Advice pls.....which laptop to BUY?

[SKYSHIP]

Q. to any tech savvy people out there:

My wife would like to replace her 6y/o Acer Aspire 5732Z.

Neither of us know much about computers. Last time we followed son-in-law's advice and will do so again; however would appreciate others' views.

Friends swear by their AppleMacs; but the reality is that it will really only be used for SKYPE, emails & downloads; so we reckon a ceiling price of c£450.

Amazon currently have a good deal on a Hewlett Packard reduced from £590 to £388:

HP Quad Core Turbo Windows 10 Laptop, 4GB Ram, 1TB HDD, USB 3.0, HDMI inc 5 Year Warranty

Any views on that or any other?

Thnx,,,

[AllYourBase]

Quick scan on Currys shows a range of HP Pavilions for £399

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/laptops/laptops/hp-pavilion-15-6-laptop-with-the-latest-7th-gen-intel-core-i5-processor-blue-10151832-pdt.html

This has a latest gen i5-7200U processor so plenty quick for your needs, 8Gb RAM and 1Tb HDD. Something of this spec should be sufficient for a good few years. If you buy from Currys/PC World just be sure not to fall for the extra Anti-Virus, etc. sales patter.

[kiloran]

but the reality is that it will really only be used for SKYPE, emails & downloads; so we reckon a ceiling price of c£450.

Thnx,,,

For basic usage such as this, almost any specification will do the job. Put some thought into the screen and audio quality. Is the viewing angle OK, can you handle the reflections from a glossy screen or would a matt screen be better?

--kiloran

[didds]

pretty much what kiloran said.

if all you are using it for SKYPE, emails & downloads nthen a basic entry level system will do the job. You wont;l need a huge screen or amazing graphics etc.

as an example this would do the job I am sure for £180

http://www.ebuyer.com/761661-acer-aspir ... -ghnek-001

You could knock almost £20 off that if you are happy to take an ex-display model. (though it is a bit light on RAM maybe)

http://www.ebuyer.com/762465-exdisplay- ... a-fv0108ts



didds

[Infrasonic]

If possible get 4GB of RAM rather than 2, it will allow you to do everything you want without having to close down apps to prevent potential bottlenecks.
Otherwise as above.

[UncleEbenezer]

For basic usage such as this, almost any specification will do the job. Put some thought into the screen and audio quality. Is the viewing angle OK, can you handle the reflections from a glossy screen or would a matt screen be better?

--kiloran

Yes and no.

Yes, any modern machine will do the job. Indeed, more-or-less any machine you bought new this century has the power you need.

No, not all machines are equal. My dad's macbook from about 2005 is fine for skype, and other audio and video applications. My HP Pavilion from about 2015 requires me to plug in an external headset if I want to listen to anything. It's plenty powerful enough of course, but the builtin audio is a sick joke. Result: I use the (android) phone instead if I want to use voice.

Apart from reading the online reviews about whether a particular model has serious problems, just pick something you'll find comfortable to use. The HP Pavilion has a trackpad that's much more comfy to use than most, a decent keyboard, and a light weight, which combined with the low price makes it good for me. YMMV.

[swill453]

If you really just need it for "SKYPE, emails & downloads", then installing Linux on the old one might give it a new lease of life and save you £450.

Assuming it's not broken, of course.

Scott.

[shinygoldcar]

Would you consider a tablet?
They handle skype, email and downloads. A high spec tablet will be cheaper than a high spec laptop. They don't make fan noises. They are easier to carry around (I'm thinking around the house, I wouldn't take a tablet out of the house with me normally).

And I've often bought electronics from Argos' ebay store, usually refurbished, giving further discounts. I can see an iPad Air 9.7 32GB "refurbished with a 12 months Argos Guarantee" for £299 (free P&P) there now. So that's a pretty good tablet for less than your ceiling price.

I do really like Argos on ebay for electronics. They do sometimes give offers not available on their main site, but it's worth looking up the same product on the main site as well in case the prices are identical (and Argos' main site lets you reserve online and go into their store).

