On Tuesday's Pat Kenny Show, a listener text in looking for some recommendations for a family laptop to replace their desktop, costing no more than €500. If you're after something similar, here are my recommendations.
It's worth pointing out from the beginning that €500 should get you a decent machine. If you're struggling to find something that ticks enough boxes for you, make sure you shop around. The important things to consider when buying a laptop are:
- Budget
- Purpose
- Screen size
Once you've established your budget, think about what you want from a laptop. If you're just looking for something to answer emails and watch Netflix on, your requirements would be very different to someone looking to use heavy editing software or play video games. My hard and fast rule is, never settle for less than 4GB of RAM. Internal storage is no longer as important, in the era of the Cloud, but 500GB is usually a good number to look for. In terms of processor, don't think you need to go for the biggest one as that can drain your battery. An Intel Core i3 or i5 should do the job unless you're after something very heavy duty.
Screen size is important too, as this will contribute to the weight. If like our listener, you're after a laptop that will replace your desktop and stay in your home, 15.6-inch is ideal. If you'll be taking the laptop with you, 13 or 14-inch is probably better.
Recommendations:
Lenovo Ideapad 100 15.6" - €429
Lenovo has really impressed me in recent times. They make solid devices and this machine is packed with a Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive.
Acer Aspire 15.6" - €429
This is an excellent deal, offering great value. It has an AMD A-series processor, runs Windows 10 and has 8GB of RAM inside. It also has a 1TB hard drive, meaning storage space is not an issue.
HP Notebook 14" - €399
With 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, you can't really go wrong with this laptop. It has a slightly smaller screen, making it very portable and a nice keyboard too, ideal if you're looking for a device to work off.
