Buying a new Laptop - Advice

[Miss Inquiry]

I am looking to buy a laptop so I can get a wireless broadband connection @ home, I have never had a personal Laptop, just work computers and IT departments if things go wrong, so I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what I need to buy, install, etc. I'd not use it excessivley at home, I guess I'd use the MS Office packages a bit, storing personal photos, i-tunes, personal e-mail and then general browsing of the internet and a bit of on-line shopping. I would be like a lamb to the slaughter if I was to walk into PC world and simply tell them "I need a laptop" they would sell me anything and everything. What ideally should I be looking for in a good laptop? And then how do I get wireless connection, and what provider is good? .... Help!

[OBonio]

Can't go too wrong with a Dell really :

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/fea tures.aspx/notebooks_good?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en& s=dhs

You want integrated wireless (802.11g), 1GB RAM (the more the better!), 80Gb hard drive should see you well, integrated graphics is fine unless you want to play games.

The second one on the link above for �379 should do nicely.

Wireless broadband... depends on what sort of broadband you go for. ADSL is the most popular, so for that you will need a wireless router and ADSL modem :

http://www.digidave.co.uk/product_info.php?cPa th=29&products_id=179&gclid=CJja4b3gzooCFTpYMA odJk20eA

Also, micro filters for each telephone point (you get one in the package above, but you will need extras for the other phone points).

http://www.cabling4less.co.uk/ADSL_RJ11_Cables _Adaptors.php?referrer=google&gclid=CLDyt5zhzo oCFQHbQAodMCR5eQ

[OBonio]

As for broadband providers... they all suck. Some don't suck as much as others though but their suckiness rating changes every week. Have a read here for more info on who's hot and who's not :

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/

[Miss Inquiry]

Thank you, seems an awful lot of information to get my head round, but I really appreciate it!