496 replies to this topic

[Novac]

If you're talking about RAM and you're running WinXP or Windows Vista, I would suggest 512MB as a bare minimum.

If you're talking about hard drive size and you're not gaming, then 40GB is pretty common and cheap and should last you a while. Keep in mind, however, that you might someday get a digital camera and/or start putting all your pictures on your computer, and that 40GB won't seem so big. With current prices, 150GB is a nice size that will be big enough for you even if you start doing more stuff with your computer.

[litebluesky]

Actually there is no "best" - although I guess some people will argue that more is always better. For just Email I think you could get away with about anything - 256mb or less. You could probably run an office suite with that - without it too noticeably bogging down. I have run larger operating systems like 2000 and xp with that and had no problems.Heck I have even run 2000 on 64mb. However, It's not likely very many new laptops are going to be coming out with less than 512mb. I would imagine a lot of people would think about the coning microsoft 'vista' op system and reccomend 1 Gb of memory as a base configuration. Robert

[RossMAN]

What's a good size memory for the average user? I do not use for gaming just business and e-mail. Thanks

RAM - 512MB as a bare minimum but the new Windows Vista works best with at least 1GB RAM.

Hard Drive - 60GB or larger would be ideal.

[stationchief]

What's a good size memory for the average user? I do not use for gaming just business and e-mail. Thanks

256MB of memory is what most laptops are gonna ship with. 512MB is ideal so you can run internet and email protection software.

It seems like 'ya asked about RAM memory, not necessarily hard drive space. But in case 'ya did, 40GB is gonna be the typical storage space. That's pretty decent for storing emails and installing business software.

[jellybean051901]

If they have a laptop similar to the one WM had last year, would that be sufficient for stuff like internet and family tree maker? That is what I primarily want the laptop for is genealogy

[stationchief]

If they have a laptop similar to the one WM had last year, would that be sufficient for stuff like internet and family tree maker? That is what I primarily want the laptop for is genealogy

Absolutely, with an additional 256MB memory upgrade. That's the one I got last year (HP Pavillion ze2000) and have basically been using it for high-speed wireless internet, email, and overall desktop replacement stuff. My aunt's interested in buying it from me so I can make some money for a better media based laptop this BF. Coincidentally, she wants it for internet as well as for Family Tree Maker for converting a very long history of our family's genealogy.

Expect someone to offer a few similar to that WM laptop, but I think it's gonna be a bit cheaper to make room for the so-called 'Vista-compatable' laptops.

[ShopQueen]

I'm in the market for a Toshiba....my dell laptop is below average for what they are hyped up to be. I have three friends with toshiba's and they love them, as do I!

[happysunshine28]

I'm in the market for a Toshiba....my dell laptop is below average for what they are hyped up to be. I have three friends with toshiba's and they love them, as do I!

Their Toshica's could have nore upgrades than yours. If you get the cheapest in any brand it wont be as good as others who opted for more memory and hard drive, graphics, etc. Make sure you get what thay have in theirs or better in order to be just as satisfied.

[stationchief]

Their Toshica's could have nore upgrades than yours. If you get the cheapest in any brand it wont be as good as others who opted for more memory and hard drive, graphics, etc. Make sure you get what thay have in theirs or better in order to be just as satisfied.

All depends on when THEY bought theirs. The cheapest now might have been the more expensive ones a few years ago. If you're really interested in Toshibas, I think there might be one or two for sale on BF.

I never actually owned a Toshiba, but I'd recommend staying with Dell any way possible. Upgradable modular bays and graphics cards are the way to go, and if you buy a new model, even if it's the cheapest one, they got good customer support. Get a Dell that blows your friends' Toshibas away, then you can brag all day long.

[ShopQueen]

All depends on when THEY bought theirs. The cheapest now might have been the more expensive ones a few years ago. If you're really interested in Toshibas, I think there might be one or two for sale on BF.

I never actually owned a Toshiba, but I'd recommend staying with Dell any way possible. Upgradable modular bays and graphics cards are the way to go, and if you buy a new model, even if it's the cheapest one, they got good customer support. Get a Dell that blows your friends' Toshibas away, then you can brag all day long.

