Recommend me a laptop please!

[Kirst]

I don't do technology, but I do need a laptop
I know what I need the laptop to do, but I don't know what the laptop should have in it to make it do what I want it to do

So can someone please recommend me a laptop for not many squids, that I can use to:

look stuff up
watch and listen to stuff on You Tube etc
Skype
store photos
watch Eurosport in January (Dakar)
maybe download a bit of music ( once I've learned how to)

I know feck-all about gigs and megabytes

So your recommendations please....

Thanking you in advance

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

what screen size ? small netbook or large laptop ?

what portability do you need ? home carry around or out on the bike etc ?


everything out now will do all you want - you just need to determine size and price range.

 

[Mav]

I don't do technology, but I do need a laptop
I know what I need the laptop to do, but I don't know what the laptop should have in it to make it do what I want it to do

So can someone please recommend me a laptop for not many squids, that I can use to:

look stuff up
watch and listen to stuff on You Tube etc
Skype
store photos
watch Eurosport in January (Dakar)
maybe download a bit of music ( once I've learned how to)

I know feck-all about gigs and megabytes

So your recommendations please....

Thanking you in advance

How much do you want to spend?
Do you expect to travel with it? On the bike? Over your shoulder? (Impacts size and weight)
How much do you care about how good it looks?

 

[(RIP) Edvard Munch]

How much do you want to spend?
Do you expect to travel with it? On the bike? Over your shoulder? (Impacts size and weight)
How much do you care about how good it looks?

Has he got a GS? If so not a lot

 

[Kenny]

Bet you can't even set the 'video' recorder !!!

 

[Wapping]

If you do not need a lot of real computing power, so do not want to run for example Mapsource for a Garmin GPS, an iPad will do everything you want and much more.

I am using one right now, via a Swedish hotel's WiFi, whilst listening to Radio 4's Today programme and reading emails. On the plane over I watched a film and listened to iTunes.

A very good device and, once set up, incredibly easy to use, with instant start up. Perfect for travelling and use at home, too.

Buy with confidence.

PS I also use it for work. I have info I need for my visit to a client's office later this morning, along with an AV hook-up.

Oh, and it will run Kindle and iBooks.

Sold yet?

 

[Rob Farmer]

They're bloody expensive though and you need a computer to dock it to before you can even start using it. Very hard to get photo's into as well.

Fantastic bit of kit though. My Mrs loves her's

Go to Tesco and buy a laptop you like the look of, they're all pretty much the same now. £309 will get you a Toshiba Sattelite Tesco link

 

[Wapping]

No problem getting pictures onto mine

Yup, it's useful to have a Mac or PC, too.

Price? Not cheap, for sure but good value, just the same. Use it a lot and it's real 'value' increases..... Just like a 1200GS

PS You used the Tesco word, implying value and convenience. Some will burn you with hot irons for that.

 

[MattW]

What Rob sez,
For basic use, just about any £400 ish laptop will do fine.
Look at the specs and make sure you compare like for like - a decent size hard drive (500gb) will be useful especially if you're going to store lots of pictures etc and the more RAM the better.

Whatever you get should have Windows 7 which is good (whatever you do, don't get something with Vista which was a dog).

I wouldn't get an iPad. While they're great if you're going to use them for a certain range of tasks they're limited - sooner or later you'll want to install some software that is only for proper computers rather than fondle slabs. They also have very limited storage so are no good as primary storage for photo's etc. You can get a lot of laptop for the price of an iPad.

 

[ExpatinIstanbul]

All laptops will do what you've listed, so really it depends on battery life, screen size and weight. If you're going to travel a lot with it these will be important, if using mostly at home a bigger screen is better. I use a Dell XPS 13", which does everything I need it to and more.

Then again you could listen to JobsWapping and get an iPad or one of the other tablets, as they'll probably fullfil your needs and be easier to carry around.

 

[camel_landy]

People get upset when I recommend Mac but if you want something simple to use, whilst having enough 'grunt' then a Mac laptop is what I'd suggest.

As for the arguments about "They're more expensive", frankly you get what you pay for.

M

 

[OscarIndia]

Mac. Anything else is a compromise.

 

[Rob Farmer]

People get upset when I recommend Mac but if you want something simple to use, whilst having enough 'grunt' then a Mac laptop is what I'd suggest.

As for the arguments about "They're more expensive", frankly you get what you pay for.

M

They're crap for what you pay for them and they start at £900. That's 3 times the price of the Toshiba hardly falling in line with Kirsts budget?

 

[MattW]

At last - someone without apple shaped blinkers.

Mac's are great computers but aren't worth the money unless you're a fanboy prepared to pay for the styling and a UNIX based OS. A windows machine like Rob suggests will easily meet the needs of the OP and cost a fraction of the 'starter' Mac (which is an underpowered slug specified down to a price - I know - I have to use one occasionally at work).

 

[Mav]

At last - someone without apple shaped blinkers.

Mac's are great computers but aren't worth the money unless you're a fanboy prepared to pay for the styling and a UNIX based OS. A windows machine like Rob suggests will easily meet the needs of the OP and cost a fraction of the 'starter' Mac (which is an underpowered slug specified down to a price - I know I have to use one occasionally at work).

My thoughts exactly! I have a macbook pro for work - it is a great machine physically... but the OS really isn't that well thought out, despite what everyone says. Even after giving it a go to be dedicated on the Mac OS, I still find myself switching to the Windows 7 OS that I have running on a virtual machine.

 

[Toad]

Whatever you buy make sure it has a minimum of 2gb of RAM. Or more. Will make it loads faster.

 

[Kirst]

Bet you can't even set the 'video' recorder !!!

Lol! it put me off technology so bad the dvd player stayed in its box for 18 months till I plugged it in and hey presto it worked!

Thanks everyone for your input.
I want summink with a big screen.
To use at home.
That I can shove under the sofa when I'm not using it.
That's cheap as chips.
Don't care what colour (except for green or orange , they're both nasty.)

Is 250GB hard drive big enough? there's a Compaq Presario for 249.99 with
2GB RAM and 250GB hard drive.

 

[Kirst]

Has he got a GS? If so not a lot

AND HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY I'M A GIIIIIIIIIRL!!!

 

[ExpatinIstanbul]

Lol! it put me off technology so bad the dvd player stayed in its box for 18 months till I plugged it in and hey presto it worked!

Thanks everyone for your input.
I want summink with a big screen.
To use at home.
That I can shove under the sofa when I'm not using it.
That's cheap as chips.
Don't care what colour (except for green or orange , they're both nasty.)

Is 250GB hard drive big enough? there's a Compaq Presario for 249.99 with
2GB RAM and 250GB hard drive.

More RAM, bigger hard drive, so it'll be good for a few years. 15.4" screen, as anything bigger will be a pain if actually used on your lap. Other than that go for what looks good to you.

 

[Kirst]

I think I'm getting the idea now, saw some in town today but all had a little one . Let's face it SIZE MATTERS!!!

Thanks everyone x