Laptop - reco for a new one?

[IfYoureHappyAndYouKnowIt]

Hi I think I need to get a new machine for my teenage daughter.

She had a desktop which is kaput but I think a laptop is best now.

I am an ok computer user but very much a user - never installed anything as I have a work laptop and have never bought one.

Could you help with recommendations for a cost effective laptop?

It's for general internet use / school work / internet / a few computer games / Facebook / needs a webcam. Nothing too underpowered but equally no point in anything flashy.

DD and I have both got new HP laptops which seem fine. Around £320 with 6GB ram and plenty of hard drive.

Maybe this Lenovo?

Thanks. Overall do you know what kind of spec I should be looking for? Sorry Jane little about this kind of stuff and not sure what is the norm nowadays.

Oops..should say know not Jane! Freaking predictive typing...

There is no real "norm" because the hard drive can be from 160 GB (typical minimum) to 1 TB (1000 GB), and RAM can be 2 GB to 8 GB (generally the more RAM the better - Windows 7 will work with 2 GB but more RAM improves performance).

Intel i3, i5, i7 processors have positive comments speed wise, but given type of usage pretty much any CPU should be OK, and you may see a 'clock speed' of 1.9 GHz up to 3 GHz (faster often better, but the CPU could be 'dual core' which means it has two processing units). Sometimes the choice of CPU (for hard core games enthusiasts) may add 100 or more to the cost of the machine, and is not good value for money for day-to-day usage.

Pricing can be 200 to 500, depending on what deals are on offer and whether a place expects a new line (eg Asda reduced prices by 100 quid on some laptops, but similar can be found from Currys/PC World and others). Worth looking on ww.HotUKdeals.com and do a search for "laptop" (do note that some systems may come with no copy of Windows - not very likely but not impossible, so check for that being listed on any web site before considering purchase).

Also check if JohnLewis.com has the same or similar laptop, because they often have 2 or 3 year warranty which could be handy. Not so obvious tips include not using the laptop on a bed/duvet as it may block the air cooling and the laptop can overheat and die... (just that teens seem more likely to do so if they disappear off to a bedroom to chat with friends).

For around £350 I would suggest a Core i3 processor, 4GB RAM and 320GB hard disk would be reasonable and will do what is needed. My personal preference is for Toshiba, but HP and Lenovo should be OK.

Thanks for your help. I now need to look at all of these options in more detail and try to find a deal.

Or this, for anyone still looking.