The Great 'Cheapest Decent Laptop' Hunt

[DireEmblem]

This looks a great price for the spec.

Lenovo N500 Laptop, Core 2 Duo T6400 2.00GHz, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD, 15.4" WXGA, DVDRW DL, Bluetooth, Vista Home Premium £411.99 from ebuyer.

Under serious consideration for offspring going to Uni next week.

Think i've seen that for 379 at dabs, but with 4gb, however its out of stock(typical)

will post if i find elsewhere...


*** http://dealforu.co.uk/epages/eshop330172.sf/?ObjectPath=/Shops/eshop330172/Products/NS75SUK&ViewAction=ViewProductViaPortal&Locale=en_GB

Not 100% on that sites rep mind.

[Scarlett]

Hiya, I need to get a new laptop for college.

They've given me the following spec:

Hardware and drivers
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 1800 MHz or greater
RAM memory: 512 Mb or above (1Gb recommended)
Audio Card: 16 bit soundcard and speakers or headphones
Graphic Card: 128 Mb Video RAM or above (recommended)


Players
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (recommended)
Internet: Cable/DSL broadband connection to the internet
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 or above
Media Player: Microsoft Windows Media Player Version 9 or above
Flash Player: Macromedia Flash Player 9f.ocx or above
Document Reader: Adobe Acrobat Reader 5 or above (7 recommended)
Microsoft Word 2003



I've had a look on a couple of sites (like PC World) but I can't seem to find any laptops with the recommended Intel Pentium 4 processor (most of them seem to be IP 2), so I'm beginning to feel a little bit lost already!


What would be comparable? What kind of price range will I be looking at?


Any advice gratefully received! Thanks

[Scarlett]

Hiya, I need to get a new laptop for college.

Processor: Intel Pentium 4 1800 MHz or greater



I've been out to have a look round the shops and now I'm really confused about this. Why do NO laptops have this? Will an Intel Pentium 2 or a Dual Core wotsit be adequate? I will be needing to watch my lectures online.

:confused:

[karlgr]

I think you'll find Core 2 Duo Processors are better than Pentium 4 processors :)

It might help if you say what kind of budget you have for people to help you out?

[clem28]

which one can you rcommend? and (why)
hi,
seen these laptops, have £350 to spend . Can anyone recommend which one and why?? or recommend another.
from previous post added another which i forgot
HP 550 Laptop, Intel Core 2 Duo T5670 1.8GHz, 160GB HDD, 2GB RAM
quickfind code: 164844
ebuyer
£330

or
Toshiba Satellite Pro L300-26P Laptop (http://search.laptopsdirect.co.uk/search?p=R&srid=S8%2d4&lbc=laptopsdirect&w=Pslb9e%2d03v003en2gb&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2elaptopsdirect%2eco%2euk%2fT oshiba%5fSatellite%5fPro%5fL300%2d26P%5fLaptop%5fP SLB9E%2d03V003EN2GB%2fversion%2easp&rk=1&uid=646413687&sid=2&ts=custom&rsc=yUYVG83PnvybhpbY&method=and&isort=score&view=list)
Intel Pentium T4200 2 GHz Dual-Core
PSLB9E-03V003EN2GB
laptops direct

dabs.com
Claim £50 CashBack On This Toshiba Laptop (http://www.dabs.com/articles/promotions/computers/claim-up-to--100-cashback-on-selected-toshiba-laptops-5271.html)
£329Toshiba Satellite Pro L300D-20R Athlon X2 QL-64 2GB 160 DVD+/-RW 15.4" WXGA Vista Home Premium
In stock now
quicklinx: 5JXNWS
mfr#: PSLC9E-00V001EN
£329.98 inc vat
Price After Cash-Back £279.98

been looking for weeks need help from the experts out there
many thanks

[Tariq M]

Hi,

Can someone help me decide a laptop. I've looked around extensively and I'm choosing between the Sony Vaio NS20Z/S (Tesco £590 but I have 10% discount) or the Toshiba Satelite A300-21H (£500 at Argos).

In terms of brands which is better? And is the 3GB memory on the Toshiba going to make a significant difference compared to the 4GB on the Sony?

Thanks for any help.

[Scarlett]

I think you'll find Core 2 Duo Processors are better than Pentium 4 processors :)

It might help if you say what kind of budget you have for people to help you out?

Thanks for clarifying that - I was really confused!

My budget is £300-£400 absolute max - wish it were more!

Hardware and drivers
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 1800 MHz or greater
RAM memory: 512 Mb or above (1Gb recommended)
Audio Card: 16 bit soundcard and speakers or headphones
Graphic Card: 128 Mb Video RAM or above (recommended)


Players
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (recommended)
Internet: Cable/DSL broadband connection to the internet
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 or above
Media Player: Microsoft Windows Media Player Version 9 or above
Flash Player: Macromedia Flash Player 9f.ocx or above
Document Reader: Adobe Acrobat Reader 5 or above (7 recommended)
Microsoft Word 2003

[penny-pincher]

If it's not out of order, might I throw in a word of caution about buying anything from laptopsdirect.co.uk?

While their prices are very attractive (and the warranty packs doubly so) they have an awful reputation for customer service - as I am finding out.
Briefly, they sold me a DESKTOP warranty, despite all advertising and advice stating its suitability for my Acer LAPTOP, and are now repeating the "very sorry, but they cannot refund me" line.

They soon will be ... (rolls sleeves up for a ding-dong consumer battle..)

Just a warning (which I should have heeded from reviews sites like:
reviewcentre~com reviews61649
ciao~co~uk 6482184
itreviews~co~uk
trustpilot~co~uk

One very cross customer.

[john quigley]

Sainsbury are selling TOSHIBA L300 for £299. Great value for money.

[sukysue]

Sainsbury are selling TOSHIBA L300 for £299. Great value for money.

This offer has expired.

[Scarlett]

Thanks for clarifying that - I was really confused!

My budget is £300-£400 absolute max - wish it were more!

Hardware and drivers
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 1800 MHz or greater
RAM memory: 512 Mb or above (1Gb recommended)
Audio Card: 16 bit soundcard and speakers or headphones
Graphic Card: 128 Mb Video RAM or above (recommended)


Players
Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP SP2 (recommended)
Internet: Cable/DSL broadband connection to the internet
Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 or above
Media Player: Microsoft Windows Media Player Version 9 or above
Flash Player: Macromedia Flash Player 9f.ocx or above
Document Reader: Adobe Acrobat Reader 5 or above (7 recommended)
Microsoft Word 2003


Sorry to post again, but I really need some advice. Can someone please tell me if the HP 550 on ebuyer will be up to the spec I require: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164844

What will I need to buy with it?

Sorry I'm a bit clueless...

[Smickan]

Hiya,
I was wondering if anyone knows a laptop that's sub £400 with a dvd writer decent processer and ram. Don't care about anything else - just not HP or compaq as I'm locked in a battle with them atm over their absolutely appauling customer service.

Needs to be able to withstand heavy use too - and I mean REALLY heavy use. I give my laptops the same use in a year as the average person would in twice that amount of time if not longer.

Thanks :)

[psychopathbabble]

Hi guys,
Just looking for some advice....
My laptop fell off the bed last night and decided it couldn't take it any more... so now I have a screen that is half white. :o
I have been quoted £110 to fix it, but as its 3 years old (Advent 7109b) and the cd burner was broken anyway, I'm wondering whether to get this....
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5070561/c_1/1|category_root|Office%2C+PCs+and+phones|14418968/c_2/2|cat_14418968|Laptops+and+mini+laptops|14419039.h tm
What do you think? Is it worth fixing the broken one?
Thanks.

[moneysavingwannabe]

Hi,

I have a work laptop (Toshiba satellite pro A300-10q) But have to hand it in when I go on maternity leave :(

It is fine apart from screen is bit too reflective and I think I need a bigger HD as have 80gb in my itunes on a seperate HD which I would like to put onto a laptop. Like the widescreen tho.

Mainly for storing music/photos/surfing net and using office software etc. Oh and I have a flip video hd camcorder spose too much to ask for hd dvd burner??

As going on maternity don't want to spend too much max £400 but cheaper would be better.

Any advice appreciated. Thanks

[Mandark]

Hi guys,
Just looking for some advice....
My laptop fell off the bed last night and decided it couldn't take it any more... so now I have a screen that is half white. :o
I have been quoted £110 to fix it, but as its 3 years old (Advent 7109b) and the cd burner was broken anyway, I'm wondering whether to get this....
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5070561/c_1/1|category_root|Office%2C+PCs+and+phones|14418968/c_2/2|cat_14418968|Laptops+and+mini+laptops|14419039.h tm
What do you think? Is it worth fixing the broken one?
Thanks.
The commercial value of an average spec (for the time) three year old laptop is £0-25. I'd only go for repair if money is a very serious issue. Otherwise I'd get a new one. That Acer is ok and it is a hgih street price but I think you could probably get better value if you look aorund online. I'd compare it to the sub £400 Dells, HPs, Lenovos, Toshibas first.

[Mandark]

Okay, thanks. It's unlikely that I'll use the laptop for gaming, but I will use it quite heavily for most other processes so I want a fast machine. Do you think that I need the dedicated graphics card? If not, for £40 less I can get the Inspiron 1545. The 1545 also has a 250GB HDD rather than 500GB, but I don't think I really need 500GB anyway. So it's mainly a question of whether it's worth spending the extra £40 for the graphics.
If money isn't too tight, I'd get the higher spec model. That's a really good spec for the money and you might find you use programs (video editing packages are one example) that can take advantage of the beefed up graphics. And you can never have too much HDD space really. We always end up using more than we expected over the years.

[Mandark]

Hi,

Can someone help me decide a laptop. I've looked around extensively and I'm choosing between the Sony Vaio NS20Z/S (Tesco £590 but I have 10% discount) or the Toshiba Satelite A300-21H (£500 at Argos).

In terms of brands which is better? And is the 3GB memory on the Toshiba going to make a significant difference compared to the 4GB on the Sony?

Thanks for any help.
Check out this What Laptop review of the Sony. Seems all right to me and the Vaios are an upmarket brand.
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/sony-vaio-vgn-ns20z-s-492023/review

[loopy_lass]

what do people think of the laptop/notebook asda are selling? i really dont understand all the techi bits, just wanted one for my daughter to use the net.. its around £250

thanks loops

[heather8]

Can anyone help me please.

I'm looking for a laptop for my 11 year old. He will use it for homework etc, play games, club penguin and a war game, he uses iplayer too and it will get heavy internet use from me!!

I currently use a dell inspiron 1100 which i have had for around 5 years and is very, very slow, as it is very very old. But it is still going strong.

I don't want to spend a fortune, as it will be his main Christmas present, and i will also need to spend the money on other stuff.

Might be best sticking with dell, but I'm unsure of which one to get. I would like it to last for around 5 years, at which time I will get him a new one for Uni, if he makes it there!!

All suggestions welcome, not sure what type of memory, game cards, etc to look for, you know all the techi stuff.

[buglawton]

It's worth remembering that desktop computers are cheaper to buy, much more repairable, upgradeable and robust than laptops. Plus they encourage a better sitting position where you don't look down, screen can be adjusted for a proper sit-up position, avoids the famous laptop crick-in-the-neck.

[Smokeyone]

After searching around for yonks I came across this offer from Aldi.
As I am looking at smallish laptops (have been checking out Samsung & Acer 10" ) is this a fair offer or is there better to be had. I need something that I can travel about with easily.
Thanks

Medion Akoya E1312 with 11.6" screen mini notebook £339.99
http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/58_10383.htm

[StockportGerbil]

Hi!
My mum has decided she needs a computer so she can access the Internet from home and presumably do some word processing on it. I know I’ll be supporting the thing and given Mum is 200 miles away so I want the thing to be reliable!

