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Please, when posting a link to a laptop listing, make sure to include the price at time of posting. It helps.
Requesting help with a purchase? Please post here: https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=135662.msg2794782#msg2794782

Dell:
Precision - Very powerful desktop replacements - great warranty, ridiculously expensive - Usually overpriced or overkill

Latitude - Good Laptops - Great warranty! Highly recommended for any Business environment - Sometimes expensive.

Vostro  - Lower end Business Machines - Better Priced - still durable - Usually 1 Year warranty.

XPS - The nicer looking dell machines, Some are better than others...

Inspiron - YMMV Every model is different

(Plain) Insprion Series - Dells lowest end laptop
(R) Insprion Series - Perfect Home use, dependable, decent build quality, recommended
(Z) Insprion Series - A little slimmer than the R series, Some are Ultrabooks (Very often don't include Optical Drives)

HP:

Spectre - Top of the line personal (dragonfly is the top of the line for business) - lightest laptops, and beautiful!

Pavilion - YMMV (Some better than others)

Probook - Stable durable business systems - Usually a little on the heavy side.

Elitebook - Business Higher end systems, usually pretty expensive

ENVY - Used to be the HP sleek and nicer systems, they pretty much replaced most of the standard pavilions now and call them either ENVY or sleekbooks

Sleekbook - like it sounds slimmer line of laptops

Lenovo:

Thinkpad Series - Very Dependable Business Machine, Expensive (Not Pretty but Durable)

IdeaPad Series -

S Series
U Series - Usually the slimmer line Ultrabooks, Doesn't always include DVD Drive
Y Series - Nice machines with good specs and features (Cool Backlit Keyboards)
Z Series - Step up from the G Series, all around decent build, priced nicely, great home use laptop
G Series - Lower end

Samsung:

Series 3
Series 5
Series 7
Series 9 - The nicest, sleekest looking laptops I've seen in a long time - Can pass for a Macbook!!


HT: Dh Data Recovery & Name Changed


A great post by caliheat:
I believe that there are many factors when deciding what laptop to purchase.
1) What is your intended use and necessary features. e.g. light use vs. heavy use & optical drive, computer speed etc.
2) As mentioned several times in this thread, RAM itself is very easy to upgrade after you purchase.
3) Brand - IMHO this is pretty important as well - which do your prefer vs. which brand do people recommend.
4) Price - you should decide a price range that best suits your needs.
5) Operating System - Many people like myself prefer Windows 7 vs. 8.1, so this would be another consideration.
6) Warranty - does it include 1 year or more, cost for extending warranty.
7) Detailed Specs:
  Processor  - model and speed i3, i5, & i7 2.0 Ghz, 3.0 Ghz etc.
  RAM - This IMHO should be minimum 8GB, especially if running 8.1, however can be added easily.
  Hard Drive - SATA vs. SSD, the latter being much faster. SATA itself offers 5400 RPM vs. 7200 RPM again, the latter being faster.
  Screen Size - this is a personal preference as you can always attach a larger screen in an office setting.
  Battery & Weight - overall laptop weight preference & battery life.
  Graphics - Integrated graphics vs. dedicated graphics, e.g. Intel 4400 vs. Nvidia GTX etc.

In summary, you have to decide what are you priorities, what can be upgraded and what you are flexible on.



Excellent article about the differences between the Intel processor suffixes.

Excellent "Laptop Buying Guide" by @dailykasha, written for Black Friday 2021, updated for holidays 2023

Author Topic: Laptop Deals Master Thread  (Read 3151827 times)

Offline Yup

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #280 on: January 12, 2012, 11:39:28 PM »
Any idea the $ range for the xps?

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #281 on: January 12, 2012, 11:47:07 PM »
Any idea the $ range for the xps?

Seems like around $1000

The XPS 14z came out a couple of months ago, started out at $999, dropped to $899, and yesterday was selling for $799

When the XPS 13 comes out, and you are interested - PM me, I should be able to get it at a discounted price  ;)

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #282 on: January 13, 2012, 12:46:12 AM »
You could either wait for the XPS 13 from Dell to come out in Feb - Here
No HDMI.
No dedicated graphics.
No SD slot.
No optical drive.
No replaceable battery.

Dell can shove it where the sun don't shine.
The only true "ultrabook" ever made is the discontinued Sony Vaio Z1 that I'm typing on now.  Beast of a machine in a ultralight package with every spec and feature you can possibly want.

For lower-end than the pricey Vaio, check out this thin and light with good specs: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KP070I/?tag=cl03f-20
« Last Edit: January 13, 2012, 02:47:06 AM by Dan »
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #283 on: January 13, 2012, 02:21:13 AM »
Name Changed, I can't believe I'm asking someone for laptop shopping advice, but it seems you really know your stuff.

A friend of mine is looking for an HD (1080p screen resolution) laptop for his work, a smaller screen, e.g. 14-15.6". I found the HP envy and the Lenovo W5xx series, but I'm wondering if you can recommend something cheaper with a core i3/i5?

Thanks mate.
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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #284 on: January 13, 2012, 08:40:21 AM »
No HDMI. No dedicated graphics. No SD slot. No optical drive. No replaceable battery.

The only true "ultrabook" ever made is the discontinued Sony Vaio Z1 that I'm typing on now.  Beast of a machine in a ultralight package with every spec and feature you can possibly want.

Yes the Sony Vaio Z1 is a really nice, Packed with feature and powerful Ultra Portabel Laptop, But Pricey  ;)

But you gotta differentiate an Ultra Portable Laptop and an Ultrabook.

An Ultra Portable Laptop is something like the Sony Vaio Z1, Toshiba Portege, Dell Latitiude E6220 Or even the Vostro V131 (with i5, 4gb, 500gb Priced under $600)

An Ultrabook is something like the Macbook air, Acer S series, Dell XPS 13

Ultra books are meant to be really portable - thinner and lighter and dont include the features mentioned above.


A friend of mine is looking for an HD (1080p screen resolution) laptop for his work, a smaller screen, e.g. 14-15.6". I found the HP envy and the Lenovo W5xx series, but I'm wondering if you can recommend something cheaper with a core i3/i5?
Its hard to come across a 14" Laptop with 1080p display - you prob will find the 900p (and 1080p will be pricey)

If he specifically wants the 1080p - I would say to go with a 15.6"
There are a lot of option - what price range does he have in mind?

The HP Envy is slick laptop and will be more on the pricey side... Dell XPS 15z too is pricey and slick

Dell XPS 15 is more affordable - not as slick, but has a sub-woofer and great sound

Dell Latitude E5520 wont be too expensive, and you could even save by getting the i3 (not avail on the XPS's)
The latitudes are really great laptops, really good quality

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #285 on: January 13, 2012, 11:14:22 AM »
Yes the Sony Vaio Z1 is a really nice, Packed with feature and powerful Ultra Portabel Laptop, But Pricey  ;)

But you gotta differentiate an Ultra Portable Laptop and an Ultrabook.

An Ultra Portable Laptop is something like the Sony Vaio Z1, Toshiba Portege, Dell Latitiude E6220 Or even the Vostro V131 (with i5, 4gb, 500gb Priced under $600)

An Ultrabook is something like the Macbook air, Acer S series, Dell XPS 13

Ultra books are meant to be really portable - thinner and lighter and dont include the features mentioned above.
So the Vaio Z1 would be an "ultra-portable laptop" and the Vaio Z2 an "ultrabook?"

I sure hope Sony makes a real follow up to the Z1 as there's nothing on the market as full featured as it around.

The Ultrabooks may be thinner than the Z1, but they sure can't be much lighter than the 3 pounds it clocks in at to make it worth the massive sacrifices they have.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #286 on: January 13, 2012, 11:23:03 AM »
Seems like we have a real laptop expert. Always great to have different experts on the site.
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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #287 on: January 13, 2012, 12:47:03 PM »
So the Vaio Z1 would be an "ultra-portable laptop" and the Vaio Z2 an "ultrabook?"

