iainmac1 Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 (edited) Thought I would just ask if there is anyone here who knows about laptops. I have broke my 3rd laptop so in desperate need of a new one. No idea about processors or ram etc. I use it for work mostly, internet, word, power point etc. Was looking at PC World sale but totally stumped! Anyone reccomend a decent one to buy? http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/search-keywords/xx_xx_70006_xx_xx/-computing_sale-/xx-criteria.html?intcmp=home~shop-laptops~offers~hd-4~small~sale~sr~-~241215 Edited January 4, 2016 by iainmac1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orraloon Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Was it the Tunnock tea cake story that pushed you over the edge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainmac1 Posted January 4, 2016 Author Share Posted January 4, 2016 Stopped buying that shite ages ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new hugh Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 Acer is a really good brand and their laptops are well built and really last. I would def recommend them - had my current one since mid-2010, and its still going strong - though looking to get a new one this year. Before that, my previous one lasted early 2005 to mid 2010 with no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new hugh Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 There are some nice Acer laptops in that Currys sale: I'd say go for around 8gb of memory and 1tb of storage - though high storage is less of an issue these days with more options such as online storage and huge 2tb portable USB storage drives that are smaller than a pack of cigarettes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Col Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 if you dont need huge storage then go for an SSD (solid state drive). They'll usually be smaller capacity than a traditional mechanical drive - maybe only 200Gb capacity - but no moving parts and they use less power. Ideal for laptops. They are also faster. I don't own a laptop, I've got one through work, but I've built all my own PC's over the last 15 years or so. The biggest performance increase from a single component was the move to SSD's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenfrewBlue Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 if you dont need huge storage then go for an SSD (solid state drive). They'll usually be smaller capacity than a traditional mechanical drive - maybe only 200Gb capacity - but no moving parts and they use less power. Ideal for laptops. They are also faster. I don't own a laptop, I've got one through work, but I've built all my own PC's over the last 15 years or so. The biggest performance increase from a single component was the move to SSD's. SSDs are great but can be expensive for a relatively small storage drive. It really depends on your budget. Acers are good and I've had a couple of HPs too. All have lasted well. I wouldn't go Samsung again though as the one I had was nothing but bother. You'll need 8Gb Ram plus a 1Tb hard drive (if you don't go SSD) and other than that it's about preferences like screen size, HD display etc. It might be worth seeing if there are any offers that include MS Office, if that's what you use. Finally once you get a laptop picked check John Lewis too They price match and give a 2 year guarantee as standard on their electricals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the doomed Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 Get the Surface Pro 3 or 4 if your budget allows. These are windows 10 tablet with excellent touchscreen. i5 processor with 4GB RAM will do the job with ease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the doomed Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 And if you are flying soon, check out prices for various by calling ahead to: www.dixonstravel.com Not always same price across their airports either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunchy Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I'd say Renfrew is basically spot on I will add though that for a CPU you only need an i3 or i5. Also unless you get office free don't pay for it as there is a great open source one out there called Apache open office. Does everything M's office does and will open almost any file. The great thing is it is free just do a Google search for it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenfrewBlue Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I'd say Renfrew is basically spot on I will add though that for a CPU you only need an i3 or i5. Also unless you get office free don't pay for it as there is a great open source one out there called Apache open office. Does everything M's office does and will open almost any file. The great thing is it is free just do a Google search for itI forgot about the processor! I'd get either an i3 or i7. Don't bother with the i5 unless it's the same price as the i3 version, give or take £20. The performance improvement is minimal. If you do much work in Word then don't get a touch screen. Real keyboard cannot be replaced by the touch screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddersfield Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I got a Lenovo last year to replace the PC & it's excellent. If you spend a bit of time on PC World's website they have some decent spec machines that aren't on the shelf in-store. The Lenovo (so far) seems to be a decent buy compared to similar priced models. I use mine for work as well, so whilst I agree that the free office software does 99% of what you need, the missing 1% can be a probem in a work environment. They aren't good on some of the more 'teccy' bits that sometimes get used. I got an i7 processor mainly because some software I run needs the extra kick, but lower speed ones are fine for most day to day use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brummie