I... I Want a Dell!

[Cory Wolfe]

Got a Dell catalogue in the mail not long ago and looking through it really makes me want one. They're cheap and better than this 8 year old Gateway POS by a long shot. I can get a bare bones Dell Inspiron B130 for only $499 (well, $449 with discount) with Intel Celeron M, Windows XP HE, 14.1" XGA widescreen, 256mb of memory, a 40gb hard drive, CD burner/DVD drive, integrated Intel Graphics Media Accel. 900, internal wireless, a free color printer, and a 1 year limited warranty. Compare this to my 1998 spec Gateway Essential with Intel Pentium 3, Windows 98, 15" monitor, 128mb of memory, a 9.52gb hard drive, basic CD drive, and everything like printers had to be bought seperately. It cost my parents a little over $2000 back then. Is it me, or is it time to upgrade?

I hate my PC... *flicks it*

[FAPTurbo]

Dude! Does it come with a couple ounces of pot too?!

[Satty]

My laptop is a dell, not a bad piece of machinery. I got a few upgrades and ended up geting it for about $1200, which isn't bad.

[Intrepidation]

I hate Dells. They feel slower than their specs suggest, and they have all kinds of weird glitches. Try looking at an HP or a Vaio. Also look for models with AMD not Intel. AMD is overal superior, and usually cost less. Me...I prefer to build mine.

[Flybrian]

Don't plan on upgrading alot yourself with a Dell. Some things are an incredible pain in the ass because Dell insists on using proprietary connections for lots of their hardware. My girlfriend has a Dimension 3000 and we've had so many little issues changing things out, like the absurdly loud tower fan and such. Good computer operationally, though.

[the_yellow_dart]

That seems like a ripoff to me.

At first I didn't realize you were talking about laptops and I thought this was a TOTAL ripoff - but it's not THAT bad.

I would stay away from Celerons. I've not had good experiences. Plus, the Pentiums for laptops are really good now. They can slow down to save power when not needed. Plus, 256 Mb of memory is NOT AT ALL ENOUGH. Even 512 Mb is too little, but not as much of a joke. I would recommend AT LEAST 1 Gb to run modern Windows. A lot of people even bump that up to 2 Gb to avoid paging while you're opening programs.

[NOS2006]

I've got a Dimension 5100 and have never had a problem and my sister has an older one (about 2 yrs old now) and it still works problem free (except that she doesn't take care of it so it's slow as hell). Also, my mom has a 2-ish year old Dell laptop and that thing runs fine, too. I'd suggest going with Dell because of the experience I've had with them.

[Northstar]

I have a Latitude D820. It's been very good and aside from a couple minor problems has been trouble free. It has 1GB of memory with the ability to upgrade to 2GB later on.

My roommate on the other hand has a relatively high-end HP that he's always having trouble with.

[daves87rs]

Mine's a toss up between a Sony or Gateway..

Though I want a Duo (though a regular would be okay)

I wanted a lower end at first, but I want it to last a while...

[Intrepidation]

Got a Dell catalogue in the mail not long ago and looking through it really makes me want one. They're cheap and better than this 8 year old Gateway POS by a long shot. I can get a bare bones Dell Inspiron B130 for only $499 (well, $449 with discount) with Intel Celeron M, Windows XP HE, 14.1" XGA widescreen, 256mb of memory, a 40gb hard drive, CD burner/DVD drive, integrated Intel Graphics Media Accel. 900, internal wireless, a free color printer, and a 1 year limited warranty. Compare this to my 1998 spec Gateway Essential with Intel Pentium 3, Windows 98, 15" monitor, 128mb of memory, a 9.52gb hard drive, basic CD drive, and everything like printers had to be bought seperately. It cost my parents a little over $2000 back then.

205344[/snapback]

That's a major ripoff now that I look at it. For comparison...my computer.

256 Ram? Unacceptable in todays computers...most come with at least 512. is that even DDR Ram or older SD Ram? 40 Gigs isn't much, again by todays standard...and HDs don't cost much.

When I built it initially, it had an 80 gig Hard Drive and my compaq's 40 gig HD, 512 MB DDR Ram, CD Burner/DVD Drive, Windows XP, 2 USB ports, an ATI Radion 2600 series graphics card, and an AMD Athlon XP 2700+

All that (including buying Windows XP and a tower) cos me roughly 600, and it'll run circles around the Dell.

Last X-mas I upgraded to 1 Gig DDR Ram, Asus nVIDIA GeForce 6600 graphics card, switched the motherboard from a crappy Chaintech (never buy Chaintech hardware) motherboard to a ABIT MB, and went from 2 USB ports to 8 in the process. This cost me about $250 (gfx cards are expensive).

This thing is easily better than 95 percent of the computers I've used, including Dells, Gateways, and G5s.

My point is that Dell is ripping you off. Sure, you get a monitor (only 14.1"?) and a free printer, but the very thing you wanna replace is what's being cheaepned out on. Avoid Celeron processors...they're junk. If at all possible, you should consider building one or have a friend build/help you build it. It's fun and pretty easy. I built mine on a budget, and it runs great.

If you wanna improve your computer experience on the cheap, slap a gig of Ram into your comp, get a new HD of at least 50 gigs, get a copy of Windows XP, and get a decent gfx card. It'll run 10 times better easily. If any of this sunds appealing and you'd like some help or advice on computer stuff, just lemmie know

---

On another note...I'm planning to build a new computer, so I can render with 3D Software better and play games at max settings....ooh the things I plan to do.

[Intrepidation]

The other advantage of building a computer is that all the parts are standard fit, and so are cheaper and easier to upgrade or replace than factory built computers like Dells, since they use specialized parts that make them a bitch to upgrade.

[Drew Dowdell]

Celerons = bad

but if you're set on this machine, do yourself a favor now and spend a little extra to get at least 512megs of ram. Windows XP doesn't like running on only 256, the extra memory make a huge difference.

[Drew Dowdell]

Dude, forget the Dell.

Substantially better deal $499.00

AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3200+

160GB SATA 7200RPM hard drive

512MB RAM

DVD±RW

9-in-1 USB flash card reader - for your digi-cam

Substantially better deal number 2 $439.00

AMD's Athlon 64 3500+

200GB, 7200 RPM hard drive

512MB ram

DVD±RW Dual Layer

Internal Flash Media Reader

Both of these machines have their pluses and minuses over each other, but either one you go with will be a better buy than the Dell. Both of these machines are Microsoft Vista capable where as the Dell won't be.

[the_yellow_dart]

Olds - I thought the same thing. Then I realized he's talking laptops.

[Drew Dowdell]

Olds - I thought the same thing. Then I realized he's talking laptops.

205414[/snapback]

Ack! Even worse. Laptops have inherently slower hard drives and bus speeds. That dog of a Celeron desktop becomes a boat anchor of a laptop.

[loki]

a friend has a toshiba ... pretty much brand new, core duo widescreen... not sure how much it was, but overall very nice i'd not go with dell, unless you have to have thier warranty and such...?

[ohsnap]

Our home has a Dell Inspiron 6000 and an Apple iBook.....the iBook pwns the Dell anyday! Ever thought of going Mac? iBooks are gone now but they've been replaced by Mac Books and Mac Book Pros. If you insist on going PC, try the Sony and Toshibas. Dells are being price slashed left and right, for a reason!

Good luck with your search though, I love my iBook, wouldn't go back to a desktop.

[Intrepidation]

Our home has a Dell Inspiron 6000 and an Apple iBook.....the iBook pwns the Dell anyday!  Ever thought of going Mac?  iBooks are gone now but they've been replaced by Mac Books and Mac Book Pros.  If you insist on going PC, try the Sony and Toshibas.  Dells are being price slashed left and right, for a reason!

Good luck with your search though, I love my iBook, wouldn't go back to a desktop.

205476[/snapback]

Macs suck. I'm using one now at school...a G5 and it's slower than my PC...

