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Buying a laptop. Help please and where are the discussions on this?

NefertariNefertari
edited February 2010 in - Writing Problems
Sadly my laptop 'Toti' ( bought in 2006 when it was last world cup) seems to be dying and I need to buy another and want to know people's opinions of which model is best to buy, I know this has been discussed on here before but can't find the links, can someone help show me the link please?
This is an Acer but the tec' guy said yesterday don't get an Acer next time, although this one has been OK really.
I was thinking Toshiba? Also this screen size is 15.4 The ones I looked at todayiin PC World all seem widescreen and 15 or more. I would like one with a screen a bit smaller really and this has been heavy to carry around. Any advice welcome. Thanks.

Comments

  • Baggy BooksBaggy Books
    http://www.writersnews.co.uk/writers_talkback/comments.php?DiscussionID=141192&page=1#Item_0
  • flyingtartflyingtart
    Well, we got a Dell Inspiron 6400 two years ago and it was great for the first eighteen months then the mother board developed faults and it had to go in for an expensive repair. Then a few months later it developed some software problems and had to go in again, needing Windows reinstalled. Since then fine, but it put me off laptops. I've since heard they don't have a long shelf life. I've now switched to an iMac.
  • DwightDwight
    Mine's a toshiba, Kateyanne, 3 years old now and going strong. The only problem is it came with Microsoft Works instead of Office and has compatibility glitches with our pcs.

    Do local libraries still have Which magazine available for free consultation? Maybe laptops have been covered recently.
  • NephNeph
    edited February 2010
    I got myself an Asus netbook with a 10.5" screen, its about the weight of a bag of sugar and slips into my bag. I love it.


    Dwight I downloaded open office as this one came with works, which I really don't like. No problems with compatability with my computer at all.
  • *SA**SA*
    edited February 2010
    If you're after a smaller one, have a look at some netbooks instead of a full size laptop. I got mine (zoostorm freedom, £200 from the Argos) about a month ago, and I love it. Now I'm even more happy that I got it because my big computer died on Thursday. I think I would've had a nervous breakdown by now if I didn't have my netbook.
    I started typing up book #1's epic hard copy edit yesterday, using an external mouse for the cutting and pasting instead of the little touch pad, and I really can't see any difference between using this and my big PC.

    http://www.writersnews.co.uk/writers_talkback/comments.php?DiscussionID=148232&page=1#Item_29

    *SA*
  • ttofeettofee
    | have a Samsung N130 which I got about a month ago and I love it. I have a desktop but the netbook is great for taking out and about - or even just dealing with emails etc when watching TV - multitasking! Mine has a 60 day trial of Works but am considering trying open office.
  • mcbemusedmcbemused
    FT, would I be tempting fate to say that the Dell Inspiron 630 m on which I am typing this, has been in daily use since 1.3.06 without any problems at all? It's one of 5 Dells in our family, and we are all more than happy with them (just so long as you don't go for a cheapy Celeron processor anyway!). Weighs a ton, but then it is old for a laptop.
  • mct1mct1
    edited February 2010
    Katyanne, you might like to have a look at this page http://www.pcpro.co.uk/alist - for the PCPro Best Buys which are updated every month. If I were buying now (unfortunately I can't justify it because I have a perfectly good 1-year-old Dell Inspiron 1545 from PC World), I'd definitely buy a Samsung N110 netbook. I can't stress how important a long battery life is. I get less than 2 hours from my Dell, and the Samsung has 9!
  • Woll22Woll22
    Why not check on Computeractive, ask if they have any backcopies on the topic if they are available as they sometimes do a survey or critical analysis on the best buys, similar along the lines of Which.
  • DwightDwight
    Neph, can you download Open Office for free? And where do you go to find it?
  • *SA**SA*
    http://www.openoffice.org/

    *SA*
  • CarolCarol
    Yes Open Office is free Dwight. It is Sun Microsystems Inc, but you should find it using a search engine.
    After my computer had to be completely wiped I lost office so downloaded Open Office.
  • LizLiz
    One wonderful thing about mac is that f you have a separate hard drive yu can download your entire computer, including all settings, passwords and applications onto it. All versions are stored... so if you lose something you can go back and find it... and if your computer goes wrong you have everything there, all ready to download onto your new computer, or as a back up should your mac need mending.

    But I've never lost anything off of any of my last three macs anyway... the HD seems remarkably stable, and even when my last but one mac developed an electrical fault, everything was still there fine when it got back.

    And every mac I've ever had (I'm on number 6 -or maybe 7...) still works. Just the earlier versions aren't powerful enough to run anything worthwhile nowadays so they are in the shed!

