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


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Posted

ive never purchased a laptop, always just used desktop, so i have a question..

 

how does the ram upgrading work? is it just one slot? on the website it says the max it can use is 2 gb. So if i buy a 2gb stick thats on sale for 55 dollars at best buy, is the 1gb of ram it comes with just removed and useless to me? or multiple so i can just buy a 1 gb and add it in?

 

for the vaio that is.

Ram slots in laptops come in 2 flavors: 2 slots (most common) and 4 slots (less common), if this one comes with 2 slots, most likely it has 2x512mb ram sticks that will be nice paperweights after you replace them with 2 x1Gb sticks, If you are lucky and it has 4 slots, then you will have 3 gb altogether, but this is unlikely.

Posted

Ram slots in laptops come in 2 flavors: 2 slots (most common) and 4 slots (less common), if this one comes with 2 slots, most likely it has 2x512mb ram sticks that will be nice paperweights after you replace them with 2 x1Gb sticks, If you are lucky and it has 4 slots, then you will have 3 gb altogether, but this is unlikely.

Or you could get very lucky and find the laptop has one slot occupied with a single 1GB stick of RAM, like the doorbuster Toshiba laptop BB had two years ago. That was a nice "extra" and made upgrading the RAM quite easy.

 

But, it'll probably have both slots occupied, as you said, with two 512MB strips, sad to say. Of course, with the price of memory like it is right now, it may be indeed cheaper for the mfgr. to resort to single 1GB strips of memory instead of two strips.

 

Time will tell...... :)

Posted

Ive always had a Desk Top, but the Processor is getting too old to bother with upgrades.

Debating on going to a Laptop for wireless purposes so I can take it room to room. I do mostly pictures, internet and Office applications. Would like to be able to burn all my documents and pics to DVD and music to CDS for the car. What should I look for and what should I avoid. I have a budget of under 1000 to work with, dont want an entry level but done want more than I need like a heavy duty gamer would want. Thanks for any suggestions. I have been watching the adds but totally lost these days :eyepoppin

Posted
Not sure if anyone responded to the original post about Appleton WI as I didnt read every post on this thread. I am from Appleton and yes, if you want the high demand items (such as laptops) from BB and CC, you will need to line up early. 2 years ago I was able to snag a laptop at BB by lining up at about 3am...this was just as the beginning of the BF Hype. Last year the lines started on Thanksgiving day. I would plan on lining up either late Thanksgiving night or early BF morning...especially if you want one of the high demand laptops. Hope this helps.
Posted
Anyone with experience with the laptops on sale at BB and Circuit City? I really like the Toshiba one at Circuit city, but Sony is a really good brand too. Oh, and which is better, AMD duo processor or Intel Duo processor?
Posted

Or you could get very lucky and find the laptop has one slot occupied with a single 1GB stick of RAM, like the doorbuster Toshiba laptop BB had two years ago. That was a nice "extra" and made upgrading the RAM quite easy.

 

But, it'll probably have both slots occupied, as you said, with two 512MB strips, sad to say. Of course, with the price of memory like it is right now, it may be indeed cheaper for the mfgr. to resort to single 1GB strips of memory instead of two strips.

 

Time will tell...... :)

It's not probably....it does have 2 x 512 MB strips.

Posted

Full Specs. For Sony Laptop; $399.99

 

Processor

Type: Intel® Pentium® Dual Core processor

T2310

Speed: 1.46GHz

Front Side Bus Speed: 533MHz

L2 Cache: 1MB

 

Memory

Type: DDR2

Installed: 1GB (512MBx2) PC2-4200

Maximum: 2GB

Speed: 533MHz

 

Hard Drive

Capacity: 120GB

Speed: 5400rpm (says 4200rpm on the ad but Sony.com says 5400rpm)

Interface: Serial ATA

 

Expansion Slots

Multimedia Card Reader: One Memory Stick

Duo™ media with MagicGate® functionality

One Secure Digital Media (SD)

One ExpressCard® /34 Slot

 

Display

Screen or Display Technology: WXGA LCD

Screen Size: 15.4”

Resolution: 1280 x 800

XBRITE-ECO™ Technology: Yes

 

Graphics

Processor: Mobile Intel® Graphics Media

Accelerator X3100

Video RAM: 251MB Total Available Graphics

Memory

Chipset: Mobile Intel® GL960 Express Chipset

Interface: VGA Out with Smart Display Sensor

 

Networking/Modem

Ethernet Protocol: Fast Ethernet (RJ-45)

Ethernet Speed: 10Base-T/100Base-TX

Modem Type: Integrated V.92/V.90 Modem (RJ-

11)

Wireless LAN: Atheros IEEE Network

 

Dimensions

Weight: 6.2 lbs with standard battery

Measurements: 14.2” (W) x 1.2” -1.5” (H) x

10.6” (D)

Posted

Anyone with experience with the laptops on sale at BB and Circuit City? I really like the Toshiba one at Circuit city, but Sony is a really good brand too. Oh, and which is better, AMD duo processor or Intel Duo processor?

