Some advice needed from windows users...

RavenSword

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So, heres the thing. Right now im looking for ways to cut down on costs, save more money, and live more on a budget. Im 25 and honestly can NOT save money to save my life.

The thing is I really want to get some form of computer for personal use. im getting tired of using the family PC and want to get something that I can use for school, personal use, and maybe even some games.

I know that saying I want to budget myself and then saying I then want to get a computer are probaly conflicting things. But honestly I think I really need something i can use for college coming up in the fall. Im tired of taking hand written notes, so im more than likely going to be looking for a laptop or something like a Surface tablet.

and im thinking of moving to more cost effective platforms as well. such as android and windows products. since Apple isnt exactly affordable.

So im considering selling my iphone 5S and Ipad 4 on Ebay and then using that money to get a good windows laptop and a android phone or windows phone thats more affordable. like a nexus 5 or if I wanna go cheaper a Moto G or something. I figured that could then leave me maybe about 500 or so for a windows laptop.

But is this perhaps a dumb idea? Does it make sense to sell what I have now and am mostly ok with to try and get other things that would perhaps be more useful and more cost effective in the long term.

I dont want to be unhappy with what i get though. I dont want junk products. and I hear alot of people say windows are kinda junk laptops.unless you spend a grand or so.

But I dont know, do you guys have any advice?
 

ShreyansShah

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r u really unhappy with ur iPad 4 or u want it changed?
i mean do u really need a laptop or not.
if u r looking for laptop for notes and other basic work, i will suggest to stick to ur iPad and use it. if needed, buy a simple keyboard casing for it. u cannot use a laptop for notes anyway. rather use iPad for note taking with many free handwriting tools available for iPad.
iPhone 5S is definitely a costly affair and u can exchange it for a good option and still u can save money out of it. i would suggest to shift to a WP handset, suitable as per ur requirement, and still u can save money after the change.

for games, PC is a good option, but iPad itself is also has it's own gaming culture.

windows tablet or surface is also an excellent option, but i am not able to guide u for it, as i have not used it for long time. so my experience is quite limited. but for an iPad, when there are huge number of apps available in variety, u may not need to shift to a surface tablet. unless otherwise u need specifically windows OS, such as some softwares requies win os and cannot be run on iOS, dont change. iPad 4 itself is an excellent gadget.
 

RavenSword

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We'll, what I meant by note taking was typing notes in class , not handwritten notes. I'm trying to get away from handwriting notes in class I think. (Get hand cramps)
 

xandros9

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So, heres the thing. Right now im looking for ways to cut down on costs, save more money, and live more on a budget. Im 25 and honestly can NOT save money to save my life.

The thing is I really want to get some form of computer for personal use. im getting tired of using the family PC and want to get something that I can use for school, personal use, and maybe even some games.

I know that saying I want to budget myself and then saying I then want to get a computer are probaly conflicting things. But honestly I think I really need something i can use for college coming up in the fall. Im tired of taking hand written notes, so im more than likely going to be looking for a laptop or something like a Surface tablet.

and im thinking of moving to more cost effective platforms as well. such as android and windows products. since Apple isnt exactly affordable.

So im considering selling my iphone 5S and Ipad 4 on Ebay and then using that money to get a good windows laptop and a android phone or windows phone thats more affordable. like a nexus 5 or if I wanna go cheaper a Moto G or something. I figured that could then leave me maybe about 500 or so for a windows laptop.

But is this perhaps a dumb idea? Does it make sense to sell what I have now and am mostly ok with to try and get other things that would perhaps be more useful and more cost effective in the long term.

I dont want to be unhappy with what i get though. I dont want junk products. and I hear alot of people say windows are kinda junk laptops.unless you spend a grand or so.

But I dont know, do you guys have any advice?

It would make sense to me, trading those in for a more capable device and a less expensive phone. Those two should fetch a bit over $1k, depending on the condition of course. So with that much to play with, we have a lot of leeway. From the de facto bargain Moto G and Lumia 520 up to a Surface Pro 1 to a Dell Venue 11, you have a lot of breathing room.

