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#1
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Looking for Laptop around $600.00
Ok, it's Christmas time again! This time last year I was looking for a new desktop and chose a Dell. This year we are after a laptop for Christmas. So, lets say my budget for a laptop is around $600.00 What can I get? What do you recommend? What brand? Dell, Compaq, Toshiba, etc...? Also, what kind of set up do you recommend (ram, processor, etc...)? I will not be doing any heavy gaming or video editing on this laptop. I will only be surfing the net wirelessly, loading pics, downloading music and maybe movie videos, and take it with on vacations and do the wireless thing while in hotels. I do not need a laptop that's as powerful as a desktop. I already have a desktop. So, where and what should I be looking at? Thanks! |
#2
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Looking for Laptop around $600.00
"Von Fourche" wrote in message ink.net... Ok, it's Christmas time again! This time last year I was looking for a new desktop and chose a Dell. This year we are after a laptop for Christmas. So, lets say my budget for a laptop is around $600.00 What can I get? What do you recommend? What brand? Dell, Compaq, Toshiba, etc...? Also, what kind of set up do you recommend (ram, processor, etc...)? I will not be doing any heavy gaming or video editing on this laptop. I will only be surfing the net wirelessly, loading pics, downloading music and maybe movie videos, and take it with on vacations and do the wireless thing while in hotels. I do not need a laptop that's as powerful as a desktop. I already have a desktop. So, where and what should I be looking at? Thanks! Browse here. It's a decent start: http://www.dealcatcher.com/dell-sb-coupons Stew |
#3
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Looking for Laptop around $600.00
if i were you, i'd get a core 2 at the minimum sale price offered, and
that would be in the $600's. then you can always add memory later if you need. it doesnt pay to get anything less than that to save $50-$100. |
#4
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Looking for Laptop around $600.00
On Sun, 26 Nov 2006 16:21:32 -0500, Jay B wrote:
if i were you, i'd get a core 2 at the minimum sale price offered, and that would be in the $600's. then you can always add memory later if you need. it doesnt pay to get anything less than that to save $50-$100. Maybe, maybe not. I have two core 2 duos with 1 gig ram and an older pentium M laptop with 512 megs ram, all running XP. I can't see much difference in speed for tasks such as the OP suggests he will be doing. That said, I SUPPOSE the difference will be when NOT doing those things like video editing, gaming or running Vista ???? I might suggest the OP go for a core duo first or core 2 duo next just in case he wants Vista later with either. BTW, I got my first core 2 duo laptop with 512 megs ram (I since increased it) and WXGA screen under $600 in the outlet store (refurb but looks new to me). And if it matters, 512 megs ram with XP and ordinary tasks seem to be just as good as 1 gig ram so he needn't rush out and get more ram unless he has something else in mind (like running Vista later). And as for screens, I have WXGA and WXGA plus and I think MOST will NOT like the plus. I didn't for the first day but now I like it. The screen does reflect a lot (bad if you are near an open window during the day or a brightly lit room) and the icons/print is SMALL. I think the difference is when you watch a movie or look at photos, it will look much better but for ordinary work tasks, maybe not the way to go??? My brotherinlaw saw the WXGA plus once and I could tell he was NOT impressed that much. |
#5
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Looking for Laptop around $600.00
This is going to be highly subjective, but the best choice that has
frequently and often available in the US at that price (specifically at $599) has been variants of the Toshiba M115. Every major retailer (Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Depot, CompUSA, Staples) has offered this within the past six weeks at $599 with, typically, an Intel Core Duo CPU, 512MB of memory, 80 gig hard drive, DVD burner. In a few cases, the offers have had 1GB of memory and/or larger hard drives at the same price. In some cases, rebates were involved, but not in all cases. In some cases, additional products were available with the purchase "free after rebate" (typically these are printers or "all-in-one" MFP printers, wireless routers, etc.). While the matter of who is offering this, and exactly what they are offering, varies week-by-week, I did see someone offering it this week. Also, it comes with XP Media Center, which gets you a free upgrade to Vista Premium next year. You can probably find a Dell 1405 in this price range also, and the 1505 has been just above it a few times although currently it starts at $699. I suspect you will have a chance at a $599 E1505 before Christmas, but the best 1505 deals involve higher end configurations at somewhat higher prices. There are lots of Compaq products being sold well below $600 (like $399 and up), but they usually have significantly inferior processors (Intel Celerons or equivalent AMD processors) and other lower end configurations. Von Fourche wrote: Ok, it's Christmas time again! This time last year I was looking for a new desktop and chose a Dell. This year we are after a laptop for Christmas. So, lets say my budget for a laptop is around $600.00 What can I get? What do you recommend? What brand? Dell, Compaq, Toshiba, etc...? Also, what kind of set up do you recommend (ram, processor, etc...)