutes use

[@MixShadowlight]

Personally, I think the first generation X1 Carbons are worse.

[@Zarrx]

why do you think it was $100

[@virtualtools_3021]

@@Zarrx seller in russia + too much vodka = not know how to price

[@larrywilliams8010]

3:00 That's when I clicked Like

[@retropcdurham]

Lifetime ThinkPad user. There is a reason why combo buttons and that horribad touchpad didn't last long. They were universally hated by users and even Lenovo employees

[@slooowrabbit]

I hate my touch pad but that what they make wireless mice for tho right lol

[@PlainsPrepper]

What would you recommend for a used business grade laptop that is in a 12" form factor?

[@kbhasi]

(Edit: I didn't realise you were asking the video host, but I'll leave my comment here) ThinkPad X2 series? I have a X250, and it works decently for my needs, but I recommend you avoid the crappy 1366×768 display they come with as standard and get one with a 1080p display instead, unless you can somehow live with it.

[@LND3947]

Panasonic do some ultrabooks, the CX4 and MX4 series I believe, removable battery

[@lesrogers7310]

Dell Latitude E6220 or E6230. These are both 12.5'' so should be ok.

[@Devazok]

What happened to your dell inspiration 15 3251

[@goldibollocks]

Watching this on my ThinkPad x200s that I bought used 4.5 years ago and that's still serving me perfectly fine. :)

[@DonChubb]

nice preface...3:11 I can almost audibly hear everyone scream "how dare you!" haha

[@Spartacus69]

I bought a used X1 Carbon 6th gen. Wow the keyboard and trackpad are much improved and i actually prefer it over my surface laptop. Just throwing my 2 cents out there. I'm glad i didn't get a 2nd gen.

[@WillyToons]

I avoid laptops with mousepads that have physical left and right buttons. The buttons are pointless and take up space from the actual trackpad.

[@MikeDancy]

I had that same x1 carbon. I paid $128 CDN for it and sold it for $380 CDN after putting a new SSD in it.

[@wojciechmuras553]

How about a second-hand HP Stream?

[@SBVCP]

... In the US. buying used elsewhere usually cost 2, 3 times more or even higher

[@scalor]

Yes X1 carbons used cost 700euro here in Finland

[@virtualtools_3021]

sorry that your places add a stupidly high sales/import tax

[@brucerosner3547]

Agree 100%. For a tiny desktop the Lenovo ThinkCentre line is readily available.

[@deadhero4203]

In theory if you know how you can solder on new ram and storage on the HP stream 11. I find it quite odd that HP made a laptop that would be obsolete with its base specs in a year after its release. 2gb of ram on that machine would not last long.

[@Nick1296]

I've managed to do this with a Haswell laptop for $120 before - I have a Latitude E6440 I bought with backlight issues for $50. It needed some work (primarily a new screen, but I upgraded it to an HD+ screen assembly for $30; $4 more then the matched bare panel). Also needed a drive but I got a 240GB PNY SSD for $40. Granted mine came with a i5-4300M CPU (4200M base, so minor upgrade from the factory), which I am completely happy with to the point I see no need to change it. Since I work with Dell laptops a lot, the charger was not an issue for me but if you needed one plan to spend ~$20 for a used slimline adapter. The OEM ones are cheaper but not by much and I prefer the loop around cord design so it's worth it to me. My battery is a bit weak (31.6% health; ~1H 52M of run-time left), but I'm not going to change it until it gets worse since I don't need the battery to hold hours of charge. However, if you had to buy it you can get a aftermarket one for $30 or so.

[@klwthe3rd]

How can you tell what generation you are buying or looking at in reference to the Lenovo X1 Carbon?

[@thenotred]

If I'm not mistaken, it's by the CPU generation

[@9Tailsfan]

I got a refurbished 17.3 inch HP Notebook off Amazon for $430 back in August. It has a 1 terabyte hard drive, optical disk drive, touch screen, AMD processor, touch screen, and more. If a laptop ain't got a built in optical disk drive, that's a deal breaker for me.

[@andreiarg]

Wait, does that lenovo basically have a touch bar?

[@GhastUnity]

Thinkpad guys might hate me but I bought a 2010 15” MacBook Pro for $175 upgraded the Ram & Storage and been using it daily for the last year and it’s been great 👍🏻

[@Seatux]

I keep torturing myself watching these sorts of videos and find myself disappointed seeing Carousell when it basically costs more than 2x in my country.

[@GhastUnity]

@@Seatux damn i feel ya deals here in canada sometime sucks too

[@maynardcrow6447]

My mom and sister grabbed 5 HP stream 14's on a black friday sale like 3 years. I had to do a clean OS install on all of them and disable windows update on ALL of them and optimized them ALL to be a lil more snappy cuz the emmc memory in them are HORRIBLE. I have one of them now that I installed android x86 on and I have to say they work alot better with Android x86 and lynix than windows.

[@Sneekystick]

I hate the trackpad on my 2nd gen X1 carbon. However, I didn’t have any problem with the keyboard despite the “special” touch functionality of the function keys. Also mine did come with a 1440p display, 8gb of ddr3 ram, and an i7 cpu. I recommend applying new thermal paste and cleaning cooling system thoroughly. The battery sucks too btw “2 hours of battery.”

[@ssclassof2000]

What would be a good sub 200 14 or 11 inch option new or used that is thin,light, fast boot time, long battery life. This would only be used to office work and web browsing.

[@addictiveconduct]

I watched this video on a 2019 HP Stream 11. I got mine at Target as an open box for $126 right after black friday.

[@lunalavestrie5797]

Hello sir I bought laptop recently then after 3 months I returned it to the store and turned out it has a factory defect is it still good to use the laptop after repaired? What is the pros and cons ?

[@kennyj4366]

Man there is a major issue with that X1 Keyboard lol. I have a ThinkPad (Albeit not that model) and you could push all day long and never get it to spring up and down like that. Great video, thanks.

[@casey5618]

I love how he says "da" instead of "the"

[@KingASE88]

Amazing video as always!

[@_s_9920]

the only upside of the HP Stream is that its an indestructable word processor for non-tech Uni/College courses. You can throw it in a bag and not worry about it breaking. Buy second hand if you want a word processor for lectures purely.

[@picchioknossus8096]

Man it has been a while since your last video. Is everything OK? I hope so. BTW good to see you back.

[@KelzCasa]

I did just this, bought a stream in a pinch. I just spent $175 on a used i7 T440P on eBay, and $100 on a 1TB SSD, and I’ll never look back!

[@icrafterchips]

so we had a touchbar in 2014?

[@kynkai]

Yep, I've got an X270 for about $160, and it surprised me how awesome it is. It's really small, and portable, pretty fast with m.2 SSD and the i5-6300U, and it's battery life is a killer. It's keyboard is exceptionally good, and it really is built like a tank overall. Now I guess I'm a ThinkPad fan lol

[@angelinajuliabautista6325]

Would thinkpads from 2013-2015 survive when used for programming? I'm an incoming college freshman planning to take up Computer Science.

[@alex_inside]

I'm using a Surface book from 2015 with an i7 6600u for programming. They'll do all right just make sure that if you go with a laptop without a "U" Intel CPU that it is an i7 with 4 cores, i5 are only dual cores so you might as well get an i7 6600u with a lower TDP and similar performance.

[@tyg3rpro]

I have a thinkpad tabletpc, no idea what to do with it, any suggestions?

[@coolduder1001]

How heavy is the x1 and what's the battery life

[@Huegell]

I got a used T500 for free about 4 months ago. It is old and definitely needs lots of care and parts, but I have great plans to prepare it for 2021. As I enjoy going down "the fun way" and don't have immediate need for it to be used productively, it will see upgrades one at a time.

[@mayamatuszczyk2436]

From a ThinkPad fan: We agree that 40 series ThinkPad trackpads are trash. That keyboard is specific only to X1 Carbon 2

[@MixShadowlight]

Yup. I've actually seen Thinkpad X1 carbon 2 that doesn't have that "touchbar-like" thingie and those have a much more usable keyboard layout. I believe that keyboard that you see featured in the video is an option and you can specify for one without that disgusting keyboard when you order one back in the day.

