Laptop or desktop ...which is best? Any recommendations?

[bluenosesaint]

Hiya

I currently have a desktop PC but have very little working space and would like to get a laptop.

Are laptops as good as desktops?? I don't want to get a laptop and then regret it instantly

I have a limited budget (around 400 quid, maybe a little more) has anyone got any recommendations?

I don't do anything hugely fancy on the PC and mainly use it for surfing the net and storing photographs. I do do some office work (using Word and Excel mainly) and would like a DVD re-writer.

Can you help?

Thanks in advance xx

def go for a laptop and install a wireless network so you can use it anywhere - ours is fab. we have an ibook

Thanks for replying Hana xx

What is an ibook? How much are they ...do you have a link?

xx

sorry - they are a mac, not sure how much ( dh uses for work - but he's upgraded so this one stays here) I hardly ever use our pc anymore..not sure how much they are, I think around £700 for basic one? you'd get much cheaper pc laptop

Ahhh, i bit out of my league

xx

If you don't want to be upgrading all the time, i'd say a desktop - £400 will get you one with good storage and enough ram so it runs well , £400 on a laptop however might be a struggle - you'd only get an 80gig HDD and 512 ram - which seeing as they insist on putting Vista on them would be a frustrating experience - You can get some good deals at small computer shops, tell them what you need it for and they'll mostly build you a good one for your budget.
Lisa x

Thanks jamila

I knew that i would get more for my money with a desktop but really could do with a laptop for convenience/space.

Are there no decent laptops for around my budget? How much higher would i need to go to get a good one?

xx

I have a laptop, but hate the screen, keyboard and 'mouse', so I have plugged in a normal keyboard, mouse and a flatscreen (all discarded by our friend who keeps buying 'the latest'!). In the end, I wish I had a desktop!

The other thing about laptops is that the more you move them around, the more 'wear' they undergo, and when one thing goes, nothing works!! So mine just sits on the floor with tons of stuff plugged in and wires everywhere, under the table as if it were a desktop anyway. Stupid huh!

depends what your using it for? laptops are just as good as desktops these days, if your just using it for getting on the internet and storing pictures etc you wont need one with a huge amount of memory, and the great thing is they save space and you can get wireless and use it anywhere in the house, which means you can sit in bed a loiter on MN!

I have a Lapte is supreme computer geek too op - Asus. Absolutely love it. Mine is a bit more pricey as can do decent gaming etc on it too.

Much prefer it to desktop as means that is versitile around the house (wireless broadband) and takes up soo much less space. We still have dp's desk top but he is planning on replacing it with a laptop too. He is supreme computer geek too

arse - cocked up my typing there!

Laptop much, much better IMO.

Takes up less space at home.

You can move it around your house if you have WiFi (very convenient for baby watching).

If it goes wrong you can transport it easily to be repaired.

Here in Paris the city council have put free WiFi in the parks so you can take your laptop and surf the internet while your children are playing.

BT are doing a simliar thing if you sign up to their wifi package, they have wifi hotspots, where you can connect and even have them in other countries so you can take your laptop abroad

Definitely would go for a laptop. I could never go back to a desktop as I enjoy surfing the net while lying in bed far too much. For what you do on the PC a laptop will be more than adequate. If you were into programming and gaming I would be more inclined to say desktop. Laptops are also more energy efficient which is handy is you spend a lot of time onine. I personally have no issues with mouse, keyboard and screen but it is something you have to get used to (I hate using desktops now). Good luck finding the right computer!

You can get a Dell notebook for £400:

Dell

i use a latop for work too (im a super mega supreme geeky programmer) and run lots of complex software on it so these days there is just no need for a desktop.

Would definately go for a laptop. I got a cheap one (Medion), they sell them here in Aldi every so often, I do not know if they have them in UK. Mine cost 499euros, so about umm, 350pounds and that included the modem thingy. I did buy a mouse and keyboard though as I the keyboard is not great quality and I find it easier to use Word/Excel with a mouse.

WiFi is brilliant, can surf anywhere, even out in the garden. Here in Germany a lot of cafes and hotels have hot spots so I can go online free anywhere. (not that I ever do, but I might someday )

I would not spend a lot on a computer, in a 5 or 6 years it will be almost obsolete anyway and I will need a new one.

£400 is not going to get much, everything being talked about here inc Wireless access is going to break your budget

Pc's are cheaper than laptops and will out perform them for the same money. With a laoptop you are paying for the convenience of being able to carry it with you and they will not have the same high specs as PCs. Saying that - don't even consider getting MS Vista as the Operating System with a £400 budget, it will run like a dog. Vista is resource heavy

a desktop doesn't necessarily take up oodles of space - If you have one built in a small form factor case and have a flatscreen, you can halve the space it takes up - if you're really set on a laptop, I'd go to your local computer fair a few times (so you know that the dealer is a regular and get to know them a bit) and get a refurb one -It won't be the latest case, but a good reseller will pick up ones that have been discarded in favour of the latest 1500 quid machine, make sure everything is fine with them and give you a bit of a warranty.
Lisa x

BTW I rebuilt my desktop 3 months ago and the base unit (dual core athlon,160gig HDD 1gig ram, onboard sound and graphics, dvd burner) cost me £200 plus £50 for the case, £60 for a refurb monitor and about £20 for the speakers. I already had a microsoft keyboard (from computer fair £18) and a cordless mouse (£20)
Grand total £370 and it'll do everything you want and more
Lisa x

At home I have both... a laptop and a desktop. My laptop gets the vast majority of the usage, as I can use it in any room (including the bathroom - careful of water!) I can take it to work with me, if I need to... I've taken it on holiday with me (to use as a DVD player).

My current laptop (a NEC Easynote G1) cost under £400 when I brought it in late 2004 (I think it was, may have been early 2005). However, demands of latest operating systems can mean that entry level machines are costing more than £400 (tip: aim for as much memory - RAM - as you can afford).

Thanks for your input everyone

I don't do anything fancy on my PC, just surfing and saving photies mainly. But saying that, the children are getting more and more interested and i would like to get some programmes for them to use.

Decisions, decisions eh?

I think i really wanted everyone to say 'laptop' so i could justify getting one

xx

the problem is that laptops are waaay more likely to go wrong, and more expensive to fix if they do. they are also more difficult to upgrade.

you can get a good desktop with a tft monitor (a flat screen one - so it takes up less space) for about £300 these days.

Laptops are fab. I resisted for a while, but love my lappy (as I type here from bed!)