New Laptop for Nadia

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Just make sure you buy direct.

Don't be daft, computer retail is low mark-up 10 to 15%, compare that with hi-fi at 40 to 50%. My objection is to being ripped off, the computer market doesn't do that.

[applemarc]

Most PC markup is 5 to 10%

[terrybooth]

The Chromebook is very simple - it starts when you open it and stops when you close it. If you get one from new, you charge it, connect it to your wifi network, allow it to update, and then create an account/login. You can browse the internet and use webmail. Google has it's own version of Skype, called Hangouts, but you can add Skype from the Chrome webstore. Chromebooks have a built in camera and mic to allows you to use this. But a chromebook is basically designed to work with the web, so there is very little local storage and no CD/DVD player. You Google account will give you 15gb of storage, access to gMail and web based office applications. Toshiba Chromebooks are good, but look for the Asus C100PA (Currys/Dixons) which is small and neat and has a touch screen (which can be quite useful). But remember, the Chromebook is of very little use if you don't have access to the internet (but then, nowadays not much is of use if you don't have the internet). If you want to know what a chromebook is like, use a laptop but only use the Chrome Browser. If you have an android smartphone or if you've logged in on Chrome, you already have a google account.

A new Windows laptop will cost more money and you will have to have anti-virus for it but it will probably had a DVD drive built in (if you even use it). You will have local storage, so you will be able to store documents, videos, music, pictures and such and you will have some native windows apps to use with them. However, nowadays Microsoft is going to have you create an online account which gives you WebMail, and various online apps and 15gb storage. But then it will try to take your local files and duplicate them. This can become very confusing.

If all you need is simple web browsing, then a Chromebook is a good way to go and there is an increasing amount you can do on the web (at a cost usually) these days.
If you want to do more or if you want the familiar PC interface or the office apps, the laptop is a good way to go.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Ta!

I will give the options to her and let her decide.

[terrybooth]

I should have added that you'll get more out of a battery chanrge with a Chromebook - although probably not that important