Trying to buy a Lap top - who knows about them

Happyfaces

Please can anyone tell me where to get good..not too techi advise on which lap top to buy. And then where to buy it. Price comparisons are difficult too because of extras..what do I need in extras...software included, virus protection etc etc. I need it to efficiently and reasonably quickly do all the basic stuff. ...don't have any games with hi spec graphics. Need to download photos etc, internet, i tunes..office ..and watch DVD's occasionally. Acer, Dell, toshiba, Apple..all with about a million variations on a theme. Hope some one can recommend a few and a place to buy one. Thankyou all.

s30jok

best to buy the most powerful and what you can afford.

ideally for watching dvd's i would try for a 17inch screen, and intel processor, and a standalone graphics card ie if it says integrated graphics this means it runs of the motherboard (where all your processes ared one) and will slow your pc down.

also if you get a pc that has a good graphics card like nvidia 7600 or better it will play most of the modern games if you change your mind in the future.

I would look for 150gb hard drive or bigger

at least 2gig of ram memory (you will need at least 1gig to run vista smoothly)

dvd burner/cd burner drive

some laptops now come with finger print scanners this would make a very good security option for you.

for the internet look for a wireless capable laptop with b and g specification if it has n spec this is even better.

without knowing your budget its hard to tailor it to you

hope this helps you.

sorry meant to tell you where to buy, Tesco extra's always have a few laptops, but they mainly sell Acer which is good all rounder, pc world obviously (dont let them sidetrack you into their special - although a few weeks ago they were selling a good toshiba one it was on tv)

www.novatech.co.uk

www.ebuyer.co.uk

www.rock-computers.co.uk

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Hot_Laptop_Deals/cat.asp

http://www.laptopshop.co.uk/cheap-laptop-deals.htm

http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/cgi-bin/ToshibaCSG/jsp/notebookHomepage.do?service=UK

adr0ck

almost any new laptop will suit your needs

as you don't seem to be too affay with comps i would get a laptop with an extended warranty.....whether this be a Dell or perhaps buying one from John Lewis (give you two years warranty as standard) or you could buy an Acer laptop (from wherever) and then buy an extended guarentee for it later on (approx £50 available from Amazon)

good luck

Enterprise_1701C

I would recommend Dell - you can tailor it to your own needs on their website. I suggest going on the website and having a look through, then going through the tailoring process to see what it all comes to.

I am typing this on a 3 1/2 year old Dell that is still running as good as new.

skintlass

I would look at getting a laptop with a good spec that isn't too heavy - if you want to view stuff on a big screen buy a separate screen and plug it in for when you want that display otherwise lugging it around will be a pain.

crox

I'd dare to say don't pay for a virus scanner, especially mcafee or norton/symantec. Have a search around here for the free ones, avg free or nod32 to name a couple. Most pc's come with works, but for most people open office (a simple download) will do the job. and for graphics gimp or paint.net are good for free.

VIJAY_FROM_KENT

I recommend when buying a laptop that you take out extended warantees if you can get a good price. Laptops cost a fortune for repairs if they break when not covered...

rancid-a

Hi Happyfaces

Well, lots of advice already I'll add one or two things.

If you buy your laptop in the highstreet and something goes wrong with it, you can take it staight back and seek help - bit awkward for some of us with a desktop, but a laptop, no problem!

If you buy it from an online vendor such as Dell, Mesh, Evesham etc. Should something go wrong, don't worry, technical support is only a pound-a-minute phone call away .

Shop around - compare specifications.

Perhaps buy a magazine like Computer Shopper - there's usually buying guides in them. Dell, Mesh etc all advertise in there too and the CD/DVD that you get with the mag usually has fairly usefull free software on it.

Good luck

Rancid

lyndasharp

I would be a bit cautious about buying Acer. 3 of my friends bought various models last year, and all 3 developed faults. Fair enough, they were exchanged / fixed under warrenty, but one of them lost all her data because of it. I'm currently typing this on a 2 1/2 year old HP laptop from John Lewis, and I've been very happy with it.

map200uk

lynda , thanks for that i've never had an acer yet (-i did almost though-but it was out of stock, perhaps to my advantage now

HP aren't bad, and imo Dell are quite good


mark

stulee_2

If you do decide to opt for Dell, these two sites sell refurbished/seconds/end of line models. Some of them come with Dell's 3 year onsite warranty too.

http://www.itcsales.co.uk/

http://www.mcscom.co.uk/

I've used them a few times for desktop PCs and been quite happy with the service.

This firm are similar but much larger and do get the odd customer service glitch but have a good range:

http://www.europc.co.uk/