The other thing with DELL is their support is horrible. I've had to call about 4 times in the time I've owned in and everytime I either got the run around or was treated rudely.

[stationchief]

The other thing with DELL is their support is horrible. I've had to call about 4 times in the time I've owned in and everytime I either got the run around or was treated rudely.

I've always heard people complimenting Dell for their customer support, but I guess it all depends.

Also, this brings up about 5 cents worth of free advice on buying a new laptop. Reaearch on how durable the laptop is and if you'll EVER have to call the manufacturer for something wrong with it. I got the cheap HP laptop from WM last year and, to this day, nothing has gone wrong with it hardware-wise yet. Had to re-format the hard drive a few times, but that's because I keep installing malware. It's only a year old so far, but so far it's still goin' strong. Dunno about HP's customer support because I haven't had to call 'em yet.

[3dnick]

I am on my 4th laptop in the past 5 years.. I have bought the more expensive and the cheapiest I could find. I have had gateway, dell, acer,and now a compact presario. I like the compact the best. I did have nothing but problems with the dell, the gateway I bought was bought as new but the kids showed me dates in the computer where it had to be used before at least for a year the acer was a good computer till one of the kids spilt water on it and now they have to use it with a keyboard attached to it.. By the way if anyone has any suggestions on what to do with that it would be greatly appreciated.

[Grannyof3boys]

My Toshiba from last year's CC sale is still running fine.

I would imagine Dell will do something similar to last year, but I'm not interested in a computer this year. I'm looking out for a big LCD panel.

Ours is still doing great it works better than my HP I got 2 months before the Toshiba. Should of waited and got 2 of them and saved $$$.

[caramel]

My cousin called me last night asking whether she should buy her friend's laptop or wait to score one on BF. The one her friend is selling her is the HP 4150 Omnibook that has been upgraded from the original specs. It now has 16 GB and a CDRW/DVD and XP (compared to the original 6 GB windows 98 CDrom version) and is asking $150 for it. Would it be plausible that she can find something in the $250 price range on a new laptop on BF? And would she have to actually wait in line the night before to have any kind of chance of scoring these deals? Any help would be appreciated!

[stationchief]

My cousin called me last night asking whether she should buy her friend's laptop or wait to score one on BF. The one her friend is selling her is the HP 4150 Omnibook that has been upgraded from the original specs. It now has 16 GB and a CDRW/DVD and XP (compared to the original 6 GB windows 98 CDrom version) and is asking $150 for it. Would it be plausible that she can find something in the $250 price range on a new laptop on BF? And would she have to actually wait in line the night before to have any kind of chance of scoring these deals?

Any help would be appreciated!

The cheaper BF laptops should be around the $300 range. Keep in mind those are brand new laptops, not used ones.

Regarding that Omnibook, the processor and memory chips it uses are probably well outta date. Those are the things about that laptop you can't upgrade. The BF laptops will most like have a 40G hard drives, at least 256MB memory, DVD/CD-R drives, faster processors, and more state-of-the-art internal workings. Will be a lil' more expensive, but it's worth it.

As for gettin' one, being one of the first in line and waiting all that time is probably gonna be the only way to snag one. They'r ereally popular and are gonna go really fast. About the only laptops that might still be there after the line's filtered out will probably be the more expensive ones. Just a small price to pay for a cheap laptop.

[j-bo]

Dont buy the used notebook. 16gb? ha. Wonder how much ram is in that thing, 128mb probably at the most. Pass on it. Spend the few extra hundred and get something a bit more up to date. The screen will probably be much brighter also.

[flinstone666]

Any concerns about the computers bought during BF not having MS Vista on them?

[j-bo]

I personally don't think Vista is going to be so much better than xp that you'd have to worry about it myself and want to go out and get it. Besides, I also wouldn't be surprised if they don't come with a vista coupon. Of course, that's a wild guess. hahaha.

[stationchief]

Any concerns about the computers bought during BF not having MS Vista on them?

No real concerns, since Vista hasn't been officially released until about 1st quarter next year. Most laptops that come with XP Home will have a 50% off coupon for Vista, and the laptops with Media Center Ed will come with a free Vista upgrade coupon.

