I've had two Samsung mobile phones in succession and have been very happy with them - the first a regular phone, the current one a basic smartphone. The smartphone cost about £100 and I was able to get a very good PAYG deal on it via O2: whenever I top up, I get free texts and Internet for a month. This is absolutely ideal for me, since I only use it for Internet access on short trips such as concerts. The real joy of Samsung is the battery life. Batteries seem to last longer in Samsung mobiles than in anyone else's.

As for the laptop, if you want to save money, get something reconditioned; you'll get a good machine for about a quarter the price you'd pay for a new one. That's how I got my Dell. I could never have afforded something so light otherwise.