Student lap top

[pammy]

It seems it's now meg's turn! Not doing too well for computers in the Pammy household this year! But it seems her MoBo has had it now. Hers is an old PC to be fair, but as she's off to uni on September, a laptop is on the cards anyway.

While meandering through Sainsburys yesterday I saw them putting out boxes for this:

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/07/19/medion_sainsburys/

I can get 10% off(was hoping they were out for this week as it's 15% but it's not on sale until 1st August) So that makes it £450. Her dad is going halves, so is it a reasonable buy. The reports are a bit conflicting, but the large hard drive and 2gb RAM are attractive.

She does like her music so a good sized hard-drive is welcome. If her MoBo is fried on her PC - is there anyway of easiy transferring the data from that onto the replacement laptop? Or even an external hard drive?

 

[Gollom]

It seems it's now meg's turn! Not doing too well for computers in the Pammy household this year! But it seems her MoBo has had it now. Hers is an old PC to be fair, but as she's off to uni on September, a laptop is on the cards anyway.

While meandering through Sainsburys yesterday I saw them putting out boxes for this:

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/07/19/medion_sainsburys/

I can get 10% off(was hoping they were out for this week as it's 15% but it's not on sale until 1st August) So that makes it £450. Her dad is going halves, so is it a reasonable buy. The reports are a bit conflicting, but the large hard drive and 2gb RAM are attractive.

She does like her music so a good sized hard-drive is welcome. If her MoBo is fried on her PC - is there anyway of easiy transferring the data from that onto the replacement laptop? Or even an external hard drive?

Seriously Pammy, IMHO I'd go for a tier 1 system. HP (Compaq), IBM, Tosh. There are good deals to be had and even if it's a bit extra it is money well spent.

If it were me (and finances would allow) I'd get a HP and extend the warranty to on-site. However, I am very good at spending other peoples money (Mrs. Gollom taught me..... )

I can sort the data transfer for you

 

[pammy]

Seriously Pammy, IMHO I'd go for a tier 1 system. HP (Compaq), IBM, Tosh. There are good deals to be had and even if it's a bit extra it is money well spent.

If it were me (and finances would allow) I'd get a HP and extend the warranty to on-site. However, I am very good at spending other peoples money (Mrs. Gollom taught me..... )

I can sort the data transfer for you

Thanks Steve - that would be brill.

I am nervous about the Medion - athough the spec looks good I'm not sure how reliable they are. Oddly I don't want to spend more as it's a high risk item in a high risk place But I do like my Tosh and it's doing me nicely - but am not spending £700 on DD - as much as I love her

 

[jpskiller]

I agree with gollum, nice spec laptop only problem with them is once out of warrenty its nearly impossible to get any spares for repairs. had a few of medion Laptop/PC's come through and unable to get the most basic of components ie keyboard / inverter etc. Would recc sticking to a better brand, HP good but again expensive, Toshiba and Fujitsu or evan Acer all good at resonable prices and parts are easy to source after warrenty.

 

[Ian_C]

Have a look at Currys, they are doing a laptop for £150 if you join Orange mobile phone network. Maybe worth looking into....

BTW Would not normally recomend Currys but this looks interesting.

As for transfering data, you can get a case for the old hard drive which will turn it into an external USB hard drive, only about £15 too. Thus data can be transfered without issue, and all data should be okay if it just was the motherboard at fault.

Ian
P.S. Or just rent out the rest of the soft toy collection

 

[lil.smartie]

We got 2 Acers for about £350 each a couple of months ago. I'll tyr and find a link later for you!

Kate

 

[pammy]

Have a look at Currys, they are doing a laptop for £150 if you join Orange mobile phone network. Maybe worth looking into....

BTW Would not normally recomend Currys but this looks interesting.

As for transfering data, you can get a case for the old hard drive which will turn it into an external USB hard drive, only about £15 too. Thus data can be transfered without issue, and all data should be okay if it just was the motherboard at fault.

Ian
P.S. Or just rent out the rest of the soft toy collection

Thanks for that - apart form the last bit!!

Don't need BB as I have it and Uni supply it so would be an extra cost at £15 pm.

That case for the HDD is a goody though - not heard of that

 

[Ian_C]

Depending on the size of drive (assume 2.5inch) :

http://www.storagedepot.co.uk/404.aspx?aspxerrorpath=/Enclosures-and-Cases/sc884.aspx

 

[kikkthecat]

Have a look at Currys, they are doing a laptop for £150 if you join Orange mobile phone network. Maybe worth looking into....

