Hi all,

You may have seen my other post about my old Toshiba laptop not charging. Well I rang a repair company and the guy said I should put the $200+ it would cost to repair towards a new laptop instead. Seeing as my Toshiba is 5 years old.. maybe it is time...

But... I have no idea where to begin. I have a rough price range ($500-$800) and that's about it. I'm guessing 4GB or 8GB of RAM is good. But that's all I really know. 

Take this laptop:

http://www.dicksmith.co.nz/computers/hp-pavilion-14-116au-14-sleekbook-with-norton-360-2-device-dsnz-xc8643nor

Key Features

1.4Ghz AMD Dual-Core E1 Processor
8GB RAM
500GB HDD
14" HD Display Size
Windows 8 64Bit OS
AMD UMA Shared Graphics

 

...Is that good for the average user? I'd be mainly using it for general browsing/uni work, occasionally playing music through Spotify or iTunes, adding photos etc., and writing assignments.

Would these "key features" match my basic requirements? Is 1.4Ghz to do with speed? Also, I've heard VERY mixed reviews about Windows 8. But I don't really have any choice as I need a laptop to use now (can't borrow my Mum's forever!)

Thanks for any help! :)