Discussions

So I am the least techy person you will ever meet, and I am going to University this fall. I am in need of a laptop, and I honestly have absolutely NO idea what to buy. I don't want one of those little ones, as my sister has had two of them and both crapped out on her within a year.  
 
I don't want to be paying a crazy amount of money, but if it lasts for three to four years (at least) then I may be willing to pay. I don't want anything to fancy like a MacBook Pro or anything touch screen, just something that will get the job done.  
 
Thanks guys!!

get what you can afford.  
 
I recommend at least an i5 quadcore processor running at 3ghz and 8 gb of RAM.  
 
Every other stat really is just fluff features. The processor speed and amount of ram will determine how "good" a computer is. Really too this is a minimum to make it last 4 years cause really in 2 years these stats will be "slow" compared to the current offerings.

Alright thank you so much! Any recommendations as to where I should buy it?

Come see our sales team at Staples!

New egg and tiger direct are the two Canadian sites that have a huge variety. They sometimes even have them with Windows 7, which is imo a lot better than Windows 8.

I would suggest going to a store and getting someone to help you, just tell them what you're looking for in a laptop and what you're going to be using it for. Go to another store and do the same thing, then narrow down your options. Make sure to ask if there's any sort of deals you can get, sometimes if you get a really good person, they'll lower the price or throw in some extras. Also ask about open box laptops (practically new, just opened and returned) because they're always a bit cheaper than a new version.  
I bought a laptop last year for school and this is what I did. Ended up buying an open box laptop (+ extras) from Future Shop because the person who was helping me gave me a really good deal!

Thanks everyone! This really helps, honestly!

They are really good at figuring out exactly what you need. They sell refurbs too, which could be a bit easier on your wallet. If you are needing it for university, make sure to ask for something with a longer battery life.

I got my Acer Aspire E 15 at Staples. It cost me about $800, and it has 1TB (1000GB) of space which is a lot. I've had no problems with it and I've had it for almost a year. I'd definitely recommend it.

If you're going with a Mac. Order it online as you'll get a discount since it's for school. I'd probably go to the box stores and test them out first and once find what you like order it online as I find it cheaper.

One thing too - if you are looking for a CD drive on your laptop: quite a few don't have them anymore, so if you need one, remember to ask if the computer has one, or else you could always purchase an external CD drive.  
 

You're just looking for something to write papers and check emails you don't need something with a huge processor or tons of ram. You can find cheap used laptops on eBay. A dual core processor and 2-4 gb of ram are enough

You don't want to hear this, but buy the MacBook.

AutoFill just happened on the title so I guess I have suggested Russ at Staples before.  
 
They do not work on commission. He listened to what I was wanting and was able to find the right one for me. I have bought a top of the line desktop, a less expensive laptop for university, and iPad because of the knowledge Russ shared at Staples.  
 
Brandon Computers on Richmond Avenue by Blue Hills Bakery is a great place for a less expensive refurbished on. The are the eWaste contractor so I took a bunch of computer stuff including my daughter's old laptop with the instructions to repair and sell cheap to someone like you. That was last year so it may not be there but they have similar laptops. They work with Samaritan House and, although they are in business for a profit, getting you the right size of laptop for your budget is their priority.  
 
I would also post a request on the facebook "Used Textbooks for Sale" (copy - paste this address to the browser: https://www.facebook.com/groups/69249842456/) that is for Brandon University students selling old textbooks .... but someone may also be upgrading their laptop and have their basic one available for a reasonable price.  

Whatever computer you get, it's worth the extra money to get an SSD. Makes everything way faster, and quieter too.

I bought my computer from Matt at Geekz Computers on 18th street.  
 
I make MLG videos and post them on YouTube and Matt helped me pick out the right computer for video editing.  
 
We also went to the same Youth Group, he was a really helpful guy.  
 
+1 for Matt at Geekz