Budget Laptop

[clerick]

I'm going to be at KeeslerAFB for a few months and paying for internet is going to break me so, it's time to look for a decent laptop. 

Main uses:
E-mail
Surfing
Movies
Playing AH (hopefully)

I don't expect a Porsche for Yugo prices but i do need to be worried about budget.  Good enough will be well, good enough. Whats the best to be had out there for under say...  $850?

[Hoarach]

Clerick I got my gaming laptop from cyberpowerpc for $747 and paid an extra $140 for an extra battery.  Its got a AMD X2 Turion processor, Nvidia 7600 card, 2GB RAM, and Vista.  It runs AH great on full graphic detail and high res tex pack.  Take a look at them they got some cheap gaming laptops.  cyberpowerpc.com

[clerick]

Do they stilll give the SAPP discount?   

[Max]

http://acerspecial.com/tm4720_6756.html

Note that it ships with Win XP Pro vs Pista

[clerick]

I've always been weary ofAcer, has their quality improved enough to make them a contender? I' rather have a lappy with fewer features but power where it counts. I do like the idea of XP, but i have more then a few flavors of XP sitting around.   

[Max]

I've always been weary of Acer, has their quality improved enough to make them a contender?

Dunno to be honest. The only laptop I've owed (wife's using it now) is an eMachine 6805 which I bought 4 years ago and runs like a champ. One guy said I'd get 6 months from it  Consumer Reports gives high marks to the Dell Inspiron 1521

[BaldEagl]

I used to have a Toshiba Satellite Pro that was a really nice machine.  Now I have a Sony Vaio laptop and it's a POS.  Talked my brother into a Toshiba recently which he got for under $800 and it's nice (Satellite).

[Rondar]

I got an ASUS M50VS-A1 a couple weeks ago.  It came with a 15.4" screen, full keyboard with keypad on right side like the bigger laptops, 2.5  gig t9300 intel duocore penryn chip, 512mb geforce 9500 gs vid card, 3 gig ram, case, restore discs and a 250 gig hd for 1300+ dollars.  Got it at www.xoticpc.com  which is a plus for me as I live in Kansas and they are headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.

Also there is a choice of several os including xp up to the vista business.  I stayed with vista as it was included in the price.   I  booted up the game using vista home ultimate and it has played perfect on lappy right out of the box with no tweaks or anything.

I realize this is over your projected budget but if you decide you want a good laptop for years to come you may want to have a little better one to keep up with the times a little longer than a real inexpensive one.

[clerick]

I appreciate that, but once i leave here i wont have much need for it since my laptop at home is already a powerhouse.  the wife-ack just refuses to relinquish it.  Tried going in NOE but i was spotted and dispatched...

[Max]

Why not build a desktop within the same budget and use the laptop? You can build a pretty nice rig for less than $900

[clerick]

Why not build a desktop within the same budget and use the laptop? You can build a pretty nice rig for less than $900

The thought has crossed my mind but you pretty much need portability to access any highspeed internet.  IF Sprints highspeed data is decent here then i may go desk top and get my own HSD connection.

[BaldEagl]

I think he meant build the desktop for the wife and abscond the laptop.

[clerick]

what??! and take away "her" lap top...