Question:
Budget / Best Bang for Buck Lappy Under $600
Hello. Thanks to the admins and members of this forum. What a great place for help on picking out a laptop. My hat off to everyone.
I need some help picking out a laptop. This will be my first laptop that I am buying. I have a really good home built desktop PC that fills my higher end gaming needs but just want a laptop to take around the house and surf the web wherever with good speed and efficency and also be able to play some older games or watch some DVDs incase I go on a trip. I would like to get something under $600 to fulfill my needs. If I have to buy a better battery or upgrade RAM in the future that is fine. Just looking for under $600 for a starting price. However I am one to not waste money, so if I have to spend some more money to get a "Bigger Bang for the Buck" I am all for that because I really dont like buying junk, but at the same time I dont like going overboard.
Anyways I will mention that I have purchased a Compaq Presario V5201US and is currently being shipped to me however I am thinking that I may be able to do better or maybe not. I was able to get this laptop for $530. I am not sure if I can post where the deal is or not on this forum. But anyways the detailed specs of this laptop can be found here...
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/g...reg_R1002_USEN
I have posted my requirements below. Please let me know if what I bought is a good deal or if I can find better value in a different product.
THANKS A BUNCH!!!!
General Questions
1) What is your budget?
Less than $600 shipped or a little over if its significantly better.
2) What size notebook would you prefer?
c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?
I will be using this laptop mainly to surf the web, watch DVD's Burn DVD's and possibly play some older games such as WarCraft 3. Gaming aspect not all that important but can be a plus...
4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?
I will be taking it with me places, however size and thickness not an issue.
5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
This isnt that important however it would be nice to play older games as I mentioned above. I am thinking about games like Diablo or WarCraft 3. Just simple games to pass the time if I am bored.
6) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
No preference.
7) How many hours of battery life do you need?
No preference, as I can always buy additional battery in the future.
8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?
I dont mind buying online, as I am sure that there are pics out there somewhere.
9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?
Milwauke, WI USA
Screen Specifics
10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?
No Preference
11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?
No preferance
12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?
No Preferance.
Build Quality and Design
13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
No, I just want a touchpad, which is standard on all lappys nowadays I believe.
14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?
I am buying this laptop this week and want it to last at least 2 years.
Notebook Components
15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 120GB?
No Preference
16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?
DVD-RW
Answer:
Re: Budget / Best Bang for Buck Lappy Under $600
Best Buy had a Core Duo Toshiba A100 (15") for $599 last weekend. With a free printer, no less. That seemed like a killer deal to me.
Maybe there will be more back-to-school sales coming up. I'd keep on an eye on the ad inserts and on certain Web sites like NewEgg and Fry's Outpost.
Chris
Answer:
Re: Budget / Best Bang for Buck Lappy Under $600
You might want to check out the compaq v5000 or maybe even then v2000z. If you get the XPRESS 200M graphics card in either of them (they both have the option) you will be fine playing older games.
Answer:
Re: Budget / Best Bang for Buck Lappy Under $600
You might want to check out the compaq v5000 or maybe even then v2000z. If you get the XPRESS 200M graphics card in either of them (they both have the option) you will be fine playing older games.
The V5201US has this video card in it. It actually is the V5000 just a preconfigured model.