Question:
Budget college laptop for friend
My friend is rather picky, couldn't find a good laptop to fit her reqs so I've come here for help :P.
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
Less than 800 after shipping/tax/handling/warranty and all that jazz.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
a. Ultraportable; 12" screen or less
b. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
14inch or smaller.
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
word processing, web browsing, whatever a MIT student does on a laptop. and play maplestory.
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
Not sure. Heat isn't too big a problem as she doesn't plan on using it on her lap. Will always be on a desk/surface. Might carry it around.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Maplestory. -_-
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
No toshiba, no mac, hates dell. But will take a dell if the deal is really worth it
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
I'm guessing doesn't matter much.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
She would prefer to buy it from a store in person.
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
United States
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
Doesn't matter
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
no preference
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
either
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
in her own words, "it has to be cute."
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
Before end of August. A few years
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
Doesn't matter
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
Can read DVDs
Answer:
Re: Budget college laptop for friend
A Dell E1405 will give you the most for your money, but I would go for the HP dv1000t if possible . . better quality and a nicer design.
Answer:
Re: Budget college laptop for friend
Wow!!! Less than $800 out the door, with warranty and "cute". Pretty tough order, you weren't kidding about her being picky:D
First thing that comes to mind is the Alienware Sentia - http://www.alienware.com/Configurato...de=SKU-DEFAULT You can get this for under $800 if you order the minimum configuration, but it's not much of a computer in the minimum configuration. (Slow processor, 256M RAM, small HD) Doesn't sound like her requirements are real intensive, though (not familiar with MapleStory) so it might be okay.
Other alternative would be maybe a Compaq V2000z or HP DV1000t. You could find a much better computer like this (Turion processor, 14-inch screen, 80G HD, 512 or 1G of RAM) for around $650 - $750 at one of the big-box stores after rebate, but it lacks the cuteness factor.
Gateway for $650 here http://officedepot.shoplocal.com/off...07007&offerid= (but not that cute and not sure it's in your area). (Oops, that one is a 15.4").
Averatec makes some nice systems - http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?Inv...g&cm_ite=total
(Girls tend to like the white case and small size), First link is refurbished, second is slower but new. One of the big-box stores had this with a rebate this week, but I can't figure out which one. Quality is so-so, though.