I need a Laptop for under $500 HELP ME

[Darkmaster2000]

Hello everyone, my girlfriends laptop just shit the bed and she needs it for school. I sadly don't use laptops, I'm strictly a gamer so when it comes to hardware, I don't know enough to make a good purchase for her.

She does NOT play games, this comp is strictly for homework and online poker. Obviously the faster the better but I don't know where to begin looking, if someone can link me to a good school laptop that's cheap, I would really appreciate it.

Oh and no Dells....there customer service over there is awful. So no Dells please

 

[similar.squirrel]

I'd recommend a cheap netbook with a long battery-life. The rest is up to you. Hope she has petite hands, though.

 

[Darkmaster2000]

No Netbooks, it is a good idea but she can't stand how small they are.

 

[CIA]

Try one of those swanky netbooks. Gateway has a cheapish model that is slightly larger than the others, but has a bigger hard drive etc.

 

[SilentVirus]

If you want a new laptop under $500, I'd recommend a Gateway, there are three kinds under your price range. They are the NV Series,LT Series, and T Series. And you better hope she likes Vista.

 

[Amoreyna]

Well, you are shooting yourself in the foot there with no Dells because they are pretty much the cheapest around. I wouldn't recommend getting a used one unless you really know the person or you have someone who can thoroughly check it out for you. As a network admin, I've seen to many of my clients be screwed over by thinking they were getting a hot deal on a used laptop only to find out a little later that it was a piece of crap.

You can try looking at Toshiba's website, they have various sales and I do know that recently they had a couple under $500. Just make sure to read the description thoroughly, some of the really cheap one's have no CD/DVD drives. Don't worry about the number of USB plugs it has, if it only comes with one or two, you can easily buy a USB hub at places like Staples for under $10 which will allow you to plug in multiple devices.

You can also look around locally. If you or someone you know has a Costco membership, take a look to see what they have. You might also want to check out local computer stores, a lot of these places refurbish older computers/laptops with new equipment and resale them, almost always with some type of warrenty for the work.

This is also a good time to buy new from a name brand because Microsoft will give you a free upgrade to Windows 7 when it hits the shelves.

Keep in mind that almost all major companies in this business have outsourced their customer service to other countries, so sucky customer service is now part of the norm. I've had nightmare experiences with Dell myself and have done better using the live chat system they have available on their site now, or requesting a supervisor if I must talk over the phone.

 

[axia777]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146581

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834147997

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115604

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834146580

Hope that helps. NewEgg RULES.

 

[Avaholic03]

You could try a used laptop. Do your research on the model before you make the purchase, but it's sort of like getting a used car: sometimes you find a gem that works just fine.

I recommend avoiding Acer, Dell and Compaq.

 

[VanityGirl]

Awh, everyone hates Dell.
Honestly, I've had my Dell XPS for 3 years now and it's still running smoothly. It's been a great college laptop, it's small and it's fast.
I actually have had no problems with Dell's customer support and find them more friendly than Apple's.

Dell's aren't bad, really. Like I said, I've had mine for 3 years and even play games on it!
It's still quick and it's still a great laptop.

 

[Dys]

You should really mention where you are from, as in my experience different countries offer vastly different prices (even after accounting for differences in currency). I don't know so much about the American market, but in Australia you'd be pushing $500 for one of those tiny e-pc things.

Awh, everyone hates Dell.
Honestly, I've had my Dell XPS for 3 years now and it's still running smoothly. It's been a great college laptop, it's small and it's fast.
I actually have had no problems with Dell's customer support and find them more friendly than Apple's.
Dell's aren't bad, really. Like I said, I've had mine for 3 years and even play games on it!
It's still quick and it's still a great laptop.

Apple are really no benchmark for customer service (by far the worst I've ever dealt with). But yeah, Dell customer service is decent from what I keep hearing (even down under, which is rare).