affordable laptop options?

[toddjb]

Well, now that I have broadband installed I need a laptop computer. No, its not so I can burn my penis :D but I figure I can reach the pinnacle of laziness by sitting on my couch, watching hundreds of channels of satellite television while also surfing the internet. :righton:

Laptops are expensive. New models seem to start at $1000. $1500 to get them with CD-RW/DVD and a better size hard drive, and up to $2000 to get them very nicely provisioned. Turns out for surfing the internet and doing some Microsoft Office, I don't need a powerhouse. It'd just be nice to have something light with a decent hard drive and screen.

Do you know of any options to buy USED laptops? Either personal or even liquidated from any number of bankrupt startup companies?

Heck, I'd be happy with 600MHz or so and all the new ones today are well over a gig. I can save my desktop for the power computing. I checked ebay, but even those used laptops seem to be pricey considering they are 500Mhz or less, with small hard drives and questionable history.

Any tips appreciated! Thanks,

-todd

[gcutler]

You can get "Reconditioned/Refurbished" units from Dell.com and Gateway.com. You may want to try ubid.com, again "reconditioned/refurbished" units are better than plain used. Used is not as good as reconditioned/refurbished as most notebooks have been beaten up so much that unless you know they are "Reconditioned/Refurbished", they could stop working 5 minutes after buying them.

http://www.dell.com/us/en/dfh/products/line_notebooks.htm

http://www.gateway.com/reman/hm_notebook_matrix.shtml



I think you missed the opportunity for the startups, as most have already been liquidated months ago. Those still around have a good chance of surviving.

You may want to check out your local police auction as besides Cars of convincted criminals, Criminals also have been using computers alot more.

[toddjb]

Thanks, gcutler. Great tip. I didn't even know Dell & Gateway sold reconditioned PCs!

-todd

[Geronimo]

I bought arecoditioned PC drom UBid. It works great and was quite inwexpensive. In fact one of the best times to jump in is on a holiday. And i think there is one coming up.

[Bogy]

What I have done is look for a local shop that reconditions and sells computers that have come off lease or been sold in bulk as a company upgrades. By doing it with a local company I have been able to make sure the box actually works before I bring it home. About four years ago we bought a Toshiba Tecra 730. $4500 new, we bought it 2-3 years old for $600. Of course now its years out of date (P150), and I've been thinking it's about time to do it again, but the thing was built like a brick (and about as heavy). Wife has used it on the road, daughter used it for a while when she was inbetween 2 apartments so she could have a computer at both places, and I have used it like your thinking of, but in bed, checking my email and here before I go to sleep. What did kind of produce some wear and tear was my teenage boy bringing it to school to enter stats for the HS baseball team. The nice thing about it is, if it breaks or someone steals it, I really won't be out anything. Anyway, the point is, buying a machine that was meant to be durable in the first place was a bonus, even if it weren't the latest and greatest.

[Nick]

Check newspaper classifieds (computers) and take a good diagnostics disc along with. Lots of good deals and usually free sw.

But watch out for "hot" notebooks. Ask for docs & original bill-of-sale.

Several years ago I ran across a site where one could check a serial # against a database of lost or stolen PCs.

Good luck. :)

[gcutler]

Thats why manufacturer recondition (vendor like dell.com or auction like ubid.com) is probably a good option. Usually there is some form of warranty (30-90 days) and little chance of it being stolen.

[lee635]

www.compgeeks.com

the computer geeks is a good source. The stock changes on a daily basis.

[Neil Derryberry]

Good old ebay.com....

[toddjb]

I tell ya, its quite a challenge...

The ebay computers I've found thus far have been going for inflated prices for what you're getting. Basically, 600Mhz machines closing at around $800+. (low memory, small drives, which is fine if the price is cheaper)

For $1000, Costco has an HP 1.6 GHz slim laptop that is well loaded. Know anything about HP laptops? :shrug: I haven't heard bad info, but I haven't heard any.

All the computer chains just had a deal on this Toshiba Satellite 1115-S103 machines. A 1.5Ghz machine for $700 after rebates. Great deal (low on memory and features) but by the time I got wind of it everybody is out of stock.

So, I'm still looking for a 400-600Mh clunker someone will unload for $400-$500 or else get something new for $600-$1000. I know I'm on the bottom end of the price range for new, but again, I don't need a powerhouse.

Thanks again for the tips. Still haven't found a local refurbisher, that sounds like my next stop,

-todd

[Charles Oliva]

http://www.surplusvillage.com

[Jacob S]

Is there a site on the internet where you can ask for things in wish you would like to have and have people message you with what they have and the price? Kind of like auctions, only filling the want lists.

I know that Dell has a labtop new with a Pentium 4 - 1.7 GHZ processor for $999 or an Intel Celeron 1.5 GHZ processor for $899 and payment plans for as cheap as $30 a month. If you call directly you may be able to get a better deal than this even. I remember when Dell had a labtop brand new for $800 a year ago, but I have not seen one that cheap since. I dont know if they still have this deal going on or not. I know that the refurbished ones that they have to offer are just as much as some of the new ones if not more. They may be a higher prices labtop though.

[lee635]

At computer geeks:

Dell Latitude PIII 650MHz 128MB 6GB CD FDD - Grade A - $587

They have some rated "Grade B" that are lower in price. I've purchased a couple of grade b products from them with no problems. YMMV

[Jacob S]

What is the link?

[KenIdaho]

One thing to be careful of if you are buying a used or reconditioned laptop is the battery. I don’t know if you are planning on running it from the battery. But the average life of a battery in a lap top is one year. The batteries can well over $100 to replace if they are even still available. I work for a company that sells very expensive rugged laptops and the batteries can cause problems even if they are properly maintained. :confused:

[Jacob S]

How many hours can an average battery run before having to recharge and how long does it take to recharge?

[gcutler]

Really no average, like cell phone batteries, there are cheap or expensive ones, the expensive ones last longer...

Are you going to type away for 8 hours or will you be letting the machine go into hybernate mode once in a while???

Then there is size, a bigger battery will usually last longer than a smaller one.

From Dell'sweb site, they list under the Litium Ion listings...

"Two 2 fully-charged Lithium Ion Batteries will power your notebook for up to 8 hours without recharging!"

[Bogy]

Like gcutler said, it makes a difference what you are doing. My battery lasts longer when I am surfing the net as opposed to playing a fast moving shooter. It also runs hotter (asbestos underwear time). :D