Help buying PC laptop.

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road1will

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
842
0
Atlanta, GA
I'm looking to buy my girlfriend a inexpensive laptop.
The computer will only be used for emailing, browsing the internet, and Microsoft office applications. She will also use it for itunes/music and loading pictures from her digital camera.

So, i don't need any extra bells and whistles. I think 120-160 gig hard drive will be plenty.

Anyone have any good recommendations on a laptop to look at? From looking around, it seems like i could get something decent from $500 from best buy. Any help is appreciated.
 
Ronnie

Ronnie

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
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Montgomery, AL
Unless you have a big problem with mail order, I would check on Tiger Direct. Our University uses them for smaller things like new hard drives when ours crap out and new monitors, etc. I get e-mails from them all the time with very cheap basic laptops.
 
antichrist

antichrist

Well-known member
Sep 7, 2004
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Atlanta, GA
If you're running Windows and MS apps get the fastest one and with the most memory capacity you can possibly afford. If you don't need it today, you will with the next OS/App upgrade.
Figure on a min of 2gb memory for Vista. That will let it run about the same as XP on 1 gig.
 
MUSKYMAN

MUSKYMAN

Well-known member
Apr 19, 2004
8,277
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OverBarrington IL
rcshauger said:
Buy a used Mac. Or she should get the fancy new ibook. Is she worth the $2700 mac book air?

I love my mac.
Click to expand...

back away from the bong...he said CHEAP

go on ebay and get a dell Latitude D610 coming out of refurbishment from one of the Dell rebuliders.

I paid about $300 for mine and it came XP loaded

the latitudes are mostly a corporate lease return laptop so getting a refurb you end up with a $2000 laptop for $300ish.

I have paid retail for laptops that are junk in a yr or so...never again!!!
 
adriatic04

adriatic04

Well-known member
Mar 22, 2007
2,506
2
cleveland, oh
x2 on musky's comment.

don't go retail and get a POS, buy a used dell and at very minimum beef the memory up, very easy to do. you will have a nice system, and dell's hold up to years of use... Comcrap's er compaq's don't even come close.
 
KngTgr

KngTgr

Well-known member
May 20, 2005
1,323
14
Fairfax, VA
I just got a compaq laptop, for $298 at Walmart 2Gigs RAM 160 Gig HD, CD and DVD reader writer, 15.4" (for my gf's daughter school). cant beat that for basic use.
 
p m

p m

Administrator
Staff member
Apr 19, 2004
15,651
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La Jolla, CA
www.3rj.org
antichrist said:
Be sure to keep a fire extinguisher handy for a Dell. Sony is recalling more batteries. ;)
Click to expand...
Tom, we're using Dell laptops at work, including the mammoth M90s (hot as hell on your knees on the airplane), and haven't had a single issue with the batteries.
No matter how I hate Dell's design and ergonomics, I have to hand them the top for performance/price.
Thom's right on on the money - yeah, you can buy a brand new laptop from WalMart or any other place, but it'll come with that clusterfuck of a Vista.
 
R

road1will

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
842
0
Atlanta, GA
Thanks for the responses. Like i said, i'm looking for a cheap PC laptop, not a mac. I personally have a new macbook pro and the girlfriend has a newer imac, but she just needs something that she can be mobile with.

I'll look into my options as far as refurbs from Dell. Tigerdirect seems to have a lot of off-lease refurb'd dells. I may just go that route. And I would MUCH rather have XP than Vista.

Thanks for all the comments - if anyone comes across a good deal online, PLEASE post up!
 
DiscoJen

DiscoJen

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Aug 27, 2004
3,652
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The Lou!
A friend of mine just got one of those snazzy Acer Inspire Mini's or whatever they are called for a little over $300. Has 120gb hard drive and comes with XP Home...not that crappy Vista! She loves it, it's very compact and would probably be well suited for her needs IMHO.

My new Compaq laptop kicks my new desktop's ass. I paid $549, but they have almost the same model even cheaper, I went for the higher one to have a better video chip. There isn't anything I can't do on that laptop...pics, video editing, I even game on it! It's Vista, but it's growing on me.
 
Roverlady

Roverlady

Well-known member
Apr 20, 2004
7,825
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45
Shenandoah valley
How many of you have worked with Vista and had problems? I know XP but am intrigued by Vista (even with all the bad press). Similarly, what can you tell me about Linux?

I've been shopping new and used laptops too. Love the netbooks but then I would have to buy an external optical drive and plug in my external hard drive to save stuff, etc. For the price, I could just get a 'normal' laptop.

Walmart's $298 Compaq deal slipped past me (they sold out locally) but I've been cruising the Black Friday ads trying to get an idea of what is out there. Still might just order one directly from Dell b/c we get an education discount and I know my friends at work could help me service it.
 
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