I need a new laptop - what to get and where from?

[DitaVonCheese]

My laptop has had an unfortunate squash-related incident but tbh it was on its last legs anyway. Last one was a cheap as chips Acer which we bought in a hurry after our previous laptops got nicked one weekend, though actually has lasted five years pretty well (except for the battery dying so could only ever use plugged in) and was of course higher spec than my previous (stolen) one, which was twice the price.

Anyway, need a new one. Needs to be not a Mac and capable of doing email, internet, word processing and the occasional bit of Photoshopping, so nothing too strenuous. Have heard scary things about Windows 8. Erm that's it really. Any suggestions on where to buy/where not to buy/things to look at/recommended makes much appreciated. Thanks :)

A mate has got a Toshiba L755 from Tesco. A pretty good spec for hardly any money. I think it has a 640GB hard drive, 6GB of RAM, a webcam, built in wifi and Windows 7. All for about £430.

That Tesco price looks pretty good. Had spotted a spec for a 4 GB RAM machine in Asda yesterday evening at 399, but for a little extra cash you should find some additional speed with the extra RAM in it, no matter how many things you have running at the same time.

The laptops in Asda were from Medion...

S4209 399.00 4GB 14"

E6227 250.00 2GB 15.6" Screen

also saw 2 laptops on Ebuyer.com...

Watching.

Seen links from HotUKdeals.com to the following on Ebuyer.com

1. LENOVO B570 laptop, Intel core i3 2350m 2.3ghz, 500gb hd, 4gb RAM, 15.6" HD LED, DVD-RW, Intel HD, Windows 7 Home premium, for £329 delivered , +quidco @ ebuyer

Reference to Quidco means that you can get some level of discount (they provide cashback on items tracked from their site to the retail site, and pass on [most of] the cash they are paid as an advertiser promoting the retail site... it is like uSwitch or many comparison sites where there is a 'finders fee' paid to the 'comparison' site for getting you to the seller's web site).

329 is a better price than the Medion 14" (399) at Asda and this seems to be pretty much 'up to date' in terms of operating system, processor and disk space/ 4 GB RAM

2. Zoostorm laptop 8GB RAM, 500GB HD, INTEL PENTIUM B970 £279.00 @ Ebuyer

(NB that comes WITHOUT any operating system. It would mean you may be able to use an old Windows XP disc, or buy Windows 7 to add to it.

Comments on HotUKdeals query why there would be 8 GB of RAM on an otherwise 'budget' machine, and if you are wanting something off the shelf - eg from John Lewis, this particular one is maybe not for you, but would be usable with a free 64-bit Linux operating system, or a pirate copy of Windows 7, or the genuine article. Ah - just reread the bit about photoshop, so Linux would be out of the window for OP, but still a bargain for others, perhaps. Am sorely tempted myself!)

worth visiting HotUKdeals.com and doing a search for "laptop" (or anything else you are after - I found Sugar Puffs on sale at Tesco the other day when I ran out!)

TV ad for Currys + PC World showed a Toshiba Satellite reduced from 450 to 250 pounds. No model number given but they did mention 640 GB HD, which is a clue. Worth a look. Indicated as some 'Computer Event' so I assume a few days for such offers only, so check ASAP.

Asustek are a good brand as are Samsung they both tend to have good shit inside and last.

Thanks for all the replies!

Oddly, since you mention John Lewis and a Toshiba Satellite, I was going to ask whether this was any good - am wondering whether it's the Curry's one?

I had a cheap Toshiba laptop, it was absolutely awful and barely useable. However, I had been used to a lovely MacBook and mid range HP prior to that, so I was rather spoilt

Ah, no, this is the Curry's one!

I have that one, I got it for 299 a few weeks ago, is perfect for what I do which is just about what you want to do.

Just visited Currys as website info so useless... walk is good exercise :-)

3 USB ports, ethernet, VGA and HDMI (so can plug in to separate monitor, or projector or recent TV).

Forgot to mention that you still get the 200 pounds of accessories they are giving on all laptops at Currys, even though the 299 one is the cheapest.

I also went into Comet when I was at the retail park and saw a range of respectable models -

Packard Bell [Easynote TE 8GB] has 8 GB RAM and 750 GB HD, at 349

The PB laptop has HDMI (unlike these two, slightly cheaper ones) : Asus [K53U-SX355V] at 339, and Fujitsu [AH530BK] at 325

Probably too many choices now, but I'd seriously consider the PB as it has the extra RAM as standard (others could be upgraded but you'd lose your warranty once you mess with the unit).

Didn't get home until about 22:30 yesterday. The 17:30 post was from my phone outside Currys. Walked 5 of the 7.5 miles but feet were tired and legs like lumps of lead when I got home...

I had stopped off for a while at McDonalds (Filet of Fish, not too unhealthy, at rip-off cost), and Asda (nice big Cheesecake reduced by 60%, still in my fridge) and then a portion of chips, before finally deciding that the next 2.5 miles were going to take too long and reverted to public transport.

[Don't worry - was not to make you feel guilty - I was exploring the area I have moved to and need to exercise to lose a few stone, so since the nearest Currys was some distance away, I decided to make my way there, and see a bit of central Liverpool on the way by train, as well a lots of the suburbs on the way back, on foot!]

Forgot to mention, in response to comments about Toshiba laptops earlier, that I first used an orange screen 'luggable' Toshiba in 1989 and have used them again and again in different situations (work or home) ever since.

Have never found any to give cause for complaint, let alone be 'barely usable' and if they had reliability issues, I expect few retailers would touch them.

Wow, thanks - hope you enjoyed checking out (the electrical retailers of) your new 'hood! I'm just outside Chester so we're practically neighbours

I'd like to avoid Comet if possible out of principle, as the last time I bought a computer from them it stopped working after a fortnight and I had to take them to the small claims court to get my money back

(The 8GB is tempting though )

OK, stick with the Currys 299 quid Toshiba Satellite C850D-107 model (or buy on Ebay at 253 - though they're only giving a 3 month warranty there). You could sell it again on Ebay for 250 quid in a month's time if it wasn't fast enough for your needs!

I've been down to Chester a few times on day trips to see clients, and helped a little with an art gallery near Northgate (see hcgallery.co.uk for more info).

Asda have a Dell one with inbuilt webcam amongst other things for £279. I am hoping to get it

The Toshiba is reliable, just not pleasant to use. it's slow, it hangs and the trackpad is awful. I hate typing anything longer than two sentences on it

If the machine 'hangs' it doesn't sound reliable.

Have never liked trackpads or thumb/ joysticks, and personally always plug in a USB mouse and usually a full size multimedia keyboard too, so I have volume { mute | control } etc at more than arms length from the machine [some I use plugged into large screen TVs, and then use wireless kbd + mse].

I don't mind trackpads. Have had a few branded laptops, none have been as unpleasant to use as the Toshiba. Might just be this model, not the whole brand. I have to fight the constant temptation to throw it at the wall, it's awful

You can throw it at my wall, if you hate it so much -
as long as I don't have to pay postage for lots of little pieces