I want to get myself a laptop but i havnt got a clue as to what to go for?
I want to use it to go on the net,write some documents up in word, and play games occasionly,
also i dont really understand the ‘wireless network thing’ what would i need to buy to get on the net without having to plug into a modem and have a cable following me all round the house?
thanks for any help.
im no computer expert but dell have some good deals at the mo, my mate just got one it fully wirless all you need all a wireless router-- plus u can customise it to ur own requirements via the website which is the only way you can buy one and they do finance check em out
Toshiba are generally accepted to build the best laptops, IBM are pretty solid, Dell, Sony Ok too, never buy anythng else, especially any generic / cheapo brand rubbish eg Tiny, Time, Advent, Packard Bell.
“i dont really understand the ‘wireless network thing’ what would i need to buy to get on the net without having to plug into a modem and have a cable following me all round the house?”
A wireless network is just that, networking for your pc - without wires - generally used to network pc’s and laptops to a broadband router/modem - to give broadband access. Linksys are very good for broadband routers, nice offers out there for £60ish
so i would just buy a router plug that into my phoneline, or into the modem for my desktop pc?
would i need to buy anything to plug in to the laptop like an ‘ariel’ of some sort?
I agree with the previous comments regarding the manufacturer, buy from a well know brand.
Go for a laptop with built in wireless networking, rather than a laptop with an external USB or slot networking card.
Then you need broadband installed at your house, with a mains socket fairly close to the broadband socket.
Once that is installed you can buy a wireless router to plug into the broadband socket. The setup is fairly straight forward if you have some PC knowledge, but can be a little daunting if you are a novice. A simple router from PC world will set you back anywhere from £50 on special offer to RRP of £85. Again buy a well know brand.
Be aware that wireless range can be less than expected. I installed wireless at my brother’s house which is an old farmhouse with 2ft thick stone walls, range was down to any two walls until we got hold of an wireless point to put in his loft.
Streetgang, modems are so last century, do you have Broadband? These Wireless routers work with broadband only.
yes i’ve got broadband but i still have a modem that has a cable from the phonesocket into the modem and then one from the modem into the back of the pc.
what i want to do is to be able to get on the net in any room in the house.
yeah u have a cable modem, the router will plug into that and then any computer with wireless capabilites will be able to connect.
Buy linksys for ure router
Here is something i wrote for my sis when buying a laptop about a few weeks old thouigh
Laptop wise:
Most laptops will come with alot, but if u want one thats gonna last in my
opnion min spec needs to have WI-FI and a DVD writer. If u want to go
budget buy a celeron processor as it will do the basics like surf the net
and write documents, but that said if ure gonna watch some movies on it or
connect it to ure plasma/tv to play dvds or play some games get a
centrino. The centrino will last in my opniong alot longer b4 u think u
will need an upgrade.
Makes wise: all are pretty much the same, Sony VAIOS though look the best
for style. but ACER i think is a good comprise for style with good
perfromance and decent price. Toshiba is also quite good 2.
Here is a BUDGET LAPTOP:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=98974
This one writes on dvds has wireless lan capabilties okish processor, not
particulaly fast not slow either looks wise is ok. average storage space.
Here is all rounder:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=15530890846&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X2dhbGxlcnk=&product_uid=94787
Gr8 value for what it is, looks a bit ugly though, has everything and
bluetooth for phone connection also. Big screen above average storage
space. Good processor. Burns labels on to disks apparently but ive never
used that so dont knwo who good it is…prob require dif cdrs and dvdrs.
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=15530822835&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=99094
Looks good, good processor same storage as before, although they make this
laptop with bigger hard discs too like 80gb for an extra 60 quid or so. No
bluetooth though big clear screen and better graphics than the hp.
Here is an average wireless router:
seen a couple i like the look of any one got any views on these two?
toshiba m60-164
sony vaio fs415m
Does a wireless broadband thing allow a full speed connection? Something is nagging in my head about limited speed.
My brother has the Samsung X10 which is a fantastic computer…
fast and super light with dvdrw, loads of memory etc and integrated wireless networking plus all the ports u’ll need.
it might be worth getting the newer / bigger version of this x30 - see link
http://www.itreviews.co.uk/hardware/h569.htm
I have a dell inspiron at home which works fine but its abut 3 years old… does basic documents and internet very well and is wireless so can complain considering i got it free…
thats me…
C
Just picked up my Dell notebook yesterday. Frm the stuff that you want to do…anything with 60 to 80 gb harddrive is good enuff…processor > 1.6gHz and above i.e 1.7, 1.8 etc…memory >60 to 1 gb…wireless card plus keep in mind if you want to burn movies it takes up memory and depletes the battery faster then burning a music cd, 64 mb video card is enuff to playback movies and to get wireless get a router…check the transfer speed the higher the better.
the prob is its an addiction, once u realise how easy a computer is to use and how much time u save u end up trying to do more and more things resulting in a less powered pc stretched a bit too much.
Guys, first of all, built in wireless is not always the best choice. I’m using internet from wireless provider, and no built in card gives me better reception than USB Dongle with usb extention lead. It allows me to set up the dongle exactly where I want, what gives me perfect signal, thing which is impossible to get with wireless built in - u’re not gonna hold your laptop against the window ie.
And noone mentioned the most important thing:
How are you gonna use it?
Are you gonna carry it around all the time or it’s just gonna rest comfortably on your desk, with an odd trip to the office.
That makes the biggest difference in price und usability. There is no point of paying extra for extra small size like Sony TXP ie and then suffer from reading fonts on WXGA 10’ display. If you’re not gonna travel with it - buy at least 15 inches panoramic display, you will enjoy it much more playing games, watching movies and checking the LB website.
I used to always have small laptops, very portable, with small screens and one day I thought, what’s the point if I use it only at home anyway. I have my PDA all the time with me to check the email, surf the net etc so I bought a panoramic 15.4’ Dell laptop and I’m happy as never. I would even buy a 17’ if the price would be good. I’m not gonna carry it around anyway.
