Laptops

[harveymt]

Can anyone recommend a place to buy laptops? I've never had one before. I upgraded my PC last year with Dell and am more than happy with it. Their laptops seem decent too. What other makes are worth considering?

I have a go a the stock market and need access to the Internet on a consistent basis. Being tied to my home PC and one room is becoming a drag. Am I right in thinking that the netbook PCs would not be suitable as they only really run a web browser? I have several programs I need to run and wouldnt mind having iTunes going too for a bit of music. What sort of minimum spec should I look for? Im terrible for gadgets. I always end spending way too much. Looking at the Dell site I end up picking high spec XPS stuff when I probable have no need for it. I have seen some laptops at around 400 or cheaper.

Also, screen size. The smaller sizes appeal to me but I'd be worried that I might get sick of a small size. Anyone have experience of using these?

Many thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I could give you plenty of personal recommendations but the million dollar question is what kind of screen size do you desire?ÿ

 

[southdownswolf]

You really need to think about which features you WANT and which you NEED. Make a list of those that you need, then put into order the features you would like if budget allows. Decide on a budget then let us know. Some makes you pay more for because of style, some you pay more for because of reliability. Some are cheap, look good on paper, but are not reliable.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Well, most of my blogs over the past 6-8 months have been written, and photos edited, on one of these.

It's had a memory upgrade to 2GB, an optional higher capacity battery and a slip-case from Carphone Warehouse for a tenner, but it's proved bombproof so far...

 

[harveymt]

Budget is not really that important. If a product is worth it I dont mind paying the premium. I tend to stay away from Sony stuff as I think you are paying for the brand name, whether that is true or not is another debate. I suppose you could narrow my question to 'If I buy a sub £400 laptop will it be reliable and somewhat future proof? Or, would I be better spending more?

 

[John Duncan]

Actually no, it depends on what programmes you want to run, and whether any of them are available (or alternatives are) for your chosen operating system. A lot of netbooks run Linux, for example.

 

[John Duncan]

harveymt:Budget is not really that important. If a product is worth it I dont mind paying the premium. I tend to stay away from Sony stuff as I think you are paying for the brand name, whether that is true or not is another debate. I suppose you could narrow my question to 'If I buy a sub £400 laptop will it be reliable and somewhat future proof? Or, would I be better spending more?

It'll be future proof because in two years' time you can buy another that'll be more powerful than any 800 quid one you could buy now.

 

[harveymt]

JohnDuncan:harveymt:Budget is not really that important. If a product is worth it I dont mind paying the premium. I tend to stay away from Sony stuff as I think you are paying for the brand name, whether that is true or not is another debate. I suppose you could narrow my question to 'If I buy a sub £400 laptop will it be reliable and somewhat future proof? Or, would I be better spending more?

It'll be future proof because in two years' time you can buy another that'll be more powerful than any 800 quid one you could buy now.

That's a valid point. Any brands at that price point stand out from the rest? I'll more than likely be buying PC World or other shop (unless I go for a Dell). Im based in Belfast and by the time you factor in delivery to here the price advantage of buying online is cancelled out.

 

[John Duncan]

Perhaps, but you can get exactly what you want - look at http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/, or the .ie version if that works better (exchange rate notwithstanding).

Dell, Asus, Acer and Samsung are good brands to look at.

 

[Anonymous]

My girlfriend and i have just bought these

saving of £150 and for the £390 asking price i don't think there's anything that comes close in terms of spec i've seen.

I think Acer's are an ok brand. the o/h's family all have the brand with no problems, but i was talking to someone today who thinks they should be stayed away from... but you get that with everything; most of my sony stuff broke early and needed replacing but they still have a good reputation for example.

 

[kena]

I bought my son a Samsung NC10 for xmas , was PC Pro's rated best Netbook under £300 . No complaints ,

 

[Alec]

anecdotally i know acer are well respected, and i know a few people with them.

personally i wouldnt have a problem with dell as such - i have a dell desktop - but i havent heard much about their laptops.

 

[professorhat]

Dell Laptops are fine - have one for work and one for personal use. If you can get a good deal, even better. Have a look and see if they still have their shop on eBay which sells slightly damaged laptops. Mine apparently has a scratch on the top but I can't see it. Was £100 off as a result and still comes with full 12 month warranty as per the new ones.

ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

Dell laptops are just about the best you'll get for the money - product, guarantee and customer service are only outdone by Apple.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Octopo:Dell laptops are just about the best you'll get for the money - product, guarantee and customer service are only outdone by Apple.

I agree. I've bought my Dad and my uncle Dell laptops and for the money from budget up, you can't go wrong. If the OP is running a lot of programmes, you might want a decent processor so that you don't have delays and I wouldn't go for a smaller screen.

 

[Anonymous]

I have one of these (Asus EeePC100H):

http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/product/32086/review/eeepc_1000h_80g_xp.html

There are some keener prices around, i.e. sub £300, and I think some of the more recent stock ship with a 160GB hard drive. I bought it primarily for portability and long battery life. I typically get around 6 hours away from the mains, and that's "real world" use, i.e. multiple applications, wireless or 3G dongle running. In terms of performance, it's fine as long as you don't clog it up with unecessary installs or want to do photographic / video work on it. Fine for iTunes etc. Keyboard is 90% size, so fine for touch typing as long as you don't have giant hands. Despite it's diminutive size and modest performance, it has now wheedled its way into my life as my primary machine. Beware though, that it is "a girl's computer" (quote from my girlfriend) with its glossy finish.

Samsung NC10 mentioned above is also a very strong contender in the netbook market, and I understand has even better battery life.

If it's just for using in other rooms around the house though, I would get a full-size laptop, however.