Laptop recommendations?

[kelper]

So, if it's naff, you are in the clear!

 

[LED_ZEP]

Do you need a laptop? You get more for your money with a desktop. They have the added advantage of components not being crammed into a very small space reducing the chance of thermal failure\degradation. They're also easier to upgrade if you find you require a better graphics card or additional hdd space etc.

 

[kelper]

Do you need a laptop? You get more for your money with a desktop. They have the added advantage of components not being crammed into a very small space reducing the chance of thermal failure\degradation. They're also easier to upgrade if you find you require a better graphics card or additional hdd space etc.

Can you even buy a desktop, monitor, keyboard and mouse for 300? I can't imagine ever buying another desktop or tower.

 

[LED_ZEP]

Can you even buy a desktop, monitor, keyboard and mouse for 300

Refurbished ones yes, for what would be needed for internet access for online learning well under.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GAMING-P...349138?hash=item21797ff2d2:g:mTsAAOSwJ7Ffev0Y

 

[Oneflewover]

Do you need a laptop? You get more for your money with a desktop. They have the added advantage of components not being crammed into a very small space reducing the chance of thermal failure\degradation. They're also easier to upgrade if you find you require a better graphics card or additional hdd space etc.

It's a great shout, but space is at a premium - there are 5 of us trying to work / learn from home

 

[Oneflewover]

So, if it's naff, you are in the clear!

You got it!

 

[obscure]

Excellent. Was it a well-known brand? Did it come with any extra software like Office? Was it in budget?

Do you need a laptop? You get more for your money with a desktop. They have the added advantage of components not being crammed into a very small space reducing the chance of thermal failure\degradation. They're also easier to upgrade if you find you require a better graphics card or additional hdd space etc.

While I would normally agree if space is an issue for having an external monitor it will definitely be an issue for a desktop (but yes you can get a lot more for your money with a desktop).

His budget is £300 if you add external screens and keyboards it's going to reduce the spec of the laptop.

While it would be tight if you need to stick to a £300 budget you can pick up monitors second hand for about £50-£60 (or you could in March), but from the sounds of it space is at a premium so wouldn’t do much good anyway.

Edit: or a 19” one for about £20 delivered(but no stand) if you ever change your mind just looked on eBay. A lot in the £30-£40 range.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Dunno, I passed all of your helpful comments to SWMBO and she did the deed

SWMBO - there's a coincidence that's my wife's name as well

 

[kelper]

Refurbished ones yes, for what would be needed for internet access for online learning well under.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GAMING-P...349138?hash=item21797ff2d2:g:mTsAAOSwJ7Ffev0Y

That looks a great buy. I did like faffing with my old tower PC but now I like a unit than be fully portable. It needs to sit on the occasional table next to the single malt.

 

[kelper]

I would love to buy myself a new laptop but I have two which work, one stuck on WIN7 but it's useful for some old programmes. It is getting new antivirus definitions from Microsoft, almost daily. Its screen resolution is too low to even get WIN8.

 

[obscure]

I would love to buy myself a new laptop but I have two which work, one stuck on WIN7 but it's useful for some old programmes. It is getting new antivirus definitions from Microsoft, almost daily. Its screen resolution is too low to even get WIN8.

I‘m pretty certain the only thing worse than Windows 8 was Windows ME.

 

[kelper]

I had every version from 3.1 to 20H2. I never hated any of them. I started with IBM DOS 6 or MS DOS 5.

 

[LED_ZEP]

If you don't want to splash out on MS Office then Open Office is free and works great. It has pretty much the same functionality as MS office for a basic user, I use it's spreadsheet and WP package often.
Also Inkscape is a great free graphics package for making labels and the like. And it's Gimp for a good free photo editing package.

 

[kelper]

Google Sheets and Google Docs are also good alternatives. But I got a legal copy of Office Pro 2016 for £22 I like to have Word and Excel handy but would never pay a subscription

 

[obscure]

If you don't want to splash out on MS Office then Open Office is free and works great. It has pretty much the same functionality as MS office for a basic user, I use it's spreadsheet and WP package often.
Also Inkscape is a great free graphics package for making labels and the like. And it's Gimp for a good free photo editing package.

I would second Open Office, and being free and open source worst case if you hate it you’ve lost maybe half an hour of your time downloading and installing.

 

[chopps]

If your kids have a school email address (.ac.uk or .sch.uk) and the school is in the programme, Microsoft Office is free. Most high schools seem to participate. My son used this for the last 5 years. Free Microsoft Office 365 for Schools & Students | Microsoft Education

 

[prog99]

And a lot of employers have a deal with MS for office too. Its not as good as it used to be (10quid for full office). I think now its a reduced subscription to office 365 Microsoft Home Use Programme – Microsoft Store

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Microsoft office free (and more)

 

[Nicks90]

If you only have a £300 budget for an education / homeschool / entertainment machine , then I would Not get a windows laptop.
Chromebook!

We got one for my 13yr old and it's incredible for the money. Full HD screen (not just HD ready) and using her school account for office/teams etc, it does absolutely everything she needs. Plus having access to play store, she has all the apps and media stuff she needs and wants. Photo editing, games, syncs to her android phone, Netflix etc
Genuinely very very impressed. As for storage memory, yes it is short... But virtually everything is streamed. Ram again isn't an issue as its all cloud apps. I did buy a 512gb micro sd card for £20 to expand the local storage for all her photos and art projects. Can you believe how cheap sd cards are!
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/compu...ium-silver-64-gb-emmc-white-10213252-pdt.html

 

[Hanglow]

pre-covid I would recommend a refurb Lenovo Thinkpad , or maybe an HP Elitebook or Dell Latitude. Business machines are vastly better built (by and large) than consumer laptops. They tend to come in a huge range of specs though so can take a bit of effort to find ones that are good value. Prices went up quite a bit though over the last year.