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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,460
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@peggyhbsl wrote:
I only asked because my daughters Apple Laptop died with a i3.
My HP I got years ago on QVC outlasted hers.
I find computer shopping daunting.

@peggyhbsl

I agree. The technology is always changing. 

Super Contributor
Posts: 479
Registered: ‎07-07-2021

@peggyhbsl wrote:
I need a computer also. Isn’t i3 a very old processor?

It's a slower processor.  I have an i5 in my Macbook and iMac.  I had multiple HP computers before I switched to Apple and none of them broke down.  But, it was many years ago and I have no idea what they are like now. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 27,786
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@peggyhbsl wrote:
I need a computer also. Isn’t i3 a very old processor?

The I3 designation only tells you its class, not its age. It's kind of like a four-cylinder car, versus a six-cylinder, versus an eight-cylinder car. All are cars. All could be new. All could be older.

 

The I3 is like a four-cylinder car. It'll take you and bring you, and is the most energy-efficient, but it may not be the fastest, sportiest car out there. The I5 is a six-cylinder car. A bit more power, peppier, but you don't want to race someone in it. The I7 is the eight-cylinder workhorse that can overpower most tasks and is probably more power than most users need. And the I9 is the 12-cylinder supercar engine that can power a car up to 250 MPH. (But who needs to drive 250 MPH?) 

 

What you use a computer for determines what you need. For basic web browsing, word processing, playing solitaire, "normal" tasks, an I3 is fine. In fact, you can even drop into the Celeron class of CPU for most of those tasks without trouble. Chromebooks are also excellent for those types of tasks.

 

If you're working with large spreadsheets, do photo editing. like to play moderately complex video games, then you might want to step up to an I5. 

 

If you're a content creator posting videos on YouTube or another site and do frequent video editing, and play the latest and greatest videogames, then an I7 makes sense for you.

 

If you have more money than brains and want to impress the computer nerds around you with the speed of your computer, then an I9 makes sense. In as much as it makes sense for anyone.

 

There are roughly eight (ish) companies that actually make laptop computers. There's Quanta, Compal, Wistron, Inventec, Pegatron, Foxconn, Flextronics, and Clevo. HP computers get made by Quanta, Compal, Wistron, Inventec, Foxconn, and Flextronics. No matter what name is on the outside of the computer, it  was likely made by one of those eight companies. 

Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,526
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

I love this new computer!! It was so easy to set up and so much faster than my Dell.  I don't do gaming or spread sheets so this is perfect for me.  I love the backlit keyboard as well.  I ordered teal and it is so pretty.

Regular Contributor
Posts: 226
Registered: ‎12-15-2012
Thank you so much gardenman. No one has explained that to me before!
Have a great New Year.