Need a laptop - don't have a clue!

jaydeeuk1

A lot of specs are roughly the same around the £300 mark. I'd aim for something that reads '2gb ram' and if you can see a pentium dual core or intel core 2 duo even better, although even a celeron would be sufficient for your needs.
Best thing to do would be go to somewhere like PC world or dixons, have a look at the display models, decide which keyboard and screen you like best, make a note of the price / model of the one you like and see if it is cheaper on net.
If so, go back to PC world, and ask them to price match.

monkeyspanner

May be worth having a look at Dells ebay auctions. These are factory refurbs sold with full Dell warrantee. May have cosmetic damage. They seem to be selling for about 25% discount. e.g.Vostro1510 Intel Duo 1.8, 2Gb RAM, 160GBHard Drive, built in WiFi, 15.4 inch screen. Typical auction outcome £240-£260 plus £23.50del