Help me choose my next laptop?

[steve z]

Looks like my Sony Vaio VGN-CR11S is giving up the ghost so i'm looking to replace in the next few weeks. Laptop is generally for home use, and will be used primarily for web browsing and photo editing (Photoshop).

Key criteria are:-

HDD: 250GB +
RAM: 3GB+
Screen: 14" to 15"
Optical Drive: DVD Writer
Wireless: N capability
Processor: Core 2 Duo or i3
Battery Life: 6 Hours +
OS: Windows 7

PRICE: Under £500

Looking at this but have no idea whether this warrants good value or not!

http://www.acerdirect.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_Timeline_5...

[ZesPak]

I'd be wary of Acer, but that's personal experience.
They do offer a lot for very little money.

The past year I've always ordered laptops with 3 years warranty, should cost you about 60£ for laptops of that value, and warrants an extra year of care-free ownership.

Just my 2c.

[SpunkyMonkey]

I just bought a factory refurbished laptop from the Dell outlet store. It seems brand new to me (no a scratch on the case), came with the same 12 month warranty as a new one but I got an inspiron 1558 (core i5, 4GB, blu ray, 500GB HDD) for £480 rather than the £700 they want for a new one. I think the deals change day to day as their stock changes but it's definitely worth a look.