Laptop recommendations please

[Milkfloat]

No, personal but professional type uses rather than just surfing

In which case I would just check out hotukdeals and pick a good deal. I think they are all much of a muchness in terms of quality unless you are spending on an ultra book or Mac.

 

[vickster]

In which case I would just check out hotukdeals and pick a good deal. I think they are all much of a muchness in terms of quality unless you are spending on an ultra book or Mac.

She’d like a decent spec as she only buys about once every 10 years! It’s quite a big purchase for her.
Problem at mo is short stocks.
She’d already spotted the Acer upthread

 

[FrankCrank]

+1 for the Lenovo Ideapad, cheap and cheerful, and serving me well. My only complaint, and this goes for all modern laptops, is battery not removable by user.

Got an old Sony Vaio recently, for next to nothing. Installed an SSD and W10, runs a treat, great spare laptop. Best though, battery just unclips from the back, so simple. Has technology really moved on?

 

[aferris2]

Might be a bit too "techy" but I've always been impressed with PC Specialist. Usually very good price. You can either choose the base machine then decide which bits you want to upgrade or add on or go for one of the next day options. Currently have a 14 inch with i5 processor for £589

 

[Mike_P]

Last two times I have looked for a laptop spec wise a HP laptop from Argos was as good as and cheaper than other suppliers.

 

[Chris S]

The lenono ideapads are decent and within your price range.
256 ssd ~ £550 at currys, but sometimes a bit cheaper. The 512 ssd is within budget as well.

Be careful with Currys, they sold me a 'return' as a new laptop. After I had it for about a year I got a new pair of glasses and noticed that the Enter key by the numbers was really badly worn. I'd never used it!

 

[MartinQ]

Be careful with Currys, they sold me a 'return' as a new laptop. After I had it for about a year I got a new pair of glasses and noticed that the Enter key by the numbers was really badly worn. I'd never used it!

Sure, I wasn't necessarily recommending currys*, just was easy to find the price.
*Other shops are available ...

 

[coldash]

I’ve never heard good things about Lenovo build quality, have they improved of late?

Two types of Lenovo viz the Ideapad which is a consumer line and the Thinkpads which are “industrial”. The Thinkpads are built to be abused and you’ll see them in use behind the counter in many coffee shops etc. They aren’t cheap but you can get very reasonable refurbs that are ex Corporate machines off eBay in the spec that you want for anywhere between £200 and £300 such as the T440p and upwards

 

[biggs682]

We use a chrome book and find that ok .

For work I use a Mac book out of the few I prefer the lighter chrome book

 

[Pale Rider]

We use a chrome book and find that ok .

For work I use a Mac book out of the few I prefer the lighter chrome book

I use my 10" Chromebook a lot, best £150 I've ever spent on a computer.

But it would be a dead loss for most business use, although my employers have taken to issuing us with big screen Chromebooks, so the stuff I use for work works on mine.

All mine lacks is an SD slot for my occasional pratting around with photos.

I think one of the two usb slots have failed - it appears dead - but I can manage with one working slot.

 

[vickster]

I use my 10" Chromebook a lot, best £150 I've ever spent on a computer.

But it would be a dead loss for most business use, although my employers have taken to issuing us with big screen Chromebooks, so the stuff I use for work works on mine.

All mine lacks is an SD slot for my occasional pratting around with photos.

I think one of the two usb slots have failed - it appears dead - but I can manage with one working slot.

It needs to have computing power for big ppt and Excel files and run the full office suite quickly, and a decent screen, but still be portable enough, hence 14”

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Lovely Wife just obtained one of these from this buyer - she has had Lenovos before which have been excellent tools:

https://www.ebuyer.com/914238-lenovo-v15-core-i5-8gb-256gb-ssd-15-6-win10-home-laptop-81ye0006uk

The spec's you can read yourself but here's a few more subjective observations which may help.

The screen has a really narrow surround and it looks bigger than the case size would suggest. The unit is also very slim and very light. The case has a lovely 'gridded' texture which feels both nice and 'grippy'.

Keyboard quality is very good ie properly laid out with a nice key action - I only mention this is as a PA she spends a moderate amount of time on her lappie and hates 'rough action' keys and layouts that don't conform to a professional standard.

Start up time is rapid as well - always a moot point in our household.

Buying experience was very good/fast too.

Edit: just saw your last post. Lovely Wife is known at work as the 'Queen of Excel' and to be fair is pretty hot on the package. She builds and runs some very complicated workbooks for her company and they run smoothly on this lappie. TBH it would take a very large workbook to cause run issues with most modern day laptops above very basic spec' level.

 

[vickster]

Thanks I’ll pass on. Is there a 14” equivalent?
This maybe?
https://www.ebuyer.com/919576-lenov...8gb-256gb-ssd-14-win10-home-laptop-20rv00auuk

A 10th gen i5 vs 8 gen...friend did ask if that was important

 

[Pale Rider]

It needs to have computing power for big ppt and Excel files and run the full office suite quickly, and a decent screen, but still be portable enough, hence 14”

My well-off retired bank manager brother works part time for a property developer.

He has just replaced his 10-year-old MacBook (we bought ours at the same time) with a new Mac, including full Office for Mac programmes.

Goodness knows what that cost him, but he's pleased with the result.

No doubt Google/Microsoft would tell you some version of Office would run on a Chromebook.

Seems to me trying to run Office programmes on anything other than a Windows machine is pushing water uphill in one way or another.

 

[vickster]

My well-off retired bank manager brother works part time for a property developer.

He has just replaced his 10-year-old MacBook (we bought ours at the same time) with a new Mac, including full Office for Mac programmes.

Goodness knows what that cost him, but he's pleased with the result.

No doubt Google/Microsoft would tell you some version of Office would run on a Chromebook.

Seems to me trying to run Office programmes on anything other than a Windows machine is pushing water uphill in one way or another.

Indeed...hence no chrome book!
As above, she doesn’t do anything Apple!