Argos on ebay are here http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Argos as opposed to their main site http://www.argos.co.uk

And if you want a proper keyboard, you can often connect a tablet to a bluetooth keyboard.

[Howard]

Depending what you mean by "downloads", it might be worth considering a Chromebook.

I bought an Acer chromebook three years ago and have been delighted with it. Faster than my ipad and you won't have to do any of those irritating upgrades that Apple make you do every six months.

No need to buy Microsoft Office, because the free Google documents are now very similar to the MS office programs.

No worries about virus/security because those are looked after by Google.

It's much lighter than a laptop with a similar screen size and the battery lasts much longer than a laptop.

An Acer chromebook with a 14 inch full HD screen and 12 hour battery life costs £280 from Currys.

I don't download any large files, just pdfs and the odd Microsoft Office/Excel documents (which are handled just like a laptop).

It is excellent for streaming movies. I actually use it connected to a brand new Samsung TV, because it is better than the Samsung when streaming, say Amazon Prime programmes.

Worth trying at a retailer. You will be impressed by a chromebook's speed. Nothing faster in my experience.

[Infrasonic]

No need to buy Microsoft Office, because the free Google documents are now very similar to the MS office programs.

You can still do MS office on a Chromebook via the free 'Office Online' in a browser if you have an Outlook.com account.
Not as fully featured as standalone Office 365/desktop, but good enough for most things.
I also use Google docs, but more as a mirrored backup than primary. There is basic file compatibility between the two platforms as well (Docs will do Office formats), although I wouldn't push it with macros.

[shinygoldcar]

I love Chromebooks. I have one that I have been using for 4 years. I am using it right now, and it is my main and favourite device. I have a linux desktop if I want to scan or rip CDs, but I use the Chromebook for most other things

There is one reason I do not recommend it in this instance: Skype.
I had a look on the web store, and there is a skype app, and when I am logged into my hotmail account on outlook.com, there is also skype messaging functionality there too. HOWEVER, video calling in Skype is not supported on Chromebook. And my guess is the OP wants to do video calling on Skype, not instant messaging.

There is hangouts though. And if the other skyper is willing to switch to Google Hangouts then the Chromebook can be used with Google Hangouts instead of Skype no problem. In that case, I would highly recommend a Chromebook, and it fits the brief: video calling, email and downloads and below £450. But only if the other callers are prepared to switch from Skype to Hangouts. Otherwise, I would suggest a tablet.

[Infrasonic]

There is one reason I do not recommend it in this instance: Skype.
I had a look on the web store, and there is a skype app, and when I am logged into my hotmail account on outlook.com, there is also skype messaging functionality there too. HOWEVER, video calling in Skype is not supported on Chromebook. And my guess is the OP wants to do video calling on Skype, not instant messaging.

It is coming, there are people on the beta/dev channels with Skype video working (on better spec machines generally) and the more recent Chromebooks will do Android apps.
All a bit hit and miss currently, but it is being worked on...

Edit: This is one of the reasons why I currently have my main PC as W10 but use Chrome browser as my default. Best of both worlds whereby Skype and Hangouts both work fine, as they do on my Android phone.

[Infrasonic]

Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I thought you could run Skype in a browser? Which would be platform independent? I remember having job interviews on Skype and they always happened with a browser plug in.

You can, the browser still has to interact with the OS/drivers/hardware architecture though. Lots of variables which change with time.

There are Windows/Mac/Linux desktop and Android/iOS mobile versions of Chrome browser for instance.
Browser development costs run in to the multi millions, which is why it is difficult to be a small player in the cross platform browser market and history is littered with failed or stalled attempts. Opera got bought out and the founder left and is now developing Vivaldi for example (with pretty hefty financial backing).