Yes, Basically, there is no exact line to draw. But Ultrabooks are thinner

The Ultrabooks may be thinner than the Z1, but they sure can't be much lighter than the 3 pounds it clocks in at to make it worth the massive sacrifices they have.
Very true - as the ultrabooks weigh in the 3lb range - macbook air at 2.94 lbs and the acer is about 3.1 lbs

The real diff is thickness - as every millimeter could make a difference




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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #288 on: January 14, 2012, 10:55:49 PM »
Seems like we have a real laptop expert. Always great to have different experts on the site.
+1

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #289 on: January 15, 2012, 01:34:59 PM »
Been looking for a new netbook for the last month now (to replace my Asus), and just bought a Toshiba Netbook NB305-N600 from Groupon Goods for $295. The reviews are so-so, but it looks like it'll meet my needs, and with the 12 points/dollar using UR, I figure it's another 20% discount or so.

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #290 on: January 15, 2012, 01:51:50 PM »
Been looking for a new netbook for the last month now (to replace my Asus), and just bought a Toshiba Netbook NB305-N600 from Groupon Goods for $295. The reviews are so-so, but it looks like it'll meet my needs, and with the 12 points/dollar using UR, I figure it's another 20% discount or so.
I would say the bonus points are worth like 24% (at 1.6cpp) - this makes it a decent price with the N550 Dual Core Processor - even though its not the latest. But its a fair price far a netbook with these specs.

Did you pay sales tax?

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #291 on: January 15, 2012, 02:28:12 PM »
I would say the bonus points are worth like 24% (at 1.6cpp) - this makes it a decent price with the N550 Dual Core Processor - even though its not the latest. But its a fair price far a netbook with these specs.

Did you pay sales tax?

No sales tax since it's from a retailer in NJ. Did pay $5 s&h though.
Since it's 12 points per dollar, I'm estimating 20% with a value of 1.67cpp. How did you calculate your 24%? Assuming 2cpp?

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #292 on: January 15, 2012, 02:31:58 PM »
No sales tax since it's from a retailer in NJ. Did pay $5 s&h though.
Since it's 12 points per dollar, I'm estimating 20% with a value of 1.67cpp. How did you calculate your 24%? Assuming 2cpp?

I made a mistake - 20% is correct at around 1.6cpp




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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #293 on: January 15, 2012, 05:33:52 PM »
I made a mistake - 20% is correct at around 1.6cpp

19.2% if you want to be exact.

Also, it's hard to get much value out of less than 4k UR (on their own), and the 'discount' is deferred to the time of UR redemption. You also pay sales tax on the original amount (assuming the merchant charges it in your state).
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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #294 on: January 16, 2012, 09:08:04 AM »
Here Best Buy is selling a Asus 14" Laptop for $349

It has a i3-2330m, 4gb ram 500gb hard drive

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #295 on: January 17, 2012, 03:43:23 PM »
is This a good deal?

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #296 on: January 17, 2012, 03:46:33 PM »
is This a good deal?
Seems like a good deal to me
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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #297 on: January 17, 2012, 10:20:26 PM »
is This a good deal?

Yes this is a decent deal. Similar to the Lenovo with the same specs selling from bestbuy for around the same price mentioned earlier in this topic.
Just Acer isnt the best brand ... but ...

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #298 on: January 17, 2012, 10:25:57 PM »
im looking for that lenovo or i would pay a little more for a dell, anything doing?

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Re: Looking for cheap good Laptop deal
« Reply #299 on: January 17, 2012, 10:54:45 PM »
ok lets see who can try to help me find a laptop i need
nothing fancy, just need it to surfe the net, shopping, itunes,
does not need alot of memory maybe store some photos ( we have 2 other computer in the house)
i do watch some stuff on hulu or something, so it needs  to be a 15" screen
i will be buying it with american express card so ill get extra year of warrnty.
someplace that ships to my house in ny

oh the main thing do not want to spend total of more then on or about of $450 wth that tax

thanks for all your help