Quote: Stylee TingTing @ 6th March 2015, 10:23 PM GMT

Why laptop?

According to internet blurb (yes yes I know), all Windows 8 applications will get a free upgrade to 10.

Two things you should consider:

a) When the seller advertises '500 gig/1/2 Terabyte etc. hard drive', be sure to verify with the (usually 17-year-old spotty know-nothing) salesperson, how much of said hard drive space is already loaded with unwanted crap apps designed for 14-year-olds. My last '500 gig hard drive' all-in-one PC, had 138 (!!) gig already taken up by said crap unwanted apps. Took me 3 months on-and-off to strip it out.. I say 'out'.. some of it is still there, 'cos I gave up stripping due to frustration. *cue gags*

b) Know your battleground: if and when you decide to purchase, gird your loins for an assault on your personal details. Here's a précis of my last purchase from PC World:

ME: Okay - I want to buy that one.

HIM: Certainly Sir.. if you'd like to come over to the desk?

WE SIT DOWN AT DESK.

HIM: So, Sir, if I may take your details? Your name?

ME: (Unsure) It's <redacted>.

HIM: Your address?

ME: (More unsure) Ummm.. it's <redacted>.

HIM: Your email address and telephone number?

ME: (Girds loins) What do you need that for?

HIM: Your guarantee will be invalidated if we don't have all your details.

BEAT

ME: That's patently not true. My statutory rights as a consumer do not depend on any personal details. You're taking them for the purposes of phishing, e-marketing and selling data.

HE BLUSHES.

HIM: I can assure you that's not true, Sir. We must have all your details for the guarantee.

BEAT

ME: So.. are you telling me that you won't sell me that PC if I refuse to give you my personal details?

HE BLUSHES EVEN DEEPER.

PAUSE.

HIM: I'll go and ask the Manager.

45 SECONDS LATER HE RETURNS TO THE DESK.

HIM: That's perfectly okay, Sir.

So, Horseradish, do not fall for any seller's phishing bull: don't give them ANY personal details.

No. Word is part of the Microsoft Office bundle, which usually (but not exclusively) is separate and which must be purchased separately..

..but..

There are several free online software apps which are Word compatible and which do the job that Word does, all for free. (They'll translate all your Word docs into their own format). OpenOffice is one. There are several others.

Stay frosty. Keep taking the tablets and all the best.

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Many thanks STT. All helpful advice. I'm thinking laptop as I'm moving as many heavy things out of my life as possible. This is both literal and metaphorical although, as always, I only got the metaphorical bit of it later. I don't really understand tablets and refuse them whenever they are offered. In all senses - kapow!

I think I will stay clear of the big sellers. I know of an Acer shop which is run by a couple of youngish techy types. They are always happy to spend an hour or more explaining what they know while retaining the appearance of never having quite left their beds. And as they are clearly not overly bothered about selling anything, I have the highest regard for them in a 1970s sort of way. I may well buy my new computer there.

Need a new microwave. Hub says it must be 900w to be any good, I think 800 is fine. You can get 700 too so would someone who knows about this sort of thing advise please before OH dashes off to buy the most expensive all singing and dancing one he likes. We only used old one for re-heating and cooking microwave meals.

Microwaves give you brain cancer and make you impotent

I doubt Loopey is that bothered about her ability to maintain an erection.

Quote: zooo @ 28th March 2015, 11:08 AM GMT

I doubt Loopey is that bothered about her ability to maintain an erection.

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Quote: lofthouse @ 28th March 2015, 10:52 AM GMT

Microwaves give you brain cancer and make you impotent

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That doesn't answer my question. I doubt there's any more chance of getting brain cancer from something that is used for a few minutes occasionally than from a mobile phone used frequently or overhead wires or any of the many other things that people spread scare stories about.

Lower wattage will simply take a little longer to cook things.

I bought a multi purpose microwave a few years ago and it serves me well. It can also grill and act as a fan convection oven and do combinations; so I hardly ever use my big real oven.

I can't direct you to buy the same (it's a Goodmans) because the day after I bought it for around £69.99 the entire chain of Retail Shops was sold for £1 and it semms to have closed all its stores.

Quote: billwill @ 28th March 2015, 12:55 PM GMT

Lower wattage will simply take a little longer to cook things.

I bought a multi purpose microwave a few years ago and it serves me well. It can also grill and act as a fan convection oven and do combinations; so I hardly ever use my big real oven.

I can't direct you to buy the same (it's a Goodmans) because the day after I bought it for around £69.99 the entire chain of Retail Shops was sold for £1 and it semms to have closed all its stores.

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Thanks Bill. I only want one for re-heating and cooking microwave meals so I think I'll go for 800 and basic function.

The Grill+Microvave facility on mine is great for cooking pre-prepared (chilled or frozen) Pizza

Means you could let hubbie cook he own

Quote: billwill @ 28th March 2015, 1:05 PM GMT

The Grill+Microvave facility on mine is great for cooking pre-prepared (chilled or frozen) Pizza

Means you could let hubbie cook he own

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Microwave is mostly for me to use. My son breezes in and blasts baked beans all over it sometimes before he goes home for dinner.

Hub does the cooking. Apparently. He is still learning, bless him.

I've had 900w multifunctional microwaves and cheap basic ones from Argos. As far as the microwave function goes, they're all the same.

I currently have a 800w mechanical one, bought mainly to match the rest of the kitchen and it works fine. The only problem with mechanical ones is that the 1st minute usually stops short of the end.

Quote: Lee @ 28th March 2015, 2:13 PM GMT

I've had 900w multifunctional microwaves and cheap basic ones from Argos. As far as the microwave function goes, they're all the same.

I currently have a 800w mechanical one, bought mainly to match the rest of the kitchen and it works fine. The only problem with mechanical ones is that the 1st minute usually stops short of the end.

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Mechanical? *imagines Lee starting microwave up with a crank handle*

Quote: Loopey @ 28th March 2015, 2:22 PM GMT

Mechanical? *imagines Lee starting microwave up with a crank handle*

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I think he means he has a clock- work one, with dynamo attachment.

I have a mechanical sex aid, based on an annoying TV magician.

Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 28th March 2015, 6:26 PM GMT

I think he means he has a clock- work one, with dynamo attachment.

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How did you guess?

I want to be able to schedule sending an e-mail at some time in the future... boomeranggmail.com offer a service for Gmail, but I don't really want to allow it into my e-mail account. Is there a really safe way? I see there are apps to do it with texts, which I might try; but I try to keep the number of apps down on my phone. Is there an easy way to do it with text?

Hmmm tricky, most email programs don't have that facility.
You could perhaps
prepare the email,
disconnect Internet,
tell email program to SEND, {it won't be able to}
close email program,
set up a scheduled task to restart the email program at the desired future time,
reconnect Internet.
Go get beer or whatever.

PS won't work if you are using web mail like Gmail or hotmail.