Dear ILX, please help The Lex buy a new computer

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hello there! i would like a new computer and i think it would be best to ask for some HELP here.

i think i have decided that i want a laptop, mostly for space reasons, though haven't entirely ruled out getting a pc.

requirements - lots and lots of space for mp3s. and i might want to use mixing software like traktor. i don't want to spend over £500 really though if what i want costs more than this then tell me and i'll wait until i can afford that.

also i've heard about refurbished laptops - are these good buys? are they worth considering?

you may be aware of my track record of computer knowledge (close to zero) so please keep this simple, all talk of megagigabytes and rams will only make me confused...

thanks!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 07:34 (nineteen years ago)

Samsungs are good.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 07:39 (nineteen years ago)

any specific model? how much would they be?

also, do they have itunes on them? not that i have an ipod but i am considering acquiring one. though that's a whole other "how do these things work?" thread really.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 07:44 (nineteen years ago)

any new pc or mac you buy will be able to work with itunes.

I don't have any specific recomendations though

― secondhandnews (secondhandnews), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 07:46 (nineteen years ago)

With PCs, the brand you buy makes virtually no difference as to what software you can install on it.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 07:47 (nineteen years ago)

requirements - lots and lots of space for mp3s.

Then you want a large hard-drive. At least 80GB, but a couple hundred if possible. (This can be hard to find in a laptop.)

You should also try to find a machine with a wireless card. (NB: "Wireless card" is not the same as "BlueTooth".)

The other important thing for us to know is what software you use. Is it basically just mp3player/Word/web-browsing/email/Traktor? Do you intend to record your own music? Use lots of Photoshop? The demands you're going to put on the computer have a big impact on what kind of machine is right for you.

You should know that £500 isn't very much for a new laptop, but if your demands aren't v big (they don't seem to be), it shouldn't be a problem. You'll not get anythng fancy though.

iPod
To use an iPod all you need to make sure is that the computer has a FireWire or USB 2.0 port, and that should be standard on 95% of new machines. iTunes is software which is free to downlaod.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 07:47 (nineteen years ago)

PC World were advertising a 200 GB PC for £500 during the football last night. I think there must be a catch. FWIW, laptops aren't nearly as flexible as PCs, in my limited experience.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 07:54 (nineteen years ago)

FWIW, laptops aren't nearly as flexible as PCs, in my limited experience.

yes - i was initially going to go for a pc. but i'm flat-hunting at the moment and very few of the rooms i'm looking at seem to come with desks, or even space to put desks - a laptop would make my living arrangements that much tidier.

You should also try to find a machine with a wireless card. (NB: "Wireless card" is not the same as "BlueTooth".)

this is what lets it do wireless internet, right? don't most laptops these days have that? i don't know what a bluetooth is.

The other important thing for us to know is what software you use. Is it basically just mp3player/Word/web-browsing/email/Traktor?

pretty much - i'm not at the stage of having time or commitment to making my own music yet! photoshop would be nice but it's something i can live without.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 07:58 (nineteen years ago)

Bluetooth is a different sort of wireless, for connecting your phone to your PC.

Most laptops now do come with wireless internet, yes, but a reconditioned one might not.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:00 (nineteen years ago)

Dear ILX, please help The Lex sell his old one!

(just kiddg)

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:01 (nineteen years ago)

my old pc (born 1999) is going to get smashed up with a hammer when i get a new computer, and i will RELISH doing it.

why would anyone want to connect their phone to their pc?! weird.

(tell me more about refurbished laptops and how good/bad they are!)

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:03 (nineteen years ago)

RoHS :-(

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:04 (nineteen years ago)

Or rather:

WEEE:-(

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:04 (nineteen years ago)

Lex, to save money you could consider getting an external hdd. Laptop's with hdd in excess of 80gb tend to be very pricy. You could get one within your price range and something like this 120gb external hdd for £80.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:11 (nineteen years ago)

This is not bad for something new:

http://www.johnlewis.com/Computing/Computers/Computers/Laptops/398/230400460/Product.aspx

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:11 (nineteen years ago)

Lex, don't go to PC World. They sell you last year's gear and their customer service is for shit. If you have a problem with your PC you will be on your own.