Vista is kinda 'iffy' right now. XP will probably do most people's laptops just fine anyway.

[GEEBEE711]

My Toshiba from last year's CC sale is still running fine.

I would imagine Dell will do something similar to last year, but I'm not interested in a computer this year. I'm looking out for a big LCD panel.

Mine works perfect as well!

[caramel]

Well I told my cousin that I saw the November blitz ad for the Walmart laptop going for about $398 and that it will likely be less than that come BF but she went ahead and bought the laptop from her friend anway! But supposedly her friend told her she can return it if she finds a better deal on BF so we'll see. Thanks for your help!

[stationchief]

Just thought I'd give a shoutout for the laptop in Wal-Mart's ad on Nov. 5th-11th. Compaq Presario V5305WM for $398.00. No rebates. You can discuss the laptop or the ad itself on GottaDeal's other WM specific forum, but I'm really hyped about something else. If this is what WM is gonna offer now, doesn't it just boggle your mind to think what they're gonna bring out for their blitz-day doorbuster? Man, this laptop can run circles around WM's non-upgraded Pavillion from last BF. What do y'all think WM is gonna do for BF laptops now?

[backpacktwc]

I can't wait. The WM by me is one that's open all night. I plan on getting into line about 2 am. Last year we woke up late, at 9:00 AM, wow, we were nervous. We still wound up getting everything we wanted. I was amazed. We didn't do the big electronics buy like we usually do, so that made it easier. I almost got into a fight over a crock pot last year, it was funny. Everyone was lurking around looking for it, I just happened upon it, and grabbed the last one. I had to move pretty fast to get out of there. God, I love BF.

[miller205]

I am thinking of the Walmart Pre-BF laptop for DD1. She is not into gaming, she would just use it for surfing the internet and for schoolwork, some photo storage, and music. These might be stupid questions but do most laptops come standard with MS Office? I think it would be a lot to have to add this on after buying the laptop. Also, does the Walmart laptop come ready for wireless internet? I have no idea about these things and am hoping someone out there can help me out. Also, DD is only a junior in high school. I would like this laptop to get her through to at least her sophomore year in college. Does anyone think it would be unwise to buy her a laptop at this point? I am just thinking that it would be so convenient to have for filling out college apps online next year. Any advice and comments would be appreciated.

[PhaserBait]

I am thinking of the Walmart Pre-BF laptop for DD1. She is not into gaming, she would just use it for surfing the internet and for schoolwork, some photo storage, and music.
These might be stupid questions but do most laptops come standard with MS Office? I think it would be a lot to have to add this on after buying the laptop. Also, does the Walmart laptop come ready for wireless internet? I have no idea about these things and am hoping someone out there can help me out.
Also, DD is only a junior in high school. I would like this laptop to get her through to at least her sophomore year in college. Does anyone think it would be unwise to buy her a laptop at this point? I am just thinking that it would be so convenient to have for filling out college apps online next year.
Any advice and comments would be appreciated.

- The specs say it does have wireless, so you should be fine there.
- I've never seen MS Office come on a laptop this cheap. You can get a full version online for about $70.
- It is hard to tell how long it will last. I see no reason why it would fail in the next few years, but it really depends on what software she is running down the road. If she continues to run the same version of office and use the internet, it should work fine for several years. If she tries to upgrade to Vista (the new version of Windows) or a newer office that is sure to come out for Vista it may be pretty slow. You also never know what applications she may run in school. If she is going into some type of design school (architecture, engineering, graphics) it will likely not run the high-end programs she might want it to.
- Does she really need a laptop now? Maybe a desktop would be better this year and a laptop when she goes to college. In general, you should never buy a computer until you need it. There is nothing extra special about this year's deals. There will always be something cheaper and faster around the corner. If you can wait until next year you will definitely get a better deal.
- If you decide to get one this year, you could wait a few days to see if any black friday ads come out before this sale starts. If you don;t see anything, you could buy it and leave it boxed until you finish your black friday shopping. That way if you find a better deal you could just return it.

