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Cheap Laptop Advice



stripeyshark

stripeyshark

All-Time Best Defence
Dec 20, 2011
2,294
As I'm off to uni in september, I'm looking for the cheapest laptop I can get with these specifications:

Has ability to support iTunes
CD Drive
Good for typing

Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance NSC. :thumbsup:
 




Goldstone Rapper

Goldstone Rapper

Rediffusion PlayerofYear
Jan 19, 2009
14,865
BN3 7DE
Why do you want to get a cheap thing? Better to get the best one you can afford. What's your budget?
 






The Sock of Poskett

The Sock of Poskett

The best is yet to come (spoiler alert)
Jun 12, 2009
2,802
stripeyshark said:
As I'm off to uni in september, I'm looking for the cheapest laptop I can get with these specifications:

Has ability to support iTunes
CD Drive
Good for typing

Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance NSC. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

You're not asking for much are you? :lolol:
You can pick up a 5-6 year-old Macbook on eBay these days for £150-200, if you want a Mac.
 




Cheshire Cat

Cheshire Cat

The most curious thing..
Nov 4, 2006
11,436
Sitting on a bough of a tree a few yards off...
Screen?
Keyboard?
Mouse?
None of the above?
 


stripeyshark

stripeyshark

All-Time Best Defence
Dec 20, 2011
2,294
The Sock of Poskett said:
You're not asking for much are you? :lolol:
You can pick up a 5-6 year-old Macbook on eBay these days for £150-200, if you want a Mac.
Click to expand...

Nope. Just would be nice to have something to support my iPad. Thanks for your help! :)
 






Goldstone Rapper

Goldstone Rapper

Rediffusion PlayerofYear
Jan 19, 2009
14,865
BN3 7DE








F

Foolg

.
Apr 23, 2007
5,024
The Sock of Poskett said:
You're not asking for much are you? :lolol:
You can pick up a 5-6 year-old Macbook on eBay these days for £150-200, if you want a Mac.
Click to expand...


Which Mac would you recommend? I'm after a used Mac for my final year at Uni (My Acer has just had it's last day) because they just seem far more impressive than other new laptops for the same price. (I'm happy with a second hand one off Ebay)

I could go up to £350 ish... but if someone were to say the difference between £250 and £350 Mac's is minimal then i'm more than happy saving my money.
 


Bold Seagull

Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
29,789
Hove
Foolg said:
Which Mac would you recommend? I'm after a used Mac for my final year at Uni (My Acer has just had it's last day) because they just seem far more impressive than other new laptops for the same price. (I'm happy with a second hand one off Ebay)

I could go up to £350 ish... but if someone were to say the difference between £250 and £350 Mac's is minimal then i'm more than happy saving my money.
Click to expand...

I still use a Macbookpro IntelCore2Duo 2.4ghz from about 2007, which is still very capable for all sorts of photoshopping, webprogramming etc. etc. Mine is the unibody version and can be picked up for that sort of money.

This place pick up corporate machines and sell them on giving you there own warranty. Might be worth a look...

http://www.thelaptopcentre.co.uk/apple-laptops/apple-macbook-a1181-intel-core-2-duo-20ghz-2gb-ram-160gb-hdd-cd-rwdvd-rom-133-screen-wifi-webcam.html
 


beorhthelm

beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
35,300
Cheshire Cat said:
Screen?
Keyboard?
Mouse?
None of the above?
Click to expand...

generally come built in to the laptop. its sort of the point :lolol:

with those requirements, your only real question is budget because anything will be capable. chose a price and stick to it. for value it can be worth going to a PCWorld or Currys and checking what they have on managers special or clearance. try to get Window 7 if you can or consider downgrading (dont know if its a hassle though).
 




The Sock of Poskett

The Sock of Poskett

The best is yet to come (spoiler alert)
Jun 12, 2009
2,802
Foolg said:
Which Mac would you recommend? I'm after a used Mac for my final year at Uni (My Acer has just had it's last day) because they just seem far more impressive than other new laptops for the same price. (I'm happy with a second hand one off Ebay)

I could go up to £350 ish... but if someone were to say the difference between £250 and £350 Mac's is minimal then i'm more than happy saving my money.
Click to expand...

Essentially, you want ...
- an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, as this will run the latest Mac operating system
- as much memory as you can get in it. 4gb + ideally, although if you're not doing loads of video editing or Photoshop work then you can get away with 2gb
- decent hard drive size: 250gb + ideally, although 160gb may be fine depending on your needs
- quality screen with no dead pixels
- battery with plenty of juice in it unless you're always going to be deskbound and plugged in when you use it
- decent hinges and keyboard
- you'll get the best bargains on eBay from private sellers who have looked after their machines, but if you don't mind paying a bit more an Apple reseller may give some kind of warranty which is a lifesaver if something does go wrong.
- ensure the previous user has securely wiped the hard drive
- a £350 Macbook should be newer and better spec than a £250 machine, but sometimes you get a bargain when an auction ends at an odd time, or someone pops it up on Buy It Now for a quick sale. Always read a seller's feedback, and pick the best. Works for me.
 


Bold Seagull

Bold Seagull

strong and stable with me, or...
Mar 18, 2010
29,789
Hove
The Sock of Poskett said:
Essentially, you want ...
- an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, as this will run the latest Mac operating system
- as much memory as you can get in it. 4gb + ideally, although if you're not doing loads of video editing or Photoshop work then you can get away with 2gb
- decent hard drive size: 250gb + ideally, although 160gb may be fine depending on your needs
- quality screen with no dead pixels
- battery with plenty of juice in it unless you're always going to be deskbound and plugged in when you use it
- decent hinges and keyboard
- you'll get the best bargains on eBay from private sellers who have looked after their machines, but if you don't mind paying a bit more an Apple reseller may give some kind of warranty which is a lifesaver if something does go wrong.
- ensure the previous user has securely wiped the hard drive
- a £350 Macbook should be newer and better spec than a £250 machine, but sometimes you get a bargain when an auction ends at an odd time, or someone pops it up on Buy It Now for a quick sale. Always read a seller's feedback, and pick the best. Works for me.
Click to expand...

Another tip for ebay for buying a mac, is that most Mac owners care about their machine, including packaging and all that comes with it. I would avoid any used mac that doesn't have all it's original disks and box. Always message the seller, even if to ask a simple question, it often establishes how quickly they communicate, and whether they are a one off seller or not.
 


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