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I want a laptop for uni that has the basic Microsoft packages and be able to surf the net and maybe watch DVD's on...but that's not essential. It also needs to have at least 3 USB connections and have an infrared port. I was considering this one becuase it seems to meet my criteria and is a really great price:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2056691070.1166203259@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdladdjjeiejekcflgceggdhhmdgmh.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=389383&category_oid=-27751
However i am completely computer illiterate so have no idea what all the jargon means in the specification
(please use layman's terms when explaining things to me). 
Considering the cheap price i'm assuming that it isn't very good, am I right? If so what would you recommend....i don't have a particular budget at the moment but i would say 800 pounds is the max...cheaper options are appreciated.
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@2056691070.1166203259@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccdladdjjeiejekcflgceggdhhmdgmh.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=389383&category_oid=-27751
However i am completely computer illiterate so have no idea what all the jargon means in the specification
(please use layman's terms when explaining things to me). Considering the cheap price i'm assuming that it isn't very good, am I right? If so what would you recommend....i don't have a particular budget at the moment but i would say 800 pounds is the max...cheaper options are appreciated.
In laymans terms, PC World has the worst support... They offer cheap products and in their own built pc's use the cheapest possible parts then charge you rediculous prices for repairs and spare parts.
You have a 1 year warranty with this PC, most pc's are usually ok for the first year, its after the second year the Hard Drive will start to go... Its also a not so popular make "EI SYSTEMS" has anyone heard of this brand??? Its ok to buy from companies that are un-heard however you usually have 2 scenarios with this when it comes to support
Scenario A: To build their reputation and a customer base, they bend over backwords to help you out and offer you support.
Scenario B: They cant be bothered and they vanish after having used cheap cheap components in their products.
My Tips (P.S I used to own a Computer Shop)
If you dont need portability dont buy a laptop, you can usually buy a super duper PC for half the price of a super duper laptop, you can also upgrade this for cheaper and easier than a laptop...
If you want to buy a laptop, bare in mind components are hard to find and expensiver for upgrades, usually components are modded to only work in that brand or even that model, with standard PC's most things are made universal and you can swap what you like... e.g I had a 128 meg Sim lying around so I thought I would upgrade the company web server which was a Dell, it was a standard generic memory module, I fitted in the Dell which already had 128, this memory would work on any standard PC. The PC would not start, this module cost me £9 I rang Dell, they told me that "PC would only take their own memory modules" - Said Dell, "how much is a memory module for this PC then" - Said I, "£54" - Said Dell, "Bye Bye Dell" - Said I
Layman terms components explained.
The Processor is what does the thinking for the PC it is like the Brain, the "1.60GHz" in this model is the Speed, it is a "INTEL CELERON M 420 PROCESSOR" the Celeron series are the budget version of Intel processors, Intel Pentium M would be better, these are designed for laptops. Usually these consume less battery power and the laptops with these are normally lighter and smaller...
"40 GB Hard Drive" - The hard drive is like the long term memory of the PC, this is what all your programs and work are stored on... For a standard PC (not laptop) a typical replacement hard drive 400 GB is just £65, on a laptop £65 would buy you about a 120 GB HD... The bigger the space the more you can store, if you download music this will use up space, 40 GB is not a lot at all Windows and Office and other applications you may have already installed and formating would probably leave you with about 33 GB spare. A single DVD is about 4 GB, so you would have the equivalent space of less than 10 DVD disks.
"256 MB RAM" - The RAM is the short term memory on the PC, this is faster than a Hard drive and is essential, the more you have the better. When Windows loads it loads files it needs into RAM as the hard drive is too slow to keep accessing, it then manages this memory. When you open Microsoft Word for example for the first time when turning on your PC it will load slower than when you reload it because its already stored in RAM. The more RAM you have the more Windows has to play with and this increases the speed of your PC and work.
"128MB Intel UMA integrated graphics" - Graphics Card Memory, this is what is used to display images on the screen, the more memory and the better the graphics card the better the display of videos and complex graphics. E.g Games, DVD's important note here is "128mb shared mb" This means the memory is shared from the 256 MB RAM above, therefore your only really getting about 128 RAM for applications and windows. Expect out of Memory Errors with some applications.
