Is this an ok deal for a college bound laptop?

[antilamr]

I need to find a good deal on a laptop for my daughter who's going to San Diego State next fall. The ones i've found on sale are all pretty much the same specs:

1gig amd or celeron
20 gig hd
56k with nic built in
dvd
14.1 tft
floppy on some
usb, tv out etc...
$899 to $999 after rebates
from c.c., b.b., frys etc..


Any suggestions? Anything I need to get in addition to this for her to have everything she's going to need/want? I know a bunch of you out there are in college right now and I could really use your help in setting her up right the 1st time. I don't want her to be wanting/lacking when she gets there and see's what everyone else has. If this isn't a hot deal than whats the best thing going out there now? Also should I wait a couple of months to pick one up or maybe even look into a used one? Help!!!
Thanks

 

[WarSong]

If you do a search there are a bunch of deal on laptops. As far as the specs, what you listed should be more than sufficient for school. I use my trusty HP Omnibook 6000 with a P3-700, 384MB, 10 gig hd, 14.1 tft, dvd, etc. and its perfect for my school stuff. I bought it used and it's great. The only thing is if she will want to play games then you need to make sure it has a decent vid card (GeForce 2 Go, Radeon 7500, GeForce 4 Go etc.). Don't forget to look into the size/weight of the laptop and battery life. Those are very important for mobility.

 

[newbiepcuser]

If you have membership with Costco, they sent out a coupon book for $100 off for a toshiba notebook for the price range you want and most of the specs you need.

 

[huesmann]

We could tell you, but since this forum is for hot deals (and this isn't one), we can't.

 

[renfield33]

if she's not going til fall, wait for a really hot deal.

make sure you get integrated ethernet.

 

[Jdog]

Check with the school to see if they have moved to WiFi (802.11b). Many if not most have, and she'll want the option.

Also take into account whether she wants a CDRW in it. Personally a standalone DVD player and the CDRW in the lappy is what I'd prefer--or find one that has a combo drive (usu a $300 option.)


I wouldn't buy until two weeks before she heads off--technology will change a great deal even in the next few months. You'll probably be able to grab a P4 1.4-1.6 for less than $1000 when late August rolls around.

 

[OneStepsAhead]

Be sure you check with the school (or the school's website) to make sure whatever you get meets their minimum requirements. Except for some artsy majors, school use puts a light load on a computer... surfing, e-mail, word processor. Most any laptop, even a fairly new refurb, would work just fine, and the $900 - $1000 is the right price-point.

But...

Wait till later in the summer... 3 months is a GENERATION for laptops... and watch the sale flyers in the Sunday newspaper.

 

[iansir]

Well, specs are important and all, but rather than a faster laptop I'd reccomend a better built laptop. Here at RPI they encourage us to buy IBM Thinkpad T series (actually, you have to buy a laptop here) - last year I bought a T22. Not the fastest thing on the market, and it was expensive, but the magnesium alloy case with a rubber coating and sturdiness of the entire thing makes it WELL worth it. My girlfriend has a Dell Inspiron 4000 (or something close to that) and it is a peice of trash compared to this IBM. Sturdyness is important - you WILL come back late and drunk and you WILL trip over your laptop. Unless you're a total closet case, which I hope you aren't! You'll also want to carry it to some classes in your backpack - the Flimsly Dell plastic is really easy to break in a backpack with some books, even if you're being careful. Just my $.02

 

[Kraeji]

dell's are great laptops.. i wouldnt waste your money on a super laptop that you can drop off your roof or run over with your car unless you were just that clumsy

 

[antilamr]

Thanks for all the tips. I knew my fellow anandtechers would come through again. I'm being pressured into getting one now for graduation present but will see if I can put it off.