Best Laptop with OS for under £300 - Page 4

codprawn · 02 November 2008, 14:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doug Stormforce

Souns like a solution. Is that as standard or on request?

You just go into the business section at the back - they don't actually keep laptops in stock - they order it for you - usually next day - can be delivered to your home or the store for pickup.

http://www.pcwb.com/catalogue/Computers/Laptop/Laptops

I have been quite suprised by PCW business section lately - they can get all the specialist compnonents - like high end graphics cards and motherboards - at prices the same as people like DABs and the dreaded Ebuyer - even better you don't pay for delivery - you may have to haggle a bit though!!!

They will give anyone a cash account and it's pretty easy to get a credit account as well.

Doug Stormforce · 02 November 2008, 17:17

We generally use PCWB. I have had 14 Desktops, 2 laptops and various accessories from them. The only down side is when you need something immediatly you generally have to wait or loose the business dicount and take the altenative brand in store.

My current laptop (vista) never came with XP disc hence why I was asking if it was only on request.

codprawn · 02 November 2008, 18:43

It looks like some do and some don't.

Hightower · 30 November 2008, 13:03

So far I'm resisting buying a Laptop till after Xmas like Chris suggested, however I still like DELL products and am looking at their "Outlet" site till the right one turns up.

However!...

I've been doing a little soul searching and have been reviewing what I and the Family really want out of a Laptop and have decided that with an external HD then it's really only conectivity to the WWW I want. A back-up to the main PC just in case it bugs out again. So am starting to look at these Net Book PC's. They seem very expensive for what they are. Is it worth buying one or holding out for the right laptop.

Dirk Diggler · 30 November 2008, 13:08

I recently bought a Toshiba N100 for my god daughter as she's off travelling for a year, it came from car phone warehouse, £299, 120gb hard drive, 1 gb ram, and windows xp, superb 8.9" screen, wireless and webcam.

Poly · 30 November 2008, 15:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

So am starting to look at these Net Book PC's. They seem very expensive for what they are. Is it worth buying one or holding out for the right laptop.

Oh how expectations change! 10 years ago that would have been a well specced laptop and set you back probably a grand! The netbooks have all started to try and out spec each other - which is a bit missing the point - they were supposed to be low spec machines that were ultraportable and ultracheap. I think the cheapest is around £139 in maplin - but its doesn't get good reviews. I have not very subtely suggested to santa that the Acer at £179 meets my spec - but I have a normal laptop and a desktop - this is for using on a train/plane and lugging around the place. If you are looking at going for one over £220 I think you will be as well going for a normal laptop unless you need ultraportability.

Dirk Diggler · 30 November 2008, 16:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

Oh how expectations change!

Tell me about it, I use a JVC Mininote, bought on Ebay s/h 4 years ago for £650.00, my phone is probably better specced now! Funniest thing is I was outbid on similar probably 6 times prior to winning this one!

nik · 02 December 2008, 19:13

Cheap and cheerful at £140

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=225532

Hightower · 02 December 2008, 20:08

To be honest, I was looking at a slightly more expensive one here

It's probably more powerful than my 2.8 Pentium 4 and runs XP.

Only downside is no CD rom/DVD drive, but hey I can either use my own PC's one or a stand alone. It does suit my plans of a seperate Hard drive however.

Hightower · 31 December 2008, 11:58

Well I held out till after Christmas and the best one I found was HERE an HP 6735s with an AMD Turion X2 Dual Core RM-72 2.1Ghz, 4GB 800DDR2 and 250GB HD.

There don't seem to be that many deals around at the moment and have been watching the Dell outlet site very closely. I nearly bought a Dell Studio a couple of weeks ago, but at the ordering stage the site froze and threw me out. That laptop was never offered for sale again, so I guess the price was too good to be true

Hightower · 31 December 2008, 16:14

Well, thanks all!

After some Umming and Erring I decided to part with my cash and buy the HP.

Thanks all, for your inputs and opinions. A special thanks goes to a couple of you that PMed me with offers of help and advice.

Happy New Year

codprawn · 31 December 2008, 18:32

Nice laptop but VISTA??? Are you mad???

Just find someone to install XP for you!!!

Hightower · 31 December 2008, 19:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Nice laptop but VISTA??? Are you mad???

Just find someone to install XP for you!!!

I know, I know

I have a copy of XP sp3 I can install if I don't get on with it.

codprawn · 31 December 2008, 20:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

I know, I know

I have a copy of XP sp3 I can install if I don't get on with it.

BEFORE you get rid of vista note exactly what hardware you have so you can get the correct drivers!!!

A great program for this is CPUZ

http://www.cpuid.com/download/cpuz_149.zip

No need to install - just run the exe file. It will tell you all you need to know!!!

Hightower · 31 December 2008, 20:45

Can you not just load up XP and let it find it's own drivers then?

codprawn · 31 December 2008, 22:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hightower

Can you not just load up XP and let it find it's own drivers then?

Don't be silly!!!

You will need sound - graphics - network adaptor - wireless and possibly some motherboard drivers.

Just note what types they are - then download from the makers website.

jwalker · 01 January 2009, 16:34

Andy, if Vista is on your machine, live with it for a while and see how you get on. Although it has a few flaws, it also has some nice and useful features. It is also an advance for your colour work for the future because it has implemented WCS, at least, partially.
If you go back to XP, you'll likely need to have drivers at hand for your mother board chips, sound & graphics, network card, usb drivers, touchpad drivers, modem drivers, direct-X, upates for IE etc. You also will have to get virus protection and you'll loose any bundled software which may come with the new machine.

I lashed out on Vista to update my computer and I agree with Cod to some extent and I've gone back to Win 2K, mostly, (I use dual OS) but I've also been working with a new laptop and Vista using dual core processor and the more up to date interfaces and it works well and is pretty stable. It also contains lots of drivers for most things and what it doesn't have it will automatically find for you. However, if you have favourite older software, you may find that Vista will reject it. I knows about stuff which is incompatible and/or which Microsoft don't want you to use. It does have good compatibility modes for marginal stuff and it will look for fixes if necessary. You can revert the user interface back to Classic it you don't get on with the new, clumpy front end.

Hightower · 01 January 2009, 22:18

I was going to give it a crack anyway JW, it'll take me a few weeks to get to grips with navigating the new OS, similar to the experience of going from windows 95 to XP. I have my desktop running XP but don't really run any other specific software except Video editing stuff and that doesn't get used all that often.

Classic mode is what I'll be changing it to straight away.