Are you not considering a Mac or an iBook at all? I have little computer knowledge and find that all the things I like to run: photo software, the internet, iTunes, watching telly, all do very well on my iBook. Admittedly I am always running out of hard disk space because I download a lot from the internet, but, as Billy points out, an external hard drive takes care of that.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:24 (nineteen years ago)

ah yes external hard drives - i forgot to mention those. how, exactly, do they work? do they really just increase the amount of space on the computer?

yes i am considering macs! an ibook sounds nice...how much would one be?

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:28 (nineteen years ago)

Cheapest Samsung isn't bad either

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Samsung_R45_laptop_NP-R45K002-SUK/version-1.asp

But this Ugly think pad is easily the best that I've found

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Lenovo_ThinkPad_R60e_Laptop_UQ14TUK/version-1.asp

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:28 (nineteen years ago)

i think my eventual solution will prob be: cheaper laptop with less space than i actually want - gareth says i can get these for around £300 - but PLUS an external hard drive.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:29 (nineteen years ago)

Cheapest MacBook is £749 but you get a lot for your money.

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore.woa/6564042/wo/qC1cPwcZMyN82xgZrvi1JpTg4bf/0.PSLID?mco=32B42242&nclm=MacBook

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:29 (nineteen years ago)

Spend a little bit to get build quality.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:32 (nineteen years ago)

i am being WON OVER by the macbook's PRETTINESS even though it costs LOADS OF MONEY MORE!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:38 (nineteen years ago)

That's how Mr Jobs lures his prey.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:41 (nineteen years ago)

i got an ibook for the prettiness and... it's good, except i never get the right blank dvds (macs don't take dvd-rws apparently?).

― benrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:43 (nineteen years ago)

stupid question corner:

so, if you buy an computer with only a dvd writer will it make sound cds?

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:43 (nineteen years ago)

The online apple store has a refurbished store, there are no macbooks in there right now but its worth checking to see if you can get a deal.

Also the MacBook costs loads more money because it is a lot better specified than all of the other computers I posted.

steve, yes

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:44 (nineteen years ago)

what does better specified mean?

i can start watching dvds now!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:45 (nineteen years ago)

i love my ASUS laptops. Ive had 2 now and they're rock solid reliable, well built, great warranties etc.

Dont know if they do any sub 1000$ models though.

If music manipulation + Photoshop are on the cards get a pc with a good processor and as much ram as you can afford (1gb RAM advised), otherwise things will run like a slowly running thing.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:45 (nineteen years ago)

what does better specified mean?

It is better.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:48 (nineteen years ago)

how good is this one:

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore.woa/6564042/wo/qC1cPwcZMyN82xgZrvi1JpTg4bf/15.0.0.21.1.0.8.7.3.5.1.1.3.1.5.1.0.5.0

refurbished for £659

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:48 (nineteen years ago)

this is what you want: http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/inspn_640m?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

― Lovelace (Lovelace), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:51 (nineteen years ago)

That is a very good deal, but not a laptop, Lex.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:52 (nineteen years ago)

Lex, keep your eye on http://www.hotukdeals.com as they often list some really good deals on i.t equipment

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:53 (nineteen years ago)

i might be running into a couple of cheap laptops later this week.

― -- (688), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:54 (nineteen years ago)

this looks alright, for refurb?

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deal/7965/refurbished-notebook-pentium-4-3-0g

― -- (688), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:56 (nineteen years ago)

gareth sounds like a petty criminal there.

― benrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 08:56 (nineteen years ago)

if you buy an computer with only a dvd writer will it make sound cds?