PCWorld are doing the same deal, £300 off any laptop if you sign up to Orange broadband. That makes their cheapest laptop free.

Free laptop

 

[pammy]

I think this deal is good if you are looking for a new ISP. They clearly expect you to switch to the Orange service - which you are paying for. But for me this would be a lower level of service etc. Not surprised PCW are doing it as they and Currys and Dixons are all one and the same

I'd have no qualms about signing up to something if the full cost benefit analysis was sound.

 

[fuzzer]

comes with £50 cashback and would be a solid reliable performer.

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/sm/WF06b/21675-283229-283229-283229-12434650-12923994-78173429.html

http://h40059.www4.hp.com/morepc/redemption.html?jumpid=in_rm_r2515_uk_en_dsc_smb_20070518112124674

 

[Rory]

Be careful with the shiny screens - they're great for watching films in the dark, but can be pain for normal work due to reflections.

In the high street stores, ToysRus are selling very high spec (for the money) Gateway laptops.

 

[SimonsMerc]

For a student dorm, I would go for the well specced but cheapo laptop.

I don't know your daughter from Eve, but let's face it. Your daughter is going to find out all about uni life. She'll be coming back to her room at three o'clock in the morning, out of her skull, perhaps not alone, and will knock the machine to the floor. She'll be running off to lectures and will forget to lock her room, and someone will walk in and pinch it. She'll download music and the UK equivalent of the RIAA will come along and confiscate her computer. She'll put it in a bag and throw the bag on the floor in anger when waiting for exam results outside a lecturer's office. It will be destroyed, slowly but surely, and no warranty will cover "student damage".

Go for the cheaper machine now, and consider it a temporary investment. If it survives the uni years, be surprised and pleased. When she returns to the real world, you'll be so happy at her getting a first class honours degree that you'll buy her a flash expensive one ;-)

-simon

 

[pammy]

............. She'll be coming back to her room at three o'clock in the morning, out of her skull, perhaps not alone, and will knock the machine to the floor. She'll be running off to lectures and will forget to lock her room, and someone will walk in and pinch it. She'll download music and the UK equivalent of the RIAA will come along and confiscate her computer. She'll put it in a bag and throw the bag on the floor in anger when waiting for exam results outside a lecturer's office. It will be destroyed, slowly but surely, and no warranty will cover "student damage"..........

Are you sure you don't know my daughter?

Go for the cheaper machine now, and consider it a temporary investment. If it survives the uni years, be surprised and pleased. When she returns to the real world, you'll be so happy at her getting a first class honours degree that you'll buy her a flash expensive one ;-)

-simon

Good advice thanks

 

[Benzowner]

Ditto what SominsMerc has said. My daughter has just finished an equine science degree and her laptop has just about survived. With the work, music and pictures, she used about 18G of hard drive. So depending on what degree your daughter is going to do, the hard drive should be an inportant issue. Oh that hard drive useage did not include the home PC which she used when home for hols.

 

[jpskiller]

bearing in mind whats been said for a more robust laptop which can take a knock or two I would go for a IBM-Lenovo these machines are very well built & built to last and until recently the price reflected that, but know with the market being what it is, IBM-Lenovo have had to fall in line and drop there prices, I've had a couple of these bought when 3-4 years old and trust me they have had a hard life even before my Mrs got her hands on it, who managed to crack the screen on a new ACER in less then 4 months of having it.

 

[pammy]

bearing in mind whats been said for a more robust laptop which can take a knock or two I would go for a IBM-Lenovo these machines are very well built & built to last and until recently the price reflected that, but know with the market being what it is, IBM-Lenovo have had to fall in line and drop there prices, I've had a couple of these bought when 3-4 years old and trust me they have had a hard life even before my Mrs got her hands on it, who managed to crack the screen on a new ACER in less then 4 months of having it.

Found this

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Lenovo_3000_C200_8922_TZ05YUK/version.asp

 

[purplegoddess]

I've had a couple of these bought when 3-4 years old and trust me they have had a hard life even before my Mrs got her hands on it, who managed to crack the screen on a new ACER in less then 4 months of having it.

wasnt me honest and it was 6 weeks

 

[lil.smartie]

That's the people we got the Acer's from - Laptopsdirect!

Spot on service, also go for one with XP not Vista, much cheaper as they are being cleared out!

Kate

 

[jpskiller]

For the price of that you would be getting a high quality machine (bargain for a IBM)