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[hotel21]

Lap/tabletop. Pikey palace for downloaded dvd's and music. Spreadsheets and word as well as specific software for various pastimes. Looking tomget a modicum of future proofing, as well as I'm able.

[TheBoy]

Lap/tabletop. Pikey palace for downloaded dvd's and music. Spreadsheets and word as well as specific software for various pastimes. Looking tomget a modicum of future proofing, as well as I'm able.

Not convinced you'll see the benefit of i7 over i5, given your usage. 6G RAM is probably excessive, but memory is cheap .  Ensure the processor is a 'Sandy Bridge' version of i5/i7.  Discrete graphics can reduce reliability, and kill battery life, unless you really need it, I'd probably stick to HD2000 graphics (built into Sandy Bridge CPUs.

Given the potential reliability of laptops, which can get knocked etc, dont rule out extended warranties, as much as that might pain your Scottish Wallet


Those 'widescreen' ones, often having a keyboard with a numeric pad on the right, can be a bit bulky for lap use - personally I can't get on with them.


Brands I tend to like are HP (though who knows how long they will be making PCs for!), Dell and Toshiba.  I am currently on an HP Compaq 6720s - old, but suits my needs.


If its just surfing/email, given your Pikey tendencies, tablets?  I'm kind of hooked on my tablet, which has surprised me, as they are a bit, errr, gay. My HP tablet crashes when I try to ban users on OOF though

[CaptainZok]

How about a decent desktop for any real work and a netbook for a bit of armchair OOFing or even passing the time on train journeys.

[TheBoy]

How about a decent desktop for any real work and a netbook for a bit of armchair OOFing or even passing the time on train journeys.

I don't really use my Netbook - too small to use on lap. But it is very portable

[CaptainZok]

I was thinking a netbook cause they can be had cheap second hand. Comes in handy for "My Naff Code Reader" too, not that B would need that capability with a Tech2. As you say dragging a 17" screen lappy out to the car is a bit of a pain. Reading an ebook in bed netbook wins again.

[aaronjb]

If I was looking at Netbooks (sold my last one as I couldn't get on with a teeny tiny 1024x768 screen) I'd look at the Asus Transformer or Slider, tablets with real keyboards (detachable and hidable, respectively)

But I suspect, since H21 said he wants to run 'proper' apps for 'various past times', he needs a laptop/desktop not a tablet (or, probably, a netbook)..

Dell have been decent for me, and one has survived being bounced around & abused in the MR2 as a tuning device (granted I've only got recent experience of the business models at work).

[Plomien]

Have you tried pressing and holding the power button for 5secs whilst it powers up?
I found that this sorted my pc when it decided to have a wobbly.

[hotel21]

Gave the box a damn good blow out today.  Tried to boot with the drives all disconnected and no luck, no noises, no lights, nothing.

Connected it back up and tried again and still nothing.  Dead as a dead thing....

Tidied up the area of the dining area where it normally sits and found an envelope with some bonusbond vouchers from work.  Not enpugh to buy a new lappy but certainly enough to make it worthwhile!

Restricted to buy from Argos or Comet so range availability was in there as well.  Ended up with an i5 HP with enough memory and storage to keep me happy meantime so, thanks for all your input folks.  Will rescue the data off the hard disc of the desktop at some stage and get it stored on an external drive.

Bit of a buggeration to loose favourites and stuff though was due for a tidy out!!   

[tunnie]

Gave the box a damn good blow out today.  Tried to boot with the drives all disconnected and no luck, no noises, no lights, nothing.

Connected it back up and tried again and still nothing.  Dead as a dead thing....

Tidied up the area of the dining area where it normally sits and found an envelope with some bonusbond vouchers from work.  Not enpugh to buy a new lappy but certainly enough to make it worthwhile!

Restricted to buy from Argos or Comet so range availability was in there as well.  Ended up with an i5 HP with enough memory and storage to keep me happy meantime so, thanks for all your input folks.  Will rescue the data off the hard disc of the desktop at some stage and get it stored on an external drive.

Bit of a buggeration to loose favourites and stuff though was due for a tidy out!!   

I use Google Chrome, it syncs bookmarks across all computers its installed on. As its with Google if you loose a PC then you don't loose them all.

Original offer stands, can get you PC IBM tower, along with 19" flat screen. I work at a part time job which has loads going spare 

[hotel21]

Gave the box a damn good blow out today.  Tried to boot with the drives all disconnected and no luck, no noises, no lights, nothing.

Connected it back up and tried again and still nothing.  Dead as a dead thing....

Tidied up the area of the dining area where it normally sits and found an envelope with some bonusbond vouchers from work.  Not enpugh to buy a new lappy but certainly enough to make it worthwhile!

Restricted to buy from Argos or Comet so range availability was in there as well.  Ended up with an i5 HP with enough memory and storage to keep me happy meantime so, thanks for all your input folks.  Will rescue the data off the hard disc of the desktop at some stage and get it stored on an external drive.

Bit of a buggeration to loose favourites and stuff though was due for a tidy out!!   

I use Google Chrome, it syncs bookmarks across all computers its installed on. As its with Google if you loose a PC then you don't loose them all.

Original offer stands, can get you PC IBM tower, along with 19" flat screen. I work at a part time job which has loads going spare 

Cheers Tunnie.  Appreciated.  I have a couple of older boxes kicking around which just need suitable adaptors inserted to power up the errant drive.  The Iiyama 0.24 DP CRT is LARGE but does give a cracking screen quality and resolution so just need to get off my harris and actually do the deed.  Might just press a clever friend who lives nearby into service.  He's retired from being an IT manager at a uni and relishes little brain stretchers now and again...

[TheBoy]

I use Google Chrome

I'm guessing that Hotel21's crusty old desktop was probably a bit long in the tooth to run that particular piece of bloatware