So looking for a decent laptop for uni. Something I can check emails, listen to music, waste time on STW and youtube, and maybe do some work on.

Thinking in the range of £300-400.

Probably don't really need to carry it around ever.

A mate who has more computer know how then me recommended these two (among others)..

http://www.europc.co.uk/product.php?productid=137713

http://www.europc.co.uk/product.php?productid=137660

I can hardly tell the difference between quite a few of the ones he showed me, but I can tell you're getting a better screen for the extra £50. Is there anything else I should be looking at?

I think Dell laptops are excellent value for money. People are always asking me to recommend them a good deal and I use this page http://www.dmxdimension.com/ which gives you a good list of the available deals.

Be aware that the laptops in your links are not new, they're refurbs.

If you really only need to do the things you list in your message then you will be fine with even the lowest spec Dell on the list.

Be aware that the laptops in your links are not new, they're refurbs.

Did not notice that, cheers. Is a refurb something I should steer clear of then?

I spotted a decent spec Advent in PC World (Hedge End) the other day.
Core i5, 4GB ram, 500GB hard drive….£390!!!!
Not the sexiest lappy, but certainly capable.

Realman – not always a bad thing but you'll need to be careful about warranty. If it was me I'd be looking for something new. Grazzer1's spot at PC world looks like great deal.. Don't usually see i5 processors at that price point. Not my favourite brand but on the face of it, a capable machine.

http://www.hotukdeals.com is a good site to keep an eye on..

edit – That advent may be the one being discussed here : http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/advent-sienna-500-intel-core-i5-430/754465

So is that advent better then the others I linked to?

I was just reading about refurbs and it just seems to mean they have had a scratch or something? Get a one year warranty as well, which sounds pretty good.

Yes that's probably it pealy. A lot of Acer parts used in the Advents, so they certainly have the pedigree (inside). The next cheapest i5 processor (in PC World) was a Toshiba L650-12Q. £550…in the clearance section.

If you can't get hold of an advent, then I'd definately be looking to get something with an i3 processor if I were you. Failing that then go for Core 2 Duo (not to be confused with Dual Core).

NB 2GB ram is probably all you need.

Ok looking at this one then

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/advent-sienna-500-04868440-pdt.html?srcid=369&xtor=AL-1

Bit over budget as expected, but this bit here..

Software included Office trial

Does that mean I only get microsoft office for a month or so? How much will that cost to buy properly?

Probably don't really need to carry it around ever.

So why d'you want a laptop then? Much better value for money in a desktop system; faster, bigger screen etc.

I'm sure £400 could get you something decent enough with a reasonable sized screen. How about something like this? Fits your budget, and would be reasonably portable too if you needed to move it occasionally.

http://www.dabs.com/products/lenovo-c200-18-5–all-in-one-with-intel–atom-dc510-2gbddr-320gb-hdd—windows-7-home-premium-74BQ.html

I was thinking of a laptop next – possibly running Wifi so I don't need to plug it into a modem. Er – is that how it works?

Also, I was considering using the existing PC as a storage facility – sort of like an external hard drive?

This is a pretty good deal:
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/acer-aspire-5741a-core-i3-3-yr-warr/754811

Hot Hot Hot:
£423 for a Tosh i5!

I keep being told to buy a Mac… Not entirely convinced myself, as a similar specced Windows laptop is half the price (but maybe not twice as shiny…).

If you’re going to Uni, look out for the student deals on MS Office. I think it actually makes it quite cheap for you to buy/get hooked on.

Oh, and try Saveonlaptops. They seem to have a lot of decent kit for cheap money.