Hi folks, My new work role requires a laptop for general email, MS Office, networking and the like. Nothing graphic intensive but a quick boot and quick application launch/switching with enough RAM for several open windows, browsers and tabs. Windows 7 preferred but 8.1 OK. Budget £350, maybe stretch a wee bit more if essential. A 15"+ screen would be great, 17" if that's feasible? Many thanks in advance! Cleggy.
In which case I recommend going into your local Dixons/PC World and poke a few laptops in that price range. Prepare to be underwhelmed...
I agree with Shirty. Any new laptop that you buy for that sort of budget will stand small in the shadow of a second hand ThinkPad with an SSD.
I know it's way over budget but this is an awful lot of laptop for the money asked, I nearly bought one a few days ago. It was only a wonderfully cheap deal on an L430 with similar specs that swayed me.
http://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=F7Y08EA&opt=ABU&sel=PBNB This is probably the cheapest thing that's not a complete pile of crap. You will need to stick an SSD into it - fortunately all of the Probooks have very simple access, and they ship with recovery DVD's.
Well if the OP had a worthwhile budget (i.e. x2 ~ 3) that would not be a problem. Beggars can only be limited choosers.
With you 100%. For a cheapy home laptop £350 is fine, but for a work model you are really looking at a minimum of £700 for a model that you will (I assume) be using every day.
will work require you encrypt the laptop using bit-locker? (if so you should be able to get an increased budget? )
Based on my recent browsing pretty much everything at that price range sucks and i wouldn't buy/recommend any of it... such is the level of corner-cutting at that price bracket, the stuff's practically circular...
Cheers chaps, valid points all and duly noted. Going to downsize the lappy and add a half decent desktop, which I'll dual screen and use for more demanding work.
