Laptop/computers - Your Verdicts!

[MrsICTFC]

I am looking to buy a new laptop/computer. I have a budget of ?800, what would you guys/ladies suggest?? (I am happy with a laptop or computer).

Thanks.

[Georgeios]

I am looking to buy a new laptop/computer. I have a budget of ?800, what would you guys/ladies suggest?? (I am happy with a laptop or computer).

Thanks.

?800, these days you could have the berrys of eather PC Or Laptop, If it was me I'd look at the Dell website, I work in IT (only First line) and bought a Dell 18 mths ago, we use them at work aswell. Like I said though, the Dell web site will, allow you to tailor your machine....

[kiltarlity]

I am looking to buy a new laptop/computer. I have a budget of ?800, what would you guys/ladies suggest?? (I am happy with a laptop or computer).

Thanks.

No need to spend ?800 these days to get a decent computer, ?500 will do it nicely. Only reason I could see for a ?800 on a pc would be if you were getting a custom built gaming rig, with a expensive top end graphics card.

I would always have a laptop myself, only reasons I can think of to have a desktop pc over a laptop is it's easier to upgrade and repair a desktop.

Edited June 16, 2009 by kiltarlity

[MrsICTFC]

Thanks for your replies! ?500 sounds better, I have no idea about computers/laptops (as you can tell). I will be using it for a University course.

I will have a look at the Dell website, cheers!

[Heilandee]

Go in and see Robert at the Inverness computer center in Greig street,he'll keep you right and your giving yer dosh to another ICT fan :D

[Georgeios]

Go in and see Robert at the Inverness computer center in Greig street,he'll keep you right and your giving yer dosh to another ICT fan :)

Yes i forgot about drunk bob he'll see you right... been around years.....

[MissICT]

I am looking to buy a new laptop/computer. I have a budget of ?800, what would you guys/ladies suggest?? (I am happy with a laptop or computer).

Thanks.

?800, these days you could have the berrys of eather PC Or Laptop, If it was me I'd look at the Dell website, I work in IT (only First line) and bought a Dell 18 mths ago, we use them at work aswell. Like I said though, the Dell web site will, allow you to tailor your machine....

I got a brand new Dell in May and they are good.

They are super fast and you can get good deals.

[SMEE]

Ad go for a laptop and I would just go to PC World. Cheaper and better choice. Ad avoid acer tho. In Saying that, Dell do quite good offers too.

[Scotty]

It may be a different scenario in the UK these days but I have always avoided Dell. I found them full of bloatware, over-priced and not too reliable ... but if people think they are good, then maybe the UK range is better than North America !!! My brand of choice is HP but in laptops I also like Toshiba.

As for whether to buy a laptop or desktop - thats down to you. Ask yourself "What do I need it for?", "Where will I use it?", "Will i need to use it for work/school?" etc.

You will get more "bang for the buck" in a desktop in terms of Hard Drive size, memory, processor speed etc but if your needs are not excessive (ie. latest 3D games etc) then a laptop may be a better choice as it has the versatility to be mobile rather than stuck in one place.

With a laptop you would give up a few Gb of HD space (but you can buy an external HD if needed), likely some processing power and probably have to "share" video memory with the system instead of having it on a separate card (not a huge issue if you are surfing internet and doing regular stuff rather than 3D games) .......

As for where to buy it ? Sorry been out of the country too long, but do what you should always do in any country and shop around for the best deal !!!

[caleyrule]

I would highley recomment Acer we have never had any problems with Acer

I would also recomment Logic Computers in Elgin very high quality and at low prices

[tm4tj]

I got my wifes toshiba in Roberts on Greig Street, think it was around the six or seven hundred pounds, more than enough for what you will need it for. Good deals in Tesco's and PC world as well though, worth looking around although all the specs for the various laptops are slightly different making it difficult to compare prices and it will give you a sore heid.

I would also go for a laptop, just for the versatility.

[Johnboy]

Bet you wish you hadn't asked now MrsICTFC!

:)

[MissICT]

Fujitsu Siemens are rubbish.

I have a Fujitsu Siemens laptop and it broke but mind you the customer service was good and when i sent it away to get fixed they put in a better Windows Vista program.

[CaleyD]

Firstly, had you been asking this question a couple of years back I would have agreed with Scotty in terms of avoiding Dell, but they really seem to be getting their act together and realising that all the crap they were filling machines with was turning people away. I've set up a few Dell Laptops and PC's for people and whilst you still get some crap on there it's less than other big companies include.

