Those are the kind of questions that I kept in mind while reviewing the laptops for this article.

'As with most things in life,' he adds, 'the more you spend the better experience and quality you will get.'īut how much does that experience, that quality, matter? £300 might buy you a laptop that streams Netflix just fine – but would you be better off shelling out extra for the additional options that inevitably ratchet up the price, like a fancy HD screen, good speakers, or 360 degree hinges? And are the £300 models so ill-designed that you find them uncomfortable to type on after 20 minutes in a cafe, or too heavy to carry in your bag to work? Gaming and premium products start at around £700. “For a good all-rounder to use for work applications like spreadsheets and presentations, I would recommend devices above £400. “If you’re only going to use it to browse the internet, watch on-demand services like Netflix, and perform basic tasks in programmes like Word, then you’ll be fine with a laptop of under £300,' says Phil Elford, Head of Technology at Argos. Should you get cheap and cheerful, or dear and desirable? In which case, there's good news and bad: almost all new units on the market will be up to doing what you need them to – but that means it can be difficult to discern whether the money you pay is a worthwhile investment. The first step to answering that question is to work out what those needs actually are – and the truth is that for most of us, the answer is basic tasks like sending emails, browsing the internet, and watching films or TV shows. How do you find the best laptop for your needs in this haystack of microchips? There’s an intimidating number of products out there on the market, and they do a dizzying amount of things. Buying a new laptop is surely one of the more daunting tech purchases you can make.

Laptops with microsoft word installed