Getting a cheap affordable laptop - tips?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - Berkeley
1

<p>So, I'm pretty experienced with the hardware of a computer, like the memory, hard drive, processor, etc. </p>

<p>But I'm pretty inexperienced with the act of buying a good laptop for an affordable price. Is there one manufacture that I should look out for? Or is there some student store I should go visit (I like in SoCal though, so I'm not 100% if there is one for Cal students here).</p>

<p>Any experience is fine, please don't start a Mac vs. PC vs. Linux argument. </p>

<p>Thanks so much!</p>

2

<p>The computer store in Berkeley offers really good discount prices for students. I think you have to buy your computer only from that store to get the student discounts though.</p>

3

<p>I’m a huge fan of macs they work amazingly well but they have a high starting bar. What is your price range or definition of cheap?</p>

<p>If you don’t play video games then all you need a computer for is typing and internetting and such which is really easy to do so you could get a netbook for a couple hundred dollars.</p>

<p>I think Acer netbooks are cheap, small, and have good battery life.</p>

4

<p>Not getting a netbook. Ever.</p>

<p>I hate their small monitors.</p>

5

<p>Check slickdeals or fatwallet daily (deals are posted in “Hot Deals” forum). Usually there are some good deals on dell configurations. The office chains (Staples, Office Depot, etc…) also have some good deals every couple weeks though they usually involve rebates.</p>

6

<p>u don’t get good performance/cost with netbooks. i personally will never buy as mac as there are cheaper PCs that have better quality and performance.
Also, it ur going for an HP, look out for their $200 stackable or 30% off coupons.
again, the above post is a good place to check.</p>

7

<p>1) There’s a good student promo for Apple’s Macbook/Pros
Macbook Pro 13 + Ipod Touch + Printer = around $1100 + tax
and a special $10 upgrade to Snow Leopard OS when it’s out later in Sept.
This is the only affordable deal though, the other Macbook Pro’s are out of any student’s poor budget.</p>

<p>2) Sony’s Laptops have 10% off for students</p>

<p>3) Lenovo also has special student pricing</p>

<p>4) Acer’s timeline series looks promising (thin and long battery life)</p>

<p>Those are the manufacturers I recommend. Plus, don’t get an HP, they heat up pretty fast and those plasticy cases are so glossy (fingerprint magnet). I got a dv4t and am not satisfied. (but it was cheap, I got it for around $800 after tax becuz of a 30% off coupon)</p>

8

<p>ya the new MacBook Pro 13" with the printer and iPod touch is actually a good deal, given the build quality and battery life and all. Other than that, Lenovo is always solid quality, or maybe the Dell XPS or Latitude line.</p>

<p>it depends on what kind of cost/size/portability/features you’re going for…</p>

9

<p>slickdeals is where i got my
15’ lenovo y530
320gb
4gb ddr3
9300m nvidia
2.0 ghz core 2 duo
LED screen
subwoofer
vista home premium x64
for 550$ before tax</p>

<p>slickdeals is the place!</p>

10

<p>those LED screens are really nice to have, if you get the option. I think Macs have them by default, Dells you have to pay a bit extra, but it’s really worth the money.</p>

11

<p>definitely check out slickdeals.net for epic discounts. the back-to-school season is approaching, so there will be a lot more deals.</p>

12

<p>Also watch Compusa.com which has deals on refurbs like [Acer</a> RB-L-LX.AZN0Y.002 Acer Aspire AS5515 Refurbished Notebook Computer](<a href=“http://www.compusa.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=4553294&sku=S445-150034&cm_re=Homepage-_-Spot%2001a-_-CatId_17_S445-150034]Acer”>http://www.compusa.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=4553294&sku=S445-150034&cm_re=Homepage-_-Spot%2001a-_-CatId_17_S445-150034)</p>

<p>May not last long so link may not work in coming days. It was a $299 Acer Aspire AS5515 Refurbished Notebook Computer - AMD Athlon 2650e 1.6GHz, 3GB DDR2, 160GB HDD, DVDRW, 15.4" WXGA , Vista Home Basic</p>

<p>This is about the fifth similar promotion by compusa.com of such inexpensive systems.</p>

13

<p>you should ask at notebookreview.com …</p>

<p>your question is too vague. We don’t know your budget, needs, etc.</p>

14

<p>Dell outlet occasionally has great deals, especially when combined with the coupons (I’ve seen some for 25-20%) they release every so often.</p>

<p>Look at the dell business line (latitude) they are much higher quality than the home laptops.</p>

15

<p>tigerdirect deals via slickdeals are mindblowing.</p>

16

<p>try ebay…</p>

17

<p>Not 100% trusting of ebay. I have slickdeals saved on my Firefox and I’m looking around Newegg, and waiting for a few sales before I make my choice.</p>

<p>Thanks so far guys!</p>

18

<p>be careful of 4th of July sales. some of them aren’t as cheap as the normal coupons.</p>