[miller205]

- - Does she really need a laptop now? Maybe a desktop would be better this year and a laptop when she goes to college. In general, you should never buy a computer until you need it. There is nothing extra special about this year's deals. There will always be something cheaper and faster around the corner. If you can wait until next year you will definitely get a better deal.
- If you decide to get one this year, you could wait a few days to see if any black friday ads come out before this sale starts. If you don;t see anything, you could buy it and leave it boxed until you finish your black friday shopping. That way if you find a better deal you could just return it.

She will be a music major. At best she will be running Syballius or Finale composition programs on her laptop and probably not even those. Aside from hooking her keyboard up to her laptop there is not much else she will use it for.

You make a good point about the Windows Vista coming out. I think it would be better to wait until next year when I can get something with a new operating system. I have been waffling bc she will be bringing it to college with her and I would rather maybe go with a Dell where I can get accident insurance on it and a good warranty. I have learned from her owning an Ipod that having the extended warranty can be a blessing.

Thanks for your help.

[stationchief]

I can't wait. The WM by me is one that's open all night. I plan on getting into line about 2 am. Last year we woke up late, at 9:00 AM, wow, we were nervous. We still wound up getting everything we wanted. I was amazed.

We didn't do the big electronics buy like we usually do, so that made it easier. I almost got into a fight over a crock pot last year, it was funny. Everyone was lurking around looking for it, I just happened upon it, and grabbed the last one. I had to move pretty fast to get out of there. God, I love BF.

2am, huh? Hope ya don't plan on gettin' any big electronics again this year. Plan on gettin' there a bit earlier to have a decent shot at a laptop or something, even if it's the 24 hour supercenter with tarp-covered doorbusters.

Good to hear you got the crockpot, though. That's what BF is all about.

[stationchief]

I am thinking of the Walmart Pre-BF laptop for DD1. She is not into gaming, she would just use it for surfing the internet and for schoolwork, some photo storage, and music.

That's pretty much what it's there for. That laptop should be great for all that.

These might be stupid questions but do most laptops come standard with MS Office? I think it would be a lot to have to add this on after buying the laptop.

First off, there are no stupid questions in the world. Just stupid answers.

As for MS Office, that doesn't often come standard. Most computers come with what's called MS Works, basically a toned-down version of Word. You could always get MS Word pretty cheap or Office for a lil' more moolah to install ourself. Mostt schools and colleges also offer major discounts on MS software.

Also, does the Walmart laptop come ready for wireless internet? I have no idea about these things and am hoping someone out there can help me out.

Last I checked it came with an internal wireless LAN, which is the wireless reciever. All 'ya need is a high-speed, non-dialup internet connection(something to send wirelessly) and a broadband router (the wireless broadcaster for said internet) to create wireless internet.

Also, DD is only a junior in high school. I would like this laptop to get her through to at least her sophomore year in college. Does anyone think it would be unwise to buy her a laptop at this point? I am just thinking that it would be so convenient to have for filling out college apps online next year.

That laptop should last a while. There pretty durable. My WM laptop from the last BF has been takin' quite a beating and is still goin' strong. HP has a pretty decent warranty, but I dunno if they offer an extended one. Far as the laptop specifications, it's got a large hard drive and a good amount of memory so she'l lbe good there for a long while, long as she doesn't become interested in 'Doom 3' or something.

Any advice and comments would be appreciated.

No prob.

And to comment onb your previous response about hooking up instruments, remember that laptops don't come with very many external ports. Usually just USB and audio/video. She may need some expensive USB-to-MIDI connectors if she doesn't have that already.

And for Windows Vista, It should be Vista 'ready' as they say. Might need to double-check, but it should come with a 50% of upgrade coupon for Vista. But, to be honest, for most people XP is gonna suit almost all needs just fine. I wouldn't worry too much about a major upgrade to Vista.

[g-man430]

RUMOR: BB will be having 2 laptops for doorbusters this year. This is due to the high inventory on these laptops. Condition is "One customer cannot have both". 1. Toshiba/Compaq Celeron, 256MB, 40GB for $300 2. Toshiba Core Duo, 512MB, 80GB, DVD+RW, for $380 Models not available at this time. Also, Sony VAIO FE770G Core 2 Duo for $700 which won't be a doorbuster. Did I mention, BB to open doors at 4am.

[aztater]

any hints of a really cheap laptop?