Need a new Cheap laptop... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

LUVMBDiesels · #1 06-02-2009, 11:53 AM

Well my 10 year old made in USA IBM Thinkpad finally gave up the ghost

!

I had upgraded the hard disk, RAM, etc but the old girl started overheating and now will not stay running for more then a minute or two.

I am thinking of replacing it with this one that I found at Best Buy...

Compaq - Presario Laptop with AMD Athlon™ X2 QL-62 Dual-Core Processor

Model: CQ60-215DX | SKU: 9168063

Customer Reviews:

4.6 Read reviews (127)

Our Price:
$399.99

I bought my wife a nice HP Pavilion DV6000 a year ago and while it is fast and all, I do not like it very much. I am worried that the Compaq, since it is made by the same company that makes HP will also be a poor substitute. Does anybody have a new Compaq Presario? It seemed to have all good reviews so I am willing to take a chance. I do not want to spend more than say $450 for a laptop as the HP has all the expensive toys on it and mine will mostly be used from hotel rooms to stay connected with Shopforum

It has to run some kind of Windows (XP or Vista) to be compatible with work apps, but I would probably dual boot it for Linux as well. Sorry Macheads, no Apples for me...

I do know that I want dual core CPU and at least 2GB RAM as my poor old Celeron TP just could not handle modern apps.

Thanks guys!

uberwgn · #2 06-02-2009, 12:04 PM

If you want something really small, look at the ASUS...nicely equipped for around $350. Small keyboard, though.

LUVMBDiesels · #3 06-02-2009, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uberwgn

If you want something really small, look at the ASUS...nicely equipped for around $350. Small keyboard, though.

Thanks, but I need a large keyboard - fat fingers

I liked the feel of my Thinkpad keyboard a lot. I do not like the feel of the HP one at all. It feels flimsy. The Government Dell I was issued actually bounces when I hit the keys -- I guess learning on a manual typewriter has left me with a HARD touch...

raymr · #4 06-02-2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uberwgn

If you want something really small, look at the ASUS...nicely equipped for around $350. Small keyboard, though.

I usually use my ASUS Eee 1000 as a desktop system, with an external monitor, mouse and keyboard. Then just unplug 3 wires and you have an extremely portable netbook with reasonable power. Its keyboard is about 4/5 of a full size one. For me it was a nobrainer price-wise since I had most of the peripheral stuff already.

MTI · #5 06-02-2009, 12:58 PM

Netbooks are great "second computers" . . . but I wouldn't want to use it as the main PC, given the compromised processor speed and graphics.

Mike D · #6 06-02-2009, 01:20 PM

Nix on the Compaq's. I have two of them sitting on my workbench with drive problems. Neither of the clients wants to shell out the money for their repair. After 90 days, they'll either be combined into one laptop and relegated to auto workshop duty or be combined into one much smaller cube.

ASUS makes a good "cheap" laptop. The Acer's quality has improved greatly over the last couple of years. I'm a Toshiba only guy (hold the boos and hisses down in the background) but I'd recommend either the ASUS or the ACER as better dollar values.

TX76513 · #7 06-02-2009, 01:55 PM

Hit Best Buy and ask if they have any display models they are going to sell. Picked up a nice Compaq with warranty for $115. Actually went in to get an external drive and the clerk pointed me to the display models.

uberwgn · #8 06-02-2009, 02:02 PM

Lenovo has a "scratch 'n' dent" section on their website with some substantial savings. Many of these units are over-stock or returns that were never opened. It might be worth a look, LUVMB.

cmbdiesel · #9 06-02-2009, 06:44 PM

I have Panasonic toughbooks for all my laptops, I'll never buy anything else. You can find them reasonably priced as lease returns, brand new they are pricey. Even then, one drop or spill later, they've just paid for the extra cost.

Stoney · #10 06-02-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LUVMBDiesels

Well my 10 year old made in USA IBM Thinkpad finally gave up the ghost

!

I had upgraded the hard disk, RAM, etc but the old girl started overheating and now will not stay running for more then a minute or two.

I am thinking of replacing it with this one that I found at Best Buy...

Compaq - Presario Laptop with AMD Athlon™ X2 QL-62 Dual-Core Processor

Model: CQ60-215DX | SKU: 9168063

Customer Reviews:

4.6 Read reviews (127)

Our Price:
$399.99

I bought my wife a nice HP Pavilion DV6000 a year ago and while it is fast and all, I do not like it very much. I am worried that the Compaq, since it is made by the same company that makes HP will also be a poor substitute. Does anybody have a new Compaq Presario? It seemed to have all good reviews so I am willing to take a chance. I do not want to spend more than say $450 for a laptop as the HP has all the expensive toys on it and mine will mostly be used from hotel rooms to stay connected with Shopforum

It has to run some kind of Windows (XP or Vista) to be compatible with work apps, but I would probably dual boot it for Linux as well. Sorry Macheads, no Apples for me...

I do know that I want dual core CPU and at least 2GB RAM as my poor old Celeron TP just could not handle modern apps.

Thanks guys!

Check out the thinkpad line on the lenovo website. go to the outlet section, there are some very good deals on the new version of what you had.

I have had my S10 for 6 months and it really holds up. my firm went all olenovo for Laptops in january and we have had far better results than in the past with Toshiba and Dell.

LUVMBDiesels · #11 06-02-2009, 06:50 PM

I have checked out Lenovo's website. While I don't like the idea of buying a Chinese ANYTHING at least they still have the IBM trackpoint. I hate those pads at the bottom of the keyboard. My Government Dell has one in addition to the trackpoint and I had to shut it off. They way I type, I seem to hit it accidentally with my thumb while hitting the space bar and then I send the mouse to who knows where

I will either go for a Thinkpad R61 or see what is at Best Buy either tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks guys for steering me away from Compaq. I have not liked them since the 1990s when I used to sell them. We also sold HP, Digital, and IBM. It was true that HP, Digital, and IBM would reject a lot of parts sent to them and would only take the Tier 1 parts from manufactures like Intel. Compaq would take IBM rejects at a cut price. The only guys lower than Compaq were Gateway, Dell (at the time) and the guys at computer shows selling chips out of the trunk of their cars...

powerpig · #12 06-02-2009, 06:58 PM

AFAIK, Lenovo always made the IBM laptops. IBM did make some of their own servers. That said, I have a brand new Panasonic Toughbook Y7 for sale for a good price.

derburger · #13 06-02-2009, 07:01 PM

Cool, a floor model laptop for $115? I'll have to look into that, I've been looking at EEEEEE PC's for library use but the difference between a full size IBM PC keyboard and a netbook would be too much

LUVMBDiesels · #14 06-02-2009, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by powerpig

AFAIK, Lenovo always made the IBM laptops. IBM did make some of their own servers. That said, I have a brand new Panasonic Toughbook Y7 for sale for a good price.

The Thinkpad I have and used to sell were actually made by IBM. Mine was made in the USA in Texas

The later ones were made in the Philippines until they moved production to China about 2003 or 2004...

Hatterasguy · #15 06-02-2009, 08:45 PM

I had two Compaq desktops before my currant HP, I'll never buy another Compaq again.

The problem I found with Compaq desktops is that everything is built into the motherboard. So I couldn't update anything. They also had a lot of problems, my HP so far has been flawless in the two years I have had it.

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