Super cheap laptop

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Go here...

http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/value?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

There is a note for a coupon code to drop the price to $599...

Allegedly if you use the coupon code 1Z6Q6QN2SX6D9R instead of the one mentioned, you get $250 off instead of $150.

Which brings the price to $550 plus tax, shipped.

Nice looking basic lappie...2.2GHz mobile celeron, 30GB drive, cd burner/dvd combo drive, 256MB memory, 14" screen.

Includes 6 months of AOL, for what thats worth...

I'd suggest blowing the $19 to extend the warranty from 90 days to 1 year.

You can buy some printers cheap as part of the deal, they're mostly rebranded lexmarks...but you'll pay for the ink later...dell whomps you good for their ink.

 

[Marshac]

That's a lot cheaper than a Dell quote I got back today.... almost a cool $400k worth of server equipment. Sometimes it's fun spending money.... sometimes when it's that much, it's frightening (did I forget something, etc).

As for the laptop, nice deal

 

[lazyday]

If anyone finds a deal on a laptop with a trackpoint (eraserhead) and a cool/quiet cpu like centrino, please post.

Been looking for some time now... almost bought a laptop a few days ago, great deal $975+tax no rebates, Pentium-M dell with a 17" WUXGA screen, would have but--no trackpoint.

Right now I don't think a 17" Wuxga with a trackpoint exists at any price, with any cpu. So at the right price, I might compromise on the screen.

 

[lazyday]

My first notebook (actually, it was my company's) had a touchpad, which I hated the entire time I used it, over 1 year.

Back when I was getting a little carpel tunnel in the office, I switched to a touchpad, which was ok since it forced me to learn the ctrl and alt key shortcuts, since it was so slow for me.
I bought a top of the line logitech trackball instead, which was much faster for me.

Finally, I got a notebook in 1999, with a trackpoint. Love the trackpoint! It gives my wrist no problems, and for me is nearly as fast as a real mouse. Much faster and more comfortable than the trackball, and incomparable to touchpad.

That (this) notebook is still my only PC; I'm typing on it right now and it was freakin obsolete when I bought the thing. But, ergonomically, it is a wonder. Awesome keyboard, my beloved trackpoint, and an lcd screen which was awesome when it came out in the mid to late 1990s. (A huge 14.1", and superhighres: XGA )
Also superquiet with my aftermarket hard drive upgrade. The fan almost never runs.

Slow though, pentium 266, so I really want to upgrade.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I like the trackpoint WAY better than the touchpad. Much less moving of the fingers and you dont accidentally put your palm on the trackpoint and jump the cursor halfway across the screen.

Although if you have little hands, that might not be a problem...

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Re. "little hands", sounds like just the thing for girlie men

JG

 

[Spanky]

Inspiron 1000 for $499 is a very good deal.

 

[BUM]

You can always tell the trackpoint users by the filthy, deep concave depression in the tip of the index finger... takes years to grow out. Another diabolical invention by IBM to invade their customer's mind's AND bodies, a "pre-cursor" to the time when these machines will inside our bodies.... bringing new meaning to being invaded by a virus.

 

[BUM]

Th
thanks for the tip on the Insipid Insperion 1000. My daughter ordered it a few days ago. She said the offer was only good for business customers not individuals. So she asked the boss if she could run the order thru the biz. He said fine and offered to pay half! How about that?!

 

[Bookm]

I called Dell yesterday to ask them a few questions about the 1000, and I was told they didn't sell in anymore, that the 1200 took it's place. I told the rep I was looking at the offer on their website and everything. I even emailed the link to the guy, and he said his computer didn't allow him to access the link, since it was "connected their system". But that he could answer general questions about the notebook, and I'd have to buy it online.

He said the RAM wasn't upgradeable and the software was a prepackaged deal, so you got what they offered, even if you didn't need or want a certain program. It had 3 USB ports, and you'd have to buy a PC card ($39 IIRC) and a router (about $60) for high-speed access. Of course you could get by with the free 6 months of AOL at 56K speed.

I was all ready to buy it with those extras and the 1 year waranty ($19), then thought, well how does one use the internet when you go out and about? I still have a desktop that I was going to connect the wireless router to to have internet access for both systems, but that would leave you high and dry when you leave the house. I'm new to notebooks, so how does one do this, if you don't find yourself in "hotspots" as they're called?

Bookm

 

[Martha]

Bookm, I probably am the last person to speak intelligently about computers here, but I do drag around my laptop and need internet access on the road. If Wi Fi isn't available you have a few options. We used to have AOL as a service provider. In that case, I plugged into a phone line and my computer dialed the local AOL number. Kind of a pain.

