Budget Laptops

Rich Hobo · 05-13-2008, 06:00 PM

Recommend some.. Are they worth it? Will they last 4 years? Buy it online or at a store?

I don't want my parents to pay for a top laptop especially since they're paying most of what is my Emory tuition. So, basically, I'm going to try to wait until early August to purchase a back-to-school budget notebook. Pretty much all my friends recommend the macs, but they're way too expensive. I'm thinking a laptop under 700$ is best, but if an $800 one can last me 4 years, I'm all for it.

I'm neither going into engineering nor a hardcore PC gamer, so I don't need one that's equipped with top video cards. However, I'd like the fastest internet chip (I heard the N is faster than G on campus), at least 2Gigs of RAM, fast processor, and a webcam. I don't really care how heavy it is, but hopefully not too backbreaking.

Any brands or suggestions would be cool

kz26 · 05-13-2008, 06:56 PM

Dell is a good place to check out...particularly the Vostro 1500 and the Inspiron 1420/1525/etc. Wireless N is more of a hype thing right now...I HIGHLY doubt that any college is planning a large-scale N rollout on their network

Some are barely just starting to do G wireless, even.

Chipmoney · 05-13-2008, 07:13 PM

look at this

Newegg.com - HP Pavilion dv6823us NoteBook AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-60(2.00GHz) 15.4" Wide XGA 3GB Memory 250GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 7150M - Laptops / Notebooks

also toshiba seems to have good prices

embroglio · 05-13-2008, 07:25 PM

My dad told me it is better to buy the laptops in the store, because the price is cheaper; the computer companies do not want to undermine their sellers.

This turned out to be true for one model we looked at online; we saved 100-200 dollars by buying it in the store.

You should compare the online price of the laptop you want with that in the stores to ensure you get the best deal.

BCEagle91 · 05-13-2008, 08:30 PM

Dell frequently has coupons available for pretty good discounts on their systems.

The best time to buy is in the month of the end of their quarter. Their EOQs are January, April, July and October and they start ramping up the discounts from one to two weeks into the month. I prefer Dell quality to HP at this time.

I have a saying in that your first laptop is where you learn what you really want in a laptop.

It is better to buy your target laptop instead of looking for the cheapest model and then adding equipment to get to where you want.

You should equip your system with the highest level of components that you want in parts that are not easily changed. For most, this includes the video and network cards.

Accessories can add quite a bit to the cost of a laptop. I always like to use an external keyboard and mouse with my laptops and leave keyboard/mouse sets at the usual places where I use my laptops.

Consider matte vs glossy screens. Matte screens are usually preferred for work while glossy screens are preferred for watching movies. I always get matte.

Another option is screen resolution and aspect ratio. I'm an engineer and prefer more vertical pixels on the screen. Most other people prefer the newer wide-aspect ratio.

toxic_waste · 05-13-2008, 08:43 PM

^ there aren't many normal-ratio laptops left though, only ones that come to mind are Thinkpads and the Asus Lamborghini...and maybe the Acer Ferrari? and i think glossy is pretty standard now, too.

anyway, if you want cheap, a Dell Vostro is probably your best bet. i dunno how cheap HPs go. other than that, get a refurbished computer. most might not like that idea, but there's really nothing wrong with them.

wireless-N may or may not be worth it. though N is not very widespread, a wireless-N card would get a better connection than a wireless-G just because of the way it works. either way, though, there are wireless hotspots throughout campuses and having B/G/N probably won't make a difference one way or another.

as for lasting four years...that depends on your expectations on how your computer performs (it might be pretty slow with future apps) and how you treat it.

URichmond2010 · 05-13-2008, 10:00 PM

Before you buy, check with your college and see what configurations they recommend--double check the type of wireless they offer!

kkei08 · 05-14-2008, 03:37 PM

toxic_waste

The Vostro is a "normal ratio" I belive.

Rich Hobo · 05-14-2008, 04:47 PM

Thanks guys

As far as the suggestion for buying computers at stores.. don't they add $ for profit and only decreases to the production prices when time for back to school?
Also, when is the best time to buy? BC, you mentioned that buying in July is good, but what time of the month? I'll be away for nearly a month between mid June after graduation to the 22nd of July. And where do I get these coupons for HP and Dell? Do I purchase from online retailers like Amazon, Newegg, etc? or straight from their website?
One last thing: XP or Vista? We have XP professional from my dad's company who purchased a copy a while ago, and I guess I can downgrade pretty easily. Well, basically, will programs be Vista-only in a few years? or should I just install XP for the better speed?

Btw, thanks Chip, that computer looks BEASTLY. If it goes down a hundred or so, I'm taking that sucker. However, that 6Lb weight is a turnoff, but all well, guess nothing is perfect in this world.

srunni · 05-14-2008, 04:55 PM

Get an HP; I got one and don't regret it at all. You might want to look at xpbargains.com - I got a coupon code there for $500 off a laptop I bought from hp.com ($1400 --> $900). However, you may want to make sure you get an Intel based model (as opposed to the one Chip suggested), as Intel's chips (at least in the high end) are better and you will have an easy time downgrading to XP (at least I did). Go to HP and Compaq - Notebook Forums and Laptop Discussion for info on downgrading HP laptops to XP.

Rich Hobo · 05-14-2008, 05:02 PM

Thanks for the site, dude

Btw, should I get an extended warranty (3 yrs) or not? I doubt I will be hacking the laptop much. My dad's Pentium 3 Compaq is about 6-7 years old now and works perfectly. A little slow and chubby, but still works great (unless you count the messed up original battery).

toxic_waste · 05-14-2008, 09:22 PM

Quote:

toxic_waste

The Vostro is a "normal ratio" I belive.

ok, there's that too. my point is there aren't a lot of them left.

Quote:

However, you may want to make sure you get an Intel based model (as opposed to the one Chip suggested), as Intel's chips (at least in the high end) are better

there is little point going only for an Intel chip if he doesn't do anything taxing enough to make the difference noticeable.

as for warranty...i don't think it's worth it. just don't do anything stupid. if anything needs to be replaced after the initial warranty, ask your local computer nerd for some help finding and installing it.

Rich Hobo · 05-17-2008, 11:11 AM

Thanks guys

I just recently found the Dell outlet site.. and a bunch of other refurbished notebooks online.

Anyone have experience with Dell/Gateway/HP refurbished laptops? I saw a 3Gig Ram, Core 2 Duo 2GHz, 128mb NVidia, etc Dell Inspiron go for 600 bucks. That's a steal!

srunni · 05-17-2008, 12:13 PM

Sounds great, as long as you've got a warranty.

Don_Quixote · 05-17-2008, 05:30 PM

I had a refurbished Dell Latitude for about six years... never had any problems with it except that the battery needed to be replaced after a few years (I used it in the tropics though, that's probably to be expected)