Laptop Help when you have no idea!

clearingout

I would like to buy a laptop. After much faffing (that's a technical term), I am non the wiser. I don't need anything fancy - mainly for internet use, maybe watching the odd tv programme, a bit of music downloading, but mainly for just surfing...also need to do a lot of powerpoint presentations. No gaming. No need for it to sing and dance.

Money is an issue but I can find up to £450 if necessary. I would prefer to buy something that is built to last with good customer service than something with a reputation for stopping working after a year.

After due consideration, I would just love to walk into my local Curry's tomorrow and have a go! I am wary, however, of sales persons who can stop the 'hasn't got a flippin' clue' person a mile off. I guess what I'm asking is what do I avoid? Dell doesn't seem to have a good reputation? anyone else? what is the minimum memory size I would need?

many thanks for any pointers - please write as if you're dealing with an incredibly slow person who is on a go slow and knows nothing other than being slow!

-TangleFoot-

Popular component choices:

• Intel Core iwhatever processor
• At least 3GB DDR3 DRAM
• Large touchpad
• One or more USB 3.0 ports

Tips:

• Avoid own-brand stuff such as Dixons' Advent; study models known for their toughness such as the Lenovo ThinkPad series
• Do not buy a netbook unless you're very, very patient
• This one looks nice.

On the subject of reliability, you'll find a post summarising a Which? article here.

clearingout

thank you - it looks as good as anything else! that's the problem - very hard to tell what's good and what's not.

Lenovo is considered 'good'?

-TangleFoot-

clearingout wrote: »

Lenovo is considered 'good'?

ThinkPad used to be an IBM brand - remember them? Can't comment on their other product lines but someone recently told me you "can hammer nails in with them."

Probably wouldn't do the internals much good but as an indicator of robustness that sounds pretty good.

clearingout

certainly does - household with small children here so it might get used just for that purpose!

OK - I will look at Thinkpads and see what I can come up with. That's very helpful - I just needed to narrow it down which is what you've done for me!

thanks!

-TangleFoot-

Did you follow the link to the left of the smiley? I understand that ThinkPads can be quite expensive so I took a look around for cheaper alternatives.

Kernel_Sanders

clearingout wrote: »

I don't need anything fancy......Money is an issue but I can find up to £450 if necessary.

-TangleFoot- wrote: »

Did you follow the link to the left of the smiley? .

Instead of pointing out that, for his requirements, there is a huge choice of decent machines well below his limit, you have suggested one which is actually over it. Why?

-TangleFoot-

Kernel_Sanders wrote: »

Why?

Best place to start looking is at the top of the pile. In any case, I refuse to recommend anything that can be construed as cheap tat.

I have standards, dammit!

Anubis_2

If you are doing a lot of Powerpoint a good sized screen would be an advantage.

I know this is a little more than your budget but it is a good price ATM with a decent sized screen. If you are going to be porting it around though, a smaller screen would be better.

http://www.comet.co.uk/p/Laptops/buy-HP-G7-2054SA-Laptop/795119

According to the specs, it has HDMI too, if your TV has a HDMI connector, you can hook it up when watching a movie - very very simple to do.

Regarding "something to last" Laptops are much of a muchness - and it can be luck of the draw as some may have inherent issues that do not raise their ugly head until months later. One person can have a Toshiba that has lasted 5 years without issue and the next persn can have the exact same laptop and experience nothing but issues.

gonzo127

agreed with the above about reliability, its such a fluid thing with computers that it is hard to call, although in general Asus, Toshiba and Lenovo are generally seen as the more reliable brands,

but the difference between most and least reliable is not that hugh as going by the last laptop reliability survery (from 2009 so its quite out of date and building standards should have changed a bit) you are looking at 25% failure rate within 3 years for the least reliable brands and 15% failure rate within 3 years for the most reliable brand
http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/laptop-reliability-survey-asus-and-toshiba-win-hp-fails/
http://www.rescuecom.com/news-press-releases/computer-reliability-report-2012.aspx

robmar0se

In percentage terms the cheap end of laptops tend to be less reliable (obvious), where Advents, PBells, Dells and yes Acers too, tend to have more problems on average in our experience.

Agree with the info above about Lenovo, they do come out well, as do Samsungs - we have supplied both these makes and as yet all are 100% without faults.

As you are doing Powerpoint presentations, you will be moving the laptop around, so you do need it to be robust, so don't be persuauded to go with some of the lightweight models.

Amazon's customer service is excellent, whereas firms such as Laptopsdirect don't have a good reputation.