Lappy best bang for bucks?

HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
edited July 2006 in Hardware
Hey all,
I have a neighbor who wants to get a lappy.
Price range-- $500- $800.
She says she's only going to do word proccessing and listen to cd's on it, but I know she'll want to do alot more than that once she gets it.
I was looking at this which is at the top of her spending limit, but have no idea as far as reliability, heat, etc. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7889109&type=product&id=1151657489182
I know about individual components and such. That's why I thought this one looked good. Dedicated video memory, 1G of ram, because I know she'll want to play movies on it when she finds out she can.
She also copies her music to CD's.
I trust HP's reliability because I have used their products for quite a few yrs now. But if you guys know of any comparable lappy's and brands under $800, please let me know.
I don't have or use laptops so I'm not that knowledgeable on them.
Thanx in advance for any help/suggestions.
BTW, This is a neighbor I do all pc upgrading for and is a friend.

Comments

  • HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
    edited July 2006
    Also, She will buy online if I press her too, for a better deal.
    So, It doesn't have to be best buy, circuit city, office depot, etc.
  • citrixmetacitrixmeta Montreal, Quebec Icrontian
    edited July 2006
    i recently ordered a dell xps GEN2 from there guys, for 939$ shipped to my door.
    free shipping too.
    they have a special now, 12.5% off, im sure you will find something there.
    http://www.pcsurplusonline.com/
  • HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
    edited July 2006
    Thnx citrix.
    I'll check em out.
    Still bring on some more ideas too guys.
  • WuGgaRoOWuGgaRoO Not in the shower Icrontian
    edited July 2006
    i love my dell...if you buy one of those smaller ones with a 14" screen they end up being pretty affordable and their batt life is like 4 hours
  • HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
    edited July 2006
    Thnx Wugs,
    I definitely want try to get one that will have a decent batt life.
    I'll check them out.
    Keep them coming guys.
  • citrixmetacitrixmeta Montreal, Quebec Icrontian
    edited July 2006
  • ArmoArmo Mr. Nice Guy Is Dead,Only Aqua Remains Member
    edited July 2006
    i just got my dell E1505 like 2 days ago and its pretty rad. it has a 7300 go and so far plays games like a champ. i waited for Slickdeals to have a good deal on the site, and snagged a 30% off dell cupon off ebay for like 5 bucks, i got a awesome deal on it :)

    http://slickdeals.net/#p7866
  • HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
    edited July 2006
    citrixmeta wrote:

    Unfortunately citrix,
    She won't go for a refurbished lappy. Even though it might get her a decent one.
    That's not a bad deal either. Although I'd like to give her something with a minimum 14" screen.

    Armo, Thnx,
    I forgot about slickdeals. I'll keep checking there too.
    She wants to get one within a week or so.
    Keep the idea's coming friends.
    I'm not rushing into recommending anything yet.
    I sure appreciate you guys giving me input on this.
  • HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
    edited July 2006
    Thnx all for your input on this little project.
    I didn't think I'd find one for her this fast but here's a deal I had to recommend to her... It was a back to school special..
    bbkm6.jpg

    Here's the specs on it;
    Processor(s)
    Processor 1.4GHz Intel® Celeron™ Mobile
    Cache
    Cache standard, primary 0KB
    Cache standard, secondary 1MB
    Magnetic/Optical Drives
    Hard Drive 80 GB
    Hard Drive interface type SATA (Serial ATA)
    Optical drive 8X DVD+-RW
    RAM standard 512MB DDR2 533 SDRAM
    RAM maximum 2048MB
    Display 14 WSXGA+
    Display, maximum resolution 1280 x 768
    Miscellaneous
    Modem included Yes
    Network interface card included Yes
    NIC type 10/100
    Wireless NIC included Yes
    Battery Type Lithium Ion
    PC Card slots 1
    Form factor notebook
    OS Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2
    Keyboard Details 101-key compatible
    Pointing device type Touchpad
    Width, inches 9.24
    Height, inches 1.52
    Depth, inches 13.15
    RAM details 512MB 533MHz DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
    Max supported 2048MB (2 DIMM Slots)
    Hard Drive details 80GB (5400RPM) SATA Hard Drive
    1GB = 1 billion bytes. Actual formatted capacity is less.
    Video Details
    Display and video details High-Definition BrightView Widescreen Display
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (128MB shared)
    Shared video memory uses part of the total system memory for video performance.
    Optical Details Super Multi 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support
    Modem Details High speed 56k modem
    Maximum achievable download speeds are currently unknown, may not reach 56Kbps and will vary with line conditions. Upload speeds are less and also will vary.
    NIC details
    Network interface details Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)
    Wireless details 802.11b/g WLAN
    PC Card Details 1 x ExpressCard/54 Slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)
    HP Mobile Remote Control stores in the PC Card slot
    Battery Details 6-Cell Lithium-Ion
    Software Details Vista Capable, Symantec Norton Internet Security 2006 (including 60 days complimentary live update), Microsoft® Works, Microsoft® MSN Encarta Plus, Microsoft® Office 2003 Student and Teacher Edition: 60 day trial version, HP QuickPlay and more..
    Additional details External Ports:
    3xUSB2.0
    2xHeadphone-out
    1xMicrophone-in
    1xVGA (15-pin)
    1xTV-Out (S-video)
    1xRJ-11 (modem)
    1xRJ-45 (LAN)
    1xExpansion port 2
    1xIEEE 1394 Firewire (4-pin)
    1xConsumer IR (Remote Receiver)
    Power Details 65W AC adapter
    Additional Information
    Package Contents HP Pavilion dv1710us Entertainment Notebook PC
    HP Mobile Remote Control
    Mobile Stereo Earbud Headphones (1 pair)
    65W AC adapter
    6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery
    Manufacturer Information
    Warranty Details 1-Year Limited Hardware Warranty Toll Free Support, 1-Year Free Hardware Technical Support, 30-Days Free Software Support
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