Best value for small outlay - laptop/notebook/other

Mainframeguy

Debiant by way of Ubuntu
Joined
29 Aug 2002
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Due to recent "lost" hardware of various natures (I'd rather not make a linkie) I am hopefully in the market to spend up to Ca.£200 (Ca. $285) and for this I am aiming to get the best "bangs for bucks" in the arena of a portable computer.

It likely cannot hope to rival the T7200 it replaces (or can it?)... That was an ACI Matrix 1500 running Vista Business....

So my requirements probably run along the lines of (in order or priority):-

Wi-Fi built in (G is sufficient)

More than three hours battery use.

SD memory card slot

USB ports - at least two off

Option to run dual display, hence
VGA socket if screen under 15" (tricky perhaps)

VISTA Business or higher (probably a nice to have given the budget)

And of course given that I may be fetching up with a portable Ubuntu piece of kit - there is a hard to consider area as to open source device support for whatever I get.

Right now all this is wishful thinking - but who knows - maybe when the dust settles there may be some funds to get SOMETHING. So I thought I would open a thread for ideas... A guy can dream, ;)
 
Take a look at the lower end of the Dell Vostro range - £250 ex VAT & Shipping.
 
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellst...J&cid=7420&lid=0&acd=10495476-361116-FW7mzxs2

I know it's not Vista, but it's really low in cost. If you can't buy it because you're in the UK, I wouldn't mind buying it and sending it to you... or someone you know could do it for you. Just an offer/idea.
For anyone else following that config linkie it goes to something like this

I think it does anyway - yeah we can get them here or so it seems - thanks for the idea - screen size may be an issue - and I am remembering now how hard it is to get any data on battery life! Is the dell better value than an ASUS ee thinger? They seem to get knocked out for around the £200 mark too....
 
It's really about personal preference. Looks like you're an Ubuntu guy, and they have a distro for the netbooks.

If you're trying to replace a desktop, or get the power of a desktop again, I wouldn't be looking at a netbook. Have you considered both the netbook and a desktop? You could do your lightweight stuff on the netbook, and then come home and Sync with a desktop. Maybe set up a SSH or VPN or Remote Desktop to access your desktop from the road/work and function like that.

In college I had a cheap laptop, but it didn't matter because I would just Sync to my desktop. It was small (relative to the 2002), super portable, and battery life was decent (after underclocking the processor).

Another interesting route could be the netbook, a KVM (keyboard, video display, and mouse) for home, and a USB or Ethernet drive hooked up to your router. An even cheaper version of what I had above.

--- Read your other post yesterday, sorry to hear about your losses.
 
3 hour battery life? LMAO! Expect 1.5-2 hours if you aren't doing much with it unless you want to up your price range. The low end machines come with 4 cell batteries, you need 6 cells to get near 3 hours.

I saw the life spec's on netbooks and I don't remember them getting near 3 hours for the low end models. Same deal again a good battery adds $100 USD to the price.

You should be able to get a desktop for your price range and performance will be better unless you need a portable.
 
I am looking at a few at the moment,
its between these. leaning towards the eee

Hp Mini 1000
MSI Wind,
eee PC Eee PC EPC1000HA
 
The ASUS Eee was my first thought, but sadly seems a little pricey and I have yet to see one pre-owned (though they built it and they will come!)
 
About ten days ago I plonked for an HP2133 on a bit of an impulse because Curry's had discounted it with Suse enterprise.... I think I made a mistake going with the VIA C7 added to which applying updates broke the wifi netmanager applet (I NOW know a KDE rollout was borked).... anyway, going to try a return on it I think and replacement with the eee... unless anyone advises better? If that fails I just have to live with the little beast and restore wifi somehow, it's handy even if it does feel a little crippled.

BTW I was going primarily for replacement of mobile device and the compact design of the new netbook devices appeals despite some of the drawbacks... I think long battery life is high in my requirements, always handy in a mobile device.
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
Xie wrote on Electronic Punk's profile.
Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
Electronic Punk wrote on Sazar's profile.
Rest in peace my friend, been trying to find you and finally did in the worst way imaginable.

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