I'm looking to buy a new laptop soon. What are the best options to be as Canadian as possible, given the circumstances? Both in terms of retailers and in terms of brands?
I'm pretty sure I can't get a laptop made in Canada from Canadian components, so what are my best options to buy from companies or places that aren't actively hostile to Canada?
Videos
I would like to download any game and play it and have fun, I would like it to last 4 to 5 years or more.
What kind of games I'm planning on playing? CS 2, Mount and Blade Bannerlord. GTA 6 when it comes. I just want stuff to run smoothly. Initial plan is to play solely on the laptop, later I plan to use a HDMI cable to play with a bigger monitor.
Thanks everyone.
LAPTOP QUESTIONNAIRE
Total budget (in local currency) and country of purchase. Please do not use USD unless purchasing in the US:
1,500 CAD
Are you open to refurbs/used?
No
How would you prioritize form factor (ultrabook, 2-in-1, etc.), build quality, performance, and battery life?
Keyboard, battery life, and longevity are the most important things in a laptop
How important is weight and thinness to you?
Weight is fairly important. I have a bad back so something I can carry easily in a backpack would be nice. Thinness I'm not very fussed about
Do you have a preferred screen size? If indifferent, put N/A.
14 inches or smaller. No widescreen
Are you doing any CAD/video editing/photo editing/gaming? List which programs/games you desire to run.
Maybe light gaming, something like Ori on Steam. I stream a lot of sports and use a few cycling training apps like Zwift/MyWoosh
If you're gaming, do you have certain games you want to play? At what settings and FPS do you want?
I'm not playing serious games so I am unsure about this
Any specific requirements such as good keyboard, reliable build quality, touch-screen, finger-print reader, optical drive or good input devices (keyboard/touchpad)?
I want to have a smooth typing experience, I've used an Alienware 14 and find the spaces between the keys too large for good typing. I've had a 2014 Macbook Pro since it was released and while I do not want another Mac I really love the keyboard. Having a backlight is helpful, regular sized keys, reasonably low profile.
My Mac has a Retina display so I've gotten used to having something fairly good. I've been using a Lenovo T495 and it is awful in low light (too bright at the lowest setting and the night light doesn't help at most angles).
Battery life is also very important to me, I would like to have something that lasts a few hours of streaming sports or using an indoor cycling trainer app.
I use my electronics until they fail on me so longevity is super important (my Mac is 10 years old, my previous phone was 5 years, and my headphones are 11 years old)
Leave any finishing thoughts here that you may feel are necessary and beneficial to the discussion.
Based on price I wouldn't want to get a Mac and I use a lot of Google products so it would be nice to move into a PC. I don't want a Chromebook, I like having the option to use a bunch of different apps and programs, especially since my work sometimes requires I use specialized programs that are only Windows compatible. 500Gb+ storage