[CSpec]

Don't go Mac. They're expensive and don't really work that well, though the new ones are very fast.

[Intrepidation]

Macs are overpriced, and overhyped. They're no faster than PC's and if anything I find them slower. Their interface is a pain in the ass to work through too.

However, if you need a computer that doubles as a heater get a G5...it puts off assloads of heat. It makes a better heater than a computer!

[FAPTurbo]

256 Megs of Ram? My 1998 IBM Aptiva, Pentium II has more than that!...

Save your money and buy a Toshiba or Sony Laptop.

[aaaantoine]

For desktops, I build my own.

For laptops, I don't have that same level of convenience available to me. Plus I don't like the inputs on a typical laptop -- scrunched up specialized keyboard and a touch pad driven mouse. On top of that, your video options are limited and cost more. Heck -- everything on a laptop costs more.

Do you absolutely need the portability of a laptop? Otherwise you're better off with a desktop.

[Intrepidation]

For desktops, I build my own.

For laptops, I don't have that same level of convenience available to me.  Plus I don't like the inputs on a typical laptop -- scrunched up specialized keyboard and a touch pad driven mouse.  On top of that, your video options are limited and cost more.  Heck -- everything on a laptop costs more.

Do you absolutely need the portability of a laptop?  Otherwise you're better off with a desktop.

205515[/snapback]

Gotta agree with you. Desktops are cheaper, easier to customize/build/upgrade. For the price you pay for a laptop you could get a far superior desktop for the same price. ( I didn't realize he wanted a laptop when I first read the thread).

I may get a laptop cuz I need i for school, but I may sacrifice it for now and instead use the money to build an uber desktop.

[loki]

don't go w/ sony, the battery issues they and dell had are from sony... and they knew about it w/o telling people until lots of people had them burn.

[Drew Dowdell]

Macs suck. I'm using one now at school...a G5 and it's slower than my PC...

205487[/snapback]

"waaaay too generic of a comparison."

the new MacBooks are generally faster than an equally priced PC Laptop

[ohsnap]

Don't go Mac. They're expensive and don't really work that well, though the new ones are very fast.

205494[/snapback]

Is this based on old Macs or new ones? I've had my iBook for 2 years and it's much better than my boyfriend's year old Dell. I use PCs at work and I had a PC through college and my Mac has outshone them all. There's a reason why Macs are the preferred choice of graphic designers, musicians, engineers, etc. They work.

Macs are overpriced, and overhyped. They're no faster than PC's and if anything I find them slower. Their interface is a pain in the ass to work through too.

However, if you need a computer that doubles as a heater get a G5...it puts off assloads of heat. It makes a better heater than a computer!

205496[/snapback]

My iBook was more than the Dell but I've never had a problem with it whereas the Dell's been through on site tech support twice now. Interface issues? Macs are super intuitive and much easier to use than a Windows platform. Widgets, the dash, the dock, iLife, iDVD - all super easy to learn and use.

Don't bash a Mac without giving it a fair shot.

[Drew Dowdell]

Don't go Mac. They're expensive and don't really work that well, though the new ones are very fast.

205494[/snapback]

Dollar for dollar, Macbooks out perform PCs

[Drew Dowdell]

Macs are overpriced, and overhyped. They're no faster than PC's and if anything I find them slower. Their interface is a pain in the ass to work through too.

However, if you need a computer that doubles as a heater get a G5...it puts off assloads of heat. It makes a better heater than a computer!

205496[/snapback]

as do just about any modern processors

[pow]

Plus Apples actually have some resale value.

[Drew Dowdell]

Chas's iBook is about 3 years old and still runs just fine.

[ohsnap]

Chas's iBook is about 3 years old and still runs just fine.

205539[/snapback]

I've had my 14 inch iBook for just over 2 years, no upgrades needed, and it works like a charm. I do everything on my iBook - run iTunes, burn cds, write papers, edit Excel charts, watch DVDs and Divx movies. No complaints.

Plus.....I don't worry about virus/trojans with my Mac. I have security software etc but honestly most programmers don't release cross platform viruses/trojans. Just another thing to think about.

If there's an apple store anywhere near you (I'm near DC home of 3 great apple stores in a 20 minute drive radius), spend time checking some out. You could even go the Mac Mini route. Anytime I go to the Apple store I play around with the Cinema Displays (amazing monitors) and the Macbook/Macbook Pro. I don't need any of that stuff but I want it all!

[DetroitNut90]

I know what it's like to have a severely outdated system (Windows 95, Pentium I, 64 megs of memory, 10 gig hard drive, 13" monitor, one speaker, 8x CD drive, 1 USB port, insanely loud fan and hot exhaust), but hold on to what you have at the moment. You can do much better than this. I'd also suggest a desktop, since you can get a better one for the cost of a crappy laptop. But whatever you want to get, upgrade to:

-512 MB RAM (at least)...256 is not enough to run the light loads I put on my computer.

-80 gig memory (at least)...40 gigs are way too few, and even 80 isn't all that much.

-the Pentium...it makes the Celeron obsolete.

[Intrepidation]

Chas's iBook is about 3 years old and still runs just fine.

205539[/snapback]

My PC is two yeas old and runs better than these G5's I'm on atm. Granted I ugraed the gfx card and went from 512 to a gig of ram...but when I first built it, it was on a tight budget. I still bet it costs less than any Mac.

I've had my 14 inch iBook for just over 2 years, no upgrades needed, and it works like a charm.  I do everything on my iBook - run iTunes, burn cds, write papers, edit Excel charts, watch DVDs and Divx movies.  No complaints.

Plus.....I don't worry about virus/trojans with my Mac.  I have security software etc but honestly most programmers don't release cross platform viruses/trojans.  Just another thing to think about.

If there's an apple store anywhere near you (I'm near DC home of 3 great apple stores in a 20 minute drive radius), spend time checking some out.  You could even go the Mac Mini route.  Anytime I go to the Apple store I play around with the Cinema Displays (amazing monitors) and the Macbook/Macbook Pro.  I don't need any of that stuff but I want it all!

205541[/snapback]

I'll give you that about Macs not having virus problems. However a good antivirus program and not going anywhere stupid online will ensure a PC is just fine. My other problem with Macs is that most games are not Mac suppported, so if you're a gamer like me, PC is a must. I do everything on my comp too...watch DVDs, Divx, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, some video editing, and so on. I will give Macs a nod for having better video editing software.

[Drew Dowdell]

My PC is two yeas old and runs better than these G5's I'm on atm. Granted I ugraed the gfx card and went from 512 to a gig of ram...but when I first built it, it was on a tight budget. I still bet it costs less than any Mac.

I'll give you that about Macs not having virus problems. However a good antivirus program and not going anywhere stupid online will ensure a PC is just fine. My other problem with Macs is that most games are not Mac suppported, so if you're a gamer like me, PC is a must. I do everything on my comp too...watch DVDs, Divx, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, some video editing, and so on. I will give Macs a nod for having better video editing software.

205559[/snapback]

Macbooks and MacMini Duos are far superior to the G5. As far as everything else, all the DVD and graphics stuff can be done on the mac <some say with superior performance>, and with a MacBook or Mac Mini Duo, you can also boot into Windows XP natively.... so you can game.

As far as versitility, you can't beat the intel based Macs right now. The Macbooks also price out cheaper than an equivilantly equiped IBM, Dell, or Toshiba.

[frogger]

The new macbooks and imacs are great as long as you are not into gaming

[Intrepidation]

Macbooks and MacMini Duos are far superior to the G5. As far as everything else, all the DVD and graphics stuff can be done on the mac <some say with superior performance>, and with a MacBook or Mac Mini Duo, you can also boot into Windows XP natively.... so you can game.

As far as versitility, you can't beat the intel based Macs right now.  The Macbooks also price out cheaper than an equivilantly equiped IBM, Dell, or Toshiba.

205585[/snapback]

But not cheaper or superior to building a PC yourself. Plus, Intel blows...on a Macor a PC...AMD all the way baby.

[Drew Dowdell]

The new macbooks and imacs are great as long as you are not into gaming

205589[/snapback]

you can boot any Intel Mac into Windows XP and game from there.

you get the best of both worlds.

[frogger]

you can boot any Intel Mac into Windows XP and game from there.

you get the best of both worlds.

205598[/snapback]

Its the video processors on the macbook and mac mini that are very lacking for gaming. The higher end versions of the imac are decent.

[Cory Wolfe]

That seems like a ripoff to me.

At first I didn't realize you were talking about laptops and I thought this was a TOTAL ripoff - but it's not THAT bad.

I would stay away from Celerons. I've not had good experiences. Plus, the Pentiums for laptops are really good now. They can slow down to save power when not needed. Plus, 256 Mb of memory is NOT AT ALL ENOUGH. Even 512 Mb is too little, but not as much of a joke. I would recommend AT LEAST 1 Gb to run modern Windows. A lot of people even bump that up to 2 Gb to avoid paging while you're opening programs.

205378[/snapback]

That's a major ripoff now that I look at it. For comparison...my computer.

256 Ram? Unacceptable in todays computers...most come with at least 512. is that even DDR Ram or older SD Ram? 40 Gigs isn't much, again by todays standard...and HDs don't cost much.

When I built it initially, it had an 80 gig Hard Drive and my compaq's 40 gig HD, 512 MB DDR Ram, CD Burner/DVD Drive, Windows XP,  2 USB ports, an ATI Radion 2600 series graphics card, and an AMD Athlon XP 2700+

All that (including buying Windows XP and a tower) cos me roughly 600, and it'll run circles around the Dell.

Last X-mas I upgraded to 1 Gig DDR Ram, Asus nVIDIA GeForce 6600 graphics card, switched the motherboard from a crappy Chaintech (never buy Chaintech hardware) motherboard to a ABIT MB, and went from 2 USB ports to 8 in the process. This cost me about $250 (gfx cards are expensive).

This thing is easily better than 95 percent of the computers I've used, including Dells, Gateways, and G5s.

My point is that Dell is ripping you off. Sure, you get a monitor (only 14.1"?) and a free printer, but the very thing you wanna replace is what's being cheaepned out on. Avoid Celeron processors...they're junk. If at all possible, you should consider building one or have a friend build/help you build it. It's fun and pretty easy. I built mine on a budget, and it runs great.

If you wanna improve your computer experience on the cheap, slap a gig of Ram into your comp, get a new HD of at least 50 gigs, get a copy of Windows XP, and get a decent gfx card. It'll run 10 times better easily. If any of this sunds appealing and you'd like some help or advice on computer stuff, just lemmie know

205396[/snapback]

Alright... for all the more I use a computer for, I just need something better than the POS I have to deal with now. 256mb of RAM is bad? What about 128 that I have now. 40gb of hard drive is unnacceptable? What about 9.52? And I'm currently only using a third of that 9.52gbs. 40gb isnt enough when Im only using about 4 as it is?

As far as upgrading it, No. It's not worth it. I'd rather have a completely new computer with a warranty. The only good thing about it is the Printer I have hooked up to it, which is its 4th. Otherwise, the moniter is just about shot. The speakers are just about shot. I'm on my second keyboard, second mouse, and both are going to be need replaced soon. I only have a CD drive. There are numerous other things outdated with it, including the software. It would simply cost too much to upgrade it. It's a POS and not worth it.

Second, I want a laptop. I do not have the room in my bedroom for a desktop, nor the money to buy a desk to sit it on. This will not be the family computer like the one Im using is. It will be for my use only and again, I dont use computers for much. Internet, a game or two, image editing, and thats about it. This computer can't handle any games, but its acceptable for atleast the other stuff... somewhat. So Im really just looking for a new, better computer in laptop form.. just one that is good enough and isnt going to cost me more than $500.

Dude, forget the Dell.

