I come seeking answers oh knowledgable ones!!

Randomness

hey everyone,
so i'm guessing your all fairly up on the whole computer/laptop stuff so it would be great if you could advise me.

i want to buy a laptop but have know idea what all the different specs mean etc.

the story:
college student
need it for word/excel/power points
some photos, music, d.v.d
internet/msn etc
has to have a good battery (it would really annoy me if it only lasted 2 hours outside of a plug!)
realiable
fast
cordless mouse
secure
not too heavy

i can't really think of anything else

oo yeah budget is final €850??

your thoughts/ideas/suggestions are much appreciated!

woolymammoth

http://ecomm.euro.dell.com/dellstore/basket.aspx?itemtype=CFG&s=dhs&l=en&cs=iedhs1&c=ie&&details=false

done!

Battery life will always depend on how you treat the laptop, how you treat the battery, and how you use the laptop!

now, the above is a higher spec while staying within your budget. you could buy a laptop for half the price that would still be plenty fast enough for what you want. Remember too that office won't come pre-packed with a new laptop. You'll have to purchase that too, unless you already own a copy for a desktop you have.

Overheal

This is my reccomendation for 858.01 with free delivery

Dell Inspiron 1525

Components
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7250 (2.00 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2 cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium - English
3 Year Consumer Hardware Support inc. Evenings and Saturdays (on special offer: 3 years for the price of 2. Worth getting especially if your not a gearhead)
2.0 Mega pixel Integrated Web Camera NOT included (good for msn messenger; not much else)
Alpine White Colour with Custom High-Gloss Finish (sick of black dell laptops)
15.4" Wide Screen WXGA+ (1440 x 900) Display with TrueLife™ (upgraded screen will have wider viewing angle)
2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x1024]
120GB (7200rpm) SATA Hard Drive (smaller but will run much faster and speed up your machine)
Integrated Intel® Graphic Media Accelerator X3100 (Not a gaming laptop but fine for movies and pictures)
8x DVD+/-RW Optical drive, including SW
9-cell 85WHr Li-Ion primary battery (Theres your extra life)
Accessories
No Carry Case
Intel® Pro Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g Mini-Card - Europe - Core 2 Duo Processors
Microsoft® Works 9.0 - English
Services & Software
No Accidental Damage Support
No Security/Anti-Virus Protection - English
Also Includes
N0352513
Inspiron Order - Ireland
English EMEA 1 Documentation with Euro Power Cord
Resource DVD Inspiron 1525 - (Diagnostics & Drivers)
65W AC Adapter
Power Cord UK 1meter
56.6k V.92 Capable Internal Modem & Adapter - Ireland/Spain
Internal Keyboard Uk/Irish (QWERTY)
1 Year Base Warranty - Collect & Return
Dell Internet Order.


If you need Microsoft Office for work I reccomend you forget it and instead try using OpenOffice from http://www.openoffice.org as it does the exact same thing and is completely free.

AlmightyCushion

I'd probably go with this. It's 450 excluding delivery and vat. It's a 14" so it would be a bit lighter than a 15". Upgrade the battery to a 9cell for extra battery life.

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T7250 (2.00 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 2 MB L2-cache)
Genuine Windows Vista® Business - English
1Yr Basic Warranty - Next Business Day Included - No Upgrade Selected
14.1" Wide Screen WXGA (1280x800) TFT Display
Matte Jet Black without Camera
2048MB 667MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM (2x1024)
160GB (5400RPM) SATA Hard Drive
128MB nVidia® GeForce® 8400M GS
Primary 6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery (56 WHr)
Fixed Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive including Software

One odd thing is that when speccing it up, there is an option for a power supply. It says it's not included. Personally I think this is meant to say second power supply as there is no way they could sell a laptop without one.

Randomness

thanks for the replies, will look at your suggestions!