New laptop recommendations

[wowzz]

My old [some would say ancient] desktop computer has finally given up, and reluctantly I need to buy a laptop as a replacement. We are in the process of 'downsizing' and Mrs Wowzz is adamant that our new study will not be dominated by the computer desk.
Can any of you give recommendations for a laptop in the 350 [stg] region. I'm not into gaming or anything like that: I just want to write e-mails, read the papers and surf the internet, do the occasional spread sheet and make Skype calls. Any advice would be most welcome.
Thanks

[Saab Dastard]

I'm a fan of Lenovo laptops - have one myself - and there's a few in the £350-£400 range that are well specified and are even still obtainable with Windows 7 rather than 8.

I especially like the models with a proper numeric keypad, which is particularly useful doing spreadsheets.

For example: 20B2000KUK | Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E545 Quad Core 4GB 500GB Windows 7 Pro / Windows 8 Pro Laptop - Laptops Direct (http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Lenovo_ThinkPad_Edge_E545_Quad_Core_4GB_500GB_Windows_7_Pro_-_Windows_8_Pro_20B2000KUK/version.asp)

SD

[FullOppositeRudder]

What SD said - with emphasis. I'm very happy with my Lenevo, and if you can still get one with W7, that can only a very big plus. :ok:

(I will admit that W7 is turning out very well in my new installation. I'm even finding some things that I like. I've installed Classic Shell, and because the file search function in W7 Explorer seems quite hopeless, I've become a fan of AgentRansack. Despite it's off-putting name, it seems to be a very useful file search engine.

OK - I resisted w7 right up until the week when support for XP ended for the bottom feeders like me. :hmm: But it is faster,safer (hopefully), and with these two add-ons is doing almost everything I want - lacking only in the ability to run a couple of older dos based program upon which I had come to rely).

FOR

[henry_crun]

http://www.mike-wsm.org.uk/office01.jpg


seven inch tablet

[goudie]

I recently purchased an ASUS notebook from Tescos for £270.00
It has a touch screen and came with Win 8.1 which I find quite good.
I'm very pleased with it as it suits my needs, which are similar to yours wowzz

[OFSO]

if you can still get one with W7

In London two months ago you only had to utter the magic words "it's for my business" and you could get WIN7. Utter the magic words "its for school" and you got both WIN7 AND a discount, no questions asked.

The last laptop I bought was a Toshiba from the South American river company. Very cheap, has been OK so far, nice screen and keyboard, not enough USB sockets.

[Booglebox]

You can still get Win 7 from Lenovo. :cool:

OP, depending on your budget / needs (screen size, portability) / preferences / (Win/Mac), any of the following may be good for you:

- Lenovo X1 Carbon
- Lenovo T440, X240 or W440
- Macbook Pro with or without Retina display
- Macbook Air

I would stay away from non-Apple non-"business" machines.

[onetrack]

Wowzz - My vote is with the Toshiba. I've been running a Toshiba L300 (now obsolete) since 2009, it's performed flawlessly. Toshiba were the original developers of the laptop, I think they know what they're doing.

I was nearly going to trade the L300 on the latest Toshiba C50 Satellite last week - the only thing that stopped me was, I was looking for a weight saving over the 2.7Kg the L300 weighs, and the new Toshiba still weighs 2.4kg.

You need to figure out how much you need/use a DVD drive, because a laptop has one and a tablet hasn't.
I like a decent-size screen, and a tablet or notebook doesn't do it for me. 15" is the minimum. I'm running a 24" on the desktop, it makes watching movies or TV programs a much better viewing experience.

Toshiba C50 Satellite - PSCF6A-0G106S - Toshiba Computer (http://www.mytoshiba.com.au/products/computers/satellite/c50/pscf6a-0g106s/specifications)

[wowzz]

Thanks for the replies. As I want a larger screen size, I think the Lenovo or Toshiba option would be best.

[mad_jock]

Another thumbs up for the lenovo .

Got tow of them now for kids for school and they are good value for what you pay for them.

[meadowrun]

Been running a Toshiba Satellite lappy for five years now. Works very well. Only hiccup was the hard drive which went wonky after 4.5 years. Managed to clone it and install new HD with Win 7 for $230.00. Now runs like new again. The hard drives always seem to be the weak link on putters (mine anyway). If everything else on it keeps working properly, will consider another HD replacement in 4 years just for the hell of it.

[mad_jock]

laptops seem to go in cycles and you need to find out which is the current good make.


Need another one in 3-4 years time don't expect one of the same make to be the same build quality because it won't be.

Unless its an Acer in which case it will still be the same ****e quality.

Gay computer is old people?s worst fear (http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-technology/gay-computer-is-old-peoples-worst-fear-2014051386516)

[Mac the Knife]

Agree with Saab about the Lenovo - used one the other day and it is good, quick and workmanlike.

Classic Shell - Classic Shell - Start menu and other Windows enhancements (http://www.classicshell.net/) - is light, free and does a geat heap to restore the usability of Windows.

AgentRansack is the excellent free version of FileLocator Pro from MythicSoft - if you can afford $50, upgrade to Pro and help support AgentRansack for the people who can't.

I think MythicSoft is a morally decent company and it is time that we who can, should fork out a few bawbees to businesses that help those who can't (if you know what I mean).

