I'm a complete technophobe.. LAPTOP ADVICE NEEDED please!
I'm looking to buy a new laptop for uni, but I'm seriously lost in the technology world, don't understand anything and there's so many different numbers and choices it really makes my head hurt.
I've spent a while looking for laptops, my main requirements are basically surfing the internet and using microsoft word and watching DVD's. My budget is £400 tops, I'd prefer to spend as little as possible, but I do want a full size 15.4/15.6 one as the little ones are no use for long essays etc... eyes hurt! I've picked a few laptops, and would gratefully appreciate your amazing help
in deciding between them (or offering up some links of ones I should have contemplated!).
Dell... Either the Q15R £379? or the N5040 £329.99 or the M5040 £349.99? They all seem *relatively* similar?
Packard Bell... 'TK'?
Any ideas at all welcome!
I've spent a while looking for laptops, my main requirements are basically surfing the internet and using microsoft word and watching DVD's. My budget is £400 tops, I'd prefer to spend as little as possible, but I do want a full size 15.4/15.6 one as the little ones are no use for long essays etc... eyes hurt! I've picked a few laptops, and would gratefully appreciate your amazing help
in deciding between them (or offering up some links of ones I should have contemplated!).Dell... Either the Q15R £379? or the N5040 £329.99 or the M5040 £349.99? They all seem *relatively* similar?
Packard Bell... 'TK'?
Any ideas at all welcome!
Original post by mancuniangirl
I'm looking to buy a new laptop for uni, but I'm seriously lost in the technology world, don't understand anything and there's so many different numbers and choices it really makes my head hurt.
I've spent a while looking for laptops, my main requirements are basically surfing the internet and using microsoft word and watching DVD's. My budget is £400 tops, I'd prefer to spend as little as possible, but I do want a full size 15.4/15.6 one as the little ones are no use for long essays etc... eyes hurt! I've picked a few laptops, and would gratefully appreciate your amazing help in deciding between them (or offering up some links of ones I should have contemplated!).
Dell... Either the Q15R £379? or the N5040 £329.99 or the M5040 £349.99? They all seem *relatively* similar?
Packard Bell... 'TK'?
Any ideas at all welcome!
I've spent a while looking for laptops, my main requirements are basically surfing the internet and using microsoft word and watching DVD's. My budget is £400 tops, I'd prefer to spend as little as possible, but I do want a full size 15.4/15.6 one as the little ones are no use for long essays etc... eyes hurt! I've picked a few laptops, and would gratefully appreciate your amazing help
in deciding between them (or offering up some links of ones I should have contemplated!).Dell... Either the Q15R £379? or the N5040 £329.99 or the M5040 £349.99? They all seem *relatively* similar?
Packard Bell... 'TK'?
Any ideas at all welcome!
You've started well by saying what job you want your laptop to do. An entry level machine will have a big enough rubber band inside. I use a Compaq (same company as HP) because I think they are reliable. You should be able to get one for about £350. Special offers of slightly-outdated stock would suit you fine. It's only the gamers who need a powerful box. Check what software is included. I use free OpenOffice because I'm too mean to pay Microsoft for Office.
don't get laptop would be my first piece of advice, get a cheap computer and do use your smartphone for everything else. My second piece would stay AS FAR away from Pc world/currys/dixons/staple/comet etc. they are the biggest theives in the world, god they overcharge.
if you listen to about not getting a laptop:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/pc/range/isysprov3.html
435 with Microsoft office 350 if you are smart and use Google docs.
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/monitors/19inchmonitors/nov-nlcd19.html
with a monitor and Google docs upto 420. Slightly over.
if you don't:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/laptop/range/nspireb960v2.html
430 with windows 7. You'll have to use Google docs
if you listen to about not getting a laptop:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/pc/range/isysprov3.html
435 with Microsoft office 350 if you are smart and use Google docs.
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/monitors/19inchmonitors/nov-nlcd19.html
with a monitor and Google docs upto 420. Slightly over.
if you don't:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/laptop/range/nspireb960v2.html
430 with windows 7. You'll have to use Google docs
(edited 11 years ago)
I'll have a look at Compaq, I think I avoided them being rather snobby as I'd heard they were a cheaper make? This is probably rubbish I've picked up somewhere!
