PC World / buying A Laptop Tips

superstar_2

JasX wrote: »

If you wait for dell to have one of their regular special offers on you can usually get quite a good deal -for the moment £350 gets you:

Intel® Celeron Dual Core T3000 (1.80 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 1 MB L2 Cache)
Processor
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64bit- English
15.6" Widescreen WXGA WLED (1366 x 768) TFT Display with TrueLife™
LCD
Video Card
Intel Integrated GMA 4500MHD
3072MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [1x2048 + 1x1024]
Memory
Hard Drive
250GB (5,400rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive
Optical Devices
DVD +/- RW Drive (read/write CD & DVD)

which will be up to date and perfectly sufficient for most users (you can up the battery to a 6 cell -almost double capacity- for an extra £5)

General tips:
don't buy from PC world
don't buy service orientated 'extras'

The above laptop comes with integrated 4500 graphic card which is ok if you're using normal ms word stuff but its not a good choice if you want gaming as you've mentioned. I'd definitely look for one with a dedicated graphics card for a better performance. At that price, im sure you can find a centrino rather than celeron processor too.

Hope that helps.

blaque*angel

BillScarab wrote: »

If it stays on your desk constantly and you want a gaming machine get a desktop.

Laptops are a compromise as they need to be portable. If you don't need to move it around a desktop will be better. In my experience they tend to be more reliable too.

PC World have a terrible reputation. As others have said look at Dell. Or the Zoostorm range are supposed to be pretty decent.

i do like to move it around occasionally. thanks for your input;)

blaque*angel

almillar wrote: »

Dell just look good and are crap on the inside? But PC World sell them!
diable is right, you've probably paid through the nose for your after-care - use it! Get PC World to repair, replace or refund, as this laptop doesn't sound like it's fit for purpose if you treat it as nicely as you describe.
£500 laptop. Your 'only' requirement is for games - that's about the toughest requirement for a computer. I assume you're talking about modern, purchased games, and not cards or anything.
This, combined with the laptop being deskbound (a waste of money if it never gets moved) would mean that a desktop PC would be a better purchase, as BillScarab says. You'll get a faster machine for less.
And of course, as Leopard says, if you do end up buying another PC, don't go to PC World!

not a super fast gaming machine, as i haven't paid on my sims since becoming a mother, lol but i would like to know that i can still play my "sims":rotfl:

i definitely treat the laptop well, its like my little baby.lol

i'm wondering how i go about asking pc world to replace the laptop!?

blaque*angel

diable wrote: »

What are the details of the after care service you purchased?

You should not be buying a new laptop until PCW have sorted your one out or refunded you your money as your laptop is not ft for purpose.

I would go with Dell and buy direct over the phone as you can haggle for a better deal/upgrade.

if anything happens to it they repair it,not including battery/charger..

blaque*angel

closed wrote: »

4. And when It fell off the desk and stopped powering up.

now today, the casing thing has fell off again..*sighs*

Are these 2 incidents linked?

no, it fell off the desks months ago, the power wouldn't power up. they fixed it.

today the thing from the casing just flew off(it had been repaired previously)

Jakg

PC World aren't going to replace a 2 year old laptop, no way. At this stage even with SOGA your looking at a repair or part refund at the very best, with PC Performance it'll be a next day pickup / repair though.

PC World's stance isn't "dell are shoddy" (as, tbh, everythings the same inside) there are just a lot of employees who know... nothing.

I can't help thinking the broken casing is linked to being dropped though.

It's up to you if you think the cover is worth the price - the warranty gives it a good protection and is free but your paying extra for the extra service - i.e. getting it picked up and repaired, for free, no matter what. If your laptop had of been dropped and broken without the cover you'd be well and truly stuffed right now.

For me i'm careful with my gear so it's not such an issue, but some people are very accident pron- i mean, their laptops ALWAYS fail for no apparent reason.

Advent are their "own brand" however they aren't assembled in-house - they buy stock from a company like Quanta etc who manufacture laptops and put their badge on. Lets face it, no PC company wants the name as "the UK's cheapest laptop" and compromises have to be made for cheap PC's.

macman

You have no chance of getting a replacement on a laptop that is now nearly two years old. You might have been able to reject it in the first couple of months-but not now. The additional £184 you have spent on on the after care policy would have bought you a decent laptop in the first place. The best you can hope for is an allowance against a new machine.
The 'falling off the desk' incident would have been covered under your home insurance if you have accidental damage cover anyway.

Sparhawke

Dell run Jagex's servers which in turn run Runescape, the largest free to play MMO in the world with easily 150,000 players at any one time and one of Englands biggest computer games companies which shows that they are supremely reliable, the forum server has been running 24/7/365 since the day it was first switched on!!

I would never ever trust PCW for anything, they don't care about either the product or the customer, just the sale of the heavily inflated guarantee/insurance which they simply ignore when it comes to the time to use it.

They may have had some stick in the past but I actually like Dell computers, they are amazingly reliable and reasonably cheap to boot since they don't use overpriced and flashy hangars to entice people in, they don't need to.

Oneday77

I would like to say that not all DSG employees know sweet'f'a well they didn't always...Ok I admit I "worked" for Dixons...I got out though best move ever.

The PC performance package you have is only really handy if you have an Accident with your Lappy. If it is non-repairable after say liquid damage, from a Lovely Freshly brewed cuppa with 3 sugars & milk that is spilled over it whilst you surf the web watching TV and writting you christmas cards at the table. It gets replaced with vouchers to then purchase the same spec if not better. 2 years latter easily better spec than original. Obvious mis-treatment isn't covered though. No home contents excess or raised premiums next year.

Advent are tat though but you did tend to get better specs for your cash off a shelf. Now that Dell has sold out to the high street their now available everywhere, I personally don't see their appeal. Samsung and Acers are my favs.

Tbh if you want to play games get a desktop. You get lots more for your money, you can't drop it and it can be upgraded. Yes it can't be moved about but the bits that fall apart or can be dropped are cheap to replace:p (keyboard/mouse)

Lockie21

I bought a Dell three years ago because my daughter was going to uni and I figured it would take some hammering going up and down the motorway constantly, being dragged to lectures and having books piled on top of it in a very small bedroom. I was right! Dell's three year 'on site' warranty has been brilliant, they come the next day and fix any problems she has. I've just bought a Sony (on a friend's recommendation) its rubbish compared to the Dell. Wish I'd bought a Dell. My Sony is running so slooooow I'm sure there's something wrong with it but when I ring them up they talk my through a System Restore and its not helping.