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My wife has NEVER touched a computer but now says that she would like to get a laptop.What would you suggest as a good "starter" laptop and more importantly why?? Thanks!!!!
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It entirely depends on what she wants to use the laptop for. If she's developing a crushing urge to play games, then it'll cost a lot more than if she just wants something to surf the internet with, send and receive emails and look at photos and suchlike.
A reasonable laptop for surfing the net will set you back around �400 depending on where you shop from. If you can find one running XP, get that over one running Vista, if you can't then it's no huge sweat, but XP is a lot better.
For something simple, Tesco do a decent range. If you want to sell your soul to the devil, AOL will give you a free laptop if you take out their broadband. Loath as I am to mention them, PC World will do something that you're looking for.
HP do some good laptops, as do Dell - although they are more expensive usually
A reasonable laptop for surfing the net will set you back around �400 depending on where you shop from. If you can find one running XP, get that over one running Vista, if you can't then it's no huge sweat, but XP is a lot better.
For something simple, Tesco do a decent range. If you want to sell your soul to the devil, AOL will give you a free laptop if you take out their broadband. Loath as I am to mention them, PC World will do something that you're looking for.
HP do some good laptops, as do Dell - although they are more expensive usually
I would try your very best (or even better buy nothing else), to get one with Windows XP on it.
Vista is slow, things are moved about complicating things, and XP is more reliable in terms of supported hardware. Still.
Choice of laptop:
Take a look at Tesco, ebuyer.com, amazon.com, and find the cheapest one. �299 will get you one with everything you need.
The specifications aren't that important.
Try and get 1GB RAM and the largest hard drive space (80GB, 100GB, etc.) that you can afford. Bigger is better.
But anything else won't matter.
Vista is slow, things are moved about complicating things, and XP is more reliable in terms of supported hardware. Still.
Choice of laptop:
Take a look at Tesco, ebuyer.com, amazon.com, and find the cheapest one. �299 will get you one with everything you need.
The specifications aren't that important.
Try and get 1GB RAM and the largest hard drive space (80GB, 100GB, etc.) that you can afford. Bigger is better.
But anything else won't matter.
my 2pence worth
for a first laptop don't look at spending over about �350, they will all do what it sounds like is needed.
Stick to big name brands, I like dell laptops but am currently using a HP and thats pretty good.
Make sure you get the full set of actual system restore disks, then you can say to the wife "it doesn't matter it can be restored quickly"
and yeah get XP if you can, I assume thats what you use and your gonna be the teacher
for a first laptop don't look at spending over about �350, they will all do what it sounds like is needed.
Stick to big name brands, I like dell laptops but am currently using a HP and thats pretty good.
Make sure you get the full set of actual system restore disks, then you can say to the wife "it doesn't matter it can be restored quickly"
and yeah get XP if you can, I assume thats what you use and your gonna be the teacher
I got my copy of PC Pro magazine in the post today (the JULY issue !)
They review nine laptops that cost between �300 and �450.
Their two best choices (6 stars) were:
Dell Inspiron 1525 - �400 plus �50 delivery
Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pro Pi2515 - �400 + �7 delivery
(dabs)
They also praised (5 stars) the Samsung R60 Plus at �389 (free delivery) from ebuyer
Others reviewed were
Acer Aspire 5720 (4 stars) - �380
ASUS X50R (4 stars) - �400
Toshiba Satellite A210-19t (4 stars) - �400
Hi Grade Notino W5700R (3 stars) - �400
Belinea o.book 1 (3 stars) - �300
Advent 9415 (2 stars) - �350
Note that often the same model will be sold with different specs (faster processor etc) so the prices you see may be different from those above.
They review nine laptops that cost between �300 and �450.
Their two best choices (6 stars) were:
Dell Inspiron 1525 - �400 plus �50 delivery
Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pro Pi2515 - �400 + �7 delivery
(dabs)
They also praised (5 stars) the Samsung R60 Plus at �389 (free delivery) from ebuyer
Others reviewed were
Acer Aspire 5720 (4 stars) - �380
ASUS X50R (4 stars) - �400
Toshiba Satellite A210-19t (4 stars) - �400
Hi Grade Notino W5700R (3 stars) - �400
Belinea o.book 1 (3 stars) - �300
Advent 9415 (2 stars) - �350
Note that often the same model will be sold with different specs (faster processor etc) so the prices you see may be different from those above.
>good starter laptop and more importantly why??
To be honest there is not one laptop that is any better as a starter laptop than any other.
They all have the same basic knobs, buttons and switches, and all of them will either run Windows XP or Windows Vista.
Some people here have said go for XP over Vista, and normally I would agree, but if she has never touched a computer before then you may as well go for Vista as it has a longer life span than XP.
See if your local college does starter classes for computer users, many do, and they are often free. It may be one night a week, say for 2 hours, for about say 6 weeks.
This will get her going.
To be honest there is not one laptop that is any better as a starter laptop than any other.
They all have the same basic knobs, buttons and switches, and all of them will either run Windows XP or Windows Vista.
Some people here have said go for XP over Vista, and normally I would agree, but if she has never touched a computer before then you may as well go for Vista as it has a longer life span than XP.
See if your local college does starter classes for computer users, many do, and they are often free. It may be one night a week, say for 2 hours, for about say 6 weeks.
This will get her going.
As some others have said, pay a bit more for a name band.
Names like Toshiba, HP, Dell, Fijitsu, Sony, Compaq, Lenovo (IBM) etc all build millions of laptops and have a reputation to keep up.
Some shops, like PC World and Currys, have their own "no name" brands that you cannot buy anywhere else. Brands include Advent and Packard Bell.
These are usually very cheap, but often poorly made with quality issues. As an example, in the list of 9 laptops I mentioned above, see which one got 2 stars.
If you go looking in PC World or Currys the staff may push you towards one of their brands, probably because they get a bonus each time they sell one.
If you want some hands-on time with a laptop then Tescos now stock quite a few, also Staples (as well as PC World, Currys, Comet etc).
Names like Toshiba, HP, Dell, Fijitsu, Sony, Compaq, Lenovo (IBM) etc all build millions of laptops and have a reputation to keep up.
Some shops, like PC World and Currys, have their own "no name" brands that you cannot buy anywhere else. Brands include Advent and Packard Bell.
These are usually very cheap, but often poorly made with quality issues. As an example, in the list of 9 laptops I mentioned above, see which one got 2 stars.
If you go looking in PC World or Currys the staff may push you towards one of their brands, probably because they get a bonus each time they sell one.
If you want some hands-on time with a laptop then Tescos now stock quite a few, also Staples (as well as PC World, Currys, Comet etc).
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