Anyone have a Laptop buy connection

[steveny]

I am looking for a 2.6 or better with at least 256. I would like to buy two of them and pay around 500 bucks each. Anyone have a connection? I do not need a cd burner or dvd. I am looking for something to access the internet only, but needs to be fast for trading. Also would need a wireless b card. 15 inch screen would be a big plus.
Seems to me if a desk top can be had for 399-499 than a laptop should be available for around that price as well.

 

[robr]

the cost to develop a laptop is MUCH higher than the cost to develop a desktop... not to mention the margins are much higher as well. laptops are pretty much all customized from the ground up. the video cards are built specifically for each model laptop, just based around a common chipset. sound cards are the same way. as you're aware, a 15" LCD panel alone can't be had for much less than a few hundred bucks and the cost is no different for incorporating it into a laptop. with a desktop, you can just drop in any old AGP or PCI card, no development costs and minimal testing and documentation costs. the laptop you're desiring doesn't exist at the price point you're asking for.

- Rob, formerly of NEC Portable Products Group (translation:
NEC laptop engineering)

 

[xsn]

ISeems to me if a desk top can be had for 399-499 than a laptop should be available for around that price as well.

That's an unreasonable expectation. Notebook computers are always more expensive than a comparable desktop. Just the LCD screen costs a few hundred bucks. You are also looking for featurs (15" LCD, 2.6 GHz) that aren't put in the low-end laptops. It's like saying you want Chevy with an LS1 engine but don't want to spend more than the price of a Cavalier. That's just not how they build cars or computers.

If you're determined to pay as little as possible you can try buying used or refrubished.

 

[steveny]

Re: Re: Anyone have a Laptop buy connection

If you're determined to pay as little as possible you can try buying used or refrubished.

That is an option I am open too. Any ideas?
I have invested a ton of money into desk tops but I am sick of being trapped in this part of my house all day, plus summer is coming and I would like to sit outside during the day. If I have to I will just pony up the 799 best buy wants for one. I just thought maybe someone here had an alternative route I could look into.

Used 700mhz sell for $500. I think I would be making a "shoot myself in the foot" move by not going the extra 250-300 for a new 2.6

 

[PHOEN$X]

I am looking for a 2.6 or better with at least 256.
...
I am looking for something to access the internet only, but needs to be fast for trading. Also would need a wireless b card. 15 inch screen would be a big plus.

I think for your purposes the throughput of your internet connection would be much more of a factor than CPU speed. Also, any fast machine can be bogged down by bloated software. Tweaking your operating system and software configuration will give you the fastest web browsing experience, moreso than upgrading to a faster CPU, IMO. Unless you're using specialized trading software that requires a very fast CPU, I wouldn't be so concerned about CPU speed. Anything 1GHz and higher should more than meet your needs, my $0.02.

 

[steveny]

Re: Re: Anyone have a Laptop buy connection

It's like saying you want Chevy with an LS1 engine but don't want to spend more than the price of a Cavalier. That's just not how they build cars or computers.

What I was hoping was someone had a LS1 engine in a wrecked car that they would put in a cavalier body for me.

A/K/A owns a pc shop and has a couple broken laptops that could be made into a good one.

 

[robr]

laptops arent like desktops where you can take pieces of two broken ones and make them into a whole one (many times you cant even do this if they are of the same product line and only slightly different models).

as others have stated, for trading software, you dont need processing, you dont even really need a lot of network throughput (i used to use realtime level 2 stuff on a 400MHz laptop over a dialup without issue). Today's massive CPUs are really only necessary for video and audio intensive stuff (editing, capturing, format conversion, games) and 3D modeling and rendering.

Get yourself an older laptop, slap in an 802.11g wireless card (linked to your wireless hub of course), and go outside and have a ball. You can probably find laptops on ebay that will work fine for your needs for $100.

 

[steveny]

Sounds good rob thanks for the info.

 

[wswen]

Laptops

Try here http://stores.ebay.com/Dell-Financial-Services guys from my work have purchased several from here. There is a way to research each computer on Dell's web site also but I am not sure of how to do that.

 

[steveny]

Bought a Sony Viao from a student at Ithaca college. Like brand new, 700MHz, battery, a/c adapter, case, carry bag, and all the software for $400.00. Now I can use the internet from any location on my property inside or outside. This is a great little laptop to get started with wireless. I think in a month or two I will buy a new one now I know I have the range and usability I wanted. Thanks for all the feedback.
The mouse pad thingy is driving me nuts.