Not really techie

Nan_Nan

I hope someone out there could tell me which computer to buy my grandson, he is 3 and is very clever.

Any suggestions, but not a toy

lucylucky

The cheapest one possible so that it is not a great loss when he breaks it.

What is he intending to use it for?

CoolHotCold

What price range, Desktop or Laptop?

petecarter

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/packard-bell-dot-se-r-110uk-red-netbook-08753834-pdt.html

one of these, and get currys cover, they repair or replace if your grandson breaks it. i have the same cover and change my laptop every couple of years for free with it (well for the cost of the cover itself).

CoolHotCold

petecarter wrote: »

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/packard-bell-dot-se-r-110uk-red-netbook-08753834-pdt.html

one of these, and get currys cover, they repair or replace if your grandson breaks it. i have the same cover and change my laptop every couple of years for free with it (well for the cost of the cover itself).

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/samsung-nc10-refurbished-netbook-03855212-pdt.html £179
I'd get that instead with the coverplan (3 year old is probably going to break it eventually) It is a additional £89 for a 5 year warranty but you can pay £8.9 over 10 months to protect it for the full 5 years instead of £89 one off. Also due to what netbooks are worth after a few years you can almost guarentee they won't produce spare parts and will simply replace for a new system. £1.5 per month isn't a lot and will save in the long run.

Like the previous post says, sometimes additional warranty (WEH in Dixons case) is well worth it.

petecarter

I agree with CoolHotCold, i presume PC world and currys cover is the same as theyre the same company. Id still stick with mine though cos it has a better processor, and its new, and mre importantly for a child, its colourful!!!

CoolHotCold

Aye Petecarter, now PcWorld, Currys, Dixons Retail all offer WhatEver Happens instead of separate cover.
For desktops I would say its rather hit and miss depending how technical you are but for laptops (especially if for a child/student or is moving between work/home/school/uni etc it is worth it).
If you know how to use it and what it covers you'd take it. (not the pay monthly thats a bit of high price, but the pay £x for 5 years which can be paid in 10 installments to make up to £X, which usually saves at least 50-60% on Monthly payments)

petecarter

CoolHotCold wrote: »

Aye Petecarter, now PcWorld, Currys, Dixons Retail all offer WhatEver Happens instead of separate cover.
For desktops I would say its rather hit and miss depending how technical you are but for laptops (especially if for a child/student or is moving between work/home/school/uni etc it is worth it).
If you know how to use it and what it covers you'd take it. (not the pay monthly thats a bit of high price, but the pay £x for 5 years which can be paid in 10 installments to make up to £X, which usually saves at least 50-60% on Monthly payments)

I myself have just paid my final 17 pound installment for my 5 year cover. As a hint, always get 5 instead of 3. If it breaks after 3 and you have 5 year cover, they refund the 2 years cover you dont use!

CoolHotCold

petecarter wrote: »

I myself have just paid my final 17 pound installment for my 5 year cover. As a hint, always get 5 instead of 3. If it breaks after 3 and you have 5 year cover, they refund the 2 years cover you dont use!

Yup, its a proportional refund, so say you sell it after a year you can still get the 4 years you've paid back.

Just out of interest how have you found the service from the Dixons Retail Group?

petecarter

They have been a little hit and miss. Even if your computer is obviously broken it still sits in line for a week or so before they write it off. So there is likely going to be a 3 week gap and 2-3 phonecalls between reporting it as broken and getting your replacement. I forgive all that for the amazing deal though! When I wanted to replace my old one they gave me the whole retail price in store credit, even when getting the same spec would have been much cheaper.

Effectively, the cost of the laptop is a permanent deposit for use of a computer of value x for life. The cost of the cover is your lease payment. This is how I like to look at it anyway. I have a laptop of value 450 pounds and for that I pay 34 pounds a year. If it breaks I swap it for another that is worth 450 pounds.

CoolHotCold

Aye theres two WEH options now, One that guarantees a repair or vouchers within 28 days and another that guarantees repair or vouchers within 10 days (plus a loan system)