After we dropped AOL, I learned about getting on the internet through my cell phone. Most all large cell phone carriers offer access. No ISP necessary. Information about doing this can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/InternetByCellPhone/

You can ask all the questions you want, it is a very helpful group.

Other options are satellite access but then you are talking bigger bucks. We have talked about using a portable Directway dish to get on the internet. Cost around 50-60 a month plus maybe $1500 for the dish. These are pretty big dishes, not as small as a satellite TV dish. If you go fancier to a Datastorm automatic satellite dish which you permanently mount on a vehicle, you are talking $5000 plus for the system, plus 100 bucks a month. Nice but no thanks.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Couple of things...

First of all, dell small business doesnt care if you're a business...just make up a business name where it asks you for one online. Thats it!

I've been ordering from dell SB for years now as "TH consulting". Real imaginative, eh?

Networking...the lappie includes a built-in network port and modem, 3 USB ports and pcmcia card slots for whatever networking option floats your boat. You wouldnt need a $39 card unless you want to do wireless 802.11b/g networking...you can run a cable right from the laptop to the cable or dsl modem.

On the subject of remote wandering, you can use a plain old phone line, or for tether free use as Martha points out there are cellular options. If you go to the dell web site and customize the 1000, there is even an option for a sprint pcs connection card for $190 (plus monthly fees).

It does appear that memory is a little bit limited, as are the disk options. They probably restrict them in the ordering process to reduce product overlap with their more expensive products. That having been said, the most I've ever had in a lappie is 384K and I dont think I needed more than 256K for anything I ever did. Every laptop I've ever taken apart had a second slot for a ram expansion...either this one doesnt or it does and they're not going to let you order something to put in it...unless they've soldered in that 256MB card though, you may be able to remove it and replace it with a larger card. On the bottom of the laptop should be a small 'door' with one or two screws holding it in...the door should be about 2" square. When you open it up, you should see one or more memory 'cards', and possibly a similarly sized modem or network 'card'.

But for a basic laptop for web/email and generic home and business, this is frankly better than what I'm using right now...

 

[Martha]

I used "MM Properties" as my business name. Also creative.

On using the phone card for sprint or verizon, I came to the conclusion that it was a waste of money. You not only have to buy the card, but a separate cell phone plan. I accomplished the same thing cheaper by buying a mobile office kit (a cable for the phone and software) and sharing the cell phone minutes for both voice and data.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

There are a couple of options with cellular data...one is more like a 'modem over your cell phone' as Martha has used...this will give you something in the range of 2400bps to 19,200bps service...slow modem range.

There are also some '3rd generation' or '3g' services spawning that offer you home wireline broadband speeds of 256K to 1MB/sec and more. Some new stuff coming around 'metropolitan wireless' or 'wimax' will work essentially like the 802.11b/g wireless you use in your home, with a range of many miles. Businesses or cities can elect to implement these metropolitan area networks either for free or for a monthly charge. Coming soon to a home near you!

But as Martha points out, those involve an extra monthly fee. Depends on how much mobility is worth to ya.

 

[wabmester]

Oh my, if anybody actually buys an Inspiron 1000 because of th's advice, I think you should call th for tech support

It's really an awful machine. Poor battery life, heavy, hot, slow, and not very upgradable.

Dell has been having incredible bargains on all of their models recently. The build quality, performance, thermal characteristics, and battery life of their newer Inspiron models have really improved in the last few months since they transitioned exclusively to Pentium-M based machines and dumped some of the flimsy plastic chassis they used to ship.

Stick with the 700m, 6000, and 9300 in that line. You won't regret it, even if it costs you a few bucks more.

I also bemoan the lack of an eraserhead in these models, but that seems to be the trend. I just upgraded to an Inspiron 9300, and it's the best laptop I've ever used, but it really needs an eraserhead.

 

[kayelem]

I love my Inspiron 9200. We ditched our big bulky desktop!

 

[lazyday]

I just upgraded to an Inspiron 9300, and it's the best laptop I've ever used, but it really needs an eraserhead.

Congratulations!

Well, it's probably not as major a life event for you as it will be for me, typing this on my Thinkpad I bought January 99.

I think the 9300 was the one I mentioned; version I looked at was $975+tax from 8am til maybe845am when coupon's 10000 uses were all gone. New, 17"Wugxa Pentium M.

How's the keyboard? Used to hear complaints about Dell's.

If HP and "IBM" come out with 17"Wuxga models without trackpoints, I might have to buy the Dell 9300 with touchpad.
I guess the new HP's are without erasers lately? It'd be wierd to see a thinkpad without an eraserhead, but who knows.

Thinkpad might cost twice what the Dell does, if the new company keeps the same strategy. I wouldn't pay a freakin grand for an eraser.

 

[Spanky]

Inspiron 6000 is $1200 and 9300 is $1329 - not exactly economical, though they are fast with decent size screen. Since I already have a decent desktop but is shared by family members, I only need a cheap laptop with a wireless card for internet browsing.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Yeah Wab, the point is a cheap laptop. If you can point to another one thats better at anywhere near this price point, please do!

 

[laurence]

It's interesting, if you are not a gamer, there are computer deals that are out of this world. But the lack of high end graphic support on the cheap machines freezes out gamers such as myself. I guess they figure we want to show off our machines like tatoo wearing gangtas show off their "ride".

 

[lazyday]

It's not just gamers... some of us who don't game much have other requirements, like ergonomics. The cheapest machines will run hot, make lots of fan noise, and have worse screens.
At least that has been true recently, not sure if going forward it will be as much.

I've played with the Sony 17" wuxga screen, and setup the way I like, it is much easier on my eyes than the screen I have now. Cheap laptops have xga screens, with blocky text.
Also, the wuxga screen can show more on one screen than my current 14.1" xga.

And, I have a notion to record HDTV to an external hard drive (from a PC) and watch it on the laptop.

 

[wabmester]

How's the keyboard? Used to hear complaints about Dell's.

Excellent. The key action is very similar to a ThinkPad -- very smooth, solid, and quiet.

The new Dells are really top notch, but you have to be careful with Dell. They use multiple suppliers for their parts, and some are better than others. This includes LCDs and keyboards, which can be deal-killers for some people.

And the other thing about Dell is that they play pricing games pretty much daily, so if you want a bargain, you have to be ready to catch the next wave of deals.

I'm a big fan of Dell's Outlet, where you can get refurb'd machines (which have always been indistinguishable from new). Sometimes their prices are no better than new, but sometimes they'll really blow them out.

I'm talking crazy deals. Servers for $5. Laptops for under $300. The competition for these deals can get pretty intense, but if you're looking for a nice laptop at a great price, it's the only way to go.

I bought a high-end 9300 for myself (WUXGA, nvidia 6800) for around $800, and a lower-end 9300 for my wife (WXGA+, X300) for $550.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Thats generally the tradeoff with the cheaper ones...they're thicker, heavier, usually have shorter battery life, and may have little or no expansion capability.

The two big bugaboos of laptop yesteryear are using hotter desktop microprocessors instead of the more expensive mobile versions and really crappy lcd screens. I dont see the desktop mpu's getting put into laptops much anymore, and the screen quality on even the el-cheapo lappies are pretty good. No more 'passive matrix' screens.

A couple of companies still make their own laptops internally...I think IBM still does for example. Other than that, there are only about 4 or 5 companies who make them for everyone else...different cases, some different quality/types of guts, etc.

The Dell refurb route can be good for a persistent shopper. Just know that there is a whole subculture of people who monitor and scrounge that product class for resale on ebay. There are whole complex theories on when and where Dell puts what up for sale and at what price points and a couple of thousand people sitting there hitting 'refresh' at the appropriate times. If you're persistent and lucky though, you can in fact get a pretty sharp deal.

While this is definitely not a 'power laptop' or an ultrathin state of the art unit with a 10 hour battery life and a 17" widescreen display...you just wont find a less expensive basic portable PC with decent specs.

The only time I've seen a cheaper slab was the HP unit I bought a couple of years ago; it was cheap because 3 different HP business units put out rebates on it at the same time and none of them thought to point out that only one rebate was applicable per product purchase. As a result of that, coupled with a stapes $200 off coupon, a goodly number of people were able to buy an $1100 laptop with a coupon and three rebates for about $350. Let me tell you though, its barely worth it. The thing is a complete piece of crap. HP's build quality has completely gone down the drain.

 

[wabmester]

The thing is a complete piece of crap.

That's my point. Do you want to pay $500 for a piece of crap that you'll hate using every time you fire it up, or do you want to pay $1000 for something that's a joy to use?

Most of us here probably use their computer on a daily basis. A lot of the quality attributes of a laptop are subjective, but I wouldn't recommend that people make too many compromises for something that's an integral part of their lives.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

For anyone who bought this on my recommendation, I still stand by it despite the naysaying. I wouldnt plan on using this for high end gaming, doing hours of video format conversion a day, or using it for heavy travelling away from AC outlets. Aside from those uses, its a very nice basic unit at an exceptional price. I think you'll be perfectly happy with it.

If you arent, Dell will give you your money back or let you swap it for a different machine.