Please advise on these laptops

timberflake

Well I have a Sony Vaio and I think its great. I've had other laptops that people would consider "better value", but they're better value for a reason, cheaper components designed around a couple of decent onces (normally CPU and RAM).
Went for a Vaio and never looked back, excellent build quality and premium components.

Donnie

MKUX3 wrote: »

Lady K
I am in the same sort of position as you.

Looking for a laptop for 13 yr old daughter, prefer white or pink or shiny black,

Bluetooth
Prefer windows 7

can anyone suggest a good one for up to £ 450.........

You really need to evaluate her usage pattern in order to determine which may be the right laptop.

Does she play games, listen to music on the laptop(with or without external speakers)? Would she need a long battery life or will it be used mostly via mains? Is she likely to need a Firewire connection for transferring video from a camcorder?

It is really too silly when people post on the Tech section asking for a laptop in a particular colour.

Please think of your daughter and her likely current and future needs when making a purchase.

As for Bluetooth, it costs £2 to install. Don't waste time and money looking for a laptop with Bluetooth installed.

mateyboy

Argos have a MSI wind x 410 MAc book look alike in white

I have been after one of these for ages £399
Just reserved one

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5082243.htm

Lady_K

I am not saying a definite colour but obviously I do have a preferrence of colour so long as the performance and build is good enough too which is why after this advice I'm looking around again. If I was just going on coloure or looks I would not have asked here for opinions.

Laptop shopping is an absolute nightmare to me. I want something reliable, comfortable to use, well built with a decent battery life and reasonable sized screen, 17 inch if possible. This laptop is going to have to last my daughter for some years so I want one to last. We have never been ones to replace things just to upgrade to a better model after a couple of years or so like some people like to, her present laptop is about 9 years old, a business hp laptop which has never gone wrong but the buisiness hp's are quite expensive to buy now. It has just become so very slow now and cannot be upgraded anymore

macman

Decent battery life is not really relevant if you are going for a 17 in screen, as it's too heavy to be used a a regular portable.
Going by what you have said about 'general' usage, you want as a minimum:
Windows 7 Home Premium OS.
Dual Core or Core Duo processor.
Min 3GB RAM.
Hard drive min 350GB, preferably 320GB.
Use that to narrow your choice down. No one said the Sony's were bad laptops, it's just that they are overpriced for what you get-which is a Sony badge. Sony do not make the components.
Just stay away from cheap and nasty brands like PCW's Advent.

Donnie

Lady_K wrote: »

I am not saying a definite colour .....

Don't worry, I wasn't rebuking you. Just reminding you that computers these days have a lot of functionality.

You can buy a basic laptop for as little as £250, if you don't mind that someone has looked at it before you have done. Over and above that, you pay for the extras that you need.

There is no guarantee that the laptop for £450 will last any longer than the laptop for £250.

I buy what I need at the lowest price that I can. If it conks out in some years, I buy another.

Few people on a Moneysaving website are going to advise you to pay £100 more for a Sony than you might pay for a similarly specced laptop from another quality brand.

Go into PC World or a similar store, armed with a CD/DVD. Slot in the disc and listen to the sound, evaluate the comfort of the keyboard....

Clearly appearance is important to you, so go take a look at them.

If you are happy with the Sony, get the Sony.

macman

By all means use PCW to do research. But just make sure you buy it elsewhere!

MKUX3

thanks for some replies

My 13 yr old will be using it "hopefully" for some homework

For surfing the net and research for homework

listening to music, watching films and a screen about 15 inches please

what about that one from argos that someone above has suggested

any thoughts??

Donnie

macman wrote: »

By all means use PCW to do research. But just make sure you buy it elsewhere!

I thought that went without saying..... but I'm glad that you said it.

macman

Donnie wrote: »

I thought that went without saying..... but I'm glad that you said it.

I'll stop saying it when people stop making posts which commence with 'I'm having terrible problems with this laptop I bought from PC World...' :rolleyes: