Laptop advice Please

[Mick]

Looking for a Laptop, buget around £350.00  Seen this one online, at Tesco Packard Bell Tk Laptop (Intel Core I3, 4GB, 750GB, 15.6" Display) Black 

Anyone got one of these?  If so, any good?  Any other recommendations?

Memory Capacity 4GB 
Screen Size (in) 15.6 
Screen Type LED 
Processor Intel® Core™ i3 
Processor Model Number i3-370M 
Hard Drive Capacity 750GB 
Memory Type DDR3 
Optical Drive Type DVD dual layer rewriter 
Operating System Microsoft Windows® 7 Home Premium 64 bit   
Wireless Built-in 802.11b/g/n 
Built-in Webcam Y 
Battery Life (hrs) Up to 3 hours 30mins
Full version of Adobe Elements 9 included. 

[Oldboy]

Looks OK to me. Parkard Bell have been around for years and were mostly sold in PC World stores. 

[Mick]

Looks OK to me. Parkard Bell have been around for years and were mostly sold in PC World stores. 

Thanks OB.  Spec looks OK for the money, but I know nothing about Packard Bell's reliability, and support.  Also, I can't find any Packard Bell stuff on PC World's website, only HP (Hewlett Packard).  And their's seem to be more expensive for similar spec.

[Hinfrance]

My last two desk tops have been PBs. This one is 6 years old now and I am thinking of replacing it with a new one simply because the motherboard won't take more than 3gb memory and I keep running out of it.

My old PB has been in my daughter's room for some time, the power supply has now failed, but as it is 10 years old I think it has done pretty well.

Can't tell you anything about their support, as I have never needed it

[Mick]

Thanks H, that sounds encouraging.  I'll look into it some more, maybe go have a play with one. 

[Reinardina]

I've got a vague memory that PB has merged with HP, or was taken over by them, but both would continue trading under their own name.
Don't know if this adds anything to the conversation, but it just might.

As for laptops, I swear by trusty Toshiba.

[Mick]

I've got a vague memory that PB has merged with HP, or was taken over by them, but both would continue trading under their own name.
Don't know if this adds anything to the conversation, but it just might.

As for laptops, I swear by trusty Toshiba.

Thanks R.  I'm not sure they are connected, I thought HP was a American company, whilst Packard Bell was a Dutch company.  Not 100% on this though.  Toshiba, they look good too and also have good spec for the same money.  I will investigate further.

My old Netbook is a Toshiba Portege R100, and that worked fine until I dragged it off the coffee table (Height of around 18" )  And that killed it. I think due to the fact it was turned on at the time.  I previously dropped it from about four feet and it survived, but that time is was switched off. 

Not that I'm clumsy or anything.  Both times I tripped over the power cord.   

[bones615]

My old pc was a packard bell, still running at a friends house and must be 8-10 years old. 2 power supplies in that time but nothing else. Not used support so cant comment.

Simon

[spinner]

Can't speak to PB, not sold on this side of the pond, but, that's one massive Hdd for a laptop and DDR3 is currently top memory, so those specs alone would be a selling/buying point for me. 

Oh, and the 15.6" screen is what I have on my Gateway laptop and I really like it.

[Oldboy]

I've got a vague memory that PB has merged with HP, or was taken over by them, but both would continue trading under their own name.
Don't know if this adds anything to the conversation, but it just might.

As for laptops, I swear by trusty Toshiba.

It's owned by Acer. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packard_Bell

[Hinfrance]

Ah well, in that case I can recommend Acer too - I have an Acer laptop and 'phone. Looks like we are a one brand house

[Alfonso_Frisk]

Just to make your choice harder, ebuyer have some deals on a Toshiba
http://www.ebuyer.com/288874-toshiba-satellite-pro-c660-2f8-laptop-psc1me-01g00ken

[spinner]

Just to make your choice harder, ebuyer have some deals on a Toshiba
http://www.ebuyer.com/288874-toshiba-satellite-pro-c660-2f8-laptop-psc1me-01g00ken

Toshiba is known for overheating issues, just so you know.

[Jonathan]

DSG (basically PCWorld plus hangers on) used to have exclusive PB distribution in the UK.  Then they bought a Spanish retailer and switched brand.  Now they appear to be in bed with Lenovo.

What do you expect from box shifters?

PB are exactly what you'd expect from a box shifter.  Highish spec for lowish price and reasonable reliability.  (PCW had to warranty them but also made "a little" from out of warranty repairs.)  Cheapish machine with average of 2 year lifespan.  Many people use them for longer, most people don't.

[Hinfrance]

I wouldn't worry too much about reliability; it's usually the way that if something works when you unpack it, it will continue to work.

I have a reasonable circle of friends (I know, hard to believe) and the only laptop failure in the past few years was a MacBook Pro. Which was fair enough since its careful owner had just emptied a mug of coffee into one of the USB ports, the clod.