What ever happened to the under $500 laptop?

[flyted]

I remember a few years ago the prediction of laptops, then usually $1,000 min, were going to hit $500 and keep going lower with technology advances and increases in performance. What I see for $500 now is so bare-bones that you have to upgrade it right away to even make it usable. The eee series and all the other mini's at best are getting mixed reviews and performance seems to barely cover surfing let alone running even a basic program. I sure would like to see a reliable basic laptop for under $500 w/o all the sacrifice's, the technology is there.



Thread locked at OP's request.


esquared
Anandtech Senior Moderator

 

[IlllI]

every week there is usually one or two from stores that are 399 or 499. for a lot of people thats plenty and can do what they want for them. you get what you pay for.

 

[mpilchfamily]

That price range limits you to systems that are much older or as you mentioned under speced. One of the problems is Vista. To make a laptop usable with Vista you have to use more hardware. Meaning better CPU and more RAM so the cheap price of a usable laptop is outside the $500 range.

 

[flyted]

That was my point, $500 is enough or should be enough with technology now and prices going lower on electronics like they have for so long. What you get for under $500 is either a mini that has no cd or dvd, yeah thats real usable, or a system like the other poster said that has vista and 512mb ram. Where are the basic 40-80GB HD, cd/dvd drive, basic proc, wi-fi and 1 GB ram machines that are reliable? Thats usable even with limited battery life. A mini is a step in the right direction, but many of us use our laptops for travel and our home computer so it needs at least all of the basic features you would find in a desktop.

 

[frostedflakes]

Maybe not MSRP <$500, but it's not difficult to find good deals on laptops like that.

$400 Acer on NewEgg.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...32&bop=And&Order=PRICE

EDIT: Sounds like battery life is crap, though. But I know it's not uncommon to find better Dells/HPs on sale for $500 or less.

 

[flyted]

Thanks for the link, that is getting very close to what I want. Acer and gateway are about the only ones I think are below a reliability that I would want. Asus seems to be a low price provider, but I hear better things about them. HP and Dell are good if I could find a good sale. Maybe as sales pick up for the minis, the very low-end laptops will slow and get clearanced out. I may even consider a mini if I knew more about the external optical drive that they need.

 

[bamacre]

Dell's been having deals at their Outlet site. 20% Inspiron and Studio laptops could easily be found for the past couple of weeks.

 

[mpilchfamily]

Problem is Vista with only 1Gb of RAM sucks.

 

[frostedflakes]

Originally posted by: mpilchfamily
Problem is Vista with only 1Gb of RAM sucks.

Having used Vista w/1GB, I think it's fast enough for basic tasks. But this was on a desktop -- Might be less bearable on a laptop w/slower 2.5" HDD.

It's not like you couldn't add some RAM for next to nothing, though. 1GB DDR2 SODIMMs are like $15.

 

[IlllI]

Originally posted by: flyted
What you get for under $500 is either a mini that has no cd or dvd, yeah thats real usable, or a system like the other poster said that has vista and 512mb ram.

i have no idea where you are looking but i have seen quite a few for 499 and less with 1gb + dvdrw

 

[bamacre]

http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBO...?c=us&cs=28&l=en&s=dfh

Plenty of laptops with Core 2's and 2GB ram for <$500.

 

[flyted]

Vista with 1GB on any laptop I've seen is simply not enough. Not interested in Dell refurbished units, never had good luck with those type deals, even if they have a normal warranty, still inheriting someone else's problem. Thanks for the idea though. 1GB ram is actually around $25, not 15 and a issue with some is that the ram is soldered in, others with vista have the 1GB among the 2 available slots which means tossing them and paying $30-40 for 2X1GB. XP is great on 1GB, would prefer that. For those that think a workable laptop is available for under $500, look closer, even for a basic unit, theres a catch somewhere that makes it not as good as it seems. How do people use these mini's with no cd/dvd player if they need to load something? Del mentions you need a cd unit to reload the OS. Spend $50 for a external cd player that connects via USB?

