Budget Laptop Recommendations

F

Fix Me

Gawd
Joined
Mar 20, 2007
Messages
746
I'm looking for a budget laptop and have a few criteria:

Windows Vista Home Premium
2GB RAM
wireless (at least 802.11 b/g)
2-3 yr warranty
$800-$1000

This laptop will primarily be used for surfing the Internet(little to no gaming), so it doesn't need a huge hard drive or top of the line video. I would prefer not to use a top tier builder unless they are the best for reliable budget laptops. I was hoping Avadirect or Maingear might be a good choice, but I am unfamiliar with the reliability of their laptops. I am open to other good boutiques as well. Hopefully that covers everything... Thanks for any help!
 
Danny Bui said:
Just like in desktops, if you want reliability, you're gonna have to pay more for it. Also every single new laptop on sale these days comes with wifi installed. So no need to worry about that.

Here's a quick best buy search for ya:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...rrentprice+skuid&sc=abComputerSP&id=pcat17080
Click to expand...
Thanks for the link!

Do you think my budget is too low for a decent laptop? If so, what do you (or anyone else for that matter) recommend? Is there such a thing as a reliable budget laptop?
 
Fix Me said:
Thanks for the link!

Do you think my budget is too low for a decent laptop? If so, what do you (or anyone else for that matter) recommend? Is there such a thing as a reliable budget laptop?
Click to expand...

Bit low if you're wanting the warranty, that's usually extra.
 
I picked up a Toshiba Satellite A215-S4697 last week and have been really pleased with it so far. The build quality is excellent and it performs very well.

They were on sale for $550 at Circuit City and Office Depot, and I have a feeling that they will be again if you watch for it. It's only 1GB of RAM but at that price you can upgrade to 2GB and buy an extended warranty from Toshiba and still stay well within your budget.
 
hi, I just bought a used Dell E1405 from dell outlet for just under $700.

It was a scratch and dent, but I speak the truth when I say there are NO scratches to be found.

What I got in it:

Core 2 Duo 1.6 GHz
2 GB DDR2
80GB hard drive
Intel 945G Integrated gfx
Windows Vista Premium
 
Check www.powernotebooks.com and look at the sager and asus machines. It's a very small company (something like 4 or 5 people, I think); they rate very highly on www.resellerratings.com and between myself, my family, friends and my family's business we've bought probably 5, maybe 10 computers from them (I don't know exactly how many they have at work anymore) over the years and I've never had any complaints from anyone about their service.

Some of the lower-end Sagers and ASUS machines would fit what you're looking for, and both of them are going to be more reliable than a Dell or a Toshiba or whatever.

I'd also suggest considering an extended warranty for any laptop you buy; because of the conditions inside the machines (elevated temperatures...) generally speaking they're less reliable than desktops. The ASUS machines are probably just about the most reliable you'll get, but they're still not going to match a thoughtfully assembled desktop for long term durability.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top