# Recommend me a bargain laptop in the sales



## quimcunx (Dec 29, 2014)

So my laptop fell over a couple of weeks before christmas. It's sale time but I'm currently drowning under a pile of gidgets* in the old country.  

I don't need anything too fancy.  My history is 2 x bottom of the range Dells. I'm not a gamer or owt. 

I need something to do my coursework on in the evenings, piss about on the internets and watch netflixe, yet I'm surprised at how quickly they get sluggish. 

physio suggested getting another keyboard if using laptop for work/study.  A netbook is a bit small should I ever use it for work, as excel spreadsheets involved. 

Previously spent £350/£400 but obviously unexpected cost so would prefer much less. Maybe a laptop and a tablet?   

Any ideas how my needs might best be met? 

*gidgets are like gadgets but with minds of their own and a penchant for playing piley on.


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## yield (Dec 29, 2014)

http://www.hotukdeals.com/search?ac...ry=0&type=1&date_range=30&sort_type=relevance

There's a good selection of different laptops on hotukdeals.com at the moment


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## Fez909 (Dec 29, 2014)

quimcunx said:


> I need something to do my coursework on in the evenings


What does this consist of?


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## DrRingDing (Dec 29, 2014)

Get one with an SSD.

Do not get a netbook.


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## marty21 (Dec 29, 2014)

DrRingDing said:


> Get one with an SSD.
> 
> Do not get a netbook.


 #askingforQuimmy

What is SSD?


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## Fez909 (Dec 29, 2014)

marty21 said:


> #askingforQuimmy
> 
> What is SSD?


It's a faster type of hard drive than the traditional type (HDD). Old ones have spinning metal discs in them; SSDs are like memory sticks and SD cards. Small, fast, no moving parts and a lot more expensive.

You can buy them separately and upgrade the laptop later, which is what I'd suggest, as getting a laptop with an SSD already installed will make it difficult to find one at the budget we're talking here.


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## quimcunx (Dec 29, 2014)

Fez909 said:


> What does this consist of?



Usually just typing up essays or  watching video. Occasionally had to download lightweight software.


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## Throbbing Angel (Dec 29, 2014)

So do you need a large screen or would 11 or 13 inch suffice?


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## Bob_the_lost (Dec 29, 2014)

I've just ordered a Lenovo Flex 10 @ £180 (which is one of those netbooks Fez warned you about). In theory I could install an £80 250GB SSD and have a nice little ultraportable for a total of £260. Instead i'm recycling an old hybrid drive which should be perfect for me but of no use for you... 

Having said that a 10" is too small for moderate working, it's ultra portable range. You could get that and use an external monitor and keyboard (very easily) but even with an SSD it's not meant to do heavy lifting. Basic office work, internet and so on should be fine but no heavy gaming, no Matlab, no 80 MB excel sheets etc. Edit: If you want I can tell you how it handles that sort of stuff compared to a high end desktop tomorrow (but the sale might have ended so it would be a princely £230 at RRP)

Laptops these days make a lot of sense for most people, 13 or 14 inches is a nice sweet spot between portable and large enough to use. My 15" seems like a bit of a monster on the train compared to everyone else's. Get an external 24" monitor and keyboard and you've got a portable device that you can do serious typing on happily.

This laptop is massive overkill for you, but is also excellent specs:

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/acer-aspire-v3-1080p-6gb-120gb-ssd-449-99-pc-world-2101565
It is a really nice laptop, high res screen for videos, a fast CPU (tbh it's a little wasted on your needs ) and an SSD already installed.

This is a bit bulkier than i'd advise but if you're doing 99% of your stuff around the house it'll do well. A refurb 15.6 Toshiba
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151458961254?clk_rvr_id=756111741485&rmvSB=true

For a desktop option this looks ok, but not amazing (note it's got windows 7 which a lot of people prefer for desktops but I quite like 8.1 now)
http://www.ebuyer.com/662325-zoostorm-desktop-pc-7260-1017


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## Bob_the_lost (Dec 29, 2014)

I've found my recommendation:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/lapto...ouchscreen-laptop-red-10022728-pdt.html#cat-0

You want something similar to that:
an i3 (a good entry level CPU capable of everything except power user stuff, which you really aren't)
4GB of RAM (plenty for everyone except power users and it can be added to without any trouble)
500GB Hybrid drive (nearly as good as an SSD but much cheaper)
1368x768 screen (~720p or HD ready, good but not outstanding)
Touchscreen which is nice
And bends into a nice format for the train or watching stuff at tables.
~6 hours battery life which is decent but not award winning
£350


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## DrRingDing (Dec 29, 2014)

Fez909 said:


> It's a faster type of hard drive than the traditional type (HDD). Old ones have spinning metal discs in them; SSDs are like memory sticks and SD cards. Small, fast, no moving parts and a lot more expensive.
> 
> You can buy them separately and upgrade the laptop later, which is what I'd suggest, as getting a laptop with an SSD already installed will make it difficult to find one at the budget we're talking here.