 

[IlllI]

Originally posted by: flyted For those that think a workable laptop is available for under $500, look closer, even for a basic unit, theres a catch somewhere that makes it not as good as it seems.

yes. the catch is it wont perform as good as a $1000 system. duh!
i seriously have no idea where you are looking but i have seen (as previously stated) 399 deals with 1gb + dvdrw and 15in screen etc. which is good for basic tasks. if you want something to do more like play far cry or whatever? well guess what ? you have to spend more.
simple concept: pay more = get more.

also its kind of funny. first you said "Where are the basic 40-80GB HD, cd/dvd drive, basic proc, wi-fi and 1 GB ram machines that are reliable?"

and then when people point you to some then you say basically that its not enough :disgust:

 

[flyted]

Every reply to my question has tried to be helpful, except yours. I never asked for $1,000 performance for $500. I asked for reliability and a system that was usable, Vista and 1GB isn't, XP and 1GB is. Ram that has to be soldered and unsoldered isn't good. Refurbished is buying someone else's problem. There are people willing to help, if you don't understand what I'm looking for or don't want to help, thats fine.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: flyted
Vista with 1GB on any laptop I've seen is simply not enough. Not interested in Dell refurbished units, never had good luck with those type deals, even if they have a normal warranty, still inheriting someone else's problem. Thanks for the idea though. 1GB ram is actually around $25, not 15 and a issue with some is that the ram is soldered in, others with vista have the 1GB among the 2 available slots which means tossing them and paying $30-40 for 2X1GB. XP is great on 1GB, would prefer that. For those that think a workable laptop is available for under $500, look closer, even for a basic unit, theres a catch somewhere that makes it not as good as it seems. How do people use these mini's with no cd/dvd player if they need to load something? Del mentions you need a cd unit to reload the OS. Spend $50 for a external cd player that connects via USB?

The only laptop I can think of off the top of my head that has soldered RAM is the MacBook Air.

Past that you have to spend $32 shipped for a 2*1GB kit of DDR2-667, which yes, is twice as much as a 1*1GB kit, but is still a darn good price.

People use Mini laptops with no CD/DVD drive because almost no one buys them as a primary machine. You buy it as your small portable for those times when lugging a desktop just isn't practical. More and more things are moving to that great Internet Cloud in the sky. Windows 7 is purported to have modularization that would allow a user to have a stripped down install that they can then add to via downloads instead of having to pop in the disk. It is annoying when you want to go watch a DVD on the 9" screen, but most of them lack the battery life for it anyway.

As others have said, you get what you pay for. You can find laptops for under $500, but they are yesterday's laptops. Today's laptops will cost you around $1000+ in order to get a competent system that will perform acceptably for years to come. What is the point in getting a gimped $500 laptop if you have to buy another one next year because your current one is no longer hacking it? (Maybe every 2 years), instead you spend twice as much, and you generally have to update half as often.

 

[flyted]

Thanks for the reply. I believe some Acer models have the soldered ram. I understand about the mini's and they won't work for me. As to yesterdays laptops, thats what I want and I see no need to upgrade every 2 years. I had a PII 300 for 6 years running 98se on dsl, did everything I needed it to do. A celeron is fine for a laptop as is XP for what I need. I've never exceeded 40GB of HD space on a laptop or desktop, my needs are simple and the initial posting was what happened to the $500 laptop remains valid. As some have pointed out, you can buy one for that price, but even basic computing seems difficult there. We're talking about different issues, I usability and reliability for that price, you...performance. With the economy and x-mas around the corner, I see a lot of price reductions for what I'm looking for and that old technology in a new box that nobody wants because there is always something better, will suit me just fine. Thanks again for your input.

 

[AmpedSilence]

I don't know, I got a gateway (6827) with a Core 2 Duo, 3 GB Ram, and 160 GB hard drive, ended up costing me $425 after MIR, and CC cashback.

That's enough for me.

 

[flyted]

As I continue to do research, I also find that some Lenovo Ideapad with the 512mb of ram are also soldered to the system board.

 

[FleshLight]

Inspiron 1420, Black Matte Finish
Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 (2.1GHz, 800Mhz, 3M L2 Cache)
3GB, DDR2, 667MHz (1 2Gb stick, 1 1Gb stick)
Glossy, WXGA high contrast widescreen 14.1 inch display (1280x800)
NVIDIA (R) GeForce? Go 8400M GS w/ 128MB dedicated graphic memory
250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
8X DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive (Plays & records DVD?s and CD?s)
Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 Home Premium Edition (32 Bit)
Dell Wireless 1505 Wireless-N Mini Card (Next generation WiFi w/ longer distance reception than g)
Integrated 2.0 mega pixel web cam
Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery, for Inspiron 1420
Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Module (allows wireless connection to devices such as mice)
Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
Four USB 2.0, one FireWire 400 port, one ExpressCard slot, one S-Video, one VGA, one 8-in-1 card reader, headphone / line-out, microphone-in
Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access
1 Year Mail-In Service, 24x7 Technical Support

Got that for $525 shipped. Typing on it right now.

