Which Laptop to Buy

Starting my sophomore yr IB internship soon and want to buy a Windows laptop to use going forward instead of my MacBook. What are the best recommendations for banking? Might be using it for my SA 2023 role as well depending on situation. Reasonable pricesAlso, any programs to run windows on Mac? Not ideal but would also be curious about these

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Also, any programs to run windows on Mac? Not ideal but would also be curious about these

For running Windows on a Mac, the two main methods are Bootcamp and Parallels. Bootcamp is a native Mac program that allows you to partition disk space and reboot the computer into Windows whenever you want. It can be a bit tricky to install Windows though, so look it up on YouTube. The only cost is having to buy Windows, though you could probably get a free copy through your school. Parallels costs a lot more but lets you run Windows and Mac OS at the same time. 

 

Keep in mind that this no longer works on new Macs with M1. Bootcamp doesn't exist and Parallels runs the ARM version of Windows in Beta which is horrendous. 

 

Your bank will likely provide you with a laptop for your SA. But, don't get a dell, the keyboard layout is a bit janky for excel. Also, do you just want the laptop for work or do you want a multi use laptop, and what do you consider a reasonable price? My personal favorite is the ASUS zenbook pro at around $1400 with a Ryzen 5800 and a 3050. If you want something cheaper base model zenbook with an i7 and a 1650 is around $1100. Would recommend a 15.6". They have cheaper models to. If you only want to do work on it a Lenovo idea or think pad, HP pavilion or Asus Vivobook will all be fine.

 

I would look at Dell and Lenovo models at the $1250 price point, plus or minus $200 based on your budget. I wouldn't worry about using the laptop for work. No company, unless they are wanting to be reckless or cheap, will let you access the corporate network on a personal laptop, even if you are connected to a VDI they manage. The security implications of letting a personal device connect to the company's network, other than as guest, are huge.

 

I would recommend a Lenovo Ideapad or Thinkpad which are on the more “affordable” side. Anything between $500 - $900 laptops.

I currently have one of the two mentioned above, i3, 16 gb ram, 500gb SSD, don’t know what else but it was cheap and works well.

It is my college laptop and intend to use it for my SA gig.

 

I mean sure if your only worry is battery life and you need 12 hours then dont get it. If youre just docking it or using it as a work station it literally doesnt matter cause itll be plugged in.

 

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