What's the best Laptop to buy in the £500 - £700 price bracket?

[Tdm]

Of the current range of relatively fast I7 processor Laptops in the above price range, the Toshiba Satellite L855-148 gets a 5 star rating in some review columns and costs (in the U.K.) circa £650 inclusive of VAT which is reclaimable if you have a Tenerife Address and intend puchasing it in the U.K. but bringing it here.

Has anybody got one of these (or a model with similar performance) and would like to offer an opinion on it, the main criteria being processing speed, especially when doing things such as Video editing which uses a lot of disc and processor power, and of course good Internet access. Weight is not really an issue , nor battery life, as the laptop would remain plugged into the mains most of the time at home, but limited space rules out a desktop PC.

I am talking of a Windows (8) Laptop with a circa 15" screen, not a MAC PC, and touch screen capability is not necessary, a mouse being preferred, but it must have a U.K. keyboard and a U.K. version of Windows8.

Any comments/suggestions? ???

******

[timmylish]

Well, right away I think your view on the UK VAT is somewhat misplaced! First of all try finding a company that will go along with your thinking. Next. We have taxes here as well so the authorities will be looking at anything from 10-20% in various taxes if all this comes out!
Don,t wish to sound neggie but sometimes you win this and sometimes you don,t. ie some members on here will tell you of nightmares with the tax people here, bringing electrical goods from the UK. I imagine you intend just brining the machine over with you so, if that,s the case, then go back to comment no. one!

[Tdm]

Well, right away I think your view on the UK VAT is somewhat misplaced! First of all try finding a company that will go along with your thinking. Next. We have taxes here as well so the authorities will be looking at anything from 10-20% in various taxes if all this comes out!
Don,t wish to sound neggie but sometimes you win this and sometimes you don,t. ie some members on here will tell you of nightmares with the tax people here, bringing electrical goods from the UK. I imagine you intend just brining the machine over with you so, if that,s the case, then go back to comment no. one!

Most large PC/Electrical Stores in the U.K. have a standard "Global Refund " form for you to fill in, a copy of which you drop off in the "Customs/VAT Reclaim" box at the Airport, and you usually get the money credited to your Bank a/c within the month. I am not talking about just the Canaries but any Country "outside" the normal EU umbrella as regards VAT.
Done this with various appliances in the past (cameras, PCs, etc) without any problems whatsoever.

I am well aware of the Tax situation over here, and have a Gestor who completes my tax returns each year
as the tax situation for residents is more complicated than for non-residents, and it is best to let an experinced good Gestor fill in all the details, including declaring everything that needs to be declared.

My question was about the relative merits of the current range of I7 chip Laptops, not about tax.

[timmylish]

Well that,s me told.
Strikes me as unnecessary therfor to even raise the point originally.
Now I may have thrown a hook there. Time will tell!