laptops - how low can I go?

[SlimSlowSlider]

I am in the market for a new laptop. I have wireless router in my basement, and will be using the laptop mostly for email and to surf the internet. My kids also will play games on it, but they are young (i.e., Webkinz is their speed; not Halo).

I see the deals in the circulars where you can get laptops for $400. E.g., At Best Buy (for $400) there is a Toshiba (15.4" screen) with Celeron Processor, Windows Vista Home Basic, 512MB memory, 80GB hard drive, reads and writes DVDs and CDs.

For what I will use it for, should I get the cheap laptop? Or is there a compelling reason I should shell out more money for additional bells and whistles, bigger screen, etc.?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[YmoBeThere]

My parents after a few months found their Dell(bought a couple years ago) a little too slow for their tastes. I had built their prior two computers and while neither was state of the art, they relied on separate graphics cards, etc. So, I have always avoided the lowest cost models and looked a step or two above because there are lots of compromises.

As you put it, are there compelling reasons? No, I don't think so, but you can probably get a year or two more life out of a slightly better machine.

[merry]

FWIW I got basically the same Toshiba laptop 2.5 years ago - it wasn't quite that cheap then but the specs sound about the same. At the time everyone told me to buy at CompUSA so I could get a good warranty because so many things can go wrong with a cheap laptop, but I didn't. I don't know if we just got lucky or what but ours has been perfectly adequate for our needs.

The only major downside to it over a nicer laptop IMO is it's thicker and heavier, but I only got a laptop so we could move it around easily and take it on vacation, not to carry it everywhere I go. It's also completely inadequate for computer games but if you really don't think you'll need to be concerned about that for another couple of years then that's OK.

Until we got a new desktop about year ago it was our primary home computer, held the iTunes library and all our family photos. Now it's the spare computer, used almost entirely for web surfing.

Good luck with whatever you end up getting!

[DevilAlumna]

I am in the market for a new laptop. I have wireless router in my basement, and will be using the laptop mostly for email and to surf the internet. My kids also will play games on it, but they are young (i.e., Webkinz is their speed; not Halo).

I see the deals in the circulars where you can get laptops for $400. E.g., At Best Buy (for $400) there is a Toshiba (15.4" screen) with Celeron Processor, Windows Vista Home Basic, 512MB memory, 80GB hard drive, reads and writes DVDs and CDs.

For what I will use it for, should I get the cheap laptop? Or is there a compelling reason I should shell out more money for additional bells and whistles, bigger screen, etc.?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

512 MB is not enough to drive decent web browsing speeds on XP, much less Vista. Go for AT LEAST a Gig.

Try and upgrade to Vista Home Premium; you don't get much with Basic. (And with Home Premium, you'd want at least 1.4GB of memory.) You should be able to get that for around $600.

Shoot, if you're semi-handy around machines, and are comfortable doing installs and driver updates, etc., and depending on where you're located (any tech companies nearby?) I'd say look around for something used. You'd probably end up with something that has better components, for about the same price or less.


Oh, and after my experience with buying a cheap (for our family) Dell laptop, and having to replace the motherboard within 3 days of getting the machine, having to reinstall the OS twice thanks to a stupid 'feature' of Dell's, etc., and having seen way too many at my work location have to be sent in for motherboard and video card replacements, I can say with confidence, avoid cheap Dells like the plague. (The upscale laptops, fine. Anything below $2K, craptastic. Get the extended service plan and prepare to go without your machine at least 2 weeks out of the year.)

[snowdenscold]

512 MB is not enough to drive decent web browsing speeds on XP, much less Vista. Go for AT LEAST a Gig.


I agree with this. I'm surprised 512 is even being offered as an option these days. Granted, for me, 2 gig now seems the bare minimum, but you should definitely look in the 1 to 1.5 gig range.

[SlimSlowSlider]

Thanks for the info so far. I will definitely look for more memory.

This is being sold on Craig's List very close to where I live. (Sounds good, but DevilAlumna's critique of Dell has me a bit concerned.)

"Brand new, perfect condition. Less than 3 months old. Bought for college student, but never used. Loaded with top-of-line options: Windows XP Professional OS with media; AMD Turion X2 processor(2.00GHz 1M); 2.0GB Memory; 120GB Hard Drive; 8X DVD+/-RW w/Roxio and Cyberlink Power DVD; Bluetooth; 15.4 Wide Screen WXGA. Includes Microsoft Office 2007; McAfee Security Center 9; and 3 year Limited Hardware Warranty with Next Business Day On-Site Service that is transferrable. My work has given me a laptop; the reason I'm selling this one. Dell's web-price with these options is currently $1541. Staples is selling the less sturdy home version, without the software (a $200 value alone)or the upgraded hardware for almost $1000 (before tax), so the price is right!"