    So although they are initially more expensive by quite some amount, you don't need to buy security, everything apart from Word is already on there... including software that allows you to see your mac from any other mac like that pigeon advert... they are incredibly reliable, you never lose any work unless there's a powercut... and they're fun to use.

    But I may be biased...
  • DwightDwight
    Never let it be said, Liz.

    Thanks, SA and Carol. I'll visit now.
  • TessadragonTessadragon
    edited February 2010
    I strongly advise against HP. My HP laptop died at the ripe age of 1 year and 2 months and since it was over a year, HP customer service told me to go away in a very foreign accent.
    Currently I'm using a packard bell which has a nice feel, and got it from PC World.
    The Advent before that HP was also pretty nasty: I'd strongly advise against shopping at Currys because of it: they just don't care if it goes wrong, whether or not it meets the EU directive and it's depressing going through contacting the head office to try and get any money back.
    So in my conclusion I'd recommend packard bell, dell, and as a shop, i'd recommend PC World.
    In terms of failure rates, HP leads it with 25% of computers failing within a few years, but I can't remember the rest of the makes mentioned. Toshiba's good too.

    As for what Liz says about the hard drive back up, it can be done with a PC, not just a Mac. I've got an external hard drive, about 25gb if i remember correctly, nice and small, and is essentially like an extra powerful USB key in terms of simplicity. I've got the contents of 2 laptops on it.
  • NephNeph
    mct the 9 hour battery life is a bit of a fib, it does depend what you do on it, the more you run the less time you get, but I've had at least six hours from mine, which is far better than any laptop I've had.
  • NutmegNutmeg
    i know everyone loves Macs but used the ones in the library on campus and hate them... just too many clicks to get to stuff... i don't know maybe i'm just being silly but i definitely prefer windows...

    and i've got a little Dell 1525... yes it had problems with the fan first off but now its fun...you just got to make sure it has space to breath... otherwise it will die... treat it as a living thing :D

    if i could choose another laptop right now i would prob still get a dell.. their customer service is excellent
  • ttofeettofee
    I get around 6 hours or so from my Samsung N130 when its fully charged. ITs the first laptop/netbook I have had and i love it - and its pink too :)
  • Baggy BooksBaggy Books
    [quote=Tessadragon] i'd recommend PC World.[/quote]
    [quote=Tessadragon]I'd strongly advise against shopping at Currys [/quote]

    They're both owned by the same company. Strange but true. And I'd opt for PC World over Currys too!

    One location near here has them sat side by side.
  • DwightDwight
    Okay, so I've installed Open Office. Now to work out how to use it.
  • NefertariNefertari
    Thank you everyone for all your help I had a look in PC world yesterday and Currys, Staples and Comet and am trying to come to a decision.
  • CarolCarol
    edited February 2010
    Dwight you will find a thread that I started relating to Open Office when I had some queries, but a few of the Talkbackers are experienced and very helpful.

    I've brought two Open Office Query threads to the top for you- both from Nov 2009.
    It will at least give you the names of those who might be able to help.
  • MutleyMutley
    If you touch type, one thing to watch out for is whether the mouse pad is central to the keyboard. Some of them are off centre - which will slow you down.
  • VericaVerica
    flyingtart,
    When the mother board on my husband's Dell computer developed a fault and our local man said it would be too expensive to mend, we telephoned Dell and quoted Dom Littlewood's words from somewhere on BBC website. They sent a man, who replaced the mother board free and it has worked since. The computer was over two years old!
  • flyingtartflyingtart
    [quote=Verica]flyingtart,
    When the mother board on my husband's Dell computer developed a fault and our local man said it would be too expensive to mend, we telephoned Dell and quoted Dom Littlewood's words from somewhere on BBC website. They sent a man, who replaced the mother board free and it has worked since. The computer was over two years old![/quote]
    Well done, Verica! Wish I'd known about that sooner.
  • TessadragonTessadragon
    yup it is weird that currys and pcworld are owned by the same company but they are very different. The whole thing of them being owned by the same company did put me off buying from pcworld at first but so far, touch wood, it's been okay, the new laptop's been heavenly to work with, getting the degree essays out of the way and surfing the internet a lot quicker than the amilo.
    only thing i would criticise about pc world is its ordering service...when i got interested in getting a wii, pc world seemed to do the best offer so i used the order to collect service and it confirmed by email that there was one left at pc world. so i went down there with a friend, just to find that the email was automated and that actually they had no wiis at all. they directed us to currys and the customer service there, well we explained that situation to the girl and she went to her supervisor to say that pc world had sent us there to get the wii, and the supervisor said within our hearing 'why the hell did they send them here?'
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