[Baron]

My current macbook is 5 or so years old and beginning to show signs of age (strange noises from the hard drive/prompts from apps that they will soon not be supported by my operating system).

I also have an even older macbook (2004 vintage) which turns on but doesn't seem to want to let me retrieve and transfer files/data/pics from it to my newer machine (could do with some help with this).

So, thinking of a new laptop. The following are top of the list:
http://www.johnlewis.com/new-apple-macbook-air-md711b-a-intel-core-i5-1-3ghz-128gb-flash-4gb-ram-11-6-/p549315
Or my friends chromebook looked quite nice http://www.johnlewis.com/electricals/chromebooks/c6000150080

Needs to run microsoft office for work and be ok for general web browsing.

Any recommendations/advice?

Cheers.

[tomtom]

Wait a month or two.

The latest gen of intel processors (Haswell) are coming online now in Laptops - and whilst only a wee bit faster they give 50-100% greater battery life - so are well worth waiting for... They are in some of the latest macs - (I think the 13" air is one) but not all at the moment.

But if you can't wait, PCWankers presently have £100 cash back on any PC/Notebook over £500... (including apple stuff)

[Baron]

Cheers.

[dave]

Or have a look at the refurb shop on the apple website, generally some good deals on there. The stuff they say is basically as new, full warranty etc.