[booforty]

Hi all,

The missus wants a new laptop for internet access and to do some online study for a new course she's doing. However, she only wants a cheap as chips laptop and doesn't need anything top of the range.

Can anyone recommend any good laptops around the £250-£300 mark?

Thanks!

[AlanQS]

Seriously, just about anything will do for your wife's requirements. Buy a known make and you can't go wrong.

Acer, Advent, Toshiba, HP

If it's Windows Vista (99% certain) make sure it's at least Vista Home Premium (Vista Home basic is pants). You would be better off springing a few extra pounds and buying one with 2Gb RAM because Vista is a resource hog. For internet use, the speed of the processor is basically irrelevant as even a fast broadband connection is slower than all the other components of a computer. The graphics card is irrelevant provided you don't want to run modern graphic games, they all come with a DVD re-writer, and a decent size hard drive.

If these things are sorted you might as well make your choice on which one looks the smartest.

[jjbirch]

yeh what alan said really, just buy a good make one pc world has some good deals on compaq's they never let me down yet

[Dave_3]

As an alternative to a normal laptop, the new Atom powered laptops look quite tempting. At a low price.

Certainly NOT for anything processor intensive or games, but for portable web-browsing, Skype and light office work they are great fun. light and small too.

Dell do one now: http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/pr...a90&l=en&s=bsd at just over £200 - also offer different support options at a price.

And the Asus EEEPC is worth a look .. http://eeepc.asus.com/global/index.html

I know quite a few colleagues who use something like that now - and use them to remotely log-in to their base servers when on holiday in far flung places. Most of these laptops still use XP (without the silly overhead Vista requires).

You can also do internet access and "web based research" with an iPhone, or iTouch without the phone part

I'm speccing up a new laptop, but require a bit more "oomph", otherwise I would have one of those Atom laptops.

D.

[booforty]

Thanks, some really good tips and ideas

[Irnbrukid]

Samsung NC10

[AlanQS]

Dave's suggestion has only an 8.9" screen rather than 15" or more for a conventional laptop. If this is going to be used in the home you might find the screen very limiting indeed.

A good 15" laptop screen is the equivalent of a 17" CRT monitor, only sharper. Unless your wife wants a tiny lightweight unit , a conventional laptop might be easier.

[M3-FAST]

Originally Posted by AlanQS

Seriously, just about anything will do for your wife's requirements. Buy a known make and you can't go wrong.

Acer, Advent, Toshiba, HP

If it's Windows Vista (99% certain) make sure it's at least Vista Home Premium (Vista Home basic is pants). You would be better off springing a few extra pounds and buying one with 2Gb RAM because Vista is a resource hog. For internet use, the speed of the processor is basically irrelevant as even a fast broadband connection is slower than all the other components of a computer. The graphics card is irrelevant provided you don't want to run modern graphic games, they all come with a DVD re-writer, and a decent size hard drive.

If these things are sorted you might as well make your choice on which one looks the smartest.

+1 - just try to find one 'on a deal' if your not too bothered about a particular make and model

Try and avoid Celeron processors - much better off with a dual-core

2GB RAM is the minumum if Vista is to be used!

try ebuyer.com and see what offers they have - I use them LOTS at work and my last ASUS laptop off them was a bargain and an excellent spec for the money.

[DaveC]

Originally Posted by Dave_3

As an alternative to a normal laptop, the new Atom powered laptops look quite tempting. At a low price.

Certainly NOT for anything processor intensive or games, but for portable web-browsing, Skype and light office work they are great fun. light and small too.

Dell do one now: http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/pr...a90&l=en&s=bsd at just over £200 - also offer different support options at a price.

And the Asus EEEPC is worth a look .. http://eeepc.asus.com/global/index.html

Was just about to say the same thing. Fancy one of those for browsing in the living room.

[misterS3]

Get the 299quid HP from Ebuyer.

RE: EEEPC i bought one for my mum as a back up PC and i'm not a fan. It's small etc. But i wouldn't want to use it as my main PC as it's slow with XP nevermind Vista. I think it would be best left as Linux.

There's a 200quid HP which is much than the EEE-PC. A mate of mine who fixes PC's bought one and rates it.

[Dave_3]

Originally Posted by misterS3

RE: EEEPC i bought one for my mum as a back up PC and i'm not a fan. It's small etc. But i wouldn't want to use it as my main PC as it's slow with XP nevermind Vista. I think it would be best left as Linux.

There's a 200quid HP which is much than the EEE-PC. A mate of mine who fixes PC's bought one and rates it.

That's true enough for the first versions (701), the latest variants now have larger screens, better processors (900) and the option of the Atom chip - same as in the HP mini-note, which I am guessing your mate owns.

The small screen size is not so much of a drawback. It is still usually 1200 x X00 resolution so good for browsing. If your eyesight is not suited to physically smaller screens, or you require glasses then a normal laptop with a big screen will suit better.

Not for everyone, but for basic use and web browsing the dinky size, cost and portability of the little Atom laptops are attractive.

Laptops are a devil to recommend - everybody has a widely differing list of important criteria to meet.

D.

[NFS]

Originally Posted by booforty

Hi all,

The missus wants a new laptop for internet access and to do some online study for a new course she's doing. However, she only wants a cheap as chips laptop and doesn't need anything top of the range.

Can anyone recommend any good laptops around the £250-£300 mark?

Thanks!

I'd suggest a proper laptop if she is likely to be using it for study.

I'd also sugggest spending slightly more. No point in going completely cheap as chips if the performance is going to be so sluggish that it gets on her nerves.

These look sensible to me:

http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx...ationKey=11105

http://www.dabs.com/ProductView.aspx...1012&InMerch=1

[booforty]

You've given me a good few things to think about, thanks

[Porscha!]

Boo - if she goes down the route of little laptop, get her to try one! I nearly bought one for taking to uni but when I tried one I didn't like the small screen or keyboard size. Made me feel a bit sick looking at such a small screen, no idea why!!

If it is her only laptop I'd say get one with a normal screen.

Personally I like my Macs but they are expensive, look pretty though I've also got a "cheap" laptop I take to uni etc. it is an Advent not had any trouble with it whatsoever but I find it quite slow, got it from PC world think it was £349.

[booforty]

Yes, she's looking for a normal sized laptop with 15" screen minimum

[M3-FAST]

Originally Posted by booforty

Yes, she's looking for a normal sized laptop with 15" screen minimum

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/151240

Not a bad spec for a 'brand name' machine and just a shade over your £300 budget. Vista home premium would have been a bonus.

[booforty]

Looks like a good one

[Speedtrap]

Should have told me earlier - got 2 just sold. Brand new HP/Compaq dual core with 2gb ram and 120 HD....for only £220