Page 1 of What laptop shall I get?

I can`t stand the thought of having to go to a shop and glaze over while talking to some herbert about how I need this and that. And I don`t know enough to just buy one online. So, do the hard work for me and tell me what I should get.... please! (makes, memory, software, etc). It will be used mostly for internet, emails, skype and music and photo stuff. And school work for our 8-year-old, so needs to be sturdy! (Or maybe get a another cheapo one for him?!) Need printer too.
Budget-wise, we don`t have to skimp (this will be instead of a `proper` computer rather than as well as), so maybe a `good-value` option and a `for just a bit more you can get this` option. Thanks

I could almost have recommended one till you said sturdy! :) Maybe get a netbook for him instead? Just something he can browse the net on, do emails, and use OpenOffice?

As for you, it`s pretty easy. Just go to laptops direct and find a brand you trust (I like Acer myself) and find one with 4GB ram, Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium, and most importantly nVidia or ATI mobile graphics. DO NOT get any laptop with any other graphics chipset, such as Intel, they suck!

Then whatever you get, when you get it, spend hours uninstalling all the rubbish they insist on adding to the basic install, from four hundred trial applications to whatever awful antivirus they chose.


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Quote:
Robert John Shepherd says...
Then whatever you get, when you get it, spend hours uninstalling all the rubbish they insist on adding to the basic install, from four hundred trial applications to whatever awful antivirus they chose.Does anyone actually sell desktops or Laptops with just the OS on these days?


Snaps

Every Third Car

Novatech probably do, as you can buy a machine without OS, so my guess is if you buy with OS it`s a vanilla install.

I bought this PC from Mesh a few years ago, I don`t remember having to uninstall crap off it, I think the software installed was "useful" like dvd player, cd burning software, rather than trial/demos.

Speaking of Novatech, my father in law is happy with bits of PC he bought from there to build himself, desktop he bought for my sister in law, and laptop he bought for himself, so might be worth following RJS`s advice, and then see how Novatech and Dell compare. Dell outlet as well.

This item was edited on Wednesday, 23rd February 2011, 13:00

Argos are doing the MSI netbooks for £149 at the moment.


They can be made Hackintosh aswell, if you don`t know what that is, then probably no good.

Hotukdeals is pretty good for the laptop deals (I`ve ended up buying 2 in the past few weeks from deals I`ve seen on there).

Sturdyness could potentially prove an issue for the one I bought yesterday.

Though which is this one

It`s a 13.3" Samsung and is inbetween a netbook and proper laptop, but has HDMI out to go into tv if bigger screen was needed, plus battery life is really good aswell, plus the fact it`s portable.

www.last.fm/user/1mills

Excluding one off specials of the type you get on hot deals this site was the cheapest and easiest to use for laptops that I could find.

http://www.saveonlaptops.co.uk/

Just a case of putting in your budget and the specs recommended above and see what you can get.

edit: I`ve just followed the link in the post above and it sends you there too, so I second that.

This item was edited on Wednesday, 23rd February 2011, 17:56

Quote:
Issac Hunt says...
Or maybe get a another cheapo one for him?
Have a look at this, but be quick, because at that price (£135) these will sell out fast.
BTY this is just a heads up not a recommendation of that machine as I`ve never owned a MSI netbook.
 

Quote:
Does anyone actually sell desktops or Laptops with just the OS on these days?

SnapsNot much good to us outside USA, but just read this
Feeling heat from Macs, Microsoft sells PCs sans crapwareQuote:
With Apple Macs in its sights, Microsoft has been quietly reselling PCs that offer customized, slimmed-down installations of Windows designed to run faster and to be easier to set up and maintain.

The software company has been selling computers preloaded with the custom Windows image since at least October 2009 under the a program called Signature, according to this articleQuote:
from CNET News. But over the past few weeks, Microsoft has reinvigorated its marketing of the program with stats designed to show the benefits of buying PCs that come with a Signature image compared with the default image supplied by the Dell or one of the other PC makers.






I can`t see Dell etc changing their ways though since they get money from it :(

Just bought an Acer.
i5-480M processor.  Should get it tomorrow.

Ste

I`m thinking about updating my Macbook. It`s now 3 years old and whilst it`s still running absolutely fine I really want a desktop replacement.
Considering the 15" Macbook Pro with the i7 2.0Ghz CPU in it. Will also get the wife`s cousin to use his student discount on that and the AppleCare warranty ;)