All the major players (Apple/Google/MS) are trying to promote their own ecosystems, so dragging their feet on certain 'important' cross platform fronts for competitors products/apps could be construed as commercial gamesmanship if you are of a conspiratorial disposition. Skype is owned by Microsoft and they recently bought Linked In. The implications for data gathering and analysis (currently Google's lead commercial weapon due to its market share) are obvious.

MS had no option but to develop Android and iOS variations of their major apps as their Windows phone OS market share is tiny (and decreasing).
If they had a large mobile OS share you can bet they would have dragged their feet on that front, to make their ecosystem more 'exclusive' (a la Apple).

It's one reason I wouldn't commit to a Chrome/box/book yet as my sole platform, it is designed as a hardware/software ecosystem.
I want to be able to use MS and Google/Android ecosystems without too many restrictions, mainly so I have a full A/B solution and have some wiggle room in the future if the big boys start tightening the commercial noose...

I'm keeping tabs on Chrome OS /hardware though because I like the idea behind it and most of the remaining drawbacks are being addressed, albeit some more quickly than others...

[Gaggsy]

Another option to throw in the mix:

You can get decent refurbished laptops for similar prices to new budget range machines.

For example, I recently bought a Lenovo Thinkpad T430 with Windows 10, 8GB ram, 240GB SSD drive, WXGA++ 1600x900 screen for under £350 from eflex computers (other suppliers do similar). http://www.eflexcomputers.com/lenovot43 ... -cert-375/ (no connection other than satisfied customer). They have shopfronts on Amazon and Ebay if you prefer to buy through those sites.

I could have bought a cheap Acer or HP for similar money but my reasoning was that this business grade machine would outperform and outlast the entry-level consumer models. It feels robust and has a nice 'proper' keyboard. A bit chunkier than some modern laptops but to me that's a plus not a minus.

[Mike88]

Chromebooks are mentioned regularly on this thread. Are they compatible with all printers?

[Howard]

Mike

The obvious answer to you question is "No". There must be ancient printers all over the world that won't work with a modern computer.

If the question is: will a Chromebook work with most modern printers? As a layman, I think the answer is a qualified "yes". I have a £30 HP Deskjet 2540 printer and have just tested how long it took to set up printing from my Chromebook, which I have never done before. It took me four minutes, following the guide from google. I successfully printed a Google document, followed by an Excel spreadsheet page.

However, I needed to have my Windows 10 desktop on (which I normally use for printing), because a three year old basic printer like mine, does not have Google Cloud Print capability, so you can't set this printer up without the help of a Windows or Apple computer.

A newer and more expensive printer will probably have the Cloud capability and this will allow a direct connection to the printer.

The best way of finding out if your printer has Google Cloud Print capability is to ask Google the question, which is what I did at the beginning of my four minute test.

If you are like me and have a W10 computer as well as a Chromebook, you may choose to print with it, because every file on my Chromebook is immediately accessible to the desktop through my Google account. The advantage of using Google documents, spreadsheets etc is that they are free, whereas Microsoft Office costs an extra approx £100 or £30+ a year on top of a laptop purchase price.

[cicero]

I have used a Chromebook every day for the last couple of years, its great for all normal activities. The disadvantages are:

No Skype - I havent found a way to use it yet, I use my Hudl Android tablet.

Photoediting - Pixlr and Polarr are ok for straightforward stuff but Photoshop and Lightroom on a PC are much better.

Google Docs - you cannot encrypt anything.

Sometimes you cannot unzip things and I couldnt play .wav files.

So, I still have a very old Acer all in one PC. I scrapped the HDD and put in an SSD which made it really quick. I use it occasionally to overcome the problems I described above.

For folk who just need to do simple stuff Chromebooks are great. Both my grandkids got one from me to take to University and both are very happy with them. Not having stuff locally is no problem, Google Drive is great.

[hiriskpaul]

Q. to any tech savvy people out there:

My wife would like to replace her 6y/o Acer Aspire 5732Z.

Neither of us know much about computers. Last time we followed son-in-law's advice and will do so again; however would appreciate others' views.

