I had two specific requirements I was looking for. First was a 500GB or larger solid state hard drive. I'd never used a computer with an SSD before but I kept hearing that using an SSD makes a huge difference on how fast a computer runs. Turns out this was a hard requirement to meet at any reasonable price. I found many laptops with 250GB SSDs but few with 500GB or bigger.
The second requirement was a 15.6 inch HD screen with an IPS panel. My previous laptop, the Toshiba that is the subject of my hinge repair videos, has a 720 screen with a cheap panel. The viewing angle was so small that if you move a little bit up or down the top or bottom of the screen washes out or the colors go wrong. I was constantly adjusting the screen angle to make it look right, which may have contributed to wear on the hinges. I wanted something better this time. I had looked at laptops with HD screens in the local stores and text was much clearer and easier to read.
I also wanted a touch screen. Not sure why as I don't use it a lot, but I had one on the previous laptop. I figured a 2-in-1 would make the touch screen more useful since I could flip the screen back and use it as a tablet.
But this is where I found that laptop configurations are like car option packages. If you want a 500 GB SSD and an IPS HD screen, you also have to get the fast i7-6500U processor, 12GB of RAM, AC wireless, a back lit keyboard. All features that add to the price. I ended up spending much more than I had planned, but in this situation it's a bit of you get what you pay for. Watch the video below for more details...