All DVD writers I've come across can make CDs too.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:00 (nineteen years ago)

ooh that £300 refurbished notebook!!!!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:05 (nineteen years ago)

£80 is way too much for one of those new intel macbook pros right?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-Apple-MacBook-Pro-Notebook-Computer_W0QQitemZ270041751515QQihZ017QQcategoryZ36547QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

;)

― -- (688), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:18 (nineteen years ago)

perhaps this one at a tenner might be better

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Brand-New-Apple-MacBook-Pro-Laptop_W0QQitemZ200038069539QQihZ010QQcategoryZ14733QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

― -- (688), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:19 (nineteen years ago)

so what is it, postage/packing/insurance=£1600?

― -- (688), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:20 (nineteen years ago)

do thinkpads still have those unbelievably satisfying keyboards?? i think i want one, just to use the keyboard

― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:25 (nineteen years ago)

That is a very good deal, but not a laptop, Lex.
-- Ed

haha, i was expecting to click on the link and it be a scooter or a giraffe or a paris hilton poster or something...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:27 (nineteen years ago)

Any MacBook will definitely do everything you want it to do, Lex.

Refurbished computers are probably ok if from a reputable source (such as an Apple dealer), but you want to try to get one with a warranty. You also need to make sure that it hasn't been stripped for parts and thus includes all the things you'd expect (eg: hard-drive (at least 60gb), RAM (at least 256mb), wireless card, cd-r [ie, cd writer], dvd reader).

External hard-drives are fine. You just plug them in to the wall and to your computer, turn them on, and they appear on your desktop like your regular disk. Then you have to click 'eject' before you unplug.

To be honest you'll be fine with a basic (ie, cheapo) machine, so long as you make sure it has enough RAM and is like basic fast enough. (I don't know what to look for on a Windows PC but any iBook or PowerBook or MacBook from the past couple years will be fine.) And double-check the things I mentioned above.

You'll also be able to run PhotoShop etc, but just not whipquick with the crazy filters. Just make it clear to people you're no looking for a gaming machine or whatever.

Is Traktor available for MacOS? Otherwise it might be a bit more finicky to get running on an Apple machine (you can run windows software on macs these days, but it's a little annoying to do).

Also - make sure you have a friend who owns a Microsoft Office install disc or else you'll be left paying hundreds of quid for Word or whatever.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:30 (nineteen years ago)

Spend a little bit to get build quality.

this is very much OTM. the cheap laptop i bought last spring died this summer. thanks to pc world guarantee system, i am now typing on a bitchen toshiba (thanx to ilx for the advice) that just rocks my world. i'd argue that a cheap laptop is a false economy.

― i am not a nugget (stevie), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:32 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, and laptops fail a lot more often than desktop PCs - you definitely want to be able to get a warranty.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:33 (nineteen years ago)

Traktor is available for OS X

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:34 (nineteen years ago)

what is os x? is that the same as an ibook?

am leaning towards the £749 ibook ed linked to, or at least hoping it pops up refurbished at some point soon, or maybe i can ask my parents to give me an early xmas present of half a laptop or something. i am scared of really cheap stuff ( = i am easily ripped off)

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:39 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, and laptops fail a lot more often than desktop PCs - you definitely want to be able to get a warranty.

most OTM. the death of two laptops within 18 months has freaked me to the point that my new laptop has not left my desk since i bought it.

― i am not a nugget (stevie), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:43 (nineteen years ago)

OS X is the operating system that iBooks are supplied with.

― Forest Pines (ForestPines), Wednesday, 18 October 2006 09:44 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 42 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

It looks like an upside down ice cube tray.

(I am jealous.)

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Friday, 20 October 2006 09:04 (nineteen years ago)

Best for Lex:

http://blogga.ru/image/tech/00woodcomp/00russfinal1.jpg

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 20 October 2006 09:06 (nineteen years ago)

MacBooks have massive student / uni staff discount - mine was £640. Get a student friend to buy it for you.

Yeah, I offered to use my discount to get one for my sis, but she uses PCs all day at work and thinks it'll be too confusing.

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 20 October 2006 09:08 (nineteen years ago)

that wooden laptop is beautiful alba!

the student discount idea is a good idea.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 20 October 2006 09:12 (nineteen years ago)

It's not a laptop!