Mum’s requirements

- Laptop (so it can be cleared away when not in use)
- Cheap, she’s asked about refurbished / second hand, at most £250 preferably a lot less.
- Min 15” screen (she has had issues with her sight before and staring at a small netbook screen isn’t going to help.)
- Windows XP, she has some experience of XP
- Able to access the internet – this will have to be via a ‘mobile broadband’ dongle at a guess as the expected use is going to be intermittent.

Having read the conversations on this subject I notice recommendations for Laptopsdirect, Big pockets, Medion shop and the ebay Argos clearance shop. Are there any other suggestions / recommendations?

I note the Dell C640 that bigpockets are selling ticks a lot of the right boxes especially at £139, but I suspect (given the dates of the reviews) it’s getting on a bit – does anyone have any experience of these things?

Thanks

Kevin

[notcosi]

Hi - Could anyone tell me if this is a good deal, or is there something better out there for the money ? Thanks
I know that this forum is not as busy as it used tobe but I was wondering if anyone out there could tell me if this was a good deal or not? Thanks
# STUDIO 15 (N0053503)

Module Description Show Details
Base Intel® Pentium® Processor T4200 (2.0GHz, 800MHz, 1MB cache)
Microsoft Operating System Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium SP1 (64 BIT) - English
Memory 4096MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x2048]
Keyboard Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Keyboard
Video Card 512MB ATI Mobility RADEON HD 4570
Hard Drive 320GB (5.400rpm) SATA Hard Drive
Optical Devices Fixed Internal DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive including Software
Wireless Networking Dell Wireless 1397 Mini Card (802.11 b/g)
Cables 1 Meter Power Cord (3 Wire) - UK
Shipping Documents English - Documentation Studio 1545
Gedis Bundle Reference N0953503
Standard Warranty 1Yr Limited Warranty - Collect & Return
Enhanced Service Packs 1 Year Limited Warranty - Collect & Return
PalmRest Silver chainlink palm rest – with Black Chainlink cover only
Wireless Wan Card Mobile Broadband: Dell Wireless 5530 Card and VF Connection Manager with 60 Day Trial SIM included
Bluetooth No Bluetooth Upgrade
Order Information Studio 1555 Order - UK
Primary Battery Primary 6-cell 56 WHr Lithium Ion battery
Carrying Cases No Carrying Case
Dell System Media Kit Studio 1555 Resource DVD (Diagnostic & Drivers)
Camera 2.0 Mega pixel Integrated Web Camera
Colour Choice Black chainlink
Accidental Damage Support No Accidental Damage Support
Online Backup DataSafe Online Backup 2GB 1 year
Labels Wireless Label - Pentium Dual Core
LCD 15.6in Widescreen High Definition (1366x768) WLED with TrueLife

Protect your new PC McAfee® Security Centre - 15 Month Protection
Sub-total
Incl. VAT £479.00

[rev_henry]

Hi, I'm after a cheapish laptop with a half decent graphics card for gaming.
I was all set on getting this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SAMSUNG-R505-AMD-2-1GHZ-3GB-RAM-15-4IN-LAPTOP-REFURB_W0QQitemZ360191740989QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ Computing_Laptops_EH?hash=item53dd19cc3d&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262

But now they've sold out. I'm hoping they'll get more in (they did last time) but is there anything else around that price range that's similar?

[notcosi]

rev_henry you can get the samsung at Argos :
http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500001801&langId=-1&searchTerms=samsung+r505&Submit=GO+%3E

[rev_henry]

rev_henry you can get the samsung at Argos :
http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500001801&langId=-1&searchTerms=samsung+r505&Submit=GO+%3E
Thanks for that, but the ones on Argos proper aren't the same as the one I was looking at although they're all the R505 they don't have the dedicated ATI HD3470 graphics, only the 3200. :(

[butterbeanmash]

Hi, I'm after a cheapish laptop with a half decent graphics card for gaming.
I was all set on getting this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SAMSUNG-R505-AMD-2-1GHZ-3GB-RAM-15-4IN-LAPTOP-REFURB_W0QQitemZ360191740989QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ Computing_Laptops_EH?hash=item53dd19cc3d&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262

But now they've sold out. I'm hoping they'll get more in (they did last time) but is there anything else around that price range that's similar?

I bought one of the two they listed this time. I'm absolutely sure they'll list it again-I just kept checking the 'newly listed items' in the argos shop and bought it as soon as it appeared, which was about five days after it sold out last time.
Couldn't find anything with those specs anywhere so that was the only one I was waiting for.
Good luck!

[Mandark]

Can anyone help me please.

I'm looking for a laptop for my 11 year old. He will use it for homework etc, play games, club penguin and a war game, he uses iplayer too and it will get heavy internet use from me!!

I currently use a dell inspiron 1100 which i have had for around 5 years and is very, very slow, as it is very very old. But it is still going strong.

I don't want to spend a fortune, as it will be his main Christmas present, and i will also need to spend the money on other stuff.

Might be best sticking with dell, but I'm unsure of which one to get. I would like it to last for around 5 years, at which time I will get him a new one for Uni, if he makes it there!!

All suggestions welcome, not sure what type of memory, game cards, etc to look for, you know all the techi stuff.
If you're happy with Dell then try the new Inspirons. PC World sells fixed spec ones. Although these work out more costly than buying one customised on Dell's site, it's easier for most people - which was why Dell decided to sell through PC World. But a lot go with Dell online.

I recommend the Inspiron 1545. Decent spec but its battery life is about 2 hours which is poor these days. Pay up to £500. Studio 15 which is known for its good spec and good 4 hours battery life. Pay up to £700. What Laptop magazine thinks this is just about the best value consumer laptop around!

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/editorial/dell-range

[Mandark]

Hi - Could anyone tell me if this is a good deal, or is there something better out there for the money ? Thanks
I know that this forum is not as busy as it used tobe but I was wondering if anyone out there could tell me if this was a good deal or not? Thanks
# STUDIO 15 (N0053503)
As I said in my previous post the Dell Studio 15 is rated as a top notch laptop. That's a good system but I'd up the processor to an Intel Core 2 Duo. They are a lot better and don't cost that much more.

[Mandark]

Sorry to post again, but I really need some advice. Can someone please tell me if the HP 550 on ebuyer will be up to the spec I require: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164844

What will I need to buy with it?

Sorry I'm a bit clueless...
I see the HP550 has been discontinued but see my advice in posts above on Dells and checkout this Lenovo for £370. All these should meet your needs to long as you're not planning any 3D gaming. You'll have to customize on the Dell site if you want better graphics to fit under your max price point. The new base HP models are probably now out of your price range.
http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Lenovo_G530_Laptop_NSH24UK/version.asp

[Mandark]

Hiya,
I was wondering if anyone knows a laptop that's sub £400 with a dvd writer decent processer and ram. Don't care about anything else - just not HP or compaq as I'm locked in a battle with them atm over their absolutely appauling customer service.

Needs to be able to withstand heavy use too - and I mean REALLY heavy use. I give my laptops the same use in a year as the average person would in twice that amount of time if not longer.

Thanks :)
See all my last few posts about Dells and Lenovo and consider Acer and Toshiba too. click on my name and check the posts.

[RalphTBooker]

Hi guys,
Just looking for some advice....
My laptop fell off the bed last night and decided it couldn't take it any more... so now I have a screen that is half white. :o
I have been quoted £110 to fix it, but as its 3 years old (Advent 7109b) and the cd burner was broken anyway, I'm wondering whether to get this....
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5070561/c_1/1|category_root|Office%2C+PCs+and+phones|14418968/c_2/2|cat_14418968|Laptops+and+mini+laptops|14419039.h tm
What do you think? Is it worth fixing the broken one?
Thanks.

Check out Dell's outlet machines (www.dell.co.uk/outlet (http://www.dell.co.uk/outlet))

I bought a 'Scratch and Dent' system recently and was impressed at what I actually received. I would say its as new. (If you look really carefully in the correct light,the lid has a scratch..!)

I opted for a Pentium model, but there are slightly cheaper celeron models.

An example of a spec:
•Inspiron 1545 Pentium Dual Core T4200 (2.0GHz,800MHz,1MB)
•Windows Vista® Home Premium;Windows Vista® Home Premium
System Price : £242.34
Operating System
Windows Vista® Home Premium
Windows Vista® Home Premium
Memory
3072MB (1x2048 + 1X1024) 800MHz DDR2
Hard Disk Drive
160GB (5,400 rpm)
NoteBook Screen
Display 15.6in Widescreen WXGA with TrueLife CCFL
System Color
LCD Back Cover Black Matte Finish
MISC
MS Vista Premium Logo Label NB (small)
Keyboard Internal UK/Irish Qwerty Keyboard
Battery Inspiron Primary 4-cell 28WHr Li-Ion
Dell Wireless 1397 (802.11 b g)
Base
Inspiron 1545 Pentium Dual Core T4200 (2.0GHz,800MHz,1MB)
Media Bay
Optical Drive 8X DVD + - RW Drive including software

(Obviously no way to know how good the refurbished machine will be, but they do come with 1 yr warranty. The price above does not include VAT and delivery)

[butterbeanmash]

Hi, I'm after a cheapish laptop with a half decent graphics card for gaming.
I was all set on getting this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SAMSUNG-R505-AMD-2-1GHZ-3GB-RAM-15-4IN-LAPTOP-REFURB_W0QQitemZ360191740989QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_ Computing_Laptops_EH?hash=item53dd19cc3d&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262

But now they've sold out. I'm hoping they'll get more in (they did last time) but is there anything else around that price range that's similar?

A quick warning; I got mine today and it's going back tomorrow. These laptops aren't so much 'refurbished' as 'used'. The spacebar was not attached, there are dents in the screen and scratches all over the inside. This would be why they're selling a reasonable spec laptop so cheap.

[heather8]

If you're happy with Dell then try the new Inspirons. PC World sells fixed spec ones. Although these work out more costly than buying one customised on Dell's site, it's easier for most people - which was why Dell decided to sell through PC World. But a lot go with Dell online.

I recommend the Inspiron 1545. Decent spec but its battery life is about 2 hours which is poor these days. Pay up to £500. Studio 15 which is known for its good spec and good 4 hours battery life. Pay up to £700. What Laptop magazine thinks this is just about the best value consumer laptop around!

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/editorial/dell-range

Thank you, I will go via quidco and get one straight from dell.

[rev_henry]

A quick warning; I got mine today and it's going back tomorrow. These laptops aren't so much 'refurbished' as 'used'. The spacebar was not attached, there are dents in the screen and scratches all over the inside. This would be why they're selling a reasonable spec laptop so cheap.
Hmm, interesting. Maybe its for the best they sold out then. I emailed them the other day to ask if they were anticipating getting any more in stock. Their response: Thank you for your enquiry. We are unable to give any indication of stock.
Not even an apology or explanation. Just cba.
Pfft. I'm trying to give you £300 for heaven's sake, you obviously don't want it, I'll take it elsewhere.

[rev_henry]

From their 'about me' page:
Refurbished Products Refurbished products are all 100% OK! In fact, they represent amazing value for money, especially as we offer all our refurbished products with a full ONE YEAR warranty.
These products may be classed as refurbished for a number of reasons:




They may have been previously sold, and subsequently returned to one of our parent stores and not put back on sale for cosmetic packaging reasons. This is often as little as a broken seal.
Alternatively, they may simply have incurred a minor amount of cosmetic packaging damage during handling in the day to day running of our business.
Some items may also have been returned to our parentstores with a reported fault or where a customer had difficulty in using.

All of these products are returned to our certified testing facilities, examined and fully tested. Only products classified by our professional inspection and testing process as "A1 Condition", fully tested, working, and complete are then made available for sale through Clearance Bargains. Any products that don’t meet these high standards are never sold through our eBay shop or retail stores. All of our refurbished products are sold in there original manufacturers packaging unless stated on the listing. The fact that we guarantee the products for a full year means that you can purchase with full peace of mind.


