Buying a new Laptop

You might look at this:
http://www.epinions.com/KDS_Thinnote_376Ch_PIII_600MHz_20GB_128MB_12_1__TFT_Win_XP__Notebooks_376CH

The "KDS" brand seems to be a "Tiger Direct" house brand which would make me a bit leary of it. Without knowing who actually makes it it's hard to judge the quality. Tiger Direct sells that laptop for $759. (No one esle seems to carry that brand..)

I just looked at the Dell refurbished machines (with full factory waranty) and they had an Inspiron 2650 w/Intel Celron 1.5Ghz, 14" TFT Screen, 20 GB HD, 128MB RAM, CD-RW, 56K Modem, Ethernet Port and Win XP Home for $723.00 (no telling how long it will last there!). That's twice as fast of a CPU and a CD Writer for $30 less..

I'd keep an eye on the Dell, Compaq and IBM WWW sites for refurbs and be ready to grab one that comes up at a good price (they go fast!) before I'd buy an off-name brand.

Me - I'd get a Dell only.

DELL Refurb's on EBAY

Thanks, I agree with you guys, I sent her the info....

I don't know what she is willing to pay for a laptop but IBM has an R31 (1.2GHz Celron) laptop on their Closeout site right now for $849.

I don't know what she can afford, but prolly not much.

fishin - where exactly was that laptop you spotted? How can I direct Dasha there? She's trying to find it.

L'k see this starting at $799.00

http://www.dell.com/us/en/dhs/default.htm?rpo=true

THis could of been what Fish'n was looking at:
http://www.dell.com/us/en/dfh/products/line_notebooks.htm

I like Dell, for what that's worth. KDS is OK, but their build quality varies, and their support can be difficult to negotiate. For someone uncomfortable poking around in a computer's innards, I'd recommend one of The Major Brands, getting At least 256Meg of memory, a Processor near 2Gig, a screensize at least 14", and as a minimum, one dual-purpose Optical Drive (eg: DVD/CDRW). A network card is a nicety, as is an internal modem, but either function can be implemented by PCMCIA Card or USB adaptors.
Unless ready portability is a major factor, I would be unconcerned with battery life, weight, or over-all dimensions. I have both a "Thin/Light" Laptop, and a "DeskTop Replacement" Laptop. The "Thin/Light" travels well and fairly frequently. Its lack of inbuilt drives other than its hard drive is no drawback for the tasks I assign it "On the Road". Certain folders on it are "Synched" to my main machine any time its connected to my network. The "DeskTop Replacement" sits in the space formerly occupied by the monitor of The Desktop it replaced. My clumsy fingers make the "Thin/Light" less-than-ideal for any application requiring much keyboard work, so I don't use it much for that sort of stuff.

Name-Brand Refurbs directly from the Manufacturer are often an excellent bargain, as may be "Open Box Returns" from reputable retailers and e-tailers. I would determine my requirements and shop those two sources first. Cosmetic blemishes are of no impact on functionality, nor is a merely "Opened and returned box". If The Warranty, Support, and Service are the same, and the piece will do the job, go for it, and spend the money saved on software or peripherals.



timber

IBM'S "touchpoint" eraser-like pointing device may be off-putting to those used to a conventional mouse. Not really a problem, though, as adding a mouse or a touchpad if desired is a "No Brainer". Other than that, IBM's build quality and support are among the better, IMHO. That looks like a nice all-around machine, at a fair price for its features.



timber

Lil k - Click on these:

IBM Clearance Center - Laptops

Dell Outlet Center - Inspiron 2650s in Stock

The Dell at $723 seems to be gone already. They do go fast! lol They had a bunch in the $800-$850 range earlier too but right now the lowest I see is $954.00.

There are some good deals on USED IBM laptops too!

Used IBM Laptops from IBM

I left Dasha at the screen reading when I went to take a shower. She can't believe all the info you've been sending her. She may end up as a member here soon.

I imagine that would mean the end of all those juicy tidbits about her you been giving us, huh?




timber

hahahaha, as if!

timber ... ever "The Peacemaker" :wink:

<grin>
she's not looking now anyway.

speak of the devil
err, hi all. this is the roommate in question. i am very grateful to you all, albeit quite frustrated and exhausted from looking already. i will sleep on it and tomorrow! yeah, tomorrow i think i may own a new shiny dell (but of course)!