Substantially better deal $499.00

AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3200+

160GB SATA 7200RPM hard drive

512MB RAM

DVD±RW

9-in-1 USB flash card reader - for your digi-cam

Substantially better deal number 2 $439.00

AMD's Athlon 64 3500+

200GB, 7200 RPM hard drive

512MB ram

DVD±RW Dual Layer

Internal Flash Media Reader

Both of these machines have their pluses and minuses over each other, but either one you go with will be a better buy than the Dell. Both of these machines are Microsoft Vista capable where as the Dell won't be.

205407[/snapback]

I'll have to look into those, but they're desktops. No me gusta.

Our home has a Dell Inspiron 6000 and an Apple iBook.....the iBook pwns the Dell anyday!  Ever thought of going Mac?  iBooks are gone now but they've been replaced by Mac Books and Mac Book Pros.  If you insist on going PC, try the Sony and Toshibas.  Dells are being price slashed left and right, for a reason!

Good luck with your search though, I love my iBook, wouldn't go back to a desktop.

205476[/snapback]

I love Apple, but they're simply too expensive.

256 Megs of Ram? My 1998 IBM Aptiva, Pentium II has more than that!...

Save your money and buy a Toshiba or Sony Laptop.

205512[/snapback]

My 1998 Gateway Essential with a Pentium III has half that. So yeah.

Appreciate trying to help, though, guys. It just hasnt helped, yet. If you can find a better laptop for under $500, then you'll help.

Edited October 17, 2006 by blackviper8891

[Intrepidation]

Even for basic stuff BV 256 doesn't cut it, it will not make as a big a difference as you think. Get 512 at the least, THAT will make a difference. 40 is ok, but the Celeron is not. It might as well be a P3.

Seriously, if you buy this thing, at least buy an extra 256 ram stick and shove it in. As it is now...it ani't worth 500.

[daves87rs]

BV-I would hold out for a few more months...

then you will find what you want for 5-600 bucks...

Once the Duos are out for a while longer...then even they will cheap down..

I spotted an HP LT w/ a centrino(sp?) 1GB, 100HD, media center, and quite a

bit more for 600 bucks on sale...they are out there.

[daves87rs]

Celerons = bad

but if you're set on this machine, do yourself a favor now and spend a little extra to get at least 512megs of ram. Windows XP doesn't like running on only 256, the extra memory make a huge difference.

205404[/snapback]

My old Gateway desktop was a 256, with a celeron, and it handled XP okay...

THough on a laptop....I would never, ever want a celeron....

[pow]

And remember, there's no point to a fast computer without a decent 'net connection!

[Cory Wolfe]

Even for basic stuff BV 256 doesn't cut it, it will not make as a big a difference as you think. Get 512 at the least, THAT will make a difference. 40 is ok, but the Celeron is not. It might as well be a P3.

Seriously, if you buy this thing, at least buy an extra 256 ram stick and shove it in. As it is now...it ani't worth 500.

205693[/snapback]

Well, 128 cuts it for basic stuff on me POS. I'm not looking for something that will blow it away, I'm looking for something better, in the form of a laptop, and with a warranty. Again, I dont use a computer for all that much. I'm not a serious gamer, if a gamer at all. All I'll really use it for is internet and my photo editing programs. 256 is more than enough to handle that, Im sure. As far as Celeron goes, its in my bro's PC and its fine. He's a gamer and has it stuffed with dozens of games. It's still faster than this thing. Im sure it'll be fine even in a laptop. Same with 40mb hard drive. Espeically if Im only using 4mbs as it is.

And again, if its not worth $500, find me a better laptop for $500, not a penny more. If no one can do that, then you're not helping me any bit. You guys keep telling me how bad of deal it is and how not to get it. Well.. prove it with a better laptop for $500 or less. It's all Im asking.

BV-I would hold out for a few more months...

then you will find what you want for 5-600 bucks...

Once the Duos are out for a while longer...then even they will cheap down..

I spotted an HP LT  w/  a centrino(sp?) 1GB, 100HD, media center, and quite a

bit more for 600 bucks on sale...they are out there.