Not quite the same as you found really.

[superstar]

I am looking to buy a new laptop. Budget is around £350 region. I was looking at the HP 550 on ebuyer which is now not available anymore. Other recommendations? Would probably need them quite soon.

Thanks in advance.

[superstar]

What does everyone think of this:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/173882#

[sukysue]

If you read the discussion some ppl have bought it and seem to be very pleased with it.The specs look very good for the price but us mere mortals would gall at having to install an operating programme (dunno if thas what ya call it but ya know what I mean)lol!

[superstar]

If you read the discussion some ppl have bought it and seem to be very pleased with it.The specs look very good for the price but us mere mortals would gall at having to install an operating programme (dunno if thas what ya call it but ya know what I mean)lol!

ah, missed that myself. 2 questions:

1. Is it easy to install windows myself?

2. Its an unbranded laptop, so would be as good as a normal toshiba or acer or sony?

[dekh]

It's not difficult to install Windows from disk but you'll have to buy it first.

Alternatively a linux distro like Ubuntu would do very nicely and is free ... but you did say Windows.

[koppite79]

What does everyone think about this toshiba

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164329/show_product_video/playvid#

?

[sukysue]

I don't know much about computers but for the little I do know I think it's a good price for a good spec .

[Mandark]

What does everyone think about this toshiba

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/164329/show_product_video/playvid#

?
It's all right. If you see my previous posts, the L300 series is well respected as a budget laptop. You can't go wrong with it if you're planning undemanding work. Be aware though that Windows 7 is out on 22 October and PC manufacturers may use its launch to offer special deals. I would try and hold out for a few weeks.

[drivebyargument]

What is the perfect laptop under £500 to play the new FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 game please...

I realise this is a very specific question and apologise for that !

[StockportGerbil]

Folks :-
Following on from my question of earlier (what PC to get my mum) we agreed the budget could go a little higher and I got her the refurbished Medion N9718 (sadly not listed now) for £229.99 plus a fiver delivery from the medionshop (www.medionshop.co.uk (http://www.medionshop.co.uk)). It turned up in five days and I have to say for my mums purposes I think it's very good.

It came in what apeared to be new condition. It runs vista (supplied / installed) and office 2003 (not supplied) quite happily and while it's a little bit plasticy I thought it was OK. It certainly appears to be value for money.

At present if you go to the medion shop website and go to clearance 15.4" laptops the N9714 seems the closest in spec; but the one I bought had 2Gb of memory, but cost a tenner more.

I hope that's helpful to someone.

Kevin

[killwilly]

I am a great fan of Sony products, two televisions and a DVD recorder. However, when it comes to laptops I would buy Acer every time, but not included in the poll. :confused:

[boobbby]

I am a great fan of Sony products, two televisions and a DVD recorder. However, when it comes to laptops I would buy Acer every time, but not included in the poll. :confused:

I agree with with ALL the above remarks!!

BB

[frank_r]

acer are the best value for money these days I reckon - followed by Dell.

I bought my acer of laptopsdreict.co.uk a few month back. Great laptop - terrible customer service. Oh the joys of shopping online...:confused:

[Mandark]

What is the perfect laptop under £500 to play the new FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 game please...

I realise this is a very specific question and apologise for that !
Hey, fellow Football Manager fan!! With Football Manager there's two things that you need in a computer:
1) decent processor power because the game is a serious number cruncher. It also depends on how many leagues you want to run. But I'd look for an Intel Core Duo laptop.
2) If you're going to use the 3D match engine then you'll need reasonable graphics capability. For judder free viewing I'd suggest any laptop with 256 meg or more separate graphics memory.

Also I'd recommend getting a 6 cell battery with it as FM session as you know are long and if you're going to be using it away from a charges then you'll want more than 2-3 hours.

Try a custom build of a Dell 1545 for starters should get what you want for about £450. See last 3 or 4 pages on this thread for examples.

[barnyg]

Hmm, interesting. Maybe its for the best they sold out then. I emailed them the other day to ask if they were anticipating getting any more in stock. Their response: Thank you for your enquiry. We are unable to give any indication of stock.
Not even an apology or explanation. Just cba.
Pfft. I'm trying to give you £300 for heaven's sake, you obviously don't want it, I'll take it elsewhere.


I recently bought a refurb Fujitsu laptop from them for my daughter. Superb spec & excellent condition £200.00 less than the Argos new price. The problem with them is they have no control over what they get in so can give no guarantees, according to one of their staff I was talking to at their shop in Stanley Co. Durham.

[koppite79]

Bought one of the Dell Inspiron 17's that are on sale in CPW

£313 after quidco

Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200 2.0 Ghz, which scores really well on testing
2gb memory (can be increased to 8gb)
17" HD widescreen
250 GB hard drive
Bluetooth
1.3 MP webcam
Windows 7 upgrade free

Picking it up from store tmrw so will post a quick review, but the feedback from others and the spec is just incredible for the price!

Well happy!

[nickliv]

http://www.dealtime.co.uk/xPF-Hewlett-Packard-HP-Pavilion-ZD8369EA-P4-3-2Ghz-1Gb-100Gb-DVDRW-17

I'm looking for something to replace this spec with (Insurance claim underway, replacement most likely option) - like for like spec wise apparently.

[Mandark]

http://www.dealtime.co.uk/xPF-Hewlett-Packard-HP-Pavilion-ZD8369EA-P4-3-2Ghz-1Gb-100Gb-DVDRW-17

I'm looking for something to replace this spec with (Insurance claim underway, replacement most likely option) - like for like spec wise apparently.
I think you're going to have to look more at price than spec. They don't do those old P4 based laptops any more. And you wouldn't want one if they did. Trust me, that's similar to my old laptop as well. Big, heavy, hot and slow by today's standards. How much do you have to spend? My HP laptop was worth a grand when I bought it which would get you a fantastic laptop today. But even £500 can get you a decent dual core system with good graphics capability.

[nickliv]

Cheers for that.

Apparently it has to have the same 'features' but not the same specs. (I would be astounded if you could get hold of another radiator P4 machine now)

The old one was 17 inch, with a full size keypad, with a numerical pad, and had wireless, bluetooth, and a lightscribe drive.

I'm guessing that these are pretty normal in modern machines, possibly with the exception of the lightscribe drive.

I am used to being corrected though, and am prepared to be.

If they want me to run vista, I shall hold out for any extra RAM I can get, as it's (reputedly) so power hungry.

[my definition]

hi guys,

looking for some advice. im a full time student and so is my boyfriend so were both skint. However, weve not long moved in and starting with the problem of one comp when both of us need to be on it. I'm looking for a reasonable laptop thats relatively cheap. could mayble strech to £350 max but we re on a tight budget and mostly surviving on loans.

Its going to be used mostly for internet and word documents but my computers getting old so it needs to be fairly fast.

im looking for 1+ gb ram and 160 memory

thanks

[butterbeanmash]

Hi all,

I've just bought one of these;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290345495047&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

It's a Medion S5610. I went to their showroom and asked what the best offer was and it's £349.99. The laptops are as new, and most are still sealed from Medion, with restore disc, warranty, laptop bag, Nero and Windows 7 upgrade offer.

Hope this helps someone.

[rev_henry]

Hi all,

I've just bought one of these;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290345495047&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

It's a Medion S5610. I went to their showroom and asked what the best offer was and it's £349.99. The laptops are as new, and most are still sealed from Medion, with restore disc, warranty, laptop bag, Nero and Windows 7 upgrade offer.

Hope this helps someone.
That's not bad at all, especially with proper graphics. I might get myself one of those...

[Always Harassed]

aparently its £399.99 now? have they just put the price up?

[rev_henry]

aparently its £399.99 now? have they just put the price up?
Think butterbean meant that the lowest they'd take is £349.99 on the best offer button.

[butterbeanmash]

Think butterbean meant that the lowest they'd take is £349.99 on the best offer button.

Yes. I asked at the showroom what the 'best offer' was and he immediately said £349.99, so I assume that's what they accept on the eBay auction.

[CHR15]

Bought one of the Dell Inspiron 17's that are on sale in CPW
£313 after quidco


I bought one for a friend from there. Placed order at 6.30pm

Received an email at 9.03pm saying it had been dispatched

Had a missed delivery the next day but I went to collect it from the depot.

I can't comment on the Laptop as it is for a friend to give his son for Xmas but from the delivery point of view, you can't get any better.

[Mandark]

Cheers for that.

Apparently it has to have the same 'features' but not the same specs. (I would be astounded if you could get hold of another radiator P4 machine now)

The old one was 17 inch, with a full size keypad, with a numerical pad, and had wireless, bluetooth, and a lightscribe drive.

I'm guessing that these are pretty normal in modern machines, possibly with the exception of the lightscribe drive.

I am used to being corrected though, and am prepared to be.

If they want me to run vista, I shall hold out for any extra RAM I can get, as it's (reputedly) so power hungry.
Well these are the new HP 17" models. See if the insurers will accept the Core 2 Duo model. Will come with Windows 7 now.
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/ho/WF25a/321957-321957-3329744-64354-64354-3999447.html

[danny_quality]

Bought one of the Dell Inspiron 17's that are on sale in CPW

£313 after quidco

Intel Pentium Dual Core T4200 2.0 Ghz, which scores really well on testing
2gb memory (can be increased to 8gb)
17" HD widescreen
250 GB hard drive
Bluetooth
1.3 MP webcam
Windows 7 upgrade free

Picking it up from store tmrw so will post a quick review, but the feedback from others and the spec is just incredible for the price!

Well happy!

Where is CPW?
Cheers

[JDPower]

Where is CPW?
Cheers
Carphone Warehouse ;)

[SineadG]

Hi I am looking to buy a laptop for my daughters birthday next week, I am such a technophobe that I really don't have a clue what the best one to get it. Would it be possible if someone could maybe recommend one for me. She needs this to complete homework, and general surfing. It also has to have a webcam. My budget is £350- £400.

Many thanks

[CHR15]

Go for that Carphone warehouse one (Inspiron 17). If you go through quidco it is £313 (£329 without quidco)

The Same Model direct from Dell was £399 last time I looked.

It is a perfectly capable laptop (I didn't notice any fee upgrades to Win7 though if it is important to you)

[clem28]

hi just bought yesterday one of these, http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...=STRK:MEWAX:IT)
delivery and everything excellent, 12 month guarantee etc, very good spec, you would think it was brand new.
i dont work for the company just been looking for a laptop paid £339 made an offer of £325.
hope this helps:T:T:T

clem

[mutley74]

DAK is emachines a good/decent make?

[Potsdamerplatz]

This looks to be the bargain of the week available from Tesco for £399 and comes with the new Windows 7 already installed:

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.207-8792.aspx

[dwichmann]

This looks to be the bargain of the week available from Tesco for £399 and comes with the new Windows 7 already installed:

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.207-8792.aspx

a good price for a toshiba, worth checking their site though as they've been offering £50 cash back on selected models. If your not fussy about brand you can probably get a quicker processor for the money.

[heather8]

I've just found this on the Car phone website http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/buy/DELL_STUDIO#bottom

My Ds wanted a blue one and this is cheaper than the black one.

It has 100 GB less hard drive and 1BG less of memory than the one on the Dell site that is 499.00.

Is the one at CPW okay?

[mccristo]

Erm, does anyone know what has happened to the Inspiron 17 offer from CPW? That deal was cracking, I'm after a laptop for my dads birthday.

I think they realised what a steal that offer was :S

[heather8]

i think it was a deal of the week, like the one i posted above.

[mccristo]

oh, I shall have to oil the wheels on my timetravel device then =/

[superstar]

a good price for a toshiba, worth checking their site though as they've been offering £50 cash back on selected models. If your not fussy about brand you can probably get a quicker processor for the money.

any suggestions?

