I need to purchase a laptop to replace my now out of date computer. I have had a good look through you website and have a few ideas.
I need a Laptop that will be able to update to Vista in the future but I would rather have XP to start with as this is tried and tested.
I need it mostly for home computing but I may need it for a small business. It will also need to be able to have wireless broadband.
As it will mostly be left at home it will not have to be lightweight.
My current computer is very slow. I will not be using it as a games computer.
Do you have any recommendations. I cannot afford anything over £1000 and ideally would like that to include an Office programme. Any suggestions would be great. Thanx. Claire

Hi Claire,

£1000 is a reasonable budget for a good laptop with Microsoft Office included (get it supplied by the laptop manufacturer as it will be much cheaper than buying it from a shop). As a general rule, lighter laptops are more expensive so you'll get more value by going for a range with a 14" or 15" screen that weighs more. Go for a 3 year next-day on-site warranty if you think that a business will depend on it working.

Get at least 1GB RAM if you're planning to run Windows Vista. Also consider a 128MB graphics card as this is a requirement for some of the new Vista styling features. For Vista at least, these will be more useful to you than spending money on a better processor.

Most laptops come with a CD-ReWriter or a DVD-ReWriter, which will be useful for making data backups onto disc.

Most laptops also now come with wireless network cards built into them. To be able to use the Internet wirelessly, however, you'll want broadband and a wireless router. This will need a bit of setting up time.

Sony make very stylish laptops that do not perform well compared to their competitors - you pay a lot for the extra style (which won't be seen much if you don't take it out a lot!). Packard Bell and some of the other makes sold in PC World can be a bit cheap and nasty. My recommendation is always Dell - I've been using Dell for years and my business is now a reseller for Dell PCs and laptops because we think that they offer particularly good value / reliability now.

I hope that helps