Yea but remember the performance editor put on chucking his toys around when he tried to install a SSD.....and he's meant to be reasonably techy. I would hunt for one with an SSD unless you know someone who'll install a SSD for you.


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## Bob_the_lost (Dec 29, 2014)

DrRingDing said:


> Yea but remember the performance editor put on chucking his toys around when he tried to install a SSD.....and he's meant to be reasonably techy. I would hunt for one with an SSD unless you know someone who'll install a SSD for you.


Physicall inserting an SSD is generally on the same level as building Argos flat-pack furniture (ikea is a bit better made, Argos is generally comparable) and you have a manual or video walkthrough.

On the other hand getting all your software/drivers installed is more of a pain in the rear for a lot of people.


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## DrRingDing (Dec 29, 2014)

Bob_the_lost said:


> Physicall inserting an SSD is generally on the same level as building Argos flat-pack furniture (ikea is a bit better made, Argos is generally comparable) and you have a manual or video walkthrough.
> 
> On the other hand getting all your software/drivers installed is more of a pain in the rear for a lot of people.



Installing the OS. Most people haven't done that before.


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## Fez909 (Dec 29, 2014)

quimcunx said:


> Usually just typing up essays or  watching video. Occasionally had to download lightweight software.


If it was just typing and essays I'd probably recommend a Chromebook, but having to install software means that they are almost certainly no good for you. Nor netbooks, although this is the _first_ time I've said not to get one of them (Bob_the_lost  ).

Bob's second suggestion looks good and the hybrid drive will help a lot, but I reckon you can still get below £300 for your needs if cost is more important than a speed bump. I recommended my sis a laptop just before Christmas and it was quality for the price. Gonna find the link and see if it's still £299 and I'll get back to you.


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## Fez909 (Dec 29, 2014)

DrRingDing said:


> Installing the OS. Most people haven't done that before.


Could easily coach someone through an OS install, but getting everything transferred over might be a ballache (though again, coachable).

Fair comment, though. I recommended my Mam upgrade to an SSD just last week and she was going to order one and attempt it herself and I told her to leave it until I'm next at hers and I'll just do it for her...


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## quimcunx (Dec 29, 2014)

Throbbing Angel said:


> So do you need a large screen or would 11 or 13 inch suffice?



I was trying to work on a NetBook but it was very annoying and small. Normal laptop size is ok. Not that I have plans to WFH that often.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Dec 29, 2014)

quimcunx said:


> So my laptop fell over a couple of weeks before christmas. It's sale time but I'm currently drowning under a pile of gidgets* in the old country.
> 
> I don't need anything too fancy.  My history is 2 x bottom of the range Dells. I'm not a gamer or owt.
> 
> ...


I have a spare keyboard that you can have. My physiotherapist recommended it for my back but to be honest I have not noticed much of difference. I may also have one of those laptop stands you can have too.


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## Chz (Dec 30, 2014)

Bob_the_lost said:


> Physicall inserting an SSD is generally on the same level as building Argos flat-pack furniture (ikea is a bit better made, Argos is generally comparable) and you have a manual or video walkthrough.
> 
> On the other hand getting all your software/drivers installed is more of a pain in the rear for a lot of people.


Ed was putting it into a fairly old laptop that had some dodgy chipset support in that regard. Nothing made in the past 3 years should have any trouble, and I've done it a dozen times. Most SSDs are available in a kit form that includes a cable and software to copy everything over for you.


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## quimcunx (Dec 30, 2014)

Bob_the_lost said:


> This is a bit bulkier than i'd advise but if you're doing 99% of your stuff around the house it'll do well. A refurb 15.6 Toshiba
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151458961254?clk_rvr_id=756111741485&rmvSB=true



I like the number keypad at the side. It was between this and below but I just remembered that t is recommended that I get another keyboard because ''with laptops if the screen is the right height the keyboard isn't and vice versa'' which makes the keypad irrelevant. 



