Buying a Laptop

[Belladonna]

We're planning to purchase a laptop for a vacation we're taking in June. What I'd love some advice on is WHEN to buy one. Do we purchase one now with the Christmas sales going on or wait till a later date for other sales? Is there a certain time of the year that new laptops come out and the older versions are cheaper?

 

My husband gets a 10% discount through work at Dell so we'll probably go through them. Is there something better at a comparable price? We'll just be using it for standard things, some light gaming, an on the road GPS and internet browsing. Suggestions?

[Eliteone]

Ironically after Christmas the PC manufacturers do end of the year close outs. At work we've been able to get better prices buying them the last week of December.

[Surak]

Well, I believe even intel intergrated videocards can run nolf2, so if you don't want to spend much money you can get a decent laptop at 800$. But if you can spare a bit more the best thing to do is to buy a laptop with an ATI or Nvidia mobile videocard.

[Eliteone]

Well, I believe even intel intergrated videocards can run nolf2, so if you don't want to spend much money you can get a decent laptop at 800$. But if you can spare a bit more the best thing to do is to buy a laptop with an ATI or Nvidia mobile videocard.

 

 

actually integrated Intel vid doesn't have T & L Support so if the goal is to play games on

the laptop then get something with ATI mobile video on it.

[{GD}Independent]

My laptop has a Mobility Radeon 9700 that does a pretty good job. It plays HL2 pretty well, and did a good job with the FEAR demo. As you all know, it does FINE on NOLF2! lol -- j/k!

[>FoXSy<]

Whyd ya take a laptop to a vacation?

i mean, it cant be that boring, its a freakin' vacation...

oh and where ya going to?

 

Id say buy in early January, only suckers buy in December.

[Spacko]

Yepp Indy, Radeon Mobility 9200 here and that works out well for me too. Though it's not going to run FEAR, even if it did the demo fine.

[Eliteone]

Yepp Indy, Radeon Mobility 9200 here and that works out well for me too. Though it's not going to run FEAR, even if it did the demo fine.

 

 

Is that really a big loss Spacko **Awaits Factor's response lol **

[Belladonna]

Hey, thanks for all the repies, that helps a bunch.

 

We're driving across the States from PA to Mount Rushmore then down to south-eastern Utah (Moab, Lake Powell). My husband is addicted to GPS, but instead of using his handheld wants a big screen to stare at so when we're lost he can see exactly where we're lost. Me, I'm banking on getting some dull driving time filled with the fun of playing a citybuilding game for a couple hours. I might even log our adventures since typing is a lot easier than handwriting, and let me tell you, there will be an adventure. The crazy in-laws are coming and strange things always happen when they're around.

[Catmama]

Have you looked at the Dell outlet? I noticed that some desktops and laptops have pretty awesome video cards and are marked down either because the customer decided that they did not want it, was wrong setup, or refurbished...then, if you get a 10% discount on top of that...

[Belladonna]

Good idea, Catmama.

 

In case anyone is interested, I found an old webpage this morning detailing a vacation my in-laws took a while back that's pretty amusing. Rob is my husband (the author), Bob and Judy are his parents and Lisa is his then 21 year old sister.

http://www.westol.com/~jaxom/vacation.htm

 

 

[{GD}Independent]

Hey, thanks for all the repies, that helps a bunch.

 

We're driving across the States from PA to Mount Rushmore then down to south-eastern Utah

 

 

Do NOT, under any circumstances, miss the Badlands in S. Dakota! Gorgeous! Have fun!

[RXS]

Independent' date='Dec 5 2005, 10:14 AM' post='19216']

Do NOT, under any circumstances, miss the Badlands in S. Dakota! Gorgeous! Have fun!

 

I'll vouch for that.

 

You know, I was going to compete with you about how idiotic my in-laws are....after reading your story, I give up...you win.

[Belladonna]

I'm hoping to sneak a trip to the Badlands in there, but I might have to make that part of a separate vacation because the time is pretty limited and I'm the only one interested in going there.

 

Aren't they a riot, RXS? That kind of stuff happens to them all the time. I can't tell you how many times Judy has lost her cards or purse or Bob. lol!

 

BTW, any suggestions on how to tell them they can't touch the laptop? That's going to be an interesting thing to figure out. They break everything they touch.

[RXS]

I find Cattle Prods to be very effective...you don't even have to say anything...prod once or twice and they figure it out pretty quick.

 

http://www.redhillgeneralstore.com/prod.htm?source=overture

[{GD}Independent]

 

 

BTW, any suggestions on how to tell them they can't touch the laptop? That's going to be an interesting thing to figure out. They break everything they touch.

 

 

Set up a BIOS password and tell them you forgot what it is!

[>FoXSy<]

Heh, just tell them the porn-blockers on

although i cant understand why anyone would buy

a laptop for a vacation, vacations arent meant

to be boring

[Belladonna]

Hmmm, then I could use the cattle prod afterwards on my husband when he annoys me. Great idea, RXS!

 

Oh wait, don't they have laptops now that use your fingerprint as a password? Hee hee.

 

Foxsy, didn't you read above? It's for the driving time, not when we're actually doing things. Hours upon hours in a car are not 'exciting'. Once we reach our destinations the laptop wouldn't be used.

[RXS]

The cattleprod is "the gift that keeps on giving"

[Eliteone]

The cattleprod is "the gift that keeps on giving"

 

 

 

So don't want to know how you know that............

[{GD}Independent]

 

 

BTW, any suggestions on how to tell them they can't touch the laptop? That's going to be an interesting thing to figure out. They break everything they touch.

 

 

Pretend you have the bird flu, and sneeze repeatedly on the keyboard.

[>FoXSy<]

Foxsy, didn't you read above? It's for the driving time, not when we're actually doing things. Hours upon hours in a car are not 'exciting'. Once we reach our destinations the laptop wouldn't be used.

 

Oh...well, theres no internet in the car, right?

so why buy an 800 buck laptop? just buy

some gameboys and ipods?

[Factor]

Is that really a big loss Spacko **Awaits Factor's response lol **

 

 

haha, i am just reading through this catchin up and i come across that

hehe, very funny e1.

it got me to smile

 

buy it beginning to mid january when they HAVE to lose stock for their taxes or something like that, i remember my dad tellin me something about something like that, just not quite sure

 

but i remember begining to mid january is best time...

 

another thing u could do...

 

go check out internet places...

a really good one is shopzilla.com

but u can find some really good deals online...and since u dont need it till june, u have plenty of time for shipping and handeling

 

and foxsy...there are mobile internet connections...they just cost some $$$

[>FoXSy<]

Yeah i know, my dad has wireless internet

in his office and at home, but i havent heard of

internet access in lets say, the desert

[RXS]

It's available....I used mine in Aus outback and in South Africa...if you have cell phone service, you have internet access. Works great in remote areas. No need to search for a coffee shop or a wifi hotspot.

 

This is the brand I use:

http://www.sierrawireless.com/ProductsOrdering/pccards.asp

 

Get ready for a kick in the pants when you sign up for the subscription...typically $80 to $200...pretty steep compared to typical wifi subscriptions.