Buying a laptop in the UK, retail store or online?

[Paedric]

Hello,

I've just arrived in the UK (Glasgow) a couple of weeks ago, and my trusted 4 years old laptop decided to die the day after I arrived. I tried to have it repaired, however the problem apparently comes the GPU so it's not worth repairing it.

I'm now looking for a new laptop and I was wondering whether it is better to buy online or in a retail store here in the UK.
In a store you can try the laptop and have it immediately, but how do price and service/quality compare with online retailers?
Can you buy a laptop without windows (I intend to install a Linux distribution), or at least have have the license refunded without going online?

I have some rather unusual needs, so buying online might be my only option, but here is roughly what I'm looking for if you guys have any lead.
I'm here for one year for a master in CS, so the main use would be software dev/coding.

14-15 inch screen
1080p panel
Something like an i3
4-8gb of ram
120gb ssd (I have an external HD, and I don't need much space)
Good battery life
No GPU
No os
European style plug would be better if possible
Price around 500-600£ would be nice if possible (I don't know how prices compare to euro countries)

If you guys knew a good store here in Glasgow where I could have a look, or a reliable website, that'd be brilliant.

Cheers.

Edit : I used pc specialist to configure their ultra note if to my needs, and arrived at a 450-500£ price, which is lower than expected. Reviews seems to find it bland, but quite usable and good value for money. Has someone used them before? The only real downside seems a 2-3 weeks delivery time, but I can live with that.

I'm trying to find other sites, but it's a bit of a pain on a mobile phone.

[karamazovmm]

Im just going to say that clevo models aren't renowned for their battery life. but for the amount of money you are trying to spend that should work

[danny X]

There's a PC World shop in Glasgow, I wouldn't normally recommend them as their gear can be outdated, but your needs sound quite basic. I would expect to pay between £200-£400 for a half decent laptop in England.

Places like Tesco, Argos, Asda, John Lewis, Currys, will sell Laptops too.

UK websites: Scan, Aria PC, Overclockers,

[Paedric]

Thanks guys.

[Ybbon]

I wouldn't buy at PC World, overpriced and old. You also don't to buy exactly what you want for configuration. Try cyberpowersystems too but go for a customised, pretty sure you'll be able to get one with a linux too that way. You can also look at places like Dell for their outlet and back to school deals - like this http://www.dell.com/uk/p/inspiron-15...15-3531-laptop - 15" i5, 500GB drive, basic but for £200 not a bad system.