Where is the best place to buy a laptop. Not monster spec, just i5 or maybe i7 with a 1 TB hard drive. Somewhere mainstream ideally, to make warranty etc. as simple as possible. I’m a bit of a Dell fan, but am open to persuasion.
Want new, not refurbed.
Are high street retailers such a poor option?

Are high street retailers such a poor option?

If you know exactly what you want and PC-World happens to have it on offer then its as good a place as any to get it!

The high street stores tend to have (slightly) older kit in, though can have good reductions if you buy at the right time, but as you like dell just buy direct imo
Why an i7 if an i5 will run the software you need? I’d be looking for an SSD (256 min, preferably 512gb) would be my choice over a 1TD std Hdd

I do know what i want, but not sure what the going price is

basically it’s just a work horse. So, i5 and 1TB would be fine.

I really need the 1TB, the main work will be video editing, nothing special, just cutting with movie maker. then eventually some Flash type programming

Something with a second drive bay then perhaps, wang an SSD in it and move the big drive to the other bay? (It’s what I did)

sounds like a more expensive option

https://www.johnlewis.com/lenovo-ideapad-310-laptop-intel-core-i7-8gb-ram-2tb-15-6-full-hd/p2839970?colour=Black

this looks like a good deal, what am i missing?

Without really following laptop spec/pricing, I’d say it looks pretty good, i7 (last gen but so what) may benefit your video editing (dependant on your software), & the discrete video card should definitely help with that too. Where it may be cheaper is due to the ‘cheaper’ plastic casing & basic(ish) TN display screen, but unless you throw it around the case shouldn’t matter too much.

SSD drives make such a big difference over mechanical drives, and the ones fitted in laptops usually spin at a slower speed any, compounding the issue.

If you can’t get one with 2 bays have you considered getting a laptop with an SSD, and buy a seperate external drive for bulk storage?

Does it even need to be a laptop as opposed to a desktop?

What he said ^^

this looks like a good deal, what am i missing?

Looks good TBH. It’s an Ideapad, which is Lenovo’s consumer / budget version of the Thinkpad. I’ve got an article link somewhere from the last time someone asked me about them, hang on.

Here.

Lenovo Thinkpad vs. Ideapad: Features & Style

Hp direct from them hp envy i5 or 7 you can get student discount if you know a student and often discount vouchers are kicking around

If you like Dell, I would go for a Dell direct offer.
My sister purchased one of the refurbished units direct from Dell a while back. And its was great!

With regards to warranty, it did also go wrong.. And it was a simple case of sending it back via a pre-paid postage system, and a brand new one turned up 5 days later!

Students also get 10% off all Dell kit..
I can order it for you if you like

Edit –
Students can get up to 30% off HP, which makes some laptops a steal!
Same offer as above…

JL are a pretty good shout if they have what you want. a friend had a problem with malware of some sort, i said i’d take a look end of the week, but she bobbed it round to JL on the off-chance, and they sorted it for her there and then as she’d bought it there.
damn their eyes. 😐

Only if nothing goes wrong. It certainly wouldn’t be my retailer of choice if you have a problem.

when i was looking for one , i found scan, ccl computers and laptops direct to be really good and competitive. you can also get lucky and get an amazon deal of the day or lighting deal.

Hmm, reconsidering ideapad as I carry it around, a lot, everyday. So it needs to be pretty robust. My Dell latitude has stood up pretty well, I wonder if the inspiron is as strong?

Personally I’m a big of Lenovos – though mine have all been Thinkpads. Currently on an X121e which is towards the consumer end of those (they have similar size ones which are more obviously business computers) with slightly more frills than most. A bit old now, though it still post dates that article (I had an X100e before which was firmly in the consumer camp with a dedicated graphics card, though you only really need one of those for gaming, video editing will work fine with a built in card – TBH the gaming performance of this with fairly modern Intel integrated graphics is actually just as good). Robust is definitely a selling point for them.

.. as it’s dell’s the cheap & cheerful model, what do you think? 😆
We use two models of laptop at the academy’s I’m covering, the toshiba’s are falling apart (literally, screws are falling out), the hp’s are holding up brilliantly, but then they’re double the price.

I’ve had bad experiences with laptops direct, got messed around as bought a laptop with a faulty motherboard and they kept insisting it was fine.

When they eventually conceded to the facts, they tried to get me to RMA it to the manufacturer, I literally had to quote the sale of goods act to them and loudly kick up a stink in the shop and threatened to take them to court to get a replacement.

This was in Huddersfield, at the time not sure if they still have shops.

Ccl I’ve always found have very good customer service, but sadly they are not always the cheapest for laptops.

One time I had to return a faulty external hdd caddy, just went in, told them the issue, they said would you mind waiting 5 mins, so we can test it, I said yes.

He came back 30 secs later and said Yeh a few of these have been returned, don’t have time to test it, so you can have a new one or a credit note..
I was happy with that. Wasn’t in the shop more than 5 mins.

Want new, not refurbed.

why? ‘referbs’ are usually new anyway. Very hard to look beyond the dell outlet tbh.

The refurbs are hard to price compare and don’t known if I’m just getting old kit. After all.dell.were.selling a.vostro on tjerr

Sorry, did you fall asleep while mid post?
.. as for old kit from dell outlet, you only have post the link for someone to tell you if it’s up to date..

🙂 Dell were selling a Vostro on their outlet site

Like this one
http://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdfb1&l=en&s=dfb&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw%2fPR7UdT6QQPJm%2fKlqkO%2fRoCjP4A5YXa90Htl4tG1CfV16mpVEZSHSYk0VS3HMyS0I%2fci7uiQY%2f3Ea2BsqVSxEZ3Lr7y0K7tY%2fmx8ZPy7e0vuAZA%2bTlGe5TRjkxCkhfxfNhEHTeIefAYQJIznRs9vdTHukYDT6U74pq%2f%2bi%2frDkOvIvVUt5WvbSlb%2fbGoOHQcSemToxpZ5w6UhoApnET%2bh%2fD8TEckYrnSV6C1d6sKBZdEmzRq2O

It’s i5 gen6 but surely vostro is old stock

the vostro name was resurrected in 2015 apparently, though no current models lists, but the name has been used in other markets than the UK. I dunno about the one you linked to as it’s sold out now, so don’t know what model number it was to look into it
Been stuck in a car of the day with limited signal, was hoping someone else might coment..

Dell outlet had 15% discount today. Unfortunately, their ecomm was down

Looking for similar myself, budget if around £850, not needed for gaming, but decent multi tasking and some 3D / cad stuff. Really want a number pad as well.
Was looking at the HP envy range which seems reasonable and has one vote above.
I like the shiney aluminium!