[Not_enough_cash4Kebab]

Acer AS5332 T3000 3GB 160GB Windows 7 15.6" Laptop
By Tesco
Spec :
Battery Life in Hours Up to 2.5 Hours
Battery Type 6 Cell
Bluetooth No
Brand Acer
Built-in Webcam No
Card Reader Yes
Card Reader Type 5-in-1
Full Software Load Adobe® Reader®, Corel® WinDVD®, Launch Manager, NTI CD/DVD Maker™
Further Information New Windows 7 Home Premium Operating System and Dual Core processor for everyday multitasking computing, 3GB of RAM allowing you to run multiple tasks or programmes, Stunning 15.6" display with 16:9 aspect ratio to get the most from widescreen movies.
Graphics Integrated
Hard Drive Size 160GB
Hard Drive Type SATA
HDMI Output No
Infrared Port Included No
Laptop Colour Black
Manual Included Available for download from brand website
Memory Size 3GB
Memory Type DDR2
Number of USB Ports 2x USB 2.0
Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Optical Drive DVD Rewriter
Optical Drive Bluray Compatible No
Optical Drive HD Compatible No
Optical Drive Lightscribe Compatible No
Processor Intel® Celeron®
Processor Bus 667Mhz
Processor Cache 1MB
Processor Model Number T3000
Processor Speed 1.8Ghz
Processor Type Dual Core
Range Usage: Entertainment
Screen Size 15.6"
Screen Type 15.6" Acer CineCrystal™ LED LCD
Trial Software Load Norton Internet Security™, Microsoft® Works 8.5 with Office Home and Student 2007
TV Tuner No
Wired Networking Port Yes
Wireless Built in Yes
Wireless Features B/G/N

Is this a bargain ?

[heather8]

I'm sure I have read somewhere on here, that a dual core processor is the best, and it shouldn't be a celeron one, but the other sort. I think it was on a thread about John Lewis giving someone the wrong Toshbia computer. He was told to take it back.

The Dell one at Car phone Warehouse offer of the week, has the right sort, if you want it to be super fast.

I'm not a computer expert or anything, but everyone keeps going on about the better the processor the faster it will be.

Here's the link, its 29.00 more than the Tesco one if you chose the blue one. I need an expert to come along and tell me if it's better to get the one that's 499.00 on the Dell site or this one.

http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/buy/DELL_STUDIO

Here's the one on the dell site, it has more memory and more HD. http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/laptops_great_deals?c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&~ck=mn

[mccristo]

To be honest for around £360 on todays market you should be trying to get...

3gig+ of RAM
2GHz+ dual intel (ideally not celeron)
and some kind of Graphics card that is not integrated...hate it when companies try to screw you over with that. Generally speaking, if you don't have an independant graphics card its going to use resources in other areas to run simple functions.

Plus all of the features mentioned above seem to be standard now.

[JervisWales89]

hi guys

I'm looking for some help in finding a laptop for my daughter for christmas. I havn't got a clue when it comes to computer specifications and this is where i was hoping you could help. :confused:

I was looking to spend £150 - £200, its for my 15 year old daughter and will only be used for facebook/twitter etc and for researching homework. It doesnt need to be super fast, just powerful enough not for it to slow down and crash when surfing the net. Screen size isnt really important, i was thinking maybe even one of those mini 7 inch screen laptops.

As i said i dont really know where to start. I would really appreciate if somebody could possibly point me in the right direction, if you could have a look online for some good deals and send me some links that would be great!!

I was hoping to get a new one for the money i have to spend but if its good condition second hand i would consider it.

I am a member on Ebay so was thinking this is maybe an option for a good deal?

Thanks a lot!!!!

(By the way whats the difference between a laptop and a notebook?)

:beer:

[*max*]

Hi all! I was wondering if someone could give me an opinion on this deal:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/167396

It seems to be good value for money? Any thoughts? :o

[spud17]

hi guys

I'm looking for some help in finding a laptop for my daughter for christmas. I havn't got a clue when it comes to computer specifications and this is where i was hoping you could help. :confused:

I was looking to spend £150 - £200, its for my 15 year old daughter and will only be used for facebook/twitter etc and for researching homework. It doesnt need to be super fast, just powerful enough not for it to slow down and crash when surfing the net. Screen size isnt really important, i was thinking maybe even one of those mini 7 inch screen laptops.



This site has been recommended a few times on this thread for recons.

http://www.bigpockets.co.uk/cat.php?search=Laptops&nav=227

[superstar]

I would appreciate some help.

I'm looking to get a new laptop. I would like it to have
Intel core 2 duo, which i think its the decent one,
T 4000+,
2Ghz+,
2GB Ram+
160GB+ hard disk
seperate graphics card would be ideal
Brand is not a main priority

My budget is £350 region. Is there any laptops available, or is my expectations too high for that budget? Please advice me.

[JDPower]

hi guys

I'm looking for some help in finding a laptop for my daughter for christmas. I havn't got a clue when it comes to computer specifications and this is where i was hoping you could help. :confused:

I was looking to spend £150 - £200, its for my 15 year old daughter and will only be used for facebook/twitter etc and for researching homework. It doesnt need to be super fast, just powerful enough not for it to slow down and crash when surfing the net. Screen size isnt really important, i was thinking maybe even one of those mini 7 inch screen laptops.

As i said i dont really know where to start. I would really appreciate if somebody could possibly point me in the right direction, if you could have a look online for some good deals and send me some links that would be great!!

I was hoping to get a new one for the money i have to spend but if its good condition second hand i would consider it.

I am a member on Ebay so was thinking this is maybe an option for a good deal?

Thanks a lot!!!!

(By the way whats the difference between a laptop and a notebook?)

A laptop and notebook are the exact same thing and you won't get any laptop worthwhile in that price range I'm afraid.

Those mini 7 inch types you mentioned are netbooks, there's a thread on them with plenty of recommendations here and should all be in your price range:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1206753&highlight=netbook

[JDPower]

Hi all! I was wondering if someone could give me an opinion on this deal:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/167396

It seems to be good value for money? Any thoughts? :o
Seems good spec for the money, only downside would be the integrated graphics but as long as you're not using it for games you should be fine.

[mccristo]

Don't make the mistake of thinking the graphics card is only for gaming....

Expect your laptop to run to as slow as 70% the speed of a similar spec machine with a dedicated graphics card.

This has been debated muchly however, its a trade off between a longer battery life and cooler running temperatures VS the smoother and quicker running of your laptop.

Loads of good deals on ebuyer at the moment if you feel that a gfx card really isn't necessary. Personally I'll be waiting until I find a similar spec machine with a graphics card included. Loads of bargains to be had in the next few weeks with WIndows 7 release I reckon.

[mamamoo]

Hi
I would really appreciate some advice. have been looking at midrange notebooks for a while. Am looking for windows 7, 3 or 4GB, lightweigt/portable/decentish battery and able to cope with photo shop/digital scrapbooking/multitasking.

Have considered the following but am a bit confused about teh different processors. Would I notice a difference for my purposes? Can someone explain the differences in speed?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-UL30A-QX094V-13-3-inch-Notebook-Processor/dp/B002SG7L5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1256414526&sr=1-1
Asus UL30A-QX094V 13.3-inch Notebook (HD TFT Intel Core 2 Duo Processor SU7300 1.3 GHz Processor, 4 GB DDRIII RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium)

Acer Aspire 4810T 14-inch HD LED Notebook (Intel Pentium ULV SU4100, 3GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Windows 7 Home Premium, 8+ Hour Battery Life, 1.9 kg)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-14-inch-Notebook-Pentium-Windows/dp/B002SG7K2U/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1256414449&sr=1-6

http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=38455&category_id=969&manufacturer_id=0&tid=np-q320-js02uk samsung q320
Pentium Dual Core T4200 2.0GHz / 4GB / 500GB / DVD-SM / 13.4" / Windows 7 Home Premium / Laptop / Notebook / Black

Samsung R520 or r522
Intel Core 2 Duo (T6500) 2.1GHz 4096MB (2x2048MB) 500GB 15.6 inch TFT DVD SuperMulti LAN WLAN BT Windows 7 Home Premium (Intel GMA X4500) (Black/Silver)
http://www.cclonline.com/product-info.asp?product_id=38457&category_id=967&manufacturer_id=0&tid=np-r520-ja01uk

Thanks very much in advance. Any advice much appreciated.

[JDPower]

Don't make the mistake of thinking the graphics card is only for gaming....

Expect your laptop to run to as slow as 70% the speed of a similar spec machine with a dedicated graphics card.
Was about to half disagree then realised I'd hastily left out the OS considerations and I agree with Vista and Win7 a dedicated graphics card would significantly improve performance (I was busy answering from my own XP point of view :o )

[superstar]

Is this a good deal:

Asus X5DIJ Laptop, Intel Core 2 Duo T5870, 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD, 15.6 TFT, DVD-SM, GMA X4500M, WLAN, BGN, Webcam, Vista Home Premium
£390

or
Dell
Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T6600 (2.20GHz/ 800 FSB/ 2MB Cache) (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%201%29)
Genuine Windows(R) 7 Home Premium 64bit (English) (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%2011%29)
3GB (1x2GB/1x1GB) NECC Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM Memory (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%203%29)
320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:to_page_mod%281,%208%29)
at £480

[rev_henry]

Was about to half disagree then realised I'd hastily left out the OS considerations and I agree with Vista and Win7 a dedicated graphics card would significantly improve performance (I was busy answering from my own XP point of view :o )
Is it different with XP then?

[JDPower]

Is it different with XP then?
Windows Vista and 7 are a little more graphics intensive than XP so should run noticeably smoother with a dedicated graphics card IMO

[RS-Eleven]

Myself and a few family members are thinking of clubbing together and getting a laptop for my sister for christmas. Doesn't have to be top spec, but want a new one and not a reconditioned one and want a proper laptop and not a notebook.
Anyone know what the cheapest deal around is at the moment to match these criteria?

[Oggyoi]

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/172314


Acer Aspire 5732 Laptop, Intel Pentium Dual Core T4300 2.1GHz, 4GB RAM, 250GB HDD, 15.6" WXGA, DVD±RW, Webcam,WLAN G/N Windows 7 Home Premium Preinstalled


Processor

Intel Pentium Dual Core T4300 2.1GHz,
1MB L2 Cache
800MHz FSB
Memory

4GB DDR RAM
Configuration: 2 x 2GB
Hard Drive

250GB
Optical Drive

8 x DVD±RW
Software

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit -Preinstalled
Acer Arcade™ Deluxe, featuring Cinema, Album, Music, Acer HomeMedia
Acer Crystal Eye
Acer eRecovery Management
Acer GameZone
Acer GridVista™
Acer Launch Manager
Adobe® Reader®
McAfee® Internet Security Suite Trial
Microsoft® Works 8.5 / 9 / SE 9 with Office Home and Student 2007 Trial
NTI Media Maker™
Display

15.6" WXGA
Graphics

Shared Graphics
Audio

Integrated Speakers
Input Devices

Keyboard and Touchpad
Networking

Acer Nplify™ 802.11b/g/Draft-N
Power Supply

6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Battery Life up to 2.5 Hours
Dimensions

Width 372.3mm
Depth 246.5mm
Height 26.8 – 39.6mm
Weight 2.7kg
Interfaces

2 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x External display (VGA) port
1 x Headphone/speaker/line-out
1 x Microphone-in jack
1 x Ethernet (RJ-45) port
1 x DC-in jack for AC adapter
Expansion

5-in-1 card reader
Warranty/Miscellaneous

1 Year Manufacturer Warranty
0.3mp Webcam

[samba]

Don't make the mistake of thinking the graphics card is only for gaming....

Expect your laptop to run to as slow as 70% the speed of a similar spec machine with a dedicated graphics card.

This has been debated muchly however, its a trade off between a longer battery life and cooler running temperatures VS the smoother and quicker running of your laptop.


