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>>> Official Black Friday LAPTOP Discussion Thread <<<

Brad

By Brad
in 2007

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stationchief

stationchief

Posted
Posted

Hey guys...

 

On the laptop deal, I agree about the whole Vista being a memory hog thing. CAN we purchase the laptop (BF or otherwise) have the guys UN-INSTALL Vista and put XP in instead? Or are we stuck with that mess?

Most of the time with store retailers you're stuck with what comes in the box. :( Which nowdays is Vista all around. If 'ya want an XP OS, or anything other than Vista, you gotta buy a second OS installation CD and I don't think Vista can downgrade well so it's gotta be a full version. :mad: The only way around this I know of is to buy from Dell who is one of the last manufacturers that offers XP or Vista as a choice.

 

Check the other thread to read about other options available to 'ya if you're stuck with Vista. (OEM CDs, eBay, or just buying more memory).

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Lisa1988

Lisa1988

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Hey Guys!

 

What do you think about this Laptop?

 

Acer 14.1" Aspire 4520-5803 Laptop PC w/ AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TK-53

 

Please let know.

 

(You can look it up on the Walmart-Homepage. I wanted to put in a link, but I'm not allowed to put in links in my messages, because I'm a new Member.)

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IceQueen

IceQueen

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Most of the time with store retailers you're stuck with what comes in the box. :( Which nowdays is Vista all around. If 'ya want an XP OS, or anything other than Vista, you gotta buy a second OS installation CD and I don't think Vista can downgrade well so it's gotta be a full version. :mad: The only way around this I know of is to buy from Dell who is one of the last manufacturers that offers XP or Vista as a choice.

 

Check the other thread to read about other options available to 'ya if you're stuck with Vista. (OEM CDs, eBay, or just buying more memory).

I can always add more memory -- all the ones I've been looking at can be upgraded, and it's not that much for memory. Frankly, if I didn't have to use this thing for work, I wouldn't need to worry about the extra memory, so it might almost be a bonus to buy the basic computer, then buy the extra memory and bill it to my company since THAT's the difference maker between what I want for me and what I would need for work. Neither here nor there though *laugh*

 

Just wasn't sure if the geek squad guys or others like them could do that.

 

Does Dell have a BF or CyberMonday sale?

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artie852

artie852

Posted
Posted

Hey guys...

 

On the laptop deal, I agree about the whole Vista being a memory hog thing. CAN we purchase the laptop (BF or otherwise) have the guys UN-INSTALL Vista and put XP in instead? Or are we stuck with that mess?

it can be done, my gf father just bought a new laptop for her and transfered her XP desktop hard drive into laptop hardrive. now she has all her files and XP operating system on her laptop.

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stationchief

stationchief

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it can be done, my gf father just bought a new laptop for her and transfered her XP desktop hard drive into laptop hardrive. now she has all her files and XP operating system on her laptop.

Yes, I agree it can be done. You can take one PC's OS, and everything on the hard drive, and transfer it into another computer whether it's either desktop or laptop. But it's also very risky if you don't know exactly what you're doing.

 

AHEM. Class, let's begin 'PC Teknobabble 101':

See, you can't just copy the OS and everything on one PC's hard drive straight to another PC. Windows keeps track of alot of data about the computer it's originally installed in, so if alot of major specs change suddenly (different type of processor, chipset, amount of memory, yada yada) you'll confuse your OS and at the very least it'll be bogged down regardless of how fast the new PC is. Windows doesn't know exactly when it's inside a new computer. A few things need to be done with the registry, the virtual memory, and a bunch of other stuff to let Windws XP know it's in a new computer now. You can either find software that'll do that for 'ya or have someone from the BB Geek Squad or another tekkie transfer it. Also, hopefully the new hard drive in the laptop is as big or larger than the desktop PC's. 'Ya can't copy what 'ya don't have room for.

 

Just thought I'd chime in just in case anyone else gets any ideas about doing the same thing. ;) Thank you for your attention. :D

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stationchief

stationchief

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I can always add more memory -- all the ones I've been looking at can be upgraded, and it's not that much for memory. Frankly, if I didn't have to use this thing for work, I wouldn't need to worry about the extra memory, so it might almost be a bonus to buy the basic computer, then buy the extra memory and bill it to my company since THAT's the difference maker between what I want for me and what I would need for work. Neither here nor there though *laugh*

Wish I could buy a brand new laptop and make my company eat the bill for it. :yup:

 

Just wasn't sure if the geek squad guys or others like them could do that.

Sure they can. That's what they're there for. Just gotta make sure you have an open memory slot to begin with when you buy the laptop. You can still upgrade if all the memory slots are taken up, it's just more expensive that way.

 

Does Dell have a BF or CyberMonday sale?