Price for price, AMD x2's are better in performance than Intel Duo's. So if you pay for a $100 processor, the AMD will outperform the intel. That being said, right now Intel has high end (and expensive) processors that AMD has no competitor to and they are the best performing, but should be for how expensive they are.

 

For further info, check out http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu_2007.html?modelx=33&model1=922&model2=881&chart=444 processors near the top of the page are best bang for buck, bottom of page are least bang for buck.

Posted
I'm going with the guy who said "a computer is only as smart as the person running it" . That being said, I failed "computers for dummies". but, I need a laptop. Do I have to wait until Black Friday to get a good deal? What I am looking for is one for emailing, forums, and surfing the net. no games, photos, or extras. I would like it to be a decent one, that I can purchase online. Can someone point me to a good deal on a decent laptop? I wouldn't mind spending the extra $ for a vey good one, if it was a great deal, however, I don't NEED a really good one. I would like to spend about $300, if that is possible. Thanks to anyone that can help. I just don't know what all the ram and jargon means. I just want the thing to work off my internet connection I already have, if that is possible. Please answer as if you are speaking to a computer ignorant person. Thanks.
Posted

Just a little funny tidbit... FYI.

 

Last year, my friend and I both bought the HP laptops from Best Buy. Well... right after we got them, he was gonna upgrade to 2 gb of Ram from the original 512MB... and he said I could have his 512. We opened our ram slots... and to our surprise... his laptop came with 1 slot filled with a single 512 module and my laptop cam with the 2 slots filled with a 256 module each. And we got our laptops from the same store... in the same line... one right in front of the other. :tongue1:

Guest mack222
Posted

After looking at all the laptop deals for BF, I would have to say the best deal is the HP for $449 from Best Buy. Pay another $55 for 2GB of memory from new egg and you have a computer that can handle windows vista very well and will suit most users well into the future. A dual core AMD laptop with 2.5MB of memory and an NVIDIA graphics card is a fantastic deal for just $515. Spending anything less than that and you won't get a laptop that can run Vista smoothly with the Aero interface.

 

 

The only reason I chose the HP over the Sony Vaio for $399 is that the Vaio comes with crappy intel onboard graphics. This is really going to slow things down if you want to run the Aero interface.

Posted
o.k.....as I stated I'm computer dumb, so what is Aero interface, and do I need to run it, what ever it is? just always thought Sony brand was better, but I'm listening, for I know nothing. Also what is intel onboard graphics? and do I care about those? Can I buy either of these items right now? I looked at curcuit city and they are giving out free stuff with the purchase of any laptop. I want to buy it online cuz I live nowhere near any stores (in the hills) So, thanks for the info. but I need a lil more help, please. mostly that Aero thing.
Posted

You dont need to run aero, it is a new "pretty picture" option on your desktop that only microsoft vista has. It is nice though, but of no real need or use.

 

Sony is no better a PC really than HP, so look at the options of each individual computer.

 

Onboard graphics means that it is built right in to the main hardware of the laptop, and without fail means it is slower, less able than a discrete, or added in graphics card.

 

YOu could probably buy each of these right now, but not at this exact savings.

 

Aero: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/experiences/aero.mspx

Posted
I guess I'm trying to say---> I want to buy now, don't know how to "upgrade" just want to buy it and have it work.Someone told me I also need something called a router, is that true? and does it matter what brand or kind of router I get? Thanks in advance for help. I take it this Sony $399 is like in the store only on the day after turkey day? If I could but it now, and the Aero thingy doesn't matter to me, I would. Let me know what that thing is, please and why I would care about it. thanks
Posted

o.k. than hp it is, I don't care, really.

the poster above said $449 at best buy. can I get that now? or have to wait? I guess I can go look at the best buy web site, but last time i looked, did not see prices like that, maybe they hide them? Thanks.

Posted

You will get new ads tomorrow morning in the paper, check BB, CC, OD & staples and you will likely see some, ask us about them and we will give better answers and it will be on ones you can get right away at that price.

 

$399 is BF only.

Posted

somethin called ethernet, with a plug from the internet provider, i paid for high speed

Okay, does this plug right into the back of your computer after it comes out of the wall, or does it plug into some type of box first?

Posted
a black box. I think it is dsl like you said. I will have to "go to town" 45 miles to get a paper in the morning! but, it may be worth the drive eh? thank you
Posted
no prob. You will need to tell me/us what the maker and model of the black box is and if it has any antanae sticking out of it. This will tell us if it has wireless abilities. If it does, you dont need a router. See ya tomorrow.
Posted

o.k. I will get the paper tomorrow, and look at the adds, then ask you tomorrow. thanks for your help tonight. sunpop

FYI - You should be able to see your local ads on the stores' websites tomorrow, rather than driving so far. :)

Posted
I am trying to find either one of the 2. i don't know if i have seen an external dvdr on sale for BF, but am looking. any help would be greatly appreciated. also, which is the better way to go?
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