Dell 15.6" N2830 4GB / 500GB laptop ~$170 (YMMV?) OfficeMax B&M

[VirtualLarry]

Link to product online for reference, visit your local store for price:

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/703765/Dell-Inspiron-15-Laptop-Computer-With/

In-store OfficeMax (and Depot???) Clearance, down to $169.91.

Picked up three so far, over the last two days.

PROS:
Easy-open access panel on the back, for RAM and HDD. Easy to upgrade to 8GB of RAM (single DDR3L SO-DIMM), and an SSD (threw in a 120GB 850 EVO, put Windows 7 64-bit on).

Windows 7 64-bit drivers are available from Dell, even though it ships with 8.1.

Removable battery too.

CONS:
No ethernet jack (at all)
No VGA output (but does have HDMI out)
No DVD-RW (May be possible to install one, it has a dummy plate where one would go.) (Edit: Nope, no SATA connector inside to connect a DVD drive. Sorry.)

 

[tasukete]

Thanks, OP! Perfect for replacing my mom's decrepit laptop.

There are 5 left at the OfficeMax in Marlborough, MA.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I just saw the thread in the Storage forum, about the Samsung drives and the TRIM data-loss bugs in Linux. BestBuy had Sandisk SSD PLUS 240GB SSDs for $79.99 advertised the other day, also in Marlborough. I would check their web site to see if that deal is still good. Would make an excellent upgrade for this laptop. (It's a tiny bit sluggish with the stock 5400RPM HDD. With an SSD, it's much better.)

 

[qliveur]

Back to $299.

Looked like quite the deal, too.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Back to $299.

Looked like quite the deal, too.

If you are going by the web price, don't be. This is a B&M in-store clearance, that wasn't reflected in the web price. That was just for reference, to see what to look for.

Edit: No need to apologize, I should have been more clear that the link was for reference, not for price.

 

[qliveur]

Ah. My bad.

 

[VirtualLarry]

If you really need ethernet support, they make USB-to-ethernet dongles. Better yet, given the fact that this laptop only has two USB ports, is a USB hub with built-in ethernet. I think that I've seen those at Newegg.

 

[Klinky1984]

I would not recommend a usb+ethernet combo device. I've gone through a lot of USB 3.0 hubs recently until finding the iXCC ® 7 Port USB 3.0 Hub w/ VIA VL812 chipset. The other hubs would randomly disconnect things or Windows would report the device "has a problem" chronically all day long.

http://www.amazon.com/iXCC-Firmware...F8&qid=1434589240&sr=8-2&keywords=via+usb+hub

If you do want to try it, I would not cheap out. Probably would go for this Anker.

http://www.amazon.com/Unibody-Alumi...1434589475&sr=8-1&keywords=usb+ethernet+VL812

 

[VirtualLarry]

I would not recommend a usb+ethernet combo device. I've gone through a lot of USB 3.0 hubs recently until finding the iXCC ® 7 Port USB 3.0 Hub w/ VIA VL812 chipset. The other hubs would randomly disconnect things or Windows would report the device "has a problem" chronically all day long.

http://www.amazon.com/iXCC-Firmware...F8&qid=1434589240&sr=8-2&keywords=via+usb+hub

No offense, but a 5V 2A power supply is no-where near enough power for seven USB 3.0 ports, nevermind the hub chipset. No way I would touch that with a 10-foot pole, unless maybe it came with a more powerful 3rd-party power adapter.

 

[msi1337]

called the local store and they said they were out of stock, but they had one on display and they would sell it to me for $20 off the $169 price and they would hold it for me. I got to the store 30 mins later and the person who said they had one in stock made a mistake and she just looked at the computer but didn't actually look on display. Sure enough, the display model was in the defective pile and the manager was not willing to help me with any other kind of discount or deal. Kinda reminds me why I stopped shopping retail for electronics.

 

[VirtualLarry]

called the local store and they said they were out of stock, but they had one on display and they would sell it to me for $20 off the $169 price and they would hold it for me. I got to the store 30 mins later and the person who said they had one in stock made a mistake and she just looked at the computer but didn't actually look on display. Sure enough, the display model was in the defective pile and the manager was not willing to help me with any other kind of discount or deal. Kinda reminds me why I stopped shopping retail for electronics.

You forgot the golden rule of Hot Deals. "Don't Call!"

Of course, when you got there, it was "damaged".