[@cliftt]

@@MixShadowlight U likely found one that replaced the keyboard.

[@ryanwakebradtelle8682]

Does it have Bluetooth?, if you wanted to use it as a portable console for emulators and low-end / old games, and never used it for web browsing be on streaming.

[@talonfluff]

I was lucky enough they someone was selling an i3 Lenovo l430 for 99 euros locally. I really needed a laptop at the time and I had like 3 days to buy one. It even boots faster than my pc with ryzen 1700x and nvme ssd.

[@halalphish4495]

ryzen 7 what?

[@talonfluff]

@@halalphish4495 corrected

[@halalphish4495]

@@talonfluff actually laptops naturally losds faster i jave a lenovo with ryzen pro it loads fadter than my r5 2600@ 3.65 hhz

[@lawrencecavens5760]

Well I must say - from all the compiling info from other people on laptops I must agree on these things 1 - Older is better in build quality 2- Business grade laptops are far superior than consumer grade , as you demonstrated with the HP so called toy.... 3 - HP dose make a good business grade machine which would be nice if you could do a review on - the Elitebook 8460 4 - Cheaper build units are a waste of money to a pro user - less like you've shown use Linux instead of windows . Again Awesome video - keep up the great work... Cheers

[@scharkalvin]

Seller linked in video didn't have any X1 carbons, but a good assortment of T and X series thinkpads. Most of those are a good choice and CHEAPER!

[@Unirule]

How would a 3rd gen X1 Carbon compare to a Dell Latitude 7370 from eBay? Both seem to be going for a similar price at this point.

[@Spectator0106]

The Problem with the 3rd gen X1 is that the RAM is soldert on the Motherboard so no easy upgrade there. Plus you should look for full hd screens because the glossy 1440p panels can go bad very easy. Other than that it‘s a solid machine.

[@Unirule]

@@Spectator0106 I know neither have upgradable ram and am shooting for a 1080p display, 8gb is enough for my uses, I just want something to carry easily in my backpack and use for light coding and msoffice. I don't care for the mouse nipple so the trackpad on the x1c makes more look away but it also has much better io and a core I processor vs a core m one (trading slightly more power for the fanless cool design on the Latitude). I'm just not sure which one will hold up better, the aluminum Dell or soft touch x1. I am also aware that the X1 has way more community support because thinkpad ownership is a cult.

[@remembermorrison]

I needed a cheap laptop in a pinch for a conference, $200 refurbished X250 on Amazon Prime. Amazing. Got the job done, and I ended up keeping it instead of returning it. Now I did have to change the thermal paste, because besides the obvious age, CPU temp was fluctuating rapidly, obviously the paste was shot. I think a decently handy end user could do this with a YT video. I upgraded the ram, 1080p LG panel, and threw in a used Samsung 850 SSD. So for $300 I have a damn good laptop that can easily keep up with a modern midranger. I've had good and bad experiences on eBay, so buyer beware there. Prime takes care of you no matter what.

[@stan.rarick8556]

Although I have desktops, my 'primary' machine is currently an IBM T43p purchased on eBay more than 7years ago. Some points to note before someone starts screaming at me. 1.I don't do gaming, etc. That machine is the repository for emails, financial files (scans, downloads, spreadsheets, etc).. Running XP. RAM maxed out HD upgraded (and am planning to do so again). I purchased 3 of them and am on the second one. 2. I use laptops as desktops because of space savings (and, if necessary, portability). I do not use, unless absolutely necessary, the inbuilt keyboard and pointing device(s). Too awkward. USB keyboard and mouse. 3. I source machines from eBay, the local university surplus store, Goodwill, and even dumpsters. I have gotten trashed machines completely intact and fully functional with no password protection. 4. I now do most of my video watching on wireless tablets (which I am doing right now) 5. I started using computers professionally in 1966 (look at my avatar/icon to see me seated at the console of 'my PC' in 1967) so don't try saying I'm a noob. I use computers for the assistance they provide in my life (and watching videos also)

[@griffith4443]

This is good to know. I’ve been seeing a lot of these around (second hand) and they look pretty but that’s probably the least important thing about tech. I love messing around with machines and I’m also big on recycling etc. so I’ll definitely be sharing this video. Plus, now I also know not to be tempted to buy that bright red machine I spotted on marketplace 😊

[@MattTheriot]

You can upgrade the X1 Carbon's trackpad.