Bob_the_lost said:


> I've found my recommendation:
> http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/lapto...ouchscreen-laptop-red-10022728-pdt.html#cat-0
> 
> You want something similar to that:
> ...



I like this. I like the tablety option on it.  I think I overheat laptops with sitting them on my lap.  

I don't understand the ''4gb 1tb'' specs.  

So I might go for this unless there is a tablet option I can easily use with a keyboard or if someone has some inventive idea where I can use a little tablety/netbooky things for faffing about then use a separate monitor for working so I get the different keyboard/monitor levels?


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## quimcunx (Dec 30, 2014)

Wait!  What's this about bundles?   With the recommended bundle it's £450 ish rather than £350ish? do I need that shit?  Previous dells have come with low grade windows stuff installed. 

Anyway yeah, I like the hybrid lappy tablety stuff.


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## maomao (Dec 30, 2014)

quimcunx said:


> if someone has some inventive idea where I can use a little tablety/netbooky things for faffing about then use a separate monitor for working so I get the different keyboard/monitor levels?


That's not difficult, you'd just need to plug monitor, keyboard and mouse into the laptop so you'd just need to make sure it had the right kind of graphics port for your monitor. You might need to set it up the first time but faffing about with cables is the only fiddly bit.


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## Bob_the_lost (Dec 30, 2014)

quimcunx said:


> Wait!  What's this about bundles?   With the recommended bundle it's £450 ish rather than £350ish? do I need that shit?  Previous dells have come with low grade windows stuff installed.
> 
> Anyway yeah, I like the hybrid lappy tablety stuff.


I don't recommend the bundles, definitely not the care package. The only one that might be worth it is the office 365 options but you can often buy them cheaper afterwards anyway.

I do, strongly, recommend an external keyboard and monitor. You can get 19" second hand ones for virtually nothing and then set it up properly at a desk for when you are working from home.


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## quimcunx (Dec 31, 2014)

I think the screen size is enough.  I was using a tiny netbook and that was annoying but I normally wouldn't be WFH anyway.  I think I like that one but if I was going to get a monitor and keyboard then why not get a netbook or tablet for a lot less money?  Argh decisions, decisions. 

I will get a keyboard either way because of physio advice, for when I'm studying.  

If I got the refurbed toshiba I could get a cheapy tablet too.  But do I want a laptop, a tablet, a oldstyle kindle, a smartphone and an ipod?   

sorry for being annoying. I'm annoying myself now.


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## ShiftyBagLady (Dec 31, 2014)

I wouldn't spit at a Toshiba. I've had two. Maybe even three (though that last one might have been a HP) and they all die after about a year. I'm not a heavy user either and it was fucking traumatic at times.
Never felt such face burning rage for an inanimate object


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## quimcunx (Dec 31, 2014)

I shall not get the Toshiba.  I like the lenovo I was just hoping to spend a bit less. 

However my train was so late today I should get a full refund so. swings/roundabouts.


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## Epona (Dec 31, 2014)

Hiya mate, you say in your first post that you are "surprised how quickly they get sluggish".

This sounds like the sort of issue that every computer at some point suffers, and that could be somewhat combated by a regular regime of hardware and software maintenance (sounds a lot worse and more onerous than it is, I am talking about stuff like keeping software that launches at boot-up to a minimum, checking for viruses/malware, defragging mechanical hard drives (not SSDs or any other type of flash storage!) and cleaning dust out of fans).

Good luck with whichever device you opt for


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## Saratoga (Jan 1, 2015)

6 months ago I got a very reasonable lenovo thinkpad x201 for £180


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## quimcunx (Jan 1, 2015)

Bob_the_lost said:


> I've found my recommendation:
> http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/lapto...ouchscreen-laptop-red-10022728-pdt.html#cat-0
> 
> You want something similar to that:
> ...



Bah!  I was going to have a look in Currys just to get a feel for whats out there before ordering and now this is back up to £399. 

Is this the same? 

http://www.woolworths.co.uk/lenovo-...rMtSmz_53793335187#sku=sku16546344?aff=google


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## Fez909 (Jan 1, 2015)

quimcunx said:


> Bah!  I was going to have a look in Currys just to get a feel for whats out there before ordering and now this is back up to £399.