Personally, I picked up an older, refurbished ThinkPad T400 for $350 around September of 2012 (price has dropped even more) ended up spending $45~ on a memory upgrade (2 > 4 GB) and secondary battery. It has been a great, reliable workhorse for me with decent performance. However, the caveat of the solid, yet older internals and price is gaming prowess, or lack of. Light/old games work just fine, some games are playable like Starcraft 2, but don't even think about more recent games. IMO, its was a good deal (out-dated high-end laptop > new low-end depending on the situation.)
but then again I found my Dell Venue 8 Pro beats the pants of it.
Whether hardcore games or not is in your sights may affect your options. While they all can be a step up from the iPad 4, an i5 Surface Pro will beat a cheaper Atom (Bay Trail) tablet like the Asus T100.
 

rory753

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this sounds more like you're looking a change for change sakes. selling your ipad 4 / iphone 5s may generate some money, but if you look at it based on a yearly income, even at 25k a year, it's probably not that much money.

but, on the flip side, if you are changing and completely cost conscience, selling your stuff and getting one of the off contract lumia 925s that are going for $200 (hardware that's really good and an OS that's getting better) on tmobile(a pretty cheap cell provider with internet sharing), then get a 2nd generation surface(either pro or rt version). The surface support is just going to be way better then support from dell/levovo/asus. I've had a couple dells, a Lenovo, and a surface pro 2, and the update process and the "things just work" from the surface line all seem better then the oem lines.
 

RavenSword

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this sounds more like you're looking a change for change sakes. selling your ipad 4 / iphone 5s may generate some money, but if you look at it based on a yearly income, even at 25k a year, it's probably not that much money.

but, on the flip side, if you are changing and completely cost conscience, selling your stuff and getting one of the off contract lumia 925s that are going for $200 (hardware that's really good and an OS that's getting better) on tmobile(a pretty cheap cell provider with internet sharing), then get a 2nd generation surface(either pro or rt version). The surface support is just going to be way better then support from dell/levovo/asus. I've had a couple dells, a Lenovo, and a surface pro 2, and the update process and the "things just work" from the surface line all seem better then the oem lines.

Yeah, maybe it is looking to change for changes sake. I'm mostly just thinking if I always am going to want to be in the apple ecosystem or not.
 

RavenSword

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r u really unhappy with ur iPad 4 or u want it changed?
i mean do u really need a laptop or not.
if u r looking for laptop for notes and other basic work, i will suggest to stick to ur iPad and use it. if needed, buy a simple keyboard casing for it. u cannot use a laptop for notes anyway. rather use iPad for note taking with many free handwriting tools available for iPad.
iPhone 5S is definitely a costly affair and u can exchange it for a good option and still u can save money out of it. i would suggest to shift to a WP handset, suitable as per ur requirement, and still u can save money after the change.

for games, PC is a good option, but iPad itself is also has it's own gaming culture.

windows tablet or surface is also an excellent option, but i am not able to guide u for it, as i have not used it for long time. so my experience is quite limited. but for an iPad, when there are huge number of apps available in variety, u may not need to shift to a surface tablet. unless otherwise u need specifically windows OS, such as some softwares requies win os and cannot be run on iOS, dont change. iPad 4 itself is an excellent gadget.

We'll, my biggest issue with windows phone is still apps. That's why I thought a affordable android handset might be better. But not sure.

My worry, wether of not rational, is that I don't want to feel that I need to always buy apple stuff. I do think they make solid products, but I gotta be open to other things that may be better for me. But I don't want to feel like I'm downgrading to anything. I know opinion on these boards is probably very anti apple, but I'm just trying to sift out what a best for me not only short term , but also long term.

Alot of reviewers I read just dint seem super high on MS stuff. Which is causing me anxiety to switch to using said products.
 

A895

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We'll, my biggest issue with windows phone is still apps. That's why I thought a affordable android handset might be better. But not sure.