If you're going to quote statistics, please remember to provide a link to some empirical evidence overwise it is meaningless. Yes dedicated graphics will likely be faster than integrated, but is that with synthestic benchmarks or real-world tests, running what task exactly? And will this 70% better performance actually make any difference to day-to-day use of the laptop?

I used to be a gamer, but don't have time these days, nor the inclination to spend 1000's of pounds trying to squeeze after every last little fps out of my kit. I have an el cheapo laptop these days and it runs fast enough for what I need, the biggest bottlenecks being the hard drive and net connections. I could've paid substantially more for decent graphics on it, but it would've been a waste of money.

Back on topic, I just got my wife an Acer Aspire AS5732Z from Comet for around £303 using code 4250AW and 4% topcashback - it has an integrated Intel chipset but runs the pre-installed Windows 7 Home Premium absolutely fine and is so much faster than the 5 year old P4 3GHz laptop with ATI graphics it is replacing.

[RS-Eleven]

Myself and a few family members are thinking of clubbing together and getting a laptop for my sister for christmas. Doesn't have to be top spec, but want a new one and not a reconditioned one and want a proper laptop and not a notebook.
Anyone know what the cheapest deal around is at the moment to match these criteria?

To reply to my own post, is there anything I'm missing that is wrong with this one?:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5070475/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7COffice%2C+PCs+and+phones%7C144 18968/c_2/2%7Ccat_14418968%7CLaptops+and+mini+laptops%7C1441 9039/c_3/3%7Ccat_14419039%7CLaptops%7C14419040.htm#tabrev

Seems to fulfil my criteria...

[JamesN]

To reply to my own post, is there anything I'm missing that is wrong with this one?:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5070475/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7COffice%2C+PCs+and+phones%7C144 18968/c_2/2%7Ccat_14418968%7CLaptops+and+mini+laptops%7C1441 9039/c_3/3%7Ccat_14419039%7CLaptops%7C14419040.htm#tabrev

Seems to fulfil my criteria...

it's cheap for the price but for £80-100 more you could get so much more from a new laptop. I imagine it would run quite slowly and it isnt really suitable for vista or windows 7

[RS-Eleven]

it's cheap for the price but for £80-100 more you could get so much more from a new laptop. I imagine it would run quite slowly and it isnt really suitable for vista or windows 7

Thanks. Is it just the lack of RAM that would do that? Processor speed seems reasonable.

[vix2000]

Whats the cheapest dual core laptop around at the moment?

[JDPower]

Thanks. Is it just the lack of RAM that would do that?
And single core processor.

[JamesN]

Thanks. Is it just the lack of RAM that would do that? Processor speed seems reasonable.

As JD correctly said the processor is only single core. For 2009 this is very slow. RAM isn't normally an issue as it can usually be upgraded. Though the processor is a lot more difficult/expensive to change. Normally the whole motherboard needs changing. So basically you'd need to buy a whole new laptop.

A dual core processor of say 1.7gHz, would mean it had two cores of 1.7gHz giving a total of 3.4gHz of processing power on multi thread operations.

Almost no one has single core anymore they are very much out of date. The laptop i have is 3.5 years old and has a 1.66gHz dual core. It's worth spending an extra £100 if you can as this will future proof it so much more.

I'd really recommend not getting that laptop as it will struggle with the latest software available. If you are trying to cut costs you can get desktops quite reasonably priced at present, upgrading desktops in the future is also much easier.

[RS-Eleven]

As JD correctly said the processor is only single core. For 2009 this is very slow. RAM isn't normally an issue as it can usually be upgraded. Though the processor is a lot more difficult/expensive to change. Normally the whole motherboard needs changing. So basically you'd need to buy a whole new laptop.

A dual core processor of say 1.7gHz, would mean it had two cores of 1.7gHz giving a total of 3.4gHz of processing power on multi thread operations.

Almost no one has single core anymore they are very much out of date. The laptop i have is 3.5 years old and has a 1.66gHz dual core. It's worth spending an extra £100 if you can as this will future proof it so much more.

I'd really recommend not getting that laptop as it will struggle with the latest software available. If you are trying to cut costs you can get desktops quite reasonably priced at present, upgrading desktops in the future is also much easier.

Thanks for the explanation, think I understand that a bit better now. Don't really want to spend as much as £100 more, but will try and find something in between with a bit more 'oomph'!

[JamesN]

No problem, what's the maximum your budget will allow? i'll point you in the direction of how much you can get for it. The more i think about it the more i think the original laptop is not a good deal at all for £250.

Edit: I've also just thought your sister might like a netbook, these are the small laptops which are great for portability, any idea what she would be using it for? / how old is she? cause i have a feeling girls like netbooks because they are "cute", i could be wrong, it's just my opinion. Just noticed the your earlier post about not wanting a notebook by which i assume you mean netbook (the smaller laptops) so ignore this first edit if that is the case.

Also found another one for £250 here (http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/pi/27-1089695/Laptop-Computers/Toshiba-Satellite-Pro-A210-1C8-AMD-Turion64-X2-TL-60-2GHz-2048MB-250GB-TFT15.4-DVDRW-WinXP-Pro-Product-Info) which is far better. Though it does only have xp pro, which as an OS is perfectly stable. But i beta tested windows 7 and i must say i do love it!

edit 2: something odd about the shop on that link, cant seem to validate it, so if you could stretch to £320??? then this would do the job quite nicely HERE (http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/pl/27-1584595/Laptop-Computers/Acer-Extensa-5630Ez-Intel-Pentium-T4200-2.0GHz-2GB-160GB-TFT15.4-DVDRW-Win-Vista-Home-Premium-Compare-Prices) if you go through quidco aswell you can get another 4% off apparently? i dont use cashback sites so not entirely sure how/if they work. This would make it just £307.

[mutley74]

What DAK anyone think of the Acer 5738 at Currys/Pc world for £399. It has Intel due core, 3GB ram, 250GB HD, web cam, 4USB etc.

Some cheaper acers at Simply acer but has anyone bought from there, or anyone know any better deals to buy an equivalent laptop .budget is no more than 400.

[sweetheartlmg]

Acer AS5332 T3000 3GB 160GB Windows 7 15.6" Laptop

Can anyone tell me if the laptop above with windows 7 is a good buy please, I don't know much about laptops, but I need one for myself just to surf the net, and download music to ipod.
Its from Tesco and it cost £328 (I'm sure there are a few small codes around to save £5) and there are double points at the moment.

[*max*]

What DAK anyone think of the Acer 5738 at Currys/Pc world for £399. It has Intel due core, 3GB ram, 250GB HD, web cam, 4USB etc.

Hi! I just bought this one from Curry's after days of comparing. I got it yesterday, and so far, it has been great! The screen is nice and bright, the sound is amazing! I only had my Acer netbook to compare it to, but it's infinitely better. It's very fast, and I was able to watch a dvd, browse online and listen to youtube all the same time (which is amazing for me! lol). I definitely don't regret my purchase!

[alexgg]

Does anyone know anything about this laptop? Acer Aspire 77322

Intel Pentium dual core T4300 processor.

2.10GHZ processor speed.

4GB DDR2 RAM

17.3in screen size

1600 x 900 resolution.

250GB hard drive capacity.

Multi format dual layer

Intel GMA 4500M graphics.

Multi card reader.

2 USB ports.

0.3MP webcam.

802.11 B/G/N wireless enabled.

Numeric keyboard.

Windows 7 Home Premium Software operating system installed.

Weight 3.3kg.

There are no reviews and no information whatsoever anywhere. There is a similar one on ebuyer(Acer Aspire 7735Z ), £15 pounds less but with 'free' Win 7 purchase it will be exactly the same price as at Argos. Also Argos laptop has a little bit better processor, although there is a little bit less hard disk space.

I don't trust Argos specs on the web, however if it's true, the price seems to be very good for the 17 in screen. There is not much choice otherwise.

[wendyloub]

I am drawn to this laptop because of the 2 year guarantee that they offer, my laptop will be used by my children, and it would be nice to know I get an extra guarantee.

They also offer 60 days free support apparantly.

I can't post a link because I'm new but its john lewis product number 82715395

Product Information

The smart Toshiba L450-136 is an ideal choice for everyday computing. A 2.2GHz Intel Celeron 900 processor combined with 3GB of RAM means you’ll be able to perform more tasks at once. And with a 160GB hard drive you’ll be able to store all your digital photos, videos and MP3s. Play and burn CDs and DVDs with the dual layer SuperMulti Drive and enjoy movies in great quality on the widescreen high definition 15.6 inch display. With integrated Wi-Fi you’ll be able to connect to the web without wires and you can communicate with friends via the built-in webcam and microphone.
It includes the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system and a 2-year guarantee.

[aj9648]

Where are all these bargains on Vista laptops that people say will come !!! Been hunting for a new laptop and cant see any bargains !!! (I am blind)??!!!

[epicurus]

256 memory is not enough. You need a minimum of 1GB these days and ideally 2GB.

[newz]

After a few weeks of weighing up all my options I have narrowed my search for a new laptop down to a few. Budget is £450 max and usage is mainly surfing the net, using word and downloading music etc Which of these would you recommend? Thanks for any advice!!!

http://www.aceroutlet.com/PRD_ProductDetail.aspx?cid=0&prodid=4337&Product=Extensa-5635---2gb---250gb---Windows-7-Premium---15.6---WCam---Btooth---Intel


http://www.ebuyer.com/product/172314


http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2021704160.125720164 0@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeikegdlelcflgceggdhhmdgmj.0&pageFrom=SimpleSearchProducts&page=Product&sku=374594
This one has an AMD Athlon processor rather than Intel if that makes any difference.

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2021704160.125720164 0@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeikegdlelcflgceggdhhmdgmj.0&pageFrom=SimpleSearchProducts&page=Product&sku=355752


http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2021704160.125720164 0@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeikegdlelcflgceggdhhmdgmj.0&pageFrom=SimpleSearchProducts&page=Product&sku=738415

[superstar]

After a few weeks of weighing up all my options I have narrowed my search for a new laptop down to a few. Budget is £450 max and usage is mainly surfing the net, using word and downloading music etc Which of these would you recommend? Thanks for any advice!!!

http://www.aceroutlet.com/PRD_ProductDetail.aspx?cid=0&prodid=4337&Product=Extensa-5635---2gb---250gb---Windows-7-Premium---15.6---WCam---Btooth---Intel


http://www.ebuyer.com/product/172314


http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2021704160.125720164 0@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeikegdlelcflgceggdhhmdgmj.0&pageFrom=SimpleSearchProducts&page=Product&sku=374594
This one has an AMD Athlon processor rather than Intel if that makes any difference.

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2021704160.125720164 0@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeikegdlelcflgceggdhhmdgmj.0&pageFrom=SimpleSearchProducts&page=Product&sku=355752


http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2021704160.125720164 0@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeikegdlelcflgceggdhhmdgmj.0&pageFrom=SimpleSearchProducts&page=Product&sku=738415

Unless, you're into gaming, go for the Intel one. All your suggestions use the same processor. Pentium Dual Core T4300. I would pick the Toshiba one ahead of the other Acer ones purely due to better reliability. They are all at the same 400 quid price region.

At 400-450 pounds, i would look at other better options. Will have a look for you if I have some time later.

[aj9648]

Whats difference between a dual core and core 2 duo - looking at a laptop HP 6910p - and it has Core2Duo processor - whats the difference between this and a dual core etc?

Also is the 6910p any good?

[becky_rtw]

Hello techies :D:D

I currently have an ASUS EEE 701 (or 700 cant remember) in green with 4gs and the standard linux installation - I love it to bits, but sadly may have loved it a bit too much...

Anyway, had to recently replace the charger and battery and now the mouse buttons are broken :rolleyes:, so I am currently making do with a pencil onto the connect, but its a tad annoying!