 

[flyted]

Now were getting somewhere. Was it new or refurbished? I've been watching Dell for specials and $585 for a 1525 is the best I've found with less stuff than you got.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: flyted
Vista with 1GB on any laptop I've seen is simply not enough. Not interested in Dell refurbished units, never had good luck with those type deals, even if they have a normal warranty, still inheriting someone else's problem. Thanks for the idea though. 1GB ram is actually around $25, not 15 and a issue with some is that the ram is soldered in, others with vista have the 1GB among the 2 available slots which means tossing them and paying $30-40 for 2X1GB. XP is great on 1GB, would prefer that. For those that think a workable laptop is available for under $500, look closer, even for a basic unit, theres a catch somewhere that makes it not as good as it seems. How do people use these mini's with no cd/dvd player if they need to load something? Del mentions you need a cd unit to reload the OS. Spend $50 for a external cd player that connects via USB?

As someone who has purchased more than 800 systems from dell outlet, I think you're missing out on the best way to buy a laptop, server, desktop, workstation, whatever.

Edit: There are also plenty of sub-$500 "Previously Ordered New" laptops with 2GB+ memory and Pentium-class cpu's (I didn't count Celerons).

 

[IlllI]

Originally posted by: flyted
Every reply to my question has tried to be helpful, except yours. I never asked for $1,000 performance for $500. I asked for reliability and a system that was usable, Vista and 1GB isn't, XP and 1GB is. Ram that has to be soldered and unsoldered isn't good. Refurbished is buying someone else's problem. There are people willing to help, if you don't understand what I'm looking for or don't want to help, thats fine.

maybe i would have been more helpful if you didnt contradict everything you previously wrote about, and were negative towards the other people trying to initially help you. but i'm not going to hold your hand.

go back and read your first post and second post. you mention netbooks(which use xp). then in the second you say "What you get for under $500 is either a mini that has no cd or dvd, yeah thats real usable, or a system like the other poster said that has vista and 512mb ram. Where are the basic 40-80GB HD, cd/dvd drive, basic proc, wi-fi and 1 GB ram machines that are reliable?"

you made an untrue claim that you cant get anything decent, then myself and others said you were wrong and offered proof. then you turn around and say its not good enough despite those exceeding your initial claims.

so yeah. its like you refuse to see whats right in front of you despite being easily attainable. have you ever stepped into a best buy or circuit city? or looked at a weekly sales ad? there are sub 500 laptops all over the place

 

[frostedflakes]

Originally posted by: flyted
Vista with 1GB on any laptop I've seen is simply not enough. Not interested in Dell refurbished units, never had good luck with those type deals, even if they have a normal warranty, still inheriting someone else's problem. Thanks for the idea though. 1GB ram is actually around $25, not 15 and a issue with some is that the ram is soldered in, others with vista have the 1GB among the 2 available slots which means tossing them and paying $30-40 for 2X1GB. XP is great on 1GB, would prefer that. For those that think a workable laptop is available for under $500, look closer, even for a basic unit, theres a catch somewhere that makes it not as good as it seems. How do people use these mini's with no cd/dvd player if they need to load something? Del mentions you need a cd unit to reload the OS. Spend $50 for a external cd player that connects via USB?

Well there are workarounds, but none are as convenient as a USB CD-ROM. With my EEE PC, I loaded XP onto it from a 2GB USB flash drive. Took a bit of reading to figure out how to do it, but I'm cheap, so I wasn't about to spend any money on an external drive I'd use maybe a few times.

 

[flyted]

The USB flash drive is a good idea to work around the lack of a cd/dvd drive. I imagine a 2GB would work for most stuff and prices will keep coming down on those also. That opens up a lot more options. Thanks.

 

[frostedflakes]

You might check out these Apacer flash drives drives as well. Supposedly it is possible for the chipset to emulate a USB CD-ROM, which should make it much easier to install Windows and Linux distros.

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=40&threadid=2242536