Best laptop for under £400?

[bristolseagull]

Yep, another dull "whats the best" thread, sorry, but my tech knowledge is minimal and the geeky 'what laptop' sites are, well too geeky.

I need a laptop for work, mainly email, WP, browsing. Standard stuff really. What processor should i be looking to get? any brands i should avoid?

i dont want an ipad....need a 15" screen,

 

[Deanbha]

I have a Packard Bell easynoteTJ65. Was £450 2 years ago, it has been brilliant for me.

 

[WhingForPresident]

I bought this a few months ago and it has been absolutely brilliant- faster, lighter and more stylish than the Toshiba I last had which cost double the amount of this one.
ASUS A54C-SX146S 15.6" Laptop at cheap prices | Pcworld

 

[brunswick]

asus UL30-A up to 12 hours battery, size 13", the absoute nuts.

 

[GreersElbow]

Do not get an Acer, absolute shit.

Fujitsu Lifebook AH530 15.6 inch 6GB Notebook PC - VFY:AH530MP506GB-CCL - CCL Computers

Check out this site, some VERY good deals on here.

 

[spongy]

Be careful with pc world, the price is for the laptop, then you have to pay another 70 odd quid for the Microsoft office package, so you want to be looking at the 300-320 price range plus Microsoft works.

You want a minimum of an i3 processor but there are plenty of i5 laptops in your price range..

 

[perseus]

I have been advised to look for a minimum of an i5 processor for general purpose use. This ups the price over £400 with the Windows 7 full edition.

 

[bristolseagull]

I quite like the samsung rv520

 

[Stat Brother]

***WARNING HIJACK ALERT***

I have NO computer knowledge.

What's the best, cheapish, laptop for home browsing, sport streaming, and using wifi/roaming/not connected to a phone line stylee. (like I said I know NOTHING)

Failing that, what should I be looking for?

 

[Woodchip]

***WARNING HIJACK ALERT***

I have NO computer knowledge.

What's the best, cheapish, laptop for home browsing, sport streaming, and using wifi/roaming/not connected to a phone line stylee. (like I said I know NOTHING)

Failing that, what should I be looking for?

What's your budget? I'll have a shop for you and PM you.

 

[Stat Brother]

I really don't know what a realistic budget is.

Good screen/TV connection
good browsing
Bomb (idiot) proof
Good for dingle dangle dongle thingime.

£500 Preferably a lot lower.

 

[TheJasperCo]

£350 I spent over Christmas on a Toshiba C660 model, having had an older Toshiba last me for about 3 and a half years. Functional, solid, good all-rounder - everything you'd want from a laptop without the gimicky frills and extras.

15.7" screen
Good web access (depending on your connection, mind)
Webcam and microphone for Skype / video calls
Sturdy design
Plenty of holes and nooks and crannies for USB what-sits.

If you're still unsure, I think Which? .com offer an interactive help guide. You don't have to be a member to use it, and it helped me decide what type of PC I should be looking at.

 

[perseus]

Keep coming with ideas. My desktop is on the blink and I need a new computer. I must have had about a dozen computers since 1990. Possibly more. The one from PCWorld latest the longest (five years). Most just made three years. Lots of Dells. Not all of them were good. Some overheated like the current one.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Nearly 4 years ago I bought a Sony VIAO, people were saying that other options had better spec etc but I was a sucker for the brand name - it is still running brilliantly.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Do not get an Acer, absolute shit.

Had an Acer Aspire 5332 for nearly four years. Best machine I've ever had. Not a hint of a problem.

Opening my gob saying that is asking for trouble - It'll probably go belly up tomorrow!

 

[Bean]

So do you have to buy Microsoft Office as an extra?

 

[Pinkie Brown]

So do you have to buy Microsoft Office as an extra?

Mine didn't come with Microsoft Office. Luckily I knew somebody who still had an installment left on a disc.

 

[GreersElbow]

Had an Acer Aspire 5332 for nearly four years. Best machine I've ever had. Not a hint of a problem.

Opening my gob saying that is asking for trouble - It'll probably go belly up tomorrow!

Really?! We had 2, both died :|

 

[Woodchip]

Really?! We had 2, both died :|

My Acer is 2 years old and not a thing has gone wrong with it.

 

[theonesmith]

http://www.dell.co.uk/outlet is fantastic