Laptop/wireless card question

I'm posting as a wireless novice/moron, been using a wired connection for years. Am currently on O2 Broadband, Standard package, using the O2 Wireless Box II (but with the wireless currently switched off).

But I'm about to replace my ageing desktop with a laptop (I'm also a novice/ignoramus when it comes to laptop specs) and noticed that Dell have an upgrade option on the wireless card section.

So... is there a specific wireless card I should be looking at? Do they vary a lot?

And while I'm here, does anyone here have a Sony Vaio, and if so, does it work OK with iTunes? I've heard that can be a problem. And is it possible to take all the pre-installed Sony software [censored] off of their machines (I realise this is not relevant to this forum, is it acceptable for me to ask for replies by PM?)

Thanks.

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Switched to O2 Standard LLU (from BT) on 3/3/09, Ilford North exchange.

Virtually any laptop bought today will have inbuilt wireless connectivity so a card won't be necessary for that. If it's for your current PC, I'd grab a PCI card although I always advocate having at least one machine hard wired to the router.

You can remove any software that you don't need but create any restore disks first or use Acronis or Ghost etc to create an image.

Thanks for the reply.

Sorry, I wasn't clear in my original post that I meant what should I be looking for in a pre-installed wireless card. In case that alters which model I end up choosing (ie, if some laptops have poor wireless connectivity)

Am I right in thinking that you're sayng that the pre-installed stuff is likely to work, so just don't worry about the specifics?

Sorry to be so dim, just making sure i got that right.

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Switched to O2 Standard LLU (from BT) on 3/3/09, Ilford North exchange.

In reply to a post by cblymie:

Am I right in thinking that you're saying that the pre-installed stuff is likely to work

Yes



Line One:- Zen - DrayTek Vigor 2600VG
Line Two:- EntaNet - DrayTek Vigor 2600

In reply to a post by Sandgrounder:

In reply to a post by cblymie:

Am I right in thinking that you're saying that the pre-installed stuff is likely to work

Yes

Cheers! One less spec item to worry about.

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Switched to O2 Standard LLU (from BT) on 3/3/09, Ilford North exchange.

Personally, I think that the Toshibas are the best buy at the moment.

Thanks (had to shut down old computer for a couple of days due to overheating).

I'm torn between one of the Toshiba models and the Sony. Always had Dell desktops until now, but the recent reviews of the lower spec Dell laptops are poor, and their customer service has gone downhill of late.

As the wireless aspect turns out to be nigh on identical across brands, it's down to other spec issues - processor speed and (having lived with a NOISY Dell for too long) fan noise.

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Switched to O2 Standard LLU (from BT) on 3/3/09, Ilford North exchange.

In reply to a post by cblymie:

As the wireless aspect turns out to be nigh on identical across brands

If your budget allows look for laptops with a/n (5GHz) support in addition to b/g for max flexibility. I went for a Toshiba though I found similar specs at the time, but a £100 cashback offer allowed me to get something lighter in weight for a given spec - I believe there is some sort of offer at the mo too.

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prlzx on n e w n e t Max ADSL

In reply to a post by prlzx:

If your budget allows look for laptops with a/n (5GHz) support in addition to b/g for max flexibility.


Thanks. That's exactly the sort of thing that I wanted to know. I'll check the models I'm looking at for that capability.

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Switched to O2 Standard LLU (from BT) on 3/3/09, Ilford North exchange.

In reply to a post by cblymie:

Thanks (had to shut down old computer for a couple of days due to overheating).

You should start a thread in the "Hardware" or "Windows" section of the forums for this. It's very probably fixable.
If you've plumped for Toshiba, check out the Equium range. They're well built and well spec'd with often, just the right ammount of "bling" thrown in.