Need laptop suggestions.

[trof]

Looking for a laptop for around $500.
Will use mainly for word processing and surfing the net.
Don't need huge hard drive. 30 gigs or so is fine.
Like as much speed as possible for surfing.
Refurbished would probably be OK.
Any Suggestions?
Thanks.

[SacredCow]

1. I got an Acer about 6 months ago....

It was dirt cheap for its specs, but it's running quite well. It got a nod from Wired magazine (which usually only rates stuff that only the richer among us can afford) as a great bang for the buck item.

[Avalux]

2. Do you happen to have a link to that rec?

I'm looking for a laptop for my daughter; the Acer might fit the bill. :hi:

[SacredCow]

4. I'll have to see if I can find one...

I read it in the paper version of the mag... If I find one, I'll send you the link!

[SacredCow]

9. Found it....

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Acer-Aspire-9504WSMi.1531.0.html

This might not be exactly what you're looking for, but as I gather their entire product line is pretty damn good for the clams you have to shell out....

[Bunny]

10. I have two Acer laptops. The one I use has a Celeron M processor,

which irritates me at times because I think it could be faster. It's two years old but works okay. The other one (which the kids use) has a Pentium, it's a year old and it works great. All in all, I've had no real problems with either of them.

I paid more than $500 for them, though.

[SacredCow]

14. I paid about 500 for mine....

but it's a 17" so I'd figure a 15" would be a little less...

[Avalux]

11. Thanks!

Much appreciated! :hi:

[trof]

20. Thanks, I'll check it out.

My lovely wife and daughter are kicking in $500, so I can go a little over with my own cash.
Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas to me!
:-)

[Bunny]

23. Trof! Is it your birthday???

???

[quiet.american]

3. Overstock.com currently has an IBM Thinkpad for $399.00.

Re-furbished and sounds like it would fit the bill. (Just purchased one myself).

[GOPisEvil]

5. For the love of all that is holy, do not get a Dell.

Mine has already had to have Windows reinstalled. :mad:

[SacredCow]

7. I'll concur with that....

Unless you LIKE spontaneous combustion of your personal electronics.....

Seriously, though... I know very few people that have glowing reviews of their Dell laptops. I love my Dell 8250 Desktop, but I'd never buy a notebook from them.

[GOPisEvil]

8. Dell's desktops have treated me well over the years.

Their laptops suck. A lot.

[LeftyMom]

6. I think I heard somebody mention in passing once that they disliked their Compaq

Okay, it was less in passing and more constantly and with frequent use of the F word. Whatever. :P

My point, don't get one of those even if it's free. And if you don't listen to that advice, get the extra warranty. Actually, just do that for any laptop.

[necso]

12. Check out

http://www.salescircular.com

In CA, they have 3 new notebooks for $500 or less (using various rebates; I've generally had good luck with rebates; but there's some risk), and 2 notebooks for $500-600.

Deals change, and I don't know what a good deal is right now.

[Redstone]

13. A used G3 PowerBook (the black ones from 1998/1999). They're bulletproof. I still use

mine every day. Eight years old, and the only thing I've ever done is add a wireless card and replace the keyboard.

Redstone

[colinmom71]

25. Actually, the older "Ti-books" are pretty bullet resistant as well...

Saying this purely in "tongue-in-cheek" mode to Rabrrrrrr's responses ;-) (which cracked me up BTW), but my husband has a photo of an Apple laptop (brand new Ti-book in mid 2003) that went to Iraq with an imbedded reporter. The reporter's envoy had to run a check-point and they were shot at repeatedly. One bullet pierced the side of the rear passenger area and missed the reporter by mere inches, hitting the laptop instead. The bullet lodged about an inch into the laptop's side casing but still worked just fine.

Yes, I prefer Apple's products but respect that they're not everyone's personal or best practical choice. <--- Just so I don't seem all haughty and MacEvangelisty for this thread... I just couldn't help but chime in to Redstone's above word choice. :D

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. Just be sure to go Apple because they wash your dishes, blow you,

solve your soduko, keep your breath minty fresh, give you superpowers (!), and never, ever, ever crash, fail, lose data, or need any kind of hardware or software work whatsoever and they last an inifinity amount of time plus one year beyond that. Oh, they don't even need electricity or a connection to the Internet, because apples ARE the Internet. An iMac (blueberry candy cane color) once saved me from a burning bus while a Windows laptop just sat around diddling itself with a fractal virus.

:eyes:

[KittyWampus]

16. I am not too sure about the minty fresh breath

And your post right there reads like poetry. :)

Really.

Though I might replace the 'diddling'.

[trof]

18. Thanks for the obligatory 'Apple' commentary.

'Everything else SUX, Apple RULES, yada yada yada.'
I KNEW somebody hadda...
;-)

[Rabrrrrrr]

24. I thought I might as well chime in before one of the Steve Jobs wankers chimed in.

"I only buy Apple because they have the hardness of Jobs' rock-hard throbbing member, and when I caress the computer I can feel Jobs' progressive political ideology and that makes me hot and wet".

:eyes:

[jmowreader]

27. I didn't know all of THOSE things...

I just only buy Apple because I really hate the thought of replacing a few thousand dollars worth of software so I can open a 150MB image three seconds faster.

[lildreamer316]

21. ..........

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

17. Make sure the plug is not round.

Round ones suck and the motherboard has to be replaced about once every few months if it's round because it comes loose for some reason. I'm getting a desktop in a few weeks because of this.
Duckie

[trof]

19. OK, square plug.

Check.
;-)

[gr8dane_daddy]

22. You need to get an ABD model

Anything But Dell...

Actually, try using this link: http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/home.do

It will also help you with lots of other major purchases.

[brook]

26. Everyone says "No Dell"...

My kids gave me a Dell Inspiron 2200 for Xmas 05 to replace my desktop that died.It has 2 G/512MB and XP Home. It's performed beautifully. I do lots of surfing, research, burn music cds and do quite a bit with photo albums on a daily basis. About the only thing I don't do is play games. Add to that, it was a Black Friday purchase at the 'hated' Walmart and under 500. I did replace the free printer with an HP all-in-one. I removed most of the trial progs almost immediately and added others that I'd had on the desktop. Anyway - that's my 2 cents.

[crispini]

28. Yeah, my Inspiron hasn't given me any troubles.

Of course, I didn't choose it, it's my work laptop. :shrug: