Help me with buying a laptop

angelsmomma

I am thinking of getting a laptop and am not very technical. Can anyone tell me if this is a good buy? http/www.johnlewis.com/230720588/Product.aspx. Thanks for any replies in advance.

[Deleted User]

To be frank it's terrible. Packard Bell are complete and utter rubbish. It's the Lidl or Nisa of PC brands.

What would you be using the laptop for? Surfing the Internet? Movies? Emails? Games?

If it's nothing extreme like cutting edge gaming then something like this would be fine:

On a budget: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOSHIBA-C650-15Z-15-6IN-LAPTOP-REFURB-/360332305301?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item53e57aa395 - Refurbed laptop, i.e. customer return to Argos, with a 12 month Argos Warranty

Manufacturer refurbished: An item that has been professionally restored to working order by a manufacturer-approved vendor. This means the product has been inspected, cleaned and repaired to meet manufacturer specifications and is in excellent condition. This item may or may not be in its original packaging. See the seller’s listing for full details.

Or if you'd prefer new then: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Toshiba-Satellite-C660-195-Laptop-Celeron-T3500-2-1GHz-/270687792977?pt=UK_Computing_Laptops_EH&hash=item3f063fef51

Or finally if you can afford it, then this laptop would be bang up to date in tech terms with a modern processor: http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&oc=N00N5030&dgc=AF&cid=5212&lid=122756&acd=dde8fb2a4190030c430bb37bb9ba9789

angelsmomma

Thank you, as I said I really am not technical so had no idea that it was that bad. My very first computer was a hewlet packard and it was really good at the time. I only plan to use it for surfing and emails. No gaming or movie watching. I have a desktop but my 9 year old uses it more than me. Thanks again for the info.

[Deleted User]

angelsmomma wrote: »

Thank you, as I said I really am not technical so had no idea that it was that bad. My very first computer was a hewlet packard and it was really good at the time. I only plan to use it for surfing and emails. No gaming or movie watching. I have a desktop but my 9 year old uses it more than me. Thanks again for the info.

If you can afford the Dell I'd go with that one. Dell is a great make and that laptop would do everything you require of it.

If you do decide to get it I'd suggest uninstalling McAfee and installing a decent antivirus e.g. Avira.

Steps to uninstall McAfee:

Windows Vista /7

1. Click Start, Search, type Programs and Features, and click Go.
2. Double-click Programs and Features.
3. Select the McAfee SecurityCenter product.
4. Click Uninstall and follow the steps provided.

Step 2 - Download and run MCPR.exe

1. Download the removal tool from: http://download.mcafee.com/products/licensed/cust_support_patches/MCPR.exe
2. Click Save and save the file to a folder on your computer.
3. Navigate to the folder where the file was saved.
4. Make sure all McAfee windows are closed.
5. Double-click MCPR.exe to run the removal tool.
   
   NOTE: Windows Vista users must right-click MCPR.exe and select Run as Administrator.
6. Restart your computer after receiving the message CleanUp Successful.
   Your McAfee product will not be fully removed until the system is restarted.

Quoted from: http://service.mcafee.com/FAQDocument.aspx?id=TS100507

[Deleted User]

Just noticed your signature...

If you wanted to use the £50 voucher to buy from John Lewis then this laptop is virtually the same spec and price as the Dell: http://www.johnlewis.com/231098313/Product.aspx

Obvious differences I can see are the JL laptop comes with 2 years warranty, the Dell 1, however the Dell has a slightly larger disk drive, not that I'd imagine you'd ever fill it up with your intended use!