[darkbrowneggs]

My ancient PC (which I should have replaced years ago) will need to be replaced with a laptop .


Now what should I get?  As I am going to travel I presume I will need to use WiFi?  The laptop will be for use in the campervan so weight, thickness will  not be too much of a problem, I touch type and like quite a big screen.  I don't play "games" but will I need it to watch films TV etc?  Or shall I get a TV as well.


What does everyone think and do you have any recommendations?

[bloomer]

you don't need a tv


if you're used to an older pc almost anything will surprise you with how good it is,


wifi is fine so long as you are on sites that offer it, if you plan on using the net a fair bit when you're travelling to plan stuff etc, look at getting a mobile dongle,


bit like a pay as you go mobile phone but for the internet on the laptop, for less than 10 quid a month you can get interwebnets almost anywhere any time (may not work in very remote locations)


rough guess of speck is 15 inch widescreen with an i3, i5 or i7 processor and a minimum of 4gb of RAM


good luck

[ferretkeeper]

 I am currently using my hubby's iPad and I love it! It's better than a laptop in a lot of ways. We got it for him travelling (works away, travels by plane every couple of months) because it's much lighter than a laptop and since hand luggage keeps getting reduced it's proving invaluable. I thought it would be fine for just browsing the Internet, but its good at so much more than that. It's so convenient sitting here in my chair and surfing away.

 I can type this post quite easily on the large keyboard on the screen. I haven't tried it for anything more complicated like documents or spreadsheets, but the schools are dishing them out all over the place so they must be good enough for proper computer stuff.

I've found I can type much faster on here than I can on the main computer with normal keyboard (I don't touch type!)

I wouldn't bother with the latest version, this is one of the first generation iPads and it's fine for what I would want so much cheaper than a new laptop!

[Daisys Mum]

I would agree with ferret keeper I love my iPad , since I got it I never use my laptop.

[NormandyMary]

Hubby bought me  an Acer Aspire for xmas last year when my Vaio died. The Vaio was complete and utter pooh, it never really worked properly and was terribly slow no matter how I tried to clean it up. This Acer is great though. Separate numbers bit at the side like a standalone keyboard and the screen is sooo clear. I don't know how I would get on with an Ipad, I had a phone (second hand) with a touch screen and nearly threw it out of the window in frustration. OH had to buy me one with proper numbers for my birthday!!
 

[Alistair]

I've got an old Texas instruments speak and spell, that's what I'm using now, only a fiver from reg's range, the second hand shop down the road, I've plugged it into the Internet with a bit of old string (make sure you keep it really tight otherwise it'll all go fuzzy on you), the screen is quite small but adequate fr the cr*p I normally type out and I love the Siri feature, not that it ever answers my questions, more sort of repeats everything I type, but as I'm quite forgetful that's a bit of a bonus

[doganjo]

I've got an old Texas instruments speak and spell, that's what I'm using now, only a fiver from reg's range, the second hand shop down the road, I've plugged it into the Internet with a bit of old string (make sure you keep it really tight otherwise it'll all go fuzzy on you), the screen is quite small but adequate fr the cr*p I normally type out and I love the Siri feature, not that it ever answers my questions, more sort of repeats everything I type, but as I'm quite forgetful that's a bit of a bonus

[doganjo]

I touch type and like quite a big screen. 

An I-pad won't be any use to you then!  Teensy keyboard, teensy screen.

[happygolucky]

I would agree with ferret keeper I love my iPad , since I got it I never use my laptop.

I hardly use the laptop, I we love our I pad, so much we argue who has it, I had a good app that's a brilliant word processor called pages, I find the screen and the key board fantastic and not too small at all, I can carry it around and go on Facetime and chat for free with family and friends and the photos are good quality and of course its light, I take it in the car, you can get all sorts of wonderful apps, I even had bus routes for when  I worked in Edinburgh, so many cafes etc have free Wi fi......I would go for an I pad or something similar..and you can have fun with games and chatting to Siri
 
Alister........you may well be able to trade  your speak and spell for something a bit less more complex, like an http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/180954844715?var=lv&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y&lpid=66&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=66computer or something....then you could really have fun

[doganjo]

I have a desk top, a tablet, an I phone, 2 laptops and an Apple.  None compare to the desk top screen or the keyboard for me except my Acer, but it's all down to personal preference.  Best thing, Sue is to go into a shop and check a few out.

[darkbrowneggs]

What do we think about something like this


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dell-Inspiron-1720-17-Notebook-Dual-Core-4GB-500GB-DVD-Combo-Windows-7-/200951392963?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item2ec9a2eac3


And would I be mad to buy secondhand?

[Lesley Silvester]

Have to disagree with NormandyMary about the Vaio. I love mine. 17 inch screen so good for watching TV and it has a decent sized keyboard. I touch type as well and found my old laptop keyboard was too small and I kept hitting two keys at once.


I chose it by going into a computer shop and trying a few out.

[Mammyshaz]

If you get a laptop don't get windows 8.an absolute nightmare. We don't know how to find anything on ours. Friends have had similar problems. Most people I have spoken to about it have changed to windows 7 so we are going to do that but what a faf!
I have a windows phone with windows 8 and love it but the program doesn't seem designed for standard laptopor desktops, more for small touchscreen devices 

[darkbrowneggs]

I have a desk top, a tablet, an I phone, 2 laptops and an Apple.  None compare to the desk top screen or the keyboard for me except my Acer, but it's all down to personal preference.  Best thing, Sue is to go into a shop and check a few out.

Any reason you have such a selection 

[john and helen]

after buying an apple mac, and helen using the iPad..i would say the quality is fantastic.... why not have a look at the apple range..i think there is a mac book? looks superb... it is expensive..but i would say you get what you pay for