Original post by mancuniangirl
I'll have a look at Compaq, I think I avoided them being rather snobby as I'd heard they were a cheaper make? This is probably rubbish I've picked up somewhere!
Look at what i've said, one of the points were to stay as far away from pc world as possible!^
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=n00n5434&c=uk&l=en&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&model_id=inspiron-15-intel-n5040&
Agreed on PC world. You'll pay a £50 premium in exchange for poor customer service. Maybe look at Dells? They've been fairly well reviewed recently. I don't know what they're like to own, though
Agreed on PC world. You'll pay a £50 premium in exchange for poor customer service. Maybe look at Dells? They've been fairly well reviewed recently. I don't know what they're like to own, though
Original post by Rainingshame
don't get laptop would be my first piece of advice, get a cheap computer and do use your smartphone for everything else. My second piece would stay AS FAR away from Pc world/currys/dixons/staple/comet etc. they are the biggest theives in the world, god they overcharge.
if you listen to about not getting a laptop:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/pc/range/isysprov3.html
435 with Microsoft office 350 if you are smart and use Google docs.
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/monitors/19inchmonitors/nov-nlcd19.html
with a monitor and Google docs upto 420. Slightly over.
if you don't:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/laptop/range/nspireb960v2.html
430 with windows 7. You'll have to use Google docs
if you listen to about not getting a laptop:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/pc/range/isysprov3.html
435 with Microsoft office 350 if you are smart and use Google docs.
http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/monitors/19inchmonitors/nov-nlcd19.html
with a monitor and Google docs upto 420. Slightly over.
if you don't:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/laptop/range/nspireb960v2.html
430 with windows 7. You'll have to use Google docs
Could not choose desktop I'm afraid, I've had a laptop for the last 3/4 years and I honestly am far too lazy and sit in a chair and use it! Plus my phone is a crappy blackberry and isn't up to lots of usage! But thanks for the laptop link, I'll take a look
Original post by mancuniangirl
I'll have a look at Compaq, I think I avoided them being rather snobby as I'd heard they were a cheaper make? This is probably rubbish I've picked up somewhere!
I thought your brief was for something that did the job and didn't cost too much? If you want a status symbol or fashion accessory, I'd recommend Sony or Mac.
Definitely can't afford Mac! I don't want a status symbol or fashion accessory, but I'd avoided them as I thought they were poor quality and unlikely to last.. I will hopefully stand corrected.
Does anyone know anything about Dell's... whether they're any good? And also Packard Bell? I know PB have a bad reputation, but is it true?
Original post by mancuniangirl
Does anyone know anything about Dell's... whether they're any good? And also Packard Bell? I know PB have a bad reputation, but is it true?
Packard Bell is a budget brand, they've dipped in and out of the market over the past six or so years, it's not a very popular brand and their products are usually sub-par.
The Dell you listed for £379 has an Intel Pentium (2.0GHz) , 4GB of Ram and a 500GB of Harddrive, it's nothing amazing, but for the price it's not so bad. Have a look how it compares:
(This is slightly cheaper/better than the Dell http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/acer-aspire-5733-15-6-laptop-charcoal-12311784-pdt.html)
http://www.ebuyer.com/271939-acer-aspire-5560g-laptop-lx-rnz02-049
- AMD Quad Core A8-3500M (The processor is on a par with the i3 below and in other laptops at this range. It's worth considering, but in bench marks it scores 4% higher in some tests - which is nothing, see it as equivalent as the i3 below)
- 8GB RAM + 750GB HDD (you don't need more than 4GB of Ram at this stage, and you could always upgrade it yourself at a later date)
- 15.6" HD + Webcam
- A8 AMD Radeon HD6740G 2GB VRAM (I doubt you'd need this, it's not amazing, but it's costing you extra)
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64
£479.98inc. vat
£598.81 Save £118.83
http://www.ebuyer.com/338253-hp-pavilion-g6-1391ea-laptop-b1y16ea-abu
HP Pavilion G6-1391ea Laptop
- Intel Core i3-2330M 2.2GHz
- 6GB RAM + 500GB HDD
- 15.6" HD + DVD±RW
- Webcam
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64
£410.66inc. vat
£468.53 Save £57.87
(The HP is pretty similar to the Dell, I prefer the design, and processors are not too different during day to day use (but the i3 would be worth the extra price), again the extra ram is probably unnecessary for you, but in all for the price, if it were the HP vs the Dell, i'd go for the HP)
Asus is a good brand, HP not so bad (but at the lower end usually overpriced for the specs, you'e paying for the design really), and Acer isn't bad either - i've always thought they look ugly though.
