buying a laptop for college

[weirdo100]

Hi,
I've been doing a little research on laptops, since I need one for school (i need the portability to bring it back & forth on the plane). I've been mostly looking at Dells, and the Inspiron 8200. It just seems pretty heavy, but has all the options I want. I wonder how it'll feel lugging around in my backpack when i bike to the library. I also want a pretty sturdy and durable laptop since i may take it plenty of places.

Basically, the options i want are:
P4 1.6+ Ghz
256 MB RAM (is it easy to add RAM to laptops)
DVD/CD-RW
3.5 floppy
30 gig HD

I'm mostly gonna use it for school work, some occasional gaming, playing DVDs and music. (anyone know a good deal on inexpensive speakers?)

I was thinking about buying it online, through an auction possibly. Anyone have any good/bad experiences w/ laptops from auctions? I'll definitely do it Escrow so I can check it out before the payment is sent. Is the risk worth the price? Also, I was wondering if warranties are transferable. Do i need a warranty, or could i probably fix it myself or have a friend do it?

Any thoughts/opinions/suggestions are welcome. Especially any non-Dell reccomendations since I don't know alot about comparable alternatives. Please post any links to relavent articles/reviews.

Thanks in advance,
Weirdo

 

[jwo7777777]

Look at the Compaq Presario 900US. I got mine at Notebooktrade.com for $1475 plus shipping. Compaq has a $100 rebate going also. We just received it last night and my wife is pleased with the performance.

Compaq is not the be-all end-all of the notebook wars, but they build a decent machine at a decent price.

 

[RossMAN]

What's your budget?

I would suggest checking out Dell's refurbs at delloutlet.com they carry the same warranty as NEW laptops.

Also check out the Compaq Presario 1500T which is a good combination of power and portability.

 

[weirdo100]

Ideally, i'd like to spend $1000-$1500, but if i really wanted a good investment, possibly up to $2000.
I'm considering the 4150, since it is lighter, but maybe i want more options.

About Auctions, when they say "Factory sealed" how can i check that when i get the product, and if they say the warranty is inside, can I still register for it even tho i bought it off an auction?

 

[ElFenix]

put an 8 lb book into a backpack. put in regular school supplies. put the backpack on your back, then walk around the neighborhood with it. if its too heavy, then the 8200 isn't for you.

EDIT: computers are awful investments.

EDIT2: for warranty questions call 800.999.3355 x66966-5-7 to talk to a csr.

 

[MSantiago]

You'll also want to look at the Compaq Presario 2800 too. Configure your own at Compaq.com. You'll need to wade through all the HP menus, but just go to the laptops page and click on the Compaq link.

The Presario 2800 doesn't offer a GeForce 440 Go, but it does have a Radeon Mobility 7500. It also comes in at 5.7 pounds and is a bit smaller. Either way, the 8200 and the Presario 2800 are both good laptops.

 

[GremlinHater]

I got a compaq 1501cl for 1700 dollars with the case

Pentium 4 1.6GHz
256MB DDR
30 Gig HDD
Floppy drive
8x8x8x24 combo drive
IR Wireless
1xIEEE 1394
2xUSB 2.0
ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32 MB
15" SXGA+ display
56K v.92 ITU Modem
10/100 Nic
TV-Out, Parallel, VGA Out, PS/2 Out, Mic, Headphone
1x Type II PCMCIA slot
WinXP Home


And it looks kinda sleek with the chrome trimmings.

Edit: It also has a built in mic, and multi-port technology, haven't messed with the latter yet.

 

[wviperw]

I just bought a laptop for college from Netlux. I got it for around 1200 after shipping and it came w/ the following:

1.8ghz p4
256mb DDR Ram
20gb HD
24X CDROM (upgradeable to CDRW+DVD)
SIS650 64mb SMA video card
WinXP
Carrying Case

The graphics card isn't the greatest though. Combined w/ the p4 1.8ghz, I get about 80-90fps in Q3, but in any newer games I'm sure it wouldn't be that great.

 

[weirdo100]

I'm thinking of buying an Inspiron 8200 from somebody in Holland. They don't trust Escrow, so I don't know if the deal I'm getting is worth the risk. Anybody have experience with shipping from another country?

 

[weirdo100]

bump

 

[MSantiago]

Does the seller have any feedback/Heatware? If they don't, it's probably a scam. If you really have to do it, make sure you pay via PayPal. No cashier's checks, money orders, or wire transfers. If it seems too good to be true, it is.

 

[weirdo100]

Yeah, this guy has no feedback and he wants to do a wire transfer. He can barely type English tho he claims to have 2 daughters and says he already lost money last week when someone didn't pay him. Well i guess i'll look for a more secure deal, even tho it may cost more, it will probably be worth it. I may do an auction w/ someone on E-bay who has like 2000 positive comments, or perhaps just keep checking the dell outlet for a refurbished "jewel".

Any other suggestions for what brand/model of laptop are welcome.. I'm still trying to compare the inspiron 8200 and 4150, and looking at the compaq 2800.

Thanks,
Weirdo

 

[Gibson486]

The Inspiron 4150's are nice, but once you get past the $1579 mark, there is no point in getting one except for weight. Just get the 8200 for that price. i don't understand why Dell has a lower line of notebbooks that is priced so closely to the higher line.