"Battery life (up to) 2.5 hours" - I would not say this is usually exactly accurate it all depends on what your doing with the laptop
Anyway hope some of this helps
You have a 1 year warranty with this PC, most pc's are usually ok for the first year, its after the second year the Hard Drive will start to go... Its also a not so popular make "EI SYSTEMS" has anyone heard of this brand??? Its ok to buy from companies that are un-heard however you usually have 2 scenarios with this when it comes to support
Scenario A: To build their reputation and a customer base, they bend over backwords to help you out and offer you support.
Scenario B: They cant be bothered and they vanish after having used cheap cheap components in their products.
My Tips (P.S I used to own a Computer Shop)
If you dont need portability dont buy a laptop, you can usually buy a super duper PC for half the price of a super duper laptop, you can also upgrade this for cheaper and easier than a laptop...
If you want to buy a laptop, bare in mind components are hard to find and expensiver for upgrades, usually components are modded to only work in that brand or even that model, with standard PC's most things are made universal and you can swap what you like... e.g I had a 128 meg Sim lying around so I thought I would upgrade the company web server which was a Dell, it was a standard generic memory module, I fitted in the Dell which already had 128, this memory would work on any standard PC. The PC would not start, this module cost me £9 I rang Dell, they told me that "PC would only take their own memory modules" - Said Dell, "how much is a memory module for this PC then" - Said I, "£54" - Said Dell, "Bye Bye Dell" - Said I
Layman terms components explained.
The Processor is what does the thinking for the PC it is like the Brain, the "1.60GHz" in this model is the Speed, it is a "INTEL CELERON M 420 PROCESSOR" the Celeron series are the budget version of Intel processors, Intel Pentium M would be better, these are designed for laptops. Usually these consume less battery power and the laptops with these are normally lighter and smaller...
"40 GB Hard Drive" - The hard drive is like the long term memory of the PC, this is what all your programs and work are stored on... For a standard PC (not laptop) a typical replacement hard drive 400 GB is just £65, on a laptop £65 would buy you about a 120 GB HD... The bigger the space the more you can store, if you download music this will use up space, 40 GB is not a lot at all Windows and Office and other applications you may have already installed and formating would probably leave you with about 33 GB spare. A single DVD is about 4 GB, so you would have the equivalent space of less than 10 DVD disks.
"256 MB RAM" - The RAM is the short term memory on the PC, this is faster than a Hard drive and is essential, the more you have the better. When Windows loads it loads files it needs into RAM as the hard drive is too slow to keep accessing, it then manages this memory. When you open Microsoft Word for example for the first time when turning on your PC it will load slower than when you reload it because its already stored in RAM. The more RAM you have the more Windows has to play with and this increases the speed of your PC and work.
"128MB Intel UMA integrated graphics" - Graphics Card Memory, this is what is used to display images on the screen, the more memory and the better the graphics card the better the display of videos and complex graphics. E.g Games, DVD's important note here is "128mb shared mb" This means the memory is shared from the 256 MB RAM above, therefore your only really getting about 128 RAM for applications and windows. Expect out of Memory Errors with some applications.
"Battery life (up to) 2.5 hours" - I would not say this is usually exactly accurate it all depends on what your doing with the laptop
Anyway hope some of this helps
Thanks for your advice c9679 that helped a lot ....i definately won't be getting that laptop or going to PC world. I'm not at uni yet so i don't know how much i'll be using a computer however i have my heart set on a laptop because i want the option of portability instead of having to be stuck in my room on the computer when i have loads of work to do. I'll still consider a PC but i'll probably keep looking for a laptop.
