I drove 60 miles today

"Jay, the practical enthusiast" (jay-m)
07/28/2020 at 16:40 • Filed to: None

That’s more than I’ve driven all month. For the past 3 months I have been averaging about 10 miles a week. I drove all that way for a computer.

Acer Spin 3

We decided w e’re not going to take any chances until we know more about how everything is going to play out. Our school district gave us the option to start the school year online with the possibility of returning to school after the first semester. The kids will still be attending school from home during regular school hours by sitting in front of their computers and taking part in class. The teachers will be live streaming their lessons from the classroom and some students will be there in person if any parents choose that option.

For the past 10 years we have only ever had one computer. Always a cheap, bottom of the line i3 with 4 GB Ram. The computers for people who don’t know anything about computers. Painfully slow computers that were cheap, usually around $400. We keep them for at least 5 years before replacing them with another cheap computer.

We knew we needed a new computer and this year, by chance, before this whole coronavirus became a thing, we had some extra money and I found a deal on an Acer spin 3 with an 8 th generation i7 and 16 GB Ram. It’s unreal how fantastically fast this thing is. We will never be able to go back to cheap computers again. We’ve been spoiled.

Comparing the old Acer Aspire 5 to the new Acer Spin 3

The problem is that with 2 girls in school and now only 2 computers my wife and I don’t have a computer to use during the day. So yesterday I started searching and learning about computers and I would be interested to hear what some of you computer nerds have to say.

I started my search for another Acer spin 3 with the same specs. We bought ours in February for $719. Used they are selling for $750 and new they are $1,700. WTF?! I looked for anything similar (2 in ones) with an i7 and 16 GB Ram and prices seem to start around $1,200. That’s way out of our budget.

A friend who is a programmer suggested I check out userbenchmark.com and compare different chips. He said some newer i5s and AMD Ryzen 5s might be faster than my i7. My Acer has an 8 th generation i7 8565U and when I compared it to a 10 th generation i5 1035G1, the i5 came out slightly ahead. The Ryzen 5 4500U comes out way ahead, but is nearly impossible to find.

The HP x360 vs. Acer Spin 3

I spent all day checking every website I could think of and couldn’t find anything under $1,000 with specs that I wanted. Then I checked Sam Club late last night and found an HP x360 on sale for $599. It has the i5 and 8 GB Ram. Nothing else seemed to come close at this price point. When I went to show my wife this morning it was sold out online and in every Central Florida Sam’s except one 30 miles away. For that price I raced over and grabbed it.

The new HP

So far I love it. It seems just as fast and well put together as the Acer and the price was great . But, I just want to warn anyone who is planning on getting a new computer for this school year that you need to start looking now. Prices seem crazy compared to just 5 months ago. Other than Sam’s I didn’t see any good deals out there. Also, does anyone have any advice when comparing specs like this? In the future what should we be looking for in a new computer?

DISCUSSION (11)

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI > Jay, the practical enthusiast
07/28/2020 at 16:50

I love the feeling starting a new computer for the first time, and adding all the bullshit programs I use.

That said, I absolutely hate brands like HP/Dell/etc. that add on all of their garbage software that you have to go through and remove, or do a clean Windows install. Mac is far superior in that regard. That, or building the PC (kinda hard for a laptop (not impossible, just hard)).

Michael > Jay, the practical enthusiast
07/28/2020 at 17:12

My dad worked for HP for a quarter century.

My computer is a Lenovo

If that provides any feedback

WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI is correct, wipe the slate and start with a fresh install, free of the HP bloatware

Taylor Martin > Jay, the practical enthusiast
07/28/2020 at 17:13

I’ve had an Acer for years now, and I absolutely love it. They’re great machines. Y ours is way more tricked out than mine too, so it should serve your entire family well.

I’m not much of a computer nerd, but I did build a computer using lots of YouTube tutorials and improvisation (a couple parts are duct taped in there... they haven’t broken yet so I’d say that’s a good sign). I will say that I’d suggest building a computer to anyone out there, it’s certainly cheaper than the ones that are already put together. However, it’s a tower so it’d have to be a home office computer.

I do agree with a lot of people in the chat though, HPs and Dells are phenomenal . My mother has an HP that’s riddled with issues, though it’s one of those fancy flip surface Ipad things. I had a Dell and it was S L O W. Couldn’t do much of anything, and it didn’t age well either. My Acer functioned as a gaming computer for years and dealt with some real torture. Alas, the Acer survived and the Dell was scrapped.

Michael > Jay, the practical enthusiast
07/28/2020 at 17:13

Also does it have to be a laptop?

Jay, the practical enthusiast > WasGTIthenGTOthenNOVAnowbacktoGTI
07/28/2020 at 17:17

I still feel like I don’t know anything at all about computers. I assumed all the companies threw on their bloatware. A Mac would be nice, I actually didn’t cross shop one because I thought it would be way too expensive.

Jay, the practical enthusiast > Michael
07/28/2020 at 17:22

We have to split the computers between the 4 of us with 4 different desks / office spaces. Also, the girls are 10 and 6, so when they are not in school we take the computers back so they don't accidentally get damaged.

Jay, the practical enthusiast > Michael
07/28/2020 at 17:24

Oh no. In my defense I did read some reviews that said it’s a good 2 in 1. It has a 90 day return policy.

I don't know enough about computers to do a fresh install.

Jay, the practical enthusiast > Taylor Martin
07/28/2020 at 17:27

This is the 2 in 1, tablet style laptop. Time will tell how it stands up. But it did come with a free 2 year extended warranty. That helped sell it in my mind.

Taylor Martin > Jay, the practical enthusiast
07/28/2020 at 17:41

Ah got it. It’s the touchscreen that really complicates things, but the two year warranty is certainly nice. The computer will likely show it’s true colors by then. Best of luck on your digital adventures through time, space, and the 2020 school year.

Michael > Jay, the practical enthusiast
07/28/2020 at 17:48

Sounds like you made the right choice

jminer > Jay, the practical enthusiast
07/28/2020 at 22:15

It’s nice to stretch the legs of our cars. I’m with you driving so little I’ve been filling up my car when it hits half empty once a month!

That's definitely a fair price on a laptop right now, even used laptops are commanding a premium.