Last week I came within an inch of getting out my old XP installation disk and removing Vista altogether. I've never known such a buggy OS as Vista. My wireless is notoriously unreliable (not the signal, but the software which runs it) and regular blue screens of death. For all the extra memory and hard disk it requires I don't notice any tangeable improvement over XP. Has anyone use Linux that can offer any pointers?

If you are really struggling with the evilness that is Vista, get rid of it. I refuse to use it. I recently had to order a new laptop and it came with Vista but I managed to get an XP downgrade disc from them and wiped off pooey vista. Hubby showed off by getting a business edition on his lappie and a few months later gave up with it and went back to XP.

If you dont need to use Windows, scrap it altogether and download a freebie linux red-hat distribution like centos. If you want both on your machine, it's pretty straight forward to set up a dual boot. Might be better if you are a beginner to linux. Theres plenty of help on the net or you can get some books out of the library.

Yep, I have the same wireless problems with Vista. You can be standing right next to it and it won't pick it up.

I bought an Acer for around £400 when I started my PhD (Sept 06) and it worked well for a while but then after about 12 months the a/c power cable broke so I had to pay £40 for a new one only then for the battery to pack in.. so now I need to constantly have it plugged in. Also I have found that Acer put so much cr*p on the machines that it really slows the machine down and eats up RAM and CPU power. Unfortunately 6 months after buying it I was pleased with it and my other half bought one too and he has had problems with the power supply so much that we ended up selotaping the a/c power to the machine to stop it from cutting out. Also his runs with vista and there were lots of teething problems with WiFi and it runs very slow. So I would advise you to steer clear of acer laptops!

I think I will be buying a new computer for when I start writing up, don't want it to totally break down on me and lose my work!

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Hi. I agree with others that Sony laptops are overpriced and I would also add that you should consider the weight if you're going to be carrying it round a lot. I've got a Macbook which I love in every respect except for the back ache after a day of carrying it in a rucksack! I got it at the end of last year and also looked at the HP range but - having considered it for some time - I decided to go for a Mac.

Like others suggest Toshibas are definitely reliable and long-lasting (if not as stylish). If you want something very light-weight and portable have a look at the Asus Eeepc. It might not be up to the spec you need and I couldn't write a thesis on one (or any laptop for that matter - I use a desk top for that) but for note-taking etc could be handy and only cost £250ish for top of the range 900 series running XP.

I personally don't see Sony as being overpriced, as see them as a luxury that some people can't/don't want to afford. If I'm indulging in something, say a camera or a TV, I want Sony. That's because in my head you can't beat them for quality. It's the same with cars, I want only German because in my head nothing beats the Germans when it comes to cars.

Thanks to everyone for the replies- all very helpful! Am still considering the Sony as im getting it in the US so its a hell of a lot cheaper than over here...otherwise am looking into all the other recommendations!

One last question, I was advised to go with the Intel core 2 processor as that is the latest..which is fine but decided to look into the Toshiba computors and alot of them run on a different processor ( AMD Turion 64- X2 dual core) am i being to fussy at looking at these details...or is there any difference between them?! The review on it said it wasnt that great a processor speed or something...

To add the the Vista comments: be aware (as I wasn't when I got my laptop) that certain useful programs that you may need, as a science PhD (such as EndNote, Chemstation and ChemDraw) are not compatible with Vista.

Oh, that's good to know. I was trying to load an old version.:-)

some uni should provide any pc or laptop for students to use. Get one with guarantee. save backup drive. that's all. lots of vandalism and scary stuffs will happen. one of my German literature profession only use the oldest version PC or typewriter only, that what he told me. One of the Artist only use paintbrush only. ETc Etc.. Bless.. again.(down)

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i had compaq by HP, it lasted only a few months (though for the record compaq has excellent online support., maybe cz they know people will need it)...lesson i learned was dont buy something cheap,
after that i bought lenovo's thinkpad T-6, life could not have been better (it was on sale i got it for usd 1000), and ironically i paid some extra bucks to install XP instead of the crappy vista....but i was no way going to use vista

Have a chat to a computer shop. Tell them your requirements (memory, chip speed and graphics card - you can always get an external hard drive) and you want it on a student budget. Usually works.

iv found dell to be excellent. had one from 2002. used it thro my 2nd and 3rd year of first degree and sold it on ebay in 2006. got 200 and it was going well. then got a fujitsu. nightmare. used it 06 to 07 for my masters and it packed up just over a year later. just bought another dell oct 08 in preparation for my PhD and im pleased. yes ive paid for extras like 3years on-site warranty and 3years accidental damage but need to know that il have this going for that long. wish id gone for 4years now but cost me about almost a grand. think about 980pounds in total. but i like it and feel happy using dell. i found when i went into computer shops, i was told any problems with the laptop, it'd have to be sent away, anything up to 28days. cant have that while doing a doctorate. dell are the only ones offering on site next day repair in ur home. yes u have to pay extra for that but gives me peace of mind :-)