Computer experts-name a good cheap laptop
 

I've always used Dells thru work, but I need to buy one for myself. Is one of the entry-level Dell Inspirons OK for moderate use around home? E-mail, Word, Excel, internet is about all I need to do. Maybe an occasional DVD on long flights, and my MP3 collection.

I strongly suggest you stay away from the Toshiba Satellite series. I do warranty repairs for Toshiba and they are the worst. Too many problems. Satellite Pros are ok. I don't see many of those come in. I just bought a Fujitsu, but it was not cheap. I don't really now much about the other brands.

Dave

I have a Dell Inspiron 6000, pretty great laptop for the money

Under 1k

And light

Averatec

Typing on one now....

Dell. Great workhorse and cheap.

I'd agree with the Inspiron 6000 suggestion - got one 15 months ago and it's been great (I've had bad laptops like the Dell 5150) and heavily used. Mine was a bit more than $1k, though, with the highest resolution screen, extra lifetime batteries, etc. One downside is that it's a fairly heavy, fullsize laptop (which I prefer when I'm not lugging it around).

Whatever you do get something with the wide (16:9) screen - you'll never go back...

I use an Acer tablet for work. I'm a network engineer, and the thing has been on about 12 hours a day for the past 18 months. Solid.

I did have a problem with the tablet screen when I first got the machine. Acer customer service was excellent.

That being said, Dell and Toshiba are both solid choices. Don't count out Lenovo (formerly IBM).

Averatec

I travel for a living. Worst case scenario for a laptop. Have had Sony Vaio for the last 3 laptops. Covers 12 years. They go obsolete before they break. I had one be run over by a towed airplane. Destroyed everything in the bag except the computer. Is the one I am on now on Mikonos, in Greece.

Got mine with point accrued from Marriott.

The best cheap laptop is a used high-end model, imo. My two favorites are the IBM Thinkpad and Sony VAIO series.

I use a Gateway, got it from Circuit city. On sale around $750. Its a good sufer, with the AV stuff already installed. Ticks my wife off I have the funstuff and her expensive HP is missing a card reader! :) The vurtual memory could be better but I could also pry some funds out of the wallet for the plug in thingie.

I bought my wife a entry level Gateway from Best Buy 3 months ago for $450.00 and by entry level I mean Celeron chip but it has 512K memory,60 gig H.D.,CD/DVD burner it's a very nice machine. I use a used Dell Lattitude that I've had for about a year now it has been rock solid.

You know the difference between a Gateway and a trampoline? You take your shoes off for a trampoline.



Sorry, couldn't resist! :D

Another VAIO supporter here. I am approaching one year with this one and not one propblem. My Dell that I had, ran way too hot, fried the motherboard one month out of warranty and their tech support is the absolute worst in the world.

I don't have a laptop but I'm thinking of getting one so I dropped in on this thread.

We have two Sony VAIO desktops here at work and I luv them.

What no apple heads out there? Oh sorry, you said cheap. :p

Second that and add HP to the list to stay away from. The produce the best printers in the world but their laptops are terrible.

+1 Spend about 200 nights a year on the road and have a Dell laptop with me. Using a 600m right now and its lasted 3 years, so its tough.

Also like IBM laptops and have heard good things about the Sony's.

When you buy your laptop (or any other major purchase) AmEx and some Visa/MC cards will double your factory warranty for FREE. They usually have a one year warranty, and buying it with a card like this gives you two years of warranty, which is more than enough.

I just bought one of these, Dell Inspiron E1405 35%off, http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/sna.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&~topic=dod

Typing on a Gateway that my daughter has used for 3 years of college. I have an old Gateway that is about 4 years old and trudges along but never a minute of downtime. Just bought my younger daughter a Lenovo for her freshman year. All 3 have served us well to date and were under 1000.00 when purchased

Apple computers have never been cheap. Neither have Porsches.