There's always other good options  

This one has a faster processor than Bob's suggestion, but no touchscreen or bendy goodness, and a slower hard drive. But it's only £299

http://www.ebuyer.com/660257-lenovo-essential-b50-70-laptop-mcc2guk 

Or this, which is similar but has an AMD processor (not as good as Intel, though often faster for the money). It's quad-core and is only £199

http://www.ebuyer.com/669147-hp-255-g3-quad-core-laptop-k7h92es-abu

Both would do you nicely, IMO.


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## quimcunx (Jan 1, 2015)

I kind of wanted the bendy goodness, having seen it.  though at £199 I could get a tablet in a month or two. hmm.

And if I order today I can have it on Saturday.  more hmms.

Why is it so cheap?


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## Throbbing Angel (Jan 1, 2015)

quimcunx said:


> I kind of wanted the bendy goodness, having seen it.  though at £199 I could get a tablet in a month or two. hmm.
> 
> And if I order today I can have it on Saturday.  more hmms.
> 
> Why is it so cheap?



The bendy goodness was attractive wasn't it!  Shame it has gone back up in price.

They do have another non bendy Lenovo in stock at £330  http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/lapto...50-70-15-6-laptop-red-10030396-pdt.html#cat-0

As for that £199HP model - not sure why it is so cheap - AMD processors are traditionally a bit cheaper than Intel ones but that is very cheap.
Maybe it's shit?  ?

I was looking at a £400 (down from £600) HP in PC world a couple of days ago and the keyboard was utter shite - which is important to me as I'd only be using it as a laptop rather than docking it to a monitor/keyboard/mouse as I no longer have a desk.

I think this review is of the same model as the £200 machine above; http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/laptop/3591086/hp-255-g3-budget-laptop-review/


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## quimcunx (Jan 1, 2015)

Does the one I linked to look at on Woolies site look the same as the Lenovo I was after?  


Thought now there is one at £199 that 'would do' me apparently I want the cheapness.    

order in 5 hours and I can have it on saturday.


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## Throbbing Angel (Jan 1, 2015)

Epona said:


> Hiya mate, you say in your first post that you are "surprised how quickly they get sluggish".
> 
> This sounds like the sort of issue that every computer at some point suffers, and that could be somewhat combated by a regular regime of hardware and software maintenance (sounds a lot worse and more onerous than it is, I am talking about stuff like keeping software that launches at boot-up to a minimum, checking for viruses/malware, defragging mechanical hard drives (not SSDs or any other type of flash storage!) and cleaning dust out of fans).
> 
> Good luck with whichever device you opt for



My Lenovo (a G550-four yrs old) gets sluggish now and then over time.  It has a facility installed called One Key Recovery where you press a button and it wipes the Hard Drives and reinstalls the OS.  Thankfully it is a very small button and you have to really want to press it 
So, once you've backed up all your shizz, you can  make the laptop box fresh again.  It is a great facility and worth looking out for (or summat similar)


Because if this I was thinking of getting a Chromebook but I'd lose access to a few things I want to keep that are Windoze only.

Are thos e HP stream laptops any good does anyone know?  Like a Chromebook but Windows based.  Would they suit  quimmy's needs?


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## Throbbing Angel (Jan 1, 2015)

quimcunx said:


> Does the one I linked to look at on Woolies site look the same as the Lenovo I was after?
> 
> 
> Thought now there is one at £199 that 'would do' me apparently I want the cheapness.
> ...



Looks the same to me but they don't give as much detail about the model number etc so, possibly not - but the main details seem the same.


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## quimcunx (Jan 1, 2015)

I have now bought one. (that cheap one)  Thank you everyone for your help.   

Please don't tell me I've done wrong now I've made my decision.


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## Throbbing Angel (Jan 1, 2015)

Reads OP again...


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## quimcunx (Jan 3, 2015)

It's MASSIVE!   Especially after using a netbook for a few weeks.


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## mrs quoad (Jan 6, 2015)

DrRingDing said:


> Installing the OS. Most people haven't done that before.


When I bought an SSD, Crucial sold me a hard drive cloning kit which circumvented some of the need for an OS install.

Dont get me wrong, the whole process was still a f***ing nightmare (multiple fuck ups, complications and needs for googling), but the process was still vastly easier than a Win 7 install - 1 working day vs 3, with less arsing around, drivers actually sorted, and the ability to continue working whilst it sorted its fuck ups out.


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