Recently, my Gateway laptop broke and I'm looking to buy a new one. I would like to know which laptops you guys think are the best. I would prefer something around 500$, but I'll take any suggestions. However, I think a mac is out of the picture due to cost. Thanks for any/all advice.
Toshibas are definitely the best. They last for a verrryy long time and usually come with better warranties, plus they're aesthetically pleasing. And they aren't really expensive for a major brand! But, whatever you do, do NOT get an HP, those things are absolute trash; they're the worst of all laptop brands, even worse than the basic ones like ACERs. Good luck.
You might want to check out Apple's refurbished products. The quality is the same, they're just refurbished. They aren't discounted a ton, but it could make a difference.
Macbooks are good, but you're paying more for the brand and style than for the actual function. It really depends on what you need. Look online for some sort of website that allows you to compare select laptops depending on what you need them for.
Every ACER laptop I've had has lasted me years even though I use my laptop vigorously.
If it's bang for the buck that you're looking for then go for an Acer laptop. Acer has some really nice laptops with highend specs for a considerably cheaper price than the competition.
My advice is to find one that you personally like the appearance of with a few main points in mind: battery life, portability, reviews, and display.
Around that price range, the difference in hardware probably isn't terribly substantial, and it probably won't make a difference for the average user. Plus, I've found that portability and battery life turn out to be more important in the long-run anyways. I'd recommend actually seeing the laptop in person to determine whether or not you like the way the display looks, because that's what you'll spend all of your time looking at. I mentioned reviews mainly for long-term evaluation. As some have said, Lenovo and Asus make nice laptops for the buck.
COMPAQs are pretty reliable.
I had one (and still do) before I got my MacBook, and apart replacing the charger once or twice, it served me pretty well for about 3 years.
I have no complaints for it just sometimes Mozilla lags for 1 second. That's it lmao