In terms of the PC/Laptop argument....you can have both. If the bulk of your laptop use is at home where you have a desk then you can save some of your budget from laptop screen size and get a monitor, keyboard and mouse to plug into it when at home and have a more compact laptop for carrying around with you.

[alimci]

I have a Dell desktop at work, and a Dell laptop at home, both several years old and neither has ever given me any trouble.

[MrsICTFC]

Bet you wish you hadn't asked now MrsICTFC!

:)

haha! This is when you can tell I have no technical knowledge! I wasn't expecting so many replies!! Thank everyone!

I will go into the places mentioned and check it out. I want to avoid tescos or do they have someone who could speak to me (who actually knows about laptops)?

That is a good idea CaleyD, cheers for that!

[Johnboy]

As CaleyD suggests you can have both laptop and PC...

Some good deals around which include a free laptop depending on what kind of broadband package you choose.

See here

[MrsICTFC]

As CaleyD suggests you can have both laptop and PC...

Some good deals around which include a free laptop depending on what kind of broadband package you choose.

See here

Thanks, will have a look.

[CaleyMad]

I got a brand new Dell in May and they are good.

They are super fast and you can get good deals.

It doesnt matter how old or new your desktop or laptop is. It just depends on the amount of RAM and your processor speed.

I would highley recomment Acer we have never had any problems with Acer

I would also recomment Logic Computers in Elgin very high quality and at low prices

Would you like to buy another laptop in 6 months time when your computer breaks and the will not offer a refund to you.

MY ADVICE (although it doesnt matter)

Laptop is better for moving about (good for traveling or taking around the house) and not for storing too much data because most of them do not have very much storage (although quite alot) which does not compare to a desktop computer.

PC World (Inverness), ACER LAPTOP, Vista is better but it all depends on personnal preference. Get anything with 1gB or more RAM. You can pick them up ranging from about ?300-?800

External Harddrive 500Gb about ?50-70, good for storing things on if you are needing more room on your laptop/computer.

1tb or 3 tb is suffiecently better although i highly doubt anyone would ever have them full of data.

Edited June 17, 2009 by caleymad

[Scotty]

It doesnt matter how old or new your desktop or laptop is. It just depends on the amount of RAM and your processor speed.

a bit of a simplistic view but not wholly inaccurate as adding RAM or upgrading the processor will give you a noticeable boost usually ..... However your machine is only as good as its weakest link .... you can have all the memory or processor speed you like but if you try to run it through a cheap mobo with a crappy bus speed it doesnt matter a jot, you might as well have saved your dosh. Same goes for choosing between a machine with dedicated video memory or shared ..... the spec can look great but look carefully at how its put together !

MY ADVICE (although it doesnt matter)

Laptop is better for moving about (good for traveling or taking around the house) and not for storing too much data because most of them do not have very much storage (although quite alot) which does not compare to a desktop computer. PC World (Inverness), ACER LAPTOP, Vista is better but it all depends on personnal preference. Get anything with 1gB or more RAM. You can pick them up ranging from about ?300-?800, External Harddrive 500Gb about ?50-70, good for storing things on if you are needing more room on your laptop/computer. 1tb or 3 tb is suffiecently better although i highly doubt anyone would ever have them full of data.

Loads of info there and although the logic is sound, I would disagree with some of it.

Most decent laptops should come with a HD that is at least 250 - 320Gb these days and that is enough for most people's day to day use. If you have loads of MP3s, Movies or Photos then an external drive is probably a good idea or you can pick up one of these new HD docks that allow you to plug an internal drive (cheaper usually) into an external dock (see here for example). I opted for a special offer I got on a 1Tb external drive ($120) and have already filled 250Gb of it with years worth of photos, music and movies ... I figure it will take another year or two to fill it completely :angry: .... If you do intend to buy an external drive then you might also want to ensure your new PC has an eSATA port as that is faster than USB or Firewire so transfer or disc access will be faster.

As for OS - if you can wait a few months before purchasing, it might be an idea to do so as Vista is going to be replaced by Windows7 later in the year. Vista has been a commercial failure in many respects - much like Windows ME - and it wont be long before new PCs come with the new OS or at the very least with a voucher for an anytime upgrade from Vista. If you cant wait that long, dont fuss about paying extra for Vista Premium or Ultimate just get the bog standard version and save some cash for the upgrade later in the year.

anyhoo, thats my tuppence worth from this side of the Atlantic .......