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 20 October 2006 09:13 (nineteen years ago)

Nicer:

http://suissacomputers.com/images/home/homepageA.jpg

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 20 October 2006 09:14 (nineteen years ago)

er, computer i meant. is it real?

i have no idea what the second thing is.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 20 October 2006 09:18 (nineteen years ago)

They're both PCs.

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 20 October 2006 09:29 (nineteen years ago)

http://suissacomputers.com/

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 20 October 2006 09:30 (nineteen years ago)

are athlon amd and pentium 4 roughly comparable

― -- (688), Friday, 20 October 2006 09:43 (nineteen years ago)

Can't Paris buy you one?

― GILLY'S BAGG'EAR VANCE OF COUPARI (Ex Leon), Friday, 20 October 2006 10:17 (nineteen years ago)

loads of great computers made using bits from mini-itx.com

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/itxtv/images/itxtv-0014.jpg

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 20 October 2006 10:21 (nineteen years ago)

Is ANYTHING IN THE WORLD EVER more rockist than A WOODEN COMPUTER?

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 20 October 2006 10:22 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/knex/images/knex0001.jpg

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 20 October 2006 10:24 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/mega-itx/images/mega-itx-0025L.jpg

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 20 October 2006 10:26 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/teddybear/images/teddybear0001.jpg

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/teddybear/images/teddybear0017.jpg

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/teddybear/images/teddybear0020.jpg

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 20 October 2006 10:29 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.laptopshop.co.uk/acer-aspire_5602wlmi_lsb-laptop-3-n2.htm

― -- (688), Friday, 3 November 2006 09:30 (nineteen years ago)

Haha, for a second I thought this was a request for donations!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 3 November 2006 09:42 (nineteen years ago)

That seems fairly decent.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 3 November 2006 09:43 (nineteen years ago)

not donating to the lex, the laptop.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 3 November 2006 09:43 (nineteen years ago)

Can't you just get Charltonlido to steal one from his office?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 3 November 2006 09:46 (nineteen years ago)

Like the Lex could operate an UltraSPARC T1.

― Ed (dali), Friday, 3 November 2006 09:47 (nineteen years ago)

that's a great name to give to your penis

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 3 November 2006 11:01 (nineteen years ago)

i got a dell latitude d600.

1.6ghz pentium 4, 512mb ram, 40gb hard drive, wifi

£210

― -- (688), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 11:28 (nineteen years ago)

i'm fretting over money. i need this laptop and i have the money but it would not be financially wise AT ALL to get it now. i should wait until 2007 at least. i am rubbish at delayed gratification though.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 11:31 (nineteen years ago)

the consensus on slashdot last week was that now is a bad time to buy a new laptop what with the exploding battery problem and Vista around the corner.

― Koogy Yonderboy (koogs), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 11:55 (nineteen years ago)

And isn't pre-Christmas always more expensive anyway?

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 12:40 (nineteen years ago)

more expensive than post-christmas, yes. but £210 for a laptop is hardly expensive. that said, because prices of this stuff is always coming down, 'next month' is always a better time to buy.

― Koogy Yonderboy (koogs), Wednesday, 8 November 2006 12:55 (nineteen years ago)

there are refurbished macbook pros at the apple store online. i got a 2.16ghz, 100gig HD, 1gig RAM for $1600!

― phil-two (phil-two), Thursday, 9 November 2006 08:31 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.buy4now.ie/galaxy-computer/aspx/productdetail.aspx?pid=3509&loc=P&catid=154

what say ye ILX? think this is the best deal I'll get...

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 13 November 2006 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

the exploding battery problem makes it a great time to buy computers surely. i got a free new battery out of this fiasco (although they want me to give them back the one with a slight chance of catching fire but so far i've um er. lost the label for returning..)

