Help, I'm getting a laptop!!!

[dr strange]

Boring old question I know, but I'm planning on getting a laptop for my 40th. The market seems flooded with choices and brands, but I would like some ideas as to what might be the best one for me, and where to get it from?

Anyway, I won't be using it for games at all, or burning (well maybe a little?) I will be using it for Internet, iTunes (have lots of tunes), downloading from other music sites, playing DVD's, watching trailers, movies, and other general stuff. I do want a good sharp 17" or bigger screen, and overall style can be silver or black. I may have up to �600-700 to spend (could finance a little more?) Have looked at Dell and Acer so far...so does anyone care to add their two bobs worth?

[vehelpfulguy]

There are loads of answers on here about help buying a laptop, search the site for some of the answers.

The first thing I will say is that only buy a 17" screen if you do not plan to move the laptop around.

If it is staying in one spot then 17" is fine but it can be a pain lugging a large laptop around.

Not many laptops around over 17" although I did see an 18" in a magazine the other day.

[vehelpfulguy]

The 18" laptop I saw was the Acer Gemstone Blue. They had a full page advert in the Independant on 14th March. It also comes in 16"

Amazing spec with 1080p and a blu ray player.

They look just what you want, but I think the price may be well outside your range (and most peoples range)

Here is the web site:

http://www.acer.com/gemstoneblue/eng/

[vehelpfulguy]

With what you want to do I would go for a laptop in the entertainment grouping.

For example HP have a whole series of laptops with the "entertainment" label (I am just using HP as an example, Toshiba, Acer etc probably also have their entertainment laptops.)

These are usually built with better screens, better speakers and so on.

If you see this HP page you can see that they have a number of entertainment laptops:

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/ho/WF02a/ 21675-38187-38191.html

[ACtheTROLL]

best option is go to your local supermarket ... or wh newsagents and flick through a few mags .... !! no thot them .... PC mags ... see what's hot at the moment.

then go to pc world ... and see a few in the flesh.

then do a few googles to get the best price