Really any laptop will do for you, I honestly think that there's not much difference between any of them at the <£450 level. Obviously you want the most for your money, so take a look around and compare the numbers, literally.
At this price point you'll see lots of lower end CPUs with integrated graphics or low-end AMD chips, there's not much difference between the two for daily use. You'll also see lots of Pentium or AMD Dual Core processors, there's not much difference between the two at this lower end either. I wouldn't settle for less than 4GB of ram at this price, because you can get it. The budget i3 would perform better than the Pentium though, so if you can go for a laptop with that over the pentium, then do so. It won't be winning any prizes however, but it will be a bit more solid performance wise.
If you want a trusted brand, Lenovo is pretty highly regarded, and this isn't a steal, but it's on a par with those above: http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/lenovo-g570-15-6-laptop-gun-metal-12377745-pdt.html
1) 4GB of Ram (or above, depending on the price increase)
2) An i3 in this range, will beat the Pentium, and is well worth the extra price, likewise some of the AMD chips at this range can be cheaper than their Intel counterparts and hold their own just the same. The AMD A8-3500M is better on paper than the i3 2330M for instance. You'll see lots of AMD E450 CPUs, second generation i3's and even the Pentium would be better, but the price slightly higher.
3) You won't mind having integrated graphics, but even in light gaming most AMD chips will give you slightly better performance, I've always hated integrated graphics chips, but at this price, there isn't much difference really, especially in terms of what you're using it for.
4) Design is the biggest differentiation at this level
5) Screen resolution - on a 15.4" laptop, I'd hate to have a screen resolution of 1366 x 768. It comes down to personal choice though.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by super.teve
If you want a trusted brand, Lenovo is pretty highly regarded, and this isn't a steal, but it's on a par with those above: http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/lenovo-g570-15-6-laptop-gun-metal-12377745-pdt.html
If you want a trusted brand, Lenovo is pretty highly regarded, and this isn't a steal, but it's on a par with those above: http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/lenovo-g570-15-6-laptop-gun-metal-12377745-pdt.html
PC World aren't always dreadful but they can be very deceptive. This Lenovo is the same price as the one you linked, with a far better processor:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/lenovo-essential-g570-15-6-laptop-11884781-pdt.html
I think that's a steal for a 2nd-gen i5
I'm looking to actually buy it from Tesco as I have quite a lot of clubcard vouchers that double up.. so I can get about £50 off which is looking very attractive to a soon to be student! Any ideas of any good ones Tesco are currently selling?
Original post by mancuniangirl
I'm looking to actually buy it from Tesco as I have quite a lot of clubcard vouchers that double up.. so I can get about £50 off which is looking very attractive to a soon to be student! Any ideas of any good ones Tesco are currently selling?
Just use the advice above and post some you like the design of or are considering. At the £300-£450 price level, there isn't much difference in what is offered.
Overlook anything with a Pentium or Celeron processor, and maybe even some of the lower end AMD CPUs, the Phemon isn't so bad, and when it comes to price vs performance might be worth looking at.
Don't consider anything with less than 4GB of Ram and a 500GB harddrive, as even at £400 you'd get an entry level i3 and just above £420 (looking at Tesco) an i5.
Obviously the i5 outperforms the i3, and the AMD offerings tend to be slightly less spunky when compared to the i3 - but in terms of price, can offer good performance at a lower price.
Really it comes down to use - because you're not gaming or running any high demand programs it's worth getting something that has an okay price in terms of specs.
Anything over 4GB of ram is just extra playing room, you won't need it at this point and it can always be upgraded in the future.
The main thing to watch is the processor, the design (if you care), max screen resolution (if you care) and graphics. But you can afford to not have discrete graphics if you're not gaming - most GPU's at this level don't outperform the integrated Intel variety to warrant much attention.
