Looking for a new laptop with a budget of £400 MAX. To be used for the usual stuff, web,downloading music/ videos and college / uni work.
Not interested in samsung so that brand can be counted out.
Any help or advice will be appreciated.

This looks OK

Standard advice, go with a named brand (Toshiba, HP/Compaq, IBM/Lenovo, Dell…) and get as much RAM as you can in it.

Oh – it’s worth having a poke at display models in PC World (other retail stores are available) as there are some -dreadful- laptop keyboards around currently.

Cougar has some sound advice. Personally I bought a http://www.comet.co.uk/p/Laptops/buy-HP-G62-B18SA-Laptop/703796 a few months ago just for something to surf the net etc. with at home (have a work laptop if need to run Office etc.), seems Ok apart from the usual bloatware crap OEMs install (haven’t been bothered to rebuild it yet though).

I can reccommend HP based on the laptop I’m sat here typing on, but it’s a big shiny 17″ Pavilion ‘Entertainment’ machine, so not sure about the lower price bracket.

It certainly rules the roost over my previous Toshiba and before that, crappy Dell, but then it cost more, so don’t know if that’s a gauge.

Lenovo (direct) are pretty well priced and customisable. Well made and reliable – just bought one for my dad and its seems good.

I have a sony which has been faultless and very nice to use, might be able to get one for £400 but prob get more for your money elsewhere.

Is there much difference or preference between AMD or Intel?

RAM is cheap at them moment so I wouldn’t worry as long as it has 2GB. Can add another 2GB for 20ish quid or less at the moment.

Make sure it has the level of CPU power and battery life you want.

Personally I think Intel has the edge in laptops at the moment and AMD is offering better value desktop CPUs. But you cant go wrong with either.

Intel Core i3 might be worth a look at that price.