Nice people thread part 3- Nice as pie

PasturesNew

Let's just call it "A noisy cutting machine, for cutting rocks". And all the water needs.

It's something you really need [a] your own home -and- proper outside space for.

If I had, say, a house with a big utility room, or a big shed with power/water, or a big garage, I could do it. It's space, noise, electricity, water, muck - so not ideal for putting into a rented 1-bed flat.

SingleSue

My trusty old desk top PC has died, so I am using the boys laptop which means I have had to wait my turn after they have done homework, coursework etc.

Thankfully, I think my parents are going to buy me a new desktop....think they realise I would over use their laptop if they don't, or wouldn't be able to keep them up to date with what else is happening in the world if they don't!

Feels weird sitting in bed looking at MSE but that is the only place I can be with it.

PasturesNew

This PC cost me £200 in 2006, it's difficult to use as it has a small screen and is a low spec - and I do try to do a lot with it, I spend a lot (a LOT) of time waiting for pages to load. Also, not being on proper broadband makes downloading pages slow. And I've got a limited bandwidth per month.

One day I'll have a little house, with broadband and a work table and a TV and a utility room ... and life will be sweet. Even if it does cost a fortune to run

I wish I could rent something affordable and nice, but 1-bed grotty flats (usually without parking) are about £550/month, a 3-bedder, with parking, would be more like £750-850-1000/month. Rent + bills on that'd definitely be more than I could bring in.

SingleSue

Mine was a similar price back in 2006 but it came without a monitor as I already had a very decent 19inch TFT screen (a birthday present from now ex husband). Unfortunately, the very decent 19 inch TFT screen died a death about 2 years ago and ever since, I have been using the 15 inch TFT that came with my parents desktop (which they barely used, it just sat there in the little bedroom..I went on it every now and then to update the anti virus in the hope they would use it).

We have got broadband, a decent speed too but the desktop was getting slower and slower and slower despite regular clearing out and maintenance...I think I basically knackered it out from over use.

One day, I will have a room I can use as a study where I can have the freedom to choose the chair I can sit on without worrying about head height and a desk which is not squeezed into the space under the stairs.

vivatifosi

Morning all, have been having a lazy wake up today, watching Gok, drinking coffee and taking it easy... Mmmmm lovely.

So a quick catch up:

Pastures, still not lateral enough. If you can't get the machinery yourself, can you see if you can contract someone to do it for you and work out whether that's cheaper than sourcing the finished product wholesale. In other words is buying the raw material and getting someone to do it for you cheaper than buying a wholesale lot?

LJ, if you are around, have you got a hangover? I was thinking about you last night, about how you rarely drink yet your beloved Wolves beating the mighty Man U must surely have sent you to the local in need of a celebration! Or was it like last week, you want to be out celebrating but were actually at work?

Sue, have a look at Dell Outlet. We get a lot of our PCs and laptops from there (6 so far). The 17.3" laptop which I'm on at the moment, which would have retailed at £800 when I got it was just over £400, delivered. All of ours have been cancelled orders rather than reconditioned models. Also Misco sometimes do good open box deals, I got my netbook from them (£140 down from £320). Here are some linkies:

http://www1.euro.dell.com/uk/en/dfo/df.aspx?refid=df&s=dfo
http://www.misco.co.uk/ (open box clearance link is on lh side)

ETA: sorry, missed the most important bit. If you do look for a computer on either of the above, its a matter of waiting for the right deal to come up. Its a bit like shopping at a second-hand shop. Sometimes its full of bargains, sometimes there's just overpriced tat.

PasturesNew

vivatifosi wrote: »

Pastures, still not lateral enough. If you can't get the machinery yourself, can you see if you can contract someone to do it for you and work out whether that's cheaper than sourcing the finished product wholesale. In other words is buying the raw material and getting someone to do it for you cheaper than buying a wholesale lot?

It's not really that important, it's just an idea in my big bag of ideas in my head.... I'm just at the research stage of everything, finding out all sorts of things and working out possibilities.

I need my own space because I have no personal space, no workspace whatsoever. I can't even get the things out that I have, my camera's still "missing" and there's nowhere to write, or work, or take photos. It's not good for my mental health, which is why I have to get out... why is everywhere SO expensive to rent??

vivatifosi

Pastures, you're being asked for almost the same in Cornwall as you'd pay in a cheaper area of Hertfordshire which is nearer the employment opportunities (though granted further away from the sea). Is there any other area of the country you'd feel comfortable living in?

Davesnave

Sorry, no time to post much ATM, but Sue, I recently advised DD2 to get one of these for uni and she is happy with it. No bells or whistles, but enough power and the famous JL back up, which in my experience, is better than just about anywhere else.

http://www.johnlewis.com/231125180/Product.aspx

Because I do a bit of photography & also value my eyes, I use the earlier version of this, which is pretty good for a cheapie in the higher-end monitor line:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-046-DE

SingleSue

Thanks for those links...must admit, I would never have thought of looking at John Lewis!

vivatifosi

SingleSue wrote: »

Thanks for those links...must admit, I would never have thought of looking at John Lewis!

My Dad recently bought a laptop from John Lewis. We looked at Dell which were a bit cheaper, but he isn't very computer literate and wanted the comfort of the JL warranty. The prices were pretty competitive to be fair and once you'd factored in their warranty, much better than anything else on the high street.