laptop purchase advice.

[mcgrath]

I need to pick up a laptop. Where do you get best bang for your buck? Had to give back the work one and need to study for an exam and edit some holiday snaps. As far as I can see the new systems seem to only come with win 8 too. I don't know anyone who likes it so might try pick up a used one with win 7. Has anyone bought anything from pc repair shops etc? There seems to be loads in town at the mo.
Any advice welcome...
Cheers...

[Eoin]

I've bought a few old ones from pc repair shops, there's a guy in Clonee who sells them cheap. You'll get a useable second hand laptop for about 150 euros, you can go lower but they're no fun to use really.

We tend to put Ubuntu on them to get better use out of the old hardware as Windows tends to want too much memory and system resources.

If Ubuntu is not your bag then you'll be stuck with Win 7 as XP is about to be EOL'd.

[irish_goat]

I bought my laptop in a pc repair shop on North Circular Road. I had taken my 5 year old Samsung laptop in as the screen was practically falling off. Aside from that  the battery was gone so it needed to be constantly plugged in and it restarted itself every 2 hours. The fella looked up the parts I needed online in front of me and we saw it would cost about €120 so I told him I'd probably just be better buying a new one. He then offered me a Toshiba he had for €310. Looked it up on Amazon and it was selling for €500 so I almost felt like I was robbing him a bit. 

[brenmurph]

@ Mcgrath

depends wat u want it for.

Re ubuntu, only downside to ubuntu ( linux) is that some windows software wont work while others will.

If its basic stuff like office, internet, mail, music and video then Linux may be worth investigating. If you have any special windows software you may stick with windows.

You may even find a new netbook running ubuntu for sub 200euro.

Other option is second shops, many from what I hear are decent and will back up their second hand goods.

[mcgrath]

@Eoin  found a link for cloneecomputers.com Will bang them a mail and see if they have anything for sale.

@Irish goat I am staying in dorset st this week so I can check that out tomorrow. Theres a place near big tree that has a few refurbs

I looked in Curry,s today. New means Win8 and small means touchscreen.  So second hand is looking more attractive. 

[irish_goat]

@Irish goat I am staying in dorset st this week so I can check that out tomorrow. Theres a place near big tree that has a few refurbs

That's the one! Owner looks like Bob Geldof. 

[mcgrath]

That's the one! Owner looks like Bob Geldof. 
[/quote]

Was in there today. I see what you mean haha...:-)