1.
If it says shared/integrated graphics (almost all, if not all laptops at this price point with an i3/i5 will have shared graphics), don't worry. For your use it's not so much of a negative thing.
2.
The AMD offerings will probably be cheaper, day-to-day they'll provide you with the same performance as an entry-level i3, which is what you'd get at this price. An i5 which is better than the i3 would be more expensive, that's a choice that's up to you.
3.
Harddrive space is something you can only say you'll need. 500GB is usually more than enough, 320GB is usually fine too, 500GB would obviously give you more freedom for the future than anything less, but it's not a major issue, both should be sufficient.
4.
4GB of ram is more than enough for light use, 6-8GB is overkill but if you can get it for the price you're willing to pay then you can. HOWEVER, usually you'll sacrifice on the processor and get more ram, they'll charge you the same but they'll take one thing away. You can upgrade the ram, you can't typically upgrade the processor
5.
Resolution is important, as I said earlier, for a 15.4" 1366 x 768 would be a bit disappointing.
6.
Most of the other differences come in the design.
Original post by super.teve
Just use the advice above and post some you like the design of or are considering. At the £300-£450 price level, there isn't much difference in what is offered.
Overlook anything with a Pentium or Celeron processor, and maybe even some of the lower end AMD CPUs, the Phemon isn't so bad, and when it comes to price vs performance might be worth looking at.
Don't consider anything with less than 4GB of Ram and a 500GB harddrive, as even at £400 you'd get an entry level i3 and just above £420 (looking at Tesco) an i5.
Obviously the i5 outperforms the i3, and the AMD offerings tend to be slightly less spunky when compared to the i3 - but in terms of price, can offer good performance at a lower price.
Really it comes down to use - because you're not gaming or running any high demand programs it's worth getting something that has an okay price in terms of specs.
Anything over 4GB of ram is just extra playing room, you won't need it at this point and it can always be upgraded in the future.
The main thing to watch is the processor, the design (if you care), max screen resolution (if you care) and graphics. But you can afford to not have discrete graphics if you're not gaming - most GPU's at this level don't outperform the integrated Intel variety to warrant much attention.
Overlook anything with a Pentium or Celeron processor, and maybe even some of the lower end AMD CPUs, the Phemon isn't so bad, and when it comes to price vs performance might be worth looking at.
Don't consider anything with less than 4GB of Ram and a 500GB harddrive, as even at £400 you'd get an entry level i3 and just above £420 (looking at Tesco) an i5.
Obviously the i5 outperforms the i3, and the AMD offerings tend to be slightly less spunky when compared to the i3 - but in terms of price, can offer good performance at a lower price.
Really it comes down to use - because you're not gaming or running any high demand programs it's worth getting something that has an okay price in terms of specs.
Anything over 4GB of ram is just extra playing room, you won't need it at this point and it can always be upgraded in the future.
The main thing to watch is the processor, the design (if you care), max screen resolution (if you care) and graphics. But you can afford to not have discrete graphics if you're not gaming - most GPU's at this level don't outperform the integrated Intel variety to warrant much attention.
1.
If it says shared/integrated graphics (almost all, if not all laptops at this price point with an i3/i5 will have shared graphics), don't worry. For your use it's not so much of a negative thing.
2.
The AMD offerings will probably be cheaper, day-to-day they'll provide you with the same performance as an entry-level i3, which is what you'd get at this price. An i5 which is better than the i3 would be more expensive, that's a choice that's up to you.
3.
Harddrive space is something you can only say you'll need. 500GB is usually more than enough, 320GB is usually fine too, 500GB would obviously give you more freedom for the future than anything less, but it's not a major issue, both should be sufficient.
4.
4GB of ram is more than enough for light use, 6-8GB is overkill but if you can get it for the price you're willing to pay then you can. HOWEVER, usually you'll sacrifice on the processor and get more ram, they'll charge you the same but they'll take one thing away. You can upgrade the ram, you can't typically upgrade the processor
5.
Resolution is important, as I said earlier, for a 15.4" 1366 x 768 would be a bit disappointing.
6.
Most of the other differences come in the design.
