ISOT Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Hi people! I'm looking to purchase a laptop as a xmas present to myself! The only problem is I really don't have clue what I need son can anyone help. I would be looking to spend between £400 and £700 if thats being realistic. My old laptop was bought around 5 to 6 year ago and I fancy a change. All that I would be using it for would be the internet, Photos, I-tunes etc. I wouldn't be using it for games or really downloads either although I have been known to plunck away at Football Manager until the early hours!! Any advice on what to get, where to buy would be extremely appreciated. Cheers Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandcars Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Acer one from Amazon, set you back about £254 excellent small size laptop Free delivery to Shetland make sure you go for the one with a hard disk, not the flash memory/linux operating system - the link below is correct Dont let the size fool you its very capable of doing what you want. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-One-Netbook-Sapphire/dp/B001BZ922U/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1228747406&sr=8-4 If you wanted to save £50 on that price you could use the xp operating system from your old laptop and put it on this yourself(presuming you have xp on disc) they do sell it minus the operating systemAlthough you can only do this if you have an external dvd drive as this laptop doesnt contain a dvd drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 ^^ It just comes with 512 RAM though, I'd not recommend less than 1024 for the general Internet use these days. Maybe its something else I've yet to find that's the issue, but trying to do anything else online with only 512 when you have a MySpace page open is a total waste of time, you're an age going nowhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandcars Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 You can get a 1gb version or upgrade it yourself for £12 however doing it yourself is hard work you have to disassemble the thing to install it The atom processor copes ok with 512, but yes it does benefit from 1gb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 If I were you I'd go to the top end of your budget and get a white Macbook. They are very good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Remember that the link to Amazon showed a "netbook" which is like a mini laptop. If you are used to the bigger laptop you might not want to downsize on the screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISOT Posted December 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Thanks 4 the help boys keep the ideas coming! I prefer just to buy the thing and press the on button and hey presto! I realise I have to load the programs myself thats not a problem anything to technical I'm had it! My last laptop cost me £1800 from Dell but to be quite honest I went totally over the top with that purchase as I say I only used it for photos, i-tunes and FM so I guess thats why it still runs quite good today and is very fast! £250 seems quite cheap to me. I really just want something thats fast and has plenty of memory etc so spending a few hundred pound is okay with me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISOT Posted December 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 PS. one of my pals bought one with a bit of a shiny screen when he was in Aberdeen last week for around £500 from either Currys or Dixons it looks quite cool! He's gone away abroad so I can't get anymore info from him. Cheers guyz keep the ideas coming! Can you get any good deals in the town, I would buy local if I knew what I was talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandcars Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 well if you spent £1800 on a laptop thats still working and its only 4 years old, I doubt my suggestion would be an improvement! Why not just reload the operating system on your old laptop to put it back to factory settings so to speak. You will probably find that alone will make this machine much more usable and speed it up. For what you say you want to do you really dont need to spend a lot of money on a laptop; one from dell for less as £500 would be fine - but would it be better than the one you have? probably not noticeably if at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISOT Posted December 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 OK! This is what is contained on my laptop. I don't know by today standards if they can hold up to the uses needed for today as this is 5 years old and technology changes so fast, as you all know. Dell Inspiron 15150Windows XP (2002)3.06Ghz512MB Is it possible to be able to use wi-fi on this laptop and if so what do I need to be able to do that. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandcars Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 there isnt an inspiron 15150, but there is a 5150? There should be a tag number on your laptop, if you either post that here of use it on the dell website it will tell you what the full spec is Id be surprised if it didn't have wireless, however you can get either a wireless card or usb on ebay or in lerwick for less than £30 which will do the trick it seems quite capable otherwise, perhaps have the ram upgraded to 1gb Old laptops/pcs always benefit from being put back to factory settings, you should have a disc provided by Dell for doing this - remember all your own data on the laptop will be lost when you do this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ISOT Posted December 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Thanks for that cars! much appreciated I'm so thick when it comes to this its embarassing. I'll get the tag number and post it tomorrow. Cheers ps Correct it is a 5150! What is involved in upgrading the ram, is it something I could do myself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shetlandcars Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 ps Correct it is a 5150! What is involved in upgrading the ram, is it something I could do myself? your laptop has 2 banks of memory slots, now presuming that one slot has 1 512mb module in it leaving one spare, you can get another 512 for £24 - however if it has 2 * 256 then to upgrade you will need to remove one and replace it with a 1gb and they are over £50! some laptops are easier then others to fit memory i think that there is a cover on the bottom of yours, flip the laptop over when its switched off, remove the cover and the new ram clips in - Its up to you if you want to attempt that Once you post the asset tag number we should be able to confirm how many modules it has Im sure if you purchased the memory (crucial.com) you could get lastditchology to fit it for a small cost Or knowing what the actual memory costs you could approach the Dell dealers in lerwick and ask for a cost to do it for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwanNeck Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 http://www.ebuyer.com/product/151214 This is the baby to go for, 17" screen, plenty of ram for anything you'll do, dual core CPU, got the wife one of these but last years model, she works with photos all the time and loves her one... 5*'s I'd say.. Bonobo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Para Handy Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 stay away from sony I have had three in the past 6 years and all have had to go back for a new dvd drive each one was no more than 5 months old and now I have gon back to the dell which is three years old and have had no problems with it a all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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