Best Laptop under $2,300

[Pastore]

Ok guys, find me the best laptop under 2,300 bucks... It MUST be a name brand computer and MUST have the following featuers. 15" LCD, 512 MB RAM, 1.2 Gig MOBILE Processor, CDRW 16x at least.. Thats it... right now my top contender is Del 8200..

Thanks guys

 

[RossMAN]

I would also recommend the Dell Inspiron 8200 which seems to fit your bill.

Currently Dell Home (no tax in most states) is offering 3 specials:

FREE CDRW/DVD Combination Drive Upgrade!
Ends Thursday!

FREE Display Upgrade - Online Only!
Ends Thursday!

FREE Hard Drive Upgrade - Online Only!
Ends Thursday!

Here's what I priced for $1,828
Inspiron 8200: $100 OFF Mobile Pentium® 4 1.6 GHz-M, 15.0 Dell UltraSharp Display! CM16BH2 [461-4957]
Memory: 128MB,DDR,266M,1DIMM 128M1D [311-1350]
Video Card: 64MB DDR 4XAGP NVIDIA GeForce4 440 Go? 3D Video 17NVD64 [320-0195]
Hard Drives: Save $99 (Savings included in price) 40GB Ultra ATA 5400 RPM Hard Drive 40GBFP [461-6728]
Floppy Drive: Floppy Drive FD [340-6353]
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition WHXP [313-1041] [412-0190] [420-0744]
Network Adapters: Integrated Network Card INTNIC [430-0334]
Modem: Internal 56K Modem 56MDC [313-0832]
Fixed CD/DVD Drives: FREE 24XCD-RW/DVD Combo Upgrade (from DVD) Roxio's Easy CD Creator® 24COMBN [313-0833] [461-7121]
Bundle: Microsoft®Works Suite 2002 w/ Money 2002 for CD Drives IWORKS [412-0134]
Virus Protection: Norton Antivirus® 2002, 90-day introductory offer NAV2002 [412-0259]
Digital Music: Dell Jukebox powered by MusicMatch MMBASE [412-0246]
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options: 1 Year Limited Warranty plus 1 Year Mail-In Service ST111RR [950-3337] [950-3830] [950-9057]
Internet Access Options: 6 Months of America Online Membership Included AOLDHS [412-0258] [412-0279] [412-0287]
Digital Photography: Dell Picture Studio, Image Expert Standard DPS [412-0275] [412-0277]

I'm sure you could save $100-$200 more if you wait for the next big Dell coupons to hit which should be in 2-3 weeks.

 

[PsychoAndy]

IMHO, they have some of the best deals at the end of quarter. Wait until then.

-PAB

 

[brxndxn]

If you have $2300 to spend, buying a Dell 8200 would be like spending $25,000 on a Hyandai. The 8200 series have a lot of power for cheap - but they're built terribly cheap. The case rattles and is very flimsy. It's also big and bulky.

If you want a more elegant system - and plenty of power for your money - go with the Compaq 2800T series. They're about 1/4" thinner and about 2lbs lighter. They are also built very well. You could also check out the Toshiba series - I forget what model number they are - but they're also built well and have some random innovations about them (like built-in smartmedia reader)...

Dell's laptops are decent if you're strapped for cash - but saying $2300 means you're definately not strapped for cash...


Or you could do what I would do and buy a desktop and a laptop instead.

 

[Beattie]

Apple Titanium powerbook. It's $2500, but it's a powerful machine

 

[Mister T]

Compaq Evo N800
IBM Thinkpad A series

forget dell amigo

 

[oniq]

I got me a Compaq Presario 731US for $1500 - $250 mail in rebate. I also bought a 3 year warranty for $250, so it ended up being $1500. It has a 14.1" screen, 1.2ghz AMD Mobile 4 processor, 512mb ram, 16-32mb video (shared), DVD/CDRW (not sure the speed..). Also has a floppy drive, PCMCIA, 2 USB, tv-out, JBL speakers, and a 20gig hard drive. It has certainly replaced my desktop.

 

[hoihtah]

dude, you're getting a dell~

 

[UNCjigga]

Originally posted by: brxndxn
If you have $2300 to spend, buying a Dell 8200 would be like spending $25,000 on a Hyandai. The 8200 series have a lot of power for cheap - but they're built terribly cheap. The case rattles and is very flimsy. It's also big and bulky.

If you want a more elegant system - and plenty of power for your money - go with the Compaq 2800T series. They're about 1/4" thinner and about 2lbs lighter. They are also built very well. You could also check out the Toshiba series - I forget what model number they are - but they're also built well and have some random innovations about them (like built-in smartmedia reader)...

Dell's laptops are decent if you're strapped for cash - but saying $2300 means you're definately not strapped for cash...


Or you could do what I would do and buy a desktop and a laptop instead.

Another vote for the 2800T...
check out this system I bought for a client of mine...

 

[CrazyDe1]

Never..ever buy a compaq..nothing but complaints and problems from every compaq I've ever owned or from anyone whos ever owned one...

 

[tk149]

Had two Compaq laptops (Pentium 166)...zero satisfaction. Maybe they've changed since then, but I won't buy Compaq anymore.

 

[brxndxn]

Never..ever buy a compaq..nothing but complaints and problems from every compaq I've ever owned or from anyone whos ever owned one...


Well.. my bro's laptop is a Compac 2800T series and I'd trade my Toshiba S304 for it any day. Whereas, my friend's 8200 is cruddy and flimsy.. It feels as if stuff is rattling around every time you pick it up (with both hands because it is so heavy).

You could say that same quote for a lot of companies... However, you should keep an open mind for the good products that DO come around.

 

[MWink]

my friend's 8200 is cruddy and flimsy.. It feels as if stuff is rattling around every time you pick it up (with both hands because it is so heavy).

I disagree. I think the Inspiron 8200 is built pretty well. I've heard that even though it seems flimsy it is actually quite durable.

As for the original question... I have an Inspiron 8200 (I spent $2000 before upgrades, and at least $2500 total after upgrades) and I'm very happy with it. Of all the laptops I've used I like it by far the most. I had a chance to work with a newer Toshiba laptop and it had a LOT more flaws and did not work nearly as well. I'm not even going to get into the horrible experience I had working with a Compaq laptop.

I recommend you go with the Dell.

 

[xfactordomine]

Personally, I love IBM Thinkpads and think they're the way to go if you want a laptop. Right now I have a T23. Before that I had a T21, a 390X, and a 770ED.
I've used Dell Inspirons and didn't like them, and because of past experiences, will never buy a Compaq. I also don't like the touchpad mouse so that may be why I've gravitated towards IBM

For under $2300 you can definitely get a phat T23 @ 1Ghz - 1.13Ghz

-X