Recommend a laptop / netbook / tablet please

Bean_Counter

Hi,

I know that there have been some other threads on this recently, so please bear with me, but I wanted to post up my own specific details.

I am looking to buy my son a laptop / netbook / tablet for his Christmas. He is autistic and spends a reasonable amount of time online so need to get him something that is fit for purpose and not worried about brands etc. Of course with this being MSE I need some thing that will not break the bank, ideally under £200.

He mainly uses the computer on the BBC and ITV websites for watching iplayer etc and also playing the games on these sites. He is also on sites such as Club Penguin and Moshi Monsters. Hence I presume that the machine must be Flash compatible.

The computer will have no other use apart from internet browsing.

Thanks in advance and of course let me know if you need more information.

coolagarry

The cheapest option would be a netbook and you should be able to get a really good one for under £200 or a refurbished/second hand one for £100 to £150. A tablet would be the 'coolest' and would cost you from £200 to £400. You could get a suitable Laptop for £250 upwards. All will fit his requirements.

One of the main things you have to decide is screen size. A netbook would be about 10", a tablet between 7" & 10" and a laptop about 15" . If he is used to using a larger screen to view his websites then a laptop would be the best option. However if he uses a DSI or similar then he will be content with smaller screens so the netbook or tablet would be a more convenient size. Has he used a netbook and/or a laptop. Which does he prefer?

trying_to_fly

http://www.dixons.co.uk/gbuk/acer-aspire-one-d255-netbook-black-07706809-pdt.html?srcid=369&xtor=AL-63

Just bought that. Will let you know how it fares
Check my thread in this forum for this laptop. Alot of tips on speeding it up. And use this code nbook10 and get 10% off
So it's a great price for a mid range dual core netbook!

TakeThis

trying_to_fly wrote: »

http://www.dixons.co.uk/gbuk/acer-aspire-one-d255-netbook-black-07706809-pdt.html?srcid=369&xtor=AL-63

Just bought that. Will let you know how it fares
Check my thread in this forum for this laptop. A lot of tips on speeding it up. And use this code nbook10 and get 10% off
So it's a great price for a mid range dual core netbook!

It's a Netbook.


There certainly are most certainly not 'a lot of tips for speeding it up' on your thread. There is one, add RAM. That will take it over the £200 threshold and possibly invalidate your warranty.
Plus, it is still just a Netbook.
For much the same cost you can get a full sized machine that will outperform the Netbook in every way apart from battery life away from mains power.

trying_to_fly

TakeThis wrote: »

It's a Netbook.


There certainly are most certainly not 'a lot of tips for speeding it up' on your thread. There is one, add RAM. That will take it over the £200 threshold and possibly invalidate your warranty.
Plus, it is still just a Netbook.
For much the same cost you can get a full sized machine that will outperform the Netbook in every way apart from battery life away from mains power.

Firstly that was a typo.
Secondly there's not need for the attitude... There are alot of tips in my opinion how to add the ram etc what ram others saying they have a single core but upped the ram on that
I was giving my opinion.

TakeThis

trying_to_fly wrote: »

Firstly that was a typo.
Secondly there's not need for the attitude... There are alot of tips in my opinion how to add the ram etc what ram others saying they have a single core but upped the ram on that
I was giving my opinion.

Typo? Are you sure? Typographical error

Single core, Dual core...it matters not. The only tip on the thread is to add RAM.

So you are starting off with something inadequate and risking your warranty in order to bring it up to speed, as ACER do not recommend it a a user replaceable part.

I know you are excited to be getting a new Netbook, but don't lose sight of the fact that others will have other valid opinions.

My advice, unless portability is of importance, get a laptop.

karl-123

get a laptop netbooks are too small
pc world used to sell laptops for £200 with windows 7
shop about do not know if they still do them though i am a techy
kind of a bloke and for everyday use which most people use them for
they are all much of a muchness its like deciding a telly or washer " they all do the same thing basically "
your budget is not enough for an ipad unless you get one second hand there is one in our post office for £ 180
its probably gone now that was last week...........so get a cheap laptop not a netbook " they are crap"

Bean_Counter

Thanks for the responses.

At present he uses a desktop with 20" screen and a laptop with 17" screen. Hence it looks like a cheap laptop might be what is required. What would be the minimum spec I should be looking for to make sure that it is fit for purpose?

closed

Can't he continue to use what you've got?

TakeThis

Keep an eye on here
Can usually get something decent for between £200 and £230.

zzzLazyDaisy

Hello OP,

I have a 15" Samsung laptop which is my main pc at home; a 10" Samsung netbook which I use if I am in hospital or otherwise away from home but need to access documents and an android tablet for when I just want to play games, catch up on reading, and maybe check the odd email, or check the odd thing on the internet.

The first thing I would say is that although tablets are fun and have their place (I wouldn't be without mine) they are not a replacement for a laptop.

Same with netbooks - they are great for being away from home as they are lighter and more portable than a laptop, but I used mine for about 7 months when my old laptop gave up the ghost, and the small screen was a killer on my eyes.

So if what you are looking for is basically a replacement for the 17" laptop, I can certainly recommend Samsung as a make to check out. Go for the best screen you can afford because that what makes or breaks the quality of the viewing experience. If it helps, my last laptop was a 17" Dell (a monster to lug around but top of the range in its day) I replaced it with a 15" Samsung with a good screen and although it sounds daft, the screen actually appears bigger in use than the old 17" laptop. I can't explain why this is, as I am not techie enough, but what I am saying is that laptops have come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, and he won't lose much if anything in the experience by changing to a 15" screen.

Daisy