Information on cheap notebooks, laptops, netbooks and portable computers.

Tips for buying a laptop:

Do you really want a laptop with a Blu-ray drive? At the moment they are expensive, and if you only want it to watch movies then you will not benefit from watching HD films on your 15" laptop screen! Think about it - most people have 40"+ HD TVs for watching Blu-ray disks. Normal DVD will be OK for movies on your laptop.

Tips when buying a laptop:

Customer support is IMPORTANT. Check online to see if your preferred laptop manufacturer has good quality customer support. Is their customer support located in a non-national call centre? Then don't bother as these guys aren't able to deviate from their phone script - if your problem isn't on their script, don't expect a good level of service.

Tips for buying a laptop:

Don't just look at pictures in magazines and online! Go to a shop and try out the display models on the shelves. You might think a 17" laptop sounds great, but you'd be surprised at just how big and heavy a laptop with that size screen is. Conversely, that 8" netbook you like the look of might just be smaller than you were expecting!

If you've decided to buy online from a manufacturer or reseller, don't! Phone their sales line instead and ask for a discount or free upgrade or free accessory, such as a memory stick, kensington lock or a bag. Many will offer these incentives to ensure they get the sale. The more expensive the machine, the more likely you'll get an incentive.