My worry, wether of not rational, is that I don't want to feel that I need to always buy apple stuff. I do think they make solid products, but I gotta be open to other things that may be better for me. But I don't want to feel like I'm downgrading to anything. I know opinion on these boards is probably very anti apple, but I'm just trying to sift out what a best for me not only short term , but also long term.

Alot of reviewers I read just dint seem super high on MS stuff. Which is causing me anxiety to switch to using said products.

What is your workflow? Do you use Google or Microsoft most?

Sent from my XT907 using Mobile Nations mobile app
 

RavenSword

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What is your workflow? Do you use Google or Microsoft most?

Sent from my XT907 using Mobile Nations mobile app

We'll, honestly I don't know how much of a work flow I have. My job doesn't require any of this (I work retail) and I haven't had to use office or docs for school really yet. But that may change because I want to try and be more productive.

As far as what I use as far as email and everything else? I use google. Although I could switch to outlook and I already use one drive . Plus I think I'd like office more than google docs.
 

A895

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We'll, honestly I don't know how much of a work flow I have. My job doesn't require any of this (I work retail) and I haven't had to use office or docs for school really yet. But that may change because I want to try and be more productive.

As far as what I use as far as email and everything else? I use google. Although I could switch to outlook and I already use one drive . Plus I think I'd like office more than google docs.

If you are in school, I find that productivity is better with Android than WP. While 8.1 fixes a lot of things, it still does not have the sheer abilities Android does.Such as intents and defaults, countless email clients, countless apps to view to docs and pdfs. I say this to you then:

1.)Get a good off Contract Android device, your best bet is the Moto X here: http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Moto-Unlocked-Phone-Warranty/dp/B00E92AV2W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399736849&sr=8-1&keywords=Moto+X

2.)Get a good Windows Laptop here: http://www.amazon.com/b/?ie=UTF8&node=565108&pf_rd_p=1752546022&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=2956501011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=09B4EHRS9DB4B36HN60X&ref_=acs_ux_ct_1_cta_LTNCTR

3.)????

4.) Profit because you came out with good phone and laptop. This is what I currently use now and it does wonders for productivity. I used Evernote at first for all my various notes during the semester. I switched to Google Keep because it was free and I did just fine, the mobile app for Android is very good. I personally use Google Drive to type up all my essays so far in college (the automatic save is a lifesaver), Google Keep for dekstop to type up notes in class, on my phone I used Quickoffice to view PDFs or docs I get in emails from professors or other students, I use CloudMagic for my .edu, gmail, and outlook email, and I use Google Drive with Google Docs to edit and view docs I have been working with on the go. Google as the back end for productivity works well for me.
 

RavenSword

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If you are in school, I find that productivity is better with Android than WP. While 8.1 fixes a lot of things, it still does not have the sheer abilities Android does.Such as intents and defaults, countless email clients, countless apps to view to docs and pdfs. I say this to you then:

1.)Get a good off Contract Android device, your best bet is the Moto X here: http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Moto-Unlocked-Phone-Warranty/dp/B00E92AV2W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399736849&sr=8-1&keywords=Moto+X

2.)Get a good Windows Laptop here: http://www.amazon.com/b/?ie=UTF8&node=565108&pf_rd_p=1752546022&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=2956501011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=09B4EHRS9DB4B36HN60X&ref_=acs_ux_ct_1_cta_LTNCTR

3.)????

4.) Profit because you came out with good phone and laptop. This is what I currently use now and it does wonders for productivity. I used Evernote at first for all my various notes during the semester. I switched to Google Keep because it was free and I did just fine, the mobile app for Android is very good. I personally use Google Drive to type up all my essays so far in college (the automatic save is a lifesaver), Google Keep for dekstop to type up notes in class, on my phone I used Quickoffice to view PDFs or docs I get in emails from professors or other students, I use CloudMagic for my .edu, gmail, and outlook email, and I use Google Drive with Google Docs to edit and view docs I have been working with on the go. Google as the back end for productivity works well for me.

I'm thinking of just keeping my iPhone honestly. It's still a great phone, I probably shouldn't rush to a new one yet.
 

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