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Posted 20 hours ago

Best sub-£500 laptop?

I'm starting a cyber security course real soon and looking to get a semi-decent laptop to install Kali Linux on and study/pen test etc
What would you recommend?
I don't want a touchscreen though

Many thanks !
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  1. femxiii's avatar
    Hey!

    I've been in IT for 15 years and I will always ask that people consider the asset depreciation as the true cost of a laptop computer, even for home use.

    Take these two examples of a laptop that you will own for two years:

    1. You buy a mid-range laptop new from a headline manufacturer for £1200. Two years later it is worth approximately £500 in the secondhand market

    2. You buy a high-end, 1 year old laptop for £1400. Sell it after 1 year for £1200 and buy another 1 year old model.

    Now the values here might not always be the case, but you can have a look for year-on-year models to get a rough idea how the make of laptop holds its value. Consumer grade stuff tends lose value quicker. Apple tend to keep their value for longer etc. As you're looking at linux I would definitely start with looking at the HP and Dell business models (i.e. HP Elite and Dell Latitude). These laptops get baught in masses by busiensses and often sold on cheap to recycling companies to repurpose.
  2. WhichWord's avatar
    If it’s a cyber security course, do they not have a remit?
    Lots of intel CPU’s and a few AMD CPU’s have all been hacked.
    Thus, I suggest you don’t do a hacking course with equipment where hacks already exist.

    Make a list of CPU’s that don’t have a flaw, and go for one of them.
    Safety first after all 
    innocent's avatar
    Watch out for keyboard logging
  3. Friday-Ubaydah's avatar
    You'll be doing considerable network sniffing, therefore the WLAN card in the laptop must be capable of supporting promiscuous mode (also known as monitor mode).

    You will have to check the make and model of the WLAN card to establish if it supports promiscuous mode.

    Penetration testing and promiscuity – you'll be hooked. Strippers and escorts would surely excel at this.
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