Loking for very basic laptop- vostro?

Hey y'all:

I've been lurking on this site for a couple months now, learning a lot but also getting overwhelmed by all the info.

My Dell laptop crashed about 2 months ago and I've just been too lazy to replace it. It was the "beater" laptop kept downstairs and was mostly used for internet surfing while watching TV and in the kitchen (recipes!) It also housed my digital camera pics (canon software) and music (itunes).

As you can see, my computer needs are very basic- no gaming, movie-viewing, spreadsheets, etc.. I think the Vostro will work for me, but need help on the other stuff.

I know I want XP for the operating system. I don't have any experience with AMD, so I'm leaning towards an intel processor. Any thoughts on that?

As far as the other specs, would 1.4GHz Core2Duo, 1GB DDR2 & 120GB Hard Drive suffice or be overkill? I certainly want it to be functional, just don't want to pay for anything I don't need!!!

Which leads me to the budget. I'm being supercheap, and don't want to spend more than $600 (total, out the door!) I've been trolling the Dell outlet and waiting for a coupon/offer to come up ( will it?)

Anyway, I'd really appreciate any input. Please help a newbie who knows NOTHING about computers out!
Gracias

 

Geez- first post and I can't get the spelling in my topic header right. Oy!

 

i dont know if this deal is still in place but check this out:

http://www.cheapstingybargains.com/...a-lcd-anti-glare-display-649-w-free-shipping/

you dont mind a 14.1 inch do you ? longer battery life + more portability !

with this deal you would get 2gb of ram instead of 1 like you requested and 160gb hdd instead of the 120gb.

the down side is you would get the 1.4 ghz processor but im sure that is still speedy as it is a dual corea nd you are getting xp. It will be more than enough for web surfing and recipes..

Still all for 549 plus taxes... they claim shipping is free but you would have to go through with the order to make sure this deal is still intact. I believe it is.


speaking of that.. what recipes

 

Are you sure the machine's broken for good? Crashed is a very vague term.

1. Getting an AMD CPU is the best bet for you. They're cheaper, and comparable to the Intel CPU 2-3 steps down. If you're doing document reading, the cheapest dual-core will be excellent.

2. Are you sure about sticking to XP? Vista is very fast with those specs. Getting 2GB of RAM would make it even smoother (you can upgrade it yourself if you don't like Dell's prices).

3. There was an offer for a Vostro 1000 for $400+taxes (free shipping) with your required specs a week about a week ago:

"-AMD AthlonTM 64 X2 Dual-Core processor TK-53 (1.7GHz/512KB)
-Genuine Windows XP Home Edition
-15.4" Wide Screen XGA LCD Anti-Glare Display
-1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
-120GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
-8X DVD+/-RW w/Double-layer DVD+R Write Capability, for Vista OS
-ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 256MB HyperMemory (integrated)
-Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Wi-Fi Mini Card"

It may never show up again.

 

for the things you are doing, you don't need a high end cpu....unless you are doing some crazy photoshopping. anyway, one consideration is that intel processors tend to have better battery life than machines with amd. if battery life is somewhat important, you may want to consider intel. if not, you will be fine with amd. another note is that if you are planning on using vista, you might want to consider upgrading your ram. it's not a must, but may periodically give you a boost in performance.

 

Dell outlet will be your best bet. However, I would also suggest the Asus Eee ($399 + shipping). Although it doesn't have XP (by the way, I also prefer XP over any operating system), it is probably the most basic and easiest system to use. The fact that it uses a solid state hard drive and linux OS makes it quite fast.

 

Hey!
THANKS much for all the responses/advice. I'll probably stick with XP and will do some more reading on the AMD cpu's.

The plan is to be ready to pounce when i see something pop up on the outlet with these specs.

And yeah, my old laptop is officially dead- took it the geek squad and that was the verdict.

 

There are some crazy deals for Dell d630's on Outlet.. there is a 15% off coupon on top of that right now as well.. you will love the Latitude 630 if you go that route.

I got this from Outlet yesterday... not sure if this will work on Latitude...
I think its very limited number of redemptions though:
15% off and FREE 3-5 day shipping & handling on
any refurbished Inspiron™, Dimension™ or
XPS™ system.
Enter Coupon² Code at Checkout:
?QL05$D?WPMCV?