So I'm thinking its nearly time for a new netbook - I only surf the web, I dont really want windows as I find it slow and virus prone, but I do want an installation of linux that will run iplayer (the eee one wont :eek:)...I dont want to spend more than £300 (ideally £200) and I'm happy with with the weight of the EEE that I have now as it will go in my bag and wont break my shoulder :p

I'm thinking of getting an EEE 1000 (I think thats a 10inch screen) but I just wondered if there were other netbooks that might be better?? Are there any other netbooks that come without windows as standard??

Thank you technie gods for any sage advice :D:D

[Mandark]

Whats difference between a dual core and core 2 duo - looking at a laptop HP 6910p - and it has Core2Duo processor - whats the difference between this and a dual core etc?

Also is the 6910p any good?
Dual core is two separate but connected cores each on their own piece of silicon. A Core 2 Duo chip is two cores both on the same piece of silicon, which is obviously a more efficient design. The Core 2 Duo design is newer and costs more but the chips aren't always quicker as that also depends on clock speed and chip memory and other things.

The 6910p was a hgih end compact notebook when it came out and it should still be good today.

[newz]

Unless, you're into gaming, go for the Intel one. All your suggestions use the same processor. Pentium Dual Core T4300. I would pick the Toshiba one ahead of the other Acer ones purely due to better reliability. They are all at the same 400 quid price region.

At 400-450 pounds, i would look at other better options. Will have a look for you if I have some time later.


Thanks Superstar, need all the help I can get lol!

[*max*]

hi! I just spotted this now! the previous deal at £349 (I think) was valid till midnight (half an hour ago), and now the same deal is on for £330. :p

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/laptops_great_deals?c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cid=HDLaptop&cs=ukdhs1&dgc=IR&lid=NHP_BB1

[passlady]

Still £349 when i clicked on link! Boo Hoo

[Piiaaa]

Hi!

I wonder if someone could help. Like many others, I have no clue which laptop to buy....

I am looking for:

Windows 7
As fast as possible when surfing the internet
Long battery life before need to recharge
Lots of space for music storage

I would like to spend between £300 and £450 if possible.

Can any of you lovely experts advise what would be a good one for me to buy??

Many thanks in advance!!!

[bevvy]

hi! I just spotted this now! the previous deal at £349 (I think) was valid till midnight (half an hour ago), and now the same deal is on for £330. :p

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/laptops_great_deals?c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cid=HDLaptop&cs=ukdhs1&dgc=IR&lid=NHP_BB1

comes up at £328.99 in basket but then adds on £20 delivery so £348.99 when I try.

Is this anygood or can anyone reccommend a decent laptop (mainly surfing web, itunes, word, excell) around the £350 - £400,
Thanks

[becky_rtw]

Okay so I answered my own question and got an Acer aspire one - had to get a refurb as the linux ones are thin on the ground now, but it came in at £119 so pretty happy with that :D

[matticus]

this thread is really helpful, need to get a decent (but cheap) lappy for my daughter at school... thanks

[madelineoscar]

Sony Vaio & Dell Laptops are Going well in Laptop sales now. But Sony Vaio is too Costly.

Sony recently released a Sony vaio X Series which is an Excellent Slim. But if You Hear about the Cost :think:

[matthewjkelly]

one brand i would also look at is Acer you can google acer direct
when i worked in education i got some great offer and the machines quaility WAS very good..
but when we did have a issue the customer service was great !!!

Processor - Intel Celeron 723 1.2 GHz
RAM - 3 GB (installed) 8 GB (max) - DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive - 250 GB
Operating System - Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
- Screen - 13.3 in TFT active matrix 24-bit (16.7 million colours)
Optical Drive - None
Bluetooth - No
Warranty - 1 year warranty
380incvat

[matthewjkelly]

another place you could try is Euro PC they are a Outlet for Clearance Stock store some times you can get a great day !! but triple check what you want to buy

[shimsham]

Hi.everyone same as most on here looking for a laptop in the £300-400 mark been told that a netbook might be suitable for me as i only use one for surfing the net,ebay,forums for my hobbies so would i need a 250ram and a 3gb memory also been told the lenovo is quite good.

[Tallymanjohn]

Just to add my tenpenny worth - recently bought Acer Aspire 5738z from Currys for £399. It's a 'full' widescreen (16:9) laptop which put me off at first, but I quickly got used to it. Has Win7 64bit, T4300 CPU, 3Gb RAM & 250Gb HD. Only slight moan is that bluetooth isn't included, even though the button/light for it are there. Battery life is average, screen is great, wireless connectivity brilliant using some Acer-specific enhancement. The lid is glossy & attracts fingerprints very easily, but the palmrest is matt & the keybnoard, including a full numeric pad is extremely nice to use - flat but positive keys make typing a pleasure. Bought mine on Oct 22n when Win7 came out, following week went back for another for friend and both Currys & PCW had sold out - obviously popular but both had new stock due in. Argos also do a slightly less specified version for £30 less.

[*max*]

Hi Tallymanjohn! I bought the same laptop from Currys but returned it today...I really loved it, but the CD drive kept making a loud grinding noise at start up, and sometimes got stuck on it, as if it was looking for a disk to read...the drawer wouldn't open either then, and was very difficult to open the rest of the time.
Do you have a similar experience? I'm hoping it was a fault and not something "normal"...Can you let me know? Many thanks! :confused:

[JDPower]

Only slight moan is that bluetooth isn't included, even though the button/light for it are there.
If you need bluetooth you can get tiny usb bluetooth adapters very cheap, eg this one (http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/10823913/Edimax-Mini-BlueTooth-V2-1-USB-Dongle/Product.html) (not a recommendation, just an example)

[*max*]

Still £349 when i clicked on link! Boo Hoo

It's gone down to £329 now...I wonder why they keep changing the price!

http://www1.euro.dell.com/uk/en/home/laptops_great_deals/fs.aspx?refid=laptops_great_deals&s=dhs&cid=HDLaptop&cs=ukdhs1&dgc=IR&lid=NHP_BB1

[coupleuk]

Does anyone know anything about this laptop? Acer Aspire 77322

Intel Pentium dual core T4300 processor.

2.10GHZ processor speed.

4GB DDR2 RAM

17.3in screen size

1600 x 900 resolution.

250GB hard drive capacity.

Multi format dual layer

Intel GMA 4500M graphics.

Multi card reader.

2 USB ports.

0.3MP webcam.

802.11 B/G/N wireless enabled.

Numeric keyboard.

Windows 7 Home Premium Software operating system installed.

Weight 3.3kg.


Anyone any views on this one please?

The newspaper pullout this weekend does state 4xUSB but their spec online says 2xUSB.

Think I will call in today to find out as 2 USB sockets is nowhere near enough.

But would be good to get a review from anyone with one of these????

Thanks

EDIT: IT DOES ONLY HAVE 2 X USB - CHECKED IN-STORE 09/11/09

[sweetheartlmg]

It's gone down to £329 now...I wonder why they keep changing the price!

http://www1.euro.dell.com/uk/en/home/laptops_great_deals/fs.aspx?refid=laptops_great_deals&s=dhs&cid=HDLaptop&cs=ukdhs1&dgc=IR&lid=NHP_BB1


Is there any better laptops for the price before I order the above? Don't know much about laptops but just need it mainly for internet and downloading music to Ipod. Thanks

[alexgg]

Anyone any views on this one please?

The newspaper pullout this weekend does state 4xUSB but their spec online says 2xUSB.

Think I will call in today to find out as 2 USB sockets is nowhere near enough.

But would be good to get a review from anyone with one of these????

Thanks
Despite lack of information and reviews I did buy Acer Aspire "77322". It turned out that the real model number is 7715Z. It has only two USB slots and no inbuilt microphone. Otherwise so far it has been very good. I had to install dual boot Windows XP to connect to my old printer and in the process corrupted Windows 7 several times. However the restore disk that Windows 7 offers worked perfectly. Also it is very fast, although I don't have many programs installed yet.

[JamesN]

Is there any better laptops for the price before I order the above? Don't know much about laptops but just need it mainly for internet and downloading music to Ipod. Thanks

well if thats all you'll be using it for it will be just fine.

[rev_henry]

Hi all,

I've just bought one of these;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290345495047&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

It's a Medion S5610. I went to their showroom and asked what the best offer was and it's £349.99. The laptops are as new, and most are still sealed from Medion, with restore disc, warranty, laptop bag, Nero and Windows 7 upgrade offer.

Hope this helps someone.
I'm after something about this £350 mark with reasonable graphics for a bit of gaming. Is this my best bet? Or would say this be better...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ACER-ASPIRE-5535-15-6IN-LAPTOP-DUEL-CORE-WIDESCREEN_W0QQitemZ360200589388QQcmdZViewItemQQpt ZUK_Computing_Laptops_EH?hash=item53dda0d04c

Or anything else? I've been keeping my eye out for a while now.
Thanks

EDIT: Just found this also:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1652127970.125778637 8@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccdadeikkkdkjjcflgceggdhhmdfhj.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=352412&category_oid=-28487

Would appear to have the best graphics, larger screen, slightly better processor, but does not come with the Windows 7 voucher (oh dear how sad), nor a fingerprint sensor (gimmick, but I like gimmicks!) Could anyone confirm my thoughts?

[toomanykids]

I need advice :o Hubby wants to by a laptop and wants this one COMPAQ CQ71-314SA from Comet at £429 but I can't find a review on this anywhere, could someone have a look at this and let me know what they think, we know nothing about laptops, tia :D http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/590223/COMPAQ-CQ71-314SA?cm_sp=FeatureEnd-_-Laptops-_-position

[JDPower]

I need advice :o Hubby wants to by a laptop and wants this one COMPAQ CQ71-314SA from Comet at £429 but I can't find a review on this anywhere, could someone have a look at this and let me know what they think, we know nothing about laptops, tia:D http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/590223/COMPAQ-CQ71-314SA?cm_sp=FeatureEnd-_-Laptops-_-position
That's about £350 worth (max) of laptop IMO, I would suggest reading back through the last few pages at the recommendations and get more for your money.

[toomanykids]

That's about £350 worth (max) of laptop IMO, I would suggest reading back through the last few pages at the recommendations

thanks :D I did read through but hubby wanted some input about this one in particular, will try to maneuver him towards one mentioned on here if I can't get any more info on this one, thanks again :T:T

[JDPower]

thanks :D I did read through but hubby wanted some input about this one in particular, will try to maneuver him towards one mentioned on here if I can't get any more info on this one, thanks again :T:T
Just as an example (not necessarily a recommendation), even the Dell Inspiron in the post at the top of this page at £329, you can upgrade to the Pentium dual core for £40 and/or upgrade to the dedicated graphics card for £45 and still be under the £429 of that Compaq with better spec (though admittedly with a slightly smaller screen) and there are similar spec laptops mentioned in last few pages too :)

[coupleuk]

I found that Intel provide a great resource for comparing Intel Processor Ratings - http://www.intel.com/en_UK/consumer/rating.htm

You can quickly check how "good" Intel rate the processor of any laptop/pc you are thinking of buying.

They also have a great function to "shop" for a laptop (or pc) - http://wtbemea.intel.com/en_UK/consumer/products.aspx?category=laptops&iid=C_HP_CatLT_na_Txt_na_na_na

You can select the Processor, Processor Speed, RAM, etc etc and see what price each item comes in at (with links to buy).

Its good to set yourself a price and then go for the highest spec and keep reducing things until you get the best machine for your money.

Problem is, I STILL cant decide - help please!!

