I'm thinking of buying a computer for my teenager. He'll need it for doing homework, browsing the web and emailing. Can you recommend some laptops? I don't want to spend too much.
Alex answers... Laptops are becoming more and more powerful and you can now get much more for your money. But if you truely want to save money and get a decent machine then avoid the High Street! The High Street tends to focus on the bigger brands such as HP but you can find a good quality machine for much less by picking a lesser-known brand or surfing online for the best price deal. For instance, ACER, available online and in some Tesco stores offer good quality machines with a range of offerings to suit most budgets. You might also want to look at budget online store Laptops Direct.
Most laptops come with built-in wireless that can connect you to your home WiFi to share internet access, but do take into account anti-virus protection and child locks if they'll be browsing the web to prevent them from accessing anything unsavoury.
Dont be fooled by 'free laptop offers.' When you've calculated the cost of a 24-month contract compared to buying a similar model laptop along with a broadband line, there might not actually be any saving at all. If you're planning on downloading a lot of content, for example, music, you might find the small download allowance offered with a 'free laptop' deal not enough.
Will your teen want this laptop to be just for work, or for fun as well? All laptops will have reasonable sound and basic graphics ability, so there should be no problem watching a movie or playing music! And it will serve as an entertainment device as well as a homework tool.
Don't always listen to the salesmen! The salesmen will always try and push you for the most expensive options, even if you've said you dont want to spend that much. They'll try to blind you with acronyms and mesmorise you with specifications, so its worth reading up before you decide what you want.
Buying your laptop online from somewhere like Laptops Direct or Ebuyer will give you the opportunity to read all about each item before you decide plus Ebuyer also have a handy product comparison tool!
If you want a budget model, take a look at the £99 Elonex Websurfer that will go on sale this month. It's slightly smaller than most laptops with a seven inch screen and smaller keyboard but it does offer email, web browsing and can remotely access the home PC. It comes in a range of colours but you'll need to get a memory stick for saving documents. The Asus EEEPC 1000 is a popular portable laptop with a 10" screen display and a keboard that is only 8% smaller than standard models. It offers all the functionality of a standard sized laptop and costs around £360 from various online retailers.
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