Author Topic: easy-to-use PC: non-audio related query Family member looking for laptop  (Read 10394 times)

Phil

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A family member is looking for a simple, inexpensive laptop with wirelss capability to send emails and research the web.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Phil

Offline bpape

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Dell is probably your best bet for something cheap and simple. 

If they don't need something full size, the littler mini-notebooks are pretty nice and very reasonable.

Bryan
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Offline richidoo

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Sign up for Newegg.com email newsletter. everyday they have sales on laptops. There are laptops, notebooks, notepads, etc. Lots to choose from. You should be able to find something with a decent keyboard for <400.

EDIT: Netbooks, that's what I meant... Thanks Mike  :oops:
« Last Edit: June 17, 2010, 08:08:37 AM by richidoo »

Offline mdconnelly

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If it's solely for use on the Web, the netbooks are nice (and cheap - some as low as $300).  The HP Mini 210 & Dell Mini 10 are nice. I've also seen a lot of positive feedback about ASUS 1001p & 1005pr but no experience.   One word of caution - Many of these come with Windows 7 Starter which is a bit lame - but fine if solely used for net browsing and email on the web like gmail or hotmail (and it keeps the price low).

For not a lot more $$, you can get a nice Windows 7 reasonably well equipped laptop computer for under $700 if shopping around.  Dell, HP, & Lenovo are where I'd start but the market is loaded.  
« Last Edit: June 17, 2010, 05:39:18 AM by mdconnelly »

Offline BobM

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I got a new HP laptop a few weeks ago and saved about $500 after perusing the deals on these 2 websites. If you're patient and look each day you are bound to find a deal that is pretty darn good, but you do have to act fast when you see it, because they are usually limited.

Good luck.

http://www.techbargains.com/catsearch.cfm/0_3_0

http://www.xpbargains.com/best_deal.php/laptop_deals.htm

« Last Edit: June 17, 2010, 11:36:02 AM by BobM »
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Offline mfsoa

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We were in the market for a laptop and I found that the sale prices at Staples were consistently very low. I'm a Newegg fan, but the Staples prices were better.

You need to be ready to act, as the sale prices are good for a week or so then poof.

We got an i3, Windows 7,  17" Acer for $550.

-Mike

Offline tmazz

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If it's solely for use on the Web, the netbooks are nice (and cheap - some as low as $300).  The HP Mini 210 & Dell Mini 10 are nice. I've also seen a lot of positive feedback about ASUS 1001p & 1005pr but no experience.   One word of caution - Many of these come with Windows 7 Starter which is a bit lame - but fine if solely used for net browsing and email on the web like gmail or hotmail (and it keeps the price low).

For not a lot more $$, you can get a nice Windows 7 reasonably well equipped laptop computer for under $700 if shopping around.  Dell, HP, & Lenovo are where I'd start but the market is loaded.  

I got a netbook for my wife a few months ago and she loves it because of the small size and weight. I on the other hand find the lack of screen realestate very annoying. Too much scrolling around to see anything. It is OK for temporary use when I have to go somewhere and the size makes it easier to transport, but I find long term use very cumbersome.

Also Windows 7 starter is more than a little lame - it is a lot lame. The starter edition limits you to only 3 open applications at the same time. While this may sound like a lot, think of it this way. If you have you E-mail client and your web browser open and click on something that requires flash to run there are your 3 applications and the machine is now dead in the water. The Starter edition is nothing more than MS's way of trying to get you to fork over another $75 to get the fully functioning version.
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Offline allenzachary

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I got an HP for my daughter at Office Depot for under $400 on sale: 15" screen, 3GB 160G.  She takes it everywhere and uses is like an ipod.  She had a problem with the AC adapter and HPs customer service was non-existent. "Oh, yeah.  That power adapter has had a lot of problems.  We're out of stock on it.  When it comes back in, we'll sell you one for $75." We bought an after market replacement from ebay for about $15.  Other that that it's been very solid.

Offline mdconnelly

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Tom, I fundamentally agree with you completely and would probably never buy a netbook myself.  But, if someone were to only need a tool to browse the web and only used web apps, the netbooks are a cheap way to get there and some of the netbooks do come with higher-res screens.  

On the other hand, you can pop for about twice the price and get a reasonable Win 7 Home based laptop.  If you have any apps that you want to install and run such as Word or Excel or the like, this is the way I'd go.

