Which laptop?

[netibiza]

I am hoping to buy either a second-hand or cheap new laptop. What should I look for? What is a notebook, Having been used to Windows XP will Applemac(?) be the same, will it do the same things? ie play dvds, download music etc. Sorry to be so thick!

[vehelpfulguy]

Personal opinion, but I would never buy a second hand laptop. You never know what has happened to it (it may have been dropped or had liquid spilt on it) and repairs are expensive on a laptop.

They have come down in price a lot and you can get a basic model for around �300 nowadays (not sure if you call that cheap).

I think a notebook is just another name for a laptop (although some may say a notebook is a smaller laptop with a small screen and keyboard).

Apple Macs tend to be more expensive overall than Windows based laptops. They do all the same things as a laptop, but the do not normally run Windows so you cannot install programs written for the Windows platform on a Mac.

No need to apologize, technology is such a complex subject nowadays we all need help at times.

[vehelpfulguy]

>What should I look for?

Well you need to think what you are going to do with it.

If you are going to carry it around a lot you need to think about the weight of the laptop, and the battery life.

If it is NOT going to be carried around then weight and battery life are less important and you can perhaps go for a bigger screen for example.

The main technical things to look for are power of the CPU (processor), amount of memory (at least 1Gb), size of hard disk (at least 80Gb), and version of Windows Vista (try to go for Vista Home Premium rather than Vista Home Basic)

Try to go for a good make (Toshiba, Dell, Sony, Compaq, HP, Lenovo, and so on), avoid the cheap no-name makes that PC World and Currys will try to sell you (Packard Bell, Advent etc)

Maybe buy a magazine like What Laptop
http://www.whatlaptop.co.uk/

[netibiza]

Well basically it's for my daughter, who I think will use it wifi (that's another requirement) at her apartment. I was going for 2nd hand because my sister's son-in-law works with computers and I'm sure he'll get me a good one and do it up for me. As I live in Ibiza, I will be getting this in England in August, so much cheaper there. Also is it easy to convert any laptop to wi fi - she lives above a wi fi cafe so she has access.

Your advice is very good, I would have rushed to PC World otherwise.

Ermm - isn't Packard Bell the same as Hewlet Packard (HP)?

[Ethel]

Any new laptop you buy will be wi-fi enabled, and if it isn't they are very easy to adapt.

Ask sister's son-in-law for his recommendation.

[vehelpfulguy]

>Packard Bell the same as Hewlet Packard

NO.

I think a lot of people fall for that when they go into PC World. Even a friend of mine who is very knowledgable on computers bought something made by Packard Bell and thought he was getting something made by Hewlett Packard.

[vehelpfulguy]

Some places to get a laptop that you may not have thought of:

Tesco stores in the UK have now started to get a large range of laptops. Also Tesco online usually have a fair number of laptops.

Staples have laptops for sale online and in their stores. I have one near me and they are always having offers in store that are not listed on their web site.

Woolworth now have a large online catalogue, I think they are trying to compete with Argos.

You can of course buy Dell computers online at their site, and they have now started selling Dell in Tescos, PC World etc (but they are more expensive in stores than online)

[blueninja9r]

Hi Im no wizz but I have a toshiba satellite I purchased 5 years ago touch wood itd bullit proof I have to use a dongle for wireless ect. they have come right down in price everything I buy that I can get toshiba I do. when this one packs up ill have another.