205705[/snapback]

Waiting doesnt make my max price go up.

And remember, there's no point to a fast computer without a decent 'net connection!

205714[/snapback]

Haha.. yeah, I'm still going to have dial up.

[FAPTurbo]

I think if you can bear with what you got now, I'd suggest waiting until you can get a computer with much more speed, power, and ability.

That new Windows Vista is rolling out soon, around Christmas I think... maybe wait until they start discounting the XP machines, you'll likely get some great deals on some great computers then.

[Drew Dowdell]

Well, 128 cuts it for basic stuff on me POS. I'm not looking for something that will blow it away, I'm looking for something better, in the form of a laptop, and with a warranty. Again, I dont use a computer for all that much. I'm not a serious gamer, if a gamer at all. All I'll really use it for is internet and my photo editing programs. 256 is more than enough to handle that, Im sure. As far as Celeron goes, its in my bro's PC and its fine. He's a gamer and has it stuffed with dozens of games. It's still faster than this thing. Im sure it'll be fine even in a laptop. Same with 40mb hard drive. Espeically if Im only using 4mbs as it is.

And again, if its not worth $500, find me a better laptop for $500, not a penny more. If no one can do that, then you're not helping me any bit. You guys keep telling me how bad of deal it is and how not to get it. Well.. prove it with a better laptop for $500 or less. It's all Im asking.

Waiting doesnt make my max price go up.

Haha.. yeah, I'm still going to have dial up.

205733[/snapback]

The point you're missing is that 128 or 256 would be just fine for Windows 98/ME, but insufficient for Windows XP.... which is what would come with your laptop.

you also don't want to get something that won't be able to run the next version of Windows. Those desktops I pointed out will do fairly well with Windows Vista when the time comes.

[Cory Wolfe]

Alright, I get it, but that still doesnt give me any other options. No one has yet found any other laptop for $500. That's my limit and desktops are out. So, if you're going to tell me all this, you have to back it up with something. Not desktops, not computers more than $500. Again, that's all I'm asking.

[Flybrian]

Do you need a laptop or do you want a laptop?

If you're intending to buy a laptop to use in the future for college or whatnot, what you're looking at is a waste of money. You're not going to find much good for that price. Period.

I'd recommend getting an affordable desktop now and saving for what you want in the future. Or build your own. Its really not that hard, you save money, and you get exactly what you want.

[Cory Wolfe]

Hmm... where am I going to put a desktop... Hmm... how about the closest? Yeah.

Oh and will you guys stop with the "save and up the price range". It doesnt work that way. I'm not the one buying it, my parents are. They bought my brother a PC a year or two ago and said they'd do the same for me... sometime. Well, it hapens to be sometime for once. I was given a max price of $500. Less is prefered, believe me. If I had the room for a desktop, I'd get one. But I have the smallest bedroom and yeah... unless I want it to sit on the floor and go in the closest, it's not going to work. Since this will be my computer, it wont technically be replacing the one I use now, which will keep its spot down here in the living room. I'm just going by what I have to work with. $500 or less; laptop.

Edited October 17, 2006 by blackviper8891

[Flybrian]

Hmm... where am I going to put a desktop... Hmm... how about the closest? Yeah.

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Free Compact Computer Desk

Oh and will you guys stop with the "save and up the price range". It doesnt work that way. I'm not the one buying it, my parents are. They bought my brother a PC a year or two ago and said they'd do the same for me... sometime. Well, it hapens to be sometime for once. I was given a max price of $500. Less is prefered, believe me. If I had the room for a desktop, I'd get one. But I have the smallest bedroom and yeah... unless I want it to sit on the floor and go in the closest, it's not going to work. Since this will be my computer, it wont technically be replacing the one I use now, which will keep its spot down here in the living room. I'm just going by what I have to work with. $500 or less; laptop.

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Then my suggestion is get that laptop you want, but pledge not to bitch one iota about it on these forums if its slower than you thought/wanted it to be and unupgradable.