any good laptop recommendations? my head is SWIMMING with Gigabytes and Vistas and i'm thinking of going to John Lewis, god help me.

[AitchwonderswhoFruitCrumbleis]

i am NOT GOOD at buying this kind of thing and bitterly regret the purchase of a Dell last time.

has anyone done this recently and ferreted out a fantastic machine for about 500 quid? it's really just a bit of browsing of MN and photos and word processing, most techie stuff passes me by.

I got a new laptop last Friday - it's this one www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5081361/Trail/searchtext%3EACER.htm

So far it's very nice!

My husband (who is a massive geek) researched it for me. It runs Vista at the moment but you can upgrade to Windows 7 next month for £12

Get a Mac

Well, Aitch, if you get 'down South' you're more than welcome to come and have a look at DH's cast off mine! And DH can bore blind you with Mac Geekyness!

Yes, understood about warranty, and the 90 days did not appeal to me, either, hence mixed feelings about that laptop.

I've bought PCs s/h from 10 quid to 100 (with XP or NT on) but a laptop is far different in terms of 'running repairs', as noted in earlier post, and I'd only go for a laptop with a year of warranty minimum.

FWIW, I have an iMac too, but many Mac users are actually Mac zealots, and I smile to their face, but put my head in my hands when they're out of sight

Pros and cons with everything, why I also use linux

i think firefox is about as far off piste as i'm capable of.
thanks for the argos tip. webdude, i'm in your hands, can you tell me if it's better than the comet one?

Yes, that Acer (part number 508/1361 on Argos site) does look good. Similar spec (4 GB RAM) but even bigger drive - 500 GB is nice if you have a lot of music!

Was sorely tempted today when I saw a 750 GB drive in the clearance section of Maplin shop, for 50 quid.

OMG - no pressure then !

Big problem is spending someone else's money, and if they ever feel they didn't get fabulous value for money, it'd forever be on my conscience.

oh don't be daft. remember that the last two laptops that i have bought under my own steam have been the source of much irritation. so i'm not expecting a lot. spend my money, webdude.

Question is - will you wait, or are you desperate to splash out now!

One more thing is that I've plugged a monitor, mouse and keyboard into MIL's netbook to get over the tininess aspect.

Don't get a Mac. They break down and they will make you cry when you realise that it's broken down and whilst you could get it fixed there's a new, shiner one out... and before you know it you have a house full of fixable but defunct Macs and a depleted bank balance.

i use my laptop on my lap though, even when working. i'm practically sarah jessica parker...

Sarah Jessica parker, or at least Carrie Bradshaw, who has a Mac!

yes, i am considerably less smug than she, but i do share her stoop.

geeks ahoy, i have news.

we went to john lewis today and asked about a price match for the argos computer, and the guy was brilliant and just said 'get the argos one'. basically jl only price match to the exact same model number and apparently tesco, argos, comet et al specifically get different model nos so as to combat them. (of course this might also be swinging the other way i imagine.)

anyhow, he looked up the argos one for us, confirmed that everything looked good with all the bits and bobs and heartily recommended that we get them. (we're buying two). they're out of stock online but we've found them in a couple of shops so we'll be in business tomorrow.

thanks so much everyone for your help.

My DH will be pleased! Here's the link for the Windows upgrade as it doesn't come in the box www.acer.com/windows7upgrade/

oh many thanks. you are a star!

Glad you're sorted!

Hope the upgrade to Windows 7 goes smoothly.

i'm quite sure you'll hear from me again if it doesn't. thanks again for your help.

I'll claim "no knowledge, ma'am" and go and hide

Only one of around 100 clients has bought Vista (or told me they have bought it, IYSWIM) after I put out a newsletter saying I was looking to switch to Linux and Mac OS X, and anyone with Vista is "on their own". Most have been happy with Win XP, and I recommended buying from the business sections of websites, at least until they stopped supply of XP.

However, still easy to get s/h XP Pro systems, complete with CD, for 100 quid or less, and I've assisted use of XP on a new PC bought without any OS installed, with the s/h as a reserve.

you've seen that episode of the simpsons where bart is saying 'sit santa's little helper, sit' and the dog is hearing 'blah blah blah santa's little helper blah blah blah'? that's what i'm like with computers.

i'm using the new one now. funny keyboard. it always takes me a while to get used to a new one... and it's BLUE! lol.

oh, and i think i might have fritzed the battery already cos dd2 pulled the cable out when it had only been charging for ten mins and i didn't notice. will that have done a BAD THING? the box is very clear that you must charge for at least half an hour.

Shhhh DML, check OP post (think a sledgehammer might be reaction to a Dell now).

No, Aitch, sorry, I have never, ever, watched Simpsons whatever other people think of it (have been in the same building, and seen their office door, in LA though, courtesy of a visit to see a film director friend!)

As for the battery charge, well, it isn't ideal (rechargeable batteries develop a 'memory' but so long as you charge it fully and discharge it from time to time (ie don't run on power lead all the time) you should be OK.

If you do find that it doesn't hold charge as long as the other laptop, don't make a big noise about it, just swap the batteries over (!!)