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Laptop advice needed!

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Hello! I have a toshiba laptop which is sadly on its last legs and i really need to buy a new one but i am on a very tight budget (£350 tops) and i have no idea where to start looking. I have been advised to avoid wondows vista until all teething troubles are ironed out. I just needed a simple one for my photos, music, watching films, writing letters etc I don't use it a lot but i do use it often! I have no idea whether the offers I see are good are not (RAM?! GB?! HELP!!). Please can any one help point me in the right direction of good laptops and good prices with decent warranties and no cons? I would be grateful for any advice!

Comments

  • albertross_2
    albertross_2 Posts: 8,932 Forumite
    Ever get the feeling you are wasting your time? :rolleyes:
  • nullogik
    nullogik Posts: 467 Forumite
    To be honest you're going to struggle to get something half decent at that price. Acer are worth a look as they have an extensive range for lower budgets.

    Supermarket specials at Aldi and Tesco are worth look too.
    Lack of money is the root of all evil.
    George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
  • Blacksheep1979
    Blacksheep1979 Posts: 4,224 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    acer are not worth looking at, they have shoddy build quality and fall apart.

    Either Dell as albertross suggests or save up for a little longer and look at spending a little more on a toshiba/asus/higher spec dell etc.
  • Hillfly
    Hillfly Posts: 672 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    acer are not worth looking at, they have shoddy build quality and fall apart.

    Either Dell as albertross suggests or save up for a little longer and look at spending a little more on a toshiba/asus/higher spec dell etc.

    That's a big brush your tarring acer with their.

    I and my family have found that they offer good value notebooks. I would certainly reccommend them for the usage as specified by the OP.
    Fortune's always hiding, I've looked everywhere......
  • Cricri
    Cricri Posts: 579 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    I got a refurb Dell P3-1GHz, 512MB RAM and 20GB hard drive at the beginning of the year for £165 including shipping, and it does all you need flawlessly.
    If you wanted a top notch gaming machine on the other hand, I wouldn't suggest it of course.
  • nullogik
    nullogik Posts: 467 Forumite
    acer are not worth looking at, they have shoddy build quality and fall apart.

    Either Dell as albertross suggests or save up for a little longer and look at spending a little more on a toshiba/asus/higher spec dell etc.

    I agree Hillfly that is a very broad sweeping statement to make about Acer. I've had two Acers and I must say they are solidly built and come with decent specs.

    Perhaps you're perception comes from experience of older models, but recently build quality has improved greatly.
    Lack of money is the root of all evil.
    George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
  • Idiophreak
    Idiophreak Posts: 12,024 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I've got an acer and it does me absolutely fine for the OPs needs...I've really not noticed any difference in quality between my Acer and my mum's Dell... (you do see a little bit more class from the gfs vaio though, but that's OT :))...

    iirc ebuyer are doing my laptop for £300 delivered at the mo (http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/123115/rb/0) which seems a good deal- I paid about 380 for it earlier in the year. It helps a bunch to stick an extra 512mb of ram in it, but apart from that it's groovy. Does come with vista now though, which is a shame, I'm still an XP fanboy :)
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