Some laptop advice.

[Rubric]

At last i have a little bit of money (£500) and the Mrs has agreed to a laptop being purchased. All i really need it for is a bit of word processing and the internet. Games would be nice but i have consoles for that. The only PC game i'm really interested in is Football Manager.

I almost brought this one in Dixons yesterday.

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/sto...fm=2&sm=1&tm=1&sku=522038&category_oid=-27405

I then discovered these 2 at Currys. They both seem identical tbh but they do have different numbers.

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/sto...fm=2&sm=1&tm=1&sku=007865&category_oid=-27405

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/sto...fm=2&sm=1&tm=1&sku=867214&category_oid=-27405

The thing with these two is they seem a little too good to be true and i cant find a review of them anywhere.

Can anyone offer any advice on these or any other laptop in my budget.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[DaGaffer]

I'm pretty sure you'd get a better spec for the same money from Dell.

 

[Rubric]

Sorry forgot to mention. Have no credit or debit cards so i need somewhere i can go and pay in cash. The first one i can get @ Dixons or Currys the other 2 are available at PC world to collect.


Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[xane]

Unfortunate that, because as DaGaffer says, Dell do some spankingly good value laptops for around £500, especially if you can time it right for the special offers. I've bought three so far for my family, all varying specs, and even the lowest spec'd one was damn good, and only £423 inc VAT and P&P.

 

[nath]

Dixons/Currys and PCWorld are quite possibly the worst place to buy computer equipment. However, if you have no CC then your options are severely limited. John Lewis is the best retail outlet to buy laptops imo.

Plus, get yourself an HP/Compaq or Toshiba laptop. Good value and very decent build quality. They'll be with you for a good long while.

 

[smurkin]

Plus, get yourself an HP/Compaq or Toshiba laptop.....

I have a Tosh portege m300 laptop - its really nice, but I dont think I'd buy one again because it scratches very easily, probably because the light weight plastic cases aren't as resilient (it is VERY light, tho).

 

[Rubric]

Does anyone know what the build qualtiy of Advent laptops is like as it seems to be alot of spec for the money and the graphics has a name i recognise.

 

[djpringle]

The Advent is probably a rebadged Taiwan job, I got a big one from Evesham last year and whilst the spec was very nice it just doesn't perform very well Seems to have bottlenecks everywhere, next time I'll get a proper named brand...well a brand that isn't IBM either

 

[Ch3tan]

Acer laptops, just as good value as Dell. If you want to pay cash then come to Woolies or Comet and order one.

http://www.woolworths.co.uk/ww_p2/product/index.jhtml?pid=50552403
http://www.woolworths.co.uk/ww_p2/product/index.jhtml?pid=50599972
^ two good mid level laptops


If you really just do want it for the word processing and internet though:

http://www.woolworths.co.uk/ww_p2/product/index.jhtml?pid=50552231 < cheap but without widescreen display

http://www.woolworths.co.uk/ww_p2/product/index.jhtml?pid=50629807 < cheap with a 15.4" wide display


Depends how beefy a processor you want, if you are happy with a celeron instead of a proper pentium M tthen you can save some cash. I'm not trying to pimp by the way, these are simply the models I have seen while working that I think are good for the money. Shop around for the model numbers you may well find them cheaper.

 

[Lazarus]

Not sure where you are Rubric, but savastore have the Toshiba Satellite Pro A100 with Garmin Sat Nav Bundle for £468.81

http://www.savastore.com/productinf...e=Savastore&product_id=10288837&pid=2&tid=543

and they are located near Luton (Jessa House, Finway, Luton, LU1 1WE)

 

[Trem]

I have a Tosh portege m300 laptop - its really nice, but I dont think I'd buy one again because it scratches very easily, probably because the light weight plastic cases aren't as resilient (it is VERY light, tho).

They are sexy, they are the little ones aren't they?

Also if you go to pc world and order it online then when it comes to the checkout/delivery bit choose collect from store, then you can go to your local PCW and get it for the online price(which is always less).

Didn't know that until I did it a few weeks back for a Belkin router, it was almost £30 less online than instore and I just went and collected it an hour after finishing my online order.

 

[Rubric]

Acer laptops, just as good value as Dell. If you want to pay cash then come to Woolies or Comet and order one.

http://www.woolworths.co.uk/ww_p2/product/index.jhtml?pid=50552403
http://www.woolworths.co.uk/ww_p2/product/index.jhtml?pid=50599972
^ two good mid level laptops


If you really just do want it for the word processing and internet though:

http://www.woolworths.co.uk/ww_p2/product/index.jhtml?pid=50552231 < cheap but without widescreen display

http://www.woolworths.co.uk/ww_p2/product/index.jhtml?pid=50629807 < cheap with a 15.4" wide display


Depends how beefy a processor you want, if you are happy with a celeron instead of a proper pentium M tthen you can save some cash. I'm not trying to pimp by the way, these are simply the models I have seen while working that I think are good for the money. Shop around for the model numbers you may well find them cheaper.

Thanks they have given me something to think about too. I like and have heard lots of good things about acer. With woolies our local ones only seem to stock this dodgy medion laptop & a desktop for 399 & 299 respectively. I'll have to take a trip to one of our larger comet stores i think.

 

[Rubric]

Not sure where you are Rubric, but savastore have the Toshiba Satellite Pro A100 with Garmin Sat Nav Bundle for £468.81

http://www.savastore.com/productinf...e=Savastore&product_id=10288837&pid=2&tid=543

and they are located near Luton (Jessa House, Finway, Luton, LU1 1WE)

A little bit far too travel but that looks like a great laptop.

In fact i want that laptop. Seems to cost a bloody fortune at comet though

 

[Ch3tan]

Thanks they have given me something to think about too. I like and have heard lots of good things about acer. With woolies our local ones only seem to stock this dodgy medion laptop & a desktop for 399 & 299 respectively. I'll have to take a trip to one of our larger comet stores i think.

Some of the medion models are good...not the one in at the moment though.

<pimp>You just go to the woolies and order it for home delivery, the same as using the website, but you can pay cash.</pimp>

 

[Rubric]

Some of the medion models are good...not the one in at the moment though.

<pimp>You just go to the woolies and order it for home delivery, the same as using the website, but you can pay cash.</pimp>

Thanks for that buddy.

 

[Ch3tan]

Just a thought, you said you couldn't use dell because you have no credit or debit cards.... what about paying by cheque? Dell do some juicy laptops.

 

[Rubric]

Just a thought, you said you couldn't use dell because you have no credit or debit cards.... what about paying by cheque? Dell do some juicy laptops.

I can get a building society cheque raised from my nationwide account but the funds are immediately debited from my account and will be a swine to sort if the cheque goes missing.

 

[Whipped]

Haven't read all of this, but I saw Acer laptops mentioned. They used to be very bad, but I'd say they are easily the best of the budget laptops out there at the moment.

As for Dell. Anyone who suggest Dell for anything have obviously never had to deal with their technical support department