Basic Laptop for home use

[anisin]

Hi guys! Just wanted to hear your expert views on this configuration for a basic laptop for home use by two silver surfers. We don't do gaming -- Just lots of open websites, googles,amazons, Facebooks, lots of emails, some family pictures to edit & send out to family, some streaming information, no downloading of films etc. is planned. We aim to buy something that lasts a few years but don't wish to put together unnecessarily expensive components. The laptop is intended to be a desktop substitute --amd we do need the big screen, definitely!! Thanks.

Chassis & Display
Optimus II: 17.3" Full HD LED Backlit Widescreen (1920x1080) Super Clear Glossy
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Dual Core Mobile Processor i5-2620M (2.70GHz) 4MB Cache
Memory (RAM)
4GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS 1600MHz SODIMM DDR3 (2 x 2GB)
Graphics Card
nVIDIA® GeForce® GT 540M - 1GB DDR3 Video RAM - DirectX® 11
Memory - Hard Disk
500GB WD SCORPIO BLACK WD5000BEKT, SATA 3 Gb/s, 16MB CACHE (7200 rpm)
DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
8x SATA DVD±R/RW/Dual Layer (+ 24x CD-RW)
Memory Card Reader
Internal 9 in 1 Card Reader (MMC/RSMMC/SD: Mini, XC & HC/MS: Pro & Duo)
Network Facilities
GIGABIT LAN & WIRELESS 802.11N CARD (STANDARD)
USB Options
2 x USB 3.0 PORTS + 2 x USB 2.0 PORTS AS STANDARD
Battery
Optimus Series 6 Cell Lithium-ION Battery - 48.85WH
Power Lead & Adaptor
2 x UK Power Lead & 90W AC Adaptor (£16)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Notebook Mouse
INTEGRATED 2 BUTTON TOUCHPAD MOUSE
Webcam
INTEGRATED 1.3 MEGAPIXEL WEBCAM
Insurance
1 Month Free Laptop Insurance inc. Accidental Damage & Theft
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days
Quantity
1

Price: £885.00 including VAT and delivery.

 

[Fear]

Nice spec well above what you need if your happy spending that amount the only thing i would change is the ram to 4GB of Samsung 1333MHz you will not notice the difference and it will drop the price to £852

 

[Nemesis]

Id second fears advice on the RAM
however if you arent gaming then maybe a different spec might be more suitable for you (One without a dedicated graphics card)
Saying that i realize that this is the cheapest chassis with a 17inch screen so forget what i just said

So anyways yeh thats a good spec and i hope it arrives in good time and you get a good experience from it

 

[Meds]

If it's just for web browsing, photos and the odd film then why not consider the Genesis III or Enigma III SE. I think these would be better suited to your requirements and are also cheaper - bonus!

Genesis III

Enigma III SE

 

[Nemesis]

Maybe you could get one of the laptops Meds mentioned and buy an external monitor as well

 

[DeadEyeDuk]

If screen size is one of the issues, i'd go for a decent laptop and external screen any day. At work for check-in, we use laptops so they can be moved out of the unsecure check in building over night, and a 19" screen so the lovely people that do check in dont need a magnifying glass to see the text

I think you get better "bang for your buck" as it were with a smaller screen, as sometimes i swear when you get a larger screened laptop, you pay over the odds for the screen (not PCS price, just what the thing costs!)

DED

PS I know nothing