Is This The End of Affordable Tech?

A monochrome 3D illustration features a light blue shopping cart holding an open laptop. Teh cart is enclosed inside a floating, transparent bubble, all set against a matching light blue background.

Listen and follow The Wirecutter Show

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube | iHeartRadio

Consumer tech is getting more expensive just as laptops and phones have become more essential than ever. In this episode, Rosie leads a roundtable discussion with Wirecutter’s senior editor Caitlin McGarry, supervising editor Arthur Gies and senior staff writer Kimber Streams, about why the era of truly cheap computers is ending. They discuss how AI is reshaping the hardware supply chain and what you can do if you need a new device right now.

This episode covers:

  • Why RAM and storage costs are spiking. AI companies are buying up much of the supply of RAM and storage, increasing the price for these tech essentials. Consumer tech companies that make our laptops and phones are struggling to compete.
  • How price hikes are showing up across devices. From Chromebooks and Windows laptops to flagship phones, microSD cards, and video game consoles, 2026 has brought record price increases.
  • What to prioritize in a new computer today. If you need a new computer, look for models with enough RAM and storage, even if that means refurbished models from manufacturers or third party retailers.
  • Guidance on when it makes sense to buy. While the landscape of truly affordable computers is shrinking, there are great options like the MacBook Neo available now. We may see summer sales on other models, but consider purchasing your “back-to-school” tech early for the best prices.

Products we recommend

The MacBook Neo is ideal for anyone who needs a basic laptop for browsing the web and using Mac apps, from younger students to older adults.



from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/8p4AZYd
via IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Nugget Is the ‘Original Play Couch.’ Costco’s Version May Be Better.

Image
If you’re a parent of a child under 10, you’ve probably heard of The Nugget, the beloved play sofa that launched a thousand (well, at least 20) competitors. I’ve only recently discovered the category; but now that my eyes are open, play-cushion sets seem to be everywhere — even at Costco. I’m inherently skeptical of any product that claims to solve a need that I’m unaware of having. But, last summer, a junk collector hauled away our sofa, whose base had finally broken clean in half from eight years of my son’s intense, anime-inspired dance-jumping. It turns out we could’ve used a play sofa — and saved our couch  (as well as our cushions). The Nugget , the first play couch to widely popularize the concept, experienced viral popularity during pandemic lockdowns in 2020. It is also a Wirecutter favorite . Its modular design is simple: There are two long, hinged cushions and two triangular bolsters, all with removable, washable covers. And while The Nugget is arguably the most popu...
Read more

The 30 Most Popular Prime Day Deals, According to Wirecutter Readers

Image
Amazon’s summer Prime Day — which is now a four-day event rather than the usual two days — is well underway, and we’ve been working hard to surface the best deals for our readers. We’ve sorted through thousands of on-sale items to pinpoint truly excellent discounts on the things our experts have found are worth your time and money. Among the 500-plus deals we’ve posted so far —less than 1% of every discount we’ve reviewed — some have grabbed the attention of our readers more than others. Here are the 30 Prime Day deals that our readers have loved the most, including soft sateen sheets, a luxe leather tote, an investment-worthy blender, and more. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/tDSahdQ via IFTTT
Read more

We Bought a 450-Pound Mystery Pallet Packed With Returned Goods From Amazon and Beyond. Here’s What We Found Inside.

Image
When I convinced my bosses at Wirecutter to spend over $700 on a 450-pound, 6-foot-tall cardboard box filled with hundreds of mystery products that had been returned to Amazon and other retailers, I assumed that what we’d find inside would be a revealing snapshot of what shopping looks like today. Anyone can buy these pallets stuffed with discarded products. For months, I’d watched content creators on social media giggle in excitement as they’d pull packages one by one from their own surprise boxes and rip them open, ceremoniously revealing a bevy of weird and wonderful items. A sparkly diamond ring! A cozy custom blanket emblazoned with the faces of a young couple! Some sexy (unworn) lingerie! I was certain that my own box would be a mix of great stuff, mediocre stuff, and some downright lousy stuff. My Wirecutter colleagues and I would use the items we found to meditate on product quality, manufacturing, and the retail life cycle. And we’d likely discover something interesting an...
Read more