Thank you for all your help!
Original post by super.teve
Just use the advice above and post some you like the design of or are considering. At the £300-£450 price level, there isn't much difference in what is offered.
Overlook anything with a Pentium or Celeron processor, and maybe even some of the lower end AMD CPUs, the Phemon isn't so bad, and when it comes to price vs performance might be worth looking at.
Don't consider anything with less than 4GB of Ram and a 500GB harddrive, as even at £400 you'd get an entry level i3 and just above £420 (looking at Tesco) an i5.
Obviously the i5 outperforms the i3, and the AMD offerings tend to be slightly less spunky when compared to the i3 - but in terms of price, can offer good performance at a lower price.
Really it comes down to use - because you're not gaming or running any high demand programs it's worth getting something that has an okay price in terms of specs.
Anything over 4GB of ram is just extra playing room, you won't need it at this point and it can always be upgraded in the future.
The main thing to watch is the processor, the design (if you care), max screen resolution (if you care) and graphics. But you can afford to not have discrete graphics if you're not gaming - most GPU's at this level don't outperform the integrated Intel variety to warrant much attention.
Overlook anything with a Pentium or Celeron processor, and maybe even some of the lower end AMD CPUs, the Phemon isn't so bad, and when it comes to price vs performance might be worth looking at.
Don't consider anything with less than 4GB of Ram and a 500GB harddrive, as even at £400 you'd get an entry level i3 and just above £420 (looking at Tesco) an i5.
Obviously the i5 outperforms the i3, and the AMD offerings tend to be slightly less spunky when compared to the i3 - but in terms of price, can offer good performance at a lower price.
Really it comes down to use - because you're not gaming or running any high demand programs it's worth getting something that has an okay price in terms of specs.
Anything over 4GB of ram is just extra playing room, you won't need it at this point and it can always be upgraded in the future.
The main thing to watch is the processor, the design (if you care), max screen resolution (if you care) and graphics. But you can afford to not have discrete graphics if you're not gaming - most GPU's at this level don't outperform the integrated Intel variety to warrant much attention.
1.
If it says shared/integrated graphics (almost all, if not all laptops at this price point with an i3/i5 will have shared graphics), don't worry. For your use it's not so much of a negative thing.
2.
The AMD offerings will probably be cheaper, day-to-day they'll provide you with the same performance as an entry-level i3, which is what you'd get at this price. An i5 which is better than the i3 would be more expensive, that's a choice that's up to you.
3.
Harddrive space is something you can only say you'll need. 500GB is usually more than enough, 320GB is usually fine too, 500GB would obviously give you more freedom for the future than anything less, but it's not a major issue, both should be sufficient.
4.
4GB of ram is more than enough for light use, 6-8GB is overkill but if you can get it for the price you're willing to pay then you can. HOWEVER, usually you'll sacrifice on the processor and get more ram, they'll charge you the same but they'll take one thing away. You can upgrade the ram, you can't typically upgrade the processor
5.
Resolution is important, as I said earlier, for a 15.4" 1366 x 768 would be a bit disappointing.
6.
Most of the other differences come in the design.
Just one thing OP. I'd disagree with super.teve on one thing - the resolution point. You're not going to get a laptop for under £400 with better than 1366 x 768 so it's not really worth considering. If you do then I'd be pretty surprised.
Original post by hassi94
Just one thing OP. I'd disagree with super.teve on one thing - the resolution point. You're not going to get a laptop for under £400 with better than 1366 x 768 so it's not really worth considering. If you do then I'd be pretty surprised.
I've seen a few, there are many, just hiding! Edit; yeh I checked the cheapest I could fine was £579, I obviously didn't pay too much attention to the price!
(edited 11 years ago)
hey, if your still looking tell me because I'm a computer technician, I will help you find a computer for your needs, some of the laptops people have posted will be pointless for you, there is no way you would need a machine that powerful. A dual core with 3Gb of memory would be fine for that and dont bother getting a Hard disk over 250Gb unless your planning on installing large programs such as iTunes on a regular basis (obviously not iTunes more than once haha!) - I would also advise windows 7, NEVER vista unless you want to be ripped off.
Thanks.
Thanks.
(edited 11 years ago)
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