Friends swear by their AppleMacs; but the reality is that it will really only be used for SKYPE, emails & downloads; so we reckon a ceiling price of c£450.

Amazon currently have a good deal on a Hewlett Packard reduced from £590 to £388:

HP Quad Core Turbo Windows 10 Laptop, 4GB Ram, 1TB HDD, USB 3.0, HDMI inc 5 Year Warranty

Any views on that or any other?

Thnx,,,

I bought my daughter a new laptop for Christmas. The requirements I had were:

Mattte screen, 13 inch minimum size. A lot of the laptops these days come with very glossy screens and I find them horrible to use. I also wanted a high quality IPS screen on the principle that my daughter has only one pair of eyes and she needs to look after them.

Solid state drive. After you have used a PC with an SSD you really would not want to go back. It makes them so much more responsive. I have replaced all of the hard drives in my family's PCs with SSDs.

8GB memory. My daughter frequently uses numeric/statistics packages that are real memory hogs. 4GB would likely be enough for what you want.

Reasonably small and light as she does have to carry it around, but must also be practical as her only PC (other than the University machines).

Probably overkill for what you want, but I chose the Lenovo 510S:

http://www3.lenovo.com/gb/en/laptops/id ... 8IP50S0760

The model I bought had an i5 processor and a 256GB hard drive, but that no longer seems to be available. The current bottom of the range i3 model would be fine for what you want. I used it for a while before my daughter came home and was very pleased with it. I am tempted to buy one for myself. The only thing I found annoying was the location of the up arrow key. It is right next to the right shift key and I frequently hit it by accident. There is no built in DVD drive, but that was not required anyway. The machine turned up with some junky anti-virus s/w, but that was easily removed, as was the unwanted Office trialware. The font scaling resulted in too large a font size, but easy to change in the settings.

I bought directly from Lenovo, but clicked through TopCashback for a 4% discount, yet to be credited.

If you want to have a look at some PCs I would suggest a trip to a large Currys/PC World, but try to avoid talking to any sales staff. They are a complete pain and of no use at all in helping anyone buy the right PC. If you do buy from Currys/PC World do it online for home delivery - it is far less hassle. If you opt for pickup you will likely get a hard sell on a more expensive model and anti-virus sw, etc. you don't need. Another scam they like to try on is to back up the operating system for you on to a USB drive. Something you can easily do yourself for a fraction of the amount they charge.

A large John Lewis store can be good and you are far less likely to get pestered by sales staff.

[Infrasonic]

Curry's / PC World.

My experience has been there is normally one member of staff per bigger store who is switched on, tracking them down is an art...

My local one has one guy who does all the maintenance stuff, know's what he is talking about. I used to listen in to what he said to other customers before approaching to discuss some highly technical stuff.

Another time whilst shopping at a different location for the Lenovo i5 box I eventually bought on discount, I spied someone with a clipboard doing inventory.
Again I listened to what he said before approaching and it turns out he builds his own gaming rigs for himself and his son, bingo!
Took the side off the prospective purchase so I could check out RAM slots etc. Very helpful.

So they do exist, just very rare...

[Infrasonic]

If you are like me and have a W10 computer as well as a Chromebook, you may choose to print with it, because every file on my Chromebook is immediately accessible to the desktop through my Google account. The advantage of using Google documents, spreadsheets etc is that they are free, whereas Microsoft Office costs an extra approx £100 or £30+ a year on top of a laptop purchase price.

As I mentioned upthread, Office Online is free and has most of the the same attributes as Google Docs (I use both). You just need Outlook.com account(s).

Google Cloud print.
You can set up things like Raspberry Pi's or other cheap SBC's as wired/wireless print servers/Google cloud print with legacy printers. Easier if the printers are USB but I've done the research on my ancient HP laserjet 6L (Centronics only) and it is feasible, people have these things working (without having to resort to an old tower PC with centronics port to do one job).
A bit geeky but worth knowing before you junk a perfectly fine old laser printer.