want to buy a cheap lap top

tweedledee1986

hi all

i'm new to this so bear with me

i would like to buy a basic laptop. I will be using it to go online, download music and watch tv/dvds from time to time. don't need it for much more than that really.

I don't really want to spend over £300 but have no idea where to start! :eek:

i dont have broadband or a landline at this stage so i really am starting from scratch. i'm not sure whether renting a laptop with a dongle would be best, or just buying a laptop and getting a phone line & broadband in?

goodness i have no idea where to start:(

weegie.geek

If you're going to be streaming TV using iplayer or something I wouldn't recommend a dongle. Fixed line broadband will be cheaper for that kind of usage, and much more reliable.

If you go to http://www.samknows.com/old/broadband/checker2.php and put in your postcode we'll be able to tell you what's the best ISP available in your area.

It'll say something like

The following services are available in your location:
BT Wholesale ADSL
BT Wholesale ADSL Max
O2 / Be LLU
Bulldog LLU
TalkTalk (CPW) LLU
Sky Broadband / Easynet LLU
Virgin Media (Cable)

If you could paste that back here we'll be able to tell you who to go for.

As for a basic laptop, you'll get a netbook for that price no bother. Or:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360255828477

tweedledee1986

wow...what a quick response. thanks so much.

I did what you suggested and this is what came up:

The following services are available in your location:
BT Wholesale ADSL
BT Wholesale ADSL Max
BT Wholesale WBC (21CN)
BT Wholesale SDSL
AOL LLU
O2 / Be LLU
Bulldog LLU
TalkTalk (CPW) LLU
Sky Broadband / Easynet LLU
Lumison LLU
Tiscali LLU
Tiscali TV (via Tiscali LLU)
Orange LLU (Formerly Wanadoo)
Virgin Media (Cable)



also, are there any draw backs to netbooks? are all netbooks pretty much the same whatever one you go for?

thanks again. :T

Donnie

Forget about a Netbook(not sure why it was suggested) and go for O2 LLU in conjunction with Quidco.

weegie.geek

tweedledee1986 wrote: »

O2 / Be LLU

I'd go for O2 probably, especially if you have an O2 mobile.

http://cid-99aa6cf1226facfe.office.live.com/self.aspx/o2%20Broadband%20-v-%20Be%20There%20Broadband/Net-costs%20Spreadsheet/Net-Costs@27Jun10.pdf

Go via quidco and you're potentially having them pay you to take the cheapest (but still pretty fast) package, and even the top package comes down to next to nothing.

Dirt cheap and an ISP I'd recommend in an instant. Best ISP I've ever been with.

also, are there any draw backs to netbooks? are all netbooks pretty much the same whatever one you go for?

thanks again. :T

Netbooks are smaller, smaller keyboard and smaller screens. They're not as fast as bigger laptops but they're fine for browsing, email and watching iplayer on if the size aspect is ok for you. I prefer full-sized laptops.

The Ebay one I linked to is a pretty decent deal. Should be a fairly fast laptop. Big screen, dual core, 4GB ram, nvidia graphics.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5081608/Trail/searchtext%3EMEDION.htm

There's the link to the full specs. 50 quid more expensive direct from argos, but 300 quid for that via argos's ebay shop is a bargain.

Donnie

weegie.geek wrote: »

I'd go for O2 probably, especially if you have an O2 mobile.

http://cid-99aa6cf1226facfe.office.live.com/self.aspx/o2%20Broadband%20-v-%20Be%20There%20Broadband/Net-costs%20Spreadsheet/Net-Costs@27Jun10.pdf

Go via quidco and you're potentially having them pay you to take the cheapest (but still pretty fast) package, and even the top package comes down to next to nothing.

Dirt cheap and an ISP I'd recommend in an instant. Best ISP I've ever been with.



Netbooks are smaller, smaller keyboard and smaller screens. They're not as fast as bigger laptops but they're fine for browsing, email and watching iplayer on if the size aspect is ok for you. I prefer full-sized laptops.

The Ebay one I linked to is a pretty decent deal. Should be a fairly fast laptop. Big screen, dual core, 4GB ram, nvidia graphics.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5081608/Trail/searchtext%3EMEDION.htm

There's the link to the full specs. 50 quid more expensive direct from argos, but 300 quid for that via argos's ebay shop is a bargain.

Forget about that laptop...it's already sold out and anyway; it came replete with Vista as an OS.

The best spec for the money currently is this MSI CR610 with Windows 7 for £304.

If you want to look at a brochure.

tweedledee1986

thank you for all of your feedback.

I am a member of quidco so the o2 option sounds great. I take it I go for the deal with the home phone? as i don't have a phone line at the moment. i am an o2 customer already too so thats a bonus. or am I better getting line rental elsewhere for my phone and getting o2 seperately for £7.50 a month?

there has been internet connection in my flat before, but i think it was virgin. hope this doesn't effect it?

I noticed that the argos one is sold out unfortunately. i will look into the other one though.

thank you so much for your help. everyone here is really friendly :T

weegie.geek

Yeah, I'd go for the bundle. Assuming you have a BT line. Virgin do internet over cable and via BT lines. Some places have both lines installed, some only have one. Even with the cost of having a BT line installed, assuming you DON'T have one, O2 remains a good deal.

If you have a BT line but it's not activated right now, it's almost always free to reactivate it.

tweedledee1986

How do I find out? That is the question!!

weegie.geek

The master socket usually has a BT logo on it if it's a BT phoneline.

Basil1234

well everyone seems to have failed to mention with virgin media you don't have to have a phone line unless you want/need one as well. virgin comes in on its own cable and with normal adsl broadband comes down your bt phone line and other companies hook there gear up at the exchange in simple terms. heres link for virgin http://allyours.virginmedia.com/websales/product.do?id=3264
also if you had sky tv you can get free broadband but then you would have to get the phone line as well http://www.sky.com/shop/broadband-talk/
also virgin and sky sell you the tv as well if you want which is something you may want to consider?