[@stevenreplogle8644]

I got a $170 (it's now $150) Asus X441BA laptop new from Micro Center - it couldn't even SETUP Win 10, popped in an SSD and installed Ubuntu MATE. Runs like a champ!

[@priesermax]

I think it was 3 months ago, I got an HP Zbook 14 MW for 200€ = ~220$ It got an i7 4600u an AMD FirePro M4100 Fire GL, 1x8GB DDR3, soon two times 8GB=16GB, which will help the performance, because then it's dual channel It came with a 256GB Sata Solid-State Drive, but you could install an M.2 It has a 1080p panel which looks, in my opinion, pretty good 4x USB 3, Displayport, 3,5mm Jack, VGA, SD Card Reader, dock port, LAN Not bad?

[@re1_OW]

Is the x1 second gen or third gen

[@weilee1155]

Should I buy a used Thinkpad T450 (i5-5300U) or a brand new Ideapad 330 (Celeron N4000)? both cost approximately the same price

[@i80386sx]

The one thing to note on eBay. If something is listed in a "parts and repair" category, it doesn't matter what the description says. Even if the seller lists the system in "great" condition. eBay will side with the seller the minute it goes into "parts or repair." This was a $40 lesson.

[@ryanwakebradtelle8682]

What do you think about the ThinkPad yoga 12, for 180 to $300 depending on your configuration, it's a lot more limited but you get a 1080p touchscreen with a 360 degree hinge. Can you get one and tell us if there's any other drawbacks other than upgradability? I'm thinking about getting it for my sister who's really in the part and it would be an upgrade even over her desktop

[@nickhayesreviews]

My T440p has that same trackpad and I do have to agree that it is absolutely crap. I did hear that you can swap it out but I honestly can't be bothered at the moment. There's a few things I need to do such as install an SSD and new battery so maybe I'll do it all at once when I find some time.

[@amdintelxsniperx]

hp 9770w and 8900 series are around the 180 240 bucks and run circles around the stream

[@ajfromca]

I got an elitebook 9480 about 9 months ago and it’s about in the price range and age of the carbon, imo hp has really good keyboards and trackpads in their corporate level devices. If you took the fun route I took the amazing time route. Mine looked like it fell off a truck (broken screen, broken trackpad, case in really bad shape), the motherboard was good and I got a dead one and married the two devices. I got an i7 in rough shape for $40 and about another $60 for one with a dead motherboard and a perfectly working laptop was the result.

[@Zuryc]

Hi im planning to buy x240 i5 8gb ram 128gb ssd. U think its ok this 2022? Im using it photoshop video editing. Google chrome. Office works.

[@aisle9]

I'm sure I'm not telling anyone anything new here, but a fifth-gen trackpad with much better response and physical buttons can be picked up new on Amazon for $30 and will work with a Haswell-gen ThinkPad following a driver installation.

[@oso2k]

Have you tried Neverware CloudReady on the Stream 11 yet?

[@nathanmead140]

the DELL latitude E6510 is a good laptop it has the stick thing on the keyboard i like the keyboard on it the keys press nice and there is no bending when pressing the keys hard too (i code on it and i really like it), the touch pad is a little small but it has 2 buttons and pressing both at the same time is a middle mouse button click, it has a nvidia GPU (nvidia nvs 3100m) so i can play minecraft and fallout new Vegas ultimate edition (probably some other games too i just don't have a lot of games installed yet), the CPU is a BGA 1288 and it is replaceable, mine has 4 GB RAM but they can be upgraded to 2 4GB DDR3 1333Mhz sodimm modules, and it has tons of ports (VGA, display port, gigabit Ethernet, 4 USB 2.0, 1 powered esata, 1 fire-wire port, a SD card slot, a SIM card slot, a PCMCIA card slot, a smart-card slot and 4 msata connectors) and the DVD RW drive can be upgraded to a Blue-ray RE drive

[@killertruth186]

You can actually grab the latest trackpad driver and install it manually, but it isn't an official driver update. Although the keyboard part you have to customize it yourself, or have someone else do it.

[@Justin-A-Carter]

Before even watching this video it's exactly what I did for a secondary laptop to my gaming laptop. I purchased a used Lenovo 11.6 inch. It looks just like this X1 Carbon the people that had it before that refurbished it even upgraded the computer for me! It came with 8 gigs of RAM and 128 GB SSD and I got it for 200. It had minor scratching. I went to Amazon and bought a sleeve to put it in for 10 bucks!! done I also have to agree that the touchpad are useless on them! But that's where you can get a cheap wireless mouse. I actually have a secondary wireless mouse should I keep kicking around so it didn't cost me anything!

[@fizzyizzy05]

The x240 might be a great option compared to the stream 11. It's not that much thicker, not that much heavier and also has a slightly bigger 12.5 inch screen. In the UK, an ideapad s130 with an n4000, 4gb of memory and 64gb of storage is available for £229 whilst an x240 with an i5-4300u, 320gb of storage and 8gb memory can be bought used for about £150

[@TheSimonarne]

watching this on a dell latitude e5500(the 2009 or something one) i got for free from a school without a drive and i put a ssd into it

[@investjournal]

Reading your comment on DELL 5420 (i7-2640M, 2x4GB RAM, SSD). I know lots of laptops featuring Atom/Celeron/Pentium just suck despite being slim and shiny.

[@TheSimonarne]

@@investjournal yeah still pretty slow but works well for a typewriter

[@zeusincoming282]

I like to type ,but I dont like the feel of Think Pads. Ive yet to find one I enjoy typing on!

[@pumpkinpie7254]

I don't get why Windows 10 software is so bad ... ( going nut's with touch pads cursor as it works when it feels like ) ... Can you elaborate ??? Received a Dell 11 as a gift loaded w/Window, thx in advance.

[@fbnmndz]

this is exactly what i tell people, i bought an HP 640 G1 cost me exactly 100$ on ebay with an i5 and 8gb ram .. spent an extra $100 on an SSD plus another 8gb and wow its fast for $200

[@asherhaun]

The stream 11 was my first computer... I still have it, and it is running Ubuntu 19.04.

[@DJTydalOfficial]

Just bought a 1st Gen X1 Carbon to Hackintosh. Let’s go! EDIT: It has been a year since I posted this but I sold my X1C1 for a T440s to hackintosh.

[@Pileofleaves]

Used is always the better way to go, as if it were a car. I bought a thinkpad t420 for $45 with a charger and made some upgrades like switching to an ssd and bumping the ram up to 8GB, runs like a charm. Does not even compare to my old hp stream, I was lucky that thing lasted me 5 years.

[@Ikouy]

Been using used ThinkPads for over 20 years. I have to upgrade not because they wear out or are too slow but because software support ends for them.

[@alerighi]

I bought a T440p as a secondary laptop, it was 150$ on ebay, put in it an SSD, 16Gb of RAM, replaced the crappy trackpad and TN screen, and with a total of less than 300$ now I have a perfect laptop that became my main computer.

[@kydn3y]

I thought the touch bar was an apple thing but no.

[@paulrose319]

Got a windows 8 version of hp stream 11 the blue version now getting on for 3 years old 32gb and becoming next to useless €150 of Amazon 3 years ago at some point this year I'll be upgrading my laptop to something more modern got my laptop connected to a 22 inch TV for the bigger screen than the 11 inch screen inbuilt and always use it mouse instead of the ball or pad

[@georgen.8027]

You might want to give the L series a look. The L512 has back panel that opens to the whole heatsink/fan and both RAM slots. The fan is held in by one screw, heatsink by 4 -- it all pivots out easily to change the thermal paste. It's much easier to work on than the T series.

[@JR-uy2nd]

I don't have this thinkpad, but yes the x1 yoga 2016 with normal trackpad but I NEVER use the click buttons I just tap or tap with two fingers, is faster easier and one hand friendly.