Cheap laptop for the girlfriend

[TheNewGuy8]

So I've got a girlfriend who has been using a decrepti mac laptop for a longtime. The thing is pretty dead in the water by now, and she's lost the CDs (of course...but she did that before we got together, dont blame me!) so reformatting is a problem. But even if she could, this thing is like 4 years old or more, so needless to say she needs a new one.

She wants a notebook, and mainly wants it for Internet, word processing, watching movies, listening to music, powerpoint, etc. etc. typical school computer stuff. She won't be playing any games more strenuous than Snood. She does want to be able to do some photo editing, but nothing super intense.

It needs to have wireless, and the lighter the better. 14.1" screen is the max, something smaller is even better.

Obviously she doesn't need anything too flashy, but for her sake I would like it to run pretty fast on the minimal stuff it does.

The reputability of the company is important, and that they have a good warranty/rma policy/etc. Thus companies like Acer are out of the question (i have had more nightmarish experiences with this company than any man should ever have to endure).

Oh ya, and its going to be a PC, not a mac. So finally I can troubleshoot her system for her (or rather, now I have to troubleshoot her system for her).

Any suggestions? I dont know much of anything about laptops, so advice away.

 

[Blain]

If you can get by without a warranty, I'd check the For Sale/Trade Forum.
But if a warranty is needed, I'd go with an Alienware or Dell.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

The sony VIAO models with the 15.4 screen are nice. Have one at work

 

[TheNewGuy8]

thanks for the suggestions. Alienware is way to expensive though.

The 15.4 screen is also going to be too big. She has a bad back, so something light and small is preferrable. Not tiny, but not huge.

 

[Twsmit]

What sort of mac is it? You could pick up a fresh copy of OSX and put it on there. Also what are the specs, I might be interested and so might many other people in taking it off your hands.

 

[TheNewGuy8]

Heheh, twsmit. One step at a time, one step at a time.

For now lets just find her a replacement PC notebook.

 

[Twsmit]

I would second the dell option, they have some light weight models, get one with a 14" screen.

There are a few different kinds of laptops; ultra lights, light weights, big wide screen "SUV" laptops, and then there are the uber desktop replacement gamer laptops. (this is how I classify them haha)

You should look for something with a pentium M or celeron M that isnt too big, and has a smallish screen. The 15" and 17" widescreens are too big for most people.

 

[Jeff7]

My sister got a nice Toshiba at Best Buy, think it was $700 after rebates, but I'm not entirely sure anymore. Best Buy has gotten a bit of a bad rap here lately - if you can stand the assault of people asking you to buy an extended warranty, you should be alright.
It's got a nice sized screen, and it's fairly thin and light. 7 pounds maybe. Definitely more compact that the Compaq I've got here, which didn't seem like it was meant to be small. It was more built for power, weighing almost 11 pounds, and it's over a full inch thick.

Anyway, the Toshiba seems like a fine system. This particular Compaq has been good to me too. I've never had to deal with warranty support though for any laptop, so I can't comment on that.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: TheNewGuy8
Alienware is way to expensive though.

Way too expensive... starting at only $689? :roll:
Just how cheap is your...
um, I mean just how much do you think you can get a laptop for with the specs you want?

 

[alimoalem]

hmm i read all the posts and looked through the original post a second time and nowhere did i see a budget. if you're looking for a cheap laptop for your girlfriend, how cheap must it be?

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Twsmit
What sort of mac is it? You could pick up a fresh copy of OSX and put it on there. Also what are the specs, I might be interested and so might many other people in taking it off your hands.

Originally posted by: TheNewGuy8
Heheh, twsmit. One step at a time, one step at a time.

For now lets just find her a replacement PC notebook.

I thought Twsmit's reply was very reasonable, since she'll only be doing basic tasks with her laptop. Tiger requires a firewire port but Panther doesn't
I'm sure you didn't poo-poo his idea because You Are Afraid Of Macs... correct? :shocked:

 

[TheNewGuy8]

Well, my fear may create a slight bias, that's possible. But no, her system is just too old to be resurrected by a fresh copy. she got it 4 years ago, and it wasn't brand new then. so we're looking at a 5+ year old laptop. no way she can reasonably to photo editing or anything on that.

Blain - huh, I didnt know AW put out laptops that cheap, I've always associated them with way overpriced desktops. I'll check it out.

price range is around $700 or so.

 

[lenjack]

I got my wife the least expensive Dell (added memory from 512 to 1G, and wireless adaptor) for $549. After deleting all the excess preloaded junk and trimming down the startup items, I find it to be surprisingly fast, considering that our desktop is 3.4G. User friendly too.

 

[Xorp]

Originally posted by: Jeff7
My sister got a nice Toshiba at Best Buy, think it was $700 after rebates, but I'm not entirely sure anymore. Best Buy has gotten a bit of a bad rap here lately - if you can stand the assault of people asking you to buy an extended warranty, you should be alright.
It's got a nice sized screen, and it's fairly thin and light. 7 pounds maybe. Definitely more compact that the Compaq I've got here, which didn't seem like it was meant to be small. It was more built for power, weighing almost 11 pounds, and it's over a full inch thick.

Anyway, the Toshiba seems like a fine system. This particular Compaq has been good to me too. I've never had to deal with warranty support though for any laptop, so I can't comment on that.

Did you really get assaulted with employees asking you to get the Service Plan? I work in the computers section of my local Best Buy and now they have taken the emphasis off selling the extended warranty. Instead of selling service plans like there is no tomorrow, we have to mention accessories and services that they will probably need in the near future.

 

[i1o0i]

Dell 700m will be perfect. [thin, lightweight, and cheap]

 

[mshan]

"Compaq V2000 Configure to order Celeron M 360 256MB/60GB, DVD Notebook $399.99AR (in store)"

Go to CompUSA.com and see this Sunday's flyer.

Not a bad price if you're comfortable with rebates.

 

[Twsmit]

Going off what Blain said, upgrading the OS is probably the cheapest option. Maybe boost the ram for the Mac, that might help with performance. The OP talks about the system being 4-5 years old, but in mac language that could easily mean a 400mhz + G4 ibook or powerbook. That is still a very nice system for daily tasks. Thats why i asked what the specific hardware is. Now if its a toilet bowl 266mhz G3 thats pretty much garbage, but if its a G4 level laptop its definately worth selling or keeping with an OS and ram upgrade if she is a mac person. PC's take alot of extra maintenence with spyware/virus' and it might be a better option keeping the mac.

In the end though it comes down to how horrible the specs of the laptop are, if its ancient i would recommend a new system, but if its salvigable with a few upgrades, thats the cheapest option and will probably keep your GF happier.