....i definately won't be getting that laptop or going to PC world. I'm not at uni yet so i don't know how much i'll be using a computer however i have my heart set on a laptop because i want the option of portability instead of having to be stuck in my room on the computer when i have loads of work to do. I'll still consider a PC but i'll probably keep looking for a laptop.You have a decent budget £800, so just look out for some offers from companies like Sony Vaio
I wouldnt really recommend buying a laptop to someone with a budget of say £350 because what you get for that price usually isnt very practical and ends up costing you more in the long run... My mate bought a laptop from PCWorld last year, I laughed at him sooooooo much, paid something like £349.99, the charger blew and as it was their own brands the only place he could find a charger from was them direct. New charger for him £79.99. After 6 months of the laptop just sitting in his room with no charger I bought it of him for £50... I took it apart and wired it into my car, with an Amp and built myself a touch screen Carputer
I felt ripped off paying him £50 after I lifted the laptop and realised how heavy it was...
I wouldnt really recommend buying a laptop to someone with a budget of say £350 because what you get for that price usually isnt very practical and ends up costing you more in the long run... My mate bought a laptop from PCWorld last year, I laughed at him sooooooo much, paid something like £349.99, the charger blew and as it was their own brands the only place he could find a charger from was them direct. New charger for him £79.99. After 6 months of the laptop just sitting in his room with no charger I bought it of him for £50... I took it apart and wired it into my car, with an Amp and built myself a touch screen Carputer
I felt ripped off paying him £50 after I lifted the laptop and realised how heavy it was...Help me decide great computer gurus...
PC1: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=23861702506&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=116052
or
PC2: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=23866731691&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=116053
or
PC3: http://www.morgancomputers.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductID=3763
The good thing about PC3 is that it's a real shop. And since this is for my mum, she'd like to go to the shop and complain if anything goes wrong. You can't exactly do that with ebuyer.
PC1 has a better processor than PC3, but it has less hdd space.
also, I want to know, are the two systems from ebuyer wireless network ready? Or do I hve to buy a separate wireless network card for it?
I have netgear 54Mbps Wireless ADSL Modem Router DG834G v3, I'm sure that the one from morgan is compatible with this. (I think! how can I check?).
If there are any other recommendations, please let me know.
PC1: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=23861702506&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=116052
or
PC2: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=23866731691&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=116053
or
PC3: http://www.morgancomputers.co.uk/shop/detail.asp?ProductID=3763
The good thing about PC3 is that it's a real shop. And since this is for my mum, she'd like to go to the shop and complain if anything goes wrong. You can't exactly do that with ebuyer.
PC1 has a better processor than PC3, but it has less hdd space.
also, I want to know, are the two systems from ebuyer wireless network ready? Or do I hve to buy a separate wireless network card for it?
I have netgear 54Mbps Wireless ADSL Modem Router DG834G v3, I'm sure that the one from morgan is compatible with this. (I think! how can I check?).
If there are any other recommendations, please let me know.
The first one by a mile. The router will be compatible with all of them.
Yes, the first one; unless your mother is planning on gaming? In which case the third will be the only appropriate one of those. They won't come with built in wireless though.
estel
Yes, the first one; unless your mother is planning on gaming? In which case the third will be the only appropriate one of those. They won't come with built in wireless though.
The third one states this:
10/100 LAn, 802.11 b/g WiFi,
Surely that's like my laptop and just can search for wireless networks and hook up to it.
So if money isn't a problem, would you buy the third one instead of the first one?
So the first two IS NOT wireless enabled and require me to buy a wireless network card?
My budget is around £500, I want the best deal with that money... so if something cost £400 and something costs £500 but the £500 one is clearly better, please advise me to get that one instead of the cheaper option.
Any thoughts on this system?
Cooler Master Centurion 531 Silver
NorthQ 4775-400, ATX 400W Silent, 140mm
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz Socket
MSI P965 Platinum, P965, Socket-775
XFX GeForce 7950GT 550M 512MB GDDR3,
Corsair Value S. PC5300 DDR2 2048MB
Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB SATA2
NEC DVD±recorder AD-5170 IDE Black OEM
742.66
For £100 more I can either add a 74gb 10,000 rpm raptor x drive or upgrade to 8800gts. Any of these worth it?
