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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Black Friday Laptop Purchase...a bad idea? 1 2

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  Nov. 10, 2008 11:08 a.m. GameboyRMH Dork

  ClemSparks wrote:

  I've been told by tech guys that these ubuntu and linux type systems are the way to go.

  I've also been cautioned that they are great for folks who know their way around a computer, but maybe not so much for me.

  Here's an analogy. I have NO PROBLEMS going out and spending cheap money on a car with carburetor problems. however, there's no way I'd let my single-mother sister-in-law get into the same situation.

  See what I mean?

  I know just enough about computers to get into trouble. Does this mean I should go for ubuntu and/or linux (are they the same or similar but different or subsets or???) or steer clear of them? I guess this is really another topic altogether, but if it weren't for threadcreap, what fun would we have? ;)

  Thanks,
  Clem

  If you run into any trouble, it would be in the setup stages after installation, specifically driver installation. Version 8 makes it easier though, it will even get firmware updates if necessary and install them with just one click from the user. If you check the hardware compatibility beforehand you're guaranteed smooth sailing.

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  Nov. 10, 2008 11:52 a.m. donalson SuperDork

  i type this on a $350 black friday laptop... wifes grandma bought it for us... specs aren't bad... wiress, dvd/cd burner, 1 gig of ram, 1.7mhz celly intel chip, 80 gig HDD, and a 15.4" wide screen type screen... new it ran vista OK... untill I added more stuff to the machine... we rolled it back to XP and it became a GREAT laptop... i get most of my software from my dad... also dad has a computer repair biz so i don't worry about computer stuff as much as most... if i can't figure it out i let him work on it lol..

  my one recomendation... dont' get a shiny screen... it SUCKS for anything but inside... it's unusable in the car on a bright day (gps/mapping is why i use it in there)

  i LOVE having a laptop around though... after i got used to the touchpad it was great... i rarely use the desktop anymore (except when wife takes the laptop to school)... it's sweet sitting in front of the TV in the lazyboy online... or sitting on the throne...

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  Nov. 10, 2008 12:07 p.m. jrw1621 Reader

  That is exactly how we watch TV. Me in the chair w/ laptop and wife on couch w/ her laptop. The comment may be, "who is that actor, what else was he in?" Seconds later she will have found the answer.

  It has changed how and what we watch and surf. It has also likely changed how we take in advertisement. If it is interesting and they give a website on the tv, we will surf out to it and get more info.

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  Nov. 10, 2008 12:33 p.m. EastCoastMojo HalfDork

  jrw1621 wrote:

  That is exactly how we watch TV. Me in the chair w/ laptop and wife on couch w/ her laptop. The comment may be, "who is that actor, what else was he in?" Seconds later she will have found the answer.

  It has changed how and what we watch and surf. It has also likely changed how we take in advertisement. If it is interesting and they give a website on the tv, we will surf out to it and get more info.

  Yep, same here. When watching a movie and we spot an actor we "know" but can't remember the name or other movies they were in, BAM three seconds later IMDB has the answer. One or the other of us usually has the laptop on during any evening TV/movie watching.

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  Nov. 10, 2008 8:19 p.m. donalson SuperDork

  also most every laptop has an S-video out... toss the laptop up next to the TV and watch your bit torrents or streaming up the one you missed yesterday (assuming you don't have DVR)...

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  Nov. 11, 2008 8:14 a.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

  I went by Best Buy last night (It was next door to the hobby lobby where I was buying polypropylene strap to replace the door limiter strap on my samurai :)).

  I checked out a couple of netbooks. They're definitely a neat-looking option at $280 and $380 for the two they had. However, the cheaper one had only, like, 4 GB of storage capacity. By the time I bought an external harddrive and a DVD drive, I'd be in the price realm of a cheap laptop. So...I'm still wondering and will be shopping these things during the next couple of weeks.
  

  The bust buy guy couldn't tell me what the black friday specials would be...so I'll have to be patient on that front.

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  Nov. 11, 2008 9:24 a.m. jrw1621 Reader

  Get up early this weekend and buy a Sunday paper. Over breakfast search the ads for the best offer. I think your best chance at scoring a good deal will be this weekend. Black friday gets too much hype and the vultures will be camping out. The stores need to jump start sales and will have good offers this weekend.

  The offer may include Office Max. Office Depot, Staples or the typical electronics retailers.

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  Nov. 11, 2008 9:36 a.m. Xceler8x HalfDork

  I've found my best deals at Office Depot on lappies. A caveat. GO TO THE OFFICE DEPOT STORE. I see deals at the store that I've yet to see online.

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  Nov. 11, 2008 10:10 a.m. sachilles Reader

  you could go to the dell outlet dell outlet link $349 and up for what you are looking for, and it will have 1gig of memory standard make sure you click on price to sort them by cheapest

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  Nov. 18, 2008 2:11 p.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

  Does anybody know of any good Black Friday deals yet? I haven't seemed to be able to find any deals for this year (yet). I would assume that that is because the retailers haven't released them yet...however, it could be that I just don't know where to look.

  I've all-but-decided that I'll opt for a standard laptop over a "netbook" because this will be my ONLY and PRIMARY personal computer. I need some storage capacity (and the netbooks don't have much...even though it is really COOL that it's solid state storage). To watch movies on a netbook, I'll have to rip them and store them...which means I'd have to spring extra for an external DVD-R thingie.

  So...I'm leaning laptopwards.

  It sounds like I should have the following retail shops on my radar:
  *Circuit City
  *Best Buy
  *Office Depot
  

  All of these three are in close proximity to both my house or in the town where I might be for Black Friday.
  

  Any other sure-bet black friday retailers that'll have a cheap laptop?
  

  Thanks again all!
  Clem

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  Nov. 18, 2008 2:14 p.m. ClemSparks SuperDork

  sachilles wrote:

  you could go to the dell outlet dell outlet link $349 and up for what you are looking for, and it will have 1gig of memory standard make sure you click on price to sort them by cheapest

  If I don't get a good deal for black friday...this looks like the next-best bet...thanks!

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  Nov. 18, 2008 2:38 p.m. jrw1621 Reader

  Is there a MicroCenter near your house? I picked this up off of www.slickdeals.net in the "Hot Deals" section.

  Acer Laptop - $299 (10 per store)

  http://f.microcentermail.com//asbs/servlet/WebContView?C=16182954&R=1100305480...

  if I were you, I would check throught the first few pages of this forum for the next few days. Soon, this week, you will start to see people post the ads coming up this weekend. If I were you i would not wait till Black Friday. The deals on that day will be no better than what you can get this weekend but the lines and crowds will be much larger.

  Here is the link to the Hot Deals section http://forums.slickdeals.net/forumdisplay.php?sduid=0&f=9

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  Nov. 20, 2008 8:13 a.m. jrw1621 Reader

  No shipping and no sales tax makes this $399 Acer a pretty good deal.

  http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4282916...

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