Acer Aspire 5735 (£420) comes with a T6400 Processor which Intel rate at 3 stars (out of 5) - http://wtbemea.intel.com/en_UK/products/viewdetails.aspx?productid=1245935&datasourceid=1&channel=consumer&category=laptops&view=information&p_returntolistpermitted=1&iid=C_LTRes_na_na_ProdBut_1245935_na_419.97

Fujitsu Amilo (£439) has a P7350 and is 4/5 - http://wtbemea.intel.com/en_UK/products/viewdetails.aspx?productid=1239697&datasourceid=1&channel=consumer&category=laptops&view=information&p_returntolistpermitted=1&iid=C_LTRes_na_na_ProdBut_1239697_na_439.86

Acer Aspire 5738 (£445) has a T6400 and is 3/5 - http://wtbemea.intel.com/en_UK/products/viewdetails.aspx?productid=1263485&datasourceid=1&channel=consumer&category=laptops&view=information&p_returntolistpermitted=1&iid=C_LTRes_na_na_ProdBut_1263485_na_446.94

All are Centrino 2 Core 2 Processors, 2.0Ghz, 4GB RAM and minimum 250GB Hard Drive.

Which would YOU go for ?????

Of course, Ive then got to check wi-fi, usb ports, keypad, etc etc

THANK YOU

[boobbby]

Please explain why anybody is thinking of buying a laptop without windows 7 installed !! This is a far superior system to Vista and is a recommended update to XP users !

[coupleuk]

I think this could be the one.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002IVTTJC/ref=asc_df_B002IVTTJC480445/?!!!!!pr-electronics-21&creative=7966&creativeASIN=B002IVTTJC&linkCode=asn#moreAboutThisProduct

Acer Aspire 5738 (15.6-inch LED, Intel Core 2 Duo T6400, 2.13 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB, DVD-RW, Vista Home Premium, Webcam, WiFi)

It has a (nearly) free upgrade to Windows 7 (£13p&p).

Any of the techie guys think its a decent deal ?

Thanks

[*max*]

I think this is cracking deal for the price:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5082281/c_1/1|category_root|Office%2C+PCs+and+phones|14418968/c_2/3|cat_15701344|Laptops+and+mini+laptops|14419039.h tm

any thoughts??

[JamesN]

I think this is cracking deal for the price:

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5082281/c_1/1|category_root|Office%2C+PCs+and+phones|14418968/c_2/3|cat_15701344|Laptops+and+mini+laptops|14419039.h tm

any thoughts??

yea that is a great deal!

[Snakeeyes21]

Please explain why anybody is thinking of buying a laptop without windows 7 installed !! This is a far superior system to Vista and is a recommended update to XP users !

Its cheaper for a start, plus alot of new or refurb laptops are coming with a 'free' upgrade to windows 7.
And for those who buy without the free upgrade a copy of windows 7 ultimate can be picked up for between nothing and £55 depending on where you work, or your a student or you know a student, have kids etc, which in many cases is alot cheaper than buying the same spec laptop with it preloaded.
Then of course theres the people who like to download free copies :D

[sweetheartlmg]

Is there any better laptops for the price before I order the above? Don't know much about laptops but just need it mainly for internet and downloading music to Ipod. Thanks


Bump!

Offer finishes today and still haven't decided if to buy, does anyone know of any better deal for this spec and money? Thanks :confused:

[grumpy old biker]

My son wants a laptop for Christmas and after much searching we have decided on a Toshiba L350D-213- on sale at Comet for £369 or a Toshiba L350-215 - on sale everywhere for £449. Both have 17" trubrite screens, AMD processors and respectively 3 & 4 gig of RAM. The bundled software is comprehensive and both run on the Windows 7 platform. Both seem competent for all manner of uses, gaming & surfing the web and I would have no hesitation in recommending them on spec & price alone. Toshiba seems to get a good name for reliability so hope this helps.:easter:

[Perfects]

I've read the last 5+ pages and I can't see a better laptop for my (around) £400 budget than the Acer Aspire 5732, fraid I can't post links as a first time poster.
My only concern is that maybe the graphics card won't be good enough for some RPGs, but then I don 't know much about graphics cards any more. Similarly, is the DDR RAM it uses is old news now isn't it? I thought DDR3 was the stick of choice these days.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as this will be my 21st birthday present from my family.
Leo

Any help would be appreciated

[JamesN]

I've read the last 5+ pages and I can't see a better laptop for my (around) £400 budget than the Acer Aspire 5732, fraid I can't post links as a first time poster.
My only concern is that maybe the graphics card won't be good enough for some RPGs, but then I don 't know much about graphics cards any more. Similarly, is the DDR RAM it uses is old news now isn't it? I thought DDR3 was the stick of choice these days.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as this will be my 21st birthday present from my family.
Leo

Any help would be appreciated

yea ddr3 has been out around a year, but you aint gonna get it for less than 400 unless you're really lucky.

[brokeinwales]

Hello, can anyone here help me out?
My parents and other relatives have very kindly offered to give me some money towards a laptop for my birthday next week (Probably somewhere between £150-£200). I want to buy something that won't require me to save up too much extra myself, as I am very skint. I only really want it for:

a) surfing the net and
b) word processing

I don't much care about anything else, although being able to store a bit of music and a few photo's would be nice. I don't need fancy graphics or anything, and I don't play games.

Can anyone suggest the cheapest deal that would actually give me something that works? Bearing in mind I know zilch about computers and don't do techi-speak? Are the ones you can get cheap in Tesco any good?

Cheers

[redbiro]

Any1 know when we can expect to see Dual core Atom come on Netbooks OR on Electric Power saving NetTops like Aspire Revo R3600 ? ?;
Is it a few months away or 3-5 years .I hear them saying USB 3 should be available by next year & with dual core a netbook would be capable in theory of any thing a Desktop could ever do ?

[boobbby]

Hello, can anyone here help me out?
My parents and other relatives have very kindly offered to give me some money towards a laptop for my birthday next week (Probably somewhere between £150-£200). I want to buy something that won't require me to save up too much extra myself, as I am very skint. I only really want it for:

a) surfing the net and
b) word processing

I don't much care about anything else, although being able to store a bit of music and a few photo's would be nice. I don't need fancy graphics or anything, and I don't play games.

Can anyone suggest the cheapest deal that would actually give me something that works? Bearing in mind I know zilch about computers and don't do techi-speak? Are the ones you can get cheap in Tesco any good?

Cheers

Most computers would have no trouble being used to carry out the above tasks so why not buy a second hand or refurbished laptop. You should be able to buy one from a friend or local adverts for less than £100 or even a refubished one for less than £200. Just google for the many sites offering these laptops such as http://www.thelaptopcentre.com/?gclid=CIi6-tP-hZ4CFWlr4wodnUANqQ or try others. I would think it is a good idea to have the windows XP pro installed.

[supermonkey]

asked this question some where else earlier, but since windows 7 is so much more efficient than vista, i presume it would easily run on an older machine? I've seen places selling acer ones with windows 7 ultimate and was surprised! Is it more efficient then xp? I have an xp laptop about 5 years old, would it be worth upgrading.

[JamesN]

asked this question some where else earlier, but since windows 7 is so much more efficient than vista, i presume it would easily run on an older machine? I've seen places selling acer ones with windows 7 ultimate and was surprised! Is it more efficient then xp? I have an xp laptop about 5 years old, would it be worth upgrading.


i doubt it. It would'nt easily run on an older machine, plus we have no idea what spec your laptop has. It being 5 years old doesnt give much, was it £2,000 or £400 5 years ago?

[JDPower]

I hear them saying USB 3 should be available by next year & with dual core a netbook would be capable in theory of any thing a Desktop could ever do ?
Er no, there's more to why a desktop performs better than just processor (and usb which is irrelevant to that IMO)

[boobbby]

asked this question some where else earlier, but since windows 7 is so much more efficient than vista, i presume it would easily run on an older machine? I've seen places selling acer ones with windows 7 ultimate and was surprised! Is it more efficient then xp? I have an xp laptop about 5 years old, would it be worth upgrading.

Run the upgrade advisor to check if it will run on your laptop

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1b544e90-7659-4bd9-9e51-2497c146af15&displayLang=en

[supermonkey]

i doubt it. It would'nt easily run on an older machine, plus we have no idea what spec your laptop has. It being 5 years old doesnt give much, was it £2,000 or £400 5 years ago?

That's what I thought, but I'm sure my PC cant be much worse than an Acer One with an Atom processor! It's a Dell Inspiron 1200


Run the upgrade advisor to check if it will run on your laptop

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1b544e90-7659-4bd9-9e51-2497c146af15&displayLang=en

I'll take a look thanks!

[butterfriends]

been reading the last few pages but getting all confused... i need to buy a laptop for work, i was looking at the vaios priced around £550-650 - is there much difference between a £400 laptop and a £600 one? or am i just getting dazzled by the brand and the pretty cases?

long battery life, lightweight, comfortable keyboard and screen, speed and finding one that's not prone to overheating when running lots of different programmes (photoshop, office programmes, databases, explorer etc) are my priorities.

any advice or thoughts would be much appreciated

[JDPower]

is there much difference between a £400 laptop and a £600 one?Depends on the laptop.

or am i just getting dazzled by the brand and the pretty cases?In the case of the Vaios the answer would probably be yes, you will be paying over the odds for just for the name and looks (as is the case with pretty much all Sony products anyway)

[woodys wonders]

Hi
I have been looking at the Aspire One £199 for my 9 year old daughter for xmas, just for a bit of surfing, iplayer, itunes
Is this a good netbook in the sub £200, i don't really want to spend any more.

Thanks

[WaxiesDargle]

going to get my daughter a laptop...all the usual...college work / facebook etc etc

reading the last few pages there is mention of integrated graphics cards and independent graphics cards..I understand the theory...built in and not built in!
(I think!)....now for a complete computer bozo...can someone explain how the independent one works...ie is it a CD...or usb or erm summink else :o

oh any updated laptop recommendations would be appreciated (about 400-450 quid)

cheers

[boobbby]

going to get my daughter a laptop...all the usual...college work / facebook etc etc

reading the last few pages there is mention of integrated graphics cards and independent graphics cards..I understand the theory...built in and not built in!
(I think!)....now for a complete computer bozo...can someone explain how the independent one works...ie is it a CD...or usb or erm summink else :o

oh any updated laptop recommendations would be appreciated (about 400-450 quid)

cheers

The intergrated is part of the motherboard and the independent is an additional bit of hardware that will already be in the laptop when you buy it. I wouldnt really worry about these things unless your daughter wants to play the latest games. Any modern laptop will carry out any basic tasks like surfing the internet or home work etc

[bevvy]

Hi
I have been looking at the Aspire One £199 for my 9 year old daughter for xmas, just for a bit of surfing, iplayer, itunes
Is this a good netbook in the sub £200, i don't really want to spend any more.

Thanks

Have a look at the MSI Wind from argos, on offer at £199, looks similar spec to the Aspire One but this also has a card reader, bluetooth and 2 YEAR WARRANTY after researching this comes up with really good reviews/comments, so I bought it as a standby until I got my 'proper' laptop fixed/replaced and I am really impressed with it, using it just now, I've even went and bought another one for my daughters xmas, and if your daughter is anything like mine, added benefit is the girly pink colour, although you do also get white and black.

[hueknight1969]

hi, hope u can help me. No idea where to start,:mad: so here goes:

Looking for a laptop/netbook/ notebook with a DVD viewer/burner and web cam for daughter, ofcourse for the best price, any suggestions?

Many thanks:D

hueknight

[flagpole corner]

Hi Guys, am looking for a replacement for a 6 year old Inspiron 14. Been looking at Dell again and think I might opt for the Inspiron 1750 as I don't really travel with my laptop anywhere.

Celeron Dual Core T3000 (1.8ghz, 800mhz, 1mb cache)
17.3" WLED 1600x900
3gb DDR2 SDRAM
250gb Serial ATA HDD
512mb ATI mobility Radeon HD4330
DVD +/- RW
6-cell battery

with student discount and delivery comes to £424.96. The processor can be upgraded to a Pentium Dual core T4300 for an extra £20 but I'm not too bothered about that. I only intend it for general daily internet use, office work and watching movies.

