Hello

I know this is O/T but know you are all clever people on here and wondered if some of you would help me?

Basically, I currently have a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Laptop which I've had for 2 years. This has had so much use and the screen is now extremely wobbly and the side panel the screws have come out and is very loose.

I need to get a new one for University which I start in September. I need a really reliable one with lots of memory, ideally with Vista Premium on (defo not basic as had one before and it wasn't amazing). I have vista premium on this and it is fantastic.

I would really like to spend less than £300 (this one was £279 and has everything I want apart from the fact its falling apart!) I have had a quote to repair this at £150 so think I may as well get a new one with more memory.

Hope you can help.

Poohbear

Novatech http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/ just down the road from me are superb. Excellent sales & after service - can't fault them & I've been using them for years. They started in Portsmouth & now have places in Bristol, Reading & Cardiff too. I build many computers & wouldn't go anywhere else.

You might consider this laptop on your budget pb:

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/laptop/.../xplorae16.html

Or for a little extra:

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/laptop/...e/axsese15.html

Windows shpindows ..... get a mac - best thing since sliced bread (bit above the budget tho')

Macs are so overrated! I have to use one all the time and, apart from looking quite nice, don't do anything special.

I got a Samsung Netbook NC10 which is great although not sure it'll be up to what you want from it.

I'm an IT Technician and we always got for the Toshiba Satellite range.

The price usually varies from about £300 - £1000 depending on the model. They just seem to be reliable, well-built machines. Never had many problems with them and we must have 30 or so here now.

Funny you should say, I'm trying to repair an Amilo at the minute. Pain in the backside.

As for Mac's, yeah, they're stylish and the OS is decent but they're so damn expensive. For the price I'd pay for a Mac Pro I could build a computer almost twice as powerful.

i use a macbook for reliability and the hassle free side of things,!Removed! expensive though!

i use a macbook for reliability and the hassle free side of things,!Removed! expensive though!

Yaaaayyyy another Mac person, they are uber user friendly, no need to worry about viruses and my PowerBook loves my iPhone

On a more serious note though Emily, maybe you should wait till Microsoft 7 comes out, due next month I believe.

I'm an IT Technician and we always got for the Toshiba Satellite range.

The price usually varies from about £300 - £1000 depending on the model. They just seem to be reliable, well-built machines. Never had many problems with them and we must have 30 or so here now.

Funny you should say, I'm trying to repair an Amilo at the minute. Pain in the backside.

As for Mac's, yeah, they're stylish and the OS is decent but they're so damn expensive. For the price I'd pay for a Mac Pro I could build a computer almost twice as powerful.

My parents laptop is a Toshiba Satellite which I used for my last childcare course for all my studying. It was slow and froze constantly, I would never have one again, it was around £400 but has really put me off toshibas. I'm not sure whether it was Vista basic slowing it down though.

My Amilo has been fantastic apart from the problem with it loosing the screws!

Yaaaayyyy another Mac person, they are uber user friendly, no need to worry about viruses and my PowerBook loves my iPhone

On a more serious note though Emily, maybe you should wait till Microsoft 7 comes out, due next month I believe.

I may wait if thats due out then, sure some places may have some good deals. :)

My parents laptop is a Toshiba Satellite which I used for my last childcare course for all my studying. It was slow and froze constantly, I would never have one again, it was around £400 but has really put me off toshibas. I'm not sure whether it was Vista basic slowing it down though.

My Amilo has been fantastic apart from the problem with it loosing the screws!

I may wait if thats due out then, sure some places may have some good deals. :)

When most computers are running slow it's usually down to the software installed than the hardware. Over time, the registry gets clogged up, programs are running in the background that are not needed, the hard drive requires defragging etc etc. As long as you get one with decent specs then all you have to worry about is build quality. I currently have an Acer, though the keyboard is rubbish it's done OK, especially at the price.

Personally, contrary to what you have experienced, I'd go for the Toshiba range, always get good write ups, I know a few people who have them and they all talk highly about them and there are some good deals about.

As Bashful has already said, I would wait till the Windows 7 versions come out, which should be around Sept/October.

Whats the Windows/Microsoft 7 going to have?

Thanks for all the brilliant advice.

im a mac man and can only recommend them really.

every windows based laptop ends up running really slowly and has loads of problems.

since having my macs i have had no problem at all. Speed is still great.

ok the price is alot but u can get the old white macbook refurbished by apple for £600 now which isnt to bad

Whats the Windows/Microsoft 7 going to have?

Thanks for all the brilliant advice.

proberly loads of new viruses and bugs!,sorry

I have a toshiba equim and I cant fault it.

Im running vista home premium,

Windows 8 comes out in october,a lot of resellers are offering a free upgrade when it comes out,

It is shop and in some case brand specific,so you need to ask when ordering.

pcworld and curries are,comet are not

dell are charging £25 as a handling fee.

quote from microsoft:

When you buy Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate either as a packaged product or on a qualifying PC you can get a comparable upgrade version of Windows 7 after it’s generally available on October 22, 2009.

Qualifying PCs, offer details, and product delivery methods will vary by manufacturer, so check their sites for specifics. If you buy a packaged copy of Windows Vista you can order your upgrade from Microsoft.

The Windows 7 Upgrade Option program runs from June 26, 2009 through January 31, 2010. However, individual PC manufacturers may choose to offer the option for a shorter period.

I have a toshiba equim and I cant fault it.

Im running vista home premium,

Windows 7 comes out in october,a lot of resellers are offering a free upgrade when it comes out,

It is shop and in some case brand specific,so you need to ask when ordering.

pcworld and curries are,comet are not

dell are charging £25 as a handling fee.

quote from microsoft:

When you buy Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate either as a packaged product or on a qualifying PC you can get a comparable upgrade version of Windows 7 after it’s generally available on October 22, 2009.

Qualifying PCs, offer details, and product delivery methods will vary by manufacturer, so check their sites for specifics. If you buy a packaged copy of Windows Vista you can order your upgrade from Microsoft.

The Windows 7 Upgrade Option program runs from June 26, 2009 through January 31, 2010. However, individual PC manufacturers may choose to offer the option for a shorter period.

Another MacBook fan here. Mines 3 years old and still perfecto :D

If you are a student you can get 14% off and a ipod touch for £20

For build quality you have to go for the IBM Thinkpad. You can buy refurbished ones with really good spec for under £300

I have a T43 that's around 2 years old running XP Pro which is alot faster than the standard XP and Vista (which is rubbish BTW)

It has the 2ghz centrino moblie processor and 1gb of ram so is lightning quick and that was for under £200!

Interesting? From any apple store?

Just looked on Apple...gonna phone them tomorrow. Sounds like a good deal possibly?

Just looked on Apple...gonna phone them tomorrow. Sounds like a good deal possibly?

Would be quite a bit over what you intended to spend, and if you have never used a Mac it may not be for you. I use Windows at work, but for personal use I love my Mac.

Oh ok, definately cannot afford a Mac!!!!

im a mac man and can only recommend them really.

every windows based laptop ends up running really slowly and has loads of problems.

since having my macs i have had no problem at all. Speed is still great.

ok the price is alot but u can get the old white macbook refurbished by apple for £600 now which isnt to bad

No they don't.

ok then,

il change that statement.

every windows based laptop that i have had in the passed has ended up slowing down and breaking, the casing also broke on them.

nothing better than a macbook pro

Windows gets a bad rep. It has a lot of problems because it is the most widely used OS in the world. I think people take for granted how flexible and intuitive it actually is.

In terms of components, a lot of what's inside a Mac is the same as what's inside any other laptop.