Looking at getting a laptop. As don't use the pc enough to warrant a tower.

I dont game, just mainly web browsing etc etc

Budget of max of a £550

Looking to get something a lot better than my current rig

E6600
2gig ram

Any makes to avoid or go for?

What sort of CPU? I3 I5???

any model numbers anyone can suggest?

Ideally black and HDMI port

Given your budget, I'd go with a i3, 15'', and 3-4 GB, 500GB HD.

HP G62, HP dv6, Samsung R530 / R580, some Acers, Toshiba, Lenovo, MSI... They are all kind of equal, and have their particular idiosyncrasies.

maybe even a Dell XPS 15. If you look on their refurbish site and you're quick you can get yourself a bargain.

If you want screen space, you could probably find a 17'' i3 for your budget. They will have higher resolution (900p, maybe even 1050p), which is always useful.

A regular home laptop will give you between 2h30 to 3h30 depending on model and batteries. Most laptops will give you the same package for the rest. 3 USB ports, glossy 1366 x 768 screen res (with usually poor viewing angles), optical drive, wifi, some may have bluetooth.

Go to local shops and check out the various laptops, then have a look online for reviews and potential problems. Maybe you'll find a decent model, but it's doubtful, they tend to sell old Core Duos and AMDs. Avoid Advent.

The problem with the actual laptops is that if you can have a more powerfull processor, more memory and hard disk, but you have to sacrifice the display resolution, some connectivities : no more ExpressCard, no FireWire, no eSata, sometime a burner, etc...

My "old" Asus M51Vr has a 1440x900 display with all the above ports. But its weight is 2.8 Kg with a small battery.

In addition to what Oliver renault mentions, you have to decide what is your priority : weight and battery life for mobility or if you mainly will use it at home.

If you decide for the first option you may choose a laptop with ULV (SUxxxx) processor with an Intel graphic processor, or best, a dual GPU : Intel 4500HD + NVidia or ATI, so you can switch to one or the other depending of your need (Asus UL50G-XX035V or the like).
Some Laptops have the same mechanisism with a core i3 processor such as the Asus K52JR-X5 or the like. Battery life could be between 8 hours to 12 hours depending of the use, with the standard HDD.
This capabiility does not exist with Core i5 Laptops, as far as I know, or at the very high cost.

The weight may vary depending of the battery : between 2.2 and 2.4 Kg.

Even if I chose the MSI-X600 with SU9600 laptop, I can't recommend it as first choice as it has only an ATI Raeon HD 4330 GPU and this GPU draw much energy from the battery. So a 4 cell battery will give your at most 4 hours in Eco Mode, and about 8 hours with a 8/9 cell battery, again in Eco Mode.
What decided me for this model, is that it is quite thin and very light : 2.1 Kg (I guess the lightest one in his category and his size), and because I have another smaller Laptop or a 7" Tablet for mobility...

Thankyou guys for the in-depth advice.

I Like the idea of going to a highstreet store. Then buying elsewhere/reading reviews

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