Decent price or not? Most entry level 17" laptops seem to be about the ~£400 mark but with an integrated graphics card. Is there any need for a dedicated graphics card actually? I don't really intend to use it for gaming but does it make a noticeable (to someone who isn't a technophile) difference with DVDs etc? Not having the ATI will knock off £45 the price which would be nice.

Alternatively I had a look at the dell outlet site and for a similar price can get the Studio 1737 which has an extra couple of USB ports and a HDMI port. Not sure about refurbished laptops though.

Thanks for the help.

edit - sorry forgot to say I don't really intend spending more than £450. I know that restricts it to entry level laptops for this screen size but it should suffice.

[WaxiesDargle]

Ok I'll lay my cards on the table and say I know absolutely nowt about laptops and I've been reading the last few pages and although there is some very good advice I'm still very confused

As I've previously mentioned, I am after a laptop for my student daughter...lets say £450 ish
Like everyone else I'm really looking for a good deal

traipsing round PC World, Comet etc is a minefield for me...I think Christmas eve will arrive and I'll still be looking!

Some really really basic questions....sorry

My home computer obviously has a Internet Provider (madasafish)...do laptops work in the same way...ie I have to get a IP and pay the same monthly fees?

My computer has word, excel etc...do laptops come with these installed or have I got to buy it seperately

is 3 Gb of RAM about right for surfing/studenty stuff/music downloading etc
do they have Windows7/ webcam/graphics card/bluetooth (whatever that is lol) already installed

oh yes nearly forgot...anyone really happy with their laptop and can tell me what make etc it is...any recommendations would be appreciated

Thank you

[JDPower]

Some really really basic questions....sorry

My home computer obviously has a Internet Provider (madasafish)...do laptops work in the same way...ie I have to get a IP and pay the same monthly fees?Your computer doesn't have an internet provider, your home has an internet provider. So if using the laptop at home you can connect to your current provider, either connecting directly (ie with a cable) or wireless (which will require purchasing a wireless router if you don't currently use one).
It's only when using it for internet away from home you would need an alternative, eg using it in a free WiFi area, or subscribing to a mobile broadband service. But if you're only accessing the internet with it at home those aren't relevant.

My computer has word, excel etc...do laptops come with these installed or have I got to buy it seperatelyDepends on the package you buy, some laptops have them included, some don't. If you buy one that doesn't include Office you can always give the, more than adequate, free OpenOffice (LINK (http://www.openoffice.org/)) a try before splashing out on Microsoft Office

is 3 Gb of RAM about right for surfing/studenty stuff/music downloading etcYes that's plenty.

do they have Windows7/ webcam/graphics card/bluetooth (whatever that is lol) already installedAgain, will depend on the spec of the laptop you buy. Windows version will be clearly stated (my only advice, make sure you get Windows 7 and NOT Vista if you can).
Webcam and bluetooth will also be stated in the specification. Don't worry too much about the graphics card for the purposes you mentioned she'd be using it for (though just so you know the terminology when looking - there is integrated graphics and dedicated. Dedicated graphics are better, and ultimately more costly, but probably not a necessity for your daughters purposes).

Hope that helps

[WaxiesDargle]

Thanks JD for taking the time to reply...it is really appreciated

[JamesN]

good effort JD, i just cant be bothered when people are like i want this.... READ THE PREVIOUS POSTS. I see literally 2-3 posts a day with people requesting spec's they want. In my OPINION pretty much all the laptops around the £400 mark will be fine doing everything bar high end gaming and graphical designing. If your unsure read previous posts or google it! Why should everyone else have to put the effort in when people cant be bothered to read back a few pages

/rant.

[JDPower]

good effort JD, i just cant be bothered when people are like i want this.... READ THE PREVIOUS POSTS.
I do agree but WaxiesDargle wasn't doing that and I'm quite happy to help someone with specific basic questions like that (especially when Googling would probably just add to the confusion).

But yeah, guaranteed way to get no reply (from me at least) is to post saying "I want this spec, this budget, any suggestions". At least look around yourself and come up with a few possibles. I got bored of saying "Read back through last few pages" about 50 pages ago.

[JamesN]

yea wasnt being specific i dont mind general questions like is 3gb enough etc. It's the ones that just expect you to do them a favour without even reading the previous posts, and its obvious when they havent.

When people show they've done some looking themselves im more than happy to help. :)

[dreamon100]

Ok, I'm going to buy a laptop from Tesco's (staff discount), I've narrowed it down to Toshiba Satellite U500-12c at £629 or HP Pavilion dm3-1020EA at £549, the Toshiba has Core2 Duo Processor T6600, the HP AMD Athlon Neo X2 Processor,
presumably the t6600 is the better chip, but how much better is my question ?
The HP battery life is supposed to be 6-7 hrs so would that be enough of an advantage (and £80) to compensate for a lesser chip?
Usage will be surfing, dvd, skype and non-serious games. Yes I will be travelling with it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toshiba-Satellite-U500-12c-13-3-Inch-Processor/dp/tech-data/B002Q8HMHS/ref=de_a_smtd

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pavilion-dm3-1020EA-13-3-inch-Processor-Bluetooth/dp/B002P8M9TA

[JamesN]

@dreamon100

i'd probably stick with the toshiba, i've heard they have a better quality build in comparison to HP which i've heard is quite poor? i could be wrong.

in terms of function, theres only 90g weight diff between the two.

toshiba has room for expansion in terms of RAM, though with what you'll be using it i doubt you'd need it. The main advantage of the toshiba is the processor, you basically cant change this in a laptop and so 2.2ghz dual core is much better than a 1.6ghz dual core.

basically on multithread operations you'd have an extra 1.2ghz of processing power.

depends really how long you want it to last for, but i think the extra money is justified.

[wazza]

Ok, I'm going to buy a laptop from Tesco's (staff discount),....

as a matter of interest how much discount do you get? 10%?

[startedsaving]

I have been looking at this thread in the hope of some inspiration and or guidance - but I am still not sure if any of the recent laptop deals will suit what I want. I am not very techie, at the moment i have a Dell desk top which is about 5 years old. I mainly use it to surf the net, music, itunes, email, photos, - I used to play the Sims a lot and i would like to get Sims 3, plus also be able to watch films, and get wireless - so i am looking for a laptop. Not sure if i will need 17'' screen, would this be better for watching dvds?
Am looking at a Studio 17,
Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core Processor T4300 (2.1GHz, 800MHz, 1MB cache)
512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570
3072MB 1333MHz Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM [1x2048 + 1x1024]
500GB (7,200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
Fixed Internal DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive including Software
17.3” High Definition+ (1600x900) LED with TL
1 year warranty
I am guessing this is quite a high spec for what i need most of the time, but looking at requirements for sims3 it seems to need decent video card. price of this one is £529 at the moment.
Please, can anyone give me some advice , its a minefield out there for someone like me who, sorry to say, has barely a clue of what all this stuff means. Really would be v grateful for any help, thanks in advance.

[Skintslimmer]

Hello and a hopeful help cry, if anyone would be very kind to me!

I have been looking for a new laptop for a while now. Current one is very much on its last legs. I'm a mature student, so only want to use Office, have Windows 7, and play DVDs. I have RSI so the bigger the keyboard the better. When I was looking 6 months ago there seemed to be decent 15" laptops on the market for the £300 mark. Now the entry level seems to be about £400 - can anyone confirm this price rise, or is it me being dim? Am I better off waiting for January sales? (current steam-powered one willing!:o)

I have found two I think fit my bill on Toshiba's website, priced at £329 and £399, only difference to me is size of screen (therefore more importantly to me the keyboard also looks bigger). However, I would like an extended warranty, from the standard 1 year to 3. Website says I have to ring them for price, which I will do, but I was shocked by Argos' extended warranty offers: in the region of £120 to £150 for a £3-400 laptop! Is this the going rate?

Final question is that a friend who works in IT (I have no idea what he does!) has said that windows security is sufficient for my security needs: I am shocked by this, I thought I would need an independant piece of software e.g. Norton, Panda. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks so much in advance for any replies :D

[JamesN]

@wazza, yes its 10% discount

@startedsaving, 17" screen is good for dvd's. though its more about personal preference. They tend to be heavier so not as fun getting them around. for the same money you'd get a very nice desktop that would easily play the sims. I think it should be fine to play the sims on that laptop. But dont quote me on that. I dont know what you mean by get wireless? i've not seen a laptop or a desktop in a very long time that didnt have wireless.

@skintslimmer, they may have increased but they have come quite far in the past 6 months. You can get a lot for £400, and i dont think they'll come down too much because windows 7 has just come out so will be keeping the premium up. The keyboards i dont think change that much, if at all. There does seem to be a standard size, though i could be wrong.

I'm not much of an expert when it comes to warranties as they are expensive, i just take the extra care to look after my stuff.

Security is all about preference, windows is enough, they have improved a lot in recent times. Norton and others have a lot of background stuff which i dont like because it can slow computers down. I use spybot search and destroy which is brilliant and FREE :)

Hope this helps.

Also as a quick note, people tend to avoid the celeron processors which i believe the £329 has if im thinking of the right one.

[JDPower]

Final question is that a friend who works in IT (I have no idea what he does!) has said that windows security is sufficient for my security needs: I am shocked by this, I thought I would need an independant piece of software e.g. Norton, Panda. Any thoughts on this?
I would never recommend anyone using Windows run without an antivirus (probably Avira free or Avast free, certainly not Norton)

[JamesN]

i think he meant windows defender and windows firewall? thats what i assumed anyway.

[startedsaving]

[QUOTE=JamesN;27049607]@wazza, yes its 10% discount

@startedsaving, 17" screen is good for dvd's. though its more about personal preference. They tend to be heavier so not as fun getting them around. for the same money you'd get a very nice desktop that would easily play the sims. I think it should be fine to play the sims on that laptop. But dont quote me on that. I dont know what you mean by get wireless? i've not seen a laptop or a desktop in a very long time that didnt have wireless.

Thanks very much for your reply - my reference to wireless is i meant i have not got wireless set up at home, helpful to know new computers all come with the option though, so thanks again. Do you think the one I am looking at represents fair value for money? Or should I look elsewhere? Are Dell usually good value? Also re the 17'' screen, i was thinking this would be better for DVDs but obviously it does make it more expensive, and as mentioned heavier, wondering now if just as well stick with 15-16''? if anyone has any more advice i would be more than grateful - thanks to those with the knowledge who kindly spend time helping.

[Skintslimmer]

i think he meant windows defender and windows firewall? thats what i assumed anyway.

I think I meant Microsoft Security Essentials.

http://www.microsoft.com/Security/

I am aware I will need a firewall and antivirus as well as something to deal with malware/spyware etc. Are the free ones really any good? I have heard bad things about them, namely that they make their money through having back doors that let in all sorts of nasties... although that was told to me by a PC World employee, so not too sure I believe anything they say lol!

Any other recommendations on decent security packages then?

[JamesN]

the free ones can be great, i've not had an issue in 2 years but im quite an experienced user. You've got to be careful and not download anything suspicious. Also running a full scan once a week. This works for me but as i say i am experienced and i can usually tell what is and isnt a virus before i download it.

spybot search and destroy gets my vote.

it's up to you on the screen size, i dont think it ups the price too much as on bigger screens its easier to fit components in. If you would like wireless you will need to buy a wireless router, which is often free with your internet provider, who are you with internet wise?

Weight is only an issue if you're going to carry it around a lot.

As for dell it depends when you buy, they usually have good deals on, and use these to sell so soon enough good deals always come along, i hear you can also haggle with them over the phone.

As for the one you are talking about, could you post a link and i can tell you if its good value for money.

[rev_henry]

Well I got my HP DV6-1210SA refurbished from PC world set up last night. I'm really pleased with it, delivery was very quick (quicker than advertised) and the computer shows no signs of previous use whatsoever. To Anyone looking, PC world online refurbished gets my vote.