Notebook/Netbook/Laptop?

[Earthymama]

We have Pc and iPhones, but both DP and I need to use internet and word processor for courses we've signed up to. We are both feelig agrieved if we can't do what we need to so in the causeof domestic harmony should probably get another PC.

What do you in MN world recommend? I need internet, to write some asignments and would be nice to be able to watch DVDs when we are away.

Thanks EM

Hi there. If you want to watch DVDs I'd get a laptop as I dont think the netbook/notepad etc will have enough processing power... You can get some decent slimline ones which would be quite light for travel and have a decent screen (although you can connect to a tv and watch that way)

Thanks, sorry not been back, I am feeling poorly and as a result decided to move the bedroom furniture.

Back to thread, this whole area is such a mystery, none of it appears to be written in any language I recognise!!

..! I hope you feel better. This might help

You could probably get a good enough laptop for around £300 as you've already got a PC. If you're not a techie, I;d suggest going into a shop and just having a play with a few to see what looks good.

A Netbook is just a smaller, lower powered notepad/laptop, with no DVD drive.
Once you get up to around £300, most people are better off getting a deal on a full size laptop.

A full size laptop should have a better screen and a better keyboard. Netbooks can be great if you get a really cheap one for occasional use, or if you have to carry it everywhere.

I like Toshiba laptops.

I agree with what cruelandunusualparenting said.
I was in a similar position as you & could not decide whether to get a laptop or notebook. DP recomended a laptop as he reckons the bigger screen size will be more comfortable if working (or on mumsnet) for long periods of time. He said he would only reccomend a notebook if I was travelling a lot wanted it to be as light as possible.
Dell quite often do good deals on laptops. I have had a few of their pc's and always been happy with them. They also have an outlet shop online where you can get quite a good deals. I don't need to worry about that though, as I have asked Santa for a laptop for Christmas!

You've not mentioned what budget you have available, and that may make quite a difference in what is suggested. When clients ask me about laptops one of the things I suggest is for them to go round Comet/ PC World /etc and try them out - nothing worse than a keyboard you hate on an otherwise 'perfect' machine.

I personally prefer a numeric pad on keyboards so keep a USB kbd to plug in if using a laptop (and a USB mouse too, as I dislike the laptop 'solutions' of some 'joystick' which hurts your thumb, or a pad I find awkward to use. (and must admit I keep various cut/paste etc keyboard shortcuts in my head to avoid even touching the mouse, much of the time).

Also, have you considered whether you want to use Windows 7 (that was launched on 22/10) as not all laptops will have a cheap/free upgrade path (for example, you need to buy a machine with Vista Home Premium, I think).

Also, have you any specific preferences for buying online or in a shop/store - there may be some benefit for some to buy at Tesco, or they may prefer John Lewis for 'peace of mind'.

In passing I checked a few prices, and on the SVP online store (www.svp.co.uk) found three refurbished Toshiba laptops, at 352 (system has 2 GB RAM), 259 (model L300 1 GB RAM), and model L300-20W at 259 (mentioned in an e-mail as having 2 GB of RAM, but website only shows 1 GB). Where mentioned, they have Vista Basic (no free Win 7 upgrade).

On the Ebuyer.com site, at 379 inc VAT, there's an Acer 5732 with 4 GB RAM, and Windows 7 Premium installed.

Meanwhile, if money is not of so much concern, at 699 (on www.play.com ) there's the Acer 5738PG Touch, again with 4 GB RAM, Windows 7 Home Premium, and a 320 GB drive.

It's one of the few touch-screen machines around and probably half (!) the price Apple might charge when they do something similar.

Have only just seen it mentioned on websites, and probably best for you to read a few of the web reviews (do a search for the model number). As it has HDMI and VGA output, you should have no trouble plugging it into a 32" (or bigger) flat screen TV.

Unfortunately we're charged quite a bit more than the USA $799 price tag (that's about 480 quid)

"one of the few touch screen"...

Well, I live and learn - there are more than I thought, from Acer (Windows 7) and Asus - some are bigger than most laptop screens so lack portability, and those under 500 pounds run Windows XP (so are limited - Microsoft allowed XP to go on various machines so long as they only had 1 GB of RAM and processor speed was locked down).

I suppose the 20" Asus screen is about as portable as a big screen laptop, and as it is under 600, in more people's budgets than the 23" models at 820 to 880 pounds, from Acer.

Seen at Tesco.com

Toshiba L300-2CP T3000 2GB 160GB 15.4" Laptop
299.00 (was 339.00) Catalogue number: 207-9342

Acer 5332 T3000 3GB 160GB 15.6" Laptop
318.00 Catalogue number: 206-2269 (I think I saw this model the other day at 339.00)

Note that the Acer is running Vista Home Premium and is eligible for Windows 7 upgrade (so long as one visits the Acer website linked to from tesco.com, in the next 5 to 8 weeks)

Just checking again, seems the Toshiba also should be covered by the Windows 7 upgrade, but I couldn't find out the cost (P+P mostly) as I don't have a suitable serial number for their "upgrade ordering" web form.

(Of the two, while I have high regard for Toshiba, it having a longer laptop 'history', the Acer has a numeric section on the keyboard, which would win hands down, for me, along with extra RAM, so pretty likely to run Windows / applications faster, too).

Rats. The model I saw the other day could be the following:

Acer AS5338 T3000 4GB 250GB 15.6" Laptop
339.00 Catalogue number: 206-9915

As you can see this has more RAM. The bigger HD is not essential - these days I'd hope people would store important items (well, large sets of photos, or music files) on separate, external drives (or some storage for everyone in the home to be sharing).

Also, FYI: Get Windows 7 Upgrade - See T+C at www.tesco.com/windows7

My personal taste would be to get as big a hard disk drive as possible.

I use external disks as a backup or archive and keep all that I regularly want to play/listen to or watch on my laptop.

That means that when I take my laptop somewhere I've still got all that I want on it.

However all that said 250gb is an awful lot of space. I've got less than that on a work machine and I store all sorts of very large things on that.