Buying a new Computer

Acer has come a long way in the past few years - their machines now generally get pretty favorable reviews. That particular machine appears to be pretty capable for a compact tablet-type laptop; 2 Gig processor, a Gig of Ram, 100 Gig HD (though only 4200RPM), Multi-Formant Dual-Layer Capable DVD/CD burner, Gigabit Ethernet, Wireless b/g - dunno if I'd like a screen that tiny, and apparently its keyboard is smaller than standard, too, but if neither of those bother you, I'd say go for it if you've found it to be competitive within the price range you've set yourself.

I have an older Acer, a TravelMate 350 TE-N, which has been satisfactory, though it did have a couple problems early on that required a couple trips back to the vendor. My warranty Service experience also was satisfactory - good turnaround time, the problem was fixed each time (separate, unrelated problems). Its wireless performance is outstanding, even though its only 802.11b. Battery life sucks, though.

Helpful information, the lady Diane and meself are looking at an acer 2413 LCi to take on the road in the RV.

Thank you timberlandko.

This laptop will be for my son, who is now using a C110 and says he needs a better machine.
He likes the small keyboard and when he is using it at home he uses a 20 inch screen anyway.

The C 204 is about 500$ less in the US than here.
So I will try to buy it in Chicago next month. I will try to find a store on line to check for the best deal.

I have been in the "business" for 30 years, and have used and evaluated laptop computers from the days of the Compaq lugables.
I have owned many brands during that time and evaluated many more for fortune 500 companies.
I currently own 5 laptops of a variety of makes.
For my money, at this point in time, I would buy a (lease return) IBM Thinkpad T-series from an ebay vendor or overstock.com (preferably T-40 or greater) for the following reasons:

Weight
Performance
Has Centrino chipset
Battery life
keyboard & display
Web based support
durability
expandability (Slimbay)
Low cost - lease return

I paid $750.00 3 months ago (T-40), now available for about $450.00 - $500.00.
Added a 7200 rpm Hitachi travelstar (80 GB), and 1GB ram.
I also bought a new battery and can run "unplugged" all day (2 batteries= 10-12 hours)).
As this laptop uses a pentium-M it performs like a 2.5Ghz pentium (actually uses a pentium-m 1.4 Ghz).
I would also recommend wireless G internal netcard - though wireless B is OK (most ship with wireless B) for use at hotspots or campuses with WiFi deployed.


There are many ways that this computer compares favorably, or is superior, to others on the market

If this is to be a portable computer rather than a desktop replacement, I would advise strongly considering this avenue.

If buying from e-bay:

Use a vendor with many transactions and high feedback score.
Make sure that vendor can be contacted via email or better yet, telephone. If buying a T-43 (or any model manufactured in the last 3 years), there will be warranty left (buy unit with longest remaining warranty if possible - a client purchased a T-43 last year, Hard drive failed. Replacement drive was received next morning!)

My T-40 Isn't the most powerful, or feature packed notebook I own.
It is however the best in terms of all around useability and is the best I've ever owned.

If your son is a student, there is no better option available.

OOOps!
Forgot to mention.....For anything other than the laptop, shop www.newegg.com for everything else!
Best vendor on the web!

tailbone :
thanks , that's great info for all of us .
i think i might want to add a notebook and will keep your advice in mind .
hbg

I also have a T-23 (approx. $250.00 on ebay) which I use for network troubleshooting and maintenance in production environments where an unused workstation might be difficult to find.
It is loaded with maintenance tools, and at this price, I am not overly concerned about abusing it.
BTW: my kids have a T-23 for internet use and casual home use (and for those purposes it is more than sufficient).

Tailbone,
thank you for your information.
The Thinkpad is not a tablet PC- and I want to buy another tablet PC with more memory than the one he uses now.