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 13 November 2006 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

oh i see i guess if you buy a new one now you'd have missed the boat

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 13 November 2006 13:03 (nineteen years ago)

'Dual core technology' - Excellent investment or waste of pigging money?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Monday, 13 November 2006 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

Good investment.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 13 November 2006 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

the guardian magazine on saturday had a review of 6 covering "a range of prices" (1099 - 2600 pounds, obviously hasn't been reading the ads for £300 laptops printed in her own paper) and all of them stupidly highly specced for normal, everyday use (ie email, web browsing, writing the odd document, playing mp3s, watching dvds in bed). your average pc is 95% idle 95% of the time.

so, for me, dual core = probably unnecessary.

― Koogy Yonderboy (koogs), Monday, 13 November 2006 13:55 (nineteen years ago)

Dropped my Sony VAIO onto a hardwood floor yesterday - result: broken left screen hinge which means I can't close the thing. Might just be fixable with superglue but one place in which it's split is kinda inaccessible and superglue + LCD cables might = badness. Any suggestions beyond "shouldn't have bought a VAIO"?

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 13 November 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

shouldn't've dropped it?

― Koogy Yonderboy (koogs), Monday, 13 November 2006 14:29 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, yes - "should've laid some carpet", etc.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 13 November 2006 14:30 (nineteen years ago)

warranty? it's not that old is it? (um, warranty and dropping may be at odds)

maybe lex could steal it and you could claim a new one on the house insurance. two birds, one stone. 8)

(did you get home in time for dean lerner btw? i've been keeping it around in case you didn't...)

― Koogy Yonderboy (koogs), Monday, 13 November 2006 14:38 (nineteen years ago)

Should have gone to Radio Rentals?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Monday, 13 November 2006 14:41 (nineteen years ago)

No, I didn't get home in time for it; PB claims to have taped it but I'm buggered if I can find it on the tape in the machine. I may yet need your TiVo help.

(13 months old, warranty was 1 year, I think. Various horror stories on the Web about how long it takes/how much Sony charge you for the simplest of fixes. Was hoping someone had experienced a similar problem and found a way to deal with it. Can hibernate the machine with Fn+F12 and drape a dustcloth over it but it isn't exactly portable in its open position.)

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 13 November 2006 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.buy4now.ie/galaxy-computer/aspx/productdetail.aspx?pid=3509&loc=P&catid=154

is there any reason I shouldn't buy this little machine?

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 13 November 2006 18:08 (nineteen years ago)

No, its is not a bad deal at all.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 13 November 2006 18:09 (nineteen years ago)

Cool, I ordered that last night, with a router so I can use it around the house.

I checked with a friend before ordering, but just want to confirm, will I be able to connect to wireless internet without buying one of those external wireless things, with the above computer? I understand most computer specifications except stuff relating to this

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 10:10 (nineteen years ago)

I guess it depends what this - "Several models offer also integrated Wireless LAN." - actually means. It's a bit unclear! And I can't see that model on the fujitsu website at the moment..

But most new laptops come uh, wired for wireless. And, failing that, most cheap routers at the moment seem to come bundled with a wireless adaptor.

― Nicholas Passant (Nicholas Passant), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 12:03 (nineteen years ago)

(and failing that, as I've just noticed that you've already ordered the router, a wireless adaptor will only set you back a couple of quid).

― Nicholas Passant (Nicholas Passant), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 12:10 (nineteen years ago)

thanks a lot...yeah I figured that seemed kinda vague...but it looked a good deal and I thought if it has core duo it probably has integrated wireless....if not I will see if the router I ordered comes with a wireless adaptor, or else buy one.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 13:13 (nineteen years ago)

oh yea i just noticed that. it would be strange if it wasnt wireless though, would it not?

― -- (688), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 13:18 (nineteen years ago)

yeah it would I guess, tho I couldn't find that model on Siemens website I did find the range, I think, and they said "optional wireless LAN", since the price is good my guess would be it doesn't have it...

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 13:32 (nineteen years ago)

Have you superglued it yet, Michael?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Tuesday, 14 November 2006 13:42 (nineteen years ago)

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