The 13" Macbook Pro (without Retina display) is easily repairable (unlike it's snobby cousins) and good value. The new (and cheaper) 11" MacBook Airs are the ultimate in portability/usability.

The Tosh is good also - nothing beats a real keyboard.

Mac

[Saab Dastard]

laptops seem to go in cycles and you need to find out which is the current good make.
Need another one in 3-4 years time don't expect one of the same make to be the same build quality because it won't be.

I agree with that in general - from a corporate perspective, Toshiba were the kings of the hill in the '90s, but then their design & build quality deteriorated, with Compaq taking on the mantle until taken over by HP - I found HP's business laptops to be much poorer than the Compaqs they replaced. I've not used Toshiba since 2002, so I can't say if they have improved again - hopefully they have, as they used to be the standard-setter.

Sony had a good initial run with the Vaio - although they were always too flash and weak for my taste - but 2nd half of 2000's their laptops (like so many Sony products) took a big drop in quality & reliability.

IBM's Thinkpads have always had a good reputation for solid, workmanlike performance and this seems to have survived the transition to Lenovo. Fingers crossed that this continues.

The only other make I've used has been Dell, and I've been happy enough with what I've seen over the last couple of years.

That's my opinion, FWIW.

SD

[Andy_P]

I am with Saab Dastard and mad_jock on this one. Current crop of laptops that seem to hold up are ASUS (not so common in enterprise for some reason) and Lenova. We also use dell and dont have any major issues with them (plus they come fix it for you if there is an issue). In fact, the client I am currently with is moving everything to dell and it seems to be going very well.

[mad_jock]

My asus rog is the dogs nuts for a grand.

I have used Dell on and off for 15 years including 1000 unit rollouts.

Never had a problem with them. Slightly more expensive than some would like but a good design and build and support

[Andy_P]

I have used Dell on and off for 15 years including 1000 unit rollouts.

The mob I am working with now is rolling out more than 1000 dell PC's!!. Probably closer to 10000!.

I have a dell server for my business, its been happily chugging along for 6 years now without any incidents. All our desktop PC's are dell and a few laptops (we are not a big company). We also had Sony early on, but the later ones were crap. Got a mix of laptops now, Sony, Dell, Mac, Asus. Only faulty laptops I have here are sony and toshiba.

[Booglebox]

Now if only they would do away with that red nipple thing it would be perfect.......

How dare you :eek: :mad: I find it far, far, far superior to a touchpad. :8

[dazdaz1]

If I had to marry a laptop, my Samsung. She has been abused by years of nicotine, few spills on her keyboard and is still going strong. I love her.

[Thrust Augmentation]

I'll put another vote in for Samsung, there are two older & one newer kicking around our house & all have performed & lasted very well.

One of the older ones was a work tool that was thrashed 24/7 without a break & was only retired from work as it was getting to the age where HDD failure was likely to raise it's head. In it's abused lifetime it only cost me a keyboard (thanks to my dog, which has strange tastes) & a battery, which is only to be expected.

Never though that I would say it, but my experience with Samsung laptops has been very good.

[wowzz]

Thanks everyone - I am now totally confused, as everyone has their own preferences. Having had a Dell for 10 years when I was working, and with no adverse comments, perhaps I'll change my previous choices.
However, is it just me, or is Dell the 'Ford' of the computer industry - sensible, efficient, but just damn boring?

[Mac the Knife]

In general, boring is good.

Certainly for me, system stability is far more important than speed, video tricks or the ability to grill a shashlik while dancing the kazotsky on a unicycle at 200mph.

Rock Steady - Mac

:hmm:

[mad_jock]

dell do have some cosworth models. alienware.

But the basic ones are solid and stress free.

Currently on offer

Inspiron 15 Laptop Available with Touch Screen Details | Dell UK (http://www.dell.com/uk/p/inspiron-15-3537/pd?oc=cn35317&model_id=inspiron-15-3537)

Stick an extra 4Gb of ram in with what's left of your budget and you will have a laptop that will last for years.

Nothing fancy the OS won't get dumped.

Nothing special with the graphics but you will be able to watch films.

Screen is a decent resolution unless you want to edit photo's.

As you say boring but will get you from A to B with little hassle.

[ExSp33db1rd]

It has a touch screen and came with Win 8.1 which I find quite good


Wow !! Someone who actually LIKES Windows H'eight ! Take that man's name !

Reading the above it looks like the old story -ask three people and get 6 answers. My first Laptop was a Dell, did OK for about 4 years, then died, my Man Wot Does talked me into this present HP ProBook, which is OK so far, meanwhile I had also bought an ASUS PcEee 10" Notepad for easier overseas travel, it works, sort of, but is a total PITA, slowest thing I've ever come across, press a key then go and make a cup of coffee or watch the news, if you try to hurry it this only results in a message - "Not responding" and takes three times as long.

OK, I bought the cheapest version, but I can't add RAM to -hopefully - speed it up, and ASUS admit that. I'm hoping it will die soon, so that I can make another choice.

Mrs. ExS is determined to buy an iPad on our next visit to the Mighty US of A, but I can't abide touchscreen stuff, especially keyboards, so will watch her progress with interest - I may change my mind !