Hibs Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 First of all, what is your budget? Second, what will you be mainly using it for? You can get laptops that fit the whole spectrum of your budget. No point getting a gaming spec laptop for £1000 if you are just browsing the web. You could get one for about £250 for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainmac1 Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 I pretty much only use it for school work and internet. So word, power point and browsing. I don't play computer games or that. So don't think I need something high spec. Thinking this one seems alright- http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-e5-573-15-6-laptop-grey-10137629-pdt.html Also looked at another two, not sure what makes this one £50 more. The extra 1tb? http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-f5-571-15-6-laptop-black-10137568-pdt.html The max I would probably spend would be this one but it's £100 more than the first one I linked. http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-pavilion-15-ab254sa-15-6-laptop-white-10137891-pdt.html Also need to see about getting microsoft office. The council used to do some deal where you could get it for under a tenner but it doesn't seem to exist anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe545 Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 If you don't play games then you can pretty much get any laptop. They'll all be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenfrewBlue Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I pretty much only use it for school work and internet. So word, power point and browsing. I don't play computer games or that. So don't think I need something high spec. Thinking this one seems alright- http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-e5-573-15-6-laptop-grey-10137629-pdt.html Also looked at another two, not sure what makes this one £50 more. The extra 1tb? http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/acer-aspire-f5-571-15-6-laptop-black-10137568-pdt.html The max I would probably spend would be this one but it's £100 more than the first one I linked. http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-pavilion-15-ab254sa-15-6-laptop-white-10137891-pdt.html Also need to see about getting microsoft office. The council used to do some deal where you could get it for under a tenner but it doesn't seem to exist anymore. The first one is fine for what you need and the money saved can get you MS Office. The white one's nice but the i5 processor isn't worth the extra cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainmac1 Posted January 5, 2016 Author Share Posted January 5, 2016 Cheers for all the help! I went for the £299 one as figured it will do everything that I need it to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the doomed Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 For office, the consumer version are fairly cheap now, but i think are all monthtly saas contracts, around £5 a month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the doomed Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 As a one-off purchase, £80. http://www.mssoftware.uk/microsoft-office-home-and-student-2013---pc---download-2801-p.asp Probably can find it cheaper somewhere else. But most trying to sell an annual subscription now. I would take the subscription model for use across multiple devices (laptops, tablets, phones etc.) and use of included cloud storage. Included ongoing product updates. Would suit me but might not suit you. http://www.tesco.com/direct/microsoft-office-365-home-1-year-subcription-for-5-pcsmacs-5-tablets/585-6030.prd?skuId=585-6030&pageLevel=sku&sc_cmp=ppc_sh-_-sh-_-bg-_-585-6030&gclid=COyFjZvwk8oCFSfnwgodDQwIsw&gclsrc=aw.ds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainmac1 Posted January 6, 2016 Author Share Posted January 6, 2016 I've got someone who can upload word and office fo me. Has it on a disk supposedly. It is word 2007. Seem ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weekevie04 Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Apologies for derailing the thread, but thought I'd stick it in here rather than starting a new one. I've got the chance to buy a new one over there in the next few weeks at a good rate, but how easy is it to change an operating system's language from Norwegian to English? Is it easier to do this with Windows 10? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddersfield Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Apologies for derailing the thread, but thought I'd stick it in here rather than starting a new one. I've got the chance to buy a new one over there in the next few weeks at a good rate, but how easy is it to change an operating system's language from Norwegian to English? Is it easier to do this with Windows 10? Thanks. If I'm understanding correctly you're just wanting to change the language Win10 'communicates' in, keyboard settings, etc.? If so, that's pretty straightforward (guidance here http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-vista/change-the-display-languagefor older systems but the process is similar). I guess that's predicated on knowing enough Norwegian to find the settings you need! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brummie Hibs Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 Regarding Norwegian Laptop: Changing language is simple, however what could be a bigger issue is the different keyboard configuration. The keyboard may well contain many different characters. A quick Google Images Search for 'Norwegian laptop keyboard' demonstrates this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weekevie04 Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Hi Huddy and Brummie Thank you for your replies. The keyboard shouldn't be an issue as I have used an Icelandic one for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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