Cooler Master Centurion 531 Silver
NorthQ 4775-400, ATX 400W Silent, 140mm
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz Socket
MSI P965 Platinum, P965, Socket-775
XFX GeForce 7950GT 550M 512MB GDDR3,
Corsair Value S. PC5300 DDR2 2048MB
Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB SATA2
NEC DVD±recorder AD-5170 IDE Black OEM
742.66
For £100 more I can either add a 74gb 10,000 rpm raptor x drive or upgrade to 8800gts. Any of these worth it?
Awesome-o
Any thoughts on this system?
Cooler Master Centurion 531 Silver
NorthQ 4775-400, ATX 400W Silent, 140mm
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz Socket
MSI P965 Platinum, P965, Socket-775
XFX GeForce 7950GT 550M 512MB GDDR3,
Corsair Value S. PC5300 DDR2 2048MB
Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB SATA2
NEC DVD±recorder AD-5170 IDE Black OEM
742.66
For £100 more I can either add a 74gb 10,000 rpm raptor x drive or upgrade to 8800gts. Any of these worth it?
Cooler Master Centurion 531 Silver
NorthQ 4775-400, ATX 400W Silent, 140mm
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13GHz Socket
MSI P965 Platinum, P965, Socket-775
XFX GeForce 7950GT 550M 512MB GDDR3,
Corsair Value S. PC5300 DDR2 2048MB
Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB SATA2
NEC DVD±recorder AD-5170 IDE Black OEM
742.66
For £100 more I can either add a 74gb 10,000 rpm raptor x drive or upgrade to 8800gts. Any of these worth it?
Needs a better power supply, and I'd change the hard drive for a Seagate or Samsung, but other than that not too bad...upgrading to an 8800GTS for £100 more seems reasonable.
So which system out of the three would you say is the best?
Well the differences between 1 and 3 is that 1 has a much better processor. 3 has an additional wifi card and 250 gigs of more storage. It also has a TV card.
The price difference between an AMD 64 3400+ and x2 3800+ is around £80. A 250GB external drive costs £65. A wifi card/usb adaptor costs £20, and a decent tv card £30-40. Thats a price difference of ~£50. Now look at the actual price.
Also, 1 is definitely an AM2 system while im not too sure on 3.
The price difference between an AMD 64 3400+ and x2 3800+ is around £80. A 250GB external drive costs £65. A wifi card/usb adaptor costs £20, and a decent tv card £30-40. Thats a price difference of ~£50. Now look at the actual price.
Also, 1 is definitely an AM2 system while im not too sure on 3.
Is intel pentium D better than pentium 4? Or should I opt for a core 2 duo system if I decide on intel machines?
I'm still confused over this intel or AMD stuff ......
I'm still confused over this intel or AMD stuff
......Okay, I've narrowed i down to these two PCs:
AMD: http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=355232&tab=specification#spec
Intel: http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=355216&tab=specification#spec
Just a few things to point out:
The AMD one has a shared graphics card so it uses some of the ram. I'm not sure if it has a sound card or not.... and the power efficiency is C.
The intel one is faster in terms of CPU, it has more hdd space....
But is a lil more expensive.
Here's the specs from ebuyer:
AMD: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=23884936494&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X3NwZWNpZmljYXRpb25z&product_uid=116052
Intel: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=23884960350&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X3NwZWNpZmljYXRpb25z&product_uid=116053
I'm going to buy it today from the comet down the road from me so this is the last time I'll bother you guys on this subject, thanks all for helping me out
AMD: http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=355232&tab=specification#spec
Intel: http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/product.do?sku=355216&tab=specification#spec
Just a few things to point out:
The AMD one has a shared graphics card so it uses some of the ram. I'm not sure if it has a sound card or not.... and the power efficiency is C.
The intel one is faster in terms of CPU, it has more hdd space....
But is a lil more expensive.
Here's the specs from ebuyer:
AMD: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=23884936494&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X3NwZWNpZmljYXRpb25z&product_uid=116052
Intel: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=23884960350&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X3NwZWNpZmljYXRpb25z&product_uid=116053
I'm going to buy it today from the comet down the road from me so this is the last time I'll bother you guys on this subject, thanks all for helping me out
Personally, neither. That size Acers use mATX motherboards, and usually pretty poor ones at that. The cases are cheap, flimsy and razor sharp inside.
