Laptop novice

[readysteady]

Hi I hope those in the know could help me. Our desk top computer is knackered and is currently storing hundreds of photos. It's so slow and ancient too.

What we would really like as a family is a laptop that could be used to access educational websites, store and edit photos, word process, I can plug my I phone into to download photos, music etc.

What is great/not great at the moment? Any recommendations? Don't want to spend any more then about £400 if we can get away with it. What do I need to know/think about/ask?

Thanks in advance for any help and merry Christmas!

[NetworkGuy]

Merry Christmas to you and yours...

There have been some ads for laptops from below £200 recently, one from HP, I think, sticks in my memory (but not looking at laptops myself, so sorry, didn't take massive notice of model).

On Hot UK Deals website, I saw a good desktop deal - OK, you want to move away from that, but it's not bad - search Ebuyer.com for the Lenovo 90BX0018UK {500GB storage, 4 GB RAM and Windows 8.1} for £149.99...

Then get £30 cashback at lenovo-offers.com/pages/business/qualifying ...
and then for an extra £32 you could extend the warranty to 3 years total.

So for your budget of £400 you could perhaps get both... Often times (as youngsters are growing) when more than 1 computer would be handy...

[readysteady]

Thanks. I know my partner doesn't want a desk top but can we get what we need from a lap top? Memory etc amounts baffle me a bit

[NetworkGuy]

Yes, whether a laptop or a desktop, the essentials of what you're after can be achieved, I'm sure.

There's a Toshiba laptop in the sale (item 245/5914 - think a search for '2455914' will find it on the website, so you could reserve it) has similar specification - 4 GB RAM, 500 GB storage, reduced by £50 to £179.99

Among the pros and cons of laptops are their portability. I always think a new laptop the most likely and desirable target for a thief, as they're easily carried away and can quickly be disposed for cash, though of course they can also be put away in a draw (but I'm guessing 99% of the time, that doesn't happen).

For laptops with a bit more performance (faster / more powerful processor) you could search for 'laptop i3' (i3 is a type of Intel processor). There are a range of systems from around 250 to whatever you want to pay - Toshiba has 3 similar/identical models at 299.99, Acer has a touchscreen laptop at 319.99 and HP has one at 379.99 (with 8 GM of RAM, which would likely make it run faster - 4GB is generous but 8GB would be a machine that should still be going strong in 4-5 years without much 'slowdown' that an older system sometimes shows).

Of course, buying now is perhaps not the best time. Microsoft releases Windows 10 next year and there may be 'clearance sales' or special deals - and of course Windows 8 or 8.1 on systems today will then be classed as 'out of date' so if you decided to upgrade you might find your relatively new system would have depreciated considerably, compared with the cost of a new Windows 10 system...

I suppose it depends how much of a rush you are in to replace the current machine.

[NetworkGuy]

Argos charges around 95 pounds for extending warranty to 2 years, but worth looking at John Lewis too, as they offer 2 years as standard, I think, and while the selection may be low in the sub 400 bracket, it's certainly worth a look (again seek 'laptop i3'). There's an 8GB RAM HP model at 399.95:

HP 15 Laptop, Intel Core i3, 8GB RAM, 1TB, 15.6", Flyer Red

definitely worth a look!

[readysteady]

Thanks all!

[NetworkGuy]

I know I must lose weight (OK, lots of weight), but honestly, there's only 1 of me
:)