Okay, I've finally gotten frustrated enough to ask this question.

It's been years since I browsed internet with anything other than my smartphone. And for years I was content with that. But I've reached the point where it's just not enough anymore.

All of the hypnosis games I would like to try are either not mobile friendly at all, or the mobile version is very janky. I've been trying to write a few stories, which is proving difficult on a phone screen. And there are just a few things where a phone lacks the processing power needed for a good experience.

The thought of going to a computer store and basically dancing around the fact that I'm looking something to give me a better porn experience is MORTIFYING. I would rather just ask you guys for recommendations.

Quick word of warning that you might want to avoid tablets unless they run Windows, because they typically otherwise run on mobile operating systems. By the sounds of it, you're after "turn brain off, give me maximum compatibility" so a Windows laptop is probably the way to go?

If you want more specific recommendations, I'd suggest posting a rough budget, and whether you're looking to do anything more demanding, such as any form of image or video creation, or playing modern AAA games or horrifically badly optimized indie games.

The way to go about looking yourself is to know your budget and how demanding your intended uses are, check out what falls into your budget and check the reviews. If you're not doing anything remotely demanding, go for integrated graphics instead of discrete graphics to save a buck. Always consider AMD over Intel when you're not trying to get peak desktop PC performance. Consider (with caution) the preowned market to get something appropriate if your budget is super tight. The 2 main gotchas of laptops are to avoid budget models with too little RAM (8 GB isn't the comfy laptop standard it once was), and to keep in mind that battery life degrades with usage, so non-new devices may have between unnoticeably degraded and useless battery life depending on the seller and item.

Yeah, that sounds about right. If you just want an PC browser machine, you can probably do worse than a Chromebook for a couple hundred US bucks or an open-box/display laptop from your friendly local store. (I got a touchscreen laptop around 2016 for like $300 that way)

If you would like a robust computer experience and wouldn't mind paying the extra money, I'd recommend* a Framework laptop since their customizable and repairable.

*-Assuming they aren't announcing next week that they're gonna do something dumb like NFT's

If you're looking for maximum compatibility then I would strongly recommend avoiding chromebooks as well, since they're mostly designed for web browsing rather than running desktop applications.

A framework laptop does strike me as a decent choice though it's not going to be the cheapest option so it'll depend on your budget.

Frameworks are rad but are definitely a "disposable income" choice. I'd jokingly suggest stuff like a Pi but you probably want something that can natively run Windows if you're playing game games.


"I'm looking for a laptop so I can play browser games and small indie games on Steam. My budget is between X and Y."

Like others have said, we need your budget. If you're just looking for something to be able to play some games and stuff, I'd suggest looking at older, refurbished models of laptops. You can easily get a pretty competent little laptop for less than $200 USD. Something like an HP EliteBook 840 G3 (not sure if links are allowed here, but if they are here's an Amazon link with all the tracking and affiliate stuff removed: www.amazon.com/HP-EliteBo...00U-Windows/dp/B07WJVPGYP) can be had just under $200 with very respectable specs. Maybe not the prettiest screen, but definitely more than enough power to play all the hypno-games you'd ever want.

You can even go less than $100 if you want, but you're going to be cutting it a lot more. Something like a Dell Latitude 3189 (www.ebay.com/itm/115561304963) will come in under $90 used. It's small, has abysmal performance, barely any RAM and storage... but again, if it's mostly to play hypno-games it should be fine.

Like others have said, **do not get an Android tablet or a Chromebook.** They'll be as good as your phone when it comes to game compatibility.

If you don't have a computer at all, maybe it's time to think about investing in one (not just for the hypno-games). That's a whole 'nother story and budget *really* matters there though. I'd still be happy to help with that if you want (I am a nerd), just maybe not on the forum... haha. You can contact me on Discord if you'd like, my username is Themy#0379.
For now, get us your budget and think about what exactly you're going to use the computer for. It's better to make an informed decision rather than a quick one when it comes to this.

Honestly my budget is pretty flexible. I've got a good job, savings, and I'm not paying off any big thing other than the house.

As for getting a full on desktop, that's not really in the cards due to simply not having any space to dedicate to it.

If budget isn't a major concern, then get a proper laptop - something in the high 3 figure range at least so it's not going to waste your time spending a minute to start a web browser. Integrated graphics is fine if you don't plan to do heavy gaming (which doesn't sound like something you're interested in anyways). I highly recommend looking for a SSD as primary drive so operating system boots up relatively quickly.

I think it's quite important to debloat the machine after buying it, since it will come with a slew of preinstalled stuff that slow your machine down. You can start with 'Windows Fresh Start', and then remove other worthless features like cortana, weather/news panels, telemetry, and brand-specific hardware management suites which will turn any decent machine into something that feels sluggish.

Lastly I also highly recommend avoiding commercial anti-virus software because they're massive resource drains and barely do anything. Stick with Windows Defender and update it regularly. Put NoScript and uBlock Origin on your browser of choice. Browse smartly and be sure you can trust the things you're downloading/running. Don't forget to turn on file extensions. Computer operating systems give you way more power over the machine compared to iOS/Android, but with great power comes blah blah you know the rest.

If budget isn't a concern, then I agree with Ayvuir: buy something that's high quality and will last you. You still haven't really explained what exactly you'd be using the device for though, so it's hard to give a real recommendation. There's no point in spending more money than you need to, but you also want to make sure it does everything you expect from it.

Regarding you not having space for a desktop: that's perfectly fine, and if you get a modern-ish laptop it can function as a desktop in the future if you wanted it to (with a dock and accessories). My main "desktop" is actually a laptop I have hooked up to a powerful dock. Dual monitors, audio interfaces, all that jazz. And then when I need to take it with me, I just unplug it and I have a little portable version. It makes me feel pretty cool, haha.

For laptops i can't help but recommend the framework laptop
frame.work/

for too long laptops have just been "if it breaks you are sol"
but the framework is a laptop that's built to be completely repairable.

performance wise you aren't gonna be gaming much on it but for things other then games its awesome.

I agree with everyone recommending the Framework laptop for all the reasons they've given above. But just to provide some variety, I've been pretty happy with my 13" Dell XPS that I've had for the last three years or so.

It's light, compact, has decent battery life and a nice and sturdy chassis. I went with the i7 processor skew, and I've never had any performance issue, even while editing manga/doujins in Photoshop or doing some light video editing work. Suffice to say that web browsing and visual novel level games ran with zero issues.