If you've /got/ to get one today, then the Intel since it has a dedicated graphics card; although both machines are pretty abysmal for the price.
If you've /got/ to get one today, then the Intel since it has a dedicated graphics card; although both machines are pretty abysmal for the price.
PieMaster
Personally, neither. That size Acers use mATX motherboards, and usually pretty poor ones at that. The cases are cheap, flimsy and razor sharp inside.
If you've /got/ to get one today, then the Intel since it has a dedicated graphics card; although both machines are pretty abysmal for the price.
If you've /got/ to get one today, then the Intel since it has a dedicated graphics card; although both machines are pretty abysmal for the price.
Which one do you recommend then? I really need to get something quick for around £300 - £500
Assuming you dont want to build it yourself which is the best route for value; the only option you really have for buying one today is to wander into a reputable local PC shop and see what they have in stock and buy one there.
Make sure you check for things like QTec power supplys and Maxtor disks and ask to pay extra to swap them for better brands for a little extra.
If you can aford to wait till after christmas, or can take a gamble on next day delivery, have a hunt though www.overclockers.co.uk and www.aria.co.uk 's prebuilt machines.
£720 will buy you a nice dual core gaming machine built from decent components. http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-035-OK
If you don'tn eedto game, you can get a good solid system very cheaply.
Make sure you check for things like QTec power supplys and Maxtor disks and ask to pay extra to swap them for better brands for a little extra.
If you can aford to wait till after christmas, or can take a gamble on next day delivery, have a hunt though www.overclockers.co.uk and www.aria.co.uk 's prebuilt machines.
£720 will buy you a nice dual core gaming machine built from decent components. http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-035-OK
If you don'tn eedto game, you can get a good solid system very cheaply.
PieMaster
Assuming you dont want to build it yourself which is the best route for value; the only option you really have for buying one today is to wander into a reputable local PC shop and see what they have in stock and buy one there.
Make sure you check for things like QTec power supplys and Maxtor disks and ask to pay extra to swap them for better brands for a little extra.
If you can aford to wait till after christmas, or can take a gamble on next day delivery, have a hunt though www.overclockers.co.uk and www.aria.co.uk 's prebuilt machines.
£720 will buy you a nice dual core gaming machine built from decent components. http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-035-OK
If you don'tn eedto game, you can get a good solid system very cheaply.
Make sure you check for things like QTec power supplys and Maxtor disks and ask to pay extra to swap them for better brands for a little extra.
If you can aford to wait till after christmas, or can take a gamble on next day delivery, have a hunt though www.overclockers.co.uk and www.aria.co.uk 's prebuilt machines.
£720 will buy you a nice dual core gaming machine built from decent components. http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-035-OK
If you don'tn eedto game, you can get a good solid system very cheaply.
Well, it won't be used for gaming and I can wait till after christmas if need be....
All the systems on overclockers seems a bit... extravagant.
hmmmm....... (I don't have time to build one myself because I've not built one before so it'll make me a fair while, with exams coming up, time is of essence....)
Hmmm, I can't seem to find the one you recommended "http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-035-OK" directly from the site. How did you get to it? I want a machine with decent parts but it won't be used for much gaming. Maybe once in a while.
The cheapest one I could find on overclockers is http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-029-OK
How did you get to the one you showed me PieMaster?
I just want to see if there's any cheaper ones that's all.
Thanks a lot for your help.
The cheapest one I could find on overclockers is http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-029-OK
How did you get to the one you showed me PieMaster?
I just want to see if there's any cheaper ones that's all.
Thanks a lot for your help.
There are quite a few cheaper ones. On the main page, choose 'full systems' ffrom the left hand side, then sort the price from lowest to highest.
I'd avoid the ones in the Asus SFF cases though.
I'd avoid the ones in the Asus SFF cases though.
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