Bottom line - it all depends on what you want to do.  For a casual user who wants to keep price as low as possible, I would recommend a netbook and advise to only use Web-centric apps and avoid downloading additional apps.  Most everything a casual user needs is out there in the cloud these days and, to be honest, it's a lot easier to maintain and troubleshoot a netbook that is only used to run a browser.

Then there's the Ipad... hmmmm

Offline tmazz

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I guess I have gotten very spoiled using high res large LCD monitors and it is kind of tough to go back to 640x480 for any length of time.(It sure is nice to be able to view Excel sheets in 25C x50R chunks)

It is just like an audio system, it all depends on what you are going to do with it. Don't get me wrong, I love the netbook when I'm on the go and my most important priority is portability. I just couldn't see myself settling in with one as my primary machine.

Actually I see netbooks as an extension of the laptop problem. I have people ask me about laptops all the time. And the first question I shoot back to them is "why exactly do you want a laptop? What is it going to do for you that you can't do with a desktop?" And almost 50% I get back blank stares. With the small form factor cases and LCD monitors available today you can fit a desktop in very close to the same desk space as a laptop, so if you are not going to move it around, why go to the extra expense of a laptop? (Which is usually followed by more blank stares.)

I think you hit the nail right on the head when you said it all depends on what you want to do with it. There is a proper (or at least best) tool for every job. Just pick the one that best fits your needs.
Remember, it's all about the music........

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• Sunfire True SW Super Jr (2)
• McIntosh MC 275
• ARC SP-9
• VPI HW-19 Mk IV/SDS/SME IV/Soundsmith Carmen Mk II ES
• Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 DAC/Rasp Pi Roon Endpoint
• DigiBuss/TWL PC&USB/MIT Cables

Offline mdconnelly

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It's an ever-changing target.   I see that the latest Dell Mini 10 has two display options:

10.1 inch WSVGA TrueLifeTM  (1024 x 600) (available on selected configurations)
10.1 inch HD TrueLifeTM  (1366 x 768) (available on selected configurations)

But I agree completely that if it's always going to sit in one place, get a desktop with small footprint and nice monitor.

Offline richidoo

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My first laptop was a Toshiba 640x480 486 with Win3.1. It was the hottest laptop in the IT department, reserved for the network engineer who had to be portable for dialing in. Batteries lasted about an hour. Only 15 years ago. Moore's Law alive and well.

Phil

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Thank you, everyone.  I've been researching the Compaq Presario ($330 base price) and the Dell Inspiron 1440 ($450).   Anyone have experience with a Compaq? 

As to use, the computer isn't going on the road and battery life is probably a small concern.  It really is for gmail and the net.  

I've been checking these out at bestbuy.com because I think my Mom will want to see them before buying.  She doesn't know a thing about computers.  My Dad knows how to break them.  :rofl:  This one if for her only.  To me, netbooks are great for email while traveling but the screen is too small for pleasurable net browsing.  As with audio, different tastes in gear...

Thanks again,
Phil

Offline tmazz

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My first laptop was a Toshiba 640x480 486 with Win3.1. It was the hottest laptop in the IT department, reserved for the network engineer who had to be portable for dialing in. Batteries lasted about an hour. Only 15 years ago. Moore's Law alive and well.

I was just discussing this with my son. Last month he bought a 16gb flash drive for $32. I told him that the year he was born (1989) I bought a 286/12 PC from Compuadd. I paid them an extra  $210 to upgrade the ram from 512k to 1 Meg. If you do the math to extend that price out to 16gb (210*2*1024*16) you come up with just little bit short of $7 million! Also back then 1 meg of ram consisted of 4 rows of 9 DIP chips which took up about 4 X6 inches of board space. Once again doing the math to calculate the space back then that would have been required to house 16 gig of RAM (4*6*1024*16/144) you come up with a pace requirement of well over 2,000 square feet! For something that now fits in a geek stick (2 square inches?) And don't even get me started about how much power you would have needed in 1989 to run a 16g memory stack....  :duh

So anyway, Dr. Moore's ideas are indeed very much alive and well.
Remember, it's all about the music........

• Nola Boxers
• Sunfire True SW Super Jr (2)
• McIntosh MC 275
• ARC SP-9
• VPI HW-19 Mk IV/SDS/SME IV/Soundsmith Carmen Mk II ES
• Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 DAC/Rasp Pi Roon Endpoint
• DigiBuss/TWL PC&USB/MIT Cables

Offline mdconnelly

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Phil, having gone thru this with my folks and my wifes, I can echo that screen size is very important.  They all had a  hard time reading a small screen, even with the higher resolution.   

Good luck!