DevilAlumna - I suppose you would say that I should pass on this??

[snowdenscold]

Wait - what is this guy selling it for?

I haven't had the problems DA described for Dell's - I bought an Inspiron 2.5 years ago, and though it does some funny things currently (not sure if it's Windows fault or what), I haven't had any hardware replacement concerns.

If this guy is selling for < $1000, I would take it (or does the Staples thing imply it's going for $1K?) Though I wonder what the bus speed and HD speeds are.

[SlimSlowSlider]

He is selling it for $935. I will see if I can get it for less.

Also, what is bus speed and HD speeds?

[Exiled_Devil]

Pass on Vista if possible - it is essentially in Beta still, having issues with hardware and very little to add over XP.

I picked up a compaq at wal-mart last year for $495 and it has been a fine machine for email and surfing. (I'm on it right now.) It's our 'living room computer'. I put open office on it - a free office suite that is compatible with office and is fine for reading documents and presentations people send.


If you want to be adventurous and altruistic, get an OLPC XO (http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/index.php). They have a 'give one, get one' program right now where for $400, you get an OLPC, you donate one to a developing country, you get a $200(I think) charitable deduction, and you get free t-mobile hotspot account for year (a $360 value). I picked one up for my nieces. The only challenge is that there is no guarantee on delivery time - they are trying to get them out for Christmas, but hedge on the website.

Exiled

[DevilAlumna]

Thanks for the info so far. I will definitely look for more memory.

This is being sold on Craig's List very close to where I live. (Sounds good, but DevilAlumna's critique of Dell has me a bit concerned.)

"Brand new, perfect condition. Less than 3 months old. Bought for college student, but never used. Loaded with top-of-line options: Windows XP Professional OS with media; AMD Turion X2 processor(2.00GHz 1M); 2.0GB Memory; 120GB Hard Drive; 8X DVD+/-RW w/Roxio and Cyberlink Power DVD; Bluetooth; 15.4 Wide Screen WXGA. Includes Microsoft Office 2007; McAfee Security Center 9; and 3 year Limited Hardware Warranty with Next Business Day On-Site Service that is transferrable. My work has given me a laptop; the reason I'm selling this one. Dell's web-price with these options is currently $1541. Staples is selling the less sturdy home version, without the software (a $200 value alone)or the upgraded hardware for almost $1000 (before tax), so the price is right!"

DevilAlumna - I suppose you would say that I should pass on this??

Well, almost sounds too good to pass up. You get XP Pro, so you can easily get a Vista Upgrade copy (cheaper than buying full version) when you're ready; Office 2007 rocks; it's got a semi-decent processor, plenty of HD space and memory, and best of all, a next-business-day service warranty. That's the golden ticket right there.

I'd say jump on it.

[greybeard]

Computech on Rhode Island Av in Beltsville, Md. George buys computers from the government, in notebooks usually has IBM pentium IIIs and IVs with Xpro business for about what you are looking to pay. He only sells good stuff. Never bought a notebook but have purchased three Dell Octiplex Pentium IVs from him for about 200 each, Xpro business. Really, really reliable. I'd have to think he has a webpage.

Good hunting.

[SlimSlowSlider]

Thanks for everyone's help. I bought the laptop tonight for $800. (Am on it now.) Turns out the seller is the neighbor of a friend, so the reticence from buying from a stranger was pretty much a non-factor.

[cspan37421]

P
If you want to be adventurous and altruistic, get an OLPC XO (http://www.laptopgiving.org/en/index.php). They have a 'give one, get one' program right now where for $400, you get an OLPC, you donate one to a developing country, you get a $200(I think) charitable deduction, and you get free t-mobile hotspot account for year (a $360 value). I picked one up for my nieces. The only challenge is that there is no guarantee on delivery time - they are trying to get them out for Christmas, but hedge on the website.

Exiled

Exiled, I'd love to hear from you on how this turns out. I've been following that machine and the Asus Eee for a few months now. The XO has some amazing innovations but the software doesn't line up that well with what I or my kids would probably want to do with it (save for web browsing and email).

The Asus Eee DOES look amazing to me and if I wasn't already all set moble-wise with my Palm TX I'd probably get it. There's a great demo at

http://eeepc.asus.com/global/guide.htm

The interface is clean and sleek. The product specs are great if having something small and versatile is important to you (i.e., more than an organizer, but not as bulky as a laptop). So with the Eee you not only have web, email, but a suite of office applications, media player, etc etc. However, what killed it for her was one web app that required more screen resolution than the Eee has. (perhaps their upcoming model will solve that).

I have only owned a laptop once - it was a subnotebook, about 4 lbs, but add power adapter/charger, spare battery, etc., it was no lightweight, I hated carrying that thing around. Light weight is key for me.