I don't think they celebrate BF specifically, but they always have some sort of big specials goin' on right around the 4th quarter, which is right about now. :D Not too long ago there was a coupon code to get something like $200-400 off your Dell order. Dunno if it's still goin' on now. Look around GottaDeal and you'll find some Dell offers. :yup:

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stationchief

stationchief

Posted
Posted

Hey Guys!

 

What do you think about this Laptop?

 

Acer 14.1" Aspire 4520-5803 Laptop PC w/ AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TK-53

 

Please let know.

 

(You can look it up on the Walmart-Homepage. I wanted to put in a link, but I'm not allowed to put in links in my messages, because I'm a new Member.)

Then I will :D

 

Walmart.com direct link:

Acer 14.1" Aspire 4520-5803 Laptop PC w/ AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TK-53

 

And the tekkie specs from Global Acer:

Aspire® 4520 Technical specifications

 

CrystalBrite 14.1" widescreen LCD

1.7 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core mobile processor TK-53

1 GB of DDR2 system memory

120 GB hard drive

SuperMulti DVD+/-RW drive with double-layer support

Built-in CrystalEye Web cam and microphone

Acer InviLink802.11b/g wireless LAN

5-in-1 digital media card reader

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition

$568.00

 

Not a bad deal at all for a dual-core laptop, and less than $600 makes it even better. The memory should be enough for Vista, however it's not cheaply upgradable as both memory slots are taken up. The graphics are OK as well (GeForce Mobility 7000) depending whether or not it's gonna be a heavy duty/gaming/graphics machine. Time will tell depending on exactly how you're using it. But it's a great everyday laptop. If 'ya wait 'till BF someone might have something that matches that very closely for a lil' cheaper.

 

If you want a more supercharged up machine and need on right now, here's the next step up: Acer 15.4" Aspire 5520-5912 Laptop PC w/ AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TL-58

A lil' faster, bigger screen, twice the memory, and 40GB more hard drive storage for about $130 more. :D

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Lisa1988

Lisa1988

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Thanks so much for your answer. This helps me a lot.

I also think it's a good Laptop for me because I don't do anything with games or graphics.. I just need it for Skype, Icq, Music, etc.

 

I am thinking about buying it after Christmas. I can spend my Christmas-money for something that make sense then :)

Do you think it'll get cheaper after Christmas?

,

Thanks again for your answer ;)

Warm regards;

Lisa

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someguynamedmat

someguynamedmat

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It'd be interesting to see if the retail stores decide to put out laptops with dedicated cards this year instead of integrated for their doorbuster deals. I'd love to see something with a midrange video card for some casual gaming or photoshop work.

 

Also if it hasn't already been mentioned- getting ram at the store may not be the best route. They may take advantage of that avenue to 'stick it too you' for getting one of those cheap lappy's. Take advantage of newegg and other online retailers after the ad has come out. Last year after the ad was released a friend of mine ordered the upgrade for his laptop, which he hadn't even gotten, but black friday rolled around, he got his laptop and that same day his memory upgrade came in. Sweet deal there. And upgrading memory is NOT hard at all. If you can twist a screwdriver, then you can install memory.

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nirvana4all

nirvana4all

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i agree that the above deal isnt bad, but for the same $ (549 in this case), you can get just a bit more: Toshiba's A215-s7422 at OD. It has a faster processor, 40gb more HD, a 15.4" screen.

 

To do it with only $50 in MIR, CC has the DV6605US HP with a slightly faster processor than the walmart deal with 40gb more HD and again a 15.4" screen all for $569.

 

The real non-MIR is at BB with the T-1616 8543506 at $599 with 40GB more HD space and I believe a faster processor. In this case however, I am unsure if it comes with built in wifi.

 

Put together, I would go for the first deal I mentioned IF you were to buy at a brick and mortar right now.

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IceQueen

IceQueen

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Wish I could buy a brand new laptop and make my company eat the bill for it. :yup:

 

 

 

Sure they can. That's what they're there for. Just gotta make sure you have an open memory slot to begin with when you buy the laptop. You can still upgrade if all the memory slots are taken up, it's just more expensive that way.

 

 

 

I don't think they celebrate BF specifically, but they always have some sort of big specials goin' on right around the 4th quarter, which is right about now. :D Not too long ago there was a coupon code to get something like $200-400 off your Dell order. Dunno if it's still goin' on now. Look around GottaDeal and you'll find some Dell offers. :yup:

 

Thanks for the reply, Chief!! I can't make them eat the laptop (man I wish -- their fault!!) BUT I can argue and win the extra memory needed to handle their software. So at least it would be something.

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Lisa1988

Lisa1988

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i agree that the above deal isnt bad, but for the same $ (549 in this case), you can get just a bit more: Toshiba's A215-s7422 at OD. It has a faster processor, 40gb more HD, a 15.4" screen.

 

To do it with only $50 in MIR, CC has the DV6605US HP with a slightly faster processor than the walmart deal with 40gb more HD and again a 15.4" screen all for $569.

 

The real non-MIR is at BB with the T-1616 8543506 at $599 with 40GB more HD space and I believe a faster processor. In this case however, I am unsure if it comes with built in wifi.

 

Put together, I would go for the first deal I mentioned IF you were to buy at a brick and mortar right now.

What does "MIR" mean and "OD" ??

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stationchief

stationchief

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How can you tell if your laptop has more memory slots available?

You either look up the laptop's technical info on the manufacturer's 'official' website, or you open it up yourself and visualize what's in there. It should just be a screw you take out and a lil' plate to pop out to see what memory you have on the back of your laptop. If you attempt this, just please be sure to unplug it and take out the battery first.

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latrischler

latrischler

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I'm so far behind - what is dual core? I want a laptop! But not even sure what I need to do what I do on my desktop. The big thing is I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 5 for all my digi scrapping - and I use ACDSee to organize, tag and pull files from. Aparently I was told that if my laptop can't handle it it will run super slow.... I also use MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Frontpage frequently. I currently have used about 50G on my desktop HD. But as far as computer hardware and terminology, I'm in the dark. Any gurus out there that can enlighten me? ;) THANKS!
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stationchief

stationchief

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Crucial's website has a utility that will help with this

That might work, but I'm a lil' shy about installing ActiveX add-ons and stuff I don't exactly know about. There's lots of freeware utilities that'll scan your memory, along with the rest of your system, and tell 'ya what type you have, how much, and in which slots.

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stationchief

stationchief

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I'm so far behind - what is dual core? I want a laptop! But not even sure what I need to do what I do on my desktop. The big thing is I use Adobe Photoshop Elements 5 for all my digi scrapping - and I use ACDSee to organize, tag and pull files from. Aparently I was told that if my laptop can't handle it it will run super slow.... I also use MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Frontpage frequently. I currently have used about 50G on my desktop HD. But as far as computer hardware and terminology, I'm in the dark. Any gurus out there that can enlighten me? ;) THANKS!

Dual-core = faster acces to your programs, and certain processor-dependent programs (graphics design, CD/DVD making/authoring) run faster.

 

Far as a good laptop for 'ya, it seems like even the most basic of laptops would be OK if you're able to give it a memory upgrade. They're good for MS Office and for storing/managing photos. You might want to consider either something that has a larger hard drive for your GB worth of goodies, or invest in an external hard drive to store 'em on. And upgrading Vista to at least a gig or more would probably be necessary as you seem to run alot of programs frequently and all at a time.

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rickjs

rickjs

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If you're lookin for a new laptop, at least try to make sure it has 2gigabytes of memory. Nowadays, 2gigs is kinda standard.

 

Annnyway....If there was a really cheap laptop at Best Buy, would I need a ticket or something to get it in line?

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happysunshine28

happysunshine28

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If you're lookin for a new laptop, at least try to make sure it has 2gigabytes of memory. Nowadays, 2gigs is kinda standard.

 

Annnyway....If there was a really cheap laptop at Best Buy, would I need a ticket or something to get it in line?

You would get a ticket in line if you are one of the lucky ones in the front.

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stationchief

stationchief

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Posted

If you're lookin for a new laptop, at least try to make sure it has 2gigabytes of memory. Nowadays, 2gigs is kinda standard.

 

Annnyway....If there was a really cheap laptop at Best Buy, would I need a ticket or something to get it in line?

Basically, you'd need to pretty much skip thanksgiving dinner, show up as one of the first dozen in line, and wait about 12 hours for them to pass out the laptop tickets. :eyepoppin Things might differ at your local BB, but that's the trend for the past few years at popular BB stores. Usually the ultra-popular items, like dirt cheap laptops, are very limited in quantity and only go to the first few folks in line that ask for it.

 

Far as the standard for Vista laptops, I'd say upgrade to about a gig for basic usage, and about 2 gigs for more complex stuff. Or downgrade to XP if 'ya can.

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Honeyb2fly

Honeyb2fly

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Hello,

 

i'm very new to posting but I read the forums all the time, I went ahead and bit the bullet and puchased my laptop yesterday, Bestbuy had a dirt cheap display model of the Sony vaio vgncr120e. It was valued at almost 1,300 brand new and they marked it down to 809.00 because it had a tiny scratch on it. So you might want to check out bestbuy and see if they have any clearance items.

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DramaQueenLucy

DramaQueenLucy

Posted
Posted

Hello,

 

i'm very new to posting but I read the forums all the time, I went ahead and bit the bullet and puchased my laptop yesterday, Bestbuy had a dirt cheap display model of the Sony vaio vgncr120e. It was valued at almost 1,300 brand new and they marked it down to 809.00 because it had a tiny scratch on it. So you might want to check out bestbuy and see if they have any clearance items.

 

Thanks for the tip and welcome to gottadeal....:D

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