What's a good reasonably priced laptop?

[lisaneedsarest]

We need to buy a new laptop as our current one is 7 years old and giving up the ghost!!
I need it mainly for internet usage, kids stuff, potentially starting a blog and basic word processing stuff.

Something around the £300 mark would be good but I can spend more.

I don't actually even know what I'm looking for - what's the most important factors?

Place marking - thanks for asking the question, as I too would find a knowledgeable answer helpful!

I bought this windows one and it's great. Can be a tablet or 'proper' laptop with a snap on keyboard. One of the things that attracted it to me was it has built in word, excel etc. you have to buy it separately with other laptops.

That looks good, and I do like the idea of word and excel already being built in, but we already have an iPad so I'm really looking for a "proper" laptop. Thanks for the reply though.

I'm interested too. I asked this a while ago and no-one replied.

You do have to be careful if you buy a device with windows RT, like the one FuckyNell has - there are quite a few limitations, you can't usually install ordinary software, only stuff from the. App Store and you may find many printers and other peripherals won't work with it.

Oh thanks, that's good to know. Anyone know where the best place to buy a laptop is?

As a general rule, I would suggests that for everyday use a Core i3 processor with 4GB RAM and a 500GB hard disk should be adequate and need cost no more than £350.

Everybody I know that has bought a laptop with Windows 8 (very few people) hates it. Windows 7 laptops aren't hard to find if you shop online, but High Street retailers rarely have them.

I mostly look at www.ebuyer.com/ and www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/

Ok thanks for your help. I'll do a bit more research into windows 8 v 7 then. I'll also take a look at those websites.

If you are just doing basic stuff then maybe look at a Chromebook?

Alternatively, look at reconditioned laptops. They are much better value for money than new.

I was about to suggest a Chromebook. I got DH one as he isn't into tablets. They are speedy, boot up in 7 seconds, and you don't need anti virus.