Cheap laptop

M

monobeg

New Member
Hi all,

I'm hunting for a new laptop and was hoping someone could help me.

I need something to use on weekends and in the classroom when I'm away from my desktop (which is getting old and needs some upgrades...but that's another story).

Requirements: Power enough for basic tasks and the occasional video/game, WiFi, 15"+ screen. CD burner and DVD reader are important, unless they make a big price difference.

I was going to get a refurb, but they seem to be no cheaper to me. :confused:
They're all marked down ~50%; but it seems that is 50% off the sale price 4 years ago, and they're similarly priced now!!!

Question number 1: Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places. Anyone know good refurb sites?

I've found the Acer Aspire AS3004WLCi at Circuit City for $600AR +tax (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Acer...44418/catOid/-12963/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do)
It would be more than adaquate for me, but I have some concerns:
- Battery life is reported at <1 hour by a lot of reviewers. If this typical for laptops? Is there a cheap way of increasing battery time (external generics/in-car adaptors etc)? Is it the processor's fault?
- AMD Mobile Sempron 3100+ processor: never heard of Sempron before. Any good?
- HDD is reported as slow


Has anyone seen better than the Aspire AS3004WLCi for a similar price? Sould I sacrifice some RAM/HD space for a more power-efficient processor?

PLEASE...any comments?????
 
LaptopExtreme

LaptopExtreme

VIP Member
monobeg said:
...I've found the Acer Aspire AS3004WLCi at Circuit City for $600AR +tax (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Acer...44418/catOid/-12963/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do)
It would be more than adaquate for me, but I have some concerns:
- Battery life is reported at <1 hour by a lot of reviewers. If this typical for laptops? Is there a cheap way of increasing battery time (external generics/in-car adaptors etc)? Is it the processor's fault?
- AMD Mobile Sempron 3100+ processor: never heard of Sempron before. Any good?
- HDD is reported as slow....
Click to expand...
It should be enough for your tasks. Of course, not a lot of people are fond of the battery life of the lower models from Acer, but you're still getting more bang for the buck. If you slap on another hundred or so, you may be able to find a Centrino system that'll give you significant boost and extended battery life. In the $600-$700 ballpark, you'll be able to find Acer, HP/Compaq, and Toshiba at your disposal. I believe the IBM R series will fall into that price range, too.
 
M

monobeg

New Member
Is a celeron any better? I thought they were about the same. I can get a similar celeron for about 100 more.

I'd get a Turion direct from compaq if not for the $70 shipping fee!
 
C

ckfordy

banned
monobeg said:
Is a celeron any better? I thought they were about the same. I can get a similar celeron for about 100 more.

I'd get a Turion direct from compaq if not for the $70 shipping fee!
Click to expand...

a celeron is much worse dont get it. get a pentium m or a turion.
 
M

monobeg

New Member
ckfordy said:
a celeron is much worse dont get it. get a pentium m or a turion.
Click to expand...

But they're so expensive:(

There's a good deal at circuit city, but its still $850+tax!!! Can't find much cheaper without having to fork out huge $ for shipping. Maybe I'll just part with $850. Sigh.
 
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