Computer/Laptop Collection 2023

Tech & Gadgets

Planning My Future Computer Collection

Keeping the setup lean — Windows 11, Linux, and a two-year roadmap

Machines in Collection

Target Long-Term

Oct 2025

Win 10 End of Support

Table of Contents

① Current Needs

② The Two-Year Plan

③ Benefits of This Strategy

④ Update — March 2025

Section I

Current Needs

→ A Windows 11-compatible device
→ A Linux device with a touchscreen

Section II

The Two-Year Plan

The HP i7 6th Gen is not eligible for Windows 11 — support ends October 14, 2025. Windows 11 requires 8th generation processors or newer, so adjustments are needed.

Machine	Now	Post-2025
Dell i5-8400H	Configure as Windows 11 PC	Primary Windows machine
HP i7 6th Gen	Continue on Windows 10	Switch to Linux — 1TB SSD is a major upgrade
HP i3-4010u	Linux touchscreen device	Retire to cold storage

Retiring the HP i3-4010u brings the collection down to two main machines — lean and sufficient.

Section III

Benefits of This Strategy

→ Dell 7530 for Windows / Gaming — Bigger battery, better screen, and more ports than the HP i7, making it ideal for high-demand tasks.
→ HP i7 for Linux — 1TB SSD is a substantial upgrade over the 240GB on the current Linux HP i3, offering much more headroom for Linux applications.

Update — March 19, 2025

HP i7 on Windows 11 — Dell Retired

I recently upgraded my HP i7 laptop to Windows 11, and I'm confident that it will continue to serve me well for several more years. Although I don't plan on using it for anything particularly sensitive (I'll stick to my iMac for that), it's still valuable to have a Windows machine on hand. There are certain applications that I rely on which aren't compatible with either Linux or macOS, making Windows an essential tool for my workflow.

With this upgrade, the Dell was parted with. The HP i7 handles everything needed for the foreseeable future — no reason to keep both.

Comments

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