Laptop Help when you have no idea!

lbbuk

I would recommend getting one with an intel i3 or i5 processor as they are easily the best processors for the money and will perform tasks effortlessly.

Try to make sure its got at least 1 USB 3.0 port, they are usually blue compared to the USB 2.0 speed which are black so its easy to tell apart, USB 3.0 ports are 10 times faster than USB 2.0 which is a huge real world difference especially if you decide to add an external hard drive for backing files up on in the future.

Don't worry about the quantity of RAM installed as all laptops will come with enough to run Windows 7 and you can easily add more RAM at a later date, it only costs about £15 for an extra 4gig and its easy to fit. Getting the fastest processor for the money is much more important as you cant easily upgrade that.

When you try the laptop in the shop move the lid and check the screen for viewing angles as some screens offer much better viewing angles than others, which might be important to you, especially if you ever edit photos on it as it can be hard to judge the correct contrast and brightness levels with some screens.

Getting one with a HDMI port would be good too as you can then connect it up to your TV and easily watch films from your laptop if you ever wanted to.

I see ASUS getting recommended a lot, I bought an ASUS last year and the motherboard blew after 2 months, but to be fair on ASUS they collected the laptop and repaired it within a week and it has been rock solid ever since, guess I was just unlucky as 2 of my friends bought the same laptop and never had a problem, their customer service was top notch!

I think with reliability its down to luck and how you maintain windows. But I would avoid certain brands like ACER, ADVENT or DELL.

Just go for one with as many features as possible so that you future proof yourself as much as possible.

Good luck with your purchase

Fosterdog

I'd recommend Lenovo, Sony, and Asus as the more robust brands and avoid Acer, HP, Advent, Fujitsu at all costs, Packard Bell too but I've not seen a PB laptop for a while but they are the same brand as Acer.

Dell, Toshiba and Samsung are probably better than the avoid laptops but not quite as good as the robust brands.

£450 is a healthy enough budget to get a decent enough laptop, easy an i3 possibly an i5 on offer, as lbbuk says RAM can be upgraded the processor can't, most will come with at least 4gb but if you can get 6 or 8 for a good price then go for it.

If you want an idea of build quality you could always go into Currys and have a look and play with some laptops, remember you don't have to buy there and then, don't take any money or card with you and then you can't be tempted to buy if not 100% sure.

clearingout

thank you all. I have had a look online at Lenovos and will now add in a couple of the other makes. It is very difficult when you don't have a clue! I am now reading the sub-£350 thread and my head hurts!

clearingout

so...is this any good then?!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-RV520-15-6-inch-Laptop/dp/B005TIT7FC/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1339857386&sr=8-16

robmar0se

IMHO.............yes. And it comes from Amazon who's after sales support is good.

clearingout

or this one?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lenovo-G570-15-6-inch-Laptop/dp/B007IZU8T8/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&qid=1339857740&sr=8-25

they all look the same to me!

Would there be any benefit to this one over the Samsung (or vice versa)?

the other issue is I often get 'deals' through from BT. Are they worth buying from? I have personally always had good experiences with Amazon so it's good to hear that follows through with computers...

robmar0se

Yes this is good too.

Don't buy from BT, they bought Dabs, and have to say their post sales support is not a patch on Amazon

Fosterdog

I'd personally go for the Lenovo over the Samsung, slightly better brand build quality wise. Most of the modern Lenovo's also have a better intake system with the vents underneath being a slightly better design allowing better airflow and cooling. Some also have a breathable keyboard so it can cool itself from above as well as underneath.

clearingout

Ok....getting the hang of it now.

Now the next issue is Microsoft Office. On my PC I have a version that Noah probably used and I have no idea where the disks are (probably with the ex husband). So I guess I'm needing to buy that as well? I seem to remember reading something about a free version these days - is that worthwhile or do I bite the bullet and buy...is it this one I keep seeing: Microsoft Home and Student 2010?

-TangleFoot-

clearingout wrote: »

I seem to remember reading something about a free version...

That'd probably be LibreOffice.