Notebooks / netbooks ...

[TCIB]

i3 is the new standard for lappy's, i5 is very good and i7 are monster chipsets.

This is a very good lappy for the spec <a class="postlink" href="http://www.laptopsdirect.ie/ASUS_K52F_6GB_Windows_7_Laptop__K52F-EX1081V6GB/version.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.laptopsdirect.ie/ASUS_K52F_6 ... ersion.asp</a>

They stuck an extra 4GB ram in it, this website btw is good and the staff do all they can to help.

 

[baldmosher]

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+T2050+%40+1.60GHz" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu ... 40+1.60GHz</a>

That's my laptop that I use as a Windows 7 media centre, plays 720p video but struggles with 1080p, runs the internet fine, does everything I throw at it, albeit a bit slowly. I'm looking to upgrade but haven't been looking at anything above 2GHz as it's not worth the cost for what I do with it.

What you will notice from the graph is that the newer processors aren't much faster on paper (GHz=speed), but they have more efficient architecture, and have "hyperthreading" which is a very efficient way of using two CPU cores, so they tend to be a shitload faster in practice, hence the massive ramp up in the scores.

i7 is the best of the bunch still and usually quad core which is only necessary if you're playing new games or run VST music production software and suchlike - the pros, in other words.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.dell.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dell.com</a> and your price point is all you need to know if you're a novice.

 

[wayne71]

Was looking at going upto about £300 - £350 max . She has loads of music which will take up a lot of room !! Thanks

External 1TB USB hard drive, about £60

If your router has a USB port it'll probably share her music around the house.

My entire MP3 collection takes up 200MB and I've got about 3000 albums.

200mb? How have you managed that?

 

[TCIB]

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+T2050+%40+1.60GHz

That's my laptop that I use as a Windows 7 media centre, plays 720p video but struggles with 1080p, runs the internet fine, does everything I throw at it, albeit a bit slowly. I'm looking to upgrade but haven't been looking at anything above 2GHz.

What you will notice from the graph is that the newer processors aren't much faster on paper (GHz=speed), but they have more efficient architecture, and have "hyperthreading" which is a very efficient way of using two CPU cores, so they tend to be a shitload faster in practice, hence the massive ramp up in the scores.

i7 is the best of the bunch still and usually quad core which is only necessary if you're playing new games or run VST music production software and suchlike - the pros, in other words.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.dell.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dell.com</a> and your price point is all you need to know if you're a novice.

If you use media player classic and download ffdshow this will play 1080p maybe a bit better than wmp or vlc.

Edit: I think he means GB matey

 

[baldmosher]

Whoops, yes, I mean 200GB!

 

[Ronnie the Rep]

any particular brand worth getting? everyone says avoid Packard Bell

 

[baldmosher]

any particular brand worth getting? everyone says avoid Packard Bell

Tosh (very solid, expensive)
Lenovo (built like tanks, expensive)
Sony (average, very expensive)
HP (wildly variable)
Fujistu-Siemens (reasonable)
Dell (fairly tacky but solid, cheap)
Acer (better than Dell IMHO)

Anything they sell in PC World is usually a bad idea.
Paying what Curry's charge for anything is usually a bad idea.

 

[TCIB]

Avoid HP also, the cooling is very very poor and your gpu will be screwed within 18 months.

Good brands, well least shit...

Asus
Acer
MSI
Samsung
Sony
Toshiba

These are brands i have had myself and can vouch they were decent.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.laptopsdirect.ie/Asus_K52F-EX1415V_Core_i3_Laptop_in_Brown_K52F-EX1415V/version.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.laptopsdirect.ie/Asus_K52F-E ... ersion.asp</a>

This is a nice lappy also for 380 squid.

 

[baldmosher]

Avoid HP also, the cooling is very very poor and your gpu will be screwed within 18 months.

It does massively depend what you get. I've got an Elitebook 8530p for work and it's a fucking monster


One more thing to add quickly re second hand laptops, make sure your processor is 64bit, most are, but my media centre laptop isn't - that's partly why it's a bit slow.

A quick Google search reveals all



To the OP, if you did want to go down the PC route, you could do worse than one of these tiny little MiniITX PCs for your daughter:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Desktop-PCs-Monitors-/171957/i.html?_nkw=mini+itx&_catref=1&_fln=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m282" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Desktop-PCs-M ... 86.c0.m282</a>

Some of them can be mounted on the back of a 17" LCD monitor.......

I've seen reasonably good ones go for £80 recently.

 

[wayne71]

Whoops, yes, I mean 200GB!

Heh I thought you had found some wonderful zip type program that compacted everything.

To the op I would avoid a netbook, I have a samsung netbook and whilst its great for what I use it for (travelling etc) its really no good for everyday use for homework and such.

Personally I'd keep an eye on <a class="postlink" href="http://www.hotukdeals.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.hotukdeals.com/</a>, should be plenty of deals coming up to christmas. When you find something you like post it on here and the techy types will help.