? I will not be doing any heavy gaming or video editing on this laptop. I will only be surfing the net wirelessly, loading pics, downloading music and maybe movie videos, and take it with on vacations and do the wireless thing while in hotels. I do not need a laptop that's as powerful as a desktop. I already have a desktop. So, where and what should I be looking at? Thanks! |
#6
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Looking for Laptop around $600.00
There is very little difference (single digit percentages) between the
Core 2 Duo and the mobile version of the Core Duo (from which Core 2 Duo was derived). However, I've seen very few Core 2 Duo laptops being offered below the $750, and that only this past weekend (Black Friday). More commonly, Core 2 Duo is going to push you up to the $900 price range, which is well above his target price. Jay B wrote: if i were you, i'd get a core 2 at the minimum sale price offered, and that would be in the $600's. then you can always add memory later if you need. it doesnt pay to get anything less than that to save $50-$100. |
#7
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Looking for Laptop around $600.00
Could you back that up with a link supporting your position? I don't
believe it to be true. "Barry Watzman" wrote in message ... There is very little difference (single digit percentages) between the Core 2 Duo and the mobile version of the Core Duo (from which Core 2 Duo was derived). However, I've seen very few Core 2 Duo laptops being offered below the $750, and that only this past weekend (Black Friday). More commonly, Core 2 Duo is going to push you up to the $900 price range, which is well above his target price. Jay B wrote: if i were you, i'd get a core 2 at the minimum sale price offered, and that would be in the $600's. then you can always add memory later if you need. it doesnt pay to get anything less than that to save $50-$100. |
#8
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Looking for Laptop around $600.00
On Sun, 26 Nov 2006 20:01:18 -0500, Barry Watzman
wrote: There is very little difference (single digit percentages) between the Core 2 Duo and the mobile version of the Core Duo (from which Core 2 Duo was derived). However, I've seen very few Core 2 Duo laptops being offered below the $750, and that only this past weekend (Black Friday). More commonly, Core 2 Duo is going to push you up to the $900 price range, which is well above his target price. Maybe but not true in my case. I got 2 of them (E1405's; one of them is very well equipped) for a LOT less than that in the outlet store. If it matters tho, both are refurbs tho they look new to me. That said, if you never plan to run Vista or do unusual tasks, the pentium M (centrino) will be fine if you can still find them. I have a 600m I'm still VERY fond of. |
#9
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Looking for Laptop around $600.00
On Mon, 27 Nov 2006 01:36:49 GMT, "Tom Scales"
wrote: Could you back that up with a link supporting your position? I don't believe it to be true. I don't know for sure if it's right or wrong but one of the places I'd check if I had to know is Tom's Hardware but I think you may know this already. I may have to outa curiousity confirm what was said tho it's a little late for me since I went with the core 2 duos. One thing tho I may dispute with both of you is for real world useage, benchmarks are deceiving. I wouldn't use them as my only criteria since to be honest with "usual" everyday tasks, you won't SEE much difference between my core 2 duo's and my 600m laptop. I will NOT argue that the core 2 duo is faster but I don't think you can really see it unless you "tax" it with heavy programs or multitask it a LOT. |
#10
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Looking for Laptop around $600.00
There have been quite a few benchmarks comparing them, and that's the
source of my information, but I don't have a link. Tom Scales wrote: Could you back that up with a link supporting your position? I don't believe it to be true. "Barry Watzman" wrote in message ... There is very little difference (single digit percentages) between the Core 2 Duo and the mobile version of the Core Duo (from which Core 2 Duo was derived). However, I've seen very few Core 2 Duo laptops being offered below the $750, and that only this past weekend (Black Friday). More commonly, Core 2 Duo is going to push you up to the $900 price range, which is well above his target price. Jay B wrote: if i were you, i'd get a core 2 at the minimum sale price offered, and that would be in the $600's. then you can always add memory later if you need. it doesnt pay to get anything less than that to save $50-$100. |
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