Gransnet forums

Technology

Easy Laptop for DH

(16 Posts)
sherish Sun 16-Feb-14 11:09:00

My husband has recently retired and would like to buy a laptop. He has absolutely no experience but I have and will willingly show him the basics. However I would welcome any recommendations from anyone who has recently bought an 'easy' laptop. I am thinking that they are are all basically similar in layout etc. and the difference will just be in price.

Mishap Sun 16-Feb-14 11:58:52

They are all basically the same, but you get Windows 8 now whichever PC you buy, so you need to be or get familiar with this.

We bought an ACER ASPIRE E1-571 a few months ago - very reasonably priced (but shop around) and it is fine.

Grannyknot Sun 16-Feb-14 13:00:20

I bought a Sony Vaio at a reduced price some years ago, marked down because the casing is covered in "bling" and they weren't selling smile

I love my shiny pearly white laptop, although my kids tease me about it.

're the OP, those Acer' s are great starter laptops.

sherish Sun 16-Feb-14 17:37:45

Thank you for your suggestions. I think the best thing to do is to go into PC World or similar and just have a good look and ask questions and let DH make his own mind up with the info he's given.

shysal Mon 17-Feb-14 08:40:49

I bought DD a very reasonable HP on special offer at Argos, not sure whether still available. Also bought a 'Plain and Simple Windows 8' book.

Grannyknot, I have a leopard print skin on my laptop!

glammanana Mon 17-Feb-14 09:06:16

I've got an Acer Aspire and had it for nearly 5 yrs with no problems nice and easy to use with nothing complicated and they are such a good price for a quality product I think,sherish have you thought of looking at John Lewis they do price match and their after sales service is second to none,I joined a computer class at my local library when I first got mine and learnt such a lot at my own speed and no pressure there where all different ages in the small class from 20s-80s well worth looking into.

feetlebaum Mon 17-Feb-14 09:15:38

Mine is a Sony Vaio - it's big, because I wanted the version with the numeric pad at the right-hand end of the keyboard.

Don't fret about Windows 8 - it's just like Windows 7 once you hit the Windows key + 'D' ...

mrsmopp Thu 20-Feb-14 09:10:26

Has anyone got an Apple Mac laptop?
I am thinking of switching as my old laptop is dying a death now. I have 2 sons, one swears by Apple and the other wouldn't touch one with a barge pole.
Any advice?

Soupy Thu 20-Feb-14 09:17:18

Macs are a completely different animal.
Everyone I know who uses them swears by them but they are much more expensive than pcs. Used a lot by people who do graphic design work.

eposmike Sun 23-Feb-14 09:19:30

If you go to PC World, Currys or John Lewis you will be sold a Windows 8.0 or 8.1 laptop. They are very different from all previous Windows laptops and are designed for a touch screen. It is much better to have a touch screen if you have Windows 8. The more techie type computer shops will still sell you Windows 7 if you want a regular Windows interface.

feetlebaum Sun 23-Feb-14 09:32:21

eposmike - W8 supports a touchscreen, yes - but it works perfectly well with the mouse, and as I said above, it's pretty much the same as Windows 7 once you type the Windows key + D - hardly worthwhile to take the trouble to buy an older operating system.

At the same time I wouldn't think it worthwhile to upgrade an existing W7 system to W8.

Humbertbear Sun 23-Feb-14 16:50:32

Sherish- does he need a laptop . Have you considered a tablet? I use my iPad all the time and only turn my laptop on for the occasional work related stuff easier done on a bigger screen and proper keyboard.

durhamjen Sun 23-Feb-14 23:53:22

Have you noticed how many people on here complain about their ipad or tablet giving them the wrong words, etc?
I would not like to just have a tablet.
It's not fat fingers that are the problem, it's small screen/ letters.

Mamie Mon 24-Feb-14 05:56:51

Djen, all you have to do is turn off autocorrect. The letters on the keypad are not small and a fat finger problem is easily solved by a stylus. OH and I both have iPads and use the Windows laptop as little as possible now (and each version of Windows seems to get more and more complicated and less user-friendly).

Ariadne Mon 24-Feb-14 06:28:06

I too only get my laptop out when I have to - my iPad is perfect most of the time. Theseus uses the study most, so his laptop is in residence there, but he also uses the iPad when he isn't actually working.

And yes, Mamie - you just turn off auto correct! Bags told me how to do that when I first got my iPad.

durhamjen Mon 24-Feb-14 11:47:08

Mamie, I do not have a tablet or ipad. All I was doing was saying that many people on here blame their ipad or tablet when the wrong word comes up, so perhaps it's not a good idea to have a tablet instead of a laptop. I notice you still do have a laptop.