Need tech advice, plz
The problem
My laptop is nearly dead*. We need to get a new machine as soon as possible (probably at the end of the month, earlier if it dies sooner).
What I need from my new laptop **
It needs to be able to effortlessly run standard office software - often running many programmes in parallel. I also want to be able to use it for entertainment (e.g. surf, watch DVDs, not heavy gaming).
I may well also need to use it to run statistical or other specialised software in the foreseeable future.
It must be reliable, and its vital stats should ideally give it a degree of future-proofing.
Because it'll be my main (only) machine, it needs to have a decent screen-size. And because I do a lot of writing, a good keyboard is a deal-breaker. My existing machine has worked well for me on these two crucial factors (HP pavilion, 17" screen).
As usual, time and money are in short supply, so I'm looking for something that doesn't cost the earth.
Advice, please
What specs should I look out for? Are there any particularly good manufacturers? Is there anything I should definitely avoid?
New laptops only ship with Windows 7 (Linux is interesting, but too many of the programmes I need to use are Microsoft products): is there a version of Win7 that I should avoid?
We don't want to spend more than necessary, but there's no point in getting something that'll only last a year or two. At least one big retailer here offers a zero-interest monthly payment plan: while we really don't like taking on debt just to buy a computer, we are pretty broke, so are prepared to do so if it looks like being the only way to get something decent.
Thank you!
* I bought the machine almost exactly 6 years ago. It's now very slow, the CPU is always at or close to 100% capacity, it likes shutting down at random intervals (overheating), the USB ports work only most of the time and it often refuses to shut down after use. Some programmes now don't work properly (e.g. my referencing software suddenly no longer works with my word processor), and yes, I've reinstalled a lot of stuff to no avail. I added extra RAM about 2 years ago: the real speed bottleneck is the CPU. I've cleaned out the accessible parts using compressed air, but that only helped a little with the overheating. I bought some heat paste (thermal compound), but getting at the relevant part of the machine would require taking it apart, which I'll happily do once I have a replacement (feels too risky to do with my only machine, too expensive to have someone else do it, given the price of labour here).
** I'll be travelling often enough that I need a mobile computer, with a decent screen and keyboard. In an ideal world, I'd get a desktop, as well as a netbook for properly mobile use, but in the present reality that would need more cash than I am able to access.
My laptop is nearly dead*. We need to get a new machine as soon as possible (probably at the end of the month, earlier if it dies sooner).
What I need from my new laptop **
It needs to be able to effortlessly run standard office software - often running many programmes in parallel. I also want to be able to use it for entertainment (e.g. surf, watch DVDs, not heavy gaming).
I may well also need to use it to run statistical or other specialised software in the foreseeable future.
It must be reliable, and its vital stats should ideally give it a degree of future-proofing.
Because it'll be my main (only) machine, it needs to have a decent screen-size. And because I do a lot of writing, a good keyboard is a deal-breaker. My existing machine has worked well for me on these two crucial factors (HP pavilion, 17" screen).
As usual, time and money are in short supply, so I'm looking for something that doesn't cost the earth.
Advice, please
What specs should I look out for? Are there any particularly good manufacturers? Is there anything I should definitely avoid?
New laptops only ship with Windows 7 (Linux is interesting, but too many of the programmes I need to use are Microsoft products): is there a version of Win7 that I should avoid?
We don't want to spend more than necessary, but there's no point in getting something that'll only last a year or two. At least one big retailer here offers a zero-interest monthly payment plan: while we really don't like taking on debt just to buy a computer, we are pretty broke, so are prepared to do so if it looks like being the only way to get something decent.
Thank you!
* I bought the machine almost exactly 6 years ago. It's now very slow, the CPU is always at or close to 100% capacity, it likes shutting down at random intervals (overheating), the USB ports work only most of the time and it often refuses to shut down after use. Some programmes now don't work properly (e.g. my referencing software suddenly no longer works with my word processor), and yes, I've reinstalled a lot of stuff to no avail. I added extra RAM about 2 years ago: the real speed bottleneck is the CPU. I've cleaned out the accessible parts using compressed air, but that only helped a little with the overheating. I bought some heat paste (thermal compound), but getting at the relevant part of the machine would require taking it apart, which I'll happily do once I have a replacement (feels too risky to do with my only machine, too expensive to have someone else do it, given the price of labour here).
** I'll be travelling often enough that I need a mobile computer, with a decent screen and keyboard. In an ideal world, I'd get a desktop, as well as a netbook for properly mobile use, but in the present reality that would need more cash than I am able to access.