Lap top info please?

KillerWatt

custardy wrote: »

no point buying a laptop if its going to live its life under the telly

No point in having a PC set up to be a Media Centre when you can buy dedicated hardware for just over £100 that will make a better job of it, take up far less space, and consume !!!!!! all in the way of electricity.

http://www.dream-multimedia-tv.co.uk/High-Definition-Media-Player/EGREAT-M34A-Networked-Media-Tank.htm

custardy

KillerWatt wrote: »

No point in having a PC set up to be a Media Centre when you can buy dedicated hardware for just over £100 that will make a better job of it, take up far less space, and consume !!!!!! all in the way of electricity.

http://www.dream-multimedia-tv.co.uk/High-Definition-Media-Player/EGREAT-M34A-Networked-Media-Tank.htm

who has a PC set up to be a media centre?

david39

The OP says in his first line that he wants to get rid of his desktop machine and buy a laptop.
That suggests that he needs the wider facilities that a laptop offers and that he is not looking specifically for a media centre.

OP - if you are not sure of the description you want for HDMI, it needs to say on the box that it has either an HDMI port or that it has HDMI output (might say either - means the same).

Unless you are looking to play fast shoot-em-up-type games or expect to be manipulating multiple large photographic images, then the processor will not be critical. I would go for a recently released model from a well-known brand, making sure that it has HDMI output on it.

Have a look at some on the Amazon site and read the reviews of customers who have already bought them - that's not a bad indication and you don't necessarily have to buy them from Amazon if you prefer elsewhere.

atro1

Will this lead do the trick [URL="mhtml:{3A828CF3-4F57-4008-86A6-2B0AEFF01CD4}mid://00000027/!x-usc:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5M-HDMI-v1-3-GOLD-Cable-1080p-HD-LCD-HDTV-VIDEO-LEAD-/150607573994?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item2310e933ea"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5M-HDMI-v1-3-GOLD-Cable-1080p-HD-LCD-HDTV-VIDEO-LEAD-/150607573994?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item2310e933ea[/URL]
Its nice and long.
Into Asda tomorrow for.

Fujitsu Lifebook AH530 Notebook- 15.6ins - 2GB - 250 Hard Drive from Asda at £249
Already have a wireless keyboard and mouse.
Then the wireless printer from Currys at [URL="mhtml:{3A828CF3-4F57-4008-86A6-2B0AEFF01CD4}mid://00000027/!x-usc:http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/epson-stylus-sx425w-wireless-multifunction-inkjet-printer-06767175-pdt.html"]http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/epson-stylus-sx425w-wireless-multifunction-inkjet-printer-06767175-pdt.html[/URL] Nearly getting there!!

Unless of course you know different coz I have'nt a clue really.:beer:

stilltheone

atro1 wrote: »

Will this lead do the trick [URL="mhtml:{3A828CF3-4F57-4008-86A6-2B0AEFF01CD4}mid://00000027/!x-usc:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5M-HDMI-v1-3-GOLD-Cable-1080p-HD-LCD-HDTV-VIDEO-LEAD-/150607573994?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item2310e933ea"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5M-HDMI-v1-3-GOLD-Cable-1080p-HD-LCD-HDTV-VIDEO-LEAD-/150607573994?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item2310e933ea[/URL]
Its nice and long.
Into Asda tomorrow for.

Fujitsu Lifebook AH530 Notebook- 15.6ins - 2GB - 250 Hard Drive from Asda at £249
Already have a wireless keyboard and mouse.
Then the wireless printer from Currys at [URL="mhtml:{3A828CF3-4F57-4008-86A6-2B0AEFF01CD4}mid://00000027/!x-usc:http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/epson-stylus-sx425w-wireless-multifunction-inkjet-printer-06767175-pdt.html"]http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/epson-stylus-sx425w-wireless-multifunction-inkjet-printer-06767175-pdt.html[/URL] Nearly getting there!!

Unless of course you know different coz I have'nt a clue really.:beer:

Do ASDA still have the Fujitsu in stock?

atro1

Nope! back to the drawing board!

atro1

How about this one?

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/Lenovo_IdeaPad_U450_679711.html

david39

The Lenovo you are looking at does not appear to have a CD/DVD drive and the screen is 14" and not the usual 15+". It does, however, have HDMI output.

I think you will need to be looking at £300 or more to find all the facitities you are expecting if you are replacing your desktop.

You might look at:

http://h40059.www4.hp.com/uk/homelaptops/product.php?id=XM667EA&experience=direct

which is a slightly older model by HP, but good value for the money and has CD/DVD and HDMI output. Looks like everything you were asking for in your initial post. Full spec at :

http://h40059.www4.hp.com/uk/homelaptops/pdf/g62-b00sa_ds_ene.pdf

It looks like HP are clearing an end-of-line as it has been reduced by £50 recently to £299. Probably because the processor is a little long in the tooth now, but will still be good for what you need.

The decision to buy is up to you, of course, but the spec sheet above shows the sort of things you need to look for with variations on the processor. The latest common processors by Intel start with the letter i (in small case). Just watch for the confusion between the terms laptop, notepad and notebook which are often interchanged. The main differences are in size and on-board facilities. Proper laptops are usually 15"screens or above and they have CD/DVD (and sometimes BluRay) drives.
Notepads do not have CD/DVD drives and are usually smaller 14" down to 10" or even less than that.
Just to add to the confusion, HP call their laptops Notebooks!

Just make sure that what you are buying is a laptop, not a notepad. Otherwise it won't be a full replacement for your desktop machine.

wba31

If you want something that works as a computer but your display is simply your TV, i'd avoid laptops and just get a tower as mentioned before. I cannot reccomend anything as i am an Apple fanboy, so all i know of is, that does this, is the Mac Mini which is double what you look to be spending. Plus with a PC version I'm sure you get get a bluray player as part of it, so if you dont already have one, you gain something else for your $$$.

I have a Macbook Pro, and occasionally used plug this into my 32" TV to show photos etc, but it's a complete pain in the rear, so I simply leave it in my office and have invested in Apple TV instead...

But in short, I'd recommend a tower with wireless mouse/keyboard than a laptop for plugging into a TV

atro1

No I will go for a laptop so that if ever neded I can pick it up and take it away with me.
This came in a email from Ebuyer
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/241602

Seems to be several that look likely on the site.