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XP Pro/Vista Business laptops that are value priced

accguy9009

accguy9009

Senior member
So we need 3 or 4 business laptops and I was asked to help find some
that we can move over to Win 7 via the Windows 7 Upgrade Option.

http://www.microsoft.com/windo...uy/offers/upgrade.aspx

The bean counters would like to spend about $ 500.00 for the laptop,
( not including software) less if they can. These will be used for web apps.,
and light office apps., nothing which requires a beast of a laptop. We do require
XP Pro/Vista Business/Windows® 7 Professional be the OS. It is virtually impossible
to find this type of unit in stock. Newegg had a decent Lenovo but it was one per customer.

CDW calls this a business laptop yet it has Vista Home Basic. Why does this qualify as a
business laptop?

http://www.cdw.com/shop/produc...fault.aspx?EDC=1621495

Does MS force their OEM partners to include Vita Business/XP Pro downgrade option to the higher
priced hardware or are the OEM types to blame? We have not bought any value priced laptops for a few months and it was
never this hard to find a business notebook. We can always find the higher end ones but on a budget it ain't easy any longer.

Cheap laptops everywhere it seems, but not for business customers:frown:

http://www.anandtech.com/mobile/showdoc.aspx?i=3612
 
You may have waited a bit too long to get cheap laptops with XP Professional. Dell had lots of them a few months ago, but it seems no longer. Looks like they have a few in the $700-$800 range.

Still lots of refurbished Vostros and Latitudes with XP Pro/Vista Business in Dell Outlet for under $500.
 
I can understand the scarcity of XP Pro laptops but why can't
a decent business laptop with Vista Business exist? Its not like
we won't be putting 7 Pro on it as soon as we can.
 
Check out Tech Bargains dot com for current Dell coupons.

E-Junkie also has coupons, but they do charge a nominal fee.

If you don't have to buy right away, I'd way towards end of Dell's financial quarter. Seems like you get particularly good deals them when they are trying to boost earnings by clearing out inventory.


 
The thing is we didn't need them a few months ago and we need them now.
Question remains why can't you get such a laptop with Vista Business on it?
Who is responsible for this issue? MS? OEM'S? A conspiracy by both? Why?
 
The best you can do right now is the Dell Latitude E5500 which can be had with XP Pro on it .. But it will run you around $800 each.
Check the Dell small business link. And talk to a Dell rep to be sure about XP Pro
 
Originally posted by: accguy9009
Question remains why can't you get such a laptop with Vista Business on it?
Click to expand...
Well, XP Professional or Vista Business were never available on the lowest-end PCs. Such PCs were considered "business-class" and businesses likely didn't want to buy $300-$400 notebook PCs. And the XP Pro/Vista Business combiations were always $100 extra, so now you are into the $500-plus range anyway.

Here's a dell Latitude E5400 with XP/Vista for $600:

Dell
 
Originally posted by: accguy9009
Question remains why can't you get such a laptop with Vista Business on it?
Who is responsible for this issue? MS? OEM'S? A conspiracy by both? Why?
Click to expand...
You can buy just what you want: Call up Dell, HP, or Lenovo and tell them how many you want.

 
I did speak with Dell, as Rebate Monger said it starts at 6 bills
which is outside the budget for this project.
 
Outside your budget or not, tell the bean counters they can't always get what they want, for the price they want to pay.
That is the way it is. Besides, it is a Business Expense Tax Write Off, so they will not really be losing anything on the deal.
The equipment is needed and it must use / have a certain OS on it to work with the Network and other applications and data security.
So like it or not, they must up the budget.
 
Originally posted by: accguy9009
I did speak with Dell, as Rebate Monger said it starts at 6 bills
which is outside the budget for this project.
Click to expand...

$600 for a laptop is outside your budget? Maybe you need to re-evaluate your budget.
 
Originally posted by: MrChad
Originally posted by: accguy9009
I did speak with Dell, as Rebate Monger said it starts at 6 bills
which is outside the budget for this project.
Click to expand...

$600 for a laptop is outside your budget? Maybe you need to re-evaluate your budget.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. However this non profit has been able in the recent past to find laptops that do the job with XP Pro for less than $ 500.00. I don't see why you couldn't take a low end AMD dual core mobile with two GB of ram and integrated graphics, slap MS Office on it and call her done. It would be able to handle Vista Business ok untill they can shift over to
Win 7.

This thread was created to ask the question why MS or its OEM partners will not use the business operating system on a few sku's at the value priced level. It could be done. The fact that at this time you can't find such an animal when in the recent past you could
was the reason I created this thread. If you don't wish to contribute to this discusion fine but your thoughts on the budget needing to be re-evaluated are off point. Troll elsewhere please Mr. Chad.

It seems like you agree with MS and its OEM partners Chad, that organizations where a few users just need Word and Outlook and need a busines operating system should not have the opportunity to buy an entry level laptop. They put Vista Home Premium on such machines, why not one or two sku's with Vista Business? Ram can be upgraded later by the end user.
 
Probably because the license for the Pro/Business OS is too expensive for the manufacturers to include in value priced machines. knowing their target costumers in this segment wouldn't probably need any of the additional features of Vista Business for the added cost they just skip on it.


What features do they need from the business editions that are not included in Windows 7 Home premium?.
 
These laptops need to be able to join a domain and they would like remote support to be available

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929543

I don't believe it costs the OEM so much more for the business license that a value priced notebook couldn't be available since they have been for years. Sure it would cost a little more but it is doable .
 
Originally posted by: accguy9009
Originally posted by: MrChad
Originally posted by: accguy9009
I did speak with Dell, as Rebate Monger said it starts at 6 bills
which is outside the budget for this project.
Click to expand...

$600 for a laptop is outside your budget? Maybe you need to re-evaluate your budget.
Click to expand...

I agree with you. However this non profit has been able in the recent past to find laptops that do the job with XP Pro for less than $ 500.00. I don't see why you couldn't take a low end AMD dual core mobile with two GB of ram and integrated graphics, slap MS Office on it and call her done. It would be able to handle Vista Business ok untill they can shift over to
Win 7.

This thread was created to ask the question why MS or its OEM partners will not use the business operating system on a few sku's at the value priced level. It could be done. The fact that at this time you can't find such an animal when in the recent past you could
was the reason I created this thread. If you don't wish to contribute to this discusion fine but your thoughts on the budget needing to be re-evaluated are off point. Troll elsewhere please Mr. Chad.

It seems like you agree with MS and its OEM partners Chad, that organizations where a few users just need Word and Outlook and need a busines operating system should not have the opportunity to buy an entry level laptop. They put Vista Home Premium on such machines, why not one or two sku's with Vista Business? Ram can be upgraded later by the end user.
Click to expand...

I see deals pop up from time to time, but its rare to see business machines in that price range.

Your best bet may be to give a sales rep from Dell a call. Explain your budget situation and he/she may be able to work a deal for you, especially since you will be purchasing multiple machines. Good luck.
 
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