Inexpensive Laptop Recommendations
Pterocarpous
Rosie the Riveter Lives On in CA, USA! New
Ok. My old IBM Thinkpad iSeries running XP Pro (started w/ '98 years ago) is just too danged slow anymore. I can't do anything else to improve the speed as far as I know. RAM is maxed out. CPU's a lock.
I'd like another IBM but can't afford it. Wondering what folks are recommending for an --> inexpensive <-- laptop these days. I don't need any software. I have everything I need. A DVD burner would be nice but not imperative. It doesn't have to burn rubber. I have my desktop systems for workhorse stuff. I'm not a gamer so that's not a consideration. The key is *cheap but reliable* hardware. I'll take care of the software end.
I'd like to keep the old IBM laptop as its been one helluva workhorse. N-e-v-e-r had any hardware problems w/ it. How hard would it be to get Linux OS running on it?
I'd like another IBM but can't afford it. Wondering what folks are recommending for an --> inexpensive <-- laptop these days. I don't need any software. I have everything I need. A DVD burner would be nice but not imperative. It doesn't have to burn rubber. I have my desktop systems for workhorse stuff. I'm not a gamer so that's not a consideration. The key is *cheap but reliable* hardware. I'll take care of the software end.
I'd like to keep the old IBM laptop as its been one helluva workhorse. N-e-v-e-r had any hardware problems w/ it. How hard would it be to get Linux OS running on it?
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Comments
Hi Armo
Sorry to take so long to get back to this. Thank you for your reply. Doesn't look as though I'm going to get anymore feedback on this.
I've never purchased (or sold) anything on eBay before. In your post, what does "$3 30%off cuppon" mean? I get the gist that somehow I can p/u a LT for $800 on eBay.
Thankyou for the advice re: eBay purchasing. I really appreciate that. Some of the items had an "Insufficient Reserve" button. What does that mean? When you bid, do you have to have the $ in some kind of escrow? I do have a paypal acct w/ a few $ in it just to keep it open.
you can get all around laptops for ~$500 or so, newegg caries some pretty decent ones. the few things that really crank up the prices on laptops are: intigrated vs dedicatied video card, dedicated is used for games. total ammount of ram, you wanna go as high as possible, i reccomend no less than 1 gig, and screen size.
check newegg for some more options
Yes, you're right, the monitor is a device that can really drive up the $ of a LT. I'm not worried about RAM or HD capacity. I can shop for good deals on both those and install them at a later time for less than it would cost to get them from manufacturer, I think.
What I have to decide on up front is the monitor size and processor. I checked out eBay, newegg, Acer, Asus, Dell, & Lenovo/IBM last night to get an idea what's out there. I'd like to pay less than $1k so I'll really have to shop around for a deal.
A lot of the lower priced LTs I was seeing had Celeron processors. I come from the old days where Celeron's were crappy crippled Pentium's and I guess that's stuck w/ me. Don't know if they're ok now for the kind of uses I plan for a LT. There were a no. of LTs w/ AMD processor's, too but I'm not familiar w/ the LT AMD processors though I've always been an AMD fan.
I've used a number of laptops of different brands. I am most impressed by the IBM Thinkpad. That's one solid, well built machine. Small, but it feels larger than it is. Next would be Dell. I've limited experience with an Apple Power Book too. Nice, but not worth the money.
EDIT: I am neutral on the Lenovo Thinkpads. I have not tried them, only the IBM versions.
As for Apple, that's a hole can of worms I don't want to get into. They cost too danged much! In fact anything having to do w/ MACs/Apples is bloody expensive - software, hardware, etc. I'd like to learn the OS but I'm not willing to lay out the cash - short and long term.
HP's ARE GOOD STUFF TOO BUDDY!!!!!!
lol Sorry Maxclark! If you have an HP that plays nice then that's just f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s! You just keep on keeping on regardless of what schmucks like me say 'bout your pride n joy 'puter! :bigggrin:
On a more serious note, I've worked on all brands of computers and, in my experience, the HP/Compaq's (desktops) in the consumer market tended to be poor performers and unreliable. Their business class systems are another matter. As for their laptops, in the past I've seen real design, heat, and performance issues in their laptops. Admittedly, I haven't kept up. They may well have come 'round and resolved those issues - building more reliable computers. If so, I promise to eat my hat!
He is right, we get alot of Thinkpads at work and they all seem to be the best running laptops that come into the door. They are well built, they have alot less problems then other laptops. I highly recommend an IBM Thinkpad.
I am wondering though....has their quality remained intact w/ the switch over to Lenovo? Ya'll heard anything?
So are b-o-t-h IBM and Lenovo manufacturing Thinkpads now???
tommie j
Pterocarpous: if this is the same IBM you had me looking for a keyboard for, I think you should know that that particular model was ODM'd by AOpen (which is why that keyboard is a PITA to find). IBM only did that back in the Aptiva days and haven't done it again since the T20 series came out.
-drasnor
Well, fooey! I assume what you mean by ODM'd is "outsourced" or something like that? Dad burn it! I really want my little track point (stick) back. Oh, well. I sure appreciate you're taking the time to look, Drasnor.
Other than that it's (was) a helluva laptop. She's just an old lady now (like her owner) and just can't keep up w/ these youngster operatings systems and applications. :sad2: