Which netbook should i buy 2011 uk

Be sure you have an Administrative login, and the Firmware password is disabled. If you made it this far, you're probably considering buying the machine. Make sure you have an administrative login to the machine.

Finally, make sure there's no firmware password. Apple details how to turn on and off a firmware password , and here's a short guide for what to do if you can't disable the password. If you can't turn off the firmware password before you buy the machine, don't buy the machine. I still don't recommend buying a Mac from a local seller that doesn't honor returns. But, if you must, the above list should help you make a successful buy.

My recommendation is to only buy a used machine from a commercial seller who you know will honor returns. When you get your machine, you'll have seven to 30 days to fully test it out. Make sure you know your return period. Once you get your machine or machines , load them up fully and test them rigorously.

When it comes to Amazon, you can do a search for used MacBook Pros by model year, but the company doesn't list them that way. Instead, it lists the model number of the Mac, which makes it harder to know what you're looking at.

Depending on your budget, I'd recommend a or MacBook Pro or -- if you have the budget, a or machine with Apple's renewed keyboard design. Avoid to machines, which have had notorious keyboard reliability problems , and you won't save that much on a purchase. The and later MacBook Pros also lost all the ports except for Thunderbolt 3. The and earlier MacBook Pros are much more versatile when it comes to ports without a dongle. MacBook Airs are fine machines, but they tend to be a little underpowered.

Until , they had older-style screens. I'd also stay away from basic MacBooks because they're anemic out the gate.

Here's my guide for making trade-off decisions on new purchases. Last month, I searched for used MacBook Pro models. Here's what I found:. On Craigslist in my area, I found three Mac laptops for sale.

The last machine is not bad, except that it's already at max memory with 4GB. With today's workloads, you'd be hard-pressed to get much done with such limited memory.

That's not bad. These were not part of Amazon's Renewed program, so returns are a big question mark. I'd recommend that. Apple's refurb page didn't have any inch MacBook Pro models earlier than That's sixty bucks less than the OWC unit from two years earlier, but with the more problematic keyboard and fewer ports. There's a lot to like about some of the older MacBook Pro models, most specifically the wide range of ports built into the machines.

As you get to through , you're limited to a few Thunderbolt 3 ports and a keyboard notorious for its problems. From on, depending on the model, most of the keyboard problems have been resolved. For a professional like me, used is probably not worth it. As we've seen, there's about a three hundred dollar savings buying used from a reputable dealer, but your selection of configurations is less than you'd have if you bought new, straight from Apple.

But I don't have twins in college. When faced with that kind of expense, the ability to save three hundred bucks -- twice -- adds up quickly. It certainly seems worth trading a few years of OS upgradability down the line presumably once the twins are out of school and buying their own computers for expenses right now. The machine I found on Facebook was also intriguing. If you're willing to spend the time testing and upgrading something old, it's possible to save a lot and still get a good machine.

Back in those days before the butterfly keyboard , Apple generally made laptops that lasted as long as a tank. The bottom line, as always, has to be knowing your unique needs. Is the longest possible upgrade life more important than saving a few bucks now?

At the more budget-friendly end of the scale, Toshiba also demonstrated a new line of netbooks. Both models have Harman Kardon speakers, which sounded fantastic for such a small system. We were impressed with the lack of distortion, even at high volume, and although we only heard a few test tracks we could definitely hear a clear bass line. The chassis is mostly unchanged from the Intel-based models and also includes the improved speakers.

Again there was no indication of price, but we expect the Intel-based netbooks to closely match those from other manufacturers. And a laptop that you primarily use around the house will last longer than one that you travel with frequently. Some business laptops or photo and video editing laptops are easier to upgrade with more memory and storage later to extend their useful life.

A gaming laptop will feel outdated sooner than most other kinds of laptops, since new 3D games become more demanding at a faster rate than other apps. Windows laptops are better if you want something more affordable, if you want plenty of ports for connecting accessories, or if you want to play games. We recommend 8 GB of memory for most people. That should be enough for web browsing, editing documents and spreadsheets, light gaming, and occasional video and photo editing. Kimber Streams is a senior staff writer and has been covering laptops, gaming gear, keyboards, storage, and more for Wirecutter since Andrew Cunningham is a senior staff writer on Wirecutter's tech team.

He has been writing about laptops, phones, routers, and other tech since Before that he spent five years in IT fixing computers and helping people buy the best tech for their needs. Mac or Windows or something else? For most people: The best ultrabook The best Mac laptop The best cheap ultrabook The best Chromebook The best budget Windows laptop The best Windows laptop for photo and video editing The best budget gaming laptop The best business laptop The best 2-in-1 laptop Footnotes Frequently asked questions.

For most people: The best ultrabook. Our pick. Recommended configuration. Processor: Intel Core iG7 Screen: The best Mac laptop. The best cheap ultrabook. Budget pick. The best Chromebook. Processor: Intel Core iU Screen: The best budget Windows laptop. Also great. The best Windows laptop for photo and video editing. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 The best laptop for creative professionals The ThinkPad X1 Extreme is small